Farbrace has no cause for guilt - Moores

#PoliteEnquiries: Would Nick Compton pose naked? You ask the man himself.

Peter Moores has dismissed suggestions that his new assistant, Paul Farbrace, should feel morally bound to sit out the Sri Lanka tour this summer because England poached him from their opponents so soon after he took charge.

Farbrace had been in charge of Sri Lanka for barely three months, a period in which they won the World Twenty20 in Bangladesh, before England persuaded him to abandon a job he had only just begun and join Moores in a new-look England coaching structure.

Kumar Sangakkaka, the former Sri Lanka captain, conceded that the circumstances were "not nice" when he joined Durham this week for a brief stint ahead of the Sri Lanka tour but stopped short of criticising Farbrace, who he maintained was "a top guy and a wonderful coach".

Moores also waved aside suggestions that England should make a moral gesture, pointing out that Farbrace was English and that there was a patriotic lure in his new role.

"I don't think he should miss the Sri Lanka tour," Moores said. "Paul has made his decision and he has come in. One of the key things was for him to be in at the start of something new.

"Of course I understand why some people are uncomfortable, but the key message - and I am sure Paul won't mind me saying - is that he loved his time in Sri Lanka. He has been there twice and he went back because he loved the people, he loved the way they played their cricket and some of those senior players he has a great relationship with.

"I can understand why people aren't happy with him because he went there and was very successful. But there was a draw to come and do something in his home country and for anybody who is a patriotic bloke, as Paul is, it becomes something he wants to do. I think over time the players will understand that - they are playing for their country after all.

"We go back a long way with so I know his philosophies about coaching and they are similar to mine which I think is really important. That is about trying to create a situation where people feel free to go and play - and that is quite challenging in an international environment but I think he fits. I think the players will enjoy having him. He is an all-round coach, he covers a lot of bases, and has got great knowledge of one day cricket in particular."

Sangakkara was also reluctant to be too critical. "Paul is a big loss for us," he said. "He could understand how Sri Lanka works and his impact was really important for us in those three months. The circumstances surrounding how he left were unfortunate, it was probably not nice, but England will gain hugely from Paul.

"He's a top guy and a wonderful coach. He's very good with people and sometimes that's more important than having all the knowledge in the world."

Moores dismissed fears that Ben Stokes could miss the entire summer after his contretemps with a locker during a one-day match in Barbados in March. Stokes fractured his right hand when he lashed out after being dismissed for a golden duck. He issued an emotional apology to the team in the dressing room as he realised that he would miss World Twenty20

"I don't think he will miss the entire season. They are very confident about how he's progressing. The impression I have is that they are not saying his recovery isn't going to plan. It is going in stages as everything does so we have to just go with it.

"He's still got a bit of work to do yet - he isn't on the coaches' radar yet. I don't know with him. It was a complicated injury so it takes a bit more time. If he is not ready to play in the first Test then he isn't."

Moores has inherited other injury concerns. Stuart Broad is likely to miss the limited-overs section of Sri Lanka's tour and play Championship cricket in an attempt to be fit for the first Test at Lord's in June after seeking a rest cure for tendonitis in his knee.

"Obviously Broady is having a break to recharge and get his niggles sorted with a view to him playing a couple of rounds of county cricket but he is struggling for the one day series," he said. "With all these things we will have to monitor how it progresses, but at the moment, we are looking at the Tests for Broad. As with all key players you are desperate to pick them if you can but you have to be realistic we need to make sure he is fully fit.

Sussex are also hopeful that Matt Prior will return as a batsman against Lancashire at Old Trafford on Sunday as he seeks to rid himself of persistent Achilles trouble, but Moores was unable to commit himself to when Prior might return.

"We are upping his volume to see when he can get some cricket in, but realistically with Matt it is about preparing to compete for the Test matches so we have a bit more time. I wouldn't put a timescale on his return. We want to see him play cricket, Test matches don't start for a while and he has to show he can get through a game without it flaring up.

Steve Finn's form is also heartening, but does not yet warrant a return in one-day cricket. Here is another player being targeted at the Tests. Moores plans chats with Angus Fraser, Middlesex's director of cricket and judging by Fraser's comments on The County Show will receive a positive but cautious assessment: progress is being made, but there remains work to be done.

"There is a general perception we should give him long enough in county cricket to really get to where he wants to be before he goes and plays for England again," Moores said. "I would accept that if that is the general view - that doesn't mean I wouldn't want him in my team but I think the key here is that you have to take some advice on where a player is at.

"We don't have to cross the bridge of the first Test yet and what I do like is him taking wickets in county cricket. Having not watched him yet live but have watched the video clips, he looks like he's bowling the sort of balls you want to see a fast bowler bowling. That is exciting for us because he was missed in the winter."

