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Former India opener also finds support from Irfan Pathan, Manoj Tiwary and Dodda Ganesh

Nagraj Gollapudi11-Feb-2021Former India captain Anil Kumble has led the support from the Indian players’ fraternity to former team-mate Wasim Jaffer after senior officials at Cricket Association of Uttarakhand (CAU) reportedly alleged Jaffer was creating a religious and communal divide in the dressing room. Along with Kumble, others who backed Jaffer included former Indian and Baroda allrounder Irfan Pathan, India and Bengal batsman Manoj Tiwary and former India and Karnataka fast bowler Dodda Ganesh.”With you Wasim,” Kumble said in a tweet posted on Thursday. “Did the right thing. Unfortunately, it’s the players who’ll miss your mentorship.” Incidentally, both Kumble and Jaffer are part of the Kings XI Punjab coaching staff; the former is the director of cricket operations and the latter is the batting coach.The allegations, which were published by Hindi newspaper on Wednesday, quoted the CAU secretary Mahim Verma stating that Jaffer was trying to “break the team through religious activities”. Navneet Mishra, the Uttarakhand team manager, also alleged that Jaffer had also changed the team slogan from ” to ”.Meanwhile, the CAU has asked Mishra to submit a report on the matter. “After looking at the seriousness of the incident related to the Cricket Association of Uttarakhand and Wasim Jaffer, the association has asked men’s senior team’s manager Navneet Mishra to submit a report on the matter,” Verma said in CAU release. “The further course of action will be decided after Mishra submits his report.”We are already questioning the manager about the biosecure bubble breach and will take action against any person/support staff responsible for the same as players’ safety is paramount for us.”On Wednesday, Jaffer denied all the allegations, calling them “baseless” and “petty”. Pathan agreed, saying in a tweet today, that it was “unfortunate” Jaffer had to “explain this”.Anil Kumble, Irfan Pathan, Dodda Ganesh and Manoj Tiwary tweeted in Jaffer’s support•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Incidentally, the allegations emerged a day after Jaffer sent in his resignation as Uttarakhand head coach on February 8 citing “interference in selections”. In an e-mail to senior CAU office bearers and officials, Jaffer singled out Verma for interfering in the team selections and it was the CAU’s secretary’s “laidback and unprofessional approach” which had caused him to “move away”.Last June, the CAU had appointed Jaffer as the head coach for the 2020-21 season. With the pandemic delaying the start of the Indian domestic season, the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy was Jaffer’s first assignment as he arrived in Dehradun for the preparatory camp on December 22. Immediately, Jaffer said, he noticed Verma having a say in cricketing issues including selection for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.”Things had started to get sour between me and Mr. Mahim Verma when I was pressurised in the last team selections for Syed Mushtaq Ali, where Mr. Verma had been pushing the names of players for selection in the team, who were not at all deserving,” Jaffer wrote in the February 8 e-mail. “I had made it very clear then also that for the betterment of cricket in the state going forward, I am not going to entertain such interference in the team selection.”Related

• Jaffer steps down as Uttarakhand coach

• Wasim Jaffer denies reported 'communal' allegations after quitting as Uttarakhand coach

Apparently, Jaffer’s riposte did not deter Verma. According to Jaffer, he spoke to Verma on January 30, regarding the selection of the squad for the forthcoming Vijay Hazare Trophy tournament. Jaffer wanted to finalise the squad along with the Uttarakhand selection panel head Rizwan Shamshad, the former Uttar Pradesh fast bowler. Jaffer told Verma he “wanted our team to go and play at least 4-5 practice matches with other association so I can observe the performances of the players and temperament in conditions away from Dehradun”.On February 3, Verma told Jaffer in an e-mail that Shamshad’s panel had been asked to pick the squad by February 1. “I had e-mailed a team of 22 players to the secretary, selection committee and CEO on 7th Feb night as my recommendation and feedback but I did not receive even a reply or a call and the team was announced on 8th Feb which I being the Head Coach received on 8th Feb late evening. I had been continuously in touch with the CEO since my appointment was done and had been smoothly coordinating with Mr. [Aman] Singh in regards to all cricketing requirements but even on that front I was asked by Mr. Verma to directly coordinate with him as he is the secretary of the association and going forward this has also resulted in many delays and no plan of action was discussed ever.”According to Jaffer, Shamshad had “not even once” contacted him before finalising the Uttarakhand squad for the Vijay Hazare Trophy. “Being the Head Coach and being with the team continuously for the last 3-4 months I expect at least some feedbacks to be taken.”Jaffer, 42, retired from cricket having played for more than two decades during which he played 31 Tests for India, won eight Ranji Trophy titles with Bombay and two more with Vidarbha, for whom he played as a professional. Jaffer said he had turned down offers from overseas including the batting coach role at Bangladesh to focus on Uttarakhand. But the episode had left him “disheartened”.”I feel really sad for the players as I genuinely think that they have lot of potential and can learn so much from me but are denied with this opportunity because of so much interference & bias-ness of selectors and Secretary in the selection matters for non-deserving players. If the Honorary Secretary of CAU would want to inculcate such kind of work environment while not letting me take certain decisions pertaining to the team’s welfare and performance. Then I don’t think there’s any valid reason for me to continue as Head Coach of Men’s Senior team of CAU.”I had an offer of becoming batting coach of Bangladesh test team, Head Coach Sri Lanka premier league, Head Coach Dubai T10 and Head Coach offers from other reputed state associations but I refused them all because of my commitment to CAU that I had made. I had put in a lot of efforts into shaping up the Men’s team keeping in mind the future aspects of the state and its players but such a laid back & unprofessional approach from Mr. Verma has forced me to move away from CAU. It is really very disheartening to see that so much talent in the state is being wasted just because of such approach.”

