Kerrigan withdrawn from EPP tour

Simon Kerrigan, the Lancashire spinner who endured a nightmare England debut during the summer's fifth Ashes Test, has been withdrawn from the Performance Programme tour of Australia in order to work on his bowling at home. Although he will officially remain part of the EPP squad, Kerrigan will undertake a programme of development drawn up by Peter Such, the ECB's spin coach.

Kerrigan was due to leave for Australia on November 14 as part of the 14-man group but will now train under the guidance of Lancashire's coaches at Old Trafford. He had been in contention to be Graeme Swann's understudy in England's Ashes squad but, after recording figures of 0 for 53 from eight overs at The Oval, he lost out to fellow left-armer Monty Panesar.

It is not thought that Kerrigan requires any remodelling of his action, which appeared to deteriorate under pressure against Australia. The decision was taken in agreement between Kerrigan, Lancashire and the ECB in order to give him a break after successive off-seasons of touring and he is expected to be involved again when the Lions travel to Sri Lanka early next year.

"Simon undertook both tour programmes with the EPP and England Lions last winter and after further discussions with both Simon and Lancashire, it has been decided that his career development will be best served by remaining in the UK in the pre-Christmas period," the ECB's performance director, David Parsons, said. "He will remain part of the EPP and will continue to be considered for selection for the England Lions tour of Sri Lanka in the New Year."

Despite his struggles on England debut, when Shane Watson in particular feasted on a succession of long hops and full tosses, Kerrigan remained the most successful spinner in county cricket last season, taking 57 wickets in Lancashire's Division Two-winning campaign. He has taken 165 first-class wickets at 26.12 for Lancashire, as well as performing creditably for the Lions, and at 24 is still considered one of England's best spin prospects for the future.

Speaking a few weeks after the event, Kerrigan said the experience would make him stronger and suggested his bowling remained something of a work in progress. "I wouldn't say it was just nerves. Technically, it didn't click," he said. "That's what happens with young spinners. I'm 24, still learning my action and still learning the game."

The Performance Programme players, who will effectively provide back-up for England's Ashes party, are due to spend the first two weeks of their month-long tour in Brisbane at Cricket Australia's centre of excellence, before heading to Perth.

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Du Plessis insists he's not a cheat

South Africa batsman Faf du Plessis has described himself as a "morally good person" who does not want to be associated with cheating in his first public comment since the ball-tampering episode that took place during the second Test against Pakistan in Dubai last month.

South Africa had five penalty runs awarded against them and the ball was changed after the 30th over of Pakistan's second innings, when the on-field umpires identified du Plessis as the person who changed the condition of the ball. Du Plessis was later booked under law 42 and fined 50% of his match fee after he did not contest the charge.

In the immediate aftermath, AB de Villiers had insisted that South Africa "are not cheats." After du Plessis pleaded guilty and was sanctioned, team manager Mohammad Moosajee read out a statement explaining that they had decided not to contest du Plessis' charge because they feared doing so would result in a greater penalty. They said calling du Plessis' actions ball tampering was "harsh," though the ICC had termed it as such.

In his column for South African sports website, SuperSport.com, du Plessis insisted he did not intentionally tamper with the ball and was merely drying it. "We all know in cricket that there is a ball to be worked on and kept shiny," he wrote. "In the UAE, the added element is that it's incredibly hot and part of the challenge is keeping the ball dry from the sweat of the bowlers. So, in a team you have designated ball 'shiners' and ball 'workers', and I'm one of them. It's usually the guys who don't bowl or who don't sweat as much as the others.

"There are ways of 'working' the ball as much as possible within the rules, such as bouncing the ball on the wicket, trying to bowl cross-seam, and basically trying to scuff the ball as much as possible, naturally, so that it's easier for the bowlers to grip.

"So, I was trying to keep the ball as dry as possible. As the footage showed, I was on the rough side of the ball, and I'll be the first to admit that I was working it far too close to my zip. That's obviously what the third umpire saw on TV.

