Alex Doolan added to Sydney Test squad

Tasmania batsman Alex Doolan could make his Test debut in Sydney after being added to Australia's squad. Injury concerns surrounding the No.3 Shane Watson and fast bowler Ryan Harris may lead to a significant shake-up of the side, with allrounder James Faulkner also in contention and fast bowler Nathan Coulter-Nile a chance to debut having been named in a 14-man squad for the Test.

Doug Bollinger, who was with the group in Perth and Melbourne as a standby player along with Coulter-Nile, has been released from the squad. Depending on the fitness of Watson, who hurt his groin on Boxing Day and appeared unable to run at full pace in the field at times, and Harris, who has ongoing issues with his knee and various other parts of his body, as many as three changes could be made to the side for Sydney.

The coach Darren Lehmann indicated after the Melbourne win that Watson's place in the side would need to be considered if he was unable to bowl, which could encourage the selectors to choose Faulkner ahead of him to provide a fifth bowling option. That scenario would likely require Doolan to come in to replace Watson at No.3, while George Bailey could also make way for Brad Haddin to move up to No.6 with Faulkner at No.7. Coulter-Nile for Harris could be a straight swap.

"With some players still being assessed by our medical team after four demanding Tests, we have decided to add Alex to ensure we have sufficient cover in our batting line-up should it be required," the national selector John Inverarity said.

"Alex is a talented player who came under strong consideration for selection ahead of the Ashes series after a string of solid performances in four day cricket for Tasmania at the start of this season, but also after an excellent finish to last season and we feel those performances warrant his inclusion in the squad of 14 for Sydney."

Doolan, 28, emerged as a Test contender last summer with 715 Sheffield Shield runs at 42.05, as well as an unbeaten 161 for Australia A against the touring South Africans at the SCG. This season, Doolan has made 391 Shield runs at 39.10, his only century having come against New South Wales at Blacktown Oval in November, when his 132 set up a successful chase.

An elegant No.3, Doolan honed his craft last summer by learning from Ricky Ponting in the Tasmania setup, especially during a pair of century partnerships. Bailey, the Tasmania captain who is under pressure to hold his Test place, said last season that during one of those century stands Doolan and Ponting "were just on another level" to the other batsmen in the match.

Australia squad Chris Rogers, David Warner, Shane Watson, Michael Clarke (capt), Steven Smith, George Bailey, Alex Doolan, Brad Haddin (wk), James Faulkner, Mitchell Johnson, Ryan Harris, Peter Siddle, Nathan Lyon, Nathan Coulter-Nile.

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Flower set for England talks

England team director Andy Flower will meet with the incoming managing director of England cricket, Paul Downton, in Sydney over the New Year to plot a way forward for the team after their disastrous tour of Australia, which reached a new nadir in Melbourne as they threw away a position of strength with two days of awful cricket to lose by eight wickets.

However, Flower reiterated that he has the hunger to continue in his role beyond the final Test of this series. Flower is no longer directly involved in the one-day and Twenty20 set-ups having handed that role to Ashley Giles last year - although remains in overall control of all senior England men's sides - so if he was to stay on as team director his next hands-on duties would come in June when England face Sri Lanka before the visit of India for a five-Test series.

"Certainly I examine my role in the tour. I ask myself tough questions, but my focus at the moment is the Sydney Test match" he said in Melbourne. "Paul Downton the new managing director has arrived in Australia and I'll be meeting with him in Sydney.

"We'll talk about the leadership of the national team with regards to the coaching position. I'm very motivated to contribute to English cricket and that's what I'm going to do."

Flower also had no doubt over whether Alastair Cook was still the right captain: "Yes, he is. Alastair Cook has captained six Test series for England, and this is the first series loss he's had. But this is a very challenging time for any leader. For Alastair and me, it's certainly in that bracket. Out of challenging times, sometimes we can grow significantly.

England's third-day implosion at the MCG, where they went from none for 65 in their second innings - a lead of 116 - to 179 all out left Australia needing 231 for victory and when the visitors dropped early catches on the fourth morning the result was sealed. Only two England batsmen passed fifty in the Test - Cook and Kevin Pietersen - in a continuation of the almost complete loss of batting form that has struck the touring squad.

"The guys are fighting. Not fighting well enough," Flower said "Our batting over the four Tests has generally let us down. We are all responsible for this result, the management staff as well as the players.

"We don't want people to accept losses too easily. But equally sometimes you have to accept the fact you've been outplayed. I don't believe we should be totally distraught about where we are. Now we're faced with one chance in Sydney to redeem ourselves to a small extent."

Flower added that he expected changes to the side for the New Year Test at the SCG and appeared to stop short of guaranteeing Jonny Baristow his place after the wicketkeeper endured a tough second innings in Melbourne where he missed two chances after his batting was exposed by the pace of Mitchell Johnson

"He's a young man who's played 13 Test matches," Flower said. "He's still learning as a wicketkeeper/batsman and I hope when he gets another chance he'll do oustandingly well. I would imagine there will be one or two changes for the Sydney Test."

Among the changes mooted are Test debuts for Scott Borthwick, the Durham legspinning allrounder who was added to the squad after Graeme Swann retirement, and Yorkshire batsman Gary Ballance.