Muhammad Musa Khan, Khushdil Shah and Usman Qadir are the new faces in the T20I squad

Danyal Rasool in Lahore21-Oct-2019Not only is Sarfaraz Ahmed absent from the Pakistan Test and T20I squads bound for Australia, in a major shake-up, head coach and chief selector Misbah-ul-Haq has named a host of new faces in both the touring groups.

Pakistan squads

T20Is: Babar Azam (capt), Asif Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Sohail, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Imam-ul-Haq, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Irfan, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Musa Khan, Shadab Khan, Usman Qadir, Wahab Riaz
Tests: Azhar Ali (capt), Abid Ali, Asad Shafiq, Babar Azam, Haris Sohail, Imam-ul-Haq, Imran Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Kashif Bhatti, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Musa Khan, Nasim Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shan Masood, Yasir Shah

Muhammad Musa Khan, the 19-year-old seamer, has been included in both the squads. Khushdil Shah, the 24-year-old middle-order batsman, and Abdul Qadir’s son Usman Qadir, the 26-year-old legspinner, were the new faces in the T20I squad, to be captained by Babar Azam, while Azhar Ali’s Test side included Kashif Bhatti, the domestic veteran who bowls left-arm spin and is the fifth-highest wicket-taker in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy this year, and Nasim Shah the 16-year-old fast bowler, who was a surprise pick. He rose to prominence with a six-wicket haul on his Quaid-e-Azam Trophy debut last year, and has fast become something of a regular for Central Punjab.ALSO READ – Usman Qadir: lost in Pakistan, found in AustraliaIn Pakistan’s post-World Cup shake-up, Sarfaraz had been sacked as captain of the Test and T20I sides and a decision on the ODI captaincy was put on hold, as Pakistan’s next 50-over assignment isn’t until July next year. Also out of the Test side are Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Hasan Ali, who is nursing an injury, Shadab Khan, and Mohammad Amir, who had announced his retirement from the longest format earlier this year.In T20Is, there was no place for Ahmed Shehzad and Umar Akmal, who were selected in controversial circumstances for the series at home against Sri Lanka recently, while Ashraf and Mohammad Nawaz were also left out.”A series to Australia has always been a challenge for Pakistan, and is very important, too,” Misbah said. “Being a player, it was always our wish to go to Australia and perform well, and win games and series there. because Australia, England and South Africa are places where it is incredibly difficult to win, and when you do, the world sits up and takes notice. We want to play competitive, aggressive, fearless cricket there, because this is the only way to beat them at home.”The team we have selected has been chosen with that in mind, and we have a number of surprise packages in our team that we feel confident will be able to challenge Australia. Be that T20Is or Test cricket, you will see young, exciting players. My message is clear: we want youngsters to get a chance, we believe in them and they are our future. If you go to Australia and want to compete, you have to have firepower in the fast-bowling department. We aren’t just going to compete, we are going to win, and we are confident these boys will perform.”There are a number of surprises in the squad, but the call-up of Qadir perhaps tops them all. Just last year, a disillusioned Qadir had declared that he didn’t want to play for Pakistan, and wanted to represent Australia instead.Less than a fortnight ago, Misbah rhetorically asked a packed press conference which legspinners he was ignoring in Pakistan cricket, indicating there was no one coming through, and Yasir Shah and Shadab Khan were the only options. When a journalist mentioned Qadir’s name, there was a ripple of laughter, and even Misbah joined in, and pointed out that Qadir hadn’t been playing domestic cricket in Pakistan.In another notable recall, Mohammad Irfan was named in a Pakistan squad for the first time since September 2016, with the previous coach Mickey Arthur deeming him incompatible with the high-performance fitness culture he believed was necessary to make Pakistan a modern-day limited-overs force. The 37-year-old paceman will be the oldest player in a side that’s otherwise notable for its youth.One of the less surprising – but still notable for its significance – changes was the introduction of Mohammad Rizwan to Pakistan’s T20I and Test squads as the first-choice wicketkeeper after a long wait on the sidelines. Between the start of 2017 and the start of 2019, Rizwan didn’t feature in a single international game but with Sarfaraz now out, the path for Rizwan to come back is clear. He has, however, only ever played a single Test match, which came nearly three years ago in New Zealand.Imran Khan, meanwhile, is also back in the side for the first time since Pakistan’s last tour of Australia in January 2017. Incidentally it was on that tour, under Misbah’s captaincy, that then coach Mickey Arthur publicly questioned the fitness of bowlers such as Imran and Sohail Khan – the former was not picked after that series. Three of his nine Tests have come in two separate series against Australia.Azhar and Babar will captain the Test and T20I squads respectively, with the T20I series a chance for Pakistan to bounce back from the 3-0 home defeat to Sri Lanka and reinforce their claims as one of the favourites for next year’s men’s T20 World Cup, to be held in Australia. The Test series will be the first assignment for Pakistan in the World Test Championship, and it could not have been a more challenging start; Pakistan have lost each of their last four series in Australia 3-0, representing 12 consecutive Test losses.The action in Australia begins with the first T20I on November 3 in Sydney, followed by games in Canberra (November 5) and Perth (November 8), before the Test matches take place in Brisbane (November 21-25) and Adelaide (November 29 to December 3).

