Saturday, 28 September 2013
Pietersen had crossed the line: Andrew Strauss
Former England captain Andrew Strauss has lifted the lid on his stand-off with Kevin Pietersen that overshadowed his final days as an international cricketer, saying he felt “let down” by the star batsman.
And his comments, in Saturday's Daily Mail serialisation of his autobiography, 'My Driving Ambition' placed a question mark over his expressed interest in succeeding Hugh Morris as England's new managing director of cricket -- a position that would effectively mean he was Pietersen's boss.
Strauss retired in August last year following England's Test series loss to South Africa during which the generally good relations he enjoyed with Pietersen, the man he succeeded as captain, hit rock bottom.
The low points came following reports Pietersen, South Africa born and raised, had sent derogatory text messages to his friends in the Proteas' dressing room regarding Strauss, including advice on how to dismiss the left-hander.
The texts became public after a drawn fourth Test in Leeds where Pietersen scored a superb 149 only to say it was “hard being me” in the England dressing room, with the fall-out seeing the gifted shotmaker dropped from the team that played the final Test against the Proteas.
Strauss, recalling his feelings, wrote: “The England cricket team are in crisis again. Coach Andy Flower and I have found ourselves in the middle of a destabilising and potentially damaging PR game between Kevin Pietersen, the England cricket team and the ECB (England and Wales Cricket Board).
“I feel incredibly tired, as though I have simply run out of energy -- I have nothing more to give. I am also wallowing in a rising tide of sadness. This is not the way I wanted my England career to end.
“I was dumbfounded. I wasn't all that bothered about him sending texts to a few South African players he knew quite well. I did, however, have issues with him criticising me to the opposition.
“That felt like talking out of school, not to mention giving the opposition a way to drive a wedge between Pietersen and myself and the team,” Strauss, who played exactly 100 Tests for England, added.
“From that moment, clear battle lines were drawn between Pietersen and the ECB, with both sides involved in a PR/legal battle to gain public support and cover themselves in the event of litigation,” the now 36-year-old Strauss said.
“There were many involved with English cricket, including myself, who felt particularly let down.
“For me, he (Pietersen) had crossed the line. He seemed to be at best destabilising and at worst undermining our carefully cultivated team environment.”
However, Strauss, who said Pietersen had come round to his house to offer an apology in person, did not believe he'd passed on tips to South Africa about how best to dismiss him.
“If he really had given information about how to get me out, well, that amounted to treachery and I would never forgive him,” wrote Strauss.
“I am confident, in retrospect, that he did not give the South Africans information on how to get me out.”
Pietersen, quickly 'reintegrated' into the England set-up during the subsequent tour of India under new captain Alastair Cook, is in line to play his 100th Test in November's Ashes opener against Australia in Brisbane.
Earlier this month Strauss, asked by AFP about the possibility of succeeding Morris as the ECB's managing director of cricket, said: “I'm looking into it but they're decisions that need to made over the next couple of weeks and I'll think quite long and hard about whether it's the right time and the right job for me.”
Friday, 27 September 2013
“Me agreeing to do this, I have lost the best job I ever wanted to do. Not being able to do it now is a massive slap in the face.” Former Essex pace bowler Mervyn Westfield
Westfield was jailed in 2012 and banned from professional cricket for five years and club cricket for three for accepting #6,000 ($9,606, 7,124 euros) to concede more than 12 runs in an over in a 40-over match against Durham in September 2009.
The 25-year-old served his time in Belmarsh prison in south-east London and he admits the whole experience was a nightmare that has scarred him for life.
“They took me down to the room, handcuffed me and put me in the security van,” he said in a film recorded by the Professional Cricketers' Association.
“I felt so scared. You are in this little box and you can't look outside the windows of the van because they were blacked out.
“Personally I didn't know anything about Belmarsh but my solicitors ran it by me. They said it was double A category jail and the most secure jail in Europe. All the high risk people go there. I was wondering why am I going there?
“My time in Belmarsh was hell for me. They tell you what you can do and what you can't do. What time you eat and what time you go back into the room, what time you can come out for exercise, what time you have a shower. I didn't shower any more.”
With his professional career in tatters, Westfield, who pleaded guilty to a charge of accepting corrupt payments in a hearing at the Old Bailey in January 2012, now works as a shop assistant in a Tesco supermarket in east London.
“Any young cricketers out there if someone comes up to you and offers you to do match fixing just straight away say no, tell someone and walk away,” he said.
