Gayle to play in Caribbean T20

Chris Gayle will join the Jamaica squad in the ongoing Caribbean T20 as a replacement for the injured Andre McCarthy. Expected to fly in to St Lucia immediately, Gayle is likely to be available for selection for Jamaica's final league match against the Combined Campuses and Colleges on Friday.

Gayle's inclusion is bound to inject confidence into the Jamaicans, who are currently lying second behind table-toppers and defending champions Trinidad & Tobago, on 13 points. But their batsmen have failed to dominate, with not a single player scoring a fifty.

Gayle would also expect to set his own record for Jamaica straight: in the eight Twenty20 matches he has played for Jamaica, he has managed just 136 runs.

The explosive opener, who topped the run charts in the last two editions of the IPL with powerful batting performances, has been low on form after his below-par performances for Sydney Thunder in the Big Bash League. Thunder were the poorest team in the tournament, failing to notch a single win in eight matches. Gayle just got one fifty, departing the tournament with 137 runs from seven matches.

Still, an aggressive 65, including a 25-ball half-century, in the final match would have boosted his morale and that of Jamaica now.

Last month, the Jamaican selectors were forced to omit Gayle from the final squad after the batsman said he would be available in the event Thunder failed to qualify for the knockouts. According to the tournament rules, the only way Gayle could be included in the squad was a replacement for an injured player.

Currently second on the points table, Jamaica are favourites to qualify for the play-off stage when they play on Saturday.

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Lara unveiled as BPL ambassador

Brian Lara has been unveiled as the brand ambassador of Chittagong Kings for the second season of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) and the former West Indies batsman believes the franchise system will widen the net to find talented cricketers across the world.

He will accompany the Kings' ownership in commercial and promotional activities, but is not likely to have a coaching role. But he will be sought out by the young players in the squad for batting tips, especially the local ones who are extremely eager to have a player who scored 11,953 Test runs and 10,405 in ODIs at such close proximity.

"I love the invention of the franchise teams," Lara said. "I think it takes away a lot of control that the individual boards have. It brings about a lot of income for the players and also for the owners, and you see a lot more people coming to watch the T20 game. That in itself has a lot of benefit and goes down to the grassroots level.

"In the West Indies we found it very difficult to get teenage cricketers playing. We are now launching our own T20 franchise cricket and hopefully that will see a lot more youngsters get the opportunity to advance."

Lara has supported the similar concept in Zimbabwe, where he played a few games two years ago. He cited the example of Viv Richards, who was in Australia's Big Bash League, as a means for legends to spread the word. "As a former cricketer you want to give something back," he said. "I was in Zimbabwe a few years back and supported them in their game at the Test level and at the one-day level, I actually even played in their T20 competition.

"But it's just a matter of wanting to get back. You saw Viv Richards in Australia recently. There have been a couple of other players in the world. I am quite happy to do something like this. The younger players who are not up to their highest standards, I think I get a lot more benefit or satisfaction to helping a team that needs someone like myself."

The game will be popular, he believed, but not at the cost of other formats. "I believe now with T20 cricket, a lot more people are watching the game. Just remember, we are all entertainers," he said. "If this kind of cricket brings interest to the people, cricketers will be happy to indulge in it. Test cricket is still important, so are ODIs, but T20 should be there too because of the crowd factor."

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New T20 event for Indian universities

A new Twenty20 all-India university tournament, backed by the BCCI and the Indian government's Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD), has been added to the Indian cricket calendar. The tournament, named the University Cricket Championship (UCC), is an extension of the an annual all-India inter-zone university Rohinton Baria Tournament.

The tournament was launched at a high-profile event - attended by among others, the actor Shahrukh Khan, who was named its brand ambassador - in Mumbai by Indian news channel NDTV, along with the co-sponsors Toyota. It is also supported by the Association of Indian Universities (AIU), which already holds the Rohinton Baria Tournament.

The inaugural tournament will be played next month between the top eight teams from the Rohinton Baria - two from each of the four regional zones - who will be split into two groups of four each. The top four will qualify for the semi-finals. The matches will be telecast live, and the co-partner NDTV is also expected to do extensive programming for the championship.