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Big fish in a small pond

Ireland are undoubtedly masters among the minnows but they continued to be disappointed at not getting chances against the big boys

Ger Siggins December 30, 2013

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Ireland's domination of the Associate level is complete. Now they yearn for Test status © ICC/Saleem Sanghati

It may just have been Irish cricket's greatest year ever. Qualification was secured for the 2014 World Twenty20 (men and women) and the 2015 Cricket World Cup, and the senior men finished the year by completing the clean sweep of global Associate trophies in all three formats. But it rankles with the players that they failed to drive home victories in three games when they had Full Members on the rack, for it is against those opponents that they now measure themselves.

Their domination of Associate level is complete; despite an impressive emergence, Afghanistan are still no match - Ireland's margins of victory in their three most recent games against them in descending order of format is 122 runs, 59 runs and 68 runs.

Since the Caribbean breakthrough in 2007, Ireland have lost just 11 out of 107 games against fellow Associates. In the Intercontinental Cup they have lost just once in 20 games, and their record in limited-overs cricket is overwhelming. In 50-overs cricket they have won 43 out of 50, plus one tie, and their T20 record is 32-4, with just one defeat in 24 games since 2010.

Cricket Ireland has complained of the lack of opportunity to test their team against the best sides, and 2013 was again a disappointment on that score. Just three ODIs were granted, all in Dublin, but on each occasion the Irish were on top for long periods.

In May, Pakistan came for a two-game series, and escaped with a 1-0 win. In the first, the visitors racked up 266 for 5 but Paul Stirling scored a brilliant century - his second in succession against Pakistan - and Kevin O'Brien a typically barnstorming 84 off 47 balls, including a four off the last ball from Ajmal to secure a tie. Ireland switched pitches for the second game two days later, banking on a greener track to negate the Pakistan spinners. The €7,000 bill for moving the scaffolding and grandstands looked money well spent until the last ten overs.

Ed Joyce made three figures in an ODI for Ireland for the first time (joining Eoin Morgan as the only pair to do so for two countries) but the total of 229 looked inadequate until Trent Johnston and Tim Murtagh reduced Pakistan to 17 for 4. But both Misbah-ul-Haq and Shoaib Malik were dropped before they had scored, costing the initiative - and 67 runs - and Kamran Akmal came in and blitzed 84 to secure a two-wicket win with eight balls to spare.

" Frustrated with the ICC's resistance over providing a road map to Test status, Cricket Ireland has written its own plan and commenced an ambitious three-team, three-format inter-provincial series

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The third ODI, against England, saw the opening of the new pop-up stadium in Malahide, when an unseasonably hot, sunny day brought the biggest crowd ever seen at an Irish game to the Dublin venue. It was a match that enthralled the watchers, and a live TV audience. It also impressed ICC Global Development manager Tim Anderson: "10,000 people in Dublin on a Tuesday afternoon suggests this is becoming a very serious cricket market," he said. "There is a growing culture of cricket in this country." As Cricket Ireland's Warren Deutrom points out, "Words like 'market' and 'culture' are very important in the ICC lexicon."

It was a game that was riddled with issues of identity that perplexed the casual observer and infuriated the partisan. Both captains were Irish, and both made centuries - William Porterfield's ended by his old Strabane Grammar school-mate Boyd Rankin. In fact both Rankin (4 for 46) and Morgan (124 not out) made their career bests in ODIs, as England exacted revenge for the defeat in Bangalore in the 2011 World Cup. Ireland made 269 for 7 and an opening burst by London-Irish Tim Murtagh (3 for 33) reduced England to 48 for 4. But Morgan found a partner in Ravi Bopara (101 not out) and their unbroken 226 stand was decisive.

Ireland's only other defeat in the 24-game programme came when an Australia A side came to Stormont, chiefly to give its Ashes bowling attack a run-out while the ODI series was in progress in England. Stirling was the only county player available, and made a fine hundred, while seamer Max Sorensen (5 for 50) and third-choice wicketkeeper Stuart Poynter (63) took their chances.

Frustrated with the ICC's resistance over providing a road map to Test status, Cricket Ireland has written its own plan and commenced an ambitious three-team, three-format inter-provincial series between Leinster Lightning, Northern Knights and North-West Warriors. The Leinster side, based in Dublin, was the strongest, but was pipped to the 50-overs title by the Knights.

Despite this innovation, English counties remain the most attractive route for ambitious youngsters, and Poynter ended the summer with a 2014 contract for Durham, while allrounder Andrew Balbirnie extended his deal at Middlesex and Jack Tector caught the eye of Glamorgan.

An Ireland supporter spoke for many during their ODI against England in Malahide © Getty Images

Qualification for the 2015 World Cup was secured in Amstelveen in July, and a 100% record at the T20 qualifiers ensured Ireland were placed in the less-challenging group at the first round in the World Twenty20 in Bangladesh. The season finished with a titanic five-day battle with Afghanistan just outside the ICC offices in Dubai, where epic individual tussles punctuated long periods of attrition as the sides struggled to assert supremacy. Eventually Ireland pulled away, the bludgeon of the second new ball breaking the Afghans' will in what was a Test match in all but name.

That game saw the retirement of Trent Johnston, and although his No. 23 shirt will be impossible to fill, coach Phil Simmons has not been idle in succession planning. A series of young seamers has been blooded, and three sent to Brisbane for the winter to work with Craig McDermott. An A tour to Sri Lanka in January, and the senior side joining the West Indies domestic Super50 will further aid the process.