“Me agreeing to do this, I have lost the best job I ever wanted to do. Not being able to do it now is a massive slap in the face.”
He knows he made a terrible mistake, but claims he was groomed to fix from the age of 18 by Essex's Pakistan leg-spinner Danish Kaneria, who was never put on trial but banned for life by the England and Wales Cricket Board.
“Danish was a very bubbly person and everyone liked him in the dressing room. He got on well with everyone. He was a role model for most people in our team,” Westfield added.
“We were at his house and he asked if he could speak to me outside. That is when he started to first talk about it. He said it is hard for young players to get money in cricket these days. That was how the conversation started.
“They (Kaneria and his associates) said they wanted me to go for 12 runs or more in the first over I bowled. They suggested to me that a few people in the game were doing it as well.
“I felt so confused what was going on. I didn't know if I could talk to anyone or if anyone knew what it was. I didn't know if they would be in the same situation as me.
“I decided to keep it all to myself. The day came when I played against Durham. I bowled my first over, but I did not check the scoreboard to see if I went for 12 or more.”
Kaneria, who has repeatedly protested his innocence, has had two appeals against his ban and a third looking to reduce the ban rejected.
Last month he filed another appeal in a London court and vowed to carry on his fight.
“The situation is not right for Asad Rauf in India,”Rauf's lawyer says
Pakistani umpire Asad Rauf will not be appearing in an Indian court after Mumbai police charged him for being involved in the spot-fixing scandal during this year's Indian Premier League. Rauf's legal adviser, Syed Ali Zafar, said in Lahore on Friday he has faith in Indian courts but has no confidence in Mumbai police.
A Mumbai court will hear the case on Nov. 21. Rauf, accused of accepting expensive gifts from illegal bookmakers, is among 22 people charged.
“The situation is not right for Asad Rauf in India,” Zafar said.
“(Mumbai police) could detain him or they can frame other charges against him.”
Chennai Super Kings official Gurunath Meiyappan, the son-in-law of Board of Control for Cricket in India president Narainswamy Srinivasan, is also charged. Meiyappan is accused of being in touch with illegal bookies.
The spot-fixing scandal in the IPL surfaced in May when Rajasthan Royals players were arrested for allegedly giving away more than a specified number of runs in return for money. They have been charged.
The International Cricket Council withdrew Rauf from the Champions Trophy, and he is no longer on the panel of elite umpires.
But Rauf, who was accompanied by his lawyer at Friday's news conference, said he informed the ICC last year he would be stepping down from the international panel in 2013 and it has nothing to do with the spot-fixing scandal in the IPL.
Mumbai police have allegedly linked the accused actor Vindoo Dara Singh and Rauf through a recorded telephone conversation.
“We don't have tapes (of the conversation) and we don't know in which context the conversation was held,” Zafar said.
“It looks like they have picked up parts of the conversation and have alleged Asad Rauf.”
Mumbai police also took two bags from Rauf that they said included gifted apparel, shoes and other accessories.
Rauf said he knew the bags' contents and there was nothing exceptional.
“I challenge Mumbai police to open the bags in court ... produce expensive watches and gold and show it to the whole world,” he said.
“I can tell the weight and color of the bags. There's some religious things, which were gifted to me, and it's most important to me.”
Rauf said he has provided all of his bank account details to the ICC anti-corruption unit and even all the details of his phone sim cards which he used while officiating abroad.
Zafar said if the ICC again asked Rauf to appear before its anti-corruption unit, he would be available.
“Turning tracks in UAE will be of great advantage and our trio of spinners can destroy the strong South African batting line-up.”
Pakistan batting legend and former captain Zaheer Abbas has hailed the cricket board’s decision to retain Misbah-ul-Haq as captain for the Test series against South Africa, terming the 39-year-old’s recent performances as exemplary.
“Misbah has been consistently performing with the bat for the last couple of years and the board had no choice but to retain him as captain,” Abbas told APP on Friday.
“It's all about performance. If you are doing well and producing the results, nobody can expel you from the team whether you are in your 20s or in late 30s or even beyond that,” the maestro added.
He said those who were critical of Misbah’s captaincy should also realise that there were no suitable replacements for the Mianwali-born skipper.
Abbas, however, admitted that Pakistan’s recent loss to the unranked Zimbabweans had put a major dent in the team’s confidence ahead of the challenging South Africa series.
“Had Pakistan won the series against Zimbabwe they would have been in a better position to face South Africa in UAE,” he said.
