Selection panel not only for former players

Following a week of mudslinging over Zimbabwe's Sports and Recreation Commission's (SRC) new directive governing selection committees, the mandate is set to be amended to include a minority of non ex-players. Initially, the policy said only former internationals could sit on the selection panel of all sports organisations, a suggestion which was greeted with great furore by Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) in particular.

The revised order will mean most recent convenor of selectors Givemore Makoni could continue as a selector although he will not be able to chair it. It will also allow ZC to appoint a coach who is not a former national player and the new coach can also sit on the selection panel.

"The SRC stated that we would consider suggestions from any national sports associations to refine and improve the directive," David Coltart, Zimbabwe's minister of education, sport, arts and culture, told ESPNcricinfo. "The principle issue remains binding and the majority of selectors and the chair have to be ex-national players."

Changes to the directive are expected to be announced in the next week and it is due to come into effect on February 1. ZC is the body most likely to appreciate the loosening of the provisio because of the impact it will have on the appointment of a new national coach. Historically, Zimbabwe's national cricket coach has not been a selector and only advised the panel but in October last year ZC changed that. The coach now acts as a selector as well which meant that if the directive remained as it was originally written, ZC would have had to appoint a former player as the coach because he would also have had to operate as a selector.

That would have had the most obvious effect on current assistant coach Stephen Mangongo, who is one of three applicants in line to replace current coach, Alan Butcher. Zimbabwe's tour to West Indies, which starts next month and ends on March 24, will be Butcher's last in charge because he has opted not to renew his contract. Mangongo, current batting coach Grant Flower and bowling coach Heath Streak have all put their names in the hat to be appointed to the main job.

Mangongo is the only one who has not played for Zimbabwe and the only black African of the three. His exclusion as coach because of the requirement that he would also have had to be a selector was labelled "racist," by Makoni.

Coltart denied any agenda to exclude black Zimbabweans from positions of power in sport. He also appears mindful of the consequences the initial directive could have on those who were denied opportunity to play international sport because of racial prejudices in the past.

Makoni, who was set to lose his post on the selection panel, will now also be eligible for it provided he is part of a minority of non ex-players. Zimbabwe's last three-person selection committee comprised of Makoni, former Test player Wayne James and the late Kevin Curran. Since Curran's death, James and Butcher have been selectors although Makoni continued to have a casting vote.

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Stirling fifty sets up Sylhet win

Sylhet Royals 175 for 7 (Stirling 50, Mominul 45) beat Barisal Burners 142 for 9 (Kabir 50, Shuvo 3-23) by 33 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Paul Stirling and Mominul Haque helped Sylhet Royals to a competitive score of 175 for 7 before their bowlers put in a spirited effort to secure a 33-run win against Barisal Burners in their first game. It was an impressive start for the franchise that won just two games in the first edition of BPL.

Put in to bat first, Sylhet began at a good pace but lost Hamilton Masakadza in the fourth over when left-arm spinner Nazmul Islam had him trapped lbw for 19. Thereafter, Stirling and Mominul added 51 quickly, using the pace of the ball on most occasions to find boundaries. Stirling cracked eight fours and a six in his 29-ball half-century, backing away whenever he sought a boundary, while Mominul showcased strength in hitting three fours and a six and supported the big-hitters at the other end well.

But after the team had reached the hundred-run mark in the tenth over, the Sylhet batsmen lost their way. Kabir Ali and Alok Kapali took two wickets each, as Barisal restricted them to 175 but that total was still going to be a challenge for a team that has lost players like Kamran Akmal and Umar Gul in the mass Pakistani pull-out.

Mohammad Nabi, the Afghanistan allrounder who was acquired by Sylhet after they lost two West Indies players (Andre Russell and Tino Best), took two early wickets with his flighty offspin before the rest of the slow bowlers took over. Sohag Gazi didn't pick up a wicket but created enough pressure for the likes of Elton Chigumbura, Suhrawadi Shuvo and Bishawnath Halder to pick up cheap wickets. Ali was the only man to make some runs, hammering 50 off 21 balls with four huge sixes, before being stumped the off Shuvo. None of the other Barisal batsmen stayed at the crease long enough to have a serious go at the target.

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Warwickshire to hold second-round interviews

Warwickshire will hold second interviews for shortlisted candidates next week as they seek to fill the role of director of cricket following Ashley Giles' departure to coach the England limited-overs teams. Candidates will be expected to stage a presentation to the interview panel with the name of the successful applicant due to be announced in the week beginning January 28.