High point
In a year of on-field high points, the opening of Malahide will probably be seen as the most important event. In coming years, permanent structures will be added, but the visit of England proved there was a 10,000-plus audience for the game on a Tuesday in September.

Low point
It may seem greedy but the failure to mark the opening of Malahide with a win over England was disappointing. That it took career bests by ex-Malahide player Morgan and fellow Irishman Rankin added to the pain for home fans.

New kid on the block
It has been a difficult couple of years battling against his own body for Craig Young. The Bready seamer has been at Sussex for four seasons but stress fractures to hip and back have meant he has yet to break into the first XI. Hearteningly, there were promising signs towards the end of the summer when he also made his international debut against Scotland, taking 4 for 53 and 2 for 57.

"Craig bowls decent pace - 82-83mph - and swings the ball naturally," says his county captain Ed Joyce. "He's also extremely strong so can bowl long spells when fit. I've also rarely seen someone keener to make it as a cricketer, so he's very hungry for success. Often that's half the battle to being successful, so he has quite a bit in his favour. He certainly doesn't shirk the work and everyone at Sussex loves him for it."

What 2014 holds
Ireland takes part in the West Indies Super50 tournament in January/February before the ICC World Twenty20 first round in Bangladesh, where the draw pits them against Zimbabwe, Netherlands and UAE, none of whom hold many fears for Simmons' side. With Rankin and Johnston gone there will be much attention on the seamers, with Murtagh and Sorensen set to step up while the youngsters hone their skills.

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The urn returns, and Tendulkar signs off in style

India's young brigade, Sri Lanka's post-war healing, Australia's travails and more in our staff's picks of the best and worst of the year gone by

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India's young turks clinch the Champions Trophy © AFP

George Binoy, assistant editor
Best: Tendulkar's farewell speech
Almost everything around Sachin Tendulkar's retirement was sickly sweet. From the hastily arranged West Indies series to the obscenely extravagant plans to send him off in what the administrators thought was style. In that environment, even the rousing chant of "Sachin, Sachin" lost its genuineness and became annoying, especially when the goal was to evoke some response, any response, from the man. Tendulkar cut through the embellishment with a speech that was startling in its sincerity. His fans and critics were easily moved - that was no surprise - but so were people who had barely followed his career. His last shot was perfectly timed.

Worst: The case of Gurunath Meiyappan
For years he had been seen around Chennai Super Kings: in their dug-out, at player auctions, and at press conferences. For years he had behaved like more than a mere "enthusiast", and said as much through social media. To all followers of the IPL, Meiyappan was someone who enjoyed privileges that only franchise owners did. And then he mucked it up, after which Chennai Super Kings mucked up by trying to wash their hands off him, saying N Srinivasan's son-in-law wasn't what he had purported to be for all this time. A press release attempting to disassociate the franchise from Meiyappan was an insult to the intelligence of anyone who follows the IPL.

Andrew Fidel Fernando, Sri Lanka correspondent
Best: Cricket's role in post-war Sri Lanka
At a time when Tests face increasing challenges from the shorter formats, it is perhaps easy to think of cricket as little more than entertainment. In Sri Lanka's post-war north and east, though, such a glib appraisal of the game is becoming profoundly inadequate. Passion for cricket has not only endured 27 years of devastating civil war, it has now become one of the foremost vehicles of reconciliation. Initiatives like the Murali Cup, which bring young teams from the south to play against northern sides, have put teenage sportsmen at the coalface of national healing. In places like Mullaitivu, children who endured the trauma of the war's final bloody months and spent months in IDP camps in 2009, have begun building their lives around cricket, which has come to define many of them as young people.

" Passion for cricket has not only endured 27 years of devastating civil war in Sri Lanka, it has now become one of the foremost vehicles of reconciliation

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Northerners are also increasingly embracing Sri Lanka's cricketers as their own, welcoming players into their towns and cities more ferociously than fans do anywhere else in the country. Young men and women have begun to aspire to play for Sri Lanka, and thanks to gestures of goodwill from the national board, a pathway now exists for them to realise that goal. Deep divisions that fuelled a vicious conflict have not totally disappeared since the war's end, but in cricket, Sri Lanka is a more united nation than in any other regard.

Worst: Financial disparities in cricket
At a time when there is more money in the game than ever before, no fewer than nine Test matches were removed from the 2013 calendar almost solely because boards felt them too big a drain on their finances. The WICB was the worst offender, having cancelled four Tests and replaced some of them with ODIs. Sri Lanka Cricket postponed three Tests, having cancelled four in the previous year. And Zimbabwe Cricket could not get funds together to host Sri Lanka in October. Elsewhere, CSA were held ransom by the BCCI.

Clearly cricket is poorer when India, England and Australia prosper but several nations can no longer honour their Test commitments. Financial mismanagement by boards is part of the problem, but the demand for a better revenue-sharing system grows desperate if cricket wishes to retain the less powerful nations within a competitive Test-match framework.

Brydon Coverdale, assistant editor
Best: Australia winning the Ashes in Perth
Regaining is always more emotional than retaining. Australia had been without the urn for 1577 days - even longer than the drought that ended under Allan Border's leadership in 1989 - when Michael Clarke's men finished the job on the final day at the WACA. It was a cathartic day for many in the Australian squad. Clarke was the only player who had won the Ashes before; Brad Haddin and Shane Watson had each played in three losing campaigns, Mitchell Johnson and Ryan Harris two each. Not surprisingly, there were tears along with the celebrations, and a rare public singing of "Under the Southern Cross" on the WACA pitch a few hours after the victory. A 4-0 loss in India and a 3-0 defeat in England had given way to an unexpected triumph for a team cobbled together by circumstance. However long this group lasts together, they'll always have Perth.