Pakistan are scheduled to play two Tests against South Africa in Abu Dhabi from October 14-18 and Dubai, the following week.
The former captain was, however, optimistic about Pakistan’s chances provided they attacked the Proteas with spin.
“We have quality spin bowlers in the form of Saeed Ajmal, Abdul Rehman and Zulfiqar Babar. Turning tracks in UAE will be of great advantage and our trio of spinners can destroy the strong South African batting line-up,” he said.
“If the skipper adopts an aggressive approach and all the players feel the responsibility and play a positive game I am sure they will be a formidable side.”
Thursday, 26 September 2013
Hafeez admits to poor showing in Tests
Mohammad Hafeez is quite likely to be axed from Pakistan's Test squad given his poor showing in the format this year but, Hafeez said, he couldn't complain if that happened and it would be part and parcel of the game. A lack of first-class game time, he said, has contributed to his woes, but he still believes he is "one big innings" away from establishing himself in Test cricket.
"It's not a bad patch, it's not form too," Hafeez said in Lahore. "It happens in cricket, you try your best but sometimes you can't perform in a particular format. It's not a matter of technique even, the ball is coming on to my bat but I am not able to play a big innings. It happens with any big cricketer."
Hafeez has aggregated 102 runs in 10 Test innings this year, and his biggest struggle was the three-match Test series against South Africa in February. That signaled the start of his current slump, as he was doing reasonably well since being recalled in 2010 after a three-year gap. In South Africa, he was exposed against moving ball and became Dale Steyn's bunny. On the recent trip to Zimbabwe, he remained off-color in the Tests, scoring 59 in four innings despite being the Man of the Series in the ODIs.
He cited Pakistan's lack of Test matches as a major hurdle for him to turn his form around: "If you look at Test series we played against South Africa six months ago, we didn't play first-class cricket [until the Zimbabwe series this month], so it's a lengthy gap and it's not easy to adapt yourself in the format after such lengthy gap. But yes it's not an excuse, I admit that in the previous five Test matches my performance has not been good and I am concerned about it."
Given his current form, Hafeez says he will accept his fate - whatever it be - when the squad is announced. "I am playing well in the other formats and it's not like that I am not doing the handwork, but maybe I need to be doing more handwork. I am just one big inning away from being settled in the format. But the selectors' job is to pick the best team for Pakistan, if they think my place is there in the team, they will pick me, otherwise I will accept their decision."
Hafeez, 32, is currently the captain of Pakistan's Twenty20 team. He scored 665 runs at 23.75 as a T20 opener but his batting average started to rise after dropping to No. 3 - this year, in four matches at the position he has averaged 52.00. When asked if he would bat down the order to find his rhythm in Tests, Hafeez said: "It's not my decision, to decide whether to bat lower down the order. I am always ready to play at whatever the number they want me to play at, but it's the decision of team management."
Monday, 23 September 2013
Special India-South Africa relations turn sour
It is a relationship that Cricket South Africa (CSA) chief executive Haroon Lorgat and Sanjay Patel, secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), will try to repair this week.
The two men are attending the International Cricket Council (ICC) chief executives meeting in Dubai, where they will discuss “scheduling issues” that threaten India's tour of South Africa at the end of the year.
India were the first country to host South Africa after the formation of a racially unified board in 1991, ending 21 years of isolation caused by the South African government's apartheid policy.
India were also the first country to make a Test tour of South Africa in the post-unity era. Both events were heavy with symbolism and bonhomie.
India had been in the forefront of nations that imposed sanctions on the apartheid government, and the two countries had never played cricket against each other.
But when South Africa's new United Cricket Board (UCB) put its case for membership of the ICC in July 1991 -- more than two years before the country's first fully democratic elections -- it was India that proposed a motion in favour of admission, opening the way for the longtime pariahs to return to the international game.
Four months later, a UCB delegation, which included former Test captain Ali Bacher, arrived in India as part of a “get to know you” tour of cricketing nations which had not previously had ties with South Africa.
A planned tour by Pakistan had fallen through and the Indians invited South Africa to fill the gap by playing three one-day internationals.
The first match was played at the cavernous Eden Gardens stadium in Calcutta, stronghold of Jagmohan Dalmiya, president of the Bengal cricket association, who went on to become president of the BCCI and later the ICC.
Dalmiya and Bacher had struck up a friendship on the fringes of the ICC meeting in London, and the Indians went all out to make the South African players, officials and supporters welcome.