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KKR's bang-it-in plan goes awry

Having left out Morne Morkel, who might have made the tactic work, KKR used Vinay Kumar to bowl short at Brendon McCullum, and he was only too happy to sit back in his crease and keep pulling

The short nature of Twenty20 makes it an extremely tactical game, especially in a match reduced to 17 overs. More rides on every captaincy move, every input from every laptop, and every bit of coaching, than it does in longer formats. Kolkata Knight Riders got one wrong today when they decided to bowl short to Brendon McCullum. It is hard to tell if it was an instinctive call from the bowler and the captain, or if indeed they had some numbers to suggest this could be a plan - although it is hard to imagine McCullum struggling against bouncers - but the end result provided a fillip to what had been an okay start from the batsman.

Also, had it been a larger plan, you would have imagined Knight Riders would get Morne Morkel to execute it and not pick Andre Russell in the XI and get R Vinay Kumar to get it into McCullum's chin. As it happened, an umpiring oversight might just have ruled out any chances of Knight Riders not going through with it.

Knight Riders had opened with two spinners, presumably to get some of their overs in before the towels came out. The outfield had taken some rain, and there had been some dew around even before it rained. Shakib Al Hasan and Sunil Narine had been tight against the adventurous and successful Chennai Super Kings openers, and Dwayne Smith had been taken out. The ball was turning, and we were entering a crucial phase before Narine would come back to finish off. A few tight overs here, and Narine would have the upper hand, but Narine would be chasing the game if Super Kings kicked away now.

At 43 for 1 after 6 overs, on came Vinay. When he first bounced McCullum, he beat the batsman. Replays, though, showed the ball had gone over head-height. A stricter umpire might have called it a wide. Under those circumstances, you might have possibly questioned the bounce in the pitch, and asked yourself if you really want to go ahead with the bouncers. Instead you see one fly, beat the top edge, all doubts disappear, and you put one extra man back on the hook.

McCullum, though, didn't hold back on the pull, and the movement of mid-off into the circle basically told him he could sit back and wait for the short ball. McCullum said as much. He found hitting down the ground difficult so he was anyway deep in the crease to shorten the length and go horizontal. Knight Riders' plan only helped him.

McCullum got one chest-high, and those quick hands and feet helped him put it over square leg. It didn't stop Vinay from trying the short-pitched bowling in his next over. This is where McCullum's footwork proceeded to create his own length. The first two balls Vinay didn't quite bowl in his own half, but McCullum managed to pull them from the depth of the crease. Both went into the gap between the two men back, which meant McCullum kept strike.

Vinay got higher now, and McCullum didn't bother keeping the pull down. Into the gap again. The plan was hurting Knight Riders bad, but it wasn't changing. It was a little surprising that Knight Riders stuck with it for as long as they did. In all, Vinay bowled eight short or shortish balls to McCullum, who took 19 runs off them with his pull.

That over from Vinay ended with a moral victory for Knight Riders, when McCullum gloved the last ball - another short one - for four to fine leg, but by then Super Kings had already broken away. At any rate, at Vinay's pace, on an easy-paced pitch, it would really have been against the run of play had Knight Riders got the better of McCullum with short-pitched bowling.

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England identity crisis tops Moores' agenda

The Peter Moores revolution will be a gradual and balanced one, focused on creating a more confident, self-sustaining culture for English cricket

English cricket feels as if it is out of kilter and so, like England invariably does at such times, it is searching for consensus. Do you want to know what the future of English cricket will look like? "Like most things it's about balance," Peter Moores said. It will not get any more revolutionary than that.

Somewhere at the centre of this rebalancing exercise is a search for Englishness, a yearning not to follow the mindset of football and regard foreign intervention as automatically superior - imagine the scathing response if an English manager, even a highly successful one, sought to develop an egotistical persona like Jose Mourinho - but to create a feeling of national unity and pride in the manner that Stuart Lancaster has achieved with England's rugby union side.

Defining Englishness is hard enough. The Australians believe in their courage and resilience and the mystical properties of the Baggy Green, India draws strength from the passion and the wealth that cricket creates. But since the Empire retreated into history and present-day pomp and pageantry, for many, became largely a way to bring the tourists in, England has struggled to construct a true, living, sense of national identity.

Englishness seems to be about irony, self-effacement, pragmatism and, increasingly, the right to individuality. As Jeremy Paxman wrote in The English: "It is based on values that are so deeply embedded in the culture that it is almost unconscious."

