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Michael Clarke will lead his predecessor Ricky Ponting and a little-changed touring party to Bangladesh for three limited overs matches after being officially named Australia’s new captain on Wednesday. Clarke will captain Australia in Tests and ODIs, while Cameron White continues as national Twenty20 captain.There was no surprise at the sight of Clarke suited up at the SCG for the announcement, taking on the mantle that he has waited patiently for over a lengthy tenure as vice-captain. “It is a great honour to be appointed captain of Australia but at the same time a great surprise as I wasn’t expecting Ricky Ponting to stand down,” Clarke said. “I have always respected those who have come before me in this role and humbled to think of my name being mentioned alongside theirs.”It did not take long for the matter of Clarke’s popularity to be raised, given another raft of public polls that confirmed he was far from the public’s stand-out choice as leader.”I don’t know exactly why it’s there, but it is and it has probably been there over the whole of my career,” he said. “Hopefully I can earn the respect of the doubters who are out there. No doubt it’s about how I conduct myself on and off the field, I need to continue to be true to myself, and people are entitled to their own opinion but it is important I do everything in the interests of the team, and try to do everything I can to be the best captain I can possibly be.”I don’t sit here and believe I can get the whole of this country to like me, people are always going to have their own views, but for me it’s about respect, it’s about earning that respect, leading the team in the right way, playing cricket in the right manner.”Shane Watson will be the new vice-captain under Clarke. Xavier Doherty has replaced Jason Kejza as the lead spinner in the squad, while James Pattinson has been recalled in place of the retired Shaun Tait. David Hussey is unable to tour due to the imminent birth of his first child.Andrew Hilditch, the chairman of selectors, said in a statement that Doherty deserved his spot in side. “Xavier was not considered for the ICC Cricket World Cup because of a nagging back injury. Jason bowled well in the World Cup, but now Xavier has recovered from injury he deserves to come back into the squad.”He also said that Watson has been earmarked as a player with leadership potential. “Shane Watson is a critical player for Australia’s future and has been identified over the last 12-18 months as someone with leadership potential and we are sure Shane will relish the challenge of being a part of the leadership group needed to guide Australia through this exciting but challenging time.”Clarke said the Bangladesh tour would allow him to strike the right balance in his changed relationship with Ponting, laughing off suggestions the former leader was “the elephant in the room”.”I certainly don’t think Ricky’s any elephant in any room,” Clarke said. “He’s been an amazing player for a long time and I think Bangladesh is going to be a great test for that, to see how it all unfolds. I know he will allow me to do my job to the best of my ability. I have a very good working relationship with Punter and I’m confident that if he can continue to play as well as he has done for such a long time, I’m certain it can work.”While Clarke will have the final call on the batting order whenever he leads, he forecast a summit with Ponting, vice-captain Watson, chairman of selectors Hilditch and coach Tim Nielsen about where the former skipper would bat in Tests.”I think we have a great opportunity after these three one dayers in Bangladesh to sit down and have a look at our Test cricket and one day cricket and work that out,” Clarke said. “In these one dayers coming up I don’t see any reason why Ricky Ponting won’t bat at No.3, his last game for Australia he scored a hundred, he’s had an amazing career batting at No.3.”I certainly don’t think that’ll change in these three one day matches, and then we can sit down and have that conversation and assess when we get back.”Squad: Michael Clarke (capt), Shane Watson, Brad Haddin (wk), Ricky Ponting, Cameron White, Mike Hussey, Callum Ferguson, Tim Paine (wk), Steve Smith, Mitchell Johnson, John Hastings, Brett Lee, Xavier Doherty, James Pattinson.

When Pakistan take on Kenya in Hambantota on Wednesday, it will be their first international match since Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir were banned from the game for spot-fixing. Pakistan lost the sixth and final ODI to New Zealand on the same day – February 5 – since the trio were handed minimum five-year sanctions.The three have not been available for Pakistan since September 2, however, when they were provisionally suspended by the ICC following the Lord’s Test. In that time Pakistan have played 16 ODIs, winning seven and losing eight; they won, however, their most series against New Zealand.Pakistan are trying to move on from it – and there was a real energy and buzz about their practice on Monday – but they have been, and probably will continue to be, reminded of it for some time still. “We all know that we’ve been through tough times but that doesn’t mean we don’t have talent,” coach Waqar Younis said. “We are good enough to beat any team on our given day. I don’t think anybody is even thinking about match-fixing or spot-fixing. We all are geared up because it’s a great tournament.”It hasn’t, however been easy. “Some days are harder than others, but the motivation is there and we try to make sure that we keep delivering,” he said. “I’m glad we had a series just before the World Cup and we won that quite convincingly, and that really gave us momentum. The best way to go about it is don’t read the newspaper in the morning, or see what is in the TV. Just keep focus on the job given to us.”Comments by Stuart Broad, ahead of the warm-up game between the sides in Dhaka – about avoiding Pakistan players in the team hotel – haven’t helped push the issue aside, but Waqar didn’t seem unduly fussed by the attitude. The response, he said, will come on the field.”If someone has that will to keep distance from us then it’s his will,” he said. “As far as Broad is concerned, I don’t want to comment on what he said. If he has said something which is not good, which is not fair to any individual or to any team I don’t want to say anything on that. We will probably show it on the field.”

