Six USA players may withdraw from Uganda tour

USA players put pressure on USACA and ICC over security concerns for tour to Uganda

Three USA players have said they are definitely withdrawing their availability for USA's scheduled tour to Uganda in October over safety and security concerns, while three others have said they are considering pulling out depending on how the situation continues to unfold. All three players who are committed to withdrawing played for USA in 2013 and can be termed as first-choice players for the national team, while two of the three who are considering withdrawing are also key players who could expect to be picked for the tour.

The development comes ahead of a USA Cricket Association (USACA) board meeting this week to decide whether USACA will approve of sending a squad to participate in the six-team ICC WCL Division Three from October 26 to November 2. The event is part of the 2019 World Cup qualifying structure and the top two teams will be promoted to WCL Division Two in January.

ESPNcricinfo has communicated with 16 players about the Uganda tour, all of whom have played for the USA. Seven of the 16 rated safety and security as a major concern for touring Uganda while four stated they had received pressure from family members not to go on the tour. The majority of players felt the ICC would provide adequate security for the team if the tour went ahead, but four players felt that USA's squad would not be provided with any additional security compared to the other teams, while two felt there would not be enough security to convince them to go.

"2010, that's the safest tour I've been on and I felt safe on that tour," one player told ESPNcricinfo. The player was referencing enhanced security for the team ahead of their first-ever match against Afghanistan on the 2010 tour to the UAE for the World T20 Qualifier. Those security arrangements were specially made by then USACA chief executive Don Lockerbie.

"For every two players we had one security guard. If five or six of us went out, we had at least three security guards so we could go anywhere we wanted and would feel okay and not have to worry about anything but not on the other tour." The player said that on a subsequent tour to Dubai for another World T20 Qualifier, USA had far less security to the point where he did not feel comfortable leaving the team hotel on his own. As such, he did not feel confident about any guarantees made by tournament organisers regarding security for the team in Uganda.

The player was less concerned about general safety in the country and is more worried about Ebola virus as well as USA's players being the target of a terrorist or kidnapping plot. In particular, the player mentioned the recent murder of an American journalist carried out by ISIS militants in the Middle East as something that factored into his decision to not travel to certain countries while representing a national team.

"I listen to a lot of talk radio and politics. You're going over there to represent America. Yes it probably won't happen but I personally think about the worst situation. Anything could happen so it's better to be safe than sorry. You will be wearing the uniform. The flag will be there. Word starts going around. It's kind of sad that James Foley probably had nothing to do with this whole stuff. He was just a regular journalist and he got caught up in it. That's probably the same mindset that he had, 'What would they want with me? All of the politics that are happening here, I don't have anything to do with it,' but he actually got dragged into it.

"Anything to do with America, there are so many people that really don't like us so you just have to be really careful. Once you have anything to do with America, then more than likely you will be a target. I don't look at it as whatever they have happening in the Middle East is the only branch. I think copycats and someone who has the same beliefs that they do will try to capitalise on whatever is going on."

Another player said he had been in regular contact with several players from Nepal on the issue, including one player who could be described as a key first-choice player, and that they held concerns mainly over Ebola virus but also some security concerns. Two other USA players said they would make themselves available for selection if the tournament is moved to Singapore, Malaysia, Nepal or the USA. One of those two will not play otherwise while the other is undecided on whether he will accept a squad invite if the tournament is not moved from Uganda.

Most players are in favour of a USA team going on tour whether or not they themselves wind up traveling. Only two players said that anyone from USACA had reached out to them to get their opinions on the issue while many players said they had not had any communication with USACA since USA's last tournament in November 2013. Of the two who want the tournament moved, one said the lack of a professional contract and support structure for USA was a consideration to not go to Uganda. Taking time off from work and risking personal safety for little to no pay was not worth the trip and that if a first-choice team can't go, then USACA should consider calling off the tour.

"Everybody wants to play for the USA. You would like to have your best team participating in the tournament and you'd like to win," the player said. "If certain players want to go anyway and the USA qualifies, I'd be happy, but I won't go. If USA can't select the best 14, no I don't think they should go because at the end of the day, it's a product. If you send a product out there and the product is no good, then it's going to reflect badly on you. To leave my job and go over there for how long and they won't pay me, as much as I want to represent the USA, it doesn't make sense. It's not worth it, not at all."