None of these values fit easily with success in team sport. But after a decade of reliance upon southern African coaches - and the ordered, prescriptive ways of Duncan Fletcher and Andy Flower brought many benefits - and also importing players with a powerful South African yearning to succeed, it is the aim of Moores, his self-effacing captain, Alastair Cook, and the MD of England cricket, Paul Downton, who has spent much of his life since retirement in the rarefied world of the City, to find a way to do it.

One thing there will be, says Moores, in an England dressing room overseen by himself and his assistant Paul Farbrace, is a recognition that there are times to lighten the mood.

"Losing is tough - this winter would have been tough," he said. "Sometimes the time when the pressure is at the most extreme is when you want to be at your lightest. The general rule for me is when the pressure is on you try to take it off and when there's none there you shove it on."

Gradually, we are learning about Moores' England. As far as the coaching and support staff is concerned, the broad church will remain - it is just that they won't all be trying to cram into the pulpit.

Moores knows that knowledge is essential, but he reasserted, too, that there comes a time when it is understood that it is down to 11 players to have the talent and self-reliance and, yes, a powerful sense not just of individual ambition but of national pride, to go out and do their stuff.

This might not be revolutionary, but it is common sense. Moores' English revolution will not be jingoistic. Not for a moment will it overlook the importance of planning: essentially that is where his coaching excellence lies. But when the preparation is over, the overriding purpose will be to restate the notion that the togetherness that matters is that of the 11 players on the field.

"My basic rule of thumb on most things is that when you are preparing, a big resource of coaches is fine," Moores said, "but when you are actually playing you have to be careful there aren't too many people around because the players forget to connect to each other.

"The most important thing is that you play as a team - 11 blokes go and play against the opposition - coaches don't play the game. So you don't want the player connecting to a coach or multiple coaches rather than his team-mates.

"The job is that the players unite to play the game: and they deliver, they come off, they talk with each other. They have to be savvy and brave as players and they have to work that out amongst themselves to get out there and play. It is a balance of both - good coaching to help with preparation and then players playing."

Graham Gooch left on Thursday, replaced under the "freshen things up" mantra, perceived perhaps as a bit long in the tooth, a bit uninspiring, the fact that he is mentor to Cook unable to save him. He took his dog thrower with him, although it is unlikely he is ready yet to use it solely to throw balls for dogs.

But even Gooch is not being dispensed with entirely. "He still has great relationships with some of the batters and he plays golf with them so his bank of knowledge isn't going to disappear," Moores said. The same goes for Richard Halsall, the fielding coach, whose role will now largely be undertaken by the new assistant coach, Paul Farbrace. But Halsall will be on call, his expertise utilised from time to time.

	"I hope we connect to the public so they see what we are trying to do. We want to put forward what's happening with the England team, how the lads are portraying themselves, how they are playing and portray that the future is more exciting than the past" Head coach Peter Moores

Others, such as Phil Neale, the England team manager, and Mark Bawden, the psychologist, might also be nervously awaiting a phone call in the coming days. Neale, who will be 60 in June, has been with the team since 1999 and has a reputation for ensuring things run smoothly behind the scenes, while Bawden's standing was strong until the Ashes but took a knock after the obvious mental disintegration of several of the squad on that tour.

Less than a week away from his first match in charge - a potential pit trap against Scotland in Aberdeen - Moores has also become the first England coach to distance himself from a cookbook.

When England issued their dietary requirements ahead of the Ashes tour in Australia last winter, the recipes themselves, taken in isolation, could not be faulted in nutritional terms - not even the quinoa, cranberry and feta salad. But to deliver a 70-page glossy cookbook in such an overbearing fashion suggested that England's ever-growing investment in a vast support staff charged with achieving marginal gains had begun to lose sight of reality.

"Like most things it's about balance," Moores said. "You look at everything to see if it's still in balance and redress any imbalances. If it has become too sciencey you wouldn't want to go all the way back to just gut feeling - you would sit somewhere in the middle and pay attention to both. Food, having a beer, relaxing: you balance them all. Crikey, they are normal people and they have to able to enjoy themselves. They don't want to eat boiled chicken every day.

"I obviously wasn't there, I was eating Lancashire hotpot. But the players we have - everyone knows what you should and shouldn't have and what affects you, you have a job to do and to stay in good shape."

So a relaxation of sorts then, but no suggestion that he go so far as to take a leave out of Nigel Farage's book and base his methodology on posing with a pint whenever a cameraman is in the vicinity.

Moores knows that he takes over with disenchantment running high among many England supporters. There were complaints about a disconnect between the England team and the public long before the 5-0 Ashes whitewash.