David Willey revelled in his role as Yorkshire’s stand-in captain to leave a winner-takes-all clash against Notts on Friday night

ECB Reporters Network16-Aug-2018
Scorecard
David Willey and Adam Lyth delivered a crushing seven-wicket win for Yorkshire with over four overs to spare at Northamptonshire to keep the White Rose on course for the Vitality Blast quarter-finals.Set 163, Willey and Lyth shared 150 for the second wicket in 80 balls. Neither could see Yorkshire over the line as Willey fell for 79 from 44 balls and Lyth 66 in 41 but the damage was done as the visitors won with 27 balls to spare.Yorkshire now face Nottinghamshire in their final game at Headingley knowing victory will guarantee their place in the last four.Josh Cobb was the only batsman to show for Northants with 68 not out as the home side posted 162 for 8 having won the toss but not for the first time in the competition, the Northants’ attack struggled as Lyth and Willey hammered the bowling around Wantage Road.Lyth got down one knee to slog-sweep Ben Sanderson for six before taking 22 from the fifth over of the innings bowled by Richard Gleeson. He advanced down the wicket to lift a six then four over extra-cover, carved four over point, glanced another boundary past the wicketkeeper before driving four more past mid-on. It ensured Yorkshire raced to 74 in the Powerply for the loss of Tom Kohler-Cadmore caught at point first ball.

Yorkshire sign Ravel

Yorkshire have signed New Zealand international Jeet Raval for the final four Specsavers County Championship fixtures. He has also flown in early as cover for compatriot Kane Williamson who has been nursing a bruised finger on his left hand. Raval, 29, has made 11 Test appearances since 2016 and this will be his first stint in county cricket.
Yorkshire’s director of cricket Martyn Moxon said: “We are delighted that Jeet has agreed to join us, initially as cover for Kane Williamson. Jeet will take over from Kane after the Somerset match and be with the squad until the end of the season.”

Having passed fifty in 26 balls, Lyth again went down on one knee to this time slog-sweep Luke Procter for six but trying to finish the game, miscued a drive to extra-cover.Willey was again in great touch against his old county. He flashed his opening boundary off the back foot past extra-cover, pulled Hutton over deep-square for six and sliced Sanderson over point. He swung Cobb’s off-spin over long-on for six more and struck a third six down the ground off Seekkuge Prasanna.Yorkshire were cruising at 113 for 1 after 11 overs and Willey slogged Brett Hutton for consecutive sixes before slog-sweeping Graeme White for another maximum in an over that cost 21. But he pulled Sanderson to deep midwicket shortly before Gary Balance struck the winning runs.Yorkshire were on top from the start as Matt Fisher removed both Northants openers in his first over both for 16 and both to leading edges. With his first ball, Charlie Thurston edged to third man where Kane Williamson ran in to take a smart catch and with the final ball of the over, Ben Duckett edged to backward point where Lyth leapt above his head. The wickets ensured it was Yorkshire’s Powerplay as Northants reached 35 for 2.Cobb drove his opening boundary past extra-cover but then pulled off a top-edge perfectly between the wicketkeeper running back and long leg running in. At 50 for 2 after eight overs, Northants were bumping along and Cobb cleared his front leg to smash Tim Bresnan’s first ball over deep midwicket and, as Bresnan went too full, struck a second six over long-on as the home side reached the half-way point at 72 for 2.Alex Wakely, after a patient start, flicked Liam Plunkett wide of midwicket for four but chipped the same bowler later in the same over to mid-on to fall for 14. Steven Crook arrived and immediately struck both Lyth and then Plunkett straight down the ground for six, edged Plunkett for four but holed out to deep cover for 18. And when Prasanna swung and missed at a Jack Brooks slower ball and lost his leg stump, Northants were 106 for 5 in the 15th over.Cobb pulled Bresnan for four wide of long-on before heaving Willey for consecutive sixes out of the ground to pass fifty in 32 balls. He opened the blade to steer Bresnan for four to begin the 18th over which cost 16.But just when Northants had built some momentum, Willey bowled an extraordinary triple-wicket maiden in the 19th over. He had Procter caught behind and then White caught at deep square next ball before Hutton hooked at the fifth delivery and gloved it behind. Two sixes in the final over boosted the Northants total but it was nowhere near enough.

