Hales in as England attempt subtle evolution

England's selectors have given Alastair Cook their backing and he will have a new opening partner as the focus turns to a marathon of one-day cricket culminating in the World Cup

Hales celebrates England selection call with ton for Nottinghamshire

How many times in one summer should a captain be expected to save his job? In the eyes of England's selectors, probably only once. Alastair Cook re-established his authority as England's Test captain during their 3-1 defeat of India in the Investec Test series. His resilience could not have been clearer. It would be immensely wearying for him to imagine that he might have to do it all again.

In these days of split captaincy, securing a position as Test captain, however redoubtable the effort, is not automatically useful now England face seven months of unbroken ODI cricket, climaxed by the 2015 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

Cook's Test career has always been his strongest suit. His place in the one-day side has been debated regularly. The debate will continue, even if only at a low level, but all the signs are that it is an irrelevant one.

He might have built a castle in the mountains only to find the next campaign is on the coast. But he has benefited from the examination of his captaincy credentials. His leadership is no longer an inheritance, it is now a thing of substance.

That England's selectors are intent on Cook leading England in the World Cup is apparent. Barring disasters, any debate is superfluous. The chance to make a change was now, ahead of a Royal London ODI series against India - the first of them in Bristol on Monday - more 50-over cricket in Sri Lanka before Christmas and a triangular series in Australia, with India the third participants, in the New Year.

But they had little heart for it, especially when one of the strongest candidates, Eoin Morgan, was having such a dismal time in charge of Middlesex. Instead they are calculating that signs of a new England Test side coming together will feed positively into the 50-over side.

The decision taken, the time has come for consistent planning. England can now commit time to addressing their long-perceived cricketing weaknesses in the 50-over format. No longer will they have to do this as an afterthought. It is what this run of one-day series was designed for.

"We haven't had this period ever - certainly not since I started - where you have had just one-day cricket for seven months," Cook said. "There's time to dedicate to practicing those skills that are needed for one-day cricket, especially the extra skills you need like in the Powerplay overs, both with bat and ball, and death bowling. And that is what we will need to do if we are to have a chance of winning the World Cup in what will be good conditions for us."

Changes are subtle ones. Cook will have a new opening partner in Alex Hales, who he suggested would be given the entire series to prove himself. Ian Bell is also scheduled to bat at No. 3. Hales gives England more energy at the top of the order, but it is his ability to make hundreds - four of them in 50-over cricket in the wink of an eye - which has finally persuaded England's selectors to turn to him.

	"He is a different batter to the other guys - he hits the ball incredibly hard, in different areas, with an unorthodox technique" Alastair Cook on Alex Hales

Cook will benefit from the change, but he knows he cannot regard Hales' presence as permission to potter on at whatever rate he chooses. A captain with a career strike rate in ODIs of 78 runs per 100 balls has been paired with a young buck with a List A strike rate of 100. But Cook is keen to point out that since his return to England's ODI side, his strike rate is above 80 runs per 100 balls. He knows that cannot be allowed to diminish.

"I don't think it changes my role," he said, of Hales' inclusion. "The job of the top four or five is to try and score a hundred and win the game, by setting up the game. You have to try and do it in your way. What's pleasing about Alex over the last month or so is that he has scored four centuries for Nottinghamshire and at a good rate too.

"He is a different batter to the other guys - he hits the ball incredibly hard, in different areas, with an unorthodox technique. He's done really well in T20 cricket and he's got the opportunity over these five games to show us what he can do in 50-over cricket."

Suggestions of a major overhaul of the ODI squad were wide of the mark. The only obvious victim is Ravi Bopara and because of his all-round ability with bat and ball, his absence causes England immediate selection problems.

The exclusion of Bopara essentially commits England to a five-bowler strategy for the World Cup, believing that a phalanx of high-quality seamers is their strongest chance of belying their outsiders status in Australia and New Zealand with a strong challenge.

Hales' inclusion must therefore impact on a batsman. As unlikely as it seems, with Bell earmarked for No. 3, Gary Ballance or Joe Root could be in contention for the No. 4 spot, followed by Eoin Morgan, either Moeen Ali or Ben Stokes as an allrounder, and the wicketkeeper Jos Buttler.

