Monday 15 July 2013

Clarke: A pretty tough loss

AFP


Defiant Australia captain Michael Clarke insisted the tourists were "here to compete" after taking England to the wire before losing the first Ashes Test at Trent Bridge by just 14 runs.

England, who set Australia a ground record 311 to win, looked to be in total command as Clarke's men collapsed to 231 for nine in the face of some superb swing bowling from spearhead seamer James Anderson.

But a last-wicket partnership of 65 between Brad Haddin (71) and James Pattinson (25 not out) almost produced one more twist in a thrilling Test full of fluctuating fortunes, until Anderson had Haddin caught behind.

Victory saw Ashes-holders England go 1-0 up in this five-match series ahead of Thursday's second Test at Lord's but Clarke said Australia's gutsy display in Nottingham was proof of their determination to regain the urn.

"I think we've probably proved to a few people that we're here to compete -- there's no doubt about it," said Clarke.

"I'm disappointed we couldn't get over the line and I said last (Saturday) night I still thought we could win the Test match.

"So we're disappointed we haven't won this first Test, but I hope we've earned a bit of respect by the way we've played.

"Our team are going to give our all every single time we take the field. We're here to win this series."

Australia came into this match on the back of a 4-0 loss in India and being slammed as one of the worst squads to travel to England for an Ashes series.

Clarke said he hoped Australia's display in the most nerve-jangling Ashes encounter since England's two run-win at Edgbaston in 2005 had altered views.

"We know it's going to be tough and we've just experienced that over five days, but for the people that have written us off or did write us off before a ball was bowled, I think we might have changed a few of their minds.

"It's a pretty tough loss after getting so close."

England may be bidding for a third straight Test series win over Australia -- something they haven't managed since the 1950s -- but this was the first time in 16 years they'd won the first Test of an Ashes campaign after clinging on for draws in the previous two openers.

However, England's 1997 win at Edgbaston was merely the prelude to a 3-1 series loss while the last time England won both the first Test of an Ashes and the urn as well was a 2-1 success in Australia in 1986/87.

"Credit has to go to England. They continued to fight throughout the whole five days and managed to get over the line," said Clarke

"But I think our boys should hold their heads up high."

That comment applied particularly to vice-captain Haddin, who started the year as Australia's second choice wicketkeeper behind Matthew Wade.

"He fought so hard and there is probably no-one in the change-room now more disappointed than Brad," said Clarke. "It's great to see him fight his way back into this Test team."

Clarke, who played in the 2005 Edgbaston clash, added: "All Australians would have loved to have seen a different result but you're not going to get many better Tests than what we have just seen. There were ups and downs -- a roller coaster ride.There's plenty of times we could have done things better. But we learn from that and make sure we improve in the second Test."

"We feel we were so close to winning this Test but I can guarantee we'll be counting down the next four days to the start of the second one."

Moin appointed Pakistan chief selector

The 41-year-old former captain takes over from Iqbal Qasim.
AFP

Moin Khan
Pakistan's cricket bosses on Monday appointed former captain Moin Khan as chief selector, a post he said he took on as a challenge.

The 41-year-old takes over from Iqbal Qasim, who stepped aside earlier this month in a move seen as a reaction to the team's miserable performance in the Champions Trophy in England.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said Khan held discussion with interim chairman Najam Sethi and accepted the role.

"Former captain and wicket-keeper Khan will take over as chief selector while the rest of the members of the committee will remain the same," a PCB release said.

Former left-arm paceman Salim Jaffer, Test batsman Azhar Khan, Farrukh Zaman and Asif Baloch are the other selectors.

Moin Khan said he accepted the role as a challenge.

"It is an honour and a privilege to be offered the position of chairman of national selection committee -- a position held by many greats in the past and most recently by legendary spinner Qasim," he was quoted as saying in the release.

Khan played 69 Tests and 219 one-day internationals for Pakistan in 1990s and was also a member of World Cup winning team in 1992.

"I have accepted this as a challenge and I am glad that PCB and my own vision corresponds in terms of preparing a pool of talented cricketers who can mount an effective challenge in the 2015 World Cup."

No tenure has been announced for Khan's post under an interim PCB set-up which took over after chairman Zaka Ashraf was suspended due to complaints about his election in May this year.

Last week the Islamabad high court ordered Sethi to hold elections for the PCB chairman within 90 days.

Afridi marks comeback with one-man demolition job

The former captain smashed 76 before taking 7-12, the second best ODI figures ever, to rout the West Indies.
AFP
Boom Boom

Shahid Afridi made one of the more remarkable comebacks in international cricket in leading Pakistan to a crushing 126-run victory over the West Indies in the first one-day international at the Guyana National Stadium on Sunday.

Omitted from his country's failed Champions Trophy campaign, the mercurial all-rounder returned the best-ever ODI bowling figures by a Pakistani, and the second best overall, in snaring seven for 12 to rout the home side for just 98 off 41 overs after having top-scored with a typically swashbuckling 76 in the visitors' total of 224 for nine.

"I try hard and I back myself and I want to thank people back home," said Afridi.

"It's not time for me to just survive in the team, but to give a lot to the team. I tried to stay positive.

"Whenever I got the ball in my zone I went for it. And what a pitch it was for me to bowl on. I just kept it simple, and it worked."

This match represented yet another stunning spike in the 17-year international career of Afridi whose ability to delight and entertain with his extravagant manner has often been overshadowed by an almost chronic failure to deliver at the most critical of times.

Fortunately for Pakistan, this was not one of those times and his impact on the match started with his domination of a 120-run sixth-wicket partnership with his captain, Misbah-ul-Haq (52), the pair rescuing their team from the depths of 47 for five after gangling fast-medium bowler Jason Holder had wrecked the top order in finishing with the excellent figures of four for 13.

While Misbah laboured towards yet another workmanlike half-century, occupying 121 deliveries, Afridi's knock was a hurricane by comparison, decorated by five sixes and six fours off just 55 deliveries.

He looked well on the way to completing a hundred but perished in the 39th over, caught by Darren Sammy at deep midwicket off the bowling of Kieron Pollard.

West Indies would have been expecting the likes of Pollard and fellow big-hitter Chris Gayle to produce similar innings to give their team a fighting chance of getting the 225 runs needed for victory.

However that hope never materialised, and while Afridi took most of the glory with his demolition job with the ball, the early damage was done by Mohammad Irfan.

In overcast, seamer-friendly conditions, the giant left-arm pacer disconcerted the top-order of the West Indies with his speed and trajectory from such a great height, bowling Johnson Charles with a swinging full-toss and then forcing Darren Bravo to glove a lifting delivery on the body for wicketkeeper Umar Akmal to take the catch down the leg-side.

Pakistan then got a huge boost when new batsman Marlon Samuels called Gayle for a sharp single and Misbah's direct hit from cover found the dangerous opener short of his ground and the West Indies wobbling badly at seven for three.