"But, when the on-field umpires inspected the ball, there wasn't a scratch mark or anything untoward on the ball. In fact, it was in excellent shape and wasn't reverse-swinging at all. Basically, the condition of the ball hadn't been changed, and that's why I think my penalty was not as harsh as the sentences given out for other similar incidents."

Harsher penalties for ball-tampering include up to 100% of the players' match fee and a ban of one Test, two ODIs or two T20s, but du Plessis escaped that. In response, the PCB, whose players have been banned from matches in the past, wrote a letter to the ICC seeking clarification for the inconsistencies in the application of the law. There has yet to be a public comment explaining the different sentences.

Du Plessis indicated he wants to put the incident behind him and said he has learnt to "always make sure you are morally on the right side of things."

"I pride myself on being a morally good person, and that's why this past week has been so difficult, as people have been quick to label me a cheat. That's not the kind of person I am and it's not the kind of person I want to be associated with."

He also said he has become extra wary during his ball-drying duties. "When someone throws me the ball, I'm afraid to even look at it, and rather just catch it and get rid of it."

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'Even-bouncing wicket' at Eden Gardens

Amid reports that Eden Gardens is likely to roll out a low and slow pitch for the first Test against West Indies starting on Wednesday, chief groundsman Prabir Mukherjee has said stroke-making won't be too difficult.

"It will be a good, firm, even-bouncing wicket, so that the [batsmen] will be able to play their shots," Mukherjee told ESPNcricinfo.

Eden Gardens has had a lot of rain in the lead-up to the Test. In fact, there was no play possible in a Ranji Trophy game last week, between Bengal and Baroda, despite there being no rain on the days of the match. It is believed the organisers didn't want to risk playing on a damp pitch considering the Test was so close, and it is the moisture underneath the surface that is expected to slow down the surface. However, Mukherjee said batsmen need not worry.

"There is no such thing as a bowler's wicket in cricket," he said. "That is an under-prepared wicket. Cricket is a game of batsmanship. When a batsman makes a hundred he gets more applause than when a bowler gets a five-for. That's the difference.

There were reports as soon as Eden Gardens was announced as the venue for the Test - Sachin Tendulkar's 199th - that the stadium would dish out a flat surface so that Tendulkar enjoyed his farewell. Mukherjee sought to rubbish those claims.

"I had no pressure to prepare a wicket tailor-made for Sachin," he said. "And why should I? He's played 198 Test matches. For Sachin, to make it easier to bat is a foolish approach. There's a reason why he's played so many Test matches. And I'll just pray to God that he shows that again, by making another hundred in his 199th Test. It's just a pleasure for us to watch him play here for one last time."

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Hales given IPL green light

England batsman Alex Hales has been cleared to play in the Indian Premier League after extending his contract with Nottinghamshire until 2016. According to the new deal, Hales will be granted time off to play in the next three seasons of the IPL, which clashes with the first few weeks of the county season, subject to him securing a contract in excess of $400,000 per year.

Hales, who has played 21 T20 internationals, is currently the top-ranked batsman in the ICC T20 rankings. Samit Patel has also been granted permission to enter the auctions next year and will be given a similar exemption if he also secures a top-bracket deal.

Hales expressed his happiness on reaching the agreement and said he was looking forward to the three T20s against Australia after the Ashes. "I'm pleased to have come to an agreement with Notts because I want to spend my entire career here and I hope that will happen now that I've been given the opportunity to enter the auction," he said.

"I'm not aware of specific interest from any given IPL franchise but I'm focused on performing well in the Big Bash because there are a lot of eyes on that tournament. I'm hoping to be involved in the Twenty20 matches between England and Australia which I hope can give me a platform to demonstrate my skills and stir interest from IPL teams."

Hales also said he considered focusing only on T20s after struggling for form in the County Championship this year. "Last season was tough for me because I was sky high in two formats and at rock bottom with the red ball," he said. "It did cross my mind to go freelance and focus on Twenty20 full time but I've had time to think and I'm still driven to do well in four-day cricket and to break into England's one-day set-up."