Uganda Cricket Association chief executive Justine Ligyalingi has sought to downplay any fears over safety and security at the tournament. Uganda has successfully hosted multiple recent ICC Africa regional tournaments, including both the ICC Africa Division One Twenty20 and the ICC Africa U-19 World Cup Qualifier in 2013. Ligyalingi is eager to showcase Uganda's cricket facilities and demonstrate that Uganda can host an equally safe and successful global tournament.

"The Association has been working closely with the government of Uganda and the ICC regarding safety and security arrangements for the forthcoming tournament," Ligyalingi wrote in an email to ESPNcricinfo. "Obviously it's been a matter of priority and a lot of discussions and preparations have gone into this area. The USA embassy in Kampala has also been involved in this. We're confident that the arrangements being put in place will provide a safe and secure environment, guarantee safety and security for all the participants and we will have an enjoyable tournament."

The ICC has previously said in emails sent in August to the six participating countries that "there are currently no major concerns identified or any specific threats to the tournament, teams, match officials, match venues or hotels." ESPNcricinfo contacted the ICC in August to ask if there was any contingency plan in place should USA or any other country withdraw from the event, but a spokesperson declined to comment.

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Helpless Rajasthan's players 'in a dilemma'

The continuing impasse between the BCCI and the Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA) has left the players confused and distressed. The players feel both sides, which are charged with protecting their interests, have let them down. They feel they are caught between the vague offers of the BCCI and the silence of RCA president Lalit Modi.

"The RCA is trying to challenge the BCCI ban. But neither the RCA nor the BCCI are coming up with any options for the players," a senior Rajasthan player told ESPNcricinfo. He said in the current situation players should be told they will get some sort of help, and in case things are not sorted out the players should still be shown some direction rather than being forced to sit at home. He pointed out that most of the year players "are waiting" to play the domestic season and then, suddenly, they are now faced a situation where "we can't do anything".

On Sunday players got a call from the RCA, asking them to report to the preparatory camp starting at the academy grounds inside the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur from Tuesday. That was not really news to the players since, during the pre-season fitness camp in July, they had been told training sessions would commence on August 20. But it was the timing of the call that surprised the players, and confused them too, seeing as just last week the BCCI had omitted Rajasthan from Ranji Trophy, women's tournaments and all age-group cricket - Under-16, Under-19, Under-23. Following that, the RCA did not feature in the central zone meeting organised to finalise venues for zonal age-group tournaments.

Mehmood Abdi, a senior member of the RCA executive board, called the BCCI move a PR exercise. According to him the RCA was sticking to its activity calendar. Accordingly, the camp for the senior team started today and will go on till September 8. The Challenger Trophy for Under-19s will be held between September 4 and 6 in Jaipur, from which the ODI colts team will be picked.

Despite Abdi's words, the sidelining of the RCA has not been lost on the players, who questioned the usefulness of the camp. The senior player, who was spending time with his family, said he and his team-mates had no other alternative but to attend the camp. "What else can we do?" he pointed out, adding if he did not it could harm his chances.

Through all this Modi, expelled by the BCCI but elected as RCA president in May, has made himself scarce. The Rajasthan players want Modi to address them directly. According to the senior player, there has been no proper communication till date "explaining the situation to us". He felt "the simplest thing" that can be done is to speak to the players.

Even the assurances of BCCI secretary Sanjay Patel, who had said that if a Rajasthan player wanted to turn professional (meaning, sign up with another domestic team) he would keep that option open to them till the very last minute before the season starts in October, has not offered much comfort. According to a few Rajasthan players it was not such a straightforward decision to turn professional and turn up for another state.

For some, shifting teams is not the preferred option; one of the players pointed out that he could have turned professional a few years ago but representing Rajasthan remained his priority. The player said: "Nothing is clear about till when the ban on RCA will last. In such a scenario, to decide whether to play as professional is not so easy. To run away is not the answer."