All the support bowlers maintained the pressure and when Afridi came on as the fifth change, the floodgates really opened.

Unable to cope with his cocktail of top-spinners and googlies, a succession of batsmen ill-equipped mentally and technically to cope with such wiles succumbed without much of a fight as five wickets crashed for 14 runs.

Only Samuels (25) showed any meaningful resistance, but it was never going to be enough against a rampant Afridi, who finished off the match by trapping Holder, the early destroyer for the West Indies, palpably lbw.

"We were let down by the batting yet again," said West Indies captain Dwayne Bravo.

"Holder bowled so well, and while we have to give credit for the way Afridi and Misbah batted, that total was gettable, but we buckled under pressure."

Friday 5 July 2013

Steyn, Smith rested for Sri Lanka tour-2013

Du Plessis to lead the T20 team.
AFP


Steyn & Smith
Star South African fast bowler Dale Steyn was excluded from two national squads Thursday for an 18-day tour of Sri Lanka.

The Proteas play five one-day internationals and three Twenty20 matches between July 20 and August 6 in capital city Colombo, Kandy and Hambantota.

"We are resting Steyn as we have a very important and crowded Test season ahead," Cricket South Africa selection convener Andrew Hudson told reporters in Johannesburg.

"We want to be absolutely certain that Dale, as the leader of our attack, is properly rested and fit.

"Graeme Smith could not be considered because of his long-term recovery process following surgery."

Steyn helped South Africa reach the ICC Champions Trophy semi-finals in England last month, while a recurring ankle injury sidelined star batsman Smith.

The tour marks the debut of new Proteas coach Russell Domingo and he will be in charge of 16-strong ODI and T20 squads with 12 cricketers included in both.

Hashim Amla, Colin Ingram, Alviro Petersen and Robin Peterson play only in the five-ODI series spread over 12 days at three venues.

Henry Davids, recalled Imran Tahir, Wayne Parnell and uncapped David Wiese were picked exclusively for three T20 games over five days.

"David impressed when the national emerging squad toured Namibia, having previously done well in the Champions League tournament," said Hudson.

"We feel he is the sort of player who could make an explosive impact in the T20 squad."

Adrian Birrell has been named assistant coach to Domingo and Claude Henderson specialist spin bowling coach, and Allan Donald has been retained as specialist bowling coach.

Domingo was promoted after assisting former India World Cup-winning coach Gary Kirsten, who did not renew his two-year contract.

Squads

ODI: AB de Villiers (capt), Hashim Amla, Farhaan Behardien, Quinton de Kock, Faf du Plessis, JP Duminy, Colin Ingram, Rory Kleinveldt, Ryan McLaren, David Miller, Morne Morkel, Chris Morris, Alviro Petersen, Robin Peterson, Aaron Phangiso, Lonwabo Tsotsobe
T20: Faf du Plessis (capt), Farhaan Behardien, Henry Davids, Quinton de Kock, AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, Imran Tahir, Rory Kleinveldt, Ryan McLaren, David Miller, Morne Morkel, Chris Morris, Wayne Parnell, Aaron Phangiso, Lonwabo Tsotsobe, David Wiese


 
source: http://cricket.yahoo.com/

Tri-series: Massive win ignites India's campaign

Captain Kohli, fast bowlers shine in 102-run triumph over Windies.


PORT OF SPAIN: Far and away and across time zones India routed the West Indies by 102 runs to clinch what was a must-win match for them in a tri-series with not many takers.

After two straight losses to begin their campaign, normalcy was restored with a favourable result in Duckworth-Lewis affected match.

But it was difficult to focus on Virat Kohli’s bossy century and the terrific seam bowling that gained India a crucial bonus point on Friday.

For while Kohli was smashing an 83-ball 102 at the Queen’s Park Oval, almost as far away at the shrine of another sport with deep colonial roots, Novak Djokovic and Juan Martin del Potro were co-producing an exhilarating, sapping, five-hour Wimbledon semifinal, begging for attention with extraordinary athleticism and impossible shot making.

The tennis aces did just about enough to distract one from India's innings. And it did not help any that Andy Murray went on to lose the first set against the giant rookie Jerzy Janowicz, thus enlivening what one had presumed would be an eventless second semifinal.

Rain delay

Bat and ball finally took primacy once the tennis ended and the Windies began their chase of India’s impressive 311/7 – a sizable total in whose amassing openers Shikhar Dhawan (69) and Rohit Sharma (46) had as vital a role as their tempestuous captain.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar (3/29), returning in place of Shami Ahmed, provided the early breakthroughs in the form Chris Gayle (10) and Darren Bravo (1) - both caught off the outside edge - and Umesh Yadav (3/32) ensured the Windies were totally wrecked when play resumed after over an hour of rain.

The hosts were 56/2 in ten overs when the skies opened and lost six wickets in the next 12 overs, chasing a reworked target of 274 in 39 overs. Ishant Sharma got Marlon Samuels (6) with a beauty and snared the aggressive Charles (45) with a short-pitched delivery.

Golden duck

Bhuvneshwar got rid of Kieron Pollard for a golden duck with one that bounced and angled into the dangerman and was edged to slip. Ishant then rocked Dwayne Bravo in the nether regions, leaving the home captain sprawled in pain on the pitch. Bravo despaired some more when Denesh Ramdin's leading edge against Yadav was taken at mid off.

Yadav ended Bravo's misery when he jagged a ball back for a successful 'lbw' appeal. At 108/7, it was all over but for the formalities. Kemar Roach and Sunil Narine hung around to entertain the crowd but an Indian win by then was as inevitable as it was deserved. West Indies were all out for 171 in 34 overs as Ravindra Jadeja and Suresh Raina left the field giving each other an earful over a dropped catch.

Opening show

Earlier, Dhawan and Rohit put on 123 to negate whatever early advantage Dwayne Bravo thought a greentop would accord his fast bowlers. Dhawan electrified with his drives and was particularly severe on mystery spinner Narine, who he clubbed for consecutive sixes.

The left-hander was taken at square leg trying to flick Roach and his fall triggered a minor collapse as India lost four batsmen for 45. Tino Best claimed Rohit four shy of fifty, Samuels had Raina caught at slip while Dinesh Karthik was adjudged caught, albeit harshly, flapping down the leg side.

Kohli shines

M. Vijay, coming in at no. 5, stoked the fading fire with an 18-ball 27 that had five hits to the fence, including a gorgeous inside-out drive off Narine. The Chennai batsman and Jadeja again fell quickly, but here is where Kohli came into his own.

The Delhi lad had needed 55 balls to reach his fifty, but the next fifty runs came off just 26 deliveries. Kohli’s 14th ODI century had two sixes and 13 boundaries. He added 90 in 50 balls with R. Ashwin, the off-spinner’s contribution in the seventh-wicket union just 25, and was out on the last ball of the innings.

source: http://cricket.yahoo.com/

Thursday 4 July 2013

Ashes will define Australia: Martyn


AFP

(From left) Finn, Broad, Atherton, Martyn and Moody on Thursday.
Damien Martyn said Thursday that the upcoming back-to-back Ashes series against England represent a "defining moment" for Australia and especially all-rounder Shane Watson.