Nottinghamshire's director of cricket, Mick Newell, said it was important for them to strike a balance between Hales' opportunity to earn a substantial amount of money and the team's needs. "We were very keen to secure an extended commitment from Alex, he was understandably keen to enter the IPL auction and there was a mutual will to find a compromise that we could all live with," Newell said.

"It's hard for us to deny an individual the opportunity to earn life-changing amounts of money but the team also has to be considered so it made sense to allow him to enter the auction to see if there is sufficient interest in his services to secure a high-value contract."

Hales will depart for Australia early next month for a stint with Adelaide Strikers in the BBL. Nottinghamshire hope to sign an established batsman as cover for Hales for the opening weeks of the domestic season, while discussions with Michael Lumb, Hales' England opening partner in T20 and another who has expressed ambitions to play in the IPL again, are ongoing.

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Warne attacks Ponting, Cook

Shane Warne has accused Ricky Ponting of being motivated by "jealousy" in criticising his Australian captaincy successor Michael Clarke, while also asserting that Alastair Cook will risk losing the Ashes for England should he continue to lead in a "negative" manner.

In a typically showstopping stream of opinions ahead of Australia's return bout with England, Warne leapt to the defence of his "best friend" Clarke, arguing that Ponting's written critique of the incumbent leader in his autobiography was the result of bitterness. He also said Ponting's actions did not compare favourably with those of Allan Border and Mark Taylor, the "two best captains" the former legspinner played under.

"I know he beats himself up mercilessly about being the only Australian captain ever to lose three Ashes," Warne said in a press conference call with English media for the Ashes broadcaster Sky Sports. "And I know Ricky made that horrific decision to put England in at Edgbaston in 2005. I don't want to be mean about Ricky - he's a good guy and he tried to do the best he could.

"But to bring up the stuff about Pup [Clarke] - maybe there was a bit of jealousy, because Pup was batting so well and Ricky was not making any runs. To me, Michael's very well respected. The best captains keep stuff in the dressing room. No-one ever finds out about it. That's what good leaders are about. So to hear all this in a book is pretty ordinary."

Cook's leadership of England has thus far been characterised by a close relationship with the coach Andy Flower and a calm guiding hand rather than any great invention in the field. England's preferred approach is of a more conservative nature than that of Clarke and the Australian coach Darren Lehmann.

"If Michael Clarke did the same things, I'd say he was negative, but he's not. That's not the way he captains," Warne said. "Cook can be negative, boring, not very imaginative - and still win and be pretty happy. But I think he needs to be more imaginative. If Australia play well and he continues to captain the way he does, I think England are going to lose the series.

"I don't think he can captain like that - and I'm not working in any capacity whatsoever for Cricket Australia. Darren Lehmann is a good mate of mine, and Michael Clarke is my best friend, of course I speak to them a lot but I call it as I see it. And I'm not the only one who thinks Alastair Cook is a negative captain.

"He lets the game drift. He waits for the game to come to him. I don't think he can captain the side like that. For me, Michael Clarke is the best captain in the world at the moment. He just has a lot of imagination. Cook would never have a leg slip, bat-pad and leg gully, like Clarke did for Jonathan Trott in the summer."

To round off his serve, Warne said England would do well not to play Joe Root at the top of the order during the series, suggesting the young Yorkshireman would be "crucified" facing the new ball on Australian pitches. Warne preferred to see Michael Carberry as Cook's opening partner, with Joe Root to bat at No. 6 instead of Jonny Bairstow.

"I don't think Root's an opener because of his technique. Australia found him out in England, and in Australian conditions they'll find him out more. You can't get stuck on the crease in Australia because of the pace of the wickets.

"It could be crucifying him if he has got to face Ryan Harris, Peter Siddle and Mitchell Johnson on some fast, bouncy pitches. I think he's just going to nick off a lot. Besides Lord's, where he got 180, Australia really did have his number."

