Conclave to reflect on changes to domestic cricket

The coaches and captains of all the 27 domestic teams affiliated to the BCCI will participate in a conclave at a five-star hotel in Mumbai on Tuesday. Though the conclave has become an annual fixture for the last half a dozen seasons, it will be the first time all the participating teams will give their feedback to the major changes that were introduced for the 2012-13 season.

Some of the major changes included converting the Ranji Trophy to a tournament comprising three groups of nine teams each from a two-tier format and introducing an additional point for an outright victory. In the 50-over format, the changes involved allowing a bowler to bowl up to two bouncers an over and one bowler bowl a maximum of 12 overs. Plus, the Under-22 domestic championship was replaced by an Under-25 tournament. The changes were introduced after a three-member committee comprising former India captains Sourav Ganguly and Anil Kumble, and Sanjay Jagdale, consulted with the BCCI's technical committee. The proposals were then ratified by the BCCI's working committee.

Kumble, who has since replaced Ganguly as the technical committee chairman, will be in attendance at the conclave as a 'special invitee' along with the head of the ground and pitches committee Daljit Singh. The latter's presence will be important in the wake of the BCCI issuing a directive to the curators across the country to prepare sporting pitches ahead of the Ranji Trophy after expanding the committee's strength from five to 12.

Some of the captains and coaches will raise the issue of how instruction seems to have been misinterpreted and misused. "Agreed that there have hardly been any under-prepared tracks this season, [but] the result has been too many flat beds. Have we ever seen five triple-centuries in a season in the history of Ranji Trophy?" said a captain of a state team, citing anonymity.

While the Ranji Trophy points system is again going to be discussed, a few representatives will also demand the knock-out games be played at neutral venues. "That could be the only option in avoiding such crucial ties to be decided on the basis of the first innings," another captain said. In the recently-concluded first-class season, four of the seven knock-out ties - three quarter-finals and a semi-final - were decided on the basis of a first-innings lead.

Some of the teams have also been unhappy with the conversion of the CK Nayudu Trophy from an Under-22 tournament to an Under-25 competition. It remains to be seen if Kumble agrees with them on the contentious issues.

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Decision on Pune's home ground in a 'day or two'

A decision on Pune Warriors' home games in the upcoming IPL is set to be taken in the next couple of days, with negotiations currently on among all stakeholders. The franchise hopes to play its matches at the Subrata Roy Sahara stadium in Pune which is currently the subject of dispute.

"Both Sahara and MCA [Maharashtra Cricket Association] stuck to their guns, but with the IPL set to start in less than a month, the final decision will be made in a day or two," a BCCI insider revealed after a meeting between IPL governing council Rajeev Shukla, MCA president Ajay Shirke and Abhijit Sarkar, corporate communications chief of the Sahara group and director of the group subsidiary that owns the Pune franchise. While Sarkar and Shukla met in New Delhi, Shirke joined them through video conference since he is in the Netherlands for business commitments.

The Sahara group and the MCA have been in a dispute over title rights of the newly built stadium at Gahunje in the outskirts of Pune. After the MCA covered the name of the stadium that read 'Subrata Roy Sahara Stadium' in January for alleged default over payment of the contract, Sahara group officials moved the Bombay High Court over "termination of agreements".

Though the court case doesn't have any direct relation with hosting of the Sahara-owned team's home games in Pune, the business conglomerate has expressed its desire to play their home games at other venues. However, with no valid reason for shifting the games out of Pune, the IPL organisers find themselves in a quandary over the issue. With the IPL set to begin on April 3, time indeed is running out for them.

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Bracewell ruled out of first Test

Doug Bracewell has been ruled out of the first Test against England due to the foot injury he sustained while cleaning up glass after a party at his home in Napier.

Doug Bracewell has been ruled out of the first Test against England due to the foot injury he sustained while cleaning up glass after a party at his home in Napier.

Bracewell did not attend New Zealand's final training session at University Oval on Tuesday although it is hoped he will recover in time for the second Test in Wellington. It means that Ian Butler, the Otago seamer, could be in line for his first Test appearance in more than eight years. The final place is between him and the uncapped left-arm spinner Bruce Martin

The situation, which occurred away from the New Zealand squad, has not resulted in any disciplinary action for Bracewell although he has been reminded of his responsibilities and Brendon McCullum, the captain, believes it has been over stressed.