Australia begin their bid to regain the urn from arch-rivals England when the first of five Tests starts at Trent Bridge, Nottingham, on Wednesday.

The tourists' build-up to the series has been marked by lacklustre on-field performances in the Champions Trophy and several off-field problems, including David Warner's bar-room attack on England's Joe Root, that eventually culminated in coach Mickey Arthur being sacked just 16 days before the Ashes started.

Darren Lehmann, South African Arthur's replacement, moved quickly to restore Watson to his favoured position of opening the batting.

But the fact is Watson has scored just two hundreds in 41 Tests.

Unusually, no sooner have the teams completed their series in England, than they will head to Australia for a return campaign starting in November and former Australia batsman Martyn was in no doubt as to what was at stake for the current team, looking to put the embarrassment of their 4-0 loss in India earlier this year behind them.

"I think these 10 Test matches are a defining moment for him and for a lot of these players in the side," Martyn told a London news conference on Thursday.

"Watson has played 40 Test matches and at some point you have to start making your mark," added Martyn, who retired midway through the 2006/07 Ashes having struck 13 hundreds in 67 Tests at an average of 46.37.

Australia's batsmen have struggled against the swinging ball in recent Ashes contests -- and next week's first Test at Trent Bridge will see England begin a bid to win three straight series against their arch-rivals for the first time since the 1950s.

On current evidence, Australia have just one top-order batsman of proven world-class in captain Michael Clarke, who has been struggling with a longstanding back injury.

But former Australia all-rounder Tom Moody, speaking alongside Martyn, recalled how the 1989 squad of which he was a member had been written off ahead of that year's Ashes in England only for a team led by Allan Border and featuring the emerging talent of batting great Steve Waugh to triumph 4-0.

Moody said now would be an ideal time for one of Australia's unheralded batsmen to stamp their authority on an Ashes, just as Waugh did 24 years ago in scoring 506 runs, in a six-match series, at an exceptional average of 126.50.

"There are similarities," Moody said. "I remember the press conference when we first arrived. A member of the media said to Border: 'What is it like to captain the worst Australian side ever to hit English shores?'

"So that took us a a bit by surprise -- not that we thought we were world-beaters but we thought we were OK.

"The result was 4-0 and it should have been 5-0 if Edgbaston wasn't washed out. So I think a lot can be learnt from series like that -- the unknown can happen in an Ashes series.

"Players, particularly Australia's batsmen, are going into this series not expecting to score runs. Clarke is, possibly Watson -- although he has a lot to prove in Test cricket -- maybe this series is the series he stamps himself as a serious Test batsman.

"And it may also be another player -- whether that's a (Phil) Hughes, an (Usman) Khawaja or a (Steven) Smith or a Warner, whoever it is may do what Steve Waugh did in 1989.

"No one expected in '89 that Steve Waugh would dominate and influence the series like he did.

"I think there is no doubt that Australia can draw parallels with '89. I am not talking 4-0 but I think Australia have been written off far too early."



source: http://cricket.yahoo.com/

Tri-Series: India face test of fitness and motivation

NEXT UP: A must-win game against the West Indies awaits Kohli.
AFP



India face a test of motivation and fitness against the West Indies in a must-win fixture for the World Cup holders as the Tri-Nation Series resumes on Friday at the Queen's Park Oval in Port of Spain.

India are still smarting from the 161-run hammering administered by Sri Lanka on Tuesday at Sabina Park.

The squad, now being led by Virat Kohli in the absence of the injured Mahendra Singh Dhoni, have had very little turnaround time before going back into battle.

On Friday they face a home side that is confident and riding high at the top of the standings with two wins in two matches in Jamaica, including a one-wicket victory over the Indians last Sunday.

Defeat on Friday will end any chance of India reaching the final on July 11.

And while this may be seen as a huge embarrassment for the world's top One-Day International to be effectively eliminated less than two weeks after lifting the Champions Trophy in England, it does raise questions about the Indians' ability to stay motivated in the midst of an intense period of almost continuous cricket going back to the start of the Indian Premier League at the beginning of April.

They looked a jaded, almost disinterested outfit in the field against the Sri Lankans and never mounted any serious challenge at the crease to the daunting target of 349.

However in coming to Trinidad and Tobago for the final stages of the tournament, they can expect significantly greater spectator support than in Jamaica.

For the historical experience of the importation of indentured labour from the Indian sub-continent in the latter half of the 19th century means there is a significant ethnic Indian population in the twin-island state, some of whom remain inclined towards supporting India over the West Indies.

For the Caribbean side, concerns remain over the fitness of Dwayne Bravo.

The all-rounder could not lead the team in the match against India because of a groin strain and it probably will not be confirmed until just before the toss whether he returns or if fellow Trinidadian Kieron Pollard will again be called upon to captain the West Indies.

Tickets have been completely sold out for Friday's fixture, ensuring the sort of atmosphere in the ground that could be a boost to both sides, not just the hosts.


source: http://cricket.yahoo.com/

Experts blame Board for team's Caribbean show

Exhausted, listless, disinterested, are some of the words being used to describe the Men in Blue.
By HT Correspondent | Hindustan Times

Mumbai, July 4 -- India's back-to-back losses to the West Indies and Sri Lanka within a week of being flawless against the best in the world, has been baffling.

Experts in India are not surprised, though. They feel the blame is not on the players doing duty in the Caribbean but on the Board.

Exhausted, listless, disinterested, are some of the words being used to describe the Men in Blue. From the four-Test Australia series (Feb 22 to March 24), the players went into the two-month long domestic T20 League (April 3 to May 26), and within three days headed for the Champions Trophy. From England, the Board flew the players straight to Jamaica for the tri-nation tournament.

The resentment is more because the tournament was not part of India's original schedule, but was adjusted by the Board for the sake of the T20 League.

According to the Future Tours Programme (FTP) stipulated by the International Cricket Council, instead of the one-day series, the West Indies were to host Sri Lanka for two Tests, three ODIs and one T20. Apparently, the basis for the change was that the bilateral series clashed with the closing stages of the League, and it would have meant losing the leading Sri Lanka and West Indies players.

Given that only India bring in the money, most Boards are more than happy to welcome any change if it ensures India's participation. However, for India, it has come at the cost of their team's performance.

So sharp and incisive in England, the team has looked a pale shadow of itself in the West Indies. And, their fittest player, MS Dhoni, has become the first casualty.

"Agreed that everyone wants to play against India, but we have to think about fatigue. The players should be given a minimum of three-week break between every tournament. They have not got the chance to celebrate their Champions Trophy win; they have not been honoured. These are small things, but they do affect the performance of the team," said former India player and manager Chetan Chauhan. "They should have been brought home to savour the victory."