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This win better than 4-0 - Mushfiqur

Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim rated the 3-0 whitewash against New Zealand slightly ahead of their 4-0 win over the same opponents in 2010. He believed the win this time was evidence of Bangladesh's progress and at the same time argued it is harder to follow up on a previously high achievement.

The home side won three close matches last time New Zealand visited, but in the current three-match series they won comfortably in the first two and chased 309 in the third and final game in Fatullah.

"Both the achievements have different experiences but personally the 3-0 win feels better for me," Mushfiqur said. "Firstly, I am the captain, and secondly because you can achieve a result with a lot of hard work but to hold that result is even more difficult."

"During the 4-0 win in 2010, the team was different. Here our best performers were not in the team. Despite everything we won this series, so I feel this series win is doubly important. This is proof that the Bangladesh team is improving."

The sense of confidence within Mushfiqur's team was evident in his decision to bat first in Mirpur in the second ODI, which they won by 40 runs, and also by the decision to field first in Fatullah. The recent scores on this newly-laid wicket suggested that batting first would be a better option due to lower bounce in the second innings. However, it turned out to be a truer wicket with better bounce and Bangladesh made 309 when the average second-innings score on these wickets had been 157.

"It wasn't a win-the-toss-bat-first kind of wicket," Mushfiqur said. "Since it was a day game, we wanted to use early swing in the first five to ten overs, take wickets and put them on pressure.

"But they started well and it seemed like they would score 320-330 at one point. A score like 307, with the new ODI rules, is not a big target. We just tried to play at our best."

This win was secured by the little contributions within the batting line-up. It started with Ziaur Rahman's cameo where he swung at almost every ball and came up with two fours and two sixes in his 20-ball 22. By the time he fell in the eighth over, Bangladesh's run-rate was well in line with what was required.

Mominul Haque's 32 kept the run-rate intact while Naeem Islam's half-century was responsible for the rest of the innings. Nasir Hossain provided the finishing with an unbeaten 44 off 38 balls, with Sohag Gazi and Mahmudullah also helping out

"I think the small contributions were a lot in numbers. The young players are playing well, putting pressure on the senior players. We also have to try to hold our position," Mushfiqur said."This is good for Bangladesh cricket. Everyone sees the team's interest ahead of their own.

Mushfiqur revealed he had had a talk with Nasir after the batsman did not contribute in the first two matches of the series. He added that Naeem, too, was an inspiration because he was not even in their plans until Shakib Al Hasan came down with dengue fever, but he turned out to be one of the Man-of-the-Series contenders with the highest runs among both teams although that ultimately went to the captain

"I never thought of becoming the Man of the Series," Mushfiqur said. "I was congratulating Naeem bhai because he is the highest scorer, so he was unlucky that I got it. He wasn't supposed to play. If Shakib didn't get sick he would not be playing the whole series, so I feel that everyone has matured a lot.

"Nasir didn't score in the last two games. I have been telling him for the last two days not to worry too much. When the team needs runs you will score, we said. I hope that we can continue like this which is the biggest challenge. It's difficult but if we have the mentality we can do it."

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Pakistan's proposed tour to South Africa scrapped

The plans for Pakistan's proposed limited-overs tour of South Africa in November have been scrapped due to the PCB's ongoing legal existential crisis that has prevented them from making a commitment to the tour. The short series was planned during a two-week window in November after the two sides wrap up their current bilateral series in the UAE on November 15.

The PCB currently has no board chairman or any kind of body running its affairs, after the Islamabad High Court suspended chairman Najam Sethi and the five-member Interim Management Committee (IMC) on Thursday, until at least after the weekend. Cricket South Africa (CSA) had requested the PCB to confirm the tour at least two weeks prior to its commencement, in order to sort out the logistics. However, the PCB finds itself unable to sanction the tour, since its top decision-making officials are suspended for an indefinite period.

Sethi said that CSA had offered the PCB US$1.5million to host them. "CSA had offered us to play a short series in South Africa. But due to the ongoing legal crisis in the PCB, we cannot extend discussions with them," Sethi said in his program Aapas Ki Baat in Geo News.

