Monday, June 10, 2019
Sunday, June 9, 2019
Sunday, October 27, 2013
ICC World Twenty20, 2013/14 Fixtures
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Cox's Bazaar dropped as World T20 venue
Cox's Bazaar has been dropped as a venue for the 2014 World T20 to be
held in Bangladesh between March 16 and April 6. Sylhet, another venue
considered doubtful due to ongoing work at the stadium, has been
retained.
On Sunday, the ICC announced that Sylhet would host all first-round
fixtures of the Women's World T20 and a few group matches of the World
T20, along with Mirpur and Chittagong. All six knockout matches will be
played in Mirpur.
Sylhet and Cox's Bazaar were in doubt
because of ongoing development in the stadiums and were given an
extension by the ICC till November 30, after accepting Bangladesh
Cricket Board's request. The original deadline for the completion of the
stadiums was September 30.
Campbell Jamieson, the ICC general manager - commercial, said he was
confident of Bangladesh hosting a tournament successfully, like they
have in the past. "Bangladesh hosted the ICC Champions Trophy in 1998
[then known as the ICC KnockOut] and most recently the World Cup 2011,
along with India and Sri Lanka. Following the legacies of these two
successful events, as well as the U-19 World Cup 2004, I'm confident
that Bangladesh will once again produce a world-class tournament."
The format for the World T20 has been modified to accommodate 16 teams
in this edition, as compared to 12 in the last edition. The top eight
sides of the ICC's T20 team rankings as on October 8, 2012 have been
given direct entry into the Super 10 stage. Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, who
finished outside the top eight, will compete with six other qualifying
teams in the first round from March 16 to 21 for the remaining two
places in the Super 10 groups.
The eight teams in the first round have been divided into two groups of
four teams each with table-toppers progressing to the next stage. The
six qualifying teams to join the first round will be decided at the end
of the World T20 qualifiers to be held in the UAE between November 15
and 30. If Bangladesh reach the Super 10 stage, they will play all their
matches in Mirpur, facing West Indies, India, Pakistan and Australia.
The Super 10 stage will commence with a match between India and Pakistan
in Mirpur on March 21. West Indies will begin their title defence on
March 23 against India in Mirpur and will play the rest of their group
matches against Pakistan, Australia and a qualifying team.
The women's teams, increased from eight to ten, have been divided into
two groups of five teams each. Australia, the women's T20 defending
champions, will start their campaign for a third title against New
Zealand on March 23. The knockout games for both tournaments will be
played on the same day at the same venue.
Super 10 Groups
Group 1: Sri Lanka, England, South Africa, New Zealand, Qualifier 1
Group 2: West Indies, India, Pakistan, Australia, Qualifier 2
Group 1: Sri Lanka, England, South Africa, New Zealand, Qualifier 1
Group 2: West Indies, India, Pakistan, Australia, Qualifier 2
Women's Groups:
Group A: Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Pakistan, Ireland
Group B:England, West Indies, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh
Group A: Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Pakistan, Ireland
Group B:England, West Indies, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh
Sunday, September 8, 2013
Underprepared pitch causes concern
An underprepared pitch is the biggest concern ahead of the second Test between Zimbabwe and Pakistan starting on Tuesday in Harare. The groundsmen have just two-and-a-half days after the first Test to prepare the surface after being informed last Thursday that the fixture would be moved from Bulawayo, and both Hamilton Masakadza and Misbah-ul-Haq expect a tough time in the middle.
"It's going to get a lot worse, a lot quicker," said Masakadza, who stood in as captain in the first Test and has played most of his domestic cricket at Harare Sports Club. "It's going to be tough for the groundsman with such a short turnaround and the spinners will definitely come into play much more in the second innings."
Turn was always predicted as a factor for the second Test, which was due to be played at Bulawayo's Queens Club, a venue known for its flat, dry strip. However, Zimbabwe Cricket announced the match would be moved to Harare because Queens was "not in a condition to host a Test," but ESPNcricinfo has learned the change in venue was actually a cost-cutting measure. Cash-strapped ZC will save more than US$50,000 in travel and hotel costs by playing the entire series of two Twenty20s, three ODIs and two Tests in Harare.
The strip being readied for the second Test is the one on the extreme right, when looking at the field from the clubhouse end of the ground. It was not used this summer and staff had begun rolling it during the ODIs against Pakistan in preparation for the domestic season.
Grant Flower, the Zimbabwe batting coach, could not recall playing any international cricket on that pitch but said he had seen it in use during the domestic twenty-over competition some time ago. While he thought the first-Test pitch "played very well," he was also concerned about what the second one would do. "We know they will have something ready for us, we just don't know what to expect."
Groundstaff at Harare Sports Club have hosted back-to-back Tests before, as recently as six months ago. Bangladesh played two Tests at the venue between April 17 and 29. The first match went only four days which left four days of preparation for the second Test and it seemed enough. Spin was not a huge factor in the second match and 1,221 runs were scored with a highest total of 391 in the first innings.
Masakadza does not think run-scoring will be as easy this time, especially with the quality of the Pakistan spinners. Saeed Ajmal took 11 wickets in the first Test and Abdur Rehman claimed four. Prosper Utseya's five took the total number of spinners' scalps to 20 out of the 39 wickets that fell.
Run-scoring was below three an over on average throughout the Test, partly as a result of disciplined bowling and conservative tactics but also because the surface slowed. With patient batting a skill that still needs to be honed by the younger players on both sides, Misbah said he is worried about the temperament his team will need to show if they are to whitewash their hosts. "The pitch (is a) really big concern for us," Misbah said. "It's going to be tricky but we need to be prepared - especially mentally prepared - and we need to be professional."
Thursday, August 29, 2013
Zimbabwe chase history amid gloom
Zimbabwe's shock win in the first ODI was their first against Pakistan
in 15 years, but now the beleaguered team has a chance to go one better -
a win in one of the remaining two matches will give Zimbabwe their
first bilateral series win against a top side since beating New Zealand
2-1, 12 years ago. The win on Tuesday gave Zimbabwe a chance to
celebrate amid the gloom; a series win would inject some much-needed
faith.