The subsequent removal of Kevin Pietersen is still resented by the vast majority - 75% according to one large, if unscientific, ESPNcricinfo poll - of the English cricketing public. He was a maverick, an irritant, a malcontent when things went badly, removed to make the job of Moores and Cook easier, a salutary reminder while we are considering the English national character that hypocrisy is never too far away.

"I hope we connect to the public so they see what we are trying to do," Moores said. "It is really important, I think, that Kev can have his say, but we want to put forward what's happening with the England team, how the lads are portraying themselves, how they are playing and portray that as more exciting - that the future is more exciting than the past."

In a perfect world that future would no longer be overly reliant on southern African imports or on merely the cricketing skills taught in a privileged English private education. With the help of a drive to keep cricket relevant in the inner cities, the continued influence of forces for change such as Chance to Shine and, who knows, perhaps even a more successful domestic Twenty20 tournament, the future could touch talented young cricketers in all parts of society.

In this new England what would Moores' message be? The answer was less prescriptive than many answers we have become used to in recent years.

"If I had a message to a young player it would be 'Come with your own mind. Imagine what you could try and do and then go and do it.'"

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BCB on look-out for new coach

With Shane Jurgensen set to leave as Bangladesh coach after the proposed ODI series against India in June, the BCB is on the look-out for his replacement, board president Nazmul Hassan has said. .

"If anyone wants to leave then there is no reason to keep him as he won't be able to give his 100%," Hassan said. "Shane [Jurgensen] is staying until the India series and in the meantime, possibly by next week, we will hold a board meeting. We will take a decision on whether we will try to stick with him or look for an alternative. But surely, we are looking for a new coach."

Hassan had opened the debate by saying he "foresaw many changes" after Bangladesh went down to Hong Kong in the first round and lost all their matches in the Super 10s of the World T20. While he did not specify at the time which areas had been marked for change, he has now said the statement was meant for the team and the management. The BCB chief, however, believes that statements made by a few board directors could have influenced Jurgensen to resign.

"I had said earlier that there will be a major reshuffle after the World T20, and that includes the team management, for the betterment of the team and everyone is aware of it," Hassan said. "Firstly, the performance of the team was bad, which might have prompted him to resign. On the other hand, he could feel insecure after some comments from our directors. So, he might have felt that it was better for him to leave with some dignity."

Hassan also said that the BCB had not given any clear message to Jurgensen about the latter's job being under threat. He did not rule out appointing a Bangladeshi coach, but said that would happen only if the board did not find a foreigner to take the job. After becoming a Test nation, the BCB has employed eight foreign coaches with the last three - Stuart Law, Richard Pybus and Jurgensen - resigning midway through their contract.

"When a tournament ends and the performance of the team is not up to the mark, the coach is usually changed, " Hassan said. "On most of the occasions, the coach is changed if the team fails while in some cases the coach steps down. But why he [Jurgensen] has stepped down is still not clear as he was not given any message by the board that he might get the sack.

"If necessary we will give the responsibility to a local coach if we fail to find a replacement for Jurgensen. If we can't hire a foreign coach then we will opt for a local one. But I'm sure the performance of the team won't get any worse than what we have done recently."

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Styris joins Foxes for T20 Blast

Leicestershire Foxes have signed Scott Styris, the vastly experienced New Zealand allrounder, as their second overseas player for the NatWest T20 Blast.

The move for Styris has been agreed but is subject to visa approval. Leicestershire have described the securing of a deal with Styris, who has enjoyed IPL stints with Chennai Super Kings and Deccan Chargers, as "a massive coup" as they plan for their opening home game against Derbyshire on May 16.

Styris, unsold in the 2014 IPL auction but a finalist in two of the last four years in English T20, hit the headlines in 2012 when striking a world record 38 runs in an over for Sussex against Gloucestershire in the quarterfinal of the English domestic competition. His unbeaten century off 37 deliveries was the joint third fastest of all time.

He is closing in on 4,000 career runs in the T20 format and has a strike rate of 134.92 from 170 innings. Although now an elder statesman, he also offers a decent medium pace option and has picked up 113 wickets at an impressive economy rate of under 7.5 an over.

"I'm excited to sign for Leicestershire Foxes for the NatWest T20 Blast this season," he said. "Having played in two finals days in the last four years, I feel I have unfinished business in English T20 cricket and want to play a key role for a successful Foxes campaign. I love playing in England and I hope to add value with my skills and knowledge of the T20 game."

Leicestershire's director of cricket Phil Whitticase said: "I'm really pleased that we've managed to get a high-profile player like Scott as our second overseas player. His record is second-to-none and I'm looking forward to him playing a key role in our side. Scott has vast experience and knowledge."