That winning feeling © Getty Images

Worst: Australia's tour of India
What made the Ashes success all the more special was the knowledge that Australia had been a rabble earlier in the year. Not only had they lost 4-0 in India, Australia's first 4-0 defeat since the tour of South Africa in 1969-70 that cost Bill Lawry the captaincy, they had descended into chaos off the field. The suspension of four players from the Mohali Test for what became known as the homework saga was the low point and hinted at disharmony and self-absorption in the group. It also contributed to the sacking of coach Mickey Arthur a few months later. On the field Australia weren't just beaten, they were embarrassed. It was like they had never seen spin bowling before. Panicky selections, especially the axing of Nathan Lyon for Xavier Doherty and Glenn Maxwell, added to the mess. Fortunately for Australia, things could only improve from there - and did.

Devashish Fuloria, sub-editor
Best: India's young brigade
An excess of wine, even of the finest vintage, can lead to a hangover. India stumbled through one as the powers of their once pre-eminent batsmen waned, before finally placing faith, seemingly reluctantly, in their young wards. The returns on those investments have exceeded estimates till now.

The switch from old to new might have happened in Mohali, where Shikhar Dhawan announced himself, or in England, where India won their first Champions Trophy. Maybe it happened during the ruthless wins against West Indies, or in Johannesburg, where India's batsmen possibly left the ball with more assurance than the previous generation had. One thing is clear on the evidence of 2013: the newbies are in no mood to relinquish the aura of Indian batting that they inherited.

Worst: West Indies' flop show
In the hoopla around Sachin Tendulkar's retirement, West Indies escaped scrutiny for their utterly spineless performance. Here was a team that only a year ago had exuded Caribbean flair during their World Twenty20 title win in Colombo. After a long while, they had looked united. In India, after six straight Test wins against New Zealand, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, West Indies offered no resistance against a young team. They were then blown away by New Zealand, ranked lower than them. "We were taught a lesson on how to play Tests," Darren Sammy said after the losses in India. "We have been taught another lesson," he said after losing to New Zealand. Like perennial backbenchers, West Indies didn't show any signs of moving forward. The gains made in 2012 were wiped out in a disastrous 2013.

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Kallis thrives in his bubble

Kallis played the almost perfect innings - Petersen

Beyond the guard of honour, the handshakes, the hashtags and the heavy hearts, there was a Test to win. The most important person knew that. Jacques Kallis, who all the above gestures were for, blocked out the occasion and batted in his bubble. The same one many thought he had left when he announced his decision to retire from Test cricket. Kallis showed them he hadn't, because there was a job to be done.

He constructed an innings that Alviro Petersen described as being the antithesis of someone on the verge of the end. "You wouldn't say he was playing in his last Test match," Petersen said. In fact, because of its cautiousness, this knock was befitting of someone at the start of his career.

At first, the wariness was out of necessity. South Africa had lost Graeme Smith and Hashim Amla within six overs of each other, Ravindra Jadeja had found turn and India's seamers were searching for reverse swing. "Even before he faced a ball, there was a wicket," Petersen remembered. He was the man out, which meant Kallis was one of two new batsmen and, like he has often had to do, needed to provide South Africa with backbone.

With that responsibility, Kallis took 16 deliveries to score his first run. In that time, AB de Villiers got off the mark and Kallis got hit on the hand by Zaheer Khan. It wasn't a body blow like the one Dale Steyn gave Ajinkya Rahane on the second day. Neither was it a delivery that exposed Kallis' reactions, like the one he bowled to Ricky Ponting in Adelaide last year, which literally floored the Australian batsman.

Ponting had said he was "embarrassed" by that ball, so much so it confirmed in his mind that his time was up. Something similar could easily have happened to Kallis, which would have vindicated and even explained the reason for his retirement. There would have been proof to back up the whispering, a result of the number of times he has been lbw playing across the line recently, that his technique was waning. Kallis seemed to be consciously guarding against that. He concentrated on solid defence, for the team and himself.

Zaheer got the ball after the blow to the hand to bounce more but Kallis was prepared. He pushed the delivery behind point for his first run. Four overs later he had added only one more, when he changed tack. He charged Jadeja and lofted over mid-off for four, twice. The Kallis who could entertain had arrived.

De Villiers, as expected, played the more adventurous innings but Kallis grew in confidence too. He had not passed 40 in seven innings before this, stretching back to February, but as he spent time in the middle he brought out the sweep and the cut.

By lunch, de Villiers had overtaken Kallis and after the break Kallis needed to resettle again. He outside edged Mohammad Shami but with no slip in place, he was safe. It was only when the afternoon wore on that Kallis brought out the drive he has built his reputation on. He treated the crowd of 6900 to a couple against Zaheer, one off the back foot and one off the front, to enter the 40s.

For the next 46 deliveries, Kinsgmead waited as Kallis retreated further. In that time, de Villiers put in a dive that might have given him a painful grass burn to avoid being run-out, and was later dismissed. After what seemed an age, Kallis punched Jadeja through point and a misfield brought him his half-century.

