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Tillakaratne Dilshan, the Sri Lanka captain, has rued the loss of wickets at crucial times and some avoidable dismissals during his team’s innings which led to a seven-wicket defeat at the hands of India in Bulawayo

Cricinfo staff30-May-2010Tillakaratne Dilshan, the Sri Lanka captain, has rued the loss of wickets at crucial times and some avoidable dismissals during his team’s innings which led to a seven-wicket defeat at the hands of India in Bulawayo. Sri Lanka were bowled out for 242, and India made short work of the target, courtesy a second successive ton from Rohit Sharma and his 154-run stand with Virat Kohli.”To defend a score of 240-odd we had to bowl in the right areas and take half-chances,” Dilshan said. “It went wrong with the bat, couple of run-outs and some untimely wickets. Had that not happened, we could have ended up with 280 or 290 and it might have been a different game.”Sri Lanka’s batsmen had got starts but needed one to score big, or several to chip in with important contributions, to set a challenging target. Dilshan made 61 before being run out, Angelo Mathews struck a fluent 75 and none of Thilan Samaraweera, Chamara Kapugedara or Thissara Perera – each got a start – pushed on to reach a half-century. Dilshan, though, lauded the pair of Rohit and Kohli, who, after getting together at 47 for 2, took the game away from Sri Lanka.”It was a flat wicket without any help for the fast bowlers, and there was no turn for the spinners either,” Dilshan said. “So to defend 240, we had to take early wickets. Rohit and Kohli, though, put up a century partnership and batted really well.”The pair was adept at rotating the strike, but the flat wicket, according to Dilshan, meant there was little he or the bowlers could do to contain them. “We tried to bring the fielders up but the wicket was of no help for the bowlers, and they batted really well.”Rohit, however, felt the pitch was slow and required some adjustment to score on. “It was on the slower side, a two-paced wicket with not every ball coming on to the bat. You need to adjust accordingly and play the shots,” he said.

Sharad Pawar has ruled out bilateral series between India and Pakistan in the near future, saying the restoration of cricketing ties was a diplomatic issue that had to be addressed by the two governments

Cricinfo staff08-Jul-2010Sharad Pawar, the ICC president, has ruled out bilateral series between India and Pakistan in the near future, saying the restoration of cricketing ties between the countries was a diplomatic issue that had to be addressed by the two governments.”Immediate ties between both countries is not possible,” Pawar told . “It is not in the hands of the cricket boards. It is a diplomatic issue. This is a decision taken by the Indian government.”Diplomatic relations between India and Pakistan worsened in the aftermath of the Mumbai terror attacks in November 2008. The BCCI called off a scheduled tour of Pakistan in early 2009, following a directive from the government. The two countries have only played two ODIs since – in the Champions Trophy in 2009 and the Asia Cup this year. The relationship between the two countries’ board was also strained when Pakistan was stripped of its rights to host the 2011 World Cup after the Lahore attacks, and the World Cup secretariat was moved to Mumbai.There has been steady speculation in Pakistan since the ICC meeting in Singapore of a potential Pakistan-India series, on neutral turf sometime next year. The chatter is linked with Pakistan’s backing of other Asian and African countries, as well as the West Indies, in the movement to reject John Howard’s nomination as ICC vice-president but PCB officials have not commented on the matter.On Wednesday in Lahore, Ijaz Butt, chairman of the PCB, didn’t confirm or deny a query on the possibility of a resumption, arguing that bilateral talks between any boards on future commitments should remain private until further development. Butt has, in the past, been open about wanting to see the rivalry resume sooner rather than later though he has also acknowledged that it is tied in with political realities.

Alan Isaac, the candidate who replaced John Howard as Australia and New Zealand’s nominee for the ICC vice-presidency, has supported the creation of a window in the Future Tour Programme for the IPL