Derwin Christian made a whirlwind 40 to carry Guyana past Combined Campuses and Colleges by two wickets in what was a high-scoring game. CCC’s total of 175 was set up by a positive second-wicket partnership between William Perkins and Romel Currency, who made 43 apiece. Chadwick Walton then provided the closing flourish with two fours and two sixes in his 12-ball 26. Royston Crandon, who picked up two wickets with his off spin, was the only bowler among the six used by Guyana captain Ramnaresh Sarwan who went for less than six runs an over.In reply, Guyana’s chase started poorly as they lost Travis Dowlin in the third over. CCC’s bowlers struck at regular intervals and at 77 for 5 at the end of 10 overs, Guyana still needed 99 runs of 60 balls. Steven Jacobs and Jonathan Foo added a crucial 40 runs for the sixth wicket before legspinner Nkruma Bonner struck to dismiss both batsmen in the 16th over to swing the momentum in CCC’s favour. However No.9 Christian blasted two fours and four sixes in his unbeaten 13-ball innings to seal a thrilling win for Guyana in the final over with just two balls to spare. With this win, Guyana, who are the defending champions, moved to the top of the table in Group A.An allround bowling performance from Somerset carried them to a comfortable 17-run win over Windward Islands at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua.Somerset won the toss and chose to bat but lost their openers Arul Suppiah and Nick Compton within the first seven overs. James Hildrith and Jos Buttler put on 40 runs for the third wicket to steady the innings. Buttler, who top-scored with 47, then combined with Craig Meschede to add 43 runs for the fourth wicket to take Somerset past the 100-run mark. Meschade and Alfonso Thomas hit some big shots as Somerset reached 139 for 4 off their 20 overs.Windward’s chase started poorly as Gemaal Hussain struck with his medium pace to remove Andre Fletcher and No. 3 Keddy Lesporis cheaply. Max Waller then picked up three crucial wickets with his leg-spin, including that of opener Johnson Charles, who top scored with 36, as Windward looked in deep trouble at 65 for 6. Liam Sebastien and Gary Mathurin added 37 for the seventh wicket but that only delayed the inevitable as Windward managed only 122 off their 20 overs to hand Somerset an easy victory.

Andy Flower and the England selectors have not been afraid to make big calls. James Anderson didn’t play in the World Twenty20, Kevin Pietersen was dropped last summer and Steven Finn left out during the Ashes after taking 14 wickets. They made another in Melbourne on Sunday when Paul Collingwood, England’s most capped one-day player, was omitted for the first match against Australia.Although Andrew Strauss said Collingwood remained firmly in their plans for the World Cup – the final 15-man squad will be named on Wednesday – he added that there would be no quick return. This omission wasn’t dressed up as rotation or resting, this was a clinical dropping because Collingwood isn’t currently part of England’s best one-day side.Michael Vaughan, a close friend of Collingwood, backed the decision to leave him out. “No colly looks a big call but with the way Bell and Trott are playing the right one,” he wrote on Twitter.From a form point of view it was an entirely logical step because Collingwood has had a shocking tour of Australia with 83 runs in five Tests followed by scores of 16 and 6 in the two Twenty20s where he was also captain. He also tailed off badly towards the end of the last English season, yet his ODI record remains impressive with 4978 runs at 36.07 and 106 wickets at 38.63.There is an argument going around that the whole of last year was a write-off for Collingwood, but he still averaged 35.71 in 16 ODIs, although his bowling was less effective with just five wickets at 54.20. However, he has always been more than just about the numbers. What he lacks in natural ability is compensated for by fighting spirit. What was telling in Strauss’s comments was that Collingwood needed to “clear his mind” because mental strength has made him.He’s bounced back before on numerous occasions, including four years ago in Australia where he suffered a significant form slump following his 206 at Adelaide. He then went 14 innings without a fifty before missing a match against Australia, in Sydney, due to illness. He returned for the following game against New Zealand, a shoot-out for a place in the CB Series final, and hit 106 which was followed by an unbeaten 120 and 70 in the two deciders against Australia.Then there was the last time he was officially dropped, for the second Test against South Africa, at Headingley in 2008, following another lean run. He was recalled for the next match, at Edgbaston, and with his career hanging by a thread after a first-innings failure he hit 135 second time around. Collingwood is a man who knows how to fight back.Both Flower and Strauss will be desperate for Collingwood to regain form and confidence because he can play a pivotal role over the next three months. They missed his bowling in the first ODI at the MCG, where little off-cutters would have been ideal for the slow surface, and similar conditions will be prevalent throughout the subcontinent. He also remains one of the best fielders in the world.However, those two facets alone can’t keep him in the side because he is there to score runs. There will be no sentiment or sympathy towards Collingwood and he wouldn’t expect any, either, having always earned his rewards the hard way. Beyond one-day cricket there is Twenty20 to consider, even though England don’t play another until the end of June, where Collingwood is also struggling to justify his place despite being captain.Next April, England will defend their Twenty20 crown in Sri Lanka and it could provide an ideal finishing point for Collingwood’s international career. Now it doesn’t look quite so certain that he will make it that far. Collingwood ended Test cricket on his own terms, but the rest of his England career may be more out of his control.