"I think the Doug situation has been blown out of proportion to be honest," he said. "It was an accident with was unfortunate because it has ruled him out of a match he was hoping to be at his best for. He has been able to build up for it. I think he will be back for the second Test."

Mike Hesson, the New Zealand coach, said that there were expectations on players to ensure they were ready for international duty but did not think there were any significant problems around the culture of the team that needed to be addressed.

"We've got really good standards in terms of the expectations we have on our players," he said. "They are also human and spend a lot of time away from the group. There is the expectation that what they do does not affect their preparation and we are pretty strong with that.

"There's been a bit of comment about the situation but his foot just hasn't recovered. He can't put any weight on it. There's not a lot we can do when he's away from the side. What I understand he was cleaning up after having a group of people over to watch the rugby. It's really disappointing for Doug and the team as he's a crucial part of our seam attack."

Earlier, Bracewell apologised for the situation and its impact on his team-mates. A media release from New Zealand Cricket referred to the incident as "unfortunate" and stated that Bracewell had been "reminded of his obligations and responsibilities as a NZC contracted player".

"We've told Doug that he needs to take responsibility for what happens around him and that he needs to do all he can to ensure his preparation for international cricket is not compromised," Mike Sandle, the New Zealand team manager, said. "Doug is very sorry for any inconvenience he has caused his team-mates and members of the public and he has apologised to his neighbour in Napier."

New Zealand Cricket Players' Association chief executive Heath Mills was involved in Sandle's discussions with Bracewell, who was dropped from the one-day squad in 2012 for breaking team protocol.

"We want to ensure that incidents like this are not repeated and that we provide ongoing support for young players to ensure they are meeting all their obligations and responsibilities," Mills said.

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An early chance to catch England cold

Match facts

March 6, 2013
Start time 10.30am (2130 GMT)

Big Picture

With crisply starched whites and a spring in their step, Alastair Cook's Test side will begin their first assignment of 2013 looking to continue on the upward curve that they began to forge in India last year. Their opponents, New Zealand (or Not Australia, as some observers keep pointing out), having already experienced the low of 45 all out in Cape Town, will be ready to pounce on any hint of complacency, however, as Brendon McCullum and Mike Hesson seek a soothing balm for the still-raw wounds of the captaincy debacle.

The removal of Ross Taylor as captain in all three formats needs little further raking over but it should be noted that his last Test appearance came in New Zealand's historic win in Colombo last November, when his individual contribution with the bat amounted to scores of 142 and 74. His return to the middle-order will add class and experience to a line-up that was mercilessly ripped apart by South Africa but, should the team come under pressure again, the apparently fragile harmony of the dressing room could be tested.

While McCullum is still working out his brief as Test captain, Cook has eased so comfortably into Andrew Strauss' old job that he may as well be playing in slippers. Three vast centuries in India extended a remarkable run of scoring whilst in charge and more success will be expected against a team ranked a lowly eighth in the world. Having suffered a chastening tour-match defeat in Queenstown, in which England's three seamers could only manage seven wickets between them, Cook knows that full focus is required. For now, the Ashes can wait.

Form guide

New Zealand LLWLL (Completed matches, most recent first)
England DWWLL

In the spotlight

He missed out on a return to the side in South Africa with a knee injury but Peter Fulton is set to resume his Test career after a hiatus of more than three years. Since Fulton made his debut at No. 3 in 2006, New Zealand have used 15 different openers and that will become 16 in Dunedin, when Hamish Rutherford will come into the side. Fulton was second in the Plunket Shield run-scorers' list last season, with 902 at 56.37, and at 34 has the experience to play the senior role. Should he fail, New Zealand fans might seriously start to consider a campaign for Mark Richardson to abandon his TV mic and make a return.