N Srinivasan, the BCCI president, said the board had always been supportive of such tournaments and the UCC would be another platform for university players. "The idea was recently approved by the BCCI's Working Committee," he said. "It will give more opportunities to university players and the viewership will make a big difference as it will enable people to see university cricket close at hand."

Minister of State, HRD, Shashi Tharoor, said the initiative would attract attention as it has sponsors and will be played in the T20 format. "There used to be decent crowds for university matches during my university days but the interest has dwindled over the years," he said. "Right now, many teams don't care if they don't make it to the finals of the Rohinton Baria. This tournament is going to be a game-changer and university cricket will get a big boost from this initiative."

SN Puri, President of the AIU, also seemed excited by the idea of the new tournament. "The Rohinton Baria tournament was losing its shine," Puri told ESPNcricinfo. "This new format is becoming popular, so young people should come forward. University students find it hard to take out time for both Vizzy Trophy and Rohinton Baria as both have three-day matches. This new T20 tournament will save them time and will provide exposure to the format too."

Shahrukh Khan accounted for the event's glamour quotient but his ties with cricket are well-known - he is the co-owner of the IPL team Kolkata Knight Riders. He also represented his university team in cricket, football and hockey.

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Bond letter reignites captaincy saga

Shane Bond, the New Zealand bowling coach, has insisted that he and the head coach Mike Hesson have put behind them any disagreements over the handling of the team's captaincy changeover. Bond said he and Hesson had developed a good working relationship during the ongoing tour of South Africa, the team's first since the series in Sri Lanka last year when Ross Taylor was told he would be replaced as captain.

On Friday, a letter from Bond to New Zealand Cricket emerged in media reports and in it Bond expressed his belief that Hesson had been dishonest in his assertions after the Sri Lankan trip that the intention was always to split the captaincy and leave Taylor in charge of the Test side. Bond wrote that at no time during his conversations with Hesson was a split captaincy ever suggested.

"I believe the coach has been dishonest in his assertion around the miscommunication of the captaincy split with Ross," Bond wrote in the letter. "At no time during my conversations with Mike Hesson, that mostly included [assistant coach] Bob Carter and/or the manager was the captaincy spilt ever suggested. It was clear to me that Ross Taylor was to be removed as captain from all three formats."

Bond also wrote of his reaction when he arrived in Galle ahead of the Test series to be told that Hesson, Carter and the team manager Mike Sandle had attended a meeting with Taylor at which Taylor was told he would lose the captaincy at the end of the tour.

"On arrival in Galle I bumped into Bob Carter in an open corridor where he informed me he'd just been in a meeting with Mike Sandle and Mike Hesson where the latter told Ross he was no longer wanted as captain," Bond wrote. "Bob was clearly a little stunned and commented on how upset Ross was.

"I later bumped into Mike on the way to dinner. He informed me that he'd told Ross he was no longer wanted as captain. I stated that the timing was completely inappropriate and he had most likely affected the ability of the captain to perform and it seemed like sabotage."

New Zealand lost the first Test to Sri Lanka but won the second, a match in which Taylor led from the front with innings of 142 and 74. After the squad returned home, Hesson told Taylor he wanted him to stay on as captain in the Test format only, while Brendon McCullum would take over in the limited-overs formats.

In a statement on Friday, Bond did not dispute the content of the letter but said he and Hesson had moved on since it was sent several weeks ago.

"As has been outlined publicly, I wanted to share my views and opinion on the captaincy situation and did so in the form of a private letter to New Zealand Cricket," Bond said. "I want to go on record saying that I met with Mike Hesson several weeks ago, we have discussed the content of the letter, and put it behind us.

"We have developed a good working relationship during this tour and are working closely together to make this team better. I want to keep working hard with the other support staff so can improve the performance of the team. As far as I'm concerned we have dealt with the matter, it has been put behind us and I won't be making any further comment."

David White, the New Zealand Cricket chief executive, said Bond was one of several team managers who reported back to NZC about the captaincy situation.

