All posts by h716a5.icu

Two Test wins, 14 in ODIs, an inspiring captain, and a promising newcomer made Bangladesh’s 2009 their most successful 12 months ever

Abu Choudhury29-Dec-2009If 2008 was a year to forget for Bangladesh cricket, 2009 has been a rare treat: one to savour.At first glance, heading into the year, it seemed that cricket’s youngest Test nation was destined to have a tumultuous 12 months. Having lost arguably some of their best players to the ICL, Bangladesh also had to contend with injuries to their most reliable bowler and the change of captaincy that ensued. Mohammad Ashraful, Mashrafe Mortaza and Shakib Al Hasan have all skippered the side at one time or another in 2009. Shakib, who signed for Worcestershire late in 2009, proved to be an inspirational captain, and largely under his leadership, Bangladesh have had their most successful year since they gained Test status.Bangladesh played three Tests in 2009. Having lost the first against Sri Lanka in January in a predictably nonchalant style, they went on to surprise the world and possibly themselves by notching up their first Test series victory against West Indies, who fielded a depleted side. But the victory was no less sweet for success-starved Bangladesh supporters.Bangladesh’s year in Test cricket was notable for other reasons too. They made a top score of 345 in St Vincent, where Tamim Iqbal scored his maiden Test century, and on all but one occasion they were able to post at least 200 runs in an innings. For a side that is accustomed to the ignominy of innings defeats, this was no mean feat.It was in ODI cricket, however, that Bangladesh made the most impressive strides in 2009. Of the 19 ODIs they played, they won 14 and lost five. This compares favourably to 2008, when they only won five of their 26 ODIs. A success rate of 74% is impressive by itself, but they also twice scored over 300 against Zimbabwe in Bulwayo – a remarkable statistic for a side that frequently struggles to score above 250 in 50-over cricket.It will be argued that Bangladesh hardly faced the better-ranked sides in 2009, and while this is of course true, it is also worth noting that one of those ODI victories came against a full-strength Sri Lanka side and that Zimbabwe fielded one of their strongest teams in recent years.High point
There is no doubt that the team’s tour to the West Indies in July was the highlight of Bangladesh’s year. Bangladesh had tasted Test success just once previously, against Zimbabwe in 2005. Since then, they have come close but ultimately failed to cross the finish line. In 2009 they not only swept the Test series but also the ODIs.A cursory glance at the scorecards for those Tests will reflect that West Indies fielded an inexperienced side and that both matches were closely fought. However, statistics alone cannot paint an accurate picture. Although lacking big-name players, Reifer’s side contained some cricketers who were an injury or two away from selection to a full-strength side (for example, Kemar Roach, Travis Dowlin and Darren Sammy are all currently touring Australia). Moreover, while West Indies were undercooked before the first Test, they were certainly better prepared for the second. It was the nature of those wins that gives Bangladesh supporters cause for optimism.

Bangladesh continue to be overly reliant on their army of spinners and will be acutely aware that matches are rarely won through left-arm spin alone. The lack of seam-bowling support will need to be addressed