Zimbabwe coach Andy Waller said the success was the fruit of two months
of hard work, during which the team has attempted to fine-tune its game
plan of the top order making sure they lay the platform for the
stroke-makers in the middle order. The manner in which the top three
handled the chase in the first part exemplified the team's methods and
Zimbabwe will pin their hopes on the three to do the same at least one
more time.
The batting plan has seemed to work in the last few matches and the
bowling has been steady for the conditions, but Zimbabwe need to focus
some attention on the fielding. Once one of the best fielding sides,
Zimbabwe's fielding has withered away. Had they taken all the chances
that came their way on Tuesday, they could have restricted Pakistan to
an even lower score. Waller said that one of his goals is to take
Zimbabwe's fielding to the level it used to be in the '90s and the team
is working hard towards it, but poor performances during the matches
pull the team back.
The fielding didn't hurt Zimbabwe on Tuesday as Pakistan made a few
errors of their own. Apart from losing the tempo during their batting
and the sloppy fielding towards the end of the match, Pakistan misread
the pitch and batted first on a surface that Masakadza later said "gets
better in the afternoon". They are armed with the knowledge now and
Zimbabwe expect Pakistan to come back harder at them. But Pakistan can
be the most beatable of the top sides and unbeatable on the same day.
They are the Harvey Dent of cricket: which side turns up on a day seems
to be a result of an imaginary coin toss.
Sunday, July 28, 2013
Taylor, Tremlett, Panesar recalled
James Taylor, Chris Tremlett and Monty Panesar have all been included in an expanded 14-man squad for the third Investec Ashes Test at Old Trafford. Steven Finn, who was left out at Lord's in favour of Tim Bresnan, and Graham Onions have been dropped, while Kevin Pietersen is included with his calf injury, which is progressing well, due to be assessed closer to the match.
The recalls for Tremlett, who last played for England against Pakistan in the UAE early last year, and Panesar reflect the conditions that are expected at Old Trafford where traditionally, pace, bounce and spin come to the fore. However, it remains unlikely that England will tinker with the bowling attack that was so impressive at Lord's.
Tremlett's return is a significant blow for Finn, who was in the three-man pace attack just two Tests ago but does not even feature in a 14-man squad now. He has been working on technical aspects of his run-up and delivery for most of the year and in Test cricket has rarely looked completely comfortable.
Tremlett trained with the England squad during the Lord's Test as he continues to build up his workload during the season after missing the majority of 2012 with a series of injuries, the most serious of them being to his back. England are keen to have him available for the Ashes in Australia later this year after the impact he had during the 2010-11 series.
Last month, he told ESPNcricinfo that he was confident his body would now allow him to get through Test matches again. "If I was picked for a Test tomorrow I'd be confident," he said. "If you had asked me that three games into the season, my honest answer would have been that I'm not ready to play Test cricket. But now I have some games under my belt, I have my confidence back. I feel I'm ready now. I've no doubt."
Panesar, the other bowler brought into the squad, remains England's second spinner in Test cricket despite a difficult tour of New Zealand where he had to take on the main role in Graeme Swann's absence. He enjoyed some success against the Australians at Hove with 3 for 70, which followed a five-wicket haul against Middlesex, although his overall Championship returns this season are a modest 21 wickets at 40.09.
Geoff Miller, the national selector, said: "Chris Tremlett has worked hard to regain fitness and form following a couple of injuries and his performances for Surrey this season have been very encouraging. Including an additional spinner in Monty Panesar who has plenty of international experience provides Alastair Cook and Andy Flower with a number of options.
"Kevin Pietersen is continuing his recovery from a calf strain and he will be assessed by the medical team closer to the start of the Test and we have therefore included an extra batsman in James Taylor who has been in good form for Nottinghamshire this season." Miller said. Taylor is currently playing for Sussex against the Australians in the tour match at Hove.
It would be a quirk of fate if it were to be Taylor who replaced Pietersen, given the stories that emerged following his Test debut against South Africa, at Headingley last year, where he had an extended partnership with Pietersen, although may not have overly impressed his senior team-mate.
After being abruptly dropped after his two appearances against South Africa, and not even named in the England performance squad at the start of the season, Taylor was told to churn out the runs at domestic level and work on some technical flaws which concerned the selectors, specifically his ability to handle deliveries outside off stump.
His performances for Nottinghamshire, where he has made 824 runs at 58.85 in the Championship, mean he has done all he can at county level to make the selectors consider him again.
Squad Alastair Cook (capt), Joe Root, Jonathan Trott, Kevin Pietersen, Ian Bell, Jonny Bairstow, James Taylor, Matt Prior, Tim Bresnan, Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann, James Anderson, Chris Tremlett, Monty Panesar
Babar takes Pakistan home off last ball
You get a chance to play international cricket at 34, becoming the second-oldest debutant for your country. You are hit for six second ball. What do you do? You dismiss three key batsmen for just 23 runs. You are then called on to finish the game. With the bat. Understandably, you are tied down. But with six needed off six, you loft over extra cover for four. You think you have more than pulled your weight as a debutant. You have, but it is not over yet. It comes down to the last ball. One run needed. Everyone is in the circle. No sweat. You go big over mid-off, so big that you clear the rope. Zulfiqar Babar, welcome to international cricket.
It should not have come down to the last ball the wayShahid Afridi sensibly steered the chase from 86 for 5. After that became 116 for 6, he did it with the tail for company. He made 46 off 27, but barring the 27th delivery, he hardly hit a desperate, reckless stroke. With eight needed off 11 though, he tried to seal it with a straight six, and mishit to long-on.
West Indies sensed a chance. Babar played out a few dots. Despite that early boundary in the last over, Saeed Ajmal was run out off the fifth with the scores tied, before Babar roared one final time.