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South Africa's stocks rise with Miller, Duminy

The circumstances in which the pair have scored their fifties bodes well not only for their franchises but for South Africa as well

South Africa's batsmen have often borne the blame for the ICC tournament failings, usually as a collective. Sometimes it is a simple case of them not putting on enough on the board (think Champions Trophy semi-final 2013); other times there are criticisms over the way they were composed, which dominated the aftermath of this year's World T20. An aspect there has always been consensus on is that, individually, the people picked to represent South Africa are of fine fettle, and one need not look further than a foreign-based T20 league for proof of that.

Keep in mind that the quality of bowling is inferior to what it would be at the international level, the boundaries could be smaller and the conditions different but it is still difficult not to notice the performances of JP Duminy and David Miller, in particular, and the circumstances in which they have scored their runs.

Duminy has blossomed in the shortest format since making a return from a snapped Achilles' tendon, sustained on South Africa's 2013 tour to Australia, last June. In 13 T20s between August 2013 and April this year , he scored 390 runs, averaged 55.71 (compared with 37.27 overall) and scored three half-centuries. Add to that the seven wickets he has taken and it is hardly a surprise South Africa's coach Russell Domingo calls him "our best T20 player at the moment," and Gary Kirsten wanted him in his Delhi Daredevils side.

His two fifties have come at opportune times for the team, rescuing them from 17 for 3 in their first match, which they lost to Royal Challengers Bangalore, and then helping them chase 167 against Kolkata Knight Riders in the second game.

Miller's role in Kings XI Punjab's successes was less expected and more notable because of the context in which it happened. Miller has been batting at No.5, higher than he would be at international cricket but in the same position he plays at for his domestic franchise, the Dolphins. In that spot, Miller has the perfect mix of time to settle in but not too much time so he still experiences the pressure associated with being tasked with accelerating the innings.

In the first match, Miller was at the crease in the sixth over and batted through the innings as Kings XI chased a massive 206. In the second game, Miller was playing more of the role he has been earmarked for with South Africa - finishing. He was called upon in the 14th over with Kings XI needing 66 off 37 balls and he was asked to take them over the line.

With 51 off 19 balls, Miller was at his blazing best and performed in a way he has often promised to at national level but has yet to actually do. Miller has not yet scored a fifty for South Africa in a T20 but he has also not had the right mix of opportunity and circumstance to do so.

Perhaps he has also not had the support. Glenn Maxwell has overshadowed Miller, and everyone else, in the bigger picture and he has provided the spark which has produced enough light for Miller to shine too.

The tournament is still in its early stages and all of this could become little more than a footnote once the competition is over. But the early signs are that South African stocks are rising and the resources they have at their disposal, especially Miller, when properly used, are an asset. And that's before even mentioning Jacques Kallis.

Although he is no longer available to play international T20s, Kallis wants to get as much game time in limited-overs' formats as possible before the 2015 World Cup, which he still has ambitions to play in. After scoring a half-century in Knight Riders' opener, Kallis has not crossed that mark again but he has done more than his fair share of bowling to prove his match fitness and commitment, which he will hope will earn him that World Cup spot.

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Failing openers, and flourishing quicks

The UAE leg of the IPL is done, with each team having played five matches. Fortunes of the teams have varied, with one team having won all five games and another hurtling towards the wooden spoon after having lost all five. Here is a look at some of the stand-out numbers from the 20 matches in the UAE.

International Indian tournament

The IPL, essentially a domestic tournament, has now been held outside India twice in its seven-year history. Both foreign venues, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates, have contrasting playing conditions, with the pitches and weather in both countries throwing up wholly different sets of challenges. The batsmen had the toughest time in South Africa, scoring only 23.41 runs per wicket - the worst for any IPL season. Despite conditions in UAE being not so dissimilar to India, the season so far has seen the worst runs-per-wicket stat for any IPL season (24.67) since the South African edition. These two editions of the IPL have also seen the lowest run-rates as well as the highest balls-per-boundary ratio in the tournament's history.

Last year, for instance, teams averaged 24.79 per wicket and 7.67 per over, while scoring a boundary every 6.48 balls. All of those numbers have been more in favour of the bowling team this time.

One would expect more boundaries to be hit in UAE as compared to South Africa, but the balls-per-boundary in UAE and South Africa have been about the same. Clearly, the batsmen have a better time when the tournament is played on Indian shores.