"Unfortunately his report was received by NZC late in the evening prior to the planned press conference scheduled for the following day and was the 'additional material' referred to by chairman Chris Moller," White said. "We believed the content of Shane's report to us merited further investigation over a longer period and we made extensive inquiries of team management.

"We found considerable variance with Shane's account in the assessments given to us by the other members of the senior management team. After much investigation NZC's final conclusion is that the problems that arose over the captaincy issue were the result of misunderstanding and poor communication between the parties involved.

"The important thing to recognise is that Shane wasn't in the room at the time that the captaincy discussions were taking place. However, we have heard his concerns and have discussed them with him and the team management. Both Shane and NZC have now amicably resolved the issue."

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Zimbabwe selector Makoni unable to continue

Zimbabwe's most recent convenor of selectors Givemore Makoni cannot be reappointed to his job because of a new directive from the country's Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC). The directive, which comes into effect on February 1, states that only former national players can become selectors.

"Good performance of national teams in international matches is a matter of national interest. It has been noted that in some circumstances, this national interest has been compromised by the calibre of national team selectors who lack the requisite experience and skills to play their role effectively," the SRC said in a statement. "This directive therefore seeks to correct this anomaly so as to improve the competitiveness of our national teams."

Continual underperformance of teams across sports prompted the SRC to take this step. The minister of education, sports, arts and culture, David Coltart, explained that it was a decision taken after in-depth consultation with the country's sportsmen and women.

"A wide cross section of Zimbabwean sportspersons have told me that playing at international level involves a considerable leap in physical and mental expertise, which is best understood and appreciated by sportspersons who have experienced that themselves," Coltart said. "The same sportspersons have advised me that national players are far more likely to respect and accept hard selection decisions made by people who have achieved themselves at the highest level."

Although the directive comes into effect in two weeks' time, it was first mooted in October last year. In the same month, Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) changed their policy following the death of Kevin Curran, one of the members of their selection committee. Curran, who was also the coach of the Mashonaland Eagles, was part of a three-person panel that also included former Test player Wayne James and Makoni. Alan Butcher, the national coach, was only used in an advisory capacity.

The directive and Curran's death took place within weeks of each other, and resulted in ZC shaking up their panel. James and Butcher sat on a two-person committee but Makoni had a casting vote. The main difference between the rejigged panel and the previous one was that the coach had more of a say. Historically, according to Coltart, Zimbabwean cricket coaches have not been selectors but ZC has now changed this.

Once the SRC ruling comes into effect, Makoni will not be able to play any part in selection and it also means that if ZC appoints a coach who is not a former national player, he cannot be a selector. Butcher is not reapplying for his job, which will end after the tour to West Indies in March, and Steven Mangongo, the assistant coach, is one of the people in the running to take over. Mangongo did not play for Zimbabwe.

Mangongo, batting coach Grant Flower and bowling coach Heath Streak are believed to be in the running for the coaching positions. Mangongo will be ruled out if ZC want to continue having their coach act as a selector, which has led Makoni to tell local papers the directive was "utter rubbish and racist." He believes it will deny black officials opportunity to advance.

Coltart denied the new policy was racially targeted. "Regarding Mangongo, it is ZC who have recently changed the rules on coaches," he said. "If they want to hire Mangongo they can easily revert to the status quo and have the coach in an advisory capacity."

Coltart also said he could alter portions of the directive to ensure coaches were not excluded entirely from selection, irrespective of their level of playing. "This was never designed to exclude coaches from the decision making process and so I may well refine the directive to make sure that that is the case - and do say as the Australians do. The chair is always an ex-player and there are a majority of ex-players but the coach is on the panel and he doesn't have to be an ex player."

Zimbabwe had long standing racial divisions that exposed themselves in cricket with the white player walk-out in 2004. Players including Heath Streak, the Flower brothers and Alistair Campbell walked away from cricket in the country because of ZC's aggressive transformation program. Matters were thought to have eased when they returned to the fold and Zimbabwe fielded teams that now represent the country's population.

Makoni, who will remain manager of the Southern Rocks, is still fearful the directive could divide Zimbabwe cricket again and angry that he will not be considered for the selection panel because of the new rules.