Another reason the players do not want to risk moving out is, "what if by next month the problem is sorted out"? There is no clear-cut answer. The players say they are "in a dilemma". They "definitely" want to play Rajasthan, that remains their "first" preference. But more than anything "we want to play cricket", a player explained.

After Modi assumed the RCA presidency, he immediately declared no amount of coercion from the BCCI would defeat him. He assured the elected members as well as players that the issues that developed under his predecessor, CP Joshi, would be turned around.

While addressing the executive committee in the last week of August, Modi, speaking from London via video conferencing, assured the various district units and the RCA administration that he would handle the situation and asked them to stay put. Exactly what - if any sort - of truce he is willing to sign or concessions he is open to, no one was aware of. But his combative attitude has only added to the confusion.

Despite having suspended the RCA the BCCI had said that it would not neglect the players and would keep the slot for Rajasthan open in case the Brijesh Patel-led committee could resolve the deadlock between BCCI, RCA and the Rajasthan government.

In early August three members of the ad-hoc committee, appointed by the BCCI to oversee disputed states, met Rajeev Maharshi (chief secretary) and JC Mohanty (principal secretary, sports) of the Rajasthan government, to seek some clarifications and assurances as well as highlight the issues between the BCCI and the RCA. It is understood that the committee explained the BCCI's plan to remedy the situation to the government officials.

Modi had utilised the Rajasthan Sports Act, which governs the constitution of the RCA, to come back to power in spite of his BCCI ban. Hence the committee was obliged to keep the state government in the loop. Even if the BCCI believes the issue is between the board and the RCA, it wanted to make sure it would not be faced with any future legal implications if it were to go ahead and select players for various teams itself, under the Rajasthan banner.

Apparently, the Rajasthan Sports Act prohibits the use of word Rajasthan without permission. It also states that the only a body affiliated and registered with the registrar can manage and govern the game, which in this case is RCA.

Despite that meeting, though, things have not moved forward on the legal front for the BCCI. "Currently things are just languishing. The sub-committee has not got any directions from the board's legal cell yet," a BCCI official said.

The official said he was confident about the players' future being secure. "I am sure the teams will play ultimately. Whatever happens, the players will not lose out. I can understand their anxiety, that the season is approaching and there is lack of clarity. But in the end I do not think there is no Rajasthan. Because it is bad for everyone: BCCI, RCA, Rajasthan government, for everybody involved. Nobody wants that to happen."

These may well remain empty words to the players, though, till both the BCCI and the RCA personally speak to them.

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Cook accepts World Cup chances 'a bit far fetched'

World Cup not for underperformers - Cook

Alastair Cook has admitted the idea England can win the World Cup is "a bit far fetched" but insisted he has no plans to step down as England's ODI captain. England were thrashed by nine-wickets by India at Edgbaston with almost 20-overs remaining, sealing a 3-0 series result with one match to come.

It meant England had lost their last five ODIs in succession and five series out of six. The single series victory, in the Caribbean, came when Cook was not in the team.

With a maximum of 13 matches to go ahead of the World Cup, England are running out of time to find a viable plan to render them competitive - a view now officially sanctioned by a captain who has virtually written them off.

But while Cook, who has now not reached 80 in an ODI in 38 innings and 26 months, admitted to some doubts about his own form, he remains convinced that England's strategy remains correct and that he can play a part in turning around the disappointing run of results.

"I've captained for three-and-a-half years with the goal to try to win the World Cup in Australia," Cook said. "I know that seems a bit far-fetched at the moment but there's a lot of really good players in that changing room and if we can improve at the rate we need to improve we've got a chance. That's what we have to believe.

Any team that improves at the rate it needs to would, by definition, automatically become champions.

Cook insisted that his doubts about his own performance were ever present. "You always have those doubts and I've had those doubts for 80 games and 100 Test matches. You always are trying to prove that you're good enough and trying to contribute runs for an England win. That's the ultimate aim as a batter and at international cricket you're tested every single day, There's always doubts, that doesn't change.

He insisted that he had no plans to quit. "At this precise moment in time, no. I don't have a say on selection, but if I'm allowed to be, yes, I'll be at the World Cup. If not, then I have to take that on the chin. I hope not, but if it is, it is.