"The day I had started working on the proposal by CSA, the court suspended me and the IMC, so the idea could not materialise."

The tour was suggested after the original itinerary of India's tour of South Africa was altered. The seven ODIs were cut down to three, the three-Test series brought down to two, and the two-match T20 series was scrapped altogether.

India will begin their tour of South Africa on December 5, with the first ODI. CSA was expected to lose R200 million (US$ 20m approx.) owing to the curtailed India tour, with the proposed home series against Pakistan expected to help recover some of those costs.

Pakistan are scheduled to return to the UAE on December 6 to take on Sri Lanka in two T20s, five ODIs and three Tests. The second half of November is the only period in which both Pakistan and South Africa have no other commitments.

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Saker wants bowlers under pressure

A hailstorm, heavy rain and temperatures about 20 degrees lower than Perth greeted England's cricketers as they arrived in Hobart for the second leg of their Ashes warm-up.

The players were quick to take to Twitter to say how much it felt like home - and bemoan not packing a few warmer clothes - and for England's bowlers the feeling of something more familiar is likely to extend a bit further than the climate when they face Australia A this week on a ground that has a reputation for a spicy wicket and low scores.

They would be wise, however, not get too comfortable if they see some seam movement and swing because the batting-friendly conditions they encountered at the WACA are more likely to be the norm for the next few months.

Other than James Anderson, who eased into the tour with an accurate 23 overs against the WA Chairman's XI, it was an unconvincing performance from his fellow fast bowlers - the three who are trying to secure one vacant spot in the attack for the Gabba.

In fairness to Boyd Rankin, Chris Tremlettand Steven Finn there was an upward curve as the match progressed through its final day but a reasonably low bar had been set in the first innings as they trio produced combined figures of 64-6-303-2.

Anderson could be rested this week in Tasmania with Stuart Broad who, like Alastair Cook, had a few back issues in Perth needing to get his tour up and running while Graeme Swann also sat out the opening match. That means only two of the three other quicks are likely to find a spot in a match where England will hope to increase their intensity.

However, David Saker, the bowling coach who committed to England until 2015 at the beginning of the tour, was keen assure all his fringe bowlers that nothing would be decided on the basis of their first run out of a long tour.

"We're three days into a long tour and haven't really made any strong decisions yet, so they're still going to be fighting out for that one position," he said. "I think that's a really positive thing. You can see when they're working in the nets, or out in games, there's some added pressure on them which is great.

"We're always assessing after every session. People can jump [past] others and it just keeps changing all the time.

"From where I sit, it's exciting. I'm sure it isn't from where they sit. But it's always good having competition for spots because then you get probably the best out of everyone. If all of them bowl at their maximum, it's going to be a hell of a hard selection."

Saker was encouraged by the second-innings bowling display as the WA side closed on 5 for 168. Rankin, after a nervous start to his red-ball England career, removed both openers and Finn boosted his confidence with a brace of late strikes although still conceded more than five runs an over.

"They got some really good spells under their belts and all of them looked better as the game went on," Saker said. "That is a pleasing sign.

"Sometimes in Australia you get flat wickets and it's hard work. You've got to find different ways to get wickets, and the best way for us as a team is to try to build some pressure. As the game went on, I felt the guys were doing that. The last day was a good performance - 160 for 5 on that wicket."

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Najam Sethi hits out at Islamabad High Court in editorial

Najam Sethi, the suspended PCB chairman, has attributed the Pakistan board's ongoing existential crisis to "extraordinary judicial intervention". He wrote an op-ed in the Friday Times, the weekly newspaper of which he is editor-in-chief, questioning the Islamabad High Court's (IHC) rulings by which two chairmen have been suspended in past five months, leaving the board's administration in a state of turmoil.