"Not playing for Zimbabwe during our time did not mean that you were not good enough to play for the national team. Doors were closed for us," he said. "We fought that system and although we didn't benefit from it, in terms of playing for the national team, it opened the doors for a lot of black players.

"Now, we have black cricket players all over the country, cricket is spreading into a truly mass sporting discipline. We can't allow people to come and try and reverse all that," he said. Coltart denied any plot to exclude black Zimbabweans and said Makoni's remarks were "abusive and unnecessary."

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Bangladesh board didn't follow protocol - PCB

The PCB has said the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and the organisers of the BPL had not followed the correct procedures with regards to signing Pakistan players, and has given that as the reason for their non-participation in Bangladesh's Twenty20 league. The Pakistan players, the PCB said, had been auctioned in Dhaka without permission and without any intimation from the BCB.

"There are great embarrassments when boards are bypassed and players approached directly," a PCB spokesman said. "This was regrettably felt by BCB when they approached PCB at the last moment for release of the players for their league.

"As per practice and procedures in vogue, a home board has to approach the visiting players' parent board seeking release of its players for their domestic cricket competitions. In BPL's case, BCB, their representatives or the players' agents were in contact directly with the Pakistan players and PCB was kept out of this process. Even the auction of Pakistan players at BPL was done without PCB's prior permission or intimation."

As many as 60 Pakistan players registered for the BPL auction but only 26 were sold to the seven franchises, but without the necessary No Objection Certificates (NOCs) from the PCB. The players had submitted their applications with an NOC from their department team instead.

However, apart from the issues with protocol, the withdrawal of Pakistan players is also centred on the standoff over a Bangladesh tour to Pakistan.

"The BCB committed to tour Pakistan in March 2012, this initiative was also supported by ICC," the PCB said. "But in an incident unprecedented in the history of world cricket, a court issued stay orders against a mutually agreed tour. The BCB promised again to tour Pakistan on January 10 but backed off once again. The BCB needs to take a step forward in reciprocation.

"The PCB, historically, has been extremely supportive of BCB. On request of BCB the PCB released its players for the first edition of BPL in 2012. The PCB also supported Mustaf Kamal's candidacy as vice president of ICC."

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Rawalpindi turn tables in thrilling chase

Group 1

Quetta routed Peshawar by an innings and 171 runs inside three days at the Arbab Niaz Stadium.

After being sent into bat, Quetta posted a formidable first-innings score, with Ali Asad making an unbeaten 210 and the captain Taimur Ali scoring 120. It was Ali Asad's highest first-class score, and Taimur's third hundred in 53 matches. Quetta declared on 483 for 8 on the second day.

Peshawar ended that day on 70 for 4 in their first innings and collapsed to 117 all out in 41.3 overs on the third. Naved Khan was the only batsman to make more than 20 as Gohar Faiz took career best figures of 5 for 39 for Quetta. Peshawar had been 51 for 1 at one stage so they lost nine wickets for 66 runs.

They fared only marginally better in the follow-on. Arun Lal took 5 for 69 for Quetta as they dismissed Peshawar for 195 in 41.2 overs. Gauhar Ali scored a run a ball 59 but with little support from his team-mates Peshawar slid surely towards a huge defeat.

An unbeaten century from Majid Jahangir led Sialkot to a nine-wicket victory against Islamabad on the fourth day in Lahore. Chasing a target of 209, Jahangir made 112 and Faisal Khan scored an unbeaten 68 to help Sialkot get to victory in the 48th over.

Sialkot's fourth innings score of 212 for 1 was markedly different from the other three batting efforts. After choosing to bowl, Sialkot had taken the upper hand by dismissing Islamabad for 193 in 71.3 overs. Islamabad were struggling at 123 for 6 before Imad Wasim's unbeaten 70 helped them add 70 more. Nayyer Abbas took 4 for 27 for Sialkot.

Sialkot's advantage was quickly neutralised, though, when Islamabad had them tottering at 75 for 7, with Nasrullah Khan and Iftikhar Anjum cutting through the top order. A brace of half-centuries from Abbas and Bilal Butt - a partnership of 103 for the eighth wicket - lifted them to 202. Iftikhar finished with 5 for 62.