There was a roar of appreciation, enthusiastic applause and for a moment, Kallis allowed himself to enjoy it. He removed his helmet and whirled around to acknowledge the crowd, which included his sister, and his smile spoke of satisfaction and relief. "With all the pressure of the last Test, he stood tall," Petersen said.

After that, Kallis stood firm once more, firmer than before. With India getting a fair amount of turn with the old ball, he focused on defence, and South Africa's run rate slowed dramatically after tea. In the 15.5 overs before bad light and drizzle stopped play, they scored only 32. Although the pitch may not have facilitated a run-rate of four an over, like South Africa had on day two, such a go-slow may not have been needed for survival.

Everybody noticed Kallis' introverted approach, including Mark Boucher who thought he looked "more focused than before." With Kallis in his zone, comparisons were drawn between this innings and his maiden Test century at the MCG 16 years ago.

It speaks of the consistency of the man that he can go out in a way that is eerily similar to the manner he came in. But there is a difference between what was needed in Melbourne in 1997 and Durban today. Then, there was a Test to be saved. Now, there is a series to be won.

Some are of the opinion that Kallis slowing down could have hurt South Africa's chances of winning. Others believe he has given them the platform to push for a result. Petersen believes Kallis played "the perfect innings for the situation we were in," but that his job was not done.

"If Jacques thought he could just cruise through his last Test match, he was wrong," Petersen joked. "We are really going to need him tomorrow."

It is the last time South Africa will be able to say that and know Kallis will be able to respond. That is still sinking in. "We haven't really thought about this Test team without Jacques Kallis. But lucky, it's not quite here for us yet," Petersen said. "We've got two more days to focus on." The most important person knows that.

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Rogers and Watson bury hapless England

Lunch Australia 204 and 1 for 143 (Rogers 81*, Watson 36*) need 88 to beat England 255 and 179
Live scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Chris Rogers guided Australia's chase towards a fourth consecutive victory over England, though not without significant help from the bedraggled tourists who missed two catches on the fourth morning of the Boxing Day Test at the MCG.

By lunch the hosts had reached 1 for 143, only 88 away from the target of 231. Well as Rogers and Shane Watson batted, they had considerable help from England.

Jonny Bairstow failed to react to a catchable edge offered by Rogers when the opener had only 19, before Alastair Cook dropped a straightforward edge from David Warner on 22. Warner was dismissed soon after, but the misses visibly sapped England's already fragile confidence as Rogers and Watson set about reducing the target.

Rogers' innings provided the tourists' major obstacle, while also serving to shore up his place in the Australian team ahead of the tour to South Africa next year. Having made a series of starts in this Ashes series, he would dearly love to move to a hundred in the afternoon.

Resuming at 0 for 30, Warner and Rogers began ticking down the required runs, but would offer England a pair of chances to gain a foothold. Befitting of their play the day before, the tourists spurned them with all the disdain of a team that has lost all confidence or sense of how to grasp a match.

On 19, Rogers edged a fine delivery from Stuart Broad moving across him, and watched helplessly as the edge flew towards the slips cordon. Though it was well within reach of Bairstow, England's gloveman did not move, and Broad cursed his misfortune as the ball scuttled away to the boundary. Rogers only enhanced his feeling of injustice by upper cutting the next ball for four over the cordon.

Stokes replaced Broad after only two overs, and duly created his own chance when Warner drove at a delivery not quite there for the stroke. This time the ball travelled straight to Cook at an ideal height. When that chance went down, no-one quite knew where to look. A few overs later Warner did fall, a square slash attempt settling into Bairstow's gloves, but the muted nature of England's celebration indicated a team aware their moment may have passed.

Rogers meanwhile carried on in a manner so infuriating to bowlers, one inside edge past the stumps further cruel and unusual punishment for Stokes. There were other more fluent shots from there, however, as Rogers moved to his second half century of a low-scoring match. Watson joined in with a few sweet blows, and their partnership was soon motoring along.

As if transfixed by his own error, Cook seemed even slower to react than usual, and furrowed many brows at the ground by opting for Joe Root before Monty Panesar. Neither spinner could gain the required traction, and by the interval Australia were well and truly on course for a win in which England have shown rare generosity to their opponents.

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Will one-day cricket continue to hold its own between the other two formats?

The prognosis for one-day cricket has been gloomy for long, despite a successful 2011 World Cup and the recent Champions Trophy. Tell us what you think of the format

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Every time two boards schedule a one-day series between their teams outside of a full tour, critics complain about a lack of context.

There are many who feel that the introduction of two new balls in ODIs has killed the spinner's role. But others believe there's finally a rule that doesn't favour batsmen.

At its annual conference this year the ICC decided to replace the Champions Trophy with the World Test Championship. But now broadcasters and sponsors are doubtful about the marketability of the Championship.

Day-night cricket, pinch-hitters, Powerplays, sharp fielding - one-day cricket has contributed a lot to the game.