The hospitality was reciprocated in 1992-93 when India visited South Africa in what was officially labelled the “Friendship Tour”.
In subsequent years the friendship was cemented when South Africa hosted the Indian Premier League at short notice in 2009 when it had to be moved from India.
South Africa and Australia became partners of the BCCI in the lucrative Champions League Twenty20.
The first hint of trouble came when it emerged that the Indians were not happy about the prospect of Lorgat being appointed chief executive of CSA. He had seemingly upset them while filling the same post at the ICC.
CSA announced in July an itinerary that included three Tests, seven one-day internationals and two Twenty20 internationals. The number of matches was in accordance with the Future Tours Programme (FTP) agreed by ICC member countries more than three years ago.
The Indians complained that they had not agreed to the itinerary -- although South African officials claim they have correspondence proving that there were detailed negotiations about the fixtures.
It came as a shock to CSA when India unilaterally announced a tour by the West Indies -- which was not part of the FTP -- which will end on November 27, nine days after the tour of South Africa is due to start.
A further shock came when it was announced that India's scheduled tour of New Zealand would start with a one-day international on January 19 -- the day when the third and final Test in South Africa is due to finish.
An Indian tour is a massive money-spinner, and South African officials are wary about making any public comment that could jeopardise it. But there is a belief that it would be possible to condense the tour and play most if not all of the international matches by cutting down on warm-up games and rest days.
It was reported that the BCCI was working on back-up plans for a triangular one-day series in case the South African tour was cancelled -- although this would place the Indians in breach of their obligations under the FTP.
Whatmore hints at revamping Test side for South Africa series
Whatmore, who has faced severe criticism from former players and experts after Pakistan’s losses in Zimbabwe, admitted that the tour had been “embarrassing, upsetting and disappointing” but sounded confident of a turnaround against South Africa.
“All three adjectives (upsetting, disappointed and embarrassing) can be used to describe the way I feel after the defeat against Zimbabwe. I would like to think and public should understand that Zimbabwe team gave us a better fight than what the whole public thought,” Whatmore said in interview with Cricinfo.
Whatmore, who is yet to get a Test series win under his belt since taking over last year, added that Brendan Taylor’s men had prepared them well for the upcoming series and helped in highlighting Pakistan’s weaknesses before the tough challenge ahead.
“You are going from one competition to another in totally different conditions and against an opposition that has a different formation. So there are number of variations and I don't think we can fit the same set of eleven players to play the number one team. But yes, we need to be consistently looking towards strengthening the team combination,” he said while talking about team changes for the South Africa series.
Whatmore also backed under-fire captain Misbah saying, “His consistency in contributions during 2013 has been second to none. It's easy for people to be critical.”
The two-Test series between Pakistan and South Africa begins October 14 in Abu Dhabi while the second match will be played in Dubai from October 23.
Saturday, 21 September 2013
Irfan’s height may present selection obstacle for SA series
But that will hinder rather than help his cause for selection in the Pakistan Test squad to play South Africa in the United Arab Emirates next month.
Irfan’s towering height makes facing him feel like trying to hit a ball launched from the top of a minaret.
It does not hurt that he is a left-armer, and after spending two weeks with Wasim Akram in April and May he is able to move the ball both ways off the seam.
“He’s intimidating when you see him for the first time, and it’s difficult to prepare in training to face him,” South Africa’s Dean Elgar said. “He hits the deck hard and the ball reacts differently off the pitch compared to shorter bowlers.”
Unleashing all that against South Africa in the Tests in Abu Dhabi and Dubai next month would seem to be a no-brainer.
Not for Pakistan skipper Misbah-ul-Haq, though.
“There’s a big question mark over playing Irfan in a Test,” Misbah said after Faisalabad Wolves’ Champions League T20 qualifier against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Wednesday.
“He’s okay for ODIs and Twenty20s, but because of his physique we have to be very careful with him in the longer format.”
Bowling coach Mohammad Akram concurred.
“Irfan is a completely different kind of bowler compared to anyone else, but he’s had a few issues and he has to be fully fit before he comes back to Test cricket,” he said.
The Pakistanis put their money where their mouths are on their recent tour of Zimbabwe.
Irfan played in one of the two Twenty20s and all three of the One-day Internationals, but returned home before the Test series.
He made his Test debut in South Africa last season, and took all three of his wickets — those of A.B. de Villiers, Vernon Philander and Dale Steyn — in the first innings of the second Test at Newlands.