In their second innings, Islamabad lost a wicket before the deficit of 9 was erased, and two more when the lead was only 3. They then had a partnership of 89 for the fourth wicket and prospects were looking good. They slumped thereafter, though, losing wickets frequently to be dismissed in 76 overs for 217. Faizan Riaz and Wasim scored 51 and 50, while Ali Khan took 3 for 42.

A target of 209 should have been challenging, considering the trend of the previous three innings, but Sialkot gunned for the loss of only one wicket.

Multan earned three points for taking the first-innings lead in their drawn match against Lahore Ravi in Lahore.

Multan made a poor start to their first innings after they were sent in to bat, and were struggling at 20 for 3. They were steadied by Shoaib Maqsood and their captain Naved Yasin, who added 176 for the fourth wicket. Maqsood scored 109, while Yasin made 80. They lost wickets in pairs thereafter, though, and were dismissed for 309 early on the second day. Adnan Rasool took 5 for 91 for Lahore Ravi.

Lahore Ravi were coasting towards a first-innings lead, having reached 173 for 1 because of opener Irfan Haider's half-century. They then lost two wickets on the same score and later on slipped from 220 for 3 to 248 all out. Rahat Ali took 5 for 44 and Zulfiqar Babar took 3 for 99 for Multan.

Multan were more solid in their second innings, with the openers Usman Liaqat and Zeeshan Ashraf scoring half-centuries and the rest of the top order getting starts. They progressed to 252 for 5 - Ali Manzoor took four of those wickets for Lahore Ravi - before declaring 313 runs ahead.

Lahore Ravi lost two early wickets in the chase but Ikhlaq Butt made 105 and Saadullah Gauri scored 62 to ensure there would be no outright defeat. They finished on 219 for 5 as the game was drawn.

Group 2

Mohtashim Ali and Fawad Alam scored centuries to help Karachi Whites earn first-innings points from a drawn match against Hyderabad at the Niaz Stadium.

Hyderabad had won the toss and decided to bat at home. They lost an early wicket but were steadied by opener Sharjeel Khan's 64. Rizwan Ahmed made 105 at No. 4 but unfortunately for the hosts those were the only two innings of substance. Atif Maqbool took 5 for 97 for Karachi Whites to help them dismiss Hyderabad for 309.

Karachi Whites had taken the lead, thanks to Mohtashim (121) and Alam, before they slipped from 312 for 4 to 322 for 7. Mohammad Sami scored 77 off 99 balls though and Alam remained unbeaten on 153 as Karachi Whites eventually declared on 496 for 8.

Hyderabad slipped to 69 for 3 in their second innings before Rizwan Ahmed scored his second century of the match to prop them up. They ended on 277 for 6, with Maqbool and Faraz Ahmed taking three wickets each for Karachi Whites.

Rawalpindi overcame a significant first-innings deficit to pull off a thrilling chase by two wickets against Faisalabad at the Mirpur Cricket Stadium.

Faisalabad, after getting sent in to bat, had been dismissed for 226 in the first innings. Moazzam Hayat made 52, Mohammad Salman scored an unbeaten 70, and Zeeshan Butt scored 45, but there was not much else from the others. Sadaf Hussain took 4 for 63 for Rawalpindi.

In their reply, Rawalpindi were shot out for 132 in 40.1 overs. They were floundering at 73 for 7 before Umar Waheed made 39 and Mohammad Nawaz 22. Waqas Maqsood took 4 for 62 for Faisalabad, while Nasir Akram and Hasan Mahmood took three each.

Rawalpindi then returned the favour, dismissing Faisalabad for 130 in their second innings. Sadaf Hussain claimed 4 for 17 in 5.3 overs and Nasir Malik took 3 for 55. Faisalabad would not have got past 100 if not for Mohammad Salam's 42. They were 66 for 8 at one stage and he was the only batsman to make more than 20. Because of their first-inninsg lead of 94, Faisalabad were ahead by 224.