Nick Compton may feel particularly unlucky that his solid start to life in Test cricket, at the seasoned age of 29, has coincided with the rapid rise of Joe Root. Between England's disastrous start in Ahmedabad and Cook getting sawn off twice in Nagpur, Compton and the captain provided opening stands of 123, 66, 58* and 165; but after Root's eye-catching debut from left-field, talk has turned to fitting the younger model into the side at the top of the order, where he bats for Yorkshire. Compton averages 34.66 but he will want to double his high score of 57 to feel secure of his place.

Team news

As if the controversy over the captaincy wasn't enough for New Zealand to deal with, Doug Bracewell has been ruled out with a foot injury sustained cleaning up glass after a party. It means Neil Wagner is certain to start and the final position is between Ian Butler, who hasn't played a Test in more than eight years, and uncapped spinner Bruce Martin.

New Zealand 1 Peter Fulton, 2 Hamish Rutherford, 3 Kane Williamson, 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Dean Brownlie, 6 Brendon McCullum (capt), 7 BJ Watling (wk), 8 Tim Southee, 9 Bruce Martin/Ian Butler, 10 Neil Wagner, 11 Trent Boult

Compton may not have made many runs in Queenstown but he should continue as opener, with Root retaining his place at No. 6 and being expected to provide a few fill-in overs with the ball. Andy Flower has cautioned against over-inflating the Root bubble, despite his gravity-defying start to life in international cricket, so although he may be a long-term option as Cook's opening partner, a knee-jerk elevation is unlikely. The only other issue remains the third seamer slot, with Stuart Broad set to feature ahead of Graham Onions and Chris Woakes.

England (probable) 1 Alastair Cook (capt), 2 Nick Compton, 3 Jonathan Trott, 4 Kevin Pietersen, 5 Ian Bell, 6 Joe Root, 7 Matt Prior (wk), 8 Stuart Broad, 9 Graeme Swann, 10 James Anderson, 11 Steven Finn

Pitch and conditions

The conditions may aid the seamers early on but it is quite possible to build big scores later in the match on what should be a decent pitch - South Africa made 435 for 5 after conceding a first-innings lead here a year ago and the last two Plunket Shield fixtures in Dunedin featured Otago declarations on 569 for 8 and 651 for 9. The possibility of cloud cover is likely to further influence the captains at the toss with McCullum hinting we will bowl first.

Stats and trivia

• New Zealand are unbeaten in all four Tests they have played at the University Oval, winning against Bangladesh and Pakistan and drawing with West Indies and South Africa.
• Since losing to them 2-1 at home in 1999, England have won eight out of 12 Tests against New Zealand.
• Ross Taylor's batting average of 49.85 as captain compares with 41.12 when not in charge.
• James Anderson needs 12 wickets to become the fourth England bowler after Fred Truman, Bob Willis and Ian Botham to take 300 in Tests.

Quotes

"You have to take on the big players and find a way to limit their impact on the series. If we do that it could well create some doubt in their squad. We have plans in place for all their players. How we implement those will determine how successful we are. "
Brendon McCullum

"As players we've got to focus on this game and worry about the other stuff after it. But it's an exciting time to be an England player. In the T20s and ODIs it showed how competitive both sides were. If we play to our potential we will be a hard side to be beat."
Alastair Cook

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World Cup 2015 chairman James Strong dies

James Strong, chairman of the local organising committee for the 2015 World Cup, has died aged 68 after complications from surgery.

He died on Sunday evening in a Sydney hospital, having held the tournament chairman's position since August 2011. The tournament chief executive John Harnden said Strong had made a major contribution to the event.

"James has been a friend and a mentor to me over a long period and I will miss his company and his advice," Harnden said. "He has made a massive contribution to corporate and sporting life in Australia and New Zealand.

"We extend our sincere condolences to his family and many friends. We will continue the work he began on the World Cup and deliver a tournament in 2015 that would make him proud."

Before working on the organisation of the World Cup, Strong had been the chief executive and managing director of Qantas from 1993 until 2001. He had also served as chairman of the Australia Council for the Arts, alongside senior roles with Woolworths, Rip Curl, IAG and Kathmandu.

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PCB calls for revival of international cricket in Pakistan

On the fourth anniversary of the terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore, the PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf has called on the world to stand with Pakistan and help revive international cricket in the country. "It was the tragic episode in the history of Pakistan cricket," Ashraf, who is also a member of the ruling Pakistan People's Party's central executive committee, told ESPNcricinfo. "We have suffered a lot in fighting against terrorism - a war that is the entire world's and Pakistan is fighting as a front-line state. The whole world should stand with us in helping revive international cricket."