"I believe at the top of the order that, if I bat for 40-odd overs, I will score enough runs at a good rate. That's what I have done when I've been batting well."

The reference to 40-odd overs suggested that Cook was putting his own emphasis on an ability virtually to bat through the innings, which sounded dangerously close to all or nothing.

While Cook admitted the poor run of results had done nothing for the confidence in the dressing room, he suggested it was more due to poor execution of skills than poor tactics.

"Maybe for a few of these guys, it is the first time that we've lost as badly as this," Cook said. "It is a true test of character for the whole team, really.

"We don't quite know our best 11 at the moment because the results are showing we're not performing. When that happens you always start to doubt. That's the position we're in at the moment. We've got six months of one-day cricket to try and put that right.

"I don't think our strategy does need to change. I just think we need to do it better. The first two games we got really good starts off the first 10 overs and the problem is none of us have gone on.

"It's been our lack of execution of fairly basic skills at the moment with our batting. As a one-day batter, you need to be able to score at a good rate, at certain times take low-risk shots for a while but have the option of putting the pressure back on the opposition but also staying in. Unfortunately, we're not doing that.

"But it's amazing how quickly you can turn around. We've got to stay true to our beliefs as a team and actually the belief you have as a player because when you lose games of cricket people chip away at you and you start doubting the reason why you probably got selected in the first place."

While some have claimed that England are suffering in the shorter formats partly because their priority has often appeared to be Test cricket - this season is the first in which domestic cricket has been played over 50 overs for many years and in the past key players have been rested from limited-overs sides with a view to keeping them fresh for the Test side - Cook dismissed the theory.

"You only have to look at the dressing-room now to see whether it matters or not," Cook said. "We're brought up in a country where Test cricket has huge importance. But just because you put huge importance on Test cricket doesn't mean one-day cricket doesn't count.

"We've got a World Cup in six months. That's our big focus now. There is no Test cricket for six months, so it is very important."

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New Zealand extend Hesson's contract

Mike Hesson has extended his contract as head coach of New Zealand, signing on for another two years after next year's World Cup. Hesson began in the job in July 2012 and his original contract was due to expire at the end of April next year, but that has now been extended to the end of April 2017.

New Zealand have won their past three Test series under Hesson, at home against West Indies and India, and then away against West Indies. Only twice before have New Zealand won three consecutive Test series. Their most recent ODI series was also a triumph, beating India 4-0.

"It's great news for the players and for the sport to have consistency in this role for our flagship team for nearly five years," the New Zealand Cricket CEO David White said.

"Mike has worked incredibly hard to build our relatively young Test team into one that is now challenging the top sides in the world. His selections have also earned praise from some of the greats of the game."

"How the team performed at home over the summer against both the West Indies and India showed that both Mike and [captain] Brendon [McCullum] have built a side capable of knocking over anyone on their day."

Hesson, who came to the role after coaching Kenya and spending six years at the helm of Otago, said he was keen to keep developing the side after the World Cup. "It's a really exciting time for the sport with the World Cup at home," Hesson said, "our senior players performing well and a promising group of youngsters who are all fighting for World Cup spots."

New Zealand are also expected to announce their new batting coach in the next few days. Craig McMillan filled the role in a short-term capacity during the tour of the West Indies after the

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Bell-Drummond keeps Kent in touch

Kent 205 for 4 (Bell-Drummond 71) trail Glamorgan 329 by 124 runs
Scorecard

Daniel Bell-Drummond's determined 71 ensured Kent and Glamorgan remained in the balance with two days to go at Canterbury.

Bell-Drummond battled through 68 overs to anchor Kent's reply of 205 for 4 to Glamorgan's first-innings total of 329 before falling on the stroke of tea. The second day's play was later cut short by 23 overs due to bad light and rain.

Pushing forward to Graham Wagg's left-arm seam and swing, Bell-Drummond edged to Mark Wallace behind the stumps after facing 206 balls. But in between the stoical defence, the young Kent opener produced some sparkling strokes among his 11 fours.