The way they bowled and fielded, West Indies were lucky to have taken it down to the last ball. Shannon Gabriel took three wickets, but he crumbled under pressure each time he was called upon to deliver.Umar Amin, who played a blinder on T20 debut, took three fours off Gabriel's first over, with a flick and two pulls.
Amin then took Samuel Badree apart on a turning pitch. Never giving the ball a chance to spin, he repeatedly stepped out to loft Badree down the ground. When the bowler dropped it
short, Amin pulled. When he overpitched, Amin drove. Even as Amin was toying with West Indies, the hosts were striking at the other end.
The Pakistan top order fell to miscalculated hits, but Amin's brilliance meant the asking-rate was always under control. That still didn't stop Amin from walking out to Samuels and getting stumped to make it 86 for 5.
Afridi took over now, striking Samuels first ball for six over long-off and drilling the third to the extra cover rope. Thereafter, he settled down into cruise mode, rotating the strike, picking the odd boundary and also lofting Sunil Narine to become the first man to reach 400 international sixes. He did everything right except the stroke on the ball he got out to, but then, it was to be the debutant's day in the end.
Babar, and the other Pakistan spinners, had shocked West Indies initially on the turner but the hosts recovered and then took apart the fast bowlers to post a challenging total. Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollardcame together at 42 for 4 and put on 56 before Darren Sammy cracked 30 off 14. Pakistan's slow bowlers did their job, taking 5 for 74 in 14 overs but the fast bowlers, missing the yorkers too often, disappeared for 1 for 73 in six. Mohammad Hafeez, who opened the bowling and dismissed the openers, gave himself just two overs.
Babar squared up and bowled Lendl Simmons with his fourth delivery and in his next over, found himself in the way of a powerful hit from Samuels, but managed to hold on. Samuels had been cutting Mohammad Irfan for boundaries amid all the wickets.
Bravo and Pollard, although not always in control, rotated the strike, a refreshing thing coming from a West Indies pair. Bravo was quick to hit with the turn through the off side, and Pollard made sure he put away the rare half-volleys for boundaries. Sammy went after the fast bowlers as he and Pollard looted 53 in four overs. As Sammy said after the game, 152 should have been defended on that pitch, but Babar was to have the perfect debut.
Saturday, July 27, 2013
South Africa beat Sri Lankaby 56 runs
What a difference two overs can make. That was all it took for South
Africa to stay alive in the series, have their confidence restored and
beat Sri Lanka at home for the first time in close to 20 years.
The 49th and 50th over of their nnings produced 38 runs and took their
total from middling to challenging. David Miller scored 35 of them
himself - prior to this match no South African batsman had managed a
score greater than 29 in the series - hitting Thisara Perera and Lasith
Malinga straight down the ground. He proved South Africa could be
competitive and could come back after being under pressure in the first
two matches, and even large sections of the third.
And what a difference an over can almost make. Perera hit Robin Peterson for the second-most expensive
over in ODI cricket to throw Sri Lanka back into contention after they
slumped to 93 for 7. The 35 runs included five sixes and a four, Perera
displaying his prowess, especially over the leg-side.
Like Miller, he showed the temperament required to succeed in conditions
where the surfaces are sluggish - survive first, thrive later. Unlike
the South African, Perera was asked to do too much at the end.
Because Miller did not have a target to chase, he had less pressure on
him. His strike rate hovered between 70 and 80 for most of his stay at
the crease as he settled in. He needed AB de Villiers to usher him
through the period where even singles were hard to come by and soon
realised patience would pay off.
Only at the very end, when Perera and Malinga seemed to have dinner
rather than death bowling on their minds, did Miller pounce on anything
too full and one which was too short. Miller registered the first South
African half-century on the tour after their top order failed - Hashim
Amla's absence is growing glaring as each match goes by.
South Africa tried a third opening pair in as many matches with Lions'
team-mates Alviro Petersen and Quinton de Kock fronting up first. Both
were watchful but de Kock was unable to contain his attacking instincts
and was vulnerable outside the offstump.
He offered a chance in the fourth over when he swung at a wide one
without any foot movement but Tillakaratne Dilshan at slip could not
hold on. Sri Lanka hit back two balls later when Malinga bowled his
first short ball and Petersen tried to hook too early, only to glove it
to Kumar Sangakkara.
Sri Lanka's attack continued to find the edge of de Kock's bat and the
youngster fell on his sword to open South Africa's middle up to a
familiar state of panic. Both JP Duminy and Faf du Plessis posted
insubstantial scores, with Duminy looking good again but unable to kick
on and du Plessis uneasy at the crease and almost run out twice before
actually being found short of his ground.
De Villiers looked closer to breaking the lean run but Sri Lanka's
spinners and Ajanthan Mendis in particular did not let him get away.
Mendis was difficult to pick while Rangana Herath and Dilshan kept
things tight. It was only when Miller decided to hit out that the
complexion of South Africa's tour became a little rosier.
Things got better for them from there as the fit-again Lonwabo Tsotsobe
did the bulk of the damage upfront. He plucked three wickets in a
six-over spell in which he extracted bounce, produced seam movement and
partnered Morne Morkel to perfection.
Morkel created pressure at his end with pace and steep lift, while
Tsotsobe's accuracy ensured eight dot balls were produced before the
first run was scored. Sri Lanka's were troubled by anything back of a
length and Dilshan was the first to succumb. He spooned a catch to de
Villiers at cover before Kumar Sangakkara went in the same over, chasing
one that moved away.
Upul Tharanga was also undone by bounce and edged Tsotsobe to Petersen
at slip. With Sri Lanka at 16 for 3, South Africa were in control for
the first time in the series.
They held the match in their grip even as Mahela Jayawardene and Dinesh
Chandimal combined for a 55-run stand. Robin Peterson reviewed an lbw
shout against Jayawardene, which was going down leg and Jayawardene
survived a stumping chance when Peterson was bowling but the left-arm
spinner had the last laugh. Peterson bowled Jayawardene with one that
skidded on, but that was the end of his involvement in the night.