Amid all the uncertainty and controversy on that tour, Bangladesh could easily have succumbed to yet another loss. Followers of Bangladesh cricket will know only too well the team’s habit of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. But this proved not to be Multan in 2003 or Fatullah in 2006. Ultimately Bangladesh triumphed.There were other high points too. In Zimbabwe, Charles Coventry posted the highest individual ODI score, but this could not prevent Shakib’s men taking the series 4-1, and then repeating the feat with an identical scoreline at home in November. Bangladesh supporters only dare to whisper it right now, but there is an increasing suspicion that their side has finally discovered the art of winning.Low point
It was not all success and accolades for Bangladesh this year. In Twenty20s, which would appear in theory to be tailormade for the trigger-happy Bangladesh batsmen, the team have had a year to forget, losing every match they played. The most embarrassing of these was against Ireland at Trent Bridge, where the Bangladesh batting reverted to type and the O’Brien brothers enhanced their reputations.In this review last year Utpal Shuvro nominated Mohammad Ashraful as Bangladesh’s “fading star”. This year he averaged just under 13 in Tests and under 25 in ODIs. Ashraful’s career has descended into cliché; an apparently gifted young batsman unable to assert himself on the international stage is a story heard before, as the careers of Mark Ramprakash and Mohammad Kaif will attest. Ashraful did make some valuable contributions in 2009, but these were with the ball rather than the bat.The loss of the captaincy means Ashraful is no longer guaranteed a place in the side. He may be only 25 but he has also played 50 Tests, and more ODIs than Andrew Flintoff. His future must now surely be in doubt.Rubel Hossain: Bangladesh’s answer to Mohammad Aamer•AFPNew kid on the block
Just one cricketer made debuts in all three formats for Bangladesh in 2009, and what a debut it was. Rubel Hossain is young, energetic and capable of regularly hitting 85mph. He returned figures of 4 for 33 from just 5.3 overs in his maiden ODI, against Sri Lanka in January. The 19-year-old from Bagerhat is Bangladesh’s answer to Mohammad Aamer, and while he has much to learn, he is certainly an exciting prospect.What 2010 holds
Bangladesh have a surprisingly busy schedule in 2010, when they will face some of the bigger beasts in world cricket. Sri Lanka, India, New Zealand and England will all provide much sterner tests.Although they have performed admirably in 2009, there are still unanswered questions. It is not yet clear whether the injury-prone Mortaza will reclaim the captaincy or whether the selectors will keep faith with Shakib. The selectors must also decide whether to recall any former ICL players, who become eligible for selection in the New Year.Bangladesh continue to be overly reliant on their army of spinners and will be acutely aware that matches are rarely won through left-arm spin alone. The lack of seam bowling support will need to be addressed.A relatively successful year has come to an end, but Bangladesh’s performances in 2010 will provide a truer reflection of how much they have evolved. Greater challenges lie ahead, but a side that constantly has to battle for respectability can venture into the New Year full of hope and optimism, and it is not very often that one can say that.

Plays of the Day from day two of the first Test between England and Bangladesh at Lord’s