Bell-Drummond, who turned 21 less than a month ago, has now scored 780 Championship runs this season at an average of 39 and this innings was the seventh time he has passed fifty. But his 101 against Derbyshire in late June remains his top score and only hundred of the campaign.

Kent resumed on 1 for 0 and Rob Key dominated an opening partnership of 60 with Bell-Drummond before, on 41, edging Jim Allenby's medium pace to Wallace.

Key greeted the introduction in the 17th over of Kieran Bull, a 19-year-old offspinner from Carmarthen making his first-class debut, by shuffling down the pitch to hit his fifth ball high over mid-on for six. There were also five fours in Key's innings and Brendan Nash, who added 67 with Bell-Drummond for the third wicket, played equally positively as he reached 40 from 67 balls until, trying to cut, he chopped a short ball from seamer David Lloyd onto his stumps.

In between Key's departure and Nash's arrival at the crease, the highly rated Bull bowled tidily and well from the Nackington Road End and was rewarded just before lunch when Ben Harmison was beaten by an arm ball and adjudged lbw for 10.

Bull, overall, had figures of 1 for 34 from 14 overs and, with the accurate Allenby and the metronomic Michael Hogan, kept Kent's batsmen largely quiet.

Wagg, indeed, was the only Glamorgan bowler who failed to maintain tight control on what was an attritional day. But Darren Stevens brightened up the last half-hour of play, before bad light and then rain prevented any more cricket beyond 4.45pm, with three crunching boundaries in his unbeaten 24 from 33 balls. Sam Northeast was the other not out Kent batsman, with an obdurate 18.

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Footitt four ruffles Worcester

Worcestershire 221 for 6 (Fell 70, Mitchell 67, Footitt 4-61) trail Derbyshire 356 by 135 runs
Scorecard

Derbyshire again stood in the path of Worcestershire's promotion chase as Mark Footitt endorsed his England claims with another impressive display of fast bowling on the second day at Derby.

Footitt was a constant threat, combining pace with control to take 4 for 61 from 19 overs which helped restrict the Division Two leaders Worcestershire to one batting point in bowler-friendly conditions despite dogged half-centuries from Daryl Mitchell and Tom Fell.

The sustained accuracy and quality of Derbyshire's attack was highlighted by Fell's innings which contained 158 dot balls and at the close Worcestershire were still 135 runs behind on 221 for 6 in reply to Derbyshire's 356 all out. Derbyshire's last two wickets added 33 to secure a fourth batting point with Charlie Morris taking his fifth wicket when he had Alex Hughes lbw playing across the line for 74.

Cloudy skies suggested batting would be harder than on the first day and Worcestershire did well to reach lunch only one wicket down as Footitt and Tony Palladino, who conceded only 26 runs from 17 overs, bowled testing spells.

Although the floodlights were on, conditions were still not easy for batting and both Mitchell and Fell were beaten a number of times after Richard Oliver got a leading edge in the third over and was caught and bowled by Footitt, who conceded only 13 runs in his opening six over burst.

The fact only 46 came from 20 overs showed how difficult batting was and it got no easier in the afternoon as Footitt beat Fell repeatedly outside the off stump. Mitchell looked more secure but should have gone on 40 when he sliced a drive at Alex Hughes to gully where Billy Godleman juggled the ball but could not hold on.

The pair battled through the second session, scoring 80 in 34 overs, but Footitt changed the complexion of the game in the space of three overs after tea. Mitchell had shown good judgement until he left the third ball after the interval and was bowled for 67 and two balls later, Alexei Kervezee, who had scored hundreds in his previous three Championship matches against Derbyshire, was caught behind for a duck.

Tom Kohler-Cadmore carved Footitt to point and when Wayne White clipped the top of Ben Cox's off-stump, Worcestershire were 169 for 5 and still 38 runs away from the follow-on target of 207.

Fell defied the bowlers for more than four-and-a-half hours but when Derbyshire turned to the spin of David Wainwright, he chipped his first ball to midwicket where substitute fielder Scott Elstone took a low catch.

Joe Leach, who was struck on the back of the helmet by White, and Shaaiq Choudry averted the follow-on before Derbyshire claimed the second new ball shortly before the end of another good day for the home side.