Peterson's figures were ruined by Perera, who hit his first four sixes
over the mid-wicket boundary. Then, he sent Peterson back over his head
for four and he finished with the biggest hit of the night, over square
leg.
That over brought Sri Lanka's required run-rate below six but, it would
take more than one over to change the course of the match. Perera had a
few more meaty hits, but he didn't have a second over to match his first
and when he was dismissed, Sri Lanka's hopes went with him.
West Indies v Pakistan, 1st T20, St Vincent
In what has been a disappointing home season for West Indies, with the
twin failures in the tri-series and a 3-1 defeat in the one-day series
to Pakistan, the hosts have a chance to salvage pride in a format that
hasn't let them down in recent months - Twenty20. Since winning the
World T20 in Sri Lanka last year, West Indies have not dropped a single
game, and with history on their side, nothing less than a 2-0 triumph
will be enough to bring some cheer to their fans as the islands prepare
for a brace of T20s in the form of the Caribbean Premier League, which
gets underway two days after the two back-to-back games against
Pakistan.
Save for series victories against unfancied Zimbabwe at home, West
Indies have been a let down against better opposition, starting from the
Champions Trophy. The expectations were raised after winning a world
title last year and winning six consecutive Tests (albeit against the
weaker sides). Fatigue was one of the factors attributed to their slump,
with several key batsmen like Chris Gayle, Kieron Pollard and Dwayne
Bravo taking active part in the IPL and other leagues, without much rest
between series. It has shown in the performances in at least two of the
three players and there is very little time to turn the corner. It was a
forgettable season for another reason: the decision to sacrifice Tests
for more one-dayers for monetary reasons and accommodating the CPL is
unpalatable for the cricket purist. It appears that T20s are the flavour
of the season, starting Saturday.
Not too long ago, Pakistan had endured a similar slump, bowing out of
the Champions Trophy without a win. Commonsense prevailed when the
selectors chose not to make the captain the scapegoat and instead
recalled impact players like Shahid Afridi and Umar Akmal, who made
vital contributions in the one-dayers. The batsmen had a lot to answer
for after the debacle in England and in testing batting conditions in
the West Indies, there was an improvement, at least in the last three
games. Misbah-ul-Haq, much ridiculed for his conservative approach to
batting which sometimes drastically slows down the innings, was the
pivot around which the batting revolved. His one-day numbers in 2013
speak for themselves, but he is not around for the T20s. Can Pakistan be
just as effective without him?
Form guide
West Indies WWWWW (most recent first, last five completed matches)Pakistan WLWLW
Friday, July 26, 2013
Pakistan win Series 3-1 Against Westindies
With his fourth half-century in five games this series, the world's
leading ODI run-getter of 2013 shepherded his volatile band of batsmen
home in another tricky chase. Misbah-ul-Haq battled falling wickets at
the other end, a charged up Tino Best, and a rain interruption as late
as the 98th over of the game to take Pakistan to their third successive
away bilateral series win over West Indies. Yet again this series, Umar
Akmal was called upon to overcome the asking-rate towards the end, and
once more, he did not disappoint, delivering the series to Pakistan with
a 3-1 margin.
Misbah formed partnerships with Ahmed Shehzad, Haris Sohail and Akmal
before falling in the last over trying to slog the winning hit, with the
scores tied. He had already ensured Pakistan had won the series; a tie
would have meant the margin would have been 2-1.
When Sohail became the latest profligate Pakistan batsman to fall,
chasing a wide Best delivery, Pakistan needed 83 from 12 overs. Best,
having conceded 25 off his first three overs, was in the mood for a
furious comeback. Pinging down bouncers in the mid-140s, he smacked one
into Misbah's fingers. While the storm was being weathered by the
captain, Akmal did his act at the other end.
The inexperienced Jason Holder was taken for three successive fours in
the next over, the 41st, the second of those coming off a poor effort at
fine leg from Marlon Samuels. It wasn't the first time West Indies had
messed up in the field today, and it wasn't to be the last. Akmal
steered a short ball to the fine third man rope next ball. Holder
cracked further under pressure, four leg-byes resulting off Misbah's pad
down the leg side off the last ball of the over.
Misbah managed a four off an inside edge to Sunil Narine next over and
held his nerve to reverse-sweep the offspinner for four more. Then
arrived the moment which once again highlighted what a farce a
watered-down DRS
has been in this series, in the absence of HotSpot. West Indies were
sure Misbah had gloved a Best bouncer to the keeper down leg, the
on-field umpire did not agree, and the third umpire had too much
guesswork to do with only replays and sound as tools. Misbah was on 49
then, and Pakistan would have needed 53 of 46 had he been given. Darren
Bravo had been given caught-behind on referral on the basis of sound
earlier and West Indies had a right to expect consistency.
Though Best predictably lost his temper, West Indies were not giving in.
Dwayne Bravo, who often disappears for plenty at the death, delivered
two tight overs. But Akmal found the big stroke when Pakistan sorely
needed it. Narine was cut for four, Best was carted over mid-off for
six. A top-edge flew over the keeper for four more, but even as clouds
swept in over the stadium, Akmal holed out to mid-off for 37 off 28.
A 20-minute break followed but Pakistan were ahead on D/L by five runs,
and safe in the knowledge that the series was theirs, in case no further
play was possible. Sunshine followed soon, though, and Shahid Afridi
weighed in at the hit end of the hit-or-miss scale. Bravo was pulled for
six over deep midwicket and punched past point for four. Game over? Not
yet.
Misbah hit Holder to short midwicket second ball of the final over, and
Saeed Ajmal took three deliveries to get bat on ball. Had the throw from
mid-on hit, it would have gone down to the final ball. It didn't, and
Afridi and Ajmal hugged, as did their team-mates in the Pakistan
dressing room.