Rahul Dravid’s former team-mates, part of the Cricket Advisory Committee, will decide on whether or not to extent his contract as coach of India’s Under-19 and ‘A’ teams in the next “two or three days”

Arun Venugopal17-Jun-2017The BCCI’s Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) consisting of Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman is likely to make a decision on whether or not to extend Rahul Dravid’s contract as the coach of India’s Under-19 and ‘A’ teams in the next few days. According to a BCCI official, there will be no need to invite fresh applications for the job if the CAC decides to renew Dravid’s two-year contract that ended in March.This is different to the protocol BCCI has followed in appointing a head coach of the senior team, where interested and qualified candidates were invited to apply even as Anil Kumble, the incumbent, was handed a direct entry. The different approach in Dravid’s case, the official said, is because his contract had an extension clause.”Dravid has a clause in the contract which facilitates extension by mutual consent,” the official told ESPNcricinfo. “If Rahul doesn’t want to renew his contract, then you have to pick someone else. But, if the CAC likes to retain him and if he is also willing, then you don’t have to call outside applications. But, that’s [going to be] a CAC decision.”The official felt the CAC would be predisposed to extending Dravid’s contract in a “day or two” given his good track record. Under Dravid, the India Under-19 team made the final of the junior World Cup last year and won a series against England recently. Dravid has also tasted considerable success with the India A team.”It is not that hard for CAC to take a decision on Dravid,” the official said. “Given his performance and his stature, I don’t think the CAC will have any problem with Rahul continuing as coach. So you don’t have to interview any other candidate.”The negotiations of the contractual terms might take a bit longer. I don’t know whether the BCCI has formulated the contract: how much he gets paid, I don’t think all that has been finalised.”Under the BCCI’s current arrangement, coaches and support staff of India’s senior and junior teams are given a ten-month contract that runs till the end of March. They are also free to sign a two-month deal in the IPL. However, according to the official, Dravid’s terms of reference – should he receive a new contract – would have to conform to the recommendations of the Lodha Committee.”It will mean that he won’t be able to coach both the national team and mentor the Delhi Daredevils franchise,” the official said. “He won’t get a 10-month contract. It will be a minimum two-year contract of 12 months each, but it will be a continuous one with no break.”Last week, Dravid had asserted that he wasn’t in a conflict of interest under the prevailing regulations, and called for greater clarity in the event of change in rules. He was recently invited by the BCCI to a meeting of the junior selection committee to pick the India Under-19 side to tour England. But Dravid declined because he didn’t have a coaching contract. The official, however, defended the board’s decision to invite him.”There is nothing that prevents him from being invited because he is not going to make the decision. He will only be asked to give his input,” he said. “Look, at the end of the day, he’s a senior member associated with a junior team. It has to be looked at holistically and not in isolation.”He has done a good job and I am pretty sure the CAC has no reason for them to say he shouldn’t be extended. So, in those circumstances, why not invite him when the team is being picked?”

Madhya Pradesh wicketkeeper-batsman Naman Ojha, who finished the Ranji season with 645 runs including four successive fifty-plus score in the knockouts, has been named as the captain of the 15-man Rest of India squad