The PCB currently is without a chairman, and this has left it in "disarray" and "losing billions", Sethi wrote. "An extraordinary judicial intervention in the affairs of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has thrown everything and everyone into confusion, disarray and gridlock," Sethi wrote in his article headlined "This is not cricket". "Worse, it is threatening to post huge financial, administrative and sporting losses on the only tax-paying national sport institution in the country.

"The PCB is incurring financial losses of billions by delaying urgent financial, administrative and sporting decisions. The matter needs to be brought to a fair, just and constitutional closure as early as possible by the honourable judges in the national interest."

Sethi was appointed interim chairman of the PCB in June 2013 - for a 90-day period - after the IHC suspended former PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf over questions about the legality of the elections conducted to appoint him. In July, Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui set a deadline of October 18 for the PCB to hold fresh elections for the chairman. Sethi failed to hold those elections and instead, on October 15 just before the deadline, the prime minister of Pakistan - the new patron of the PCB according to the court - Nawaz Sharif, dissolved the governing board of the PCB, and formed a five-member IMC, headed by Sethi, to administer cricket. Then, on October 28, Justice Siddiqui suspended Sethi from his role as IMC head for not complying with the earlier legal order to elect a permanent PCB chairman by October 18.

In his order that directed the board to organise fresh elections, Justice Siddiqui had also ordered a comprehensive makeover of the PCB. The 30-page judgement, asked for changes in the structure of the PCB, questioned the appointment of the selection committee, as well as the board's financial and recruitment affairs. According to his order, a candidate competing for the post of chairman had to be an ex-first-class cricketer, a graduate.

Traditionally in Pakistan Cricket, the nomination of the chairman has come from the president of Pakistan, and the post has rarely been filled by an ex-cricketer. Sethi objected to this direction of the court in his article. "Nowhere in the cricketing world is the head of any board a first-class or Test cricketer elected directly by a general body," he wrote. "The reason for this is that the basic functions of cricket boards are financial and managerial, with only sporting activities guided by committees headed by ex-sportsmen."

The fact that Sethi has written a piece about it in his position as editor of the weekly is likely to lead to more raised eyebrows of those who worry about the potential conflicts of interest in Sethi being a chairman and prominent media personality. Already questions have been asked, especially after the PCB awarded broadcast rights of Pakistan's series with Sri Lanka in the UAE later this year to Geo Super, a sports channel owned by the same media group with which Sethi doubles as a popular political talk show host.

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McCullum heads home with back trouble

Brendon McCullum, the New Zealand captain, is returning home immediately after being ruled out of the final two matches of the Bangladesh tour with "significant" pain from a long-standing back problem.

McCullum had already been withdrawn from the forthcoming short tour to Sri Lanka, alongside Ross Taylor, so that he could play some domestic first-class cricket in preparation for the Test series against West Indies which starts on December 3.

Now fitness, as well as form, is a concern for McCullum who endured a lean time with the bat in Bangladesh. He made scores of 21, 22 and 11 in the Test series followed by 0 and 14 in the first two one-day internationals which New Zealand lost to concede the series to Bangladesh.

Following an MRI scan in Dhaka, Paul Close, the New Zealand physio, said: "Brendon's back needs careful management - it's flared up and is giving him significant pain. The best course of action is getting him home for rehabilitation as soon as possible."

Although McCullum's form has slipped in recent weeks, New Zealand can ill-afford to lose his services for the beginning of West Indies' visit as Kane Williamson, the vice-captain, is a serious doubt for the opening Test in Dunedin, and possibly the second in Wellington, having suffered a fractured thumb in Bangladesh.

Problems with his back was one of the major reasons behind McCullum giving up the wicketkeeping gloves in Tests, a move he also tried to make in ODIs but Luke Ronchi's struggles in England, during the series earlier earlier this year and the Champions Trophy, meant McCullum took back the role for this one-day series.

Ronchi has now arrived in Bangladesh having been recalled following Williamson's injury but the gloves may go to Tom Latham as New Zealand aim to avoid a whitewash. BJ Watling is settled as New Zealand's Test wicketkeeper.

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