Credit for the win also went to Shehzad, who made his first substantial
score of the series, and guided Pakistan's chase amid tight bowling from
Narine and Darren Sammy. The pitch eased out further in the second
innings. Cutting and pulling without trouble, Nasir Jamshed and Shehzad
brought up Pakistan's first 50-run opening stand in 17 innings,
excluding a game against Scotland.
Trust Pakistan to blow such a rare promising start. Jamshed was stranded
for the second game running, Shehzad taking a few steps and stopping
this time, after Mohammad Hafeez in the previous game. Hafeez himself
got a start and then had a heave at Sammy. However, Shehzad had Misbah
to steady things.
The opposing captain's cameo had earlier taken his side to to 242 for 7
from 170 for 6. Dwayne Bravo, with 48 off 27, was assisted by his
predecessor, Darren Sammy, who made an unbeaten 29 off 18.
The West Indies top six never managed any sort of sustained partnership.
Two of them, Johnson Charles and Samuels, got forties, but were also
the ones who struggled to score the most. Devon Smith fell early yet
again. Chris Gayle and Lendl Simmons were unable to convert starts.
Junaid Khan was outstanding, barring the last over when Sammy went after
him, making a case for him to have played through the series. Mohammad
Irfan was unlucky not to break through in his opening spell, but came
back even stronger to remove Charles and Samuels. West Indies took 64
from the last five overs, but Misbah's calm and Akmal's aggression were
enough to overhaul that.
South Africa hope for respite in Pallekele
Pallekele International Cricket Stadium was modeled on Supersport Park
in Pretoria. The grass banks and open spaces are similar, the stands
bear the same minimalistic, angular roof and even the floodlight towers
seem like carbon copies. Unlike Supersport Park, the Pallekele ground is
nestled in the hills and closeted by heavy vegetation, but having
struggled with adapting to Sri Lankan conditions, the South Africa team
will hope it is more like home than the Premadasa Stadium.
The surface has gained a reputation for being more conducive to fast
bowling than most in the subcontinent, and the tall South Africa quicks
should enjoy the bounce and carry that has often been a feature at the
venue. They are on an 11-loss streak against Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka, but
perhaps they will also be buoyed by the fact that Sri Lanka have lost
half their completed matches at the ground, most recently to Bangladesh
in March. Kandy's cooler temperatures, and mountain breeze will be a
welcome change from Colombo's heavy heat as well.
Despite the attack having been dismantled in the first match, it is the
batting that appears the area of deepest concern for South Africa, with
no batsman having breached 30 in the two matches thus far. They have
been somewhat short of opportunities to play long innings, given their
chase was shortened to 21 overs in the second ODI, but they did not
mount a serious challenge to Sri Lanka's totals in either match, and
will almost certainly be bereft of
Hashim Amla's services again, as they attempt to ignite the talent in their batting order.
Angelo Mathews returns for Sri Lanka, and the balance he brings,
particularly with the ball, may prove crucial if the pitch assists the
seamers. He will also be motivated by the prospect of overseeing his
first ODI-series victory, even if some of the work has already been done
for him. Sri Lanka will hope too, that the psychological position they
have earned in this series will not be squandered at a less favoured
venue, as they begin to eye a rare whitewash against a top side.
Form guide
(most recent first, last five completed matches)Sri Lanka: WWLLW
South Africa: LLLTW
Misbah to play in Caribbean Premier League
Misbah-ul-Haq, the Pakistan captain, will replace Australia's Luke Pomersbach
in the St Lucia Zouks side for the inaugural Caribbean Premier League
season. Pomersbach has been forced to pull out of the tournament, which
begins next week, on compassionate leave. Misbah will enter the
competition fresh from a Man-of-the-Series performance in the one-day series against West Indies, which ended on Wednesday.
"Although it is unfortunate that Luke Pomersbach will not be joining us,
we have a high-quality replacement in Misbah-ul-Haq," Matthew Maynard,
the Zouks assistant coach, said. "He brings with him a vast amount of
experience of international cricket, something that will only be of
benefit to our younger players, and his latest Twenty20 performance
speaks for itself. On top of that he has been in excellent form during
the recent ODI series against West Indies so he is completely
acclimatised and match-ready and that is an added plus for us and for
him."
Misbah, who led Faisalabad Wolves to victory in Pakistan's Super Eight
T-20 Cup in March, will join Darren Sammy and Tino Best, as well as
overseas players Herschelle Gibbs, Albie Morkel and Tamim Iqbal at the
Zouks. He was the highest run-getter in the recently concluded series
against West Indies, with 260 runs in five ODIs, including four fifties.
The Caribbean Premier League starts on July 30 in Barbados and concludes on August 24 in Trinidad.
Zimbabwe bowl, Vitori in
Zimbabwe won what has been a crucial toss at Harare Sports Club, asking
India to bat in an early morning start. After losing the toss and being
inserted in bowler-friendly conditions in the first game, Brendan
Taylor's luck improved second time around, and Zimbabwe will hope that
gives them a much better chance of competing with India.
The hosts made one change, beefing up their seam attack with the
inclusion of Brian Vitori in place of the legspinner Tino Mutombodzi, a
decision that should help them better utilise the helpful morning
conditions. India were unchanged.
Zimbabwe's openers survived testing spells from the India quick bowlers
in the first game, but consumed 22 overs in putting on 72. This time, it
will be another test at the top of the order after the Champions Trophy
and West Indies tri-series assignments for Rohit Sharma, playing his
100th ODI.