Irfan went wicketless for 35 runs in his 10 overs in the second innings and was again unsuccessful in South Africa’s only innings in the third Test at Centurion.
Elgar, who at 1.73m is 43cm shorter than Irfan, scored three runs from the 11 balls the left-arm lighthouse bowled to him in those two matches.
“Shorter batsmen tend to play off the back foot more anyway, so he could bowl into our strengths unless he bowls a fuller length,” Elgar said.
Friday, 20 September 2013
Srinivasan to seek re-lection as BCCI chief despite spot-fixing scandal
Narainswamy Srinivasan plans to seek an extension to his term as president of the Indian cricket board despite being sidelined while his son-in-law is under investigation in the wake of a spot-fixing scandal in the Indian Premier League.
“Yes, I'm eligible for re-election,” he was quoted as saying in The Times of India newspaper Friday. “Why shouldn't I contest to seek a third year as board chief?”
The Board of Control for Cricket in India's annual general meeting is on Sept. 29.
According to BCCI rules, a president is elected for two years but the tenure can be extended by a year unless there is opposition to his candidature.
Srinivasan stood aside from actively running the BCCI in June pending an investigation into Gurunath Meiyappan's role in spot-fixing, with former president Jagmohan Dalmiya taking over on an interim basis.
An internal BCCI investigation cleared Chennai Super Kings official Meiyappan, but the Bombay High Court ruled that the BCCI panel was “illegal and unconstitutional.”
The BCCI has taken that matter to the Supreme Court, although it has handed down life bans on test cricketer Shantakumaran Sreesanth and Ankeet Chavan for spot-fixing after a separate investigation into the players' roles.
The board has also banned former player turned bookmaker Amit Singh for five years and Rajasthan Royals pace bowler Siddharth Trivedi for one year for not reporting an approach by illegal gamblers.
Indian police are still investigating the involvement of officials and players. The Delhi Police charged Sreesanth, Chavan and Chandila for being part of a spot-fixing ring that allegedly involved the illegal gambling syndicates.
Mumbai Police are investigating Meiyappan's role in spot-fixing, but no charges have been laid.
Umar Gul raring for return to competitive cricket
Senior Pakistan fast bowler Umar Gul, who underwent knee surgery in Australia last May, announced on Thursday he was ready to return to competitive cricket after a lapse of more than six months.
The 29-year-old right-arm bowler was sent to Melbourne where Dr David Young, a renowned orthopaedic surgeon who specialises in sports injuries, performed an arthroscopy on the right knee after the cricketer limped out of the one-day series during the South Africa tour.
Consequently, Umar was ruled out of the ICC Champions Trophy in England and Wales and the subsequent tours of the West Indies and Zimbabwe.
In his enforced absence, Pakistan failed to progress beyond the preliminary round of the Champions Trophy where they lost all three games before winning both the Twenty20 and ODI series in the West Indies.
But the national side had a mixed trip to Zimbabwe. Despite winning the Twenty20 and one-day series, Pakistan suffered a shock 24-run defeat in the second Test in Harare which enabled lowly-rated Zimbabweans share the two-match rubber.
Since returning from Australia, Umar — the leading bowler in all Twenty20 Internationals with 74 wickets in 52 matches — had spent the best part of last seven weeks at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore.
Under the guidance of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB)’s team of Dr Sohail Saleem and trainers Yasir and Ashraf, Umar had been undergoing rehabilitation programme to regain complete fitness.
“Thank God, everything appears to be settling down. The knee is fine with no signs of ill-effects from the surgery I had a few months ago. Over the past 15 days, I have started bowling in the nets as well,” Umar revealed while talking to Dawn.
“I’m pretty optimistic of getting back the rhythm [of old days] as I feel fine at the moment. It is just that there is no competition at present to find out the actual status of [my] fitness.”
Pakistan are due to play ‘host’ to South Africa in the United Arab Emirates from Oct 14 in two Tests, which will be followed by five One-day Internationals and two Twenty20 fixtures.
It is unlikely that the national selectors would risk Umar, currently Pakistan’s leading paceman with 163 wickets in 47 Tests and 161 in 116 one-dayers, considering for the forthcoming matches.
And with the domestic first-class season not slated to begin after Eid-ul-Azha in the third week of October, Umar won’t have the chance of proving his match fitness to put himself in contention for the South Africa.