Andrew Miller at Lord's28-May-2010Stats of the dayJonathan Trott’s 226 was the fifth-highest individual score in a Test at Lord’s, and the third-best by an Englishman behind Graham Gooch (333) and Wally Hammond (240). It also equalled Kevin Pietersen’s own 226, against West Indies at Headingley in 2007, as England’s best in Tests for two decades – since Gooch’s magnum opus against India in 1990. There have now been 14 double-hundreds in 67 Tests against Bangladesh, and funnily enough, Trott’s score is the same as that made by another dour South African-born right-hander, Neil McKenzie, at Chittagong in February 2008.Tut-tut moment of the dayEoin Morgan could do no wrong on Thursday, as he nudged and lapped his way to a confident but self-controlled 40 not out – a debut innings that showcased just enough of his natural style, while underpinning it with evidence of real substance. On Friday, however, he didn’t quite manage to pick up where he’d left off. With a debut half-century there for the taking, he poked a touch flat-footedly outside off stump, and snicked a thin edge through to Mushfiqur Rahim. It was a very mortal end for a player who’s been built up as Superman in recent weeks – and perhaps just an inkling of an indication that he still needs to work on his long-form technique.Misplaced passion of the dayShahadat Hossain was a pumped-up character as he settled into Bangladesh’s best bowling spell of the day. Mixing up his angles to disrupt the rhythm of England’s right-handers, he slanted a good-length delivery off the edge of Tim Bresnan’s bat and into the safe hands of Junaid Siddique at slip before tempting Trott into a loose dab to gully. As he charged past to celebrate the breakthrough with his team-mates, he mouthed a send-off to Bresnan while reaching down to kiss the Bangladesh badge on the breast of his shirt. But, unfortunately for Shahadat (though happily for a certain telecoms firm) he picked the wrong side, and planted a smacker on the emblem of the team sponsor.Celebration of the dayThe lure of the Lord’s honours boards never fails to excite, but especially for the one team that had never before left its mark in the visiting dressing-room. On Bangladesh’s last Test tour in 2005, they managed three wickets in the match and six in the series, while Shahadat’s own contribution (on debut) was 12 wicketless overs for 101. This time, however, he emerged with 5 for 98, and capped his effort by rattling James Anderson’s middle stump with the final delivery of the innings. At the moment of impact, he wheeled away in triumph, pursued by his gleeful team-mates. Rarely, if ever, can a side have left the field so contentedly after conceding a 500-plus total.Scare of the dayOn Thursday, it was the turn of one Bangladeshi opener to cause his team concern, as Imrul Kayes wore a Morgan pull on the helmet and staggered groggily off to the pavilion. Today there was an even more alarming incident, when Imrul’s batting partner, Tamim Iqbal, dived in front of the Grandstand to field a firm clip from Matt Prior, but landed heavily on his injured left wrist. As he was helped from the field in clear pain, there were some initial fears that his tour might be over, but happily – and as it turned out, flamboyantly – that was far from the case.Innings of the dayWith apologies to Trott, whose innings was weighty but never exactly set the pulse racing, there was only one real entertainer with the bat today. Tamim’s 55 from 62 balls was his fourth half-century in five innings against England, and he launched his latest onslaught as if he’d just retaken his guard after a drinks break in Chittagong. Tim Bresnan’s first over contained two haymaking slashes for four – one over the slips, the other through midwicket – and two further demented mows that missed the off stump by a whisker. At first it appeared that his wrist was causing him gyp, but soon it was clear that it’s just the way he plays. And had it not been for Kevin Pietersen’s direct hit from point, he might still have been tonking as we speak.

Plays of the Day from the fourth tri-series match between Sri Lanka and New Zealand in Dambulla

Siddarth Ravindran in Dambulla20-Aug-2010First-ball jitters
Upul Tharanga had been cleaned up on the first delivery of the match against India by a beauty from Praveen Kumar which nipped away to take offstump. Tharanga would have collected an unwanted second golden duck in a row when he nearly nicked Kyle Mills’ first delivery, only to be just beaten by the movement. He didn’t last too long anyway, swinging a short ball to short fine leg to walk back for 12.Dilshan’s fast start
Usually in one-dayers, teams look to smash some quick runs during the initial Powerplay overs, but that hasn’t generally been the case so far in the tri-series, with the top-order batting being generally more cagey than carefree. Tillakaratne Dilshan put an end to that trend: a violent flat-bat crack down the ground for four got him going in the third, backed up by two more boundaries in the next. Those were preludes to the fireworks in the fifth over when Dilshan pinged the midwicket, square leg, point and cover boundaries for four consecutive fours.Silva’s confident beginning
With plenty of competition for middle-order spots in Sri Lanka, it was a crucial innings on Friday for Chamara Silva, walking out for his first match of the tournament. Silva showed no signs of nerves on his first audition for a World Cup berth, getting off the mark with a wonderfully timed punch past the bowler for four. He ended unbeaten on a fluent 41, which should be enough to earn him more time to press his case for next year’s showpiece tournament. He has previous experience doing this, hitting form at the right time four years ago to become a regular for the Caribbean World Cup in 2007.Camera tricks
With rain dampening the mood for the second day in a row at the Dambulla stadium, there was not much for the fans to cheer about. During a brief dry spell, a playful cameraman distorted images so that people’s heads were outrageously large and their legs spindly. Those images on the giant screen were the only things the few faithful who stuck around had to chuckle about, before another shower washed out the match.