On March 3, 2009, the Sri Lanka team was on its way to the Gaddafi Stadium for the third day of the second Test against Pakistan, when gunmen opened fire and threw grenades at the bus, killing eight people at Liberty roundabout, one-and-a-half kilometres away from the stadium. The match was abandoned, Sri Lanka left the country the same day, Pakistan was stripped of its right to host the 2011 World Cup and there has been no international cricket in the country since. For the last four years, Pakistan have been playing their 'home' series mostly in the UAE.

Youth development in Pakistan cricket is on hold as no team, even at the youth level, is ready to tour. The PCB has suffered a budget deficit for years, stadiums are getting rusty, fans have been deprived. Around two dozen players made their international debut for Pakistan in this period, but are yet to play an international game in their own country.

The PCB is still haunted by the impact of the incident and doesn't like to be reminded of what happened. The board is now waiting for a change in the political landscape in the country, hoping it will lead to greater stability.

The PCB had tried to win back the confidence of players by organising the lucrative Twenty20 league, offering top players from around the world a chance to earn over $100,000 tax-free in 10 days. But the plan was hit by logistical arrangements and the board had to postpone it indefinitely. The PCB also tried hard to negotiate with the Bangladesh Cricket Board to commit to a tour of Pakistan but the series never happened, with Bangladesh withdrawing after committing twice. West Indies, in recent times, have refused to send their A team to Pakistan, proposing instead to play in the UAE.

The PCB, in the meantime, is focusing on building cricket infrastructure in Pakistan, a chaotic process in a time of isolation. A new stadium, Shaheed Benazir Bhutto International Cricket Stadium at Garhi Khuda Bakhsh in Naudero, Sindh, was completed last year; another one has been sanctioned in the capital Islamabad with a lodging facility. Domestic cricket has been revamped, with the introduction of an additional Twenty20 national championship between eight top teams around the country to keep the stadiums active.

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O'Keefe forfeits NSW captaincy

Steve O'Keefe has forfeited the captaincy of New South Wales in order to more vigorously pursue a place bowling left-arm spin for Australia.

Towards the end of his second summer leading the Blues whenever Michael Clarke is not available, O'Keefe volunteered to give up the job ahead of the state's final two Sheffield Shield matches, reckoning it would give him a greater chance of taking the wickets he needs to push for an international spot.

The Blues will instead by led by the batsman Ben Rohrer, who enjoyed success as interim captain last month when O'Keefe was briefly injured.

O'Keefe stated recently his disappointment at being passed over for a place in the Test squad to tour India, despite his possession of the most persuasive first-class bowling figures among all slow bowlers in the Sheffield Shield.

However apart from an eight-wicket match haul against Western Australia at Blacktown Oval recently, O'Keefe's bowling and batting returns have diminished during his time as captain, occasionally leaving selectors to ponder his best role in the NSW side.

O'Keefe's decision to abandon the captaincy also follows two years of largely barren results for NSW, and a raft of recent changes at the state association, which now has vacancies for the positions of chief executive and head coach plus a new chairman in John Warn.

Taking on the captaincy at the start of the 2011-12 season, O'Keefe was an unexpected choice to replace Simon Katich, who was keen to continue as state captain but was encouraged by the former CEO David Gilbert that the time was right for a change.

This left O'Keefe and the new coach Anthony Stuart as the inexperienced duo in charge, contributing partly to a poor summer. When results did not improve this season, Stuart was dismissed, and Gilbert and the chairman Harry Harinath have also now left.

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Warne's spin on Australian slow bowling

Shane Warne's manifesto for Australian cricket has finally ventured into the area he knows most about: spin bowling. In summing up the underlying reasons for a dreadful dearth in genuinely accomplished spinners around the country, Warne all but acknowledges that his was an impossible act to follow.

While offering the novel suggestion that spin bowlers the world over would benefit from an increase in the height and width of the stumps to compensate for advancements in bats and the reduced size of grounds, Warne's main point revolved around how spinners are viewed in Australia.