"With the overhead conditions, it did a bit more than yesterday and credit to Derbyshire, they bowled really well, put the ball in the right areas and made life very difficult for us," Worcestershire captain Mitchell said.

"It was a case of survival, there wasn't much to feed off and Footy [Footitt] bowled a fantastic first spell with pace and swing. We are obviously behind the game at the moment but hopefully we can get some runs in the morning and then try and bowl Derbyshire out cheaply."

White, who has returned to Derbyshire on loan from Lancashire, added: "Footy caught fire in that after-tea spell and any lead on that wicket will be good because there's plenty going on, up and down bounce and it looks to be getting more uneven so chasing anything over 250 might be a tricky task.

"It's good to get back in with the Derby lads and my home club. We had a few frustrating spells, plenty went past the bat but more importantly we kept it really tight and five wickets in that last session has set us up for tomorrow."

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Andre Adams signs short Hampshire deal

Andre Adams has signed a three-month contract with Hampshire for the first part of the 2015 season as he begins to move from his playing career into coaching.

It brings to an end an eight-year stay with Nottinghamshire where he has become one of most consistent seam bowlers in the County Championship even with a creaking body in recent times which has needed careful management to get him through key matches.

There had been a thought that Nottinghamshire would try to persuade him to stay for one more year at Trent Bridge, but he will now see out his time trying to make a final appearance this season with the county who remain in the hunt for the Championship title.

"The intention was to finish my professional career here but I've got a small gap at the start of next season in my coaching regime which is three months to do what I want," Adams said. "The opportunity to work in a different club and environment is a massive part of my learning curve. I'll get to put things into play that I've learned here and at Auckland. It'll allow me to grow.

"It's a selfish move for me, but I need to take those opportunities. It has been great for me here but everything has to end. Sometimes you forget that as a professional sportsman, your career has to come to an end and my time with Notts is over as of September."

With the potential of another two appearances for Nottinghamshire should his body allow it, Adams currently sits on 344 first-class wickets for them at 24.18 including 16 five-wicket hauls and three 10-wicket match tallies. His most prolific season was 2010 when he claimed 68 wickets at 22.61 to help Nottinghamshire to the Championship title, which was followed by 67 the following season.

Giles White, Hampshire's director of cricket, said: "Andre has an excellent record and will add quality and experience to the bowling attack. We hope he has an impact both on and off the pitch during the first half of the 2015 season."

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Edwards leads England canter

England Women 91 for 1 (Edwards 62*) beat South Africa Women 89 for 4 (van Niekerk 36) by nine wickets
Scorecard

Highlights: England romp to nine-wicket win over South Africa in first women's T20I

England took the first honours in the Twenty20 series with a comfortable nine-wicket victory at Chelmsford having restricted South Africa to 89 for 4. The chase was dominated, as has so often been the case, by Charlotte Edwards who struck a 47-ball fifty which gave a sold out 5000-strong crowd plenty to cheer after an insipid effort by the visitors.

For Edwards, it was a continuation of the form she showed in the one-day series against India where she made 57 and an unbeaten 108 to lead England to a 2-0 success after the dispiriting loss of the Test match at Wormsley. Her tenth boundary, clipped through the leg side, secured victory with a handsome 39 deliveries to spare.

South Africa's innings never found any significant tempo; their Powerplay score was 23 for 1 and throughout the 20 overs they managed just seven fours. Dane van Niekerk top-scored with 36 but it took her 54 deliveries although, especially early in the innings, it was less about the quality of stroke for South Africa but more about placement as they regularly picked out the tight off-side field.

The boundary was out closer to the 65-metre limit - they can be in as far as 55 metres - which was perhaps a tactic from England who were out-powered at the World Twenty20 in Bangladesh this year when they did not hit a single six. Coupled with accurate bowling, South Africa's batting was stymied.

Katherine Brunt made the first breakthrough when she found the edge of Trisha Chetty and though the next wicket did not come for 12 overs England never lost control of the scoring. Arguably the biggest scare came when Sarah Taylor, attempting one of her premeditated grabs off a reverse sweep, almost took a ball in the face to suggest it would be wise for her to wear a helmet when standing up to the stumps even though she has previously found it uncomfortable.