Reports that Ottis Gibson, the West Indies coach, had already been appointed to the role were premature. While ESPNcricinfo understands Gibson is among the short-listed candidates, the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) remain confident of retaining his services. It is expected that his West Indies contract, which expires in a couple of months, will be discussed at the next meeting of the WICB in St Lucia next week.

Other candidates for the Warwickshire role who are expected to be interviewed for a second time in the coming days include David Parsons, the ECB performance director, Graeme Welch, Warwickshire current bowling coach, and Dougie Brown, the club's assistant coach. David Hemp, former Glamorgan and Bermuda captain and now coaching at Solihull School, is understood to not have been invited for a second interview, while Andy Moles, former Scotland, Kenya and New Zealand coach, was discounted without a first interview.

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Overburdened de Villiers abandons gloves

AB de Villiers has, for the first time, admitted being overburdened by his roles as a batsman, wicket-keeper and part of South Africa's leadership core. His acknowledgment comes after a policy change to the limited-overs squads which has seen the gloves taken away from de Villiers to allow him to focus on captaincy.

"I have always felt a bit rushed trying to captain the side and keep wicket," de Villiers said ahead of the first ODI against New Zealand in Paarl. "I will probably stand at mid-off and be able to communicate with my bowlers a lot better as well as get a better perspective of the game."

De Villiers latest statement contrasts with his assessment of his own handling of the triple task the last time South Africa played limited-overs cricket, at the World Twenty20 in September. De Villiers required three weeks rest after the tournament after he aggravated his chronic back condition during the tour of England and the ICC event.

Despite the recurrence of the injury, de Villiers insisted he was not paying the price for taking on too much. "I don't believe there is too much on my plate; I really enjoy the captaincy and batting and keeping. It's what I am going to do," he said, while even going as far as to say he would continue in all three roles irrespective of the effect it had. "If I miss out on a year of my career, so be it."

Since that tournament, de Villiers has played five Test matches for South Africa and one domestic 50-over match. De Villiers complained of a tired body after turning out for his franchise, the Titans in the one-day cup playoff. He scored a hundred in a losing cause that day but was so worn out from the cumulative effects of that match after a Test series that he to be rested from the three-match T20 series against New Zealand, a request which was granted.

In that time, de Villiers also "changed his mind," according to convenor of selectors Andrew Hudson about 'keeping at Test level. When de Villiers was required to take over from Mark Boucher in and emergency situation in England, he was reluctant to become the permanent wicket-keeper. During the third Test against Australia in Perth in early December, Hudson spoke to de Villiers again and he asked if he could continue in the role. The selection panel and team management agreed.

But de Villiers 'keeping at Test level has widespread implications beginning with his own batting. Crouching behind the stumps for extended periods seemed to hinder de Villiers ability to bat with freedom, which South Africa needs him to do. As yet, that theory has not been completely disproved. The 169 he blazed at the WACA came after he was in the field for three overs more than an ODI. Even against New Zealand, where he scored two half-centuries, periods on the park were minimal thanks to the visitor's short batting time.

It has been enough to convince the powers that be, though and de Villiers will continue as Test wicket-keeper but in order do that, he has had to give up the gloves in shorter formats. Quinton de Kock did the job in the T20s and will do in the ODIs, to allow de Villiers time to develop his leadership style, 18 months after taking over the job.

De Kock's selection is also a means to ensure de Villiers' back can be rested, although how much it will be questionable. Gary Kirsten revealed yesterday that de Villiers finds keeping in 50-overs "more intense," than in a Test. Previously de Villiers went on record saying he found it harder on his body to be in the outfield - where he will now prowl - than to keep wicket.

After the three ODIs, it may be clearer which discipline takes greater toll on de Villiers because his back can be compared to the way it felt after the World T20. Should de Villiers first guess be correct and he comes out worse, he may have to consider 'keeping again which will require another rethink of South Africa's limited-overs policy. Should he cope well with fielding again, it could open up another option for South Africa at Test level, the specialist wicket-keeper, should they require it.

As a result, the debate over South Africa's wicket-keeping options is far from closed. Life after Boucher was always going to be uncertain because of the poor planning that preceded it. Even as Boucher's form dipped, no clear attempts were made to identify or groom a successor.

At that time, de Villiers himself distanced himself from wicket-keeping permanently as he confirmed his career goal was simply to become the best batsman in the world. Recently, he has spoken of his desire to improve his wicket-keeping, to captain the side as best he can and to contribute with the bat.

To change one's mind or expand one's goals is only natural, for the administrators to accommodate that if it works with their team plans is also understandable but it all points to an obvious question that must be asked soon: when does too much room for individual flexibility cause too much disruption to the team's needs?

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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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