Zimbabwe: 1 Vusi Sibanda, 2 Sikandar Raza, 3 Hamilton Masakadza, 4
Brendan Taylor (capt & wk), 5 Sean Williams, 6 Malcolm Waller, 7
Elton Chigumbura, 8 Prosper Utseya, 9 Brian Vitori, 10 Kyle Jarvis, 11
Tendai Chatara
India: 1 Shikhar Dhawan, 2 Rohit Sharma, 3 Virat Kohli (capt), 4
Ambati Rayudu, 5 Suresh Raina, 6 Dinesh Karthik (wk), 7 Ravindra Jadeja,
8 Amit Mishra, 9 Vinay Kumar, 10 Jaydev Unadkat, 11 Mohammed Shami
Thursday, July 25, 2013
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Cook can go past Tendulkar - Pietersen
Kevin Pietersen has marked his anticipated England comeback by boldly predicting that Alastair Cook has the ability to challenge Sachin Tendulkar's world-record number of Test runs.
Tendulkar, with 15837 Test runs,
is more than 2000 ahead of his nearest rival, Ricky Ponting - and he is
not quite finished yet. Cook remains 8000 adrift, although he has
regularly matched Tendulkar at the same stage of his career, leaving
Pietersen no doubt the record is within his compass.
Pietersen, who is expected to return for England on Thursday in the
second T20 international against New Zealand, has always freely admitted
that he has little knowledge of cricket history, which will be a relief
to Cook, who has enough problems to deal with in managing England's
Ashes campaign without being tipped to surpass the most celebrated
living batsman.
Pietersen's accolade for Cook came in the second part of a pre-recorded
interview with Darren Gough on Talksport - an interview which, in
protest at the English media's coverage of his controversial career, he
has billed as his only major pronouncement of the summer.
"His first series was against India away and we beat India," Pietersen
said of Cook. "He's done exceptionally well, his cricket just keeps
getting better and better.
"For me he's the right man to lead England, he's doing a great job for
us and he will continue to get better and better and break every record
anyone's ever set, certainly in the English game. He's on target to go
for Tendulkar's numbers, if you look at the numbers and look at his
age."
Pietersen also offered glowing praise for another colleague who is tipped to have a long and fruitful England career in Joe Root - not that he was overly aware who the young Yorkshireman joining England on tour for the first time in India last winter was.
"I never knew of him, I never heard of him, because when you're on the
scene and young players come you just don't," he said. "But I knew that
he was going to be good when he walked out to bat in Nagpur in his first
Test match."
By the time Root made his debut England were 2-1 up with one Test to
play and needed to avoid defeat to win their first series in India for
28 years.
"I was batting and… we just didn't want to let India back into it at all
and he walked out and - just his face walking towards me for 20 metres -
I thought this kid's going to be a flipping superstar.
"It was just the confidence that he walked out to bat with in his debut
Test match in India, two spinners bowling, from each end, we'd just lost
a wicket or a couple of wickets and he walked out with a smile on his
face, and went 'All right lad, you ok, you're playing well there.' And I
was like, 'Mate! I've played 90 odd Test matches and I don't walk out
like that.' But it's brilliant for English cricket, absolutely
brilliant."
Pietersen, no stranger to controversy, even expressed admiration for the
way Root handled himself in the wake of the Walkabout bar incident in
Birmingham in the early hours of the morning when David Warner pulled
off a wig Root was wearing and, literally, threw the first punch of the
Ashes summer.
According to Pietersen, the affair was exaggerated by the media - a view
not shared by Cricket Australia, which quickly banned Warner until the
start of the Ashes series. Root was unfazed, though.
"He knew the media were going to be on him all day and he'd had a
haircut - he looked sharp! I think he knows how to deal with it,"
Pietersen said. "I saw him that day and he couldn't believe what was
being made of it, but welcome to English cricket and welcome to how the
media works."
Specifically referring to Wisden's assessment of Pietersen as
"arrogant, self-pitying and isolated", Gough drew attention to the fact
that Pietersen's relationship with the English media is now as unhealthy
as with any player since Tony Greig conspired on behalf of Kerry
Packer's breakaway World Series Cricket in the 1970s.
Pietersen responded: "I've been burnt too many times and it's just a
case of me now concentrating on my cricket and playing my cricket as
best I can because that whole situation hurt my family too much. I get
it all day every day.
"Somebody asked me yesterday, 'Can you take some constructive
criticism?' I said, 'Excuse me? You're talking to somebody who has it
for breakfast, lunch and dinner.' So it doesn't affect me, it's water
off a duck's back now. I have absolutely no interest in it but it hurt
my family and my best mates.
"You go through rocky patches in every walk of life - business,
marriage, as a kid, through your teenage years. In a dressing room not
everyone's going to get on and I know you had altercations in your
dressing room.
"I know some other great players who I speak to in other countries when I
hear the things that go on in other dressing rooms now and it happens,
it's going to happen. Unfortunately it was quite a famous fall out
because of what happened but, no, everything's absolutely fantastic, we
showed that in India the way we got on and played well and beat India in
India.
"I just want to get the best out of my talent. I just live for each day,
I play each day. I go out and try new things. I've got that
personality, that impatient personality, that wants to try things, wants
to do things, wants to achieve things and I'll never stop trying."
Pietersen also has ambitions to follow the footballer David Beckham and
his wife Victoria into the fashion industry. "These last three months
that I've been injured I've had quite a bit of time on my hands to sort
the business side of life out," he said. "I am heavily involved in a
clothing company and a footwear company in India. I've got some
different stuff, other things on the horizon that I'm negotiating,
talking about and signing off."
Watson to open in Ashes - Lehmann
Shane Watson
will open the batting for Australia in the first Test against England
at Trent Bridge, the new national team coach, Darren Lehmann, has said.
In an unmistakable indicator of the stamp Lehmann is placing on the team
in the wake of the deposed Mickey Arthur, Watson was instantly moved to
the top of the order for the tour match against Somerset before a frank declaration that the allrounder would be staying there for the Investec Ashes, runs permitting.
Nottingham will thus be the first time Watson has opened for Australia
in a Test match since the second Test against South Africa in
Johannesburg in November 2011. There has been much debate over Watson's
best place in the team ever since, heightened by his lack of runs in
posts other than that at the top of the order, where he flourished under
Ricky Ponting's captaincy from 2009 to 2011. Lehmann left little doubt
he felt it was Watson's best position.