He reasoned that spin bowlers are now expected to provide exactly the sort of threat he once did - simultaneously an attacking weapon and defensive bulwark, able to dry up runs then clamber all over an opponent with wickets the moment circumstances changed. This, Warne said, was a commission too great to expect of the vast majority of young slow bowlers.

"I think the problem lies in what we expect from our young spin bowlers and the way they are handled at domestic level by their captains and coaches," Warne wrote. "The attitude should always be about taking wickets and not about economy rates: 4/100 off 25 overs is a good result and better than 2/60 off 25 overs.

"I believe the expectations are too high and the young spinners are put under a lot of pressure to be both attacking wicket takers as well as tight economical bowlers, which is very hard to do.

"My guidelines on what to look for in a young spinner is pretty simple; someone who can spin the ball. Any fast bowler that can swing or make the ball move has a chance to take wickets; if they bowl straight they will struggle. The same criteria applies for spin bowling."

Among the problems faced by young spinners is the expectation, both from themselves and their captains, that they will be capable of bowling equally well across all three formats, when the subtleties and requirements range from first-class matches to Twenty20s is vast.

Warne did not play T20 until his career was entering its twilight - how different might he have turned out if he had been juggling the shortest form with first-class matches and his early Tests in 1992?

"Twenty20 and 50 over cricket are a hindrance in the development of a young spinner as you have to bowl differently in those forms; with so many $'s involved in the various 20/20 competitions around the world, it's not an easy situation," Warne wrote. "This is where the responsibility falls upon the player.

"If the young spinner wants to play Test cricket for Australia, then maybe they have to back themselves to learn how to bowl before taking up the options available to them around the world in the shorter forms of the game.

"Easy to say, I know, but I believe we should identify our top four spinners and put them on a decent contract and have them play nothing but first class cricket for twelve months and then take a view and re-assess."

Lastly, Warne emphasised the importance of a strong, constructive relationship between a spin bowler and his captain. While Michael Clarke has largely set a decent example of this for Australia in recent times, stories are legion of Shield and club captains either misusing their spinners or ignoring them completely

"They also have to play under a captain who is prepared to back the spinner and play them in all 10-shield games not just in Adelaide or Sydney where the ball spins," Warne wrote. "This way, the spinner gets experience in all the different conditions and the good spinners will adapt and find a way to be successful.

"The more a captain can put a young spinner, and the team for that matter, in situations where they have to learn how to win a game for the team or help contribute to a win, the faster the jar of experience strengthens along with their confidence.

"Nothing beats knowing the captain has faith in you and will back you, as Alan Border did with me when I started. It means a lot, eases your mindset and boosts your confidence."

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Pakistan look for victory in comfort zone

Match Facts

March 3, 2013
Start time 1430 local (1230 GMT)

Big Picture

After the first T20 was washed out in Durban, the T20 trophy is up for grabs with just one match to be played. Unlike in the Tests, the gulf between the two teams hardly exists and Pakistan may have an upper hand in this format given their record and a new line-up for the new series.

A win for Pakistan will be a much-needed confidence enhancer after the Test-series whitewash and before the three ODIs which will conclude the tour. They have featured in two finals and two semi-finals in the four T20 World Cups but still need to overcome inconsistency and poor form on the current tour.

Experience in their T20 side and a win percentage of 59% in 66 matches might turn out as the ingredients they need for the winning recipe. With the addition of their limited-overs expert, Shahid Afridi, in the dressing room, Pakistan will be itching to taste success on this tour and give Gary Kisrten a headache before the ODI series, for which they will have a different captain.

Beating Pakistan in this format won't be as easy for South Africa as it was in the three Tests, as they have a new permanent captain, have rested Dale Steyn, Hashim Amla and Jacques Kallis, and are without an injured JP Duminy - their highest T20 run-scorer in 2012. Faf du Plessis showed his leadership skills with a 2-1 series win against New Zealand in December, but Pakistan are a different kettle of fish, especially with the bowling attack they possess. South Africa also do not enjoy the supremacy in this format as they do in the Tests, ranked No. 5, only one point ahead of Pakistan.