With the innings creeping along, van Niekerk was bowled attempting a reverse sweep, Lizelle Lee was run out and captain Mignon du Preez was well caught by Lydia Greenway.

The only wicket to fall in England's chase was Lauren Winfield who was run out in a dismissal that did not leave either her or Edwards overly impressed. Edwards had dabbed the ball into the off side and as Winfield reacted to the call, the bowler Moseline Daniels ran across from her follow-through towards the off side, cutting in front of Winfield. The momentary interruption meant Winfield could not make her ground to beat a direct hit. Daniels, however, was well within her rights to try and field the ball and Winfield had to accept her frustration.

The rest of the match was a canter for Edwards and Taylor. South Africa tried eight bowlers with little impact as Edwards put on a skilful display of strokeplay - regularly picking the gaps through the leg side, both through and over the field - but even she may hope that her team are tested a little more in the remaining two outings.

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Robson rues missed opportunities

Robson proud of first England summer

Sam Robson admitted there had been a few "missed opportunities" for him to silence all the debate about whether he is the long-term solution as a Test opener for England, but was content with how he had handled his first spell at international level and will take plenty of "special" memories with him into the winter.

As England fought back comprehensively to take the Test series against India 3-1 - capped with a three-day, innings-and-244-run trouncing at The Oval - after being 1-0 down following an horrendous performance at Lord's, Robson arguably headed the list of players who finished the Test campaign with a question mark, rather than a tick next to their name as England enter their lengthy absence from the five-day game before the Caribbean tour in April.

His tally against India was 165 runs at 23.57 and for the seven Tests in the season it read 336 at 30.54 that included his maiden hundred against Sri Lanka at Headingley. But after reaching three figures in just his third innings and following that with 71 at Trent Bridge he started to struggle against India's seamers.

When he negotiated the first evening at The Oval, alongside Alastair Cook, to walk off with a solid 33 to his name he appeared to have set himself the base to put a more definitive stamp on his season. But five balls in the second day he was bowled by Varun Aaron and England's subsequent demolition job meant he did not get another chance.

"I got myself in a position where I could have gone on with it - in Southampton and then at The Oval, getting through that first evening - so I suppose there were a few missed opportunities but you look back and a lot went our way so it was a pretty positive feeling," Robson told ESPNcricinfo.

"It was such a special couple months. I didn't play as well I would have liked in my first Test against Sri Lanka but put it right in the next Test with 120-odd and then to back that up at Trent Bridge, I was pretty happy with that.

"I would have liked a big score in there towards the end of the series to back up a decent start, but it wasn't to be. Having said that to walk away from your first Test summer with a hundred and a series win, and a convincing one, was pretty special. The hundred gave me the belief I could perform but you have to score runs week in, week out so that's my next challenge."

As the runs dried up towards the end of the Test series, there was the technical analysis of Robson's game with issues dissected ranging from a weakness around off stump to a tendency to be trapped on the crease but it was also often said how intense he appeared at the crease.

But Robson said he played no differently for England than he had done for Middlesex during the time when he was scoring the volume of runs to force the selectors' hand and he insisted he will continue to play in the same way.

"I don't think I'm the most intense character off the field, but that's the way I play on the field," he said, speaking at the Investec Inner City World Cup at Lord's. "I've got my own idiosyncrasies but it's been the way I've played for Middlesex and has worked for me. At the top level people will have their views, but that's the beauty of it and why we want to play Test cricket in the spotlight. I'll just be sticking with what's worked for me."

As one of few Test-only players within the England set-up, Robson will now finish the 2014 season in the Championship for Middlesex that will provide the chance to end with a flourish. He will then face a lengthy wait - likely to be interspersed with a Lions tour of South Africa in the New Year - before finding out whether his own confidence in the summer is reflected by the selectors when they pick the squad to tour West Indies. But before then he is looking for to some time off.

"It has been a big couple of years for me, a massive summer and there's still an important month left with Middlesex," he said. "The Test matches have been draining so I think this will be a good chance, once the season is done, to take a couple of months away from the game, recharge my batteries and go from there."