Bristol has had a welcome makeover, so becoming the latest England ground to make definite advances in the past decade or so, but for all that it remains England's most rudimentary international venue. It does not immediately strike you as a place where successful World Cup campaigns are first bedded in, and England do not strike many as potential World Cup winners. It is time for them to try to change that perception.

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CPL committee rubberstamps result of disputed final

The Caribbean Premier League's (CPL) cricket tournament committee has ruled that match referee Denavon Hayles properly applied the relevant rules in the rain-hit CPL final on August 16, which Barbados Tridents won by 8 runs via the Duckworth-Lewis method. In a release announcing the committee's finding, the CPL also confirmed that Guyana Amazon Warriors had indeed filed a complaint - as was widely speculated in the media following the match - "with regard to the outcome of the final".

It is understood that Amazon Warriors had issues with the officials' application of the rules regarding the time allotted for the match in the face of several rain delays. The committee had decided on the matter after reviewing the match referee's report and "the arguments raised by the Guyana Amazon Warriors in their several written representations". It could now be escalated to the ICC, though, if the "contending parties" wanted as much, the CPL release said.

"Having carefully considered the report of the match referee and the arguments raised by the Guyana Amazon Warriors, the [committee] has concluded that there are no grounds for the result of the final to be reversed or nullified," chairman of the cricket tournament committee, PJ Patterson, said, adding that the image of the tournament should not be muddied. "The CPL has succeeded in reinvigorating the passion for cricket across the region and has in two short years established its own distinctive brand and earned exciting market appeal. Nothing must be done to impair its image or erode its credibility."

In the rain-marred match, Tridents got to 152 for 6. Amazon Warriors had batted out 15.5 overs in the chase when the rain came down again, and play was eventually ended there.

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'We're building towards the World Cup' - Bravo

West Indies captain Dwayne Bravo has already shifted focus to the 2015 World Cup after having the ODI series against Bangladesh in the bag with a match to spare. They have been ruthless at beating the visitors so far, crushing them by 177 runs in the previous game.

Before the World Cup next year, West Indies have two more five-match ODI series against India and South Africa but Bravo is urging his team to start looking forward with him from now.

"We just want to focus on one game at a time," Bravo said. "We won the series but we want to improve on our last performance and improve as a team. If we win the next game, it is a whitewash but that is not the only reason we are playing tomorrow.

"We are building towards the 2015 World Cup so we are trying to play as much cricket as a group and win as many games as possible. We want to be the best ODI team as we can be. We will keep encouraging the guys to achieve greatness."

The home side have added Andre Russell as the 14th member of the ODI squad, on the back of his impressive all-round performance in the CPL where he batted ten innings at a 200-plus strike-rate with two fifties. He also took 11 wickets at a 22.81 bowling average.

"It is a decision by the selectors to add Andre Russell in the squad," Bravo said. "We all know his all-round abilities and I personally feel he is one of the best allrounders in the region.

"I am always happy to have someone like Andre among the squad. It is good, gives us a lot of competition as well in the unit. His off-the-field attitude is good as well. Guys know they have to perform to stay in the team. Happy to see him around and the best XI will play tomorrow."

Bravo himself has had a lean time with the bat, scoring just 5 and 6 in the two matches. His bowling has been good, taking a four-wicket haul in the first game.

He said that the wicket at Warner Park, despite a reputation of being a batting paradise, could be weary after the CPL.

"Having played there in the CPL, I think the wicket might be a bit tired now," he said. "But at the same time, it is always a good cricket wicket here."

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Hughes left out despite Clarke injury

Phillip Hughes has been surprisingly left out of Australia's side for their first one-day international against Zimbabwe despite captain Michael Clarke being ruled out with a hamstring injury. Australia have instead chosen a team very heavy on all-round options and bowlers, with eight men a chance of bowling at some stage during the first match.

When Clarke was ruled out, Hughes had appeared the logical inclusion from a squad light on specialist batsmen, especially given his outstanding recent form for Australia A. But Brad Haddin now seems the likely opening partner for Aaron Finch with George Bailey, Steven Smith and Glenn Maxwell expected to fill out the remaining places in the top five.

Mitchell Marsh will most likely come in at No.6, with James Faulkner and Mitchell Johnson providing further all-round options lower down. And while men such as Marsh and Faulkner have strong batting records in domestic one-day matches, it does not augur well for Hughes' World Cup hopes that he has not managed to squeeze in to Australia's side under these circumstances.