"In any major tournament, the involvement, commitment, training, saps your energy, mentally as well physically, and it is showing in the team after they gave their all in the Champions Trophy," said Chauhan.

Former Board secretary JY Lele fears the players will burn out before the main draws of the season, against Australia and South Africa. "It (schedule) is nonsense," said Lele. "Heading to Zimbabwe from there is even more foolish. The team should have had a two month-break to be fresh for Australia's one-day tour. During our time, there was no cricket in July, August and September."

Published by HT Syndication with permission from Hindustan Times.


source: http://cricket.yahoo.com/

Wednesday 3 July 2013

Afridi makes yet another comeback


For the Caribbean tour, Pakistan leave out Farhat, Malik and Akmal.
Reuters


Pakistan have recalled former captain Shahid Afridi for a one-day series in West Indies but senior players Imran Farhat, Shoaib Malik and Kamran Akmal have been dropped for poor displays in last month's Champions Trophy.

 Ahmed Shahzad and Umar Akmal were also recalled and Pakistan included uncapped Haris Sohail, Zulfiqar Babar and wicketkeeper Rizwan Ahmed in the ODI and T20 squads. Pakistan play five ODIs and two T20 matches on the tour this month.

 "We have started our rebuilding process keeping the 2015 World Cup in mind," chief selector Iqbal Qasim told a news conference in Lahore on Wednesday.

Experienced all rounder Afridi, who has played 354 one-day internationals, was left out of the Champions Trophy squad but Qasim said the 33-year-old would be useful in the rebuilding process.

"The pitches in West Indies are also doubled paced and low bounced and Afridi can not only shore up the lower order but also be effective as a bowler on such pitches."

 Pakistan lost all three group matches in the Champions Trophy in England.

Squads:

ODI: Nasir Jamshed, Ahmed Shahzad, Mohammad Hafeez, Misbah-ul-Haq (captain), Asad Shafiq, Umar Akmal, Shahid Afridi, Saeed Ajmal, Wahab Riaz, Junaid Khan, Mohammad Irfan, Asad Ali, Umar Amin, Mohammad Rizwan, Abdul Rehman, Haris Sohail.

T20: Nasir Jamshed, Ahmed Shahzad, Mohammad Hafeez (captain), Umar Akmal, Shahid Afridi, Hammad Azam, Saeed Ajmal, Wahab Riaz, Junaid Khan, Mohammad Irfan, Asad Ali, Umar Amin, Sohail Tanvir, Zulfiqar Babar, Haris Sohail.


source: http://cricket.yahoo.com/

Tuesday 2 July 2013

Aamer hopeful of ban relaxation


The ICC has formed a five-member committee to look into Aamer's ban.
AFP

Lahore: Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Aamer said Tuesday he hoped to play international cricket again "as soon as possible" after the game's governing body said it would consider a request for his ban to be relaxed.

Aamer, along with former captain Salman Butt and pace partner Mohammad Asif, was banned for a minimum of five years by the ICC on charges of spot-fixing during Pakistan's tour of England in 2010.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) interim chairman Najam Sethi raised Aamer's ban at the annual meeting of the International Cricket Council (ICC) in London last week.

ICC to consider Aamer's ban

On Monday a PCB spokesman told AFP that the ICC had formed a five-member committee to look into Aamer's ban.

ICC committee chairman Giles Clarke, also chairman of the England and Wales Cricket Board, confirmed the formation of the committee.

In a telephone interview with AFP on Tuesday, 21-year-old Aamer -- who was seen as a rapidly developing paceman in 2010 -- said he was "thankful" at the prospect of certain conditions of the ban being relaxed.

"I am thankful to the PCB chairman Najam Sethi for raising voice for me on the ICC platform and now ICC forming a committee has given me a new vigour to restart my career," Aamer said.

"This is the first time that someone in Pakistan cricket has made an effort for me and I am very happy at the prospect of getting a relaxation."

All three players along with their agent Mazhar Majeed were jailed on charges of corruption by a UK court in 2011.

While Aamer pleaded guilty before the UK court, Butt and Asif appealed against the ban in the Switzerland based Court of Arbitration for Sports, but were rejected in February this year.

Aamer said he had apologised to the nation and has cooperated with the ICC's Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU).

"I have cooperated with the ACSU and will do it as and when required, so I hope that I will get to play international cricket as soon as possible."

The talented pacer, caught in the controversy at a very early stage in his career, said the events were behind him now.

"I was enjoying cricket and suddenly that happened but those sad events are behind me. I am training well and I am eager to play for my country again."

Aamer, likened to Pakistan's legendary left-armer Wasim Akram, took 51 wickets in 14 Tests. His tally of wickets in 15 one-day matches was 25 and he took 23 wickets in 18 Twenty20 internationals.

Former Pakistan great Imran Khan tipped Aamer to be the hottest property at international level in 2009.


source: http://cricket.yahoo.com/

Tri-Series-2013: SL vs IND

 

IND won the toss, elected to field.

SL won by 161 runs

SL : 348/1 Overs: 50 R:R: 6.96

U Tharanga 174*(159)
M Jayawardena 107(112)
R Ashwin 67/1

IND : 187/10 overs: 44.5 R:R : 4.17

R Jadeja 49*(62)
S Raina 33(33))
R Herath 37/3
Player of the Match U Tharanga

Tri-Series News: Sri Lanka slay sloppy India

3rd Match: Tharanga (174), Mahela (107) set up a big win, hurting India's qualification chances.
Yahoo! Cricket

 
Tharanga and Jayawardene added 213 for the opening wicket after losing the toss.


Barely a week after winning the Champions Trophy in England, the world No. 1 ODI team India gave a poor account of themselves in the Caribbean where they crashed to their second straight defeat in the tri-nation series.

Sri Lanka, riding on brilliant hundreds from openers Upul Tharanga and Mahela Jayawardene, amassed 348-1 after being inserted by Virat Kohli, who was captaining the India seniors team for the first time. The wicket seemed two-paced and India chose to bring in Shami Ahmed for Bhuvaneshwar Kumar, a move that backfired. Not only did Shami fail to provide new-ball wickets, his wayward line and length at the end of the innings proved cannon fodder for Tharanga and Jayawardene.

Tharanga batted through the innings making 174 not out, the highest ODI score in the Caribbean, while Jayawardene made 107. The duo added 213 for the first wicket after which Sri Lanka captain Angelo Matthews promoted himself to one-down and added a further 135 in a little under 12 overs with Tharanga against India’s lackluster bowling.

India thus became the first team to take more than one wicket in a completed ODI innings of 50 overs. The other player who came into the team today – Murali Vijay – dropped Jayawardene on 23 before proceeding to make a slow 30 that did more harm to India’s asking rate than good.