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Feb-2016Madhya Pradesh wicketkeeper-batsman Naman Ojha, who finished the Ranji Trophy season with 645 runs including four successive fifty-plus scores in the knockouts, has been named as the captain of the 15-man Rest of India squad. They will play 41-time Ranji Trophy champions Mumbai in the Irani Cup at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai, starting March 6.The squad, which was announced shortly after the Ranji final, featured two Saurashtra players – Sheldon Jackson and Jaydev Unadkat. Jackson tallied 538 runs in 10 matches at 57.41, while Unadkat had a breakthrough season after injury, taking 40 wickets at 20.12.The squad also included the top two wicket-takers of the season – Jharkhand left-arm spinner Shahbaz Nadeem and Assam pacer Krishna Das. Punjab pacer Barinder Sran, who recently made his international debut in Australia, and Vidarbha offspinner Akshay Wakhare were also in the bowling mix.Karun Nair, who scored 500 runs this season compared to last time’s 709, was one of the two Karnataka players in this year’s Irani Cup squad, along with Stuart Binny. Vidarbha’s Faiz Fazal and Jammu and Kashmir’s Ian Dev Singh add more weight to the batting line-up. Andhra’s Srikar Bharat was the other wicketkeeper in the squad apart from Ojha. Assam’s Arun Karthik, who was the third highest run-getter this season behind Shreyas Iyer and Akhil Herwadkar, and allrounder Jalaj Saxena, who piled up 588 runs and 49 wickets, didn’t find a place in the squad.Rest of India squad: KS Bharat, Faiz Fazal, Karun Nair, Sheldon Jackson, Naman Ojha (captain), Stuart Binny, Shahbaz Nadeem, Jayant Yadav, Nathu Singh, Jaydev Unadkat, Barinder Sran, Krishna Das, Sudip Chatterjee, Ian Dev Singh, Akshay Wakhare.

BCCI president N Srinivasan has decided not to travel to London for the ICC annual conference but he may attend the three ICC sub-committee meetings via vide-conferencing

Amol Karhadkar and Nagraj Gollapudi24-Jun-2013BCCI president N Srinivasan has decided not to travel to London for the ICC annual conference, to be held from June 25 to 29. Srinivasan has stepped aside from BCCI functioning till the completion of probe into alleged IPL corruption scandal.However, it does not necessarily mean that Srinivasan won’t attend the three ICC sub-committee meetings, including the important finance and commercial affairs (F&CA) committee, of which he is a member in individual capacity.A close associate of Srinivasan confirmed that he “will not” travel to London but didn’t deny the possibility of Srinivasan attending “some of the meetings” via video-conferencing.Last week it was decided that while Jagmohan Dalmiya, who has been taking care of day-to-day BCCI affairs since Srinivasan stepped aside, will represent the BCCI in the ICC board meeting, Srinivasan will attend the sub-committee meetings.BCCI secretary Sanjay Patel was going to attend the ICC chief executives’ meeting, while Sundar Raman, the IPL chief executive officer, was going to attend the working group meeting of the CEOs.A BCCI source revealed that since the BCCI contingent was getting bigger and the fact that Srinivasan would be at the conference but wouldn’t represent the BCCI in the board meeting, it “wouldn’t have reflected well on the board’s image. So the president agreed not to travel to London. In case he is pressed (by the ICC) to give his inputs during the sub-committee meetings, he may join them via video-conferencing,” he said.The F&CA committee primarily recommends to the ICC board regarding the shape ICC’s commercial rights should take. The ICC is looking to negotiate the next tranche of rights for eight years after the 2015 World Cup. The committee also decides on when the various primary ICC-owned events take place, how many events should be included, who might host those events, what sort of fees might accrue to host those events, the format of the event, what should be the strategy to sell the rights for these events, to whom should they go, should the rights be sold as a bundle, as was the case last time. The broadcast rights are sold as a bundle but the sponsorship rights are sold on an individual basis and that is managed by the ICC. Even though the committee has been discussing the commercial rights issue, the decision over the next tranche of rights is unlikely to be finalised this year. It is expected to be finalised in the first quarter of 2014.Meanwhile, Patel and Raman will hold the key in continuing BCCI’s opposition to implementation of the DRS in all Tests. Ever since the DRS was first used in a Test series featuring Sri Lanka and India in 2008, the BCCI has not allowed the technological aid for umpires to be used in any of its home series.While Patel, who was appointed the secretary earlier this month, will attend his first ICC meeting, Raman has enjoyed an increased profile over the last couple of years with regard to BCCI’s functioning and been a regular at recent ICC meetings.Raman had been inducted into the CEOs working group, which included representatives from the ECB and Cricket Australia (Dean Kino) with the ICC adding on two of its own representatives to carry out backroom work in preparation for contractual arrangements to be put in place by the time the final rights agreements discussions begin.Meanwhile, the ICC annual conference is likely to discuss anti-corruption measures in detail, following the spot-fixing scandals which erupted in the Indian and Bangladesh Premier Leagues. Besides, the fate of Bangladesh as hosts for the next year’s World Twenty20 may also be decided since the BCB has admitted lack of adequate facilities.