Form guide

(Completed matches, most recent first)

South Africa: WLWLL
Pakistan: LWLWL

In the spotlight

Shahid Afridi averages 17.25 in South Africa in T20s with the ball and has 12 wickets from eight matches. The pitches may help his zippy legspin which in turn may help revive Pakistan's and his own fortunes as he has only five wickets in his last seven domestic limited-overs matches. If the Afridi of the World T20 2007 (played in South Africa) plays as the Afridi in 2013 on the same grounds, South Africa may not have answers to his bowling which can turn and sting like vipers.

A 33-year old Henry Davids made his international debut against New Zealand less than three months ago and scored two fifties in three matches and topped the run-scoring charts in the series with 143 runs. The test for him will be tougher and more challenging against the likes of Umar Gul, Saeed Ajmal, Mohammad Irfan and others who do not like the sight of batsmen scoring runs against them.

Team news

South Africa have left out Richard Levi, which means Davids will have a new opening partner in AB de Villiers. In the absence of Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel, newbie Kyle Abbott may get a chance in the XI and Chris Morris may get to bat for the first time in T20s.

South Africa: (probable) 1 AB de Villiers (wk), 2 Henry Davids, 3 Faf du Plessis (capt), 4 Justin Ontong, 5 David Miller, 6 Farhaan Behardien, 7 Chris Morris, 8 Robin Peterson, 9 and 10 Rory Kleinveldt/Kyle Abbott/Ryan McLaren, 11 Lonwabo Tsotsobe

The only change Pakistan have made in their squad from the T20s in India is the inclusion of Wahab Riaz in place of Sohail Tanvir. Riaz was not a part of the Test squad but claims to be fitter now and collected 21 wickets (including a hat-trick) in four first-class matches at an average of 12.90 in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy.

Pakistan: (probable) 1 Nasir Jamshed, 2 Ahmed Shehzad, 3 Mohammed Hafeez (capt), 4 Umar Akmal, 5 Shoaib Malik, 6 Kamran Akmal (wk), 7 Shahid Afridi, 8 Umar Gul, 9 Wahab Riaz/Junaid Khan, 10 Saeed Ajmal, 11 Mohammed Irfan

Stats and Trivia

• Pakistan have won five out of the eight T20s they have played in South Africa, their best record in any country after Canada.
• Out of the 60 Pakistan wickets in the Tests, 35 were taken by Dale Steyn and Vernon Philander together, but they aren't playing in the T20 series.

Quotes

"The foundations are being laid so that we can try and do something special and emulate the Test side's performances with a new group of players."
South Africa T20 coach Russell Domingo on his not-so-experienced T20 side.

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Kings XI Punjab sign Sandeep Sharma, Manan Vohra

Kings XI Punjab added two India uncapped players - Manan Vohra and Sandeep Sharma - to their squad for the sixth IPL season. Vohra and Sandeep are the two new players after Aniket Choudhary was signed by Kings XI in February.

Both from Punjab, Vohra is a right-handed batsman and Sandeep a right-arm medium pacer. Sandeep was a part of India's Under-19 squad in the 2012 World Cup which India won. He took four wickets in the final and was the joint highest-wicket taker from India with 12 wickets from six matches at an average of 15.75.

Both Sandeep and Vohra were part of the India squad in the Quadrangular Under-19 series in Australia and in the Under-19 Asia Cup in Kuala Lumpur in 2012. Vohra was involved in a record-chase with Unmukt Chand when India chased 164 against Australia in only 12 overs and Vohra was unbeaten on 79 off 35. Sandeep was India's highest wicket-taker in the series with eight wickets from four matches at an average of 19.25.

While Vohra has played two first-class matches, Sandeep has 12 first-class matches to his name and played for Punjab in the Vijay Hazare Trophy in which his side reached the quarter-finals.

Commenting on the signings, Col. Arvinder Singh, COO, Kings XI Punjab, said, "I am very delighted to have a good performers like Aniket, Manan and Sandeep to be part of the Kings XI team and believe they will effectively contribute to the tournament. We wish them all the best and hope that they can utilise this opportunity as a platform to make a mark a niche for themselves as well."

Kings XI play their first IPL match against Pune Warriors on April 7.

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