"Looking at the wicket today, we've opted to go with the spin option of Nathan Lyon along with the extra allrounder to add further depth to our batting line-up which means that Phil Hughes has unfortunately missed out on selection," the coach Darren Lehmann said.

Australia will have five pace options for Monday's match, which will also be the first ODI in nearly two and a half years for Lyon, who has generally been considered a Test specialist. However, with the conditions in Harare likely to provide some turn, Lehmann expects that Maxwell and Smith will both play a role at the bowling crease during the tournament.

"Very much so, Ww want them bowling at a higher level - they know that and they've been working really hard," Lehmann said. "Nathan's in the squad because he's an attacking spinning option which is important for us as well. The wickets look pretty good, I played here years ago and it was a good track.

"It probably spun a bit more in the mornings and then flattened out in the afternoon a bit. I think it will be a case that as the tournament goes on, spin will play more of a part."

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Woakes denies Flintoff as Birmingham win Blast

Warwickshire 181 for 5 (Evans 53) beat Lancashire 177 for 8 (Brown 55, Hannon-Dalby 3-31) by four runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Highlights: Birmingham clings on late to hold off Lancashire by four runs in NatWest T20 Blast Final

In the end, it came down to a battle between the past and the future. With the bat we had Andrew Flintoff, an England allrounder with an illustrious past, on the ground where he had produced some of his most memorable displays. With the ball we had Chris Woakes, an England allrounder at the start of his international career, on his home ground. Fourteen were required from the final over.

They are very different characters. While Flintoff appears to enjoy the spotlight, Woakes is modest and soft spoken. While Flintoff's reputation is all extravagant sixes and spells of blistering pace, Woakes' is about maintaining pressure and contributing to partnerships. While Flintoff gained the biggest cheers of the night, Woakes was quietly appreciated by supporters who have come to trust his ability to perform, with bat and ball, under pressure. You might even say that Flintoff is the showman and Woakes the diligent clerk.

It seemed fate had already decreed this was to be Flintoff's night. He had already taken a key wicket, Ian Bell, with his first ball of the match having only been drafted into the game as a late replacement when Kabir Ali suffered a recurrence of a shoulder problem. And he had just heaved the final two balls he had faced in the previous owner for six. Once he got himself back on strike by rushing through for a bye from the first ball of the final over it seemed destiny might be calling.

But Woakes, bowling with good pace and nailing his yorker time and again, was not to be denied. Perhaps Flintoff, in his prime, might have managed to find the boundary from one of the next three balls. Perhaps Flintoff, before the knee trouble and the five years away from the game, might have been able to turn for a second run from the fourth ball of the final over to get back on strike.

Instead, it was the younger man who prevailed. Woakes, holding his nerve and a ball becoming more slippery in the evening dew, hardly gave the older man a chance. He conceded only nine from the over - eight from the bat - and Birmingham won the NatWest T20 Blast for the first time.

It will be little consolation to Lancashire right now but, one day in the future, they will reflect on their part on a wonderfully entertaining day of T20 cricket. We saw powerful, inventive batting, we saw skilful, clever bowling, we saw - one or two dropped chances aside - some committed, athletic fielding. And all in front of a good-humoured, full house. If T20 is the shop window to the sport, this must be considered a thoroughly successful day.

In the shorter term, this result will hurt. They have now lost three finals and 11 semi-finals since 1998 and may feel that they enjoyed little fortune. Certainly Paul Horton might consider himself unfortunate to have been given out caught behind, though that is no excuse for his unusually sustained act of dissent towards the umpire that followed. Disciplinary action in the form of a Level Two charge is inevitable. "I was out of order," Horton admitted afterwards. "Sometimes these things happen in the heat of the moment, but it's no excuse. I showed dissent and I've accepted my penalty."

The evening started well for Lancashire, after an accomplished performance in the semi-final. Flintoff dismissed Bell early and Steven Croft delivered four of the most frugal overs of the evening with his mix of offspin and floaters. Birmingham thrashed 63 from the Powerplay overs, as an out-of-sorts James Anderson took particular punishment, but could then add only 60 in 10 overs in mid-innings as Lancashire's spinners gradually took control .