Tharanga, who had led Jayawardene take lead, accelerated after the senior pro fell having made his 16th ODI hundred. Tharanga’s first fifty came up in 76 balls, but he sped up to reach the hundred in another 48. The next 74 came in just 35 balls as he finished with Sri Lanka’s second highest individual score after Sanath Jayasuriya’s 189 in Sharjah against the same opposition.

India’s response to the steep target was strangely slow. They began very cautiously with Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan content on playing out some quiet overs. Each time an Indian batsman tried to break free, he got out. They made just 28 in the 10 overs of fielding restrictions and the game had practically slipped out of their grasp by then.

India have relied heavily on Kohli to bail them out in tough chases. The India captain came in at Dhawan’s fall. With the required rate already a steep 8.5 by the 15th over, Kohli tried to hit out against Mathews but mistimed a hook-shot to the hands of Lasith Malinga at fine-leg.

Sri Lanka needed to restrict India to under 278 for a bonus point. But for most part of the innings, India were struggling to get past Tharanga’s tally in the game. Ravindra Jadeja’s unbeaten 49 delayed the inevitable but the margin of the defeat leaves India on the brink of an early exit from the tournament. 


Collected

T20 WC 2016 News: India to host 2016 World T20

IANS

London: It was double bonanza for the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) as it would host the World Twenty20 for the first time in 2016 and its fourth 50-over World Cup in 2023.

The BCCI was awarded the two events during the International Cricket Council (ICC) Annual Conference that ended here Saturday. India was represented by interim chief Jagmohan Dalmiya, also a former ICC president.

During the conference, the ICC finalised its global events from 2015 to 2023 and decided that full members have to play a minimum of 16 Tests over a four-year period to retain their Test status.

The ICC also confirmed that the inaugural ICC World Test Championship will be staged in 2017 and will be hosted by England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) June-July. The second edition, slated for 2021, will be held in in India in February-March.

The ECB will also host the 2019 World Cup and Cricket Australia (CA) got the hosting rights of the 2020 World Twenty20.

The ICC Board supported the strategy of ensuring an optimum balance between the three formats of the game - especially Test cricket.

To ensure that all ODIs played over the four-year cycle between ICC Cricket World Cups count towards a team's ranking, the ICC Board agreed to change the ODI rankings period from three years to four years.

For the sake of consistency, the ICC Board also agreed to change the calculation of the T20 rankings to cover the same period.

Meanwhile, the ICC also reviewed an inspection report by the ICC Venue Consultant on the venues for the ICC World Twenty20 Bangladesh 2014 and expressed its concern regarding the progress of construction and improvements to playing facilities in Cox's Bazar and Sylhet.

The Board noted that a further inspection and report is scheduled for August after which a final decision will be taken on the venues for the event.

Afghanistan was confirmed as the 37th Associate Member of the ICC while Romania was accepted as an Affiliate Member.

Ashes News: Lehmann gives Rogers surprise Ashes opening slot

Reuters

Rookie test batsman Chris Rogers will open for Australia in the first Ashes test against England at Trent Bridge, Nottingham, next week, coach Darren Lehmann said on Monday.

 The 35-year-old has only played one previous test, scoring 19 runs in two innings against India at Perth in January 2008.

"I've dreamt about this but I didn't necessarily believe it would ever come true," Rogers told the BBC. "This opportunity is one that is not going to come too often.

"I have nothing to lose and hopefully I can take that attitude into the test match. It's going to be about managing my emotions."

 Rogers will partner Shane Watson at the top of the order but first the untried pairing will team up in Australia's final warm-up match against Worcestershire that starts on Tuesday.

Rogers may be a test novice but he has plenty of experience in English conditions. He is the captain of county side Middlesex and has also played for Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Northants.

He averages 50.38 from 239 first class matches.

The team for Worcester also features 19-year-old left-arm spinner Ashton Agar and seamers Jackson Bird and Ryan Harris, as new coach Lehmann rings the changes after taking over from Mickey Arthur who was sacked on June 24.

Last week Lehmann also confirmed Watson's return to the top of the order for the Ashes and the opener responded with a powerful 90 in a tour victory over Somerset.

Rogers's inclusion sees regular opener Ed Cowan move down to number three, with all-rounder Steve Smith handed an opportunity at number six.

Mitchell Starc, James Pattinson and Peter Siddle are all rested.

 Tuesday's game is also a test for Somerset opener Nick Compton, who was replaced by Joe Root for England's warm-up match against Essex this week, but hit 81 against the tourists last week and has been given a "guest" place in the Worcester side.

The first test starts on July 10.

Tri-Series: Lanka could soon slip into mediocrity

By Sanjay Manjrekar | Hindustan Times

India, July 1 -- There was a time when Sri Lanka and Pakistan were better teams than India. That situation has changed significantly and it's as much credit to Indian cricket's growth as it is a reflection of the quality of players coming through our neighbours.

Pakistan's batting is in dire straits with Nasir Jamshed the only glimmer of hope, while Sri Lanka's problem is that their dependence on ageing stalwarts has not diminished one bit. Pakistan have some bowling talent coming through, Sri Lanka cannot boast of that either.

Lasith Malinga is their only 'go to' bowler but his best years are behind him. Malinga has made the most of the freakish, natural talent he was blessed with.

Malinga's bowling style is such that his potent deliveries are either full length or bouncers, both of which need physical effort. With his diminishing fitness, Malinga is not able to crank up speeds of over 140kmph as often as he could, and to a superior batting line-up like India, he becomes a gamble. His economy rate of over six against India compared to his career rate of about five demonstrates this point.

Uncertain future

It is frightening to imagine life in Sri Lankan cricket after Dilshan, Sangakkara and Mahela. Yes, Chandimal, Thirimanne and Kushal Perera have shown the odd spark, but they better grow up quickly or there is a chance Sri Lanka may become the whipping boys of top teams. This sport can't afford another mediocre international team. India play Sri Lanka at Jamaica today, and I don't see the script changing much from what it's been over the last few years.

Ashes News: Swann given all clear after X-ray

AFP

Graeme Swann has avoided a fracture to his bowling arm and is set to return to fielding duty later in England's Ashes warm-up match against Essex, an England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) spokesman said Monday.

Swann was hit on his right forearm by Essex paceman Tymal Mills while batting on Monday morning in England's first innings 413 for nine declared.

England's leading spinner continued his innings but did not take the field when Essex batted and was instead sent to hospital for an X-ray.

However, the ECB subsequently said Swann had not suffered a major injury.

"(The) X-ray showed no fracture," the spokesman explained. "He is continuing to receive treatment for bruising and will return to the field later in the game."

News that Swann has not suffered a severe setback will come as a huge relief to England chiefs after the 34-year-old missed the tour of New Zealand earlier this year to have surgery on his right elbow.

Not only has Swann established himself as England's first choice spinner but, as an off-break bowler, is expected to play a key role in the defence of the Ashes against an Australia side set to feature several left-handers.