Cricinfo staff31-Jul-2010Alan Isaac, the candidate who replaced John Howard as Australia and New Zealand’s nominee for the ICC vice-presidency, has supported the creation of a window in the Future Tour Programme for the IPL. The ICC had earlier ruled out accommodating lucrative Twenty20 leagues in the already cramped international calendar, but Isaac said that was likely to change as the ICC’s sub-committee is working on remodelling the FTP.”The Future Tours Program has to allow the IPL, because unless it is accommodated we will end up with more challenges,” Isaac told the . ”There will be more pressure put around the scheduling of ICC events [such as World Cups and the Champions Trophy], and those ICC events are so critical to members because of the revenue generated.”It has to be worked into the Future Tours Program because there is a demand and an interest. The players seem to like it, and there is more money coming into the game. ‘The sub-committee work is being done on that basis [that the IPL will be part of the FTP].”Isaac, the New Zealand Cricket chairman, replaced former Australia prime minister John Howard as the ICC vice-president nominee following Cricket Australia’s refusal to choose another candidate. Howard’s nomination was blocked last month in Singapore by members from six countries. After being told by the ICC board to find another option by August 31, New Zealand asked Sir John Anderson, the country’s original recommendation, to reconsider. When Anderson refused Isaac, 58, stepped forward.Isaac said Anderson’s decision to decline contesting was unexpected. ”He shocked me when he said he wasn’t available, then encouraged me to make myself available,” Isaac said. ”That was the first time I started thinking about the role. I don’t see myself as second or third choice, ultimately I will be judged on the work that is done.”Isaac conceded that the ICC has had its share of criticism on the way it works and how certain powerful members like India have got their way. He said India have a very significant role to play in the game’s governing body in terms of the revenue they generate.”I think one of the most important things is that we work to enhance the reputation of the ICC,” Isaac said. ”The media are quite critical of it, sometimes justifiably, and lots of decisions it makes get criticised. Each member around the table has got their own issues and agendas, I understand that, it is about leading everyone in a common direction.”There is no doubt [India] are powerful, that is a matter of fact. When the ICC sells its commercial rights a lot of that comes from India, that is the commercial reality and we have got to recognise that. The Indian officials I have dealt with in my 20 months at the ICC have been really good to work with, there are no issues at all.”

Michael Lumb will miss Twenty20 finals day and England’s two Twenty20s against Pakistan after being ruled out for the season due to a broken foot

Cricinfo staff12-Aug-2010Michael Lumb will miss Twenty20 finals day and England’s two Twenty20s against Pakistan after being ruled out for the season due to a broken foot. Lumb was fielding in close against Somerset when he was struck by a shot from his England T20 opening partner Craig Kieswetter.Lumb had struggled for form since returning from the World Twenty20 in the Caribbean and was given a break by Hampshire to allow him to recharge his batteries. The time off appeared to have worked when he had found his touch in the longer format with 158 against Durham last week.Hampshire will miss him in their first appearance at a Twenty20 finals day, especially after they declined to pick Kevin Pietersen in their squad, but it wasn’t certain that he would have been selected for the semi-final against EssexEngland will also miss Lumb in their two Twenty20 internationals in Cardiff early next month. He proved a valuable player in their triumphant ICC World Twenty20 campaign in the Caribbean in May, when he played all seven matches.However, following the two matches against Pakistan, England’s next Twenty20 internationals are not until early January following the Ashes series so Lumb will face a long wait to see if his winner’s medal from West Indies is the start or end of his England career.

The ICC’s proposal to limit to 10 the number of teams in the World Cup is exactly that – a proposal – and does not exclude Associate nations, a senior official has said