But 58 runs from the final four overs of the Birmingham innings changed everything. Man of the Match was Birmingham's Laurie Evans who, after a slow start, contributed a brilliant half-century. Having laboured for 16 balls over his first 11 runs, his next 13 brought 42 as he demonstrated his power, his fast hands and his excellent eye in hitting four sixes in 10 balls at one stage. An England T20 call-up in the coming days should notbe ruled out.

It is remarkable how fortunes can fluctuate. Only a couple of weeks ago, Evans was close to leaving the club for a fresh start at Nottinghamshire. And, when he dropped a relatively straightforward chance off Karl Brown when the batsman had scored just one, he feared, in his words "I was going to be the villain of the day, the man who dropped the T20 trophy."

But there were several heroes in the Birmingham performance. There was the captain, Varun Chopra, who remained cool throughout the Flintoff barrage and contributed 30 brisk runs of his own. There was Rikki Clarke, the great England allrounder than never was, contributing solid performances with bat and ball. There was Boyd Rankin, who bowled with pace and hostility on a sluggish surface to put the squeeze on the opposition. There was Woakes who, apart from his nerveless final over, dismissed the dangerous Brown with a yorker

And there was the gentle-paced giant Oliver Hannon-Dalby, who might not have played had Birmingham had a full-strength side to pick from and, until he conceded 12 from his final two balls, had bowled with admirable calm and control.

This victory is notable, even for a club of Warwickshire's size and history. Not only do they have a modest record in the format, and had not reached Finals Day since the first year of the competition in 2003, but they were without two of their leading seamers (Chris Wright and Keith Barker) and were unsettled by the news earlier this week that the club captain, Jim Troughton, had been forced to retire due to a long-standing back injury. They also took the brave and somewhat controversial decision to drop Jonathan Trott from their side.

Furthermore, it seemed they were destined to be knocked out in the early stages. Had Nottinghamshire not beaten Yorkshire in the final group game, Warwickshire's late run of good results in winning their final three group games would have been irrelevant. As it was, they have now won six T20 games in succession and, for the first time, are domestic T20 champions.

It is 20 years since a Warwickshire side coached by Bob Woolmer and including Brian Lara and Dermot Reeve won three major trophies in the season. While it is probably premature to talk of a repeat this season, it is worth noting that Warwickshire remain in contention in both of the other competitions.

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Derbyshire win race for Pujara

Derbyshire have agreed terms with Cheteshwar Pujara that will see the Indian Test batsman further his education in English conditions by playing the last three Championship fixtures of the season. Pujara's signing remains subject to final approval from the BCCI and successful registration.

Pujara has already returned to India after the Test series while awaiting the prospect of a few late-season matches. Derbyshire's announcement will frustrate Leicestershire, the Second Division's bottom club, who had been fancied to win his signature.

Marcus North, the former Australia batsman, will remain with Derbyshire and play in the List A competition, while Pujara will play in the four remaining four-day first-class games that Derbyshire have this season.

Pujara already has happy memories of the Derby ground. He made 81 against Derbyshire in July during a three-day tour match. He would have little clue of the problems which would follow as he hit 222 runs with a highest score of 55 in a five-Test series taken 3-1 by England.

Graeme Welch, Derbyshire's elite performance director, said: "Pujara will give a welcome boost to the dressing room in the Championship run-in. We're an ambitious club with a developing group of players and we know that joining our dynamic squad will give Pujara exactly the experience he is looking for."

"Dynamic" has not been a word readily associated with Derbyshire this season as they have struggled to put together impressive form after their relegation last season.

Derbyshire's chief executive, Simon Storey said: "We've been focused on delivering a long-term legacy from the visit of the Indian tourist side in July. Our newly-formed Cricket Derbyshire India Club has been instrumental in supporting our efforts to secure Pujara and we hope the opportunity to watch such an accomplished India Test performer play county cricket here will inspire even more local cricket fans to join us."

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Flintoff almost relives the glory

Freddie Flintoff will always be a cricketing hero. As close as he came to conjuring up the NatWest Blast title for Lancashire, he was just a hero no longer in his time

Freddie runs around to his right, he picks up the ball, he aims his throw, and then he holds the ball. There is no magic run out chance. There is no need for the hero pose. This isn't his time. This isn't that Freddie.