"Shane, yeah, he'll be opening for us," Lehmann said. "That's where we
want him to bat and he's done really well for us there and we're quite
keen for him to open and to have a big part in the Ashes and obviously
make a lot of runs for us and start the innings up well.
"He's been up and down the order but his most success has been as an
opener. We hope he gets a big score here for us tomorrow and see how we
go. You need good starts to make big scores against a good side so we
need him to give us good starts to put pressure on England.
"We've talked about wanting blokes to perform and if you perform you'll
have a chance to play in the first Test. We want to give everyone in our
squad the opportunity to perform well in the tour games and that's what
we're about."
Watson missed the remainder of the 2011-12 summer with hamstring and
calf injuries before returning to the Test team at No. 3 in the West
Indies, later moving to No. 4. He struggled to balance his batting with
the level of bowling required of him by Clarke, and a sequence of
injuries, poor batting form and general discontent followed. Lehmann and
Clarke have now granted Watson the chance he craved.
At the same time they have also opened up plenty of conjecture about the
remainder of the batting order. Cowan is Watson's opening partner at
Taunton but Chris Rogers waits in the wings, while David Warner's return
to the team after suspension would now appear more likely to be as a
middle-order player.
Watson did not bowl on day one of the Somerset fixture but Lehmann said
this was intended to allow the other five bowlers chosen the maximum
chance of running into form and rhythm ahead of the Tests. "We want to
have a look at the other four bowlers, and that's the only reason,"
Lehmann said. "But he'll bowl next game no dramas."
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
PCB in turmoil after chairman's suspension
The crisis in the PCB surrounding the suspension of Zaka Ashraf as chairman is having its deepest impact on the team's tour of the West Indies in the middle of July, starting with the memorandum of understanding between two boards and the selection of the team. It has also led to a delay in the PCB budget this year that, among other things, could affect salaries and player contracts.
The suspension of Ashraf has also led to an impasse in the board, with officials saying it is not possible for key decisions to be signed, be it the MoU with the WICB or the search for the home broadcasters. Ashraf's suspension is now being argued in the Islamabad High Court, which on Wednesday once again ordered the government to name an interim PCB chairman within three days and report on the next hearing on June 24.
In a third hearing of the judicial petition against the PCB's new constitution, the court decision left the board's major activities on hold. This uncertain status at the top could make its first dent at the ICC's annual meeting next week, as Pakistan along with other Full Members are due to give their response to the ICC guidelines about decreased government interference in cricket administration.
The PCB constitution allows its chairman near-absolute powers, making it almost a one-man show. Under the PCB constitution, the PCB chairman is also the chief executive officer and every major decision needs his approval - effectively giving the post of chief operating officer very limited powers.
The PCB was undecided about who will represent them at the conference, starting June 25. In 2011 the ICC had given a two-year deadline to the member boards to democratise their constitutions and remove government involvement in a bid to improve governance. Even though the ICC had relaxed its clause about the role of governments and the PCB tweaked its constitution slightly under Ashraf's chairmanship, the current situation is bound to raise concerns.
When Ashraf became the first incumbent elected president for another four-year term in May, it was the first such appointment under the new constitution. The IHC, however, ordered Ashraf's suspension, citing the election process "dubious" and "polluted".
The court, however, had not suspended the new constitution. The petition against the PCB was centred on the amendments made in it, especially those pertaining to the election of the chairman.
A government lawyer Irfanullah informed the IHC that former Pakistan c
aptain Majid Khan was among three candidates for the role of acting chairman, and their names have already sent to the Prime Minister - who will make a final call. The commentator Chishty Mujahid and former chief of the Federal Board of Revenue Mumtaz Haider Rizvi are the other candidates.
The revised constitution also restructured the composition of the board of governors. The new 14-member body included five regional representatives selected on a rotation basis, five representatives of service organisations and departments, two non-voting former cricketers appointed on the recommendation of the chairman and two non-voting technocrats picked from a panel of three recommended by the chairman in consultation with the President of Pakistan. The term of each member was to be one year, but large regional associations like Lahore and Karachi along with Sialkot, Faisalabad and Multan are keen to have a permanent role on the board.
Injured Irfan Pathan out of tri-series
India allrounder Irfan Pathan
has been ruled out of the upcoming tri-series in the West Indies due to
a hamstring injury. He has been replaced by the right-arm seamer Shami Ahmed, who has already played five ODIs.
Irfan was part of the Champions Trophy squad but did not get a game. He
bowled in the warm-up match against Sri Lanka and finished with
expensive figures of 0 for 45 from five overs. Irfan last played for
India during the limited-overs tour of Sri Lanka in 2012 but another
hamstring injury cut short his Ranji Trophy season.
Shami, who represents Bengal, made his debut when Pakistan toured India
for a limited-overs series in January. Shami's inclusion is the only
change to the squad, which otherwise has the same set of players who were picked for the Champions Trophy.
"It is nice to be called back into the squad," Shami told ESPNcricinfo
from Kolkata hours before leaving for Jamaica, where India will open
their campaign on June 30 against the hosts. "I think I fared pretty
well against Pakistan and England (earlier this year) and had received
encouraging feedback from my team-mates and coaching staff."
Shami made his international debut in a low-scoring ODI against Pakistan
in Delhi in January. He returned with an impressive haul of 1 for 23
off nine overs, becoming the first Indian bowler to bowl four or more
maiden overs on debut. The right-arm seamer, who relies more on line and
length, then featured in four ODIs against England, taking three
wickets.
However, Shami was benched for most of the IPL, playing only three games
for the Kolkata Knight Riders. Apart from the disappointment of being
left out for the Champions Trophy, what hurt Shami more was the lack of
faith shown on him by his franchise, having worked "really hard" and was
"bowling very well" going into the IPL.