First blood in the NatWest series went to England, but the match felt closer than the final 15-run margin would indicate

The Report by David Hopps29-Jun-2012
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsEoin Morgan struck four sixes during the latter part of the England innings•Getty Images

This is surely one of the most inconsequential England v Australia series in history, but it did not lack for intensity or entertainment for all that and long before the end the Lord’s crowd was relishing the renewal of old rivalries. First blood in the NatWest series went to England, but the match felt closer than the final 15-run margin would indicate.Australia’s chances departed with their captain, Michael Clarke, who had made 61 from 67 balls when he walked across his stumps, not for the first time, and was aghast to fall plumb lbw to a swinging, low full toss from Tim Bresnan.It aggravated the hurt of the previous over when Australia lost Matthew Wade to a run out. Wade had just lifted James Anderson into the Mound Stand, Clarke had deposited Graeme Swann’s offspin into the Tavern and another 69 from 49 balls felt just about gettable. Then Wade pushed Swann into the leg side, did not share his captain’s enthusiasm for the single and barely got halfway down the pitch when the stumps were broken.England have now won seven successive ODIs, and they have taken the last six home series in this format, but their record against Australia over 50 overs has been discouraging. Statistical talk of a 5-0 series win which would make them the first side in the world to be No. 1 in all three forms of the game is regarded even by England’s most optimistic fans as a late-night pub fantasy. It has the makings of a tight series.England were under pressure after losing the toss on a drizzly morning, but they avoided the early tremors that Australia must have felt were within their grasp on a pitch that the groundsman, Mick Hunt, accepted had more moisture in it than would normally be expected at Lord’s at the end of June. Much of the rest was down to Eoin Morgan, who roused the innings with 89 from 63 balls and for the first time for a while had that assassin’s look again.Morgan has had an unsettled time since his return from an inactive season with Kolkata Knight Riders at IPL. His technique has been under scrutiny, particularly the adoption of a squatting stance, he has been omitted from the Test side as a result, and he has dared to tell the ECB that England’s domestic Twenty20 tournament has fallen hopelessly behind the times.It was dangerously late in the day for England when he finally broke Australia. His first six came in the 38th over when Pat Cummins spilled 13 in the middle of England’s batting Powerplay. England then made 46 from the last 20 balls, Morgan responsible for 34 of them, including three sixes. If the first blow, a scythe over long on, was encouraged by Brett Lee’s full toss, the follow-up was special as Morgan, back leg bent almost to ground level, swung a near yorker into the crowd. Shane Watson was also swung over the square-leg boards.An opening stand of 74 in 17 overs between Alastair Cook and Ian Bell quietly batted England into good shape. Neither looked secure; it was not the sort of morning to expect that. Cook’s first boundary took 11 overs and, on 28, he was dropped down the leg side by Wade off Watson before Cummins, as mature as you like as he experienced the Lord’s slope from Nursery and Pavilion ends, had him caught at the wicket, driving at a wide one.

Smart stats

• England’s total of 272 is their second-highest score against Australia at Lord’s and the highest since 1989. On the previous occasion they passed 270 against Australia at Lord’s (1997), they won by six wickets.

• Of England’s 21 wins in home ODIs against Australia, only five have come when they have batted first. The 15-run win is England’s fifth win against Australia at Lord’s.

• Eoin Morgan’s 89 is the third-highest score by an England No.5 batsman in ODIs against Australia. Paul Collingwood is on top with 120 at the MCG in 2007.

• Morgan’s strike rate of 141.26 is the third-highest for a fifty-plus score by an England batsman against Australia. Ian Botham is on top with a strike rate of 174.35 in Perth in 1987.

• The partnership run-rate of 8.44 during the 83-run stand between Morgan and Craig Kieswetter is the best for the fifth wicket (fifty-plus stands) for England against Australia and their sixth-highest overall for the fifth wicket.

• When he picked up Ian Bell’s wicket, Brett Lee equalled Glenn McGrath’s record of most ODI wickets for Australia. Lee now has 380 wickets at 23.17 with nine five-wicket hauls.