Freddie is still big. You can't confuse him with any of the other Lancashire players in the warm up. That tree trunk body, that off kilter stance, the massive shoulders, the blonde hair, the rocking shoulder movement, the John Wayne run up and the heavy ball. Although, the heavy ball seems lighter in the warm up.

Freddie is warming up in full reds. He's shadow boxing with Adam Hollioake, hugging Charlie Dagnall, and giggling with Luke Wright. If he's nervous, there is no sign of it. In the batting warm ups he's playing straight drives, but misses the net by several metres on one. In the fielding practice he puts in the least effort he can without annoying the fielding coach.

Freddie heads off for the final preparation of the game. HE stops to chat to more friends. Everyone gets a chat and a soul brother handshake. As he hits the steps he signs autographs and poses for photos.

Freddie is only playing because Kabir Ali, who was preferred in the semifinal, is injured. Kabir Ali was born injured. Kabir Ali will be injured after he's dead. But this injury has given one last Hero chance for Freddie. It is, for the occasion, a perfect injury.

Freddie retired exactly five years ago today. He still gets a bigger cheer than Jimmy Anderson when his name is read out. His cheer is even bigger than the boos KP got. He might be old, he might be a semi-successful Reality TV show host, he might be a media whore, but he's still Freddie. It's only a few kids under 10 who seem confused why this bloke who's played two matches this season seems so popular.

Freddie starts off in the slips. Where he did some of his best work. He walks up to the crease to do his run up in between balls. He does it gingerly with a tip-toeing pigeon step. As the ball is delivered, he jumps into a sumo wrestler pose waiting for the edge. Looking for that one-handed glory. So he can look nonchalant about it seconds later.

Freddie only looks nervous when he's about to bowl. Paul Horton talks to him about the field, but Freddie looks distracted. Varun Chopra tries to move some of the crowd, and Freddie just wants to bowl. Just get that first one under the belt.

Freddie finally bowls. It is a slow ball on a decent length. Ian Bell hits it straight up in the air. Karl Brown races back at mid on. Freddie watches on. Brown has a lot of time to cover a lot of ground. He gets there. Freddie's arms go straight into his saviour pose. But there is no certainty to them; it's just muscle memory. Instead of looking nonchalant, he looks surprised at how he's ended with a wicket from such a slow length ball.

Freddie completes the over well, allowing only three runs from what is one of the slowest and most innocuous overs of the day. Freddie waves at the crowd, he plays with his cap over his face for someone. He's enjoying himself. He's no longer nervous.

Freddie chats to Jimmy about strategy before the next over. But his first ball is horror. It's the ball Freddie was worried about bowling before his first over. A slow waist-high full toss no ball that floats beautifully onto the bat and way over the rope. The next five balls only give up three runs. There are giggles and smiles between balls. It's still slow, and his trademark heavy balls are very light but it's good canny old guy bowling.

Freddie then ends with a half volley on off stump. Porterfield puts it into the crowd.

Freddie then travels from short fine to short fine. The old man position. He's not consulted on team strategy. He's just going from end to end. Picking up the odd ball off the thigh pad. Just a player that's not needed often.

Freddie does dive. He dives suddenly and athletically to his left. The ball has been flicked fast from outside offstump from Rikki Clarke, who did well to find Freddie's short-fine hiding spot. It hits his hand. It would have been tough in his prime. The ball dribbles off behind him. He's furious with himself. The next ball Clarke is bowled. Freddie shows more happiness at that than his wicket of Bell.

Freddie warms up. But Paul Horton doesn't respond. His bowling has looked hittable and medium. It doesn't seem like a plan, they just don't think he's the best option. The most movement he has after the drop is moving from short fine to long leg for one delivery.

Freddie will bat at nine. Freddie has batted six for England in Tests. He has more sixes than any other English batsman in Tests. He has made a run-a-ball 142 against South Africa. He has made two better than run-a-ball hundreds in ODI cricket. When Brad Hogg made his comeback, he gave up any pretention of being an all rounder. But he was really old, not just old in the ankles and knees like Freddie.

Freddie has a cameraman in front of him for most of the innings. This time it's not for a one liner, TV stunt or boxing match, he is actually expected to be able to do this. This is why he is famous. The problem with being a hero is that people expect you to be the hero. His bat rests on his shoulder, it's not his famous Woodworm. He looks nervous. He's shaking. But it is cold. Very cold. He shakes as Karl Brown gets Lancs close.