Ashes News: Ahmed set for Ashes call after bagging Australian citizenship

REUTERS

MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Pakistan-born leg-spinner Fawad Ahmed was named an Australian citizen on Tuesday, clearing the final procedural hurdle for his selection for the Ashes series against England starting on July 10.

 Former Federal Minister for Immigration Brendan O'Connor made the announcement within a fortnight of the Australian Senate passing legislation to fast-track citizenship in special cases.

"It's a long journey and it was a long struggle," said Ahmed, who arrived in Australia on a short-term visa in 2010 and claimed asylum on the grounds of receiving death threats from Islamic extremists for being involved with a Pakistani NGO promoting women's rights.

 "I just can't wait to be a citizen. Especially in the field of cricket, I just want to give back something to this country," added the 31-year-old, who Australia hope can fill the huge void left by Shane Warne.

Australia have tried a dozen slow bowlers with little success since spin great Warne retired with a test haul of 708 wickets after helping the team whitewash England 5-0 in the 2006-07 Ashes series.

England have won both series since and Australia included just one spinner, Nathan Lyon, in their squad as they renew the rivalry with the first test in Nottingham next week.

Ahmed said his immediate goal was to do well for Australia A in Zimbabwe and South Africa without bothering about a much-anticipated Ashes selection.

"I will try my best to perform well in those two tours and it depends on the selections," said the spinner, who has 41 wickets from 15 first class matches.

 "It will be an honour to represent Australia in the Ashes or maybe other tournaments." (Reporting by Amlan Chakraborty in New Delhi; Editing by John O'Brien)

Monday 1 July 2013

West Indies cricket going back to top, says Samuels

Kingston: Batsman Marlon Samuels wants to relive the glory days of West Indies cricket, when they would beat the other teams black and blue, and confidently says the current team`s performance is only going to head north.

"Right now we demand a lot of respect in the world (as) our cricket is going back on top. The great thing about West Indies cricket is that we are competing and winning games, not like back when we were losing games," the right-handed batsman was quoted as saying by `Jamaica Observer`.

Samuels was the pivot around which the West Indies triumphed in the T20 World Cup final on a balmy October evening in Colombo last year. He made a mockery of Lasith Malinga and Co to almost singlehandedly guide the team to the title.

Samuels, 32, who was named one of the Wisden Cricketers of the Year for an outstanding 2012 season, noted that the fans` support is helping the West Indies.

"The fans are coming back and that is motivating us to want to win more cricket (matches), win back the fans` hearts and our West Indies cricket back on top.

"The team is a good all round team and we are playing some good cricket (it`s) just for us to always come together from the different islands and make a strong unit," he emphasized.

"We need to have more match winners and get balls in the areas consistently. But we are growing stronger as a unit and getting there as a group and with the strength in the group, in the long run, (you) will see us winning games non-stop and beating the best teams in the world," said Samuels.

Having played in almost all of the T20 competitions across the world, Samuels is familiar with the top players from both India and Sri Lanka and he`s hoping to do well for the hosts in the ongoing tri-nation ODI series.

"I am still in good form, been scoring runs non-stop, so I want to come out here and do this one again for Jamaica and the Caribbean," he pointed out.

PTI

Cricket needs another Shane Warne: Saqlain Mushtaq

London: Former Pakistan off-spinner Saqlain Mustaq has said that international cricket is in dire need of a world class spinner on the lines of legendary Australian leg-spinner Shane Warne.

Speaking in a free-wheeling interview with Pak Passion, Mushtaq said that while he was impressed with the performances of Indian spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja and West Indian spinner Sunil Narine, the game of cricket still needed a spinner of star quality similar to the command that Warne had over international cricketers between 1992 and 2007.


He specifically praised the all-round qualities of Ashwin in all forms of the game.

On Jadeja, he said that while he has proven his class in one-day and Twenty20 cricket, he was yet to establish himself as a Test spinner.

Test cricket, he said, requires the utilisation of a very different set of skills.


He also said that he was in favour of spinners innovating at every opportunity, and added that if the pause delivery is working and confusing the batsmen, spinners should persist with it.

He said that cricket required a fresh set of role models similar to leg-spinners like Abdul Qadir, Shane Warne, Mushtaq Ahmed and Anil Kumble.

"These days there are no role models for up-and-coming leg-spinners and it`s disappointing. What leg-spin bowling needs is another Shane Warne, someone who can inspire the next generation," Mushtaq said.

"Leg-spin is a unique and difficult art, and one that needs to be nurtured and protected at all levels of the game," he added.

Currently employed as Bangladesh`s spinning coach, Mushtaq said that he would be more than happy to offer his coaching services and skills to the PCB, if approached.

Ashes 2013: David Warner could make Australia comeback

Controversial Australia batsman David Warner is "very much" in the mix for next week's Ashes opener against England, coach Darren Lehmann has said.

By Sam Sheringham BBC Sport in Worcester



Warner is suspended until the Trent Bridge Test after he punched England's Joe Root in a Birmingham bar.

But Lehmann has been pleased by his attitude in training and believes he has the ability to trouble England.

"He's done everything right in the nets," said Lehmann. "He's impressed me. He's a very talented guy."
 Warner, 26, was suspended and fined £7,000 (AU $11,500) for his altercation with Root after his team's Champions Trophy defeat to England on 8 June.

It was the lowest point in a disastrous Ashes build-up for Australia that culminated in coach Mickey Arthur getting sacked and replaced by Lehmann on 24 June.

Lehmann said he had talked to Warner about his behaviour and was prepared to give the batsman another chance.

"The slate's pretty clean with him," he added. "We've spoken about it and dealt with it. We'll move on. Just sensible, straight down the line chat, and we won't have that issue again."

Warner, who averages 39.46 in 19 Tests, was banned for the tour win over Somerset last week and cannot play in the final warm-up match against Worcestershire starting on Tuesday.

Lehmann has already announced that Shane Watson and Chris Rogers will open the batting in the Ashes, meaning that Warner - who has opened in all but one of his 34 Test innings - would be batting in an unfamiliar position.

The issue does not concern Lehmann, who could even deploy Warner as a counter-attacking number six if he sticks with his top five for the Worcestershire game, with Ed Cowan, Michael Clarke and Phil Hughes at three, four and five.  "He can bat anywhere," said Lehmann. "We can't use him in this game, so he's had to impress more in the nets, which he's doing."

Speaking one week into his new job and nine days before the start of the Ashes, Lehmann reaffirmed his commitment to playing "an aggressive brand of cricket".

Last week in Taunton, Australia took a calculated risk by declaring their first innings just one run ahead of Somerset's total but went on to win by six wickets.

"We want people to love watching us play and come through the gates," added Lehmann.

"The Taunton people were really excited that we declared. They said 'well you could have had batting practice for a few hours', but I don't think you should play like that - I think you should play the game to win the game.

"We won't stand back, we will be in the contest. You will see an aggressive side but more importantly a side that respects the traditions of the Ashes but plays the brand of cricket that people want to come and see.