"No doubt it was upsetting. But then I realised, the more you sulk, the
more it hurts, so I stopped thinking about it," Shami said. "Instead I
started focusing on keeping myself fit and striving to improve in the
nets and the results are there to see."
Shami had a good tour of the West Indies with the A team last year,
picking up 13 wickets in three four-day matches. With India sticking to
their winning combination throughout their victorious campaign in
England, Shami realises that he may not get an opportunity in the
tri-series unless the team management decides to rest one of the three
main seamers.
"All that would be in my hands is to be prepared, if and when I am asked
to contribute and I am ready for that," Shami said. "Last year's tour
to the West Indies was a memorable one for me. Let's hope this year
turns out to be no different."
New Zealand blitz squeezes out new-look England
or a supposedly pointless fixture squeezed rudely
into the calendar, this game produced enough wattage to light up a fair
proportion of south London. New Zealand were the victors in a match that
aggregated 397 runs as a full house at The Oval lapped up a classically
rambunctious T20 international.
Hamish Rutherford and Brendon McCullum tore up some mediocre bowling on a
good pitch as New Zealand posted 201 for 4 and, although Luke Wright
muscled a typically busy half-century, England's middle-order was left
with too much to do after Ian Butler and Mitchell McClenaghan struck in
successive overs.
Butler's dismissal of Eoin Morgan, via a brilliant, one-handed Ross
Taylor catch, leaping high to his right at slip, was as concussive a
blow as any. For the captain, McCullum, to insert a slip at that stage
was another strikingly aggressive gambit.
Although the ground thrummed to the beat of the White Stripes' "Seven
Nation Army", as the crowd chanted in support of their new cult hero,
Ravi Bopara, his 30 off 18 balls was not quite enough to complete
England's highest successful chase in T20 internationals.
This is what T20 in England is supposed to be about - warm summer
evenings, turbo-charged batting and a well-lubricated crowd ready to
cheer on whichever team hits the hardest. The T20 series with New
Zealand has overshadowed the launch of the Friends Life t20 but there
may be hope that the domestic competition can plug in to a similar power
source for the next couple of months.
The weather will play a big role in that and, after the enforced 20-over
affair during a soggy Champions Trophy final on Sunday, for once the
sun shone and the skies remained clear for a genuine T20 contest.
A side featuring four players in Morgan, Bopara, Jos Buttler and James
Tredwell who took on India, as well as several of England's T20
specialists, may have missed a handful of regulars being protected for
the Ashes but they pushed a more experienced New Zealand all the way.
The five-run loss had a familiar ring but the circumstances couldn't
have been more different to the cagey affair at Edgbaston.
At the end of the Powerplay, England were 67 for 1, which offered a
perky comparison with New Zealand's 54 for 1. Although Michael Lumb was
bowled, playing the ball on to his stumps via a boot in the fourth over,
he had set the tempo with two crunching leg-side blows for six.
His Nottinghamshire partner, Hales, who last made more than 21 six weeks
ago and was coming off a run of 11 single-figures score in 13 innings,
was afforded the slice of luck he required when a top edge flew high to
fine leg and the chasing Rutherford dropped the ball, which then rolled
for four.
The delivery was also called a no-ball - though McClenaghan may have
pointed to Stuart Broad's crucial dismissal of Kane Williamson in these
teams' Champions Trophy encounter by way of defence - and the over went
for 25.
A partnership worth 55 with Wright followed before Hales picked out deep
midwicket with a mishit slog. Wright reached 50 off 29 balls but after
his dismissal the requirement rose to 63 from 30, which for all Bopara's
now-familiar swash and buckle proved beyond England. With 16 needed,
Ben Stokes hit the first ball of the final over for six but the bowler,
Corey Anderson, held his nerve.
The tone for the evening had been set by New Zealand's second-wicket
partnership, worth 114 runs in 67 balls, between Rutherford and
McCullum, with the former scoring his first half-century in a
limited-overs international. McCullum, unusually, was not quite as
belligerent as his partner but he top-scored with 68 from 48 balls in a
manner reminiscent of his form against England when these two teams
began their 16-round, bi-continental tussle back in February.
England inserted New Zealand after Morgan had won the toss and the
stand-in captain's evening was further buoyed by Boyd Rankin, the former
Ireland bowler, taking a wicket with his fourth delivery in an England
shirt. But the next hour and a half went almost as rapidly downhill as
the ball seemed to go forever skyward, Rutherford and McCullum batting
with giddy abandon on a true surface as England were forced into using
seven bowlers.
The pair had evidently not been told this was a glorified exhibition
match, albeit a crowd-pulling one, and set about giving England's
reservists a thorough caning. Rankin and Wright apart, the bowlers
queued up like naughty schoolboys to be disciplined: Chris Woakes' only
over cost 19, including a lazy flick over deep square leg from
Rutherford; Tredwell was sized up for 15 in his first, as Rutherford
clubbed him for consecutive, imperious sixes.
Tredwell was again smashed into the crowd at long-on in his second over,
after Rutherford passed 50 off his 28th delivery. England had reason to
rue Bopara's drop off Jade Dernbach in the fourth over. Rutherford
sliced the ball towards point at just above head height, but Bopara
seemed to have too much spring in his heels and a straightforward chance
deflected away off his wrist.
Bopara later conceded 22 from an over and he and Tredwell, who had
provided crucial spells with the ball in the Champions Trophy final,
bowled four overs at a cost of 64 runs here.
Rankin may find it a little harder to get served in The Greyhound, the
nearby Irish pub in Kennington, after his inclusion confirmed an
anticipated switch to England but there were plenty in the ground who
would have willingly bought him a drink after he struck in his first
over.
His pace and back-of-a-length hostility around off stump made him appear
like an imported Steven Finn knock-off and he soon exposed James
Franklin, in for the hamstrung Martin Guptill, for the imitation opener
that he is - at least at international level - with one that nipped
back. With New Zealand 1 for 1 after four balls, England may have felt
they had the luck of Irish but they had run out of it by the end.
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