“Yeah, I am yearning to play some matches to test myself. Although I have trained [during the rehabilitation phase] and then bowling [in the nets], one can’t aspire to judge both the level of fitness and form if there is no competitive sort of matches,” Umar, who made his Test debut when Bangladesh toured Pakistan in 2003, said.
“I’m obviously not worried about the number of matches I missed because of the surgery. But it was quite difficult to sit out and watch team-mates playing without me.
“Fortunately, the injury this time was not as serious as the one I suffered in 2004 [after helping Pakistan win the Lahore Test against India] when three stress fractures of the back sidelined me from the game for more than a year. At that stage I feared my career was over.”
Umar, who twice returned figures of five wickets for six runs in Twenty20 Internationals, against New Zealand at The Oval during Pakistan’s triumphant World T20 campaign in 2009 and then against South Africa at Centurion last March, said that the forthcoming series against the would be competitive despite South Africa’s top ranking in Test cricket.
“It would be a great Test series because Pakistan have the potential to compete against them. We may have lost against them earlier this year but our side can win because the conditions will suit us more than we encountered in South Africa,” Umar commented. “I would love to play against them, but it all depends how it all goes for me in the coming weeks.”
Thursday, 19 September 2013
Lack of internationals affecting player development: Misbah
Lack of internationals affecting player development: Misbah
Misbah-ul-Haq has reiterated calls to address the lack of international cricket in Pakistan to arrest the slide of the game in the country.
The Pakistani captain, who is leading the Faisalabad Wolves in the Champions League T20 in India, was speaking in the aftermath of another loss by the Wolves which saw them knocked out of the tournament. According to Misbah, the difference in the quality of the domestic sides around the world and that of Pakistan was there for all to see.
“When there is international cricket in your country, there is a positive impact on your cricketers,” Misbah said while pointing towards the development of young players in Pakistan.
“Right in front of your eyes, you can see players from all parts of the world come here to play the IPL. There are different leagues in other countries and you can see a tangible difference. You can see that in Indian cricket, young players are mature by the time they come into international cricket. They know how to handle pressure, how to build an innings, how to respond with the ball under pressure,” he added.
Pakistan itself hasn't helped the cause much and since the halt of international fixtures in 2009 there hasn’t been a great deal done to help lift the crippling domestic structure out as Gautam Bhattacharyya of Gulf News puts it: “If lack of international cricket is one factor, the other crippling issue has been an inadequate domestic structure, something which the legendary Imran Khan has demanded attention on for years. There is virtually no better place for a batsman to go through the grind and work on patience than the domestic set-up if you want the batsmen to play long innings.”
http://www.dawn.com/news/1044026/lack-of-internationals-affecting-player-development-misbah
Australia ‘rest’ coach Lehmann, Warner for India series
Veteran wicketkeeper Brad Haddin was Thursday recalled to Australia's one-day squad to play India but troubled batsman David Warner and spinner Fawad Ahmed missed out.
Captain Michael Clarke was also among the 14 players selected for the seven-game series in India from October 11, which will be coached by Steve Rixon while Darren Lehmann is rested.
Whether Clarke makes the trip or not depends on treatment for his chronic back problem, with national selector John Inverarity making clear he was picked “subject to fitness.”
Haddin was the surprise inclusion, winning his place on the back of a lean England one-day series by alternative keeper Matthew Wade, which Australia won 2-1.
Haddin, 35, was drafted back into the Test side in place of Wade for the recent Ashes series against England to serve as Clarke's vice-captain. He broke Rod Marsh's 30-year-old record for the most dismissals in an Ashes series, but was not in the team for the subsequent one-day matches.
“Matthew Wade has been omitted due to lack of form and has been replaced by Brad Haddin, who captured an Ashes series record of dismissals in July and August,” said Inverarity.
“Matthew is 25 years of age and has a great deal of natural ability both as a batsman and as a keeper. The selectors are confident that Matthew will regain form and press hard for selection in the not-too-distant future.”
The glaring ommission for India was the dynamic Warner, who missed the first two Ashes Tests after being suspended in the run-up to the series for punching England's Joe Root in a Birmingham bar following Australia's Champions Trophy defeat to their arch-rivals.
He was then dropped for the one-day matches against England and returned home early to Australia.
Inverarity made no comment on the left-hander but Clarke earlier in the day backed him to bounce back from his England disappointment, saying he remained a vital part of the Australian set-up despite his problems.