Nagraj Gollapudi15-Sep-2010The ICC’s proposal to limit to 10 the number of teams in the World Cup is exactly that – a proposal – and does not exclude Associate nations, a senior official has said. Speaking a day after the decisions were made public and sparked criticism by Associate members, Dave Richardson, the ICC’s general manager on cricket, told ESPNcricinfo it had not yet been worked out exactly which teams would qualify for the tournament.”How the ten members are to be determined has still to be decided,” Richardson said. “It could be the full members only but it could be not.”The recommendation to reduce the number of teams from 2015 – 14 will play at the 2011 World Cup – was made at the ICC’s chief executives’ committee [CEC] meeting in Cape Town earlier this week and will now be discussed by the board. Richardson stressed that nowhere in the proposal was it stated that Associates could not participate in the World Cup. “They haven’t said they would exclude Associates; nowhere has anyone said, at this stage, the decision is to allow only full members to participate in the World Cup,” he said.The CEC includes representatives from three Associate and Affiliate members – Ireland (Warren Deutrom), Hong Kong (John Cribbin) and Namibia (Francois Erasmus) – who would have had a say before the recommendations were finalised.The proposal’s genesis lies in the ICC’s move to revamp the World Cup, which was entrusted to a working group comprising senior officials of four national boards – James Sutherland, N Srinivasan, David Collier and Nishantha Ranatunga – and Richardson. The decision was taken after submissions from various quarters and interactions with the broadcasters. “There was a general view that the World Cup in its current form was too many teams, too many one-sided matches. So the idea was to have the ten best teams in the world,” Richardson said.Explaining the rationale behind the CEC view, Richardson said the primary motive was to look at the whole basket of ICC events as one product and enhance the brand value. Hence it was deemed necessary to improve the quality of the product. “The main reason was, it’s easier for teams to be competitive in the 20-over version rather than in the 50-over version,” Richardson said. And why is that? “There is nothing worse than a one-sided 50-over game. So one of the major reasons was to increase the quality of the matches (in ODI World Cup).” This, he said, could be done by reducing the number of teams in the 50-over World Cup.Richardson pointed out that the issue of qualification would now be determined by the governance review committee, which will submit its findings to the executive board. There is no definitive time-frame for that. “We have still got five years before the next world Cup so we have got plenty of time to determine how teams are going to qualify,” Richardson remarked.The issue that remains unresolved concerns the parameters to determine the 10 best countries. There doesn’t seem to be any ready solution, especially given the bottleneck over the disparity in the distribution of monies from the World Cup which the ICC gives to the full members and Associates. The full member gets 75 percent while the remaining 25 percent is distributed among the Associates. So any decision to include one Associate member in the World Cup at the expense of a full member could see objections from the latter unless the income was protected.

Ian Bell has been added to England’s squad for the remaining two one-day internationals in the NatWest Series against Pakistan

Cricinfo staff19-Sep-2010Batsman Ian Bell, who scored a century in Saturday’s CB40 final, has been added to England’s squad for the remaining two one-day internationals in the NatWest Series against Pakistan.Bell has not been part of the England set-up since breaking a bone in his foot while fielding during the second one-day international against Bangladesh at Bristol earlier this summer. He has since recovered from the metatarsal injury, scoring 107 off 95 balls in Warwickshire’s victory over Somerset at Lord’s.”It’s fantastic to have him back in the squad,” Andrew Strauss, the England captain, said. “He wasn’t in originally because we weren’t sure about where he was in his recovery and he needed some cricket for Warwickshire. He’s played very well and strengthens are squad to give us more options batting wise.”Bell made a successful return to the one-day squad in the first match against Bangladesh, where he struck an unbeaten 84 to seal victory at Trent Bridge but was soon back on the sidelines after his injury at Bristol. With England’s impressive one-day form it’s a battle to find a place in the line-up, especially with Kevin Pietersen to return, but Bell feels he is now coming into his prime.”I’ll just keep working as hard as I can to get in the side in one-day cricket as well as Test cricket,” he said. “I feel I’m improving all the time. I’m desperate to keep improving because at 28 the best years are still to come.”It’s been great to be back on field. When I did the injury the England guys and the specialists erred on the side of safety,” Bell added. “The surgeon suggested eight weeks off, I probably could have played after seven but was it worth risking it ahead of aus? Probably not.”So hats off to the ECB – Kirk Russell [the physio] and Nick Pierce the doctor got it right in terms of giving myself enough time but also getting some cricket under my belt.”Paul Collingwood, who missed the third one-dayer at The Oval with a virus, trained with the squad on Sunday at Lord’s and is likely to be available. Strauss confirmed that Bell wasn’t in as cover and will stand an equal chance of being selected.

After days of rain, the weather in Mirpur improved to allow a full one-day international and it was Bangladesh’s spinners who shone, dismissing New Zealand cheaply to secure a seven-wicket victory

The Bulletin by Andrew Fernando11-Oct-2010
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Suhrawadi Shuvo took 3 for 14 in ten overs to help dismiss New Zealand cheaply•AFP