Bell, whose introduction to the opener’s role after the retirement of Kevin Pietersen had brought a century against West Indies at West End, had an eventful and not-altogether convincing stay. He marched off when Brett Lee’s lbw appeal was answered in the affirmative, but the Hot Spot cameras these days could probably spot the friction of a fly on a teacup and TV replays as he unstrapped his pads suggested that he had managed the faintest inside edge.He had already reviewed successfully, on 3, given out caught at wicket of Clint McKay only for replays to show that the ball came off his trousers. Trott was left to guide England through the middle overs before being bowled for 54 as he failed to work Doherty through the leg side.Australia repeatedly faltered just as they threatened to break the target. Anderson bowled throiugh a strained groin and looked as if life was hanging heavily upon him, but he found something to cheer him as he removed George Bailey and David Warner in the space of three balls.Warner’s belligerence was growing on a sound Lord’s surface, with Steven Finn cudgelled through the offside twice in an over when he strayed in line, but when he had made 56 from 61 balls Anderson exposed a lack of footwork by shading a delivery away from him and the nick was well held by wicketkeeper Craig Kieswetter. Bailey chopped on in Anderson’s previous over.Then Australia’s chase foundered again during their batting Powerplay. Clarke called it at 131 for 3 after 28 overs to enliven the innings, but things went awry as they lost both David Hussey and Steve Smith in five overs while adding 17 runs.Hussey was bowled by Finn as he tried to hook and, if there was an element of ill luck as the ball dropped onto the bails off shoulder and helmet, he got in a tangle playing the shot. Smith felt for a wide one from Bresnan and was caught at the wicket. Australia could also have lost Clarke, on 16, but Bresnan failed to hold a relatively simple return chance.As for DRS, it again proved its value, not just with Bell’s successful review, but with Watson’s dismissal as the much-improved Hotspot cameras showed a thin edge.Time and again in this England cricket season, technology has improved the standards of decision making, supporting good umpiring and sparing bad. It has not achieved perfection – nobody has ever claimed that – but it has moved closer towards it. Those who continue to question the merits of DRS are either too wedded to tradition, too busy or simply too wilful to recognise the facts.

Gautam Gambhir could miss the limited-overs leg of India’s tour of the West Indies next month following the aggravation of a shoulder injury that was sustained during the World Cup final

Nagraj Gollapudi25-May-2011Gautam Gambhir could miss the limited-overs leg of India’s tour of the West Indies next month following the aggravation of a shoulder injury that was sustained during the World Cup final. Gambhir, named India’s captain for that part of the tour, has been advised four to six weeks’ rest by Andrew Leipus, the Kolkata Knight Riders trainer, and could even miss the subsequent tour of England.If it comes to pass, Gambhir’s absence will leave India without their three best specialist openers – Virender Sehwag has recently undergone shoulder surgery and Sachin Tendulkar has been rested for the short-format games. It will also fuel the debate over the importance given to the IPL vis-a-vis international cricket, and – given that Sehwag also played through the IPL with his injury – raise questions over the responsibility of the BCCI, the IPL franchises and the players.Gambhir played the IPL Eliminator on Wednesday, the same day Leipus wrote to the BCCI. However, Kolkata’s loss to Mumbai Indians has saved Gambhir and the franchise from having to decide on his further participation in the tournament.In his letter, addressed to BCCI secretary N Srinivasan, Leipus – a former India physio – said the player felt acute pain in his right shoulder while landing on it in the field at one point during the World Cup final against Sri Lanka at the Wankhede stadium on April 2. Subsequent scans have now revealed a serious injury that would require him to avoid throwing or batting for four to six weeks.”Gautam arrived in Kolkata at the start of the IPL complaining of a ‘sore shoulder’, the onset of which occurred during the World Cup final,” Leipus’ letter said. “He clearly recollects a fielding incident where he landed on an outstretched arm and felt a catch deep in the shoulder. In the euphoria at the time, his attention was deservedly elsewhere and he didn’t bother telling anyone about it.”

… And a groin injury too

Andrew Leipus’ note to the BCCI also mentioned a chronic groin injury Gambhir has been carrying for two years and suggested the player underwent rehab for both the shoulder and groin problems simultaneously but stressed that he needed “active” and “daily” attention. “Both injuries are chronic and ideally require time away from the stresses of international cricket in order for them to settle and rehabilitate properly. I emphasise, however, that such rehabilitation is active … he would require almost daily professional supervision in order to provide both hands-on manual treatment in addition to the rehabilitation programme.”

Gambhir, he said, informed him of the shoulder pain when he arrived to play the IPL. “His initial complaints were pain in the shoulder and significant reduction of power in his throw. The clinical findings supported the mechanism of the onset of the acute injury, however, he did report having corticosteroid injections on two occasions over the previous few years,” Leipus stated in his report, a copy of which is available with ESPNcricinfo. “Knowledge of this history leads me to suspect that any internal derangement may have been pre-existing and this recent incident (World Cup final) only served to aggravate or progress the injury (i.e. acute on chronic),” Leipus wrote.Accordingly, Leipus said, he initiated a plan for management and rehabilitation, post which Gambhir only reported pain “intermittently”. But during Kolkata’s final group match at Eden Gardens on May 22, against Mumbai Indians, Gambhir winced in pain immediately after sending back a throw to the wicketkeeper from the deep. Leipus confirmed that the throw had “aggravated” the pain. The team then travelled for the Eliminator to Mumbai, where Gambhir consulted a prominent Mumbai-based surgeon and had an MRI scan taken.”Both the doctor and myself believe that he should follow an intensive, supervised and conservative rehabilitation pathway. But for the best outcome, he will need to avoid both throwing and batting for a period of 4-6 weeks. In this regard I would expect that the BCCI medical committee would need to consider the ongoing management of Gautam’s shoulder injury beyond the IPL and the possibility of his missing any immediate future tours until the shoulder is fully rehabilitated,” Leipus said.If Gambhir does indeed sit out that tour, Suresh Raina, appointed vice-captain, is likely to take over the leadership role.