Gary Kirsten has said he trusts his bowling unit, bolstered by the return of a fit and eager Zaheer Khan, to prove the critics wrong. Responding to former South African cricketers’ comments on the weak bowling unit and lack of pace, Kirsten said, “Bottom line is, we need to get 20 Test wickets. I think we have shown in the last three years that we have the ability to get 20 Test wickets in any conditions. It’s up to us to prove to every one that we can do that here. It’s up to us to prove to ourselves too that we can do that. Obviously nice to have Zaheer back. We look forward to whatever conditions are given to us, and we have the quality in our bowling line-up as well.”Going by the first looks, the conditions should assist the bowlers. Kirsten didn’t go to the rock-hard and green Kingsmead pitch, but observed from the change room. “Looks a similar colour to the outfield,” he said. “Let’s see what comes up in two days’ time.”If there is rain in the lead-up to the Test, as the groundstaff fear, the pitch will retain a lot of moisture, potentially creating a situation where batting first might be as difficult as it was in Centurion. Kirsten said the batsmen would need to be prepared for such a challenge, applying themselves better.”We were well prepared for the last Test,” he said. “It was a tough wicket to bat on on the first day. We probably let ourselves down a bit. We have got to assess the situation and get the best we can get out of the surface as a batting unit. I felt we were 100 runs short in the last Test, and we have got to apply ourselves. The preparation has been very good. The guys are working as hard as they have ever worked. I am happy from that point of view. At the end of the day they have to get on the field and make a play. The players are determined, they are really motivated to do well. They are going to give it their best shot, that’s what we can ask of the players.”Kirsten spoke of the importance of putting up scores close to 400 in the first innings. “We know that if one of our top six is getting a decent score, a big hundred, we are going to get a score in excess of 400,” he said. “The guy that’s in, and it could be anyone, and can get in and bat for a decent amount of time, that will allow us to get to scores of 400. We know that in Test cricket if you are not around about that mark in the first innings, you are going to put yourself under pressure.”The Indian team returned to training on Thursday, after a two-day break following the first Test. MS Dhoni, Harbhajan Singh and Suresh Raina decided to stay off the optional training session at the Kingsmead. Raina is under pressure to keep his place in the side after a twin failure in the first side, but Kirsten said no decision has been made regarding the No. 6 spot.

ScorecardDamien Wright finished the day with 5 for 54•Getty Images

Damien Wright secured a five-wicket haul on a day severely curtailed by rain at the MCG, where Queensland added 61 for the loss of four wickets. The match could become a battle for first-innings points with further wet weather forecast over the next two days, meaning the Bulls will be keen to add to their 9 for 287 when they resume on Sunday.Chris Swan was at the crease on 34 and Luke Feldman had 5 when the rain came just before midday, sending the players inside for a frustrating afternoon that was eventually called off at 4pm. Chris Hartley offered the major resistance for Queensland, reaching 80 before he was caught at slip off the bowling of Clint McKay, who was the only bowler besides Wright to make a breakthrough.Wright (5 for 54) had James Hopes caught behind for 77 and also collected the wicket of Ryan Harris, who was lbw for a duck. The other wicket to fall was that of Cameron Boyce, who was caught at mid-off for 4, shortly before the weather intervened.