Bangladesh took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series, and won two consecutive ODIs against top-flight opposition for the first time in their 232-match history, by cruising to a seven-wicket victory in the third one-dayer at the Sher-e-Bangla Stadium in Mirpur. The stage was set for Bangladesh’s batsmen after their spinners had decimated the New Zealand line-up – and they didn’t disappoint, hunting down the meagre total of 173 in 40 overs, ensuring the visitors had to win both the remaining matches to draw the five-match contest.The trio of Bangladesh’s left-arm spinners were into the game early after Shafiul Islam had removed the dangerous Brendon McCullum in the first over, and they tore out the heart of the New Zealand batting line-up, reducing them to 101 for 7 in the 33rd over. A belligerent 72-run association between Ross Taylor and Kyle Mills revived the innings, but a total of 173 was always going to be tough to defend, especially with the New Zealand seam bowlers yet to find their radar on this rain-ridden tour.The Bangladesh openers began positively in pursuit of New Zealand’s total, smartly putting away bad balls through point and down the ground to reach 35 for no loss after five overs, before the lunch break interrupted their progress. Not much changed after the stoppage, though, as both
batsmen continued to pick up regular boundaries, with a particularly handsome on-drive from Imrul Kayes standing out. The fifty came in just 7.4 overs and not even the introduction of the ever-
threatening Daniel Vettori – so often the bane of Bangladesh in these one-day encounters – could prevent the batsmen from scoring over five an over with relative ease. It was a day when everything
was going right for them.Shahriar Nafees was effective square of the wicket on the off side, and he brought up his half-century with a cover drive off Andy McKay in the 16th over. Neither batsmen was troubled by
the wayward bowling and they rotated strike intelligently, with the more circumspect Kayes feeding the strike to his aggressive partner.The century partnership between the Bangladesh openers was only the third such stand in 19 matches against New Zealand. By the time Nafees chipped Nathan McCullum to mid-on for a run-a-ball 73, only 47 runs were required for victory. Imrul Kayes also fell soon after reaching his fifty, again trying to loft McCullum over cover, but the Bangladesh middle order ensured that the home team got home with plenty of overs and wickets to spare.This significant victory, however, had been set up in the first half of the match, when BJ Watling and Jesse Ryder’s attempts to steadily rebuild the innings after the early loss of McCullum were thwarted by the hosts’ spinners, who began operating at both ends after just eight overs had been bowled by the fast bowlers. Both batsmen holed out trying to accelerate, and the wickets continued to fall in quick succession. Grant Elliott was bowled by a delivery from Shakib that broke sharply off the slowish surface, and Suhrawadi Shuvo added the scalps of Daniel Vettori and Shanan Stewart to the wicket of Ryder to complete his three-wicket haul.McCullum didn’t last long at the crease either, leaving the New Zealand innings in tatters. Taylor, who had played a lone hand, finally found some support in Mills, and the pair went about setting a new New Zealand record for the eighth wicket, scoring 72 runs off 64 deliveries. Taylor was typically strong on the leg side, slamming four sixes and four fours in his unbeaten innings of 62, Mills also smacked three magnificent sixes down the ground.Despite the expensive period of play for Bangladesh, it was business as usual following the wicket of Mills, as Mahmudullah dismissed Tim Southee and Andy McKay in successive deliveries to end the innings. The total was made to look extremely average by a Bangladesh top order that seems to be growing in confidence in the one-day format.

Rusty Theron, the South Africa pace bowler, has been added to the squad for the one-day series against Pakistan in UAE following his recent impressive performances

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Oct-2010Rusty Theron, the South Africa pace bowler, has been added to the squad for the one-day series against Pakistan in UAE following his recent impressive performances.Theron, 25, was originally only part of the squad for the two Twenty20 internationals but the selectors have decided to bolster their fast-bowling options after he claimed a Man-of-the-Match 4 for 27 in the second game in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday. It continued the promising start to Theron’s international career after he bagged 11 wickets in his first three one-day internationals against Zimbabwe earlier this month.”His selection is actually a combination of several things,” said selection convener Andrew Hudson. “With the injuries suffered by Morne Morkel, Dale Steyn and Jacques Kallis we feel it is prudent to have adequate cover in the fast bowling department.”Rusty’s form also deserves to be rewarded. He has performed exceptionally well against Zimbabwe and during the two Pro20s against Pakistan and he will bolster the squad ahead of the congested five ODIs against Pakistan.”Kallis and Steyn sat out both the Twenty20 matches against Pakistan. Steyn is unlikely to be fit for the opening one-day international in Abu Dhabi on Sunday but South Africa are hopeful about being able to include Kallis who has been struggling with a back problem. “We are going to have to make some difficult choices when everybody is fit and available and it is a nice problem to have,” Hudson added.

Mumbai middle-order batsman Ajinkya Rahane is the only uncapped player to be included in India’s 30-member World Cup longlist.