“Davey is certainly a big part of the Australian team, whatever format,”said Clarke.
“He knows we've got a huge summer ahead and when an opportunity comes up again, I'm sure he'll grab it with both hands.”
Pakistan-born Ahmed, who made his international debut in England, also missed out. Xavier Doherty replaces him as the only specialist spinner in the squad.
Inverarity said Ahmed bowled well in England with limited opportunities, but Doherty was better suited to Indian conditions.
Whether Clarke is on the plane depends on the progress of treatment for his back, which has plagued him for years.
The captain returned to Sydney late Wednesday and said he would consult team physiotherapist Alex Kountouris and probably undergo scans.
“No doubt it's quite stiff and sore,” he said of his back.
“But I'll be guided by the experts on what I need to do now to try and get myself as fit as I can be. I would certainly like to go and continue to play.”
Rixon will coach the tour with Lehmann, who took over from the sacked Mickey Arthur just before the Ashes started, given time to rest ahead of the return series against England starting in November.
“Darren has been on the road and away from home for a considerable amount of time. This is a great opportunity for Darren to refresh, work with the states and provide others with opportunities,” said Inverarity.
Australia: Michael Clarke (capt), George Bailey (vice-capt), Nathan Coulter-Nile, Xavier Doherty, James Faulkner, Aaron Finch, Brad Haddin, Moises Henriques, Phil Hughes, Mitchell Johnson, Glenn Maxwell, Clint McKay, Adam Voges, Shane Watson
Wednesday, 18 September 2013
Sparkling Imran Nazir century ICL20 2008
November'2008: The third final of three finals for the ICL 20s Indian Championship featured defending champions Hyderabad Heroes, take on the mighty Lahore Badshahs for top honors at Sardar Patel stadium Ahmedabad. It was the mighty Lahore Badshahs who in the end conquered the final Fortier in ICL, thrashing their arch rivals Hyderabad Heroes by a comprehensive margin of 8 wickets, with 6 overs to spare.
|
The highlight of the win was a sparkling unbeaten century from the dashing Imran Nazir plundering 111 runs off only 44 balls; studded with 7 fours & 11 mighty sixes. The Knock also too Imran Nazir to the top of the leading scorer list for the tournament. Imran Nazir was fittingly declared man of the match. Nazir also won the Haywards Soda Solid Six award of US $10,000 for longest six of that went 140mts in the same match.
Chirs Harris won the all important toss and elected to bat. Lahore came out with a serious purpose in the field, with Azhar Mahmood striking early; castling the experienced Jimmy Maher in the 2nd over with only 8 runs on the board. Harris promoted the talented Anirudh Singh up the order at the no3 position. The move however did not pay dividends, as double strikes from the impressive Shahid Nazir in form of Singh & Razzaq’s wicket, had the defending champions in a bit of a bother at 58/3 at the end of the 7th over.
Inzamam introduced his premiere spinner Saqlain in the 10th over who struck immediately with the big wicket of the inform Khaleel out for a well made 45 off 25 balls, including 7 fours and 1 six. The half way mark of their innings had the defending champions placed precariously at 76/4. Rayudu’s wicket as Shahid Nazir’s third scalp of the match set the stage for Boje & Binny to play the resurrection role for the Hyderabad Heroes. 19 runs off the 14th Saqlian over, took the score to 120/5, brining Hyderabad back in the match.
The pacy Sami however had other plans, getting Boje to nick one to a diving Humayun Farhat, ending the 42 run partnership for the 6th wicket in the 15th over. With 5 overs to go Hyderabad were placed at 125/6 needing a major onslaught in the death overs to set up a decent target. The crafty Lahore bowling machinery was at its best, not giving any leeway to the Hyderabad batsmen, restricting their batting scorecard to 158/7 in their allotted 20 overs.
The Lahore chase got off to a blistering start with Nazir going hammer & tongs after Razzaq to plunder 24 runs off the first over. Nazir was carrying out a complete carnage on the Hyderabad bowing brining the Lahore fifty off only 20 balls in the 4th over. It was a Nazir show all the way at the start of the Lahore innings; brining his half century off only 16 balls in the 5th over; studded with 4 fours and five sixes. The 100 run partnership for the opening wicket came about in only the 8th over with the defending champions. The 108 run partnership was finally ended by Razzaq with the wicket of Farhat out for a well made 28 in the 9th over.