Rawalpindi's chase began poorly: they were 46 for 4. Umar Waheed, the No. 3 batsman, was steady at his end and he found a partner in Adnan Mufti. They added 90 runs for the fifth wicket before Mufti was dismissed. Waheed then dominated a sixth wicket stand of 56 with Zahid Mansoor that took Rawalpindi to 192. Though wickets fell at one end, Waheed remained firm at the other and he was unbeaten on 99, with the No. 10, Nasir Malik for company when the winning runs were scored.

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Australia and Hampshire strike academy deal

Cricket Australia and Hampshire Cricket have announced a partnership which will see some of Australia's most talented young cricketers spend the next English summer at the newly-formed Ageas Bowl International Cricket Academy.

The deal confirms Hampshire's status as the host of one of the best-equipped cricket academies in the world and left Rod Bransgrove, the county's cricket chairman and long-time driving force, purring with delight at another sign of progress for the project that has long been his life's obsession.

"Cricket Australia has been an admirer of the Ages Bowl for some time and we are delighted that they are sending six high-performing young players to the Academy in its inaugural year," Bransgrove said. "We are one of the few professional grounds in the world with two full-sized cricket pitches immediately adjacent to each other which means our outdoor facilities are available even when there is a match on. That is a great advantage. We are a genuine international cricket academy.

"Lord's will always have its tradition and a presence second to none, but our ambition is simply to create the finest ground in the country."

English players have long had the advantages of winter stints in Australia, South Africa and India as part of their overall development and now Hampshire's academy offers an opportunity in reverse which Cricket Australia has been quick to grasp. Hampshire promise access to world-class coaching, sports science and medical staff.

As part of the programme the Australian players will play in the Southern Electric Premier League for the duration of the English domestic cricket season. "That's an extra benefit - that six league clubs get an overseas player free of charge for the whole of the season," said Bransgrove. "I'm not in favour of clubs using their hard-earned funds for recreational players even if they commit to regular coaching and have the club at heart."

Bransgrove has reason to be satisfied. The launch of the academy follows Hampshire's achievement in winning the Friends Life Twenty20 and CB40 tournaments last season and the securing of a £45m investment from Eastleigh Borough Council to secure the final stage in the development of the Ages Bowl which will include the construction of a 4-star hotel, additional conferencing and hospitality facilities and a state-of-the-art media centre.

Although he has handed over the chief executive role to David Mann after ceaselessly driving Hampshire forward for 12 years, Bransgrove is not the sort for for semi-retirement. "I have taken a back seat in the day-to-day running of the business," he said. "After 12 years the club needed new energy. But I've got so much emotion - and money - wrapped up in it I can't run away."

The partnership will form part of the 2013 Australian Institute of Sport men's cricket programme and The Kerry Packer Foundation will provide scholarships to the selected players.

Pat Howard, Cricket Australia's team performance manager, said: "CA is very excited about this partnership and opportunity for our very best young players. The opportunity to experience cricket in a different country will grow them as players and as people. For those chosen it will be an important part of their development."

English counties have occasionally faced criticism for employing Australian players on short-term contracts ahead of Ashes series but Bransgrove is confident that the presence of some of Australia's top young cricketers in Hampshire will be universally seen as a success story.

"The ECB fully recognises that we have a responsibility to maximise our income," he said. "We are talking about the development of young players. Every country seeking to develop players wants to use the facilities of other countries in the off season."

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Dhoni 'best in world' - Cook

Alastair Cook, England's captain, described MS Dhoni as one of the hardest players in the world to bowl to at the death after his counterattacking 72 from 66 balls late in India's innings provided the platform for their 127-run victory in the second ODI. Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja added 96 in ten overs for the sixth wicket, taking apart England's inexperienced attack during the closing stages of the innings, and Cook said that coming up with a field and a bowling plan for his India counterpart was extremely tough.

"He [Dhoni] is probably the best player in the world in those situations, in these conditions," Cook said. "He does it time and time again. He's incredibly hard to bowl at and with that extra man in the circle, it's very, very hard to stop on these flat wickets."

Although James Tredwell conceded just nine runs combined from the 42nd and 44th overs, Cook opted for his pace trio of Steven Finn, Jade Dernbach and Chris Woakes at the death but they failed to keep a lid on India's scoring rate.