"We're going down this path and we're going to stick with it. I've said to the lads all along that we're not going to waver from that - jump on board and enjoy the ride."

Former Yorkshire batsman Lehmann, who has previously coached Queensland, Deccan Chargers and Kings XI Punjab, said it was a "no brainer" to accept the Australia post, but admitted his life had been turned upside down.

"I was supposed to be in Yorkshire with my wife having a barbecue and a beer at the moment with some family," he said. "Times have changed - it's been an eventful few days."
 

ICC to consider Aamer's ban

Terms of the ban may be relaxed based on a request by the PCB.
AFP

Mohammad Amir
Cricket's governing body has formed a five-member committee to consider a request from Pakistan that the conditions of Mohammad Aamer's ban for spot-fixing be relaxed.

The 21-year-old paceman, regarded as hot property in international cricket, was banned in 2011 for five years for spot-fixing along with team-mates Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif.

They were found guilty of bowling deliberate no-balls in return for money in the Lord's Test against England in 2010.

Butt was banned for 10 years with five suspended, Asif for seven years with two suspended and Aamer for five years. All three were also jailed by a British court in 2011.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) interim chairman Najam Sethi raised Aamer's ban at the annual meeting of the International Cricket Council (ICC) in London last week.

"On recommendation from the PCB, the ICC has constituted a five-member committee that will review and recommend amendments to the ICC anti-corruption code and will also provide its suggestions to the ICC board on the ban related to Aamer," a PCB spokesman told AFP.

Any relaxation, if approved by the ICC board, would allow Aamer to use PCB facilities such as cricket grounds and gyms.

While announcing the ban on the three players, ICC tribunal chief Michael Beloff QC deplored the fact that under the ICC code, five years is the minimum punishment and suggested leniency in that regard.

ICC committee chairman Giles Clarke, also chairman of the England and Wales Cricket Board, confirmed the formation of the committee.

He said the PCB had pointed out that Aamer had collaborated with an ICC anti-corruption unit, admitted his guilt and apologised to fans and to Pakistan and the world community.

"In the light of Aamer's cooperation and his public submission of guilt and his undergoing a rehabilitation programme, I stated that I would be prepared with a small group, including Cricket Australia chairman and the representative of Singapore cricket association, to look into the matter," Clarke told AFP by phone.

Clarke from 2008-2011 headed a special group to help Pakistan bring international cricket back to a country deeply troubled by Taliban and Al-Qaeda-linked violence.

Pakistan has hosted no top-level international cricket since militants attacked the Sri Lankan team bus in 2009, forcing teams to suspend tours to the country over security fears.

Clarke stressed the importance of banned players admitting their guilt and apologising.

"The two important things for these cricketers, who are either found guilty or implicated, is to come clean by recognising their guilt and apologise and assist the authorities in cleaning up the mess," he said.

"They owe the Pakistan fans that obligation."

"I am pleased that Salman Butt has now apologised publicly and recognised and admitted his guilt. That is the first step."

Tri-Series: Dhoni out injured as India seek their first win

Rayudu flown in as India, Sri Lanka meet on Tuesday in search of their first points of the tri-series.
AFP

Dhoni gets treatment during Sunday's game.
India and Sri Lanka go in search of their first points of the Tri-Nation Series when they meet on Tuesday at Sabina Park as the preliminary phase of the competition reaches the halfway point.

India should be the more confident of the combatants in the Jamaican capital, although they will be without the services of inspirational leader Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who has flown back to India due to a strain in his right hamstring sustained during the game against the West Indies.

Ambati Rayudu has been named Dhoni's replacement for the remainder of the tri-series while stand-in captain Virat Kohli will lead the team.


Rayudu, who plays for Baroda in the Ranji Trophy and Mumbai Indians in the IPL, is yet to play his first international game but has been a consistent performer in domestic cricket. The 27-year-old now has a chance to become the first Indian cricketer to represent the country having played for the now-defunct Indian Cricket League.

With the West Indies completing contrasting victories over the other two teams and already on their way to Trinidad and Tobago, where the last three group matches and the final will be played from Friday, this duel of sub-continental neighbours almost has the feel of an eliminator.

While defeat for either side will not rule them out completely from making the final on July 11 at Queen's Park Oval, it will leave them having to win their two remaining matches in Port of Spain, a venue where the weather is notoriously fickle at this time of the year.

Dhoni's calm control of proceedings on the field were missed as much as his wicketkeeping on Sunday, yet Kohli ensured that the undisputed kings of One-Day International cricket made the home side battle all the way towards a modest target of 230, winning by just one wicket.

"We aren't too disappointed," Kohli stated after that match.

"Just one wicket made the difference in the end so it could have gone either way. We fought really hard."

While the weather at the start of the hurricane season in the Caribbean has so far been kind to the competition in Jamaica, both captains will be keen to win the toss.

That way they can give their bowlers first use of a pitch that has made run-scoring difficult in the first half of the day, only to flatten out in the afternoon, based on the evidence of the first two matches, in which the visiting captains called incorrectly and then struggled to build any sort of momentum at the crease.

Sri Lankan skipper Angelo Mathews gave his side's innings some respectability with an unbeaten topscore of 55 in the losing effort on Friday.

But it is not expected to be enough against an Indian team that is set to make an enforced change - Murali Vijay is the obvious option to replace Dhoni with Dinesh Karthik as wicketkeeper - that breaks a run of six consecutive matches with an unchanged eleven dating back to the start of the Champioms Trophy tournament in England.

Malik, Kamran Dropped From West Indies Probables

Karachi: The Pakistan selectors on Saturday decided to drop the senior trio of Shoaib Malik, Kamran Akmal and Imran Farhat from the probables list in the wake of team's failure in the Champions Trophy but at the same time recalled veterans Shahid Afridi and Younis Khan for West Indies tour.

A reliable source in the board said that 20-member probables list has been submitted to the Pakistan Cricket Board.

"The list also includes several new players who have done well at the domestic level or have played in the recent past for the national team," the source disclosed.

The new players in the list include openers Ahmed Shahzad and Khurrum Manzoor, middle order batsmen Sohaib Maqsood and Haris Sohail, all-rounders Hammad Azam and Muhammad Nawaz.

Faisal Iqbal, Umar Akmal and pace bowler Aizaz Cheema have been recalled.

"Wicketkeepers Adnan Akmal and Sarfaraz Ahmed are included in the probables list," he said.

The selectors had met with head coach Dav Whatmore in Lahore this week to discuss the performance of the team in the Champions Trophy and plans for the forthcoming tours.

Pakistan will play five one-day internationals and two T20 matches on their tour to the West Indies followed by one-dayers against Zimbabwe in mid August.

The team is due to leave on July 7 for the West Indies and it has been learnt that the selectors had submitted names to the board so that visa processing can start.