Freddie picks up his helmet before the bails hit the ground. It's all business. There is no show. No put on. He holds the bat by the base, like a club. His helmet has tape over the logo. He just wants to get out there and face. He pokes at the pitch, briefly, barely takes guard, and then awkwardly nudges for one. There are other singles as well. He now runs like an old man.

Freddie is three off three when Hannon-Dalby bowls a slow ball in the slot. Freddie times it. It jumps off his bat. It sails over the bowler. Over the long off. Over the rope. Over the photographers. Over the fence. Over three rows. Row 4. Six runs. Next ball it's a full toss, it's slapped low and hard to deep midwicket. Through the hand of a fielder, and into the shoulder of a security guard. He chats to Hannon-Dalby after the six. He's looking fired up now.

Freddie now doesn't look like a guy who has spent the last two weeks in the back of a fish and chip van. Freddie looks like a hero.

Freddie steals a bye from the non striker's end. He doesn't run quickly, he doesn't dive well, but he manages to make it over the line. Woakes laughs at him as he struggles to get up from the dirt. They need 13 runs off five balls. Freddie mishits twice. Both get him twos. Nine runs off three balls.

Freddie times the ball. But it's along the carpet and straight at a fielder. There is no six, four or even two. He's now off strike. But he stops Woakes from bowling and chats to the umpire. He then relays the information to Croft. It could have been important, but it looks like he is trying to put as much pressure on Woakes as he can without actually facing. Woakes bowls two good balls, Birmingham win.

Freddie completes the single and shakes the hands of the umpire. For a man of his talent, it's a modest bits-and-pieces game. And yet still, Freddie has almost won the game. He almost sucked the victory into his orbit. Just by being there.

Freddie is a marvel, even when he isn't. It was finals day, he wasn't even supposed to play, and even on the losing side at the non-striker's end, he is the story.

Freddie is besieged by Birmingham players straight after their initial celebration. They're not shaking the hand of an opposition player. They are shaking the hand of their hero. Freddie has almost won a game after five years out of the game against a bunch of kids who grew up watching him on TV. Every handshake confirms this more.

Freddie doesn't stand with his arms out as teammates drape themselves across him, he stands to the side and claps the winning side off the ground.

Freddie is still the hero. But it's not his time.

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Clarke could become a solo traveller

Michael Clarke has said he might need to consider arriving for future overseas tours ahead of his team-mates to allow himself extra time to ensure he is at full fitness. Clarke hurt his left hamstring on Friday at Australia's first training session in Zimbabwe and he believes he is vulnerable to injuries immediately after long-haul flights.

Last year, Clarke was ruled out of Australia's Champions Trophy campaign when his chronic back injury caused him problems upon arriving in England. He said that while Australia's next tour to the UAE should not be an issue - the series starts with a T20 that he would not play in any case, giving him extra preparation time - future tours could require him to travel ahead of his team-mates.

"It's only taken 12 years to work it out," Clarke told reporters in Harare. "What I've learned through my career is that I probably need more time than most in regards to the gap between getting off a plane and training at full intensity. If it means I have to fly a couple of days earlier than the boys on the long trips then that's what I've got to do.

"It's hard because I'm a big believer in travelling with the team. Generally when I travel to the UK there aren't too many times that I haven't got injured at the start of the series and I'm normally at my most vulnerable at the start of a series. I think I've got to be smarter with that, or at least try and work out how I can travel with the team but also do what's best to make sure I can play that first game."

Next year could be particularly gruelling for Clarke, with Australia set for a Test tour of the West Indies, followed by another Ashes tour of England, before heading to Bangladesh for Tests in October. With such a heavy schedule over the next 18 months, the Australians appear unlikely to take any risks with Clarke, which could mean he misses Monday's tri-series opener against Zimbabwe.

Coach Darren Lehmann said he considered Clarke a 50-50 prospect to take the field on Monday.

"He's desperate to play," Lehmann said. "We're obviously desperate for our captain to play full-stop so hopefully he'll get through [today's] session and we'll make a decision from there."

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Bears leave Trott out of Finals Day squad

Trott not involved on Finals Day

Warwickshire welcome back Ian Bell and Chris Woakes for NatWest Blast T20 Finals Day, but there is no place in their 15-man squad for Jonathan Trott.