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The tussle for crumbs

It was a year when Canada and Kenya tripped up while others like Afghanistan, Nepal, Netherlands and UAE made some loud noises

Peter Della Penna December 29, 2013

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Nepal are looking to usurp the place of teams like Canada and Kenya in the ICC's High Performance Programme, and ultimately get ODI status © ICC/Getty

History repeated itself in 2013 when the goalposts were moved on Associate and Affiliate teams aspiring to get an opportunity to play against the ICC's Full Member nations in global events. A "first round" was announced for the 2014 World Twenty20, which in essence is a second qualifier after the 16-team Associate tournament that was completed in November. Two guaranteed spots for Associates in the main portion of the World Twenty20 were removed and the top six finishers from November's qualifier must now defeat Bangladesh and Zimbabwe to have any chance of playing the top eight Full Members.

However, teams didn't let this rejigged format dampen their spirits too much at the World Twenty20 Qualifier. The thrill of qualifying for a World Cup is something that is commonplace across the world of football. Regardless of whether the team is former FIFA world champion France or one qualifying for the main draw in Brazil for the very first time like Bosnia and Herzegovina, it is a moment full of elation.

In the world of cricket though, that feeling is reserved exclusively for Associate and Affiliate teams. Marginalised though they may be, the achievement in gaining entry to the ICC's flagship events on merit puts them on cloud nine. "This is the biggest moment of our lives," Nepal captain Paras Khadka said after his team secured a spot at the World Twenty20 in Bangladesh next year with a last-ball win over Hong Kong. "Our childhood dreams have come true."

Nepal's win over Hong Kong was broadcast live around the world as a larger subset of Associate and Affiliate teams had more exposure than ever before in 2013. A greater commitment from the ICC to develop broadcast coverage for Associates meant that more than 40 games in the ICC World Cricket League Championship and World Twenty20 Qualifier were shown worldwide either on the internet or television. The added attention paved the way for new stars to be born in cricket's second-tier nations.

That does not include the exposure granted to Scotland and Netherlands for participating in the Yorkshire Bank 40 competition in England, something they will not be able to look forward to in 2014. Although Netherlands notched wins against Worcestershire and Warwickshire in their final campaign, Scotland went winless in the competition. In ICC tournaments, Scotland hoped to receive a boost with the infusion of some English county players thanks to revised ICC eligibility guidelines. Matt Machan, David Murphy, Iain Wardlaw and Neil Carter all debuted for Scotland in March but had negligible impact on results and Scotland fell short of the top two in the WCL Championship and the top six in the World Twenty20 Qualifier.

Netherlands showed bad form in the Intercontinental Cup, finishing winless and in last place, but had solid results in the shorter formats at ICC events. They got the short end of the stick when poor drainage in King City, Ontario meant they had to split points with Canada in one of their WCL Championship fixtures, which arguably cost them second place and an automatic berth in the World Cup. They will be favourites to lock up one of the two spots still available at the 2015 World Cup when they go to the qualifier in New Zealand. They finished in second place in a difficult group at the World Twenty20 Qualifier and secured the last available spot in Bangladesh with a win in an elimination game over Scotland.

Canada and Kenya have been Associate torchbearers for more than a decade, but their flames were dimmed to a flicker in 2013 as the ambitions of other countries started burning brighter. Canada has appeared in the last three World Cups, but hopes of a fourth consecutive trip are in jeopardy after they finished dead last in the World Cricket League Championship. Despite the return of Ashish Bagai ahead of the World Twenty20 Qualifier, a first-day loss to USA was a stomach punch they couldn't recover from and they fell short of the knockout stage. Upon the team's return home, Gus Logie was KO'd as coach and replaced on an interim basis by Andy Pick. Canada finished in second place at the 2009 World Cup Qualifier in South Africa, but they'll need many prayers answered for that to happen again in 2014. Their place in the ICC's High Performance Programme and the extra funding tied to it that allows players to be on contracts could disappear if they fail to have a good showing at the qualifier in New Zealand.

" More Associates must start scoring wins over Full Members to show they are peers and not inferior, but the on-field opportunities to prove it are dwindling

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Kenya has appeared in five straight World Cups, the most number of appearances in the tournament for any Associate nation, but that streak is in serious danger of ending. They finished sixth out of eight teams in the World Cricket League Championship, culminating in a pair of drubbings at the hands of Afghanistan in October when they were bowled out for totals of 89 and 93. Desperate times called for desperate measures as Steve Tikolo and Thomas Odoyo made comebacks to the national team for the World Twenty20 Qualifier. Even though Tikolo was the only player in the tournament to finish in the top 15 for both runs and wickets, it wasn't enough to get Kenya into the playoff stage, let alone qualify. Like Canada, their High Performance Programme status is on life support.

One country eager to usurp that HPP tag from Canada and Kenya, plus the ODI recognition attached to it, is Nepal. With their backs to the wall in April after a pair of losses to open ICC World Cricket League Division Three in Bermuda, they ran off four consecutive victories to finish as the tournament champions and clinched a berth in the 2014 World Cup Qualifier. They carried that momentum with them into the World Twenty20 Qualifier where they finished in third place behind only Ireland and Afghanistan. They have been consistently solid performers at Under-19 World Cups over the previous decade, and with Khadka at the helm, the core of those junior level successes has finally begun to make some noise at the senior level. They don't appear ready to pipe down any time soon.

UAE had a quietly successful year. They finished a win away from an automatic 2015 World Cup berth, placing third in the WCL Championship. In their current form, they remain a threat to take one of the two remaining spots available at the World Cup Qualifier in New Zealand. Using home conditions to their advantage, they finished fourth in the World Twenty20 Qualifier to book a place in Bangladesh, their first appearance at a major ICC tournament since 1996.