When attack is the best form of defence

The best way to survive and flourish on a pitch with variable pace and bounce is to adopt a more aggressive approach

Johnson Charles goes over the top, West Indies v India, West Indies tri-series, Kingston, June 30, 2013
Johnson Charles found perhaps the perfect way to play on a tricky track in Kingston © WICB Media
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Players/Officials: Johnson Charles | Rohit Sharma
Matches: West Indies v India at Kingston
Series/Tournaments: West Indies Tri-Nation Series
Teams: India | West Indies

Sample this - 11 maidens out of the 97 (completed) overs and 347 dot balls (59%) out of the 586 bowled in an ODI. Those are appalling stats coming from a match played between two sides that boast of the world's most dynamic players. Was it poor batting, were there demons in the pitch, or was it simply exceptional limited-overs bowling?

If it was poor batting then what explains 46 boundaries, including as many as 11 sixes, in the interim? Who was hitting those big ones? If there were indeed demons in the pitch, then it's difficult to fathom how batsmen from both sides lasted that long. And, it wasn't the last option either: the bowling, at no stage, looked menacing enough to architect those statistics.

So, what was the mystery behind some of the better stroke-makers of the cricket ball playing an altogether different brand of cricket? Well, it was indeed the pitch that dictated a certain kind of play, at least till the batsmen chose to take a little bit of risk. While there were no apparent demons in the pitch, the variable pace and bounce off the pitch ensured that getting away was really difficult.



Believe it or not, at Sabina Park during the second ODI between India and West Indies, hitting a four or a six was a lot easier than taking a single to rotate strike. The moment the batsman tried to place the ball in the gap, he ended up either offering a dead bat because the ball either arrived a little quicker or later than he expected or he couldn't hit the ball hard enough to beat the inner ring. Also with the new laws, the mandatory extra fielder inside the 30-yard circle added to the misery.

This pitch reminded me of the one I batted on in the Dhaka Premier League, a 50-overs-a-side tournament between clubs. The team batting first struggled through their quota of overs and managed only 175 runs on a slow and sluggish pitch that offered spinners a fair amount of assistance. Still, chasing less than four-an-over might stretch us a bit but should be achieved, or so we thought.

I opened the batting with the knowledge that scoring was going to be a little tricky, yet I knew if I spent time on the pitch, batting would eventually become easier for that's what I'd been conditioned to believe. I waited for the loose balls to come my way. On a pitch that offered variable bounce and pace, the margin of error was larger for the bowler, resulting in fewer hittable balls. My plan B was to take singles and rotate strike till I gauged the pace and bounce but that didn't happen either. I kept finding the fielders instead of gaps.

Then came the trickiest bit - a first in my career. Even when the loose balls were bowled begging to be punished, I couldn't hit them for boundaries. I was playing proper cricketing shots but the rewards weren't proportional to the effort. The cover drive wasn't traveling quick enough and the cut wasn't piercing the off side field either. I scratched around for a little longer before perishing.

That innings and the subsequent chat with a few players who were regulars in the Bangladesh circuit did much to decode these sort of pitches, and of course the way to deal with them. On such batting surfaces, rotating strike is difficult because the pace and bounce off the pitch is so inconsistent that you don't know when to bring the bat down to find the right timing or control the pace and direction of the ball off the bat to hit the gaps. If you keep trying to play the ball on its merit, you'll end up hitting it directly to the fielders all the time unless it's a rank long hop or a full toss.

The only way to score on such pitches is to adopt a slightly more aggressive approach and shelve the percentages on the balls that are in your hitting zone. You ought to take the odd risk, take the aerial route and hit a few boundaries to not only release but also transfer the pressure to the bowler; just sticking around will be playing into the bowlers' hands. That's exactly what Dinesh Karthik did against Marlon Samuels.

Rohit Sharma in the first innings and Johnson Charles in the second showed that if you are willing to take calculated risks, the rewards were forthcoming. Of course, you would also need a bit of luck to succeed but taking that punt is the best and perhaps the only way to succeed on such a pitch.

The pitch for the second ODI was the same one on which the first match between West Indies and Sri Lanka was played. If the same pitch is going to be used for the last match of the series in Jamaica on Tuesday, another laborious day for batsmen is in the offing.


http://www.espncricinfo.com

More power coming for umpires

Umpire
Cricket umpires will be given unprecedented power in a bid to crack down on ball tampering.

The International Cricket Council has announced changes where umpires can act on suspicions of ball tampering, even if they don't have firm evidence.

Umpires will be able to replace the ball if they have belief of tampering and give the captain a first and final warning.

If there's a second infringement, a five-run penalty will be awarded to the batting team and the captain will be reported.

The changes come into effect in October.

India look to shake off opening disappointment, take on Lanka

Kingston: Their unbeaten run brought to a halt, India would look to get over the disappointment of a narrow loss when they take on familiar sub-continental foes Sri Lanka in their second match of the tri-nation ODI series here on Tuesday.

The one-wicket loss to the West Indies yesterday ended India`s nine-match winning streak during which they lifted the Champions trophy in London last month. India had won four Tests against Australia and five matches in the recent Champions Trophy on the trot.

Tested by the conditions, the famed Indian batting struggled and even though the team`s bowlers did a commendable job, the hosts managed to snatch a win by the thinnest of margins.

The Indians also had to contend with skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni not taking the field during the West Indian innings due to the cramps he suffered while batting.

It is not clear whether Dhoni was merely dehydrated or was laid low by a hamstring injury. In case of a hamstring injury, Dhoni may not get enough time to recover and take the field on Tuesday.


On a pitch which did not exactly help stroke-making, Rohit Sharma shone with a patient half century.

Promoted to the role of opener during the Champions Trophy, Sharma seems at ease in the position and would be expected to come good against the Lankans too.

But the troika of Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli and Dinesh Karthik found the going tough in the tournament-opener and will have to adapt quickly to make an impact.

Suresh Raina, however, applied himself well for a 44 that was crucial to take India past 200.

The bowlers did their job commendably and could have pulled it off for India had they been given more runs to defend.

The pace trio of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umesh Yadav and Ishant Sharma got the breakthroughs whenever they were given the ball and were ably supported by off-spinner R Ashwin, who also grabbed a couple of wickets.

Sri Lanka, on the other hand, were quite literally mauled in their opening match. They just about managed to post a little over 200 and were then left to contend with a raging Chris Gayle, who unleashed his fury in the most devastating manner.

The shock of that defeat would be difficult to get over for the island nation and it would be interesting to see how they cope with the prospect of having to contain a strong Indian line-up.


The over-reliance on senior batsmen Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara once again stood exposed with no batsman, apart from Angelo Mathews, contributing significantly in the previous match. The Lankans would have to strike as a unit as individual brilliance cannot shine through in every game.

Their bowlers too cut a sorry figure and did not have a clue on how to deal with Gayle.

Whether it was the pace duo of Lasith Malinga and Nuwan Kulasekara or msytery spinner Ajantha Mendis, the Lankan bowlers did not have anything going for them and would look for a reversal of fortunes against India.