While Trott set a T20 record aggregate for the most runs in a 10-match qualifying campaign in 2009, he has played very few games in the format since 2010. And while Warwickshire's director of cricket, Dougie Brown, feels that Trott's form is returning to somewhere near its best, he felt the shortest format of the game had moved on since the last time he played.

"Trotty hasn't played a lot of T20 cricket over the last five or six years," Brown said. "And when he did play it was a dramatically different game.

"His game is more suited to 50-over and four-day cricket, going towards ODI and Test cricket. Whether he would feature in a T20 side for England I would probably doubt, but clearly he has vast experience in all formats of the game but you can only pick XI and you've got to make that call."

Trott actually made his international debut in T20 cricket in 2007. But having played just one T20 match in 2011, he did not play again until June of this year when he was in the early days of his return from a stress-related illness. He struggled for fluency in the two matches he played - including a 38-ball innings of 39 against Worcestershire - and has since been restricted to List A and first-class cricket.

Trott has scored three centuries - two in the Royal London Cup and one in the County Championship - since July 21 but, despite Warwickshire lacking one of their overseas players - Shoaib Malik - and reflecting on the news that their club captain, Jim Troughton, has been forced to retire with a back injury, Trott still missed out to younger men such as Scotland's Freddie Coleman and 22-year-old Jonathon Webb.

"T20 is a very skilful game," Brown explained. "I'm not saying he's not an extremely skilful player. But if you're looking at having players who play 360 degrees - the likes of Laurie Evans and the new breed like Coleman and Webb, who can play all sorts of different, inventive shots - is that Trotty?

"I think he's happy playing four-day and 50-over cricket. He's a great player. A proper player. He's a world-class player when he's at his best and I reckon he's getting back to somewhere close to that."

Bell, meanwhile, has not represented Warwickshire in this format since 2010, and accepts he lacks match-practise in T20 cricket. But he is relishing the opportunity to represent the side he supported as a boy at Finals Day on his home ground.

"It's not always easy for us England players to come back and take the place of people who have been doing well for the club," Bell admitted. "But we're desperate to play as much as we can for Warwickshire.

"Days like this are great. They are the ones you remember when you finish playing and the ones you want to be part of.

"As an England player, you hardly get the chance to play T20. And if you don't get picked by England in T20, you don't play for anyone. I went through a period when I just didn't play any. You need to play T20 regularly to know where you are and your game-plan.

"At the start of the season, when it was announced the games would be on Friday nights, I thought I'd play more. But I've probably played less. It's been hard to do."

Warwickshire also welcome back fast bowler Boyd Rankin from a hamstring injury, but are without Keith Barker, who has an elbow injury but is expected to play the next Championship game, and Chris Wright, who has a stress fracture and will not play again this season.

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IS Bindra to retire from cricket administration

IS Bindra, one of the senior most cricket administrators in India, is set to retire from his official duties. After heading the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) for over three decades, Bindra is set to hand over the reins to DP Reddy.

"I am happy I am withdrawing from the day-to-day running of the PCA affairs when my colleagues still want me to stay on," Bindra told Indo-Asian News Service. "I have spent 37 years as PCA president and I will be leaving a satisfied man with absolutely no regrets. I don't think you can come across such a lovable team to work with, and every Test, ODI or IPL game played at the PCA Stadium in Mohali was conducted with the same zeal and enthusiasm."

Bindra's decision means the BCCI will be without one of the most vocal critics of the current regime. Bindra was at the forefront of the opposition to the manner in which the BCCI, headed by N Srinivasan, dealt with the IPL 2013 corruption scandal. However, his voice went virtually unheard as BCCI members felt he was opposing the measures due to his close association with former IPL chairman Lalit Modi, who was suspended by the BCCI following various allegations of misconduct.

Bindra, a former bureaucrat, also headed the BCCI for three years starting 1993-94. He played an instrumental role in India being awarded the 1987 and 1996 World Cups and was one of the leading faces of the BCCI in the 1990s. Bindra's last high-profile assignment was being appointed the principal advisor to the ICC president during Sharad Pawar's two-year stint in the role.

Bindra, along with Jagmohan Dalmiya, changed the face of Indian cricket by sensing the potential of revenue from television rights and roping in private broadcasters, thus sowing seeds of India's financial influence over world cricket.

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