Namibia took a step back on the field in 2013. They were negatively impacted by the absence of Gerrie Snyman, who has not been selected since January after a row with the Namibia board over his desire to play only in limited-overs fixtures and not first-class matches. They lost all six WCL Championship games without him in 2013 and finished second to last on the table. A win over Netherlands in the Intercontinental Cup in April was followed later in the year by two heavy losses to Afghanistan and UAE. After going undefeated in the group stage of the 2012 World Twenty20 Qualifier, they went 4-3 in the first round in 2013 before losing an elimination match to Papua New Guinea. The longer Snyman's exile lasts, the more likely it is that Namibia will continue to slide down the Associate ranks.

PNG narrowly missed out on a spot at the World Twenty20 in Bangladesh with Hong Kong snatching a berth at their expense. Both Hong Kong and PNG are teams loaded with young talent though, and will be pushing hard to move up the 50-over rankings as well in the World Cup Qualifier in New Zealand.

The signs were strong in 2013 that Associates are doing their best to close the gap with the weakest Full Members, Zimbabwe and Bangladesh. At the same time though, that uphill battle got a little bit steeper with the news that the 2018 and 2022 World Cup Qualifiers will be held in Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, providing the Full Members home-field advantage in a bid to keep Associates from encroaching on their territory in what are scheduled to be ten-team World Cups for 2019 and 2023. In addition to that, the World Twenty20 will go from a biennial event to once every four years starting in 2016. More Associates must start scoring wins over Full Members to show they are peers and not inferior, but the on-field opportunities to prove it are dwindling and by the next decade are in danger of vanishing altogether.

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The year of the underdog

In the women's game, West Indies, Pakistan and Ireland stamped their authority on the field, while Australia, New Zealand and South Africa made significant progress off it

Raf Nicholson December 28, 2013

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West Indies beat higher-ranked teams and made it to their first World Cup final © ICC/Solaris Images

The Women's World Cup in India proved an exciting start to 2013, generating unprecedented media coverage and catching the public's attention as never before: 23.7 million people globally watched the broadcast group matches. On the pitch, the tournament produced some of the biggest upsets ever seen in international cricket: Sri Lanka, who had never previously beaten any of the top-four-ranked teams (England, Australia, New Zealand and India), triumphed in two of their group matches. India were dispatched by a crushing 138 runs; and though their match against the defending champions, England, came down to a last-ball nail-biter, Eshani Kaushalya's 56 off 41 balls ensured a famous one-wicket victory.

To top it off, West Indies, who had never beaten Australia or New Zealand before in the 50-over format, managed to win their group matches against these teams and top the tables in the Super Sixes stage. Deservedly, they went on to feature in their first World Cup final - a final that had previously always featured two of those top four teams. Australia proved far superior on the day, with Ellyse Perry's 3 for 19 helping them bowl West Indies out for 145, but history had already been made.

Australia's ninth World Cup victory was a fitting end to the career of their star allrounder Lisa Sthalekar, who announced her retirement in the wake of the tournament. With 2728 ODI runs at 30.65 and 146 wickets at 24.97, Sthalekar is the only woman ever to score 1000 runs and take 100 wickets in ODIs, and the end of her 12-year career marked the end of an era for Australia's Southern Stars.

But it was New Zealand's captain, Suzie Bates, who averaged 67.83 with the bat and hit a century against champions Australia in the group stages, who was named Player of the Tournament - and, more recently, the ICC's Women's ODI Player of the Year. In April, Bates also became one of the first Kiwi women players to be awarded semi-professional contracts by New Zealand Cricket, along with Sophie Devine, Sian Ruck and Sara McGlashan.

South Africa also introduced contracts for its female players for the first time this year; and an important step was taken towards full professionalism in the women's game when, in the wake of the World Cup triumph, Cricket Australia restructured their contract system, making it possible for leading Australian players to earn up to $80,000 annually. All eyes are now on the ECB, wondering if it will soon follow suit.

The ICC took steps to continue the global expansion of women's cricket, announcing that the women's World Twenty20 would be expanded to incorporate ten teams, instead of the previous eight. This allowed three teams to progress from the qualifying tournament, which took place in Ireland in August, and means that the 2014 tournament will feature Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Ireland, as well as hosts Bangladesh.

Indeed, it proved to be a good year for the underdog. In April, Bangladesh toured India for the first time, to play in three ODIs and three T20Is (though they lost all six matches). Pakistan showed the progress they have made when, on their first tour of England in July, they beat England Academy and achieved their first win against England in any form of the game in the second T20, in Loughborough, winning by one run. The players were each rewarded with a $1000 bonus by the PCB.

And then, of course, there was that biggest of cricketing innovations: a new-format women's Ashes, with the winner decided based on points awarded across all three formats - Tests, ODIs and T20s. A resurgent team effort by England saw them triumph by 12-4 on points after the single Test match was drawn, though the performances of Katherine Brunt with the ball - nine wickets at an economy of 3.02 across all formats - along with Heather Knight's majestic 157 in the Test, and Sarah Taylor's average of 38.42 with the bat, and flawless keeping ability, were truly special. Taylor was deservedly awarded the ICC Women's T20I Cricketer of the Year on the back of this series.

Perhaps equally importantly, the new format generated a great deal of excitement and media attention, with the BBC broadcasting all matches live for the first time. Coupled with the furore surrounding the World Cup, then, 2013 has been an exciting year for women's cricket.