Comparing IPL seasons played outside India

Season	Matches	Runs per Wicket	Runs per Over	Balls per Boundary
2008	58	26.03	8.30	5.60
2009	57	23.41	7.48	7.22
2010	60	26.20	8.12	6.09
2011	73	26.01	7.72	6.46
2012	75	26.19	7.82	6.53
2013	76	24.79	7.67	6.48
2014	20	24.67	7.55	7.23

Bowling not so thankless

In 20-over cricket, batsmen often walk away with all the awards and honours despite the bowlers putting in a lot of hard work. However, this time around, the bowlers have done enough to bag the Man-of-the-Match award in eight out of 20 matches. At a similar stage in last year's tournament, only four bowling performances had won the MoM award. Even in the 2012 edition, only six bowling performances were considered worthy of MoM awards after 20 matches (excluding a couple of all-round shows by Ravindra Jadeja and Keiron Pollard).

India shining

The Indian fast bowlers have shone brightly in this edition of the IPL. Even bowlers like Varun Aaron, who have historically been expensive, have shown far greater control and consistency. Four of the top five fast bowlers, in terms of wickets taken, are Indians - Lasith Malinga is the only non-Indian. The table below (of Indian bowlers who have bowled at least five overs and taken at least two wickets) will show that many of the Indian bowlers have gone for less than seven runs per over. Even bowlers like L Balaji and Jaidev Unadkat, who have conceded more than seven, have compensated by taking wickets. Vinay Kumar hasn't taken too many wickets, but he bowled that high-pressure last over against the Royal Challenger Bangalore. Sandeep Sharma deserves a special mention because he has taken wickets and been economical while dismissing big players at crucial junctures and has deservedly won two MoM awards.

Indian Fast Bowlers in IPL 2014

Bowler	Overs	Wickets	BBI	Average	Economy	Strike Rate
Sandeep Sharma	11.0	7	3/15	8.85	5.63	9.4
VR Aaron	14.5	8	3/16	10.50	5.66	11.1
STR Binny	5.0	2	1/1	14.50	5.80	15.0
IC Pandey	15.0	3	2/23	29.33	5.86	30.0
B Kumar	19.3	8	3/19	15.00	6.15	14.6
R Dhawan	13.2	4	2/14	20.50	6.15	20.0
Z Khan	18.5	5	2/21	23.60	6.26	22.6
MM Sharma	15.5	8	4/14	13.25	6.69	11.8
R Bhatia	16.0	6	2/13	18.16	6.81	16.0
AB Dinda	17.0	2	1/14	59.00	6.94	51.0
L Balaji	19.0	8	4/13	17.50	7.36	14.2
R Vinay Kumar	14.0	4	2/26	26.50	7.57	21.0
JD Unadkat	16.0	6	3/32	21.50	8.06	16.0
I Sharma	8.0	3	2/37	22.00	8.25	16.0
DS Kulkarni	11.0	3	2/23	30.33	8.27	22.0
M Shami	20.0	3	1/30	60.00	9.00	40.0
P Awana	7.0	2	1/35	37.50	10.71	21.0

Conspicuously low on this table are India regulars Mohammed Shami and Ishant Sharma. Both of them have taken only three wickets each while conceding more than eight runs per over.

Stars not shining

In the same the way that Shami and Ishant haven't had great returns, some of India's superstar batsmen have also failed to turn up. While Gambhir's dismal form, including the three back-to-back ducks, has been well documented, many of the other Indian stalwarts have also had poor outings. Among the big names in the below table, only Virender Sehwag has a strike-rate of more than 120. Also, all of these batsmen, except Yuvraj Singh and M Vijay, have aggregated less than 120 runs in the tournament. The fact that Yuvraj Singh, despite his indifferent form, looks the best on paper (Runs: 121, Avg: 30.25, SR: 116.34) is testimony to the fact that the big-money Indians have performed poorly.

Failure of marquee Indian batsmen in IPL 2014

Batsman	Innings	Runs	High Score	Average	Strike Rate
G Gambhir	5	46	45	9.20	74.19
RG Sharma	5	84	50	16.80	110.52
S Dhawan	5	85	38	17.00	114.86
SK Raina	5	99	56	19.80	119.27
V Kohli	5	105	49*	26.25	116.66
V Sehwag	5	120	37	24.00	126.31
M Vijay	5	121	52	24.20	112.03
Yuvraj Siingh	5	121	52*	30.25	116.34

The only Indian specialist batsmen to make some sort of mark on this tournament are Ajinkya Rahane (Runs: 182, Avg: 36.40, SR: 120.52) and Manish Pandey (Runs: 144, Avg: 28.80, SR: 121.00). Only one Indian, Rahane, finds a place among the top eight run-scorers in the tournament. The foreign batsmen have made an impact with Dwayne Smith, David Warner, Brendon McCullum, JP Duminy, Glenn Maxwell and David Miller all scoring two or more fifties. Apart from these six, Aaron Finch has also been quite consistent and finds a place among the top eight run-getters in this tournament. The only marquee Indian batsman to have done well is MS Dhoni who has an average of 30.00 after five innings at a strike rate of 152.54.