Alfonso Thomas took three wickets for the sixth successive Friends Provident t20 match as Somerset beat Glamorgan by six wickets at Taunton

29-Jun-2010
ScorecardAlfonso Thomas took three wickets for the sixth successive Friends Provident t20 match as Somerset beat Glamorgan by six wickets at Taunton. The most successful bowler in the competition claimed 3 for 11 from four overs as the visitors were bowled out for 138, Mark Cosgrove (75) playing virtually a lone hand with the bat as Murali Kartik took 3 for 18.Somerset reached their target with eight balls to spare, James Hildreth making 45 and Nick Compton 40. Robert Croft was the pick of the Dragons bowlers with 1 for 17 from his four overs. The pivotal over of the game was the 15th of the Somerset innings bowled by Chris Ashling, who had Compton stumped and then Zander de Bruyn badly dropped by wicketkeeper Mark Wallace off a skyer.A single was taken while the ball was in the air and Kieron Pollard then hit Ashling for three mighty sixes off successive deliveries. Although Pollard fell in the next over for 19 off eight balls, his assault had helped reduce the required rate to a run a ball and the pressure which had been growing on Somerset was released.Earlier, Cosgrove had struggled to time the ball throughout his innings but still hit nine fours and two sixes in remaining at the crease until the final over. He had absolutely no support, wickets tumbling regularly at the other end from the fourth ball of the match which saw Jim Allenby miscue a pull shot off Thomas to Mark Turner at mid-on.Tom Maynard flattered to deceive with three fours in his 14, while skipper Jamie Dalrymple was the only other Dragons player to reach double figures in good batting conditions. Kartik destroyed the middle order, sending back David Brown, Gareth Rees and Mark Wallace, who between them scored seven runs. The Indian left-arm spinner employed good variation and got the odd ball to turn.Cosgrove was unusually content to dab and push a lot of his runs, taking 41 balls over his half-century and finally cutting loose in the 18th over with four and six off successive deliveries from Pollard. He eventually holed out at long-on off the West Indian all-rounder. Thomas’ wickets took his tally in the competition to 22 at an average of 10.09.

Ben Compton and Tawanda Muyeye reach close unscathed after Hampshire enforce follow-on

ECB Reporters Network11-Sep-2024Kent battled hard to save their Division One status after being forced to follow on by Hampshire, on a rain-affected third day in the County Championship at Canterbury.The hosts could be relegated by the end of this round of fixtures, but they reached the close 70 without loss in their second innings, still 126 behind, with Tawanda Muyeye unbeaten on 46 and Ben Compton 24 not out.Torrential rain fell during an already truncated evening session and play was eventually abandoned for the day at 5.26pm. Earlier, Kyle Abbott took 5 for 46 as Kent were dismissed for 207 in their first innings, Compton their highest scorer with 51.Kent began day three on 64 for 5, still 339 runs behind Hampshire’s first innings score of 403, but Compton and Harry Finch survived for the first 90 minutes of an extended morning session, aided by some sub-optimal slip fielding. Toby Albert dropped Compton twice, on 24 and 32, the first when he couldn’t hang on to a difficult slip catch off Abbott, the second a more routine head-high chance offered by James Fuller.Albert finally snared Compton at the third attempt when Abbott found his edge with the first delivery after he had switched to the Nackington Road End. In his next over, Abbott had Finch caught behind for 44, before Liam Dawson bowled Charlie Stobo for 10.Kyle Abbott claimed a five-wicket haul•Getty Images

Matt Parkinson was out soon after lunch, caught behind off Brad Wheal for four, but the last-wicket pair of George Garrett and Jas Singh proved a nuisance, particularly after James Vince dropped the former when he was on 17, again in the slips.Singh passed his previous best first-class score of 14, before he was removed by the new ball, lbw to Abbas for 18, leaving his partner stranded on 27.With 45 overs remaining in the day Hampshire immediately announced they were enforcing the follow on, but a whiff of farce arrived when Muyeye hit the penultimate ball before tea for a six into the gardens on the Old Dover Road side of the ground. Hampshire were unhappy with the replacement and four of their fielders, the twelfth man and a coach climbed awkwardly over the fence to look for the original, finally finding it after seven minutes.Shortly after the resumption the potential importance of those seven minutes was magnified when the rain arrived and a total of nine overs were lost. When play resumed at 5.05pm it was already raining again, the groundstaff were already holding the covers and Compton faced down three balls from Abbas before they gave up and went off again.