High point
The final of the World Cup, which was watched globally by 50 million people. That, and the accompanying Twitter explosion, proved definitively that there is interest in and a worldwide audience for women's cricket.

The interest surrounding the women's Ashes series reinforced this point. Arguably the new points-based system may prove to be a means of reviving the longer format in countries whose cricket boards have so far rejected women's Tests as commercially unattractive.

Low point
The eviction of the women's World Cup matches from the Wankhede Stadium at the last minute to accommodate two men's domestic games. The programme of matches was not eventually finalised until five days before the opening game, which was unsettling for the players and did nothing to help encourage local crowds. It proved an embarrassing gaffe by the ICC.

Natalie Sciver: the first England female player to take a hat-trick in T20Is © WICB

New kid on the block
Natalie Sciver is England's find of the last few years, a genuine allrounder who stormed onto the international scene for England back in July, taking 3 for 28 against Pakistan in only her second ODI. She has continued to excite; in the fifth match of the tri-series against New Zealand in October, she became the first Englishwoman to take a T20I hat-trick. Her contributions with the bat have also been impressive: she averaged 100 during the Ashes. At 21, she is sure to be a mainstay of the England side for the next few years.

All eyes will also be on Holly Ferling when the women's Ashes starts January 10. At just 17 years of age, she made a surprise debut back in February at the World Cup when Perry was out of action. Her sheer pace blew England away; she took 3 for 35 and England sank from 37 for 2 to 39 for 6 and lost the match by just two runs. Though still raw and erratic, she shows great promise for the future.

What 2014 holds
The year kicks off with the follow-up women's Ashes series in Australia in January, which will see a return to the multi-series format that proved so successful over the summer in England. It will be interesting to see how far the interest this new format previously generated carries over into this series.

The big event of the year will be the World Twenty20 in Bangladesh, to be staged once again in conjunction with the men's tournament. Australia will be favourites to defend their title, but a West Indies team buoyed by their good performances in 2013 - they triumphed in the tri-series against New Zealand and England in October - will be keen to reach their second successive tournament final. With Deandra Dottin and Stafanie Taylor at their disposal, they might just pull off a victory, too.

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Where's the fight gone, Zaheer?

Zaheer Khan used to be a tailender who could contribute with the bat, but he does not seem to have the will to tough it out anymore

Almost every time Zaheer Khan has come to bat in the last three years, with the match still alive and his contribution vital, he hasn't - for some reason - shown willingness to get behind the line of the ball, or fought for the sake of the better batsman at the other end (see sidebar). He has collected eight ducks over this period, taking his tally to 29. Only five cricketers have more.

Zaheer wasn't always like this. He once played an important role in saving a Test by scoring an unbeaten 57 off 121 balls with Harbhajan Singh for company. He followed that innings with a sledge at his opponents, Australia, saying they couldn't even get Harbhajan and him out, and went on to win the series for India with the ball. Something has gone wrong with Zaheer the batsman in the last two years or so, and it is hurting India because they know he can contribute crucial runs if he applies himself.

Zaheer has been an invaluable bowler for India. He has been a great mentor for the younger bowlers. Nobody can, or should try to, take that away from him. When he bats like he did in Durban, though, and like he has done in the recent past, it sends wrong signals to the opposition and to his own team-mates. For starters, Zaheer's wicket and the one that fell before him seems like the beginning of a collapse, and it's difficult for Ishant Sharma to quell the opposition's momentum.

Ishant has always treated Zaheer as a guru. Maybe it is time for Zaheer to learn a few lessons from the apprentice. Even against the fastest bowlers, and in the trickiest conditions, Ishant tries his best to get behind deliveries. When Zaheer left Kohli on 91 in Adelaide, it was Ishant who saw the youngster through to a century that told him he belonged in top-flight Test cricket. Kohli was India's only gain during the 0-4 whitewash.

Today in Durban, with Ashwin dropped and Zaheer batting the way he is, India's batting practically ended at No. 7. Given the fine margins and micro management of the modern game, it is surprising India have neither worked on Zaheer's batting nor demoted him down the order. It was also surprising that Rahane took a single off the first ball of the 109th over, although that could have much to do with this being only his third Test. The leadership team needs to step in there again.

This is not to bag Zaheer, who has bravely fought his body to play 90 Tests and take 300 wickets. He has quite a few deserved allowances in the team. Zaheer is not expected to dive around and save runs. That can be overlooked. However, batting - or the effort put into batting - for a specialist bowler in modern cricket is as important as fielding - or the effort put into fielding - is for a specialist batsman. Especially when you aren't a complete mug.

This is not to blame Zaheer for the predicament India are in. However, the impact of such performances accumulates over time. For those who think criticising Zaheer's batting is making a mountain out of a molehill, this is what MS Dhoni said in 2010, incidentally in Durban, when India were the No. 1 Test side: "We have done really well. We have played some good, consistent cricket. As a team we have done well. Every one has contributed: bowlers or the batsmen or the fielders. The part-timers have contributed in getting wickets, at the same time the lower order has really contributed quite consistently throughout the year.

"One of the important things was the lower-order contribution. Over the years it has really changed. The lower-order batsmen have put a price on their wicket. They have contributed along with the batsmen. At the same time if the batsmen get out, they are able to score runs. Which really helps, and frustrates the opposition."

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