"You're always going to have hindsight, but probably one batsman you don't want an offspinner bowling to is Dhoni," Cook said. "We've seen him a number of times and with a spinner at the end, it's very hard to bowl to him. So, look, clearly when you get hit for 68 runs in the last five overs, you think, maybe you could have done things differently. But at the time, for me, it was a very big gamble to make."

The win drew India level at 1-1 in the five-match series but, despite the emphatic result, the top order again struggled, falling to 119 for 4 just past the midway stage of the innings before Dhoni, Suresh Raina and Jadeja rebuilt. The bowlers bounced back from conceding 325 in Rajkot to dismiss England for 158 but Dhoni said problems remained in both departments and they could not hope for the dominance of recent ODI series between the two sides in India.

"We're going through a stage when we don't have the same firepower when it comes to the bowling department. Our batting department is not able to convert those starts into a big innings. But we're fielding really well, and that's a big positive for us," he said.

Dhoni described the failure of the batsmen to go on when well set as a "big problem". He said: "If three or four batsmen make 50, then it's important at least one or two of them go on to make at least 75. So that the new batsmen coming after them, when say two quick wickets fall, then they won't feel that much pressure. I think it's very important. If you look at the good side, our batsmen are getting starts. Yes, I would like them to convert their starts to a big innings so that it won't put pressure on the rest."

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Taylor good enough for second XI - Alleyne

Sarah Taylor will create history later this year if she is selected as the first woman to play for a men's county side and Mark Alleyne, the MCC head coach who has Taylor under his charge at Lord's, believes it is important to take her out of her comfort zone.

Taylor is widely regarded as the best cricketer in the women's game and will play men's league cricket for a Birmingham League side at the start of the season while training at Sussex with a realistic view to being called into the second XI. The MCC had already explored the option of getting Taylor a men's game over the last year.

"I think for her it would be a relevant challenge just to see how she would get on," Alleyne told ESPNcricinfo. "It's something that we talked about over 12 months ago to be honest. We think she's good enough and I'm confident her skills can stand out in the second XI.

"Putting someone in an uncomfortable position and just seeing how they can deal with it could stand her in good stead for some of the tougher moments in women's cricket. If she can deal with it, there should be nothing she can't deal with in the women's game."

The greater power of men's cricket will be an adjustment Taylor would need to make and she will not be too far away from the next sledge. But Alleyne is confident she can live with it. "We know she's got the skills to cope."

Technically, Taylor will face a larger, and half an ounce heavier, ball to which she has had little exposure. But Alleyne does not see that making a insurmountable difference. "Her experience using the larger ball isn't great at the moment," Alleyne said. "But such are her keeping skills, the different ball shouldn't affect her at all. She keeps well to spinners and seamers."

It is with the bat where Alleyne knows Taylor will have to make a significant step up. "The pace is consistently quicker than she's used to. Batting in the top order against pacier bowlers with a bit more bounce can attack areas where she hasn't really been tested before.

"Whether she can put together high quality performances against consistent pace will be one of the questions to answer."

Alleyne oversees the MCC Young Cricketers at Lord's, where Taylor is on the staff, and has been in close contact with the England Women's head coach Mark Lane.

"Sarah has been with MCC for two years and she's right on top of her game at the moment, playing particularly well," Alleyne said. "Everyone's curious to see how she can continue to improve and how she can benchmark herself with the boys."

Alleyne looks for new opportunities for all the MCC staff and said the conversations he has with Taylor are no different to anyone else. "We're always looking for opportunities for them to up their game with lots of different challenges. At the time of talking with Sarah, it was just another conversation that we would have with any other players."

Taylor had subsequent talks with Sussex and an opportunity could arise for her to provide wicketkeeping cover this season. She and fellow England international Holly Colvin, who is also on the MCC staff, have been invited to train with Sussex when they return from the Women's World Cup in February.

Sussex are a wicketkeeper lighter in 2013 after Andrew Hodd left for Yorkshire and with England commitments ruling Matt Prior out for large parts of the year and both Sussex academy wicketkeepers unavailable at the start of the season, Taylor could well be needed.

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