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England face dilemma in fine tuning attack

With Chris Jordan blowing more cold than hot, England could turn to Steven Finn or Harry Gurney at Trent Bridge but both present their own issues

Hope Cook and I feed off each other - Hales

The ability to play tunes on your teeth, which occasionally found its way onto the bottom of the bill in the old Music Halls, is now most commonly seen from bored teenagers on YouTube. England's bowling coach, David Saker, has so far only been seen scratching his, but he might well be playing a tune or two by the end of the Royal London one-day series if England's pace bowlers give him any more cause for angst.

If Saker does rap out a tune on his molars then Elvis Presley's Trouble might be a good place to start. "If you are looking for trouble, you came to the right place" is a suitable warning as England consider the attributes of the three pace bowlers thought to be contesting the final place in the third Royal London ODI against India at Trent Bridge.

Saker's teeth scratching on the England balcony was caught by the TV cameras during India's trouncing of England at Cardiff as Chris Jordan purveyed an over including five leg-side wides. He bowled 12 in all, treating his loss of line firstly with smiles and then with baffled shakes of the head.

That Jordan blows hot and cold is something England might have to get used to. The question is how hot and how cold. His technical oddity in which he often places an additional finger behind the ball has always been with him and has been blamed for occasional forays down the leg side. One or two can be forgiven as long as his hot spells continue, but 12 wides is more than England would want their entire attack to bowl in a series.

The defence for Jordan is that to some extent MS Dhoni was old-manning him by moving across to the off side as he prepared to release, but if that sometimes made his line look more exaggerated, it did not make the calls of wide any less justifiable. Jordan lost his line at a critical time and was wayward enough, in normal circumstances, for his place to be jeopardised as a result.

The issue for England is that the potential replacements, Harry Gurney and Steven Finn, have had issues of their own. Finn's have been well chronicled - the collapse of his action in Australia last winter which meant that he did not play a single Test and left the tour early for remedial work on his action back at Middlesex.

Finn's progress throughout the county summer has been solid, if unspectacular. By mid-July, he was able to discuss it for the first time, telling ESPNcricinfo that he began to over-analyse every aspect of his action and that Saker, who is generally regarded as a tactical rather than a technical coach, was unable to find a solution.

At some point in this series, England surely must play Finn. There has been so much emphasis upon stable planning, particularly when the subject turns to the one-day captaincy of Alastair Cook, that it has been overlooked that the build-up to the World Cup offers England not just the chance to plan, but the chance to discover.

If there is a limited appetite for discovery when it comes to England's batsmen, such a policy is essential for Finn. England's next one-day series is against Sri Lanka in November and December and that is hardly the easiest place for an out-and-out fast bowler to make an impression. To take Finn to Australia - the scene of his technical torment - in January for the tri-series against Australia and India still not road-tested would be a failure of planning and, if his problems recurred, would throw England's plans into disarray a few weeks before the World Cup. Only by thrusting Finn into the pressure of international cricket can England measure the extent of his recovery.

That leaves Harry Gurney, who would add variety to England's attack by virtue of being a left-armer and who would also be a natural call-up on his home ground at Trent Bridge. Gurney played in England's Spring ODIs, making his debut against Scotland in Aberdeen, playing five ODIs against Sri Lanka and returning nine wickets at 22.55. He hit his yorkers more reliably, but there is a lot that could go wrong in such an idiosyncratic action.

But Gurney's form has not been short of concerns. He was unimpressive during Nottinghamshire's Royal London domestic campaign and in his last outing disappeared at eight an over against Warwickshire, a match Nottinghamshire won thanks to one of four recent one-day hundreds for Alex Hales. His net sessions have not made an irresistible case for his recall.

It is a tough choice for England. That Jordan has displayed star quality is incontestable. Finn must be given a chance to prove himself. Gurney has logical hopes of a recall in front of his home crowd. Outside the squad, Northants' allrounder David Willey has not entirely given up hope of making a late push. Which one to recommend? Even now. Saker's teeth must be beginning to grind.

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