Nazir was toying with the Hyderabad bowling bringing about his maiden ICL hundred off only 42 balls; studded with 7 fours and 10 sixes. Imran went on the finish the match with his unbeaten knock off 111 coming off only 44 balls, made of Champagne stuff; single handedly finishing the match in only the 14th over.
Brief scores: Hyderabad Heroes 158/7 in 20 overs (Khaleel 45, Binny 25, Shahid Nazir 3/29) lost by 8 wickets to Lahore Badshahs 160/2 in13.5 overs (Imran Nazir 111*, Farhat 28, Boje 1/25) Scorecard.
Brilliant Bangladesh stun India
Toss: India won, and chose to bat first.
 India innings | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Status | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | Strike rate | |
| Sourav Ganguly | c Razzak b Rafique | 66 | 129 | 4 | 0 | 51.16 | |
| Virender Sehwag | b Mortaza | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 33.33 | |
| Robin Uthappa | c Ahmed b Mortaza | 9 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 52.94 | |
| Sachin Tendulkar | c Rahim b Razzak | 7 | 26 | 1 | 0 | 26.92 | |
| Rahul Dravid | lbw b Rafique | 14 | 28 | 0 | 0 | 50.00 | |
| Yuvraj Singh | c Bashar b Razzak | 47 | 58 | 3 | 1 | 81.03 | |
| Mahendra Singh Dhoni | c Ahmed b Rafique | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | |
| Harbhajan Singh | b Razzak | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | |
| Ajit Agarkar | c Rahim b Mortaza | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | |
| Zaheer Khan | not out | 15 | 17 | 2 | 0 | 88.23 | |
| Munaf Patel | c Razzak b Mortaza | 15 | 15 | 2 | 0 | 100.00 | |
| Extras | (lb 5; w 3; nb 8) | 16 | |||||
| Total | (All out; 49.3 overs) | 191 | 13 | 1 | |||
 Bangladesh bowling | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets | Econ | |
| Mashrafe Mortaza | 9.3 | 2 | 38 | 4 | 4.00 | |
| Syed Rasel | 10 | 2 | 31 | 0 | 3.10 | |
| Abdur Razzak | 10 | 2 | 38 | 3 | 3.80 | |
| Saqibul Hasan | 10 | 0 | 44 | 0 | 4.40 | |
| Mohammad Rafique | 10 | 2 | 35 | 3 | 3.50 | |
| Bangladesh innings (Target: 192 runs from 50 overs) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Status | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | Strike rate | |
| Tamim Iqbal | c Dhoni b Patel | 51 | 53 | 7 | 2 | 96.22 | |
| Shahriar Nafees | lbw b Khan | 2 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 25.00 | |
| Mushfiqur Rahim | not out | 56 | 107 | 3 | 2 | 52.33 | |
| Aftab Ahmed | lbw b Patel | 8 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 80.00 | |
| Saqibul Hasan | st Dhoni b Sehwag | 53 | 86 | 5 | 1 | 61.62 | |
| Habibul Bashar | st Dhoni b Sehwag | 1 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 12.50 | |
| Mohammad Ashraful | not out | 8 | 23 | 1 | 0 | 34.78 | |
| Extras | (lb 1; w 4; nb 8) | 13 | |||||
| Total | (5 Wickets; 48.3 overs) | 192 | 17 | 5 | |||
 India bowling | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets | Econ | |
| Zaheer Khan | 9 | 2 | 41 | 1 | 4.55 | |
| Ajit Agarkar | 10 | 0 | 41 | 0 | 4.10 | |
| Munaf Patel | 8.3 | 1 | 39 | 2 | 4.58 | |
| Harbhajan Singh | 10 | 1 | 30 | 0 | 3.00 | |
| Sachin Tendulkar | 3 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 2.66 | |
| Yuvraj Singh | 3 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 5.00 | |
| Virender Sehwag | 5 | 0 | 17 | 2 | 3.40 | |
Bangladesh: Shahriar Nafees, Tamim Iqbal, Aftab Ahmed, Saqibul Hasan, Habibul Bashar (capt), Mohammad Ashraful, Mushfiqur Rahim (wkt), Mohammad Rafique, Mashrafe Mortaza, Abdur Razzak, Syed Rasel
Player of the match: Mashrafe Mortaza (Bangladesh)
Umpires: Aleem Dar (Pakistan) and S J Davis (Australia)
TV umpire: I L Howell (South Africa)
Match referee: A G Hurst (Australia)
Reserve umpire: D J Harper (Australia)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)