Openers yet to open up

Openers have typically scored heavily in the IPL, with seven of the top 15 run scorers (across all IPL seasons) being openers. However, apart from Smith, McCullum and, to a lesser extent, Finch, the openers have not found themselves among the runs so far in this tournament. Openers are expected to make optimal use of the Powerplay overs, but their strike rate in this edition of the tournament is an abysmal 117.13 - the lowest for any season. Also, they only averaged 24.28 in this UAE leg, which is lower than all seasons except 2009, when the tournament was held in South Africa. Openers have scored at least one hundred in every season of the IPL so far. While no opener has scored a hundred so far, the flat Indian wickets should ensure that this record remains intact.

Performance of openers in the IPL

Season	Innings	Average	Strike Rate	Hundreds	Sixes
2008	232	29.46	130.42	4	196
2009	228	23.65	117.88	1	175
2010	240	29.56	130.21	3	196
2011	290	28.52	124.91	6	241
2012	296	29.62	125.95	4	264
2013	304	27.25	120.18	2	217
2014	80	24.28	117.13	0	49

Keeping with this trend, the number of sixes per innings has been the worst for any edition of the IPL - 0.61 sixes per innings. If not for the belligerence of Dwayne Smith, Brendon McCullum and Aaron Finch, who hit 29 of the 49 sixes, this stat could have made the openers look worse still.

No Powerplay spin

In the last few seasons of the IPL, spinners have played key roles in the Powerplays, but the same cannot be said of the UAE leg of this year's IPL. Spinners have bowled in the Powerplay in 27 innings but have taken only four wickets. Their average of 69.25 in the Powerplay is the worst for any season of the IPL. Their economy rate of 7.10 the worst since the inaugural season where spinners hardly bowled in the Powerplay (they bowled 30 overs in the whole season, whereas almost 40 overs have already been bowled in the 20 matches played this season) and went for 8.86 runs per over.

Spinners in the Powerplay - comparing seasons

Season	Inninngs	Run Rate	Wickets	Average
2008	24	8.86	8	33.25
2009	48	6.88	19	26.73
2010	77	6.98	33	28.36
2011	100	6.81	53	25.69
2012	109	6.90	35	41.65
2013	79	6.53	29	33.89
2014	27	7.10	4	69.25

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Marsh named new chairman of selectors

Rod Marsh has replaced John Inverarity as Australia's chairman of selectors in a significant shake-up of the panel that comes as the team sits on top of the world rankings in both Tests and ODIs.

Former selection chief Trevor Hohns has returned to the national selection panel for the first time since 2006, alongside first-time selector Mark Waugh, while Inverarity and Andy Bichel have departed. The coach Darren Lehmann remains part of the group, which was reduced from five men to four when captain Michael Clarke withdrew from his selection duties before last year's Ashes series in England.

Inverarity stood down after nearly three years as chairman and although he told Cricket Australia he was prepared to continue on the panel, the board decided it was time for some new faces. Cricket Australia's chief executive James Sutherland said Inverarity had performed admirably since taking charge of the selection duties in October 2011.

"When John Inverarity took over as national selector the Australian Test team was ranked fourth in the world and its on-field performance was well short of where it is today," Sutherland said. "He leaves his post with Australian teams in a position of strength holding the number one ranking in Test and one-day international cricket. That reflects his commitment and the astute judgment he brought to the role at a challenging time for Australian cricket.

"After deciding to stand down as chair, he recently indicated that he was prepared to continue on the national selection panel for another 12 months if required. Directors determined that with John stepping down as chairman, it was the appropriate time to bring new personnel into the group.

"Rod Marsh is the right man to take on this important role having been a key member of the panel since 2011. His track record speaks for itself. He brings a wealth of experience to the position, having been a leading player, coach and most recently a selector.

"Throughout his days as a player he was the absolute embodiment of the baggy green cap and to this day is widely respected throughout the game. He has a great eye for talent and has strong relationships throughout international cricket."

The departure of Bichel, who joined the panel at the same time as Marsh in November 2011, means that there will be no fast bowlers contributing to Australia's selection discussions, a curious absence given the way the attack has been rotated at times in the past. However, Cricket Australia said in a statement that Bichel's term on the panel had "not been renewed".

"Andy Bichel made a great contribution at the selection table for two and a half years just as he also did as a player for Australia and Queensland," Sutherland said. "He faced challenges balancing the heavy travel schedule associated with being a selector, coaching at the Chennai Super Kings and raising a young family. We fully understand and respect that."