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Dec-2010Mumbai middle-order batsman Ajinkya Rahane is the only uncapped player to be included in India’s 30-member preliminary World Cup squad. Cheteshwar Pujara, who made a promising half-century on Test debut against Australia, has also been picked, as have opening batsman Shikhar Dhawan, legspinner Piyush Chawla and allrounder Yusuf Pathan. There was, however, no place for Yusuf’s brother Irfan, who has missed the initial stages of the Ranji Trophy with an injury.The list, which will be trimmed to 15 players by January 19, also included three wicketkeepers in addition to MS Dhoni – Parthiv Patel, Dinesh Karthik and Wriddhiman Saha. Karthik used to be India’s first-choice wicketkeeper as a back-up for Dhoni, but he was left out of the recent one-day series against New Zealand, where Saha took over for the first three matches. Parthiv was handed a couple of games as well – when Saha left early as a part of the Test squad for South Africa – and scored two half-centuries, making use of his first chance at the highest level in six years.Yusuf forced his way back into the reckoning when he won the fourth one-dayer against New Zealand with a brutal 123 off 96 balls after India were reduced to 188 for 5 chasing 316. Ravindra Jadeja, who was the preferred all-round option for the majority of last season was also included in the squad. Irfan’s absence from the list, however, highlighted just how far he has fallen in the eyes of India’s selectors.While the one-day side has looked settled in recent times, Dhoni has said a few places are still up for grabs, including one for a fast bowler and another for either an allrounder or a big-hitting lower-order batsman. India have not yet selected their side for the one-day series against South Africa, and with the first game to be played on January 12, the make-up of that squad should be an indication of the composition of the final 15 for the World Cup.Kris Srikkanth, chairman of the selection committee, said it was a team without surprises and expected a strong performance in home conditions. “This is a probables team and everyone selects himself,” Srikkanth said. “There is one more month to go to select the final team and we will sit down and think calmly before finalising the team. They have been doing well in one-day cricket. The World Cup is happening in the subcontinent and I am confident that the team will do well.”Preliminary squad: MS Dhoni, Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra, Sreesanth, Munaf Patel, Ishant Sharma, Vinay Kumar, M Vijay, Rohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja, Ajinkya Rahane, Saurabh Tiwary, Yusuf Pathan, Parthiv Patel, R Ashwin, Wriddhiman Saha, Dinesh Karthik, Shikhar Dhawan, Amit Mishra, Piyush Chawla, Cheteshwar Pujara, Pragyan Ojha, Praveen Kumar

Michael Klinger’s half-century led South Australia’s surge to 171, and Adil Rashid and Daniel Christian finished Victoria off for 116 at the Adelaide Oval

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Jan-2011South Australia 3 for 171 (Klinger 76*, Pollard 35*) beat Victoria 116 (White 43, Christian 4-31, Rashid 3-15) by 55 runs

ScorecardLeading from the front: Michael Klinger•AFP

Michael Klinger’s half-century led South Australia’s surge to 171, and Adil Rashid and Daniel Christian finished Victoria off for 116 at the Adelaide Oval. Cameron White’s 43 was the lone saving grace for Victoria as six of their batsmen made single-digit scores.Despite the early loss of Daniel Harris and Christian, Klinger ensured the momentum remained with his side after they opted to bat, and did no harm to his growing reputation as a Twenty20 player. He brought up his half-century with a six over midwicket off Dwayne Bravo, and repeated the dose two deliveries later.He played shots all around the park, driving, slicing and reverse-sweeping his way to an unbeaten 76 from 53 balls. Klinger got good support from Callum Ferguson (30), and a late flourish from Kieron Pollard enabled South Australia to finish on a high. Pollard arrived in the last four overs, and looted 35 of the 47 runs South Australia managed in that time.Shaun Tait began the slide for Victoria, bowling Brad Hodge in the fourth over as the batsman missed the attempted drive. Christian got into the act with the next dismissal, catching Matthew Wade off a mishit at mid-on. He came on in the next over, and though he went for 14 runs, caught and bowled David Hussey with the last ball of that over. Aaron O’Brien deceived his namesake Aaron Finch in the air with the arm ball for Graham Manou to complete the rest. Rashid’s legbreaks got him two wickets with his first two deliveries of the match as Bravo and Rob Quiney holed out on the boundary. Christian returned to mop up the rest and when he got White caught at deep midwicket, it was all but over for Victoria.