Waugh confirmed last month that he had been approached by Cricket Australia for a possible selection role and his presence as a BBL commentator for Channel 10 appears not to have prevented him from taking on the part-time position. Sutherland said Waugh would pay particular attention to the shorter formats, which would be crucial with a World Cup to be held in Australia and New Zealand next year.

"We think Mark will bring great experience to the role," Sutherland said. "His particular focus will be on our limited-overs program. He was one of the world's greatest one-day international players. We think he can add a lot, particularly in an important World Cup year."

The return of Hohns to the panel comes after he spent 13 years as a national selector from 1993 to 2006, including a full decade as chairman of the panel. For the past three years, Hohns has been Queensland's state talent manager and chairman of selectors, a role that he will relinquish when he rejoins the national panel.

"Trevor oversaw selection during an era when Australian teams dominated international cricket," Sutherland said. "We think he can provide great insight to the selection panel as we work to achieve long-term success."

Like Hohns, Marsh will give up an existing role as part of the selection revamp, with Cricket Australia set to begin the search to find a replacement for him as CA's manager of elite coaching development. Marsh has been given a three-year term as chairman of selectors, which will begin when the new panel officially starts on July 1.

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Lehmann has 'brought enjoyment back' - Rogers

Rogers: 'Boof has brought the enjoyment back'

Chris Rogers has hailed Australia's coach, Darren Lehmann, for bringing a sense of enjoyment back into playing for the national side. Speaking to Alison Mitchell in her latest Tea Break interview for ESPNcricinfo, Rogers praised Lehmann's "old-school mentality" as something he could relate to.

Rogers, who scored a phenomenal 241 to lead Middlesex to a magnificent victory against Yorkshire, has become a fixture in Australia's Test side at the age of 36 and also talks about his strength in adversity, saying his Ashes hundred in the Boxing Day Test at the MCG was particularly special as "there was lots of pressure there". He discusses splitting his life between England and Australia, scoring 200 for Leicestershire against his countrymen in 2005 and the possibility of going into coaching when he retires.

Rogers, who played a solitary Test in 2008, returned to the Australia squad for last year's Ashes tour, at the start of which Mickey Arthur was replaced as coach by Lehmann. Despite losing that series 3-0, Rogers said Lehmann had an immediate impact.

"I grew up a little bit in the old-school days, when it was far more relaxed, you did enjoy yourself," he said. "Now it's far more professional. I think 'Boof' has brought back that old-school mentality a little bit. I remember the first thing he did, we had a meeting and he said it won't go for more than half an hour and when it did hit half an hour, he said, 'Right, that's it, we're all going to the pub'.

"We went to the pub and I could look around and see the guys and it was almost like, 'Is this really happening?' I think he's brought that enjoyment back, where you play hard and you play to win but you also enjoy yourself and you don't take yourself too seriously. I enjoy that because I think that's the kind of mentality I try to bring to Middlesex and the other sides I play for. My Test career has coincided with his coaching career and it's worked out well for me particularly."

Since then, Rogers has scored four Tests centuries and been an important cog in the side that whitewashed England in the return Ashes in Australia and then beat South Africa on their own patch. With Australia's next Test commitment coming in the UAE against Pakistan, he will have a full season with Middlesex, for whom he scored his 67th first-class hundred against Yorkshire earlier this week.

The full interview with Chris Rogers in Alison's Tea Break will be published on Thursday

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RCA election results to be declared on May 6

The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the election officer appointed to overlook the Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA) elections to declare the results on May 6. Effectively the court decided not to entertain the BCCI's petition which was filed in January to challenge Lalit Modi's participation in the RCA elections. The BCCI has said that allowing Modi, who was banned by the board's disciplinary committee for life, to return to the RCA would hurt the image of the board.

The RCA polls were held on January 19 under the observation of former Justice of the Supreme court NM Kasliwal. The votes were concealed in a sealed envelope. Today AR Dave, the judge hearing the case, asked the court to pass the envelope to the election officer who would declare results on May 6. At the same time Dave said that anyone objecting the results could take up the issue in an appropriate forum. It also told the BCCI counsel that its client was free to act under its regulations as per law.

Modi welcomed the court's decision and was optimistic of winning the elections. "I am extremely happy that the Supreme Court has taken the right decision and allowed the due democratic process to go forward. We are hoping our group will win the elections. If we do win we will have an agenda and vision which I will make clear after the results," Modi said.

While expelling Modi on multiple charges of misconduct, the BCCI had said that "he shall not in future be entitled to hold any position or office, or be admitted in any committee or any member or associate member of the board". Modi, however, got his candidature for the RCA presidency approved by the Supreme Court by exploiting a technicality that the RCA was governed by the Rajasthan Sports Act.

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