England have been wildly inconsistent, and are now on the verge of exiting in the first stage of a tournament that was designed to coddle the big boys

Siddarth Ravindran in Chennai16-Mar-2011Over the past ten months, England have achieved their loftiest ambitions in two formats of the game: they were crowned Twenty20 champions after a convincing run in the Caribbean, and retained the Ashes in Australia with a commanding victory over Ricky Ponting’s men. In pursuing the highest honour in the third format, however, they have been wildly inconsistent, and are now on the verge of exiting in the first stage of a tournament that was designed to coddle the big boys.The league phase was supposed to be a month-long snoozefest, in which the smaller teams in world cricket enjoyed some time in the limelight before ceding the stage to the established powers for a high-stakes final fortnight.The memo clearly didn’t reach England, who have put together the most topsy-turvy league campaign in World Cup history, both in terms of the results – defeats to lower-ranked Ireland and Bangladesh, while taking points off the group favourites, India and South Africa – and in terms of the heart-stopping highs and lows of each match itself. Their most humdrum game was their opening victory in Nagpur, and even that came after the no-hopers from Netherlands had set a stiff target of 293.In every match in which England have dropped points, they were in a dominant position before frittering their advantage away: Zaheer Khan’s reverse-swing turned the game against India after England had muscled their way to 281 to 2 at the Chinnaswamy; a pink-haired Kevin O’Brien scripted Ireland’s greatest day in cricket after they were headed for a thrashing at 111 for 5 chasing 328, and a nerveless Shafiul Islam carved 24 quick runs to stop Bangladesh fans from pouring out of the Chittagong stadium, and start partying in it.”I just think we haven’t played a good 100-over match,” Jonathan Trott said. “We haven’t played consistently both sides – we’ve been good with the ball and poor with the bat, great with the bat and poor with the ball. The bowlers bailed us out against South Africa. As a batting unit we’ve got to put our heads down and get a big score, or chase down whatever West Indies set.”One of the reasons for England’s troubles is the batting Powerplay, a concept that has injected unpredictability into the tournament as most teams have struggled to use it properly. The best that England have managed against the Test teams in the group is a poor 33 for 2 against Bangladesh, while against India they lost the plot and nearly the match with a collapse of 4 for 25. In a low-scoring tussle against South Africa, they used it too late to cause any damage.”It changes a batsman’s mindset, the opposition team brings their best bowlers on,” Strauss said. “I don’t think we have done it as well as we would have liked, but hopefully that will change, it’s certainly an important period of play in the match, but it’s only five overs out of 50.”Related to the Powerplay botch-up is the lack of runs from the lower order. Duncan Fletcher’s near-obsession with making the bowlers handy with the bat has meant England’s tail has been productive over the past decade, but in this World Cup the fall of their fourth wicket has generally been the precursor to a collapse. Some mighty hits from the bowlers rescued a point in Bangalore, but there have been few runs from the lower-middle order onwards in the past three matches.The absence of Stuart Broad for the remainder of the tournament with a side strain exacerbates the problem, but it is his fast bowling that will be missed more, as the other experienced quick bowler in the squad, James Anderson, is badly out of form. His mastery of swing with the red ball was one of the main reasons for England’s Ashes victory, but he has been lacking that control with the white ball. The nadir was perhaps the 91 runs he leaked against India, but he was also wasteful at the death when Bangladesh were on the ropes at Chittagong, serving up a nine-ball over when line and length was essential.Strauss had to deflect plenty of questions over Anderson’s form in Tuesday’s press conference, and whether the fast bowler plays in a campaign-defining match against West Indies could now depend on the unwell Ajmal Shahzad’s availability. “Jimmy has had a tough time in some of the matches in the World Cup,” Strauss said, “but we all know what a quality performer he is, he’s done it for us over and over again in course of the winter and previously, so his name is very much in the mix for selection.”Anderson had scrambled a crucial leg-bye the last time these two teams met in the World Cup, in Barbados four years ago, in a match would have fitted perfectly with England’s nerve-shredding run in 2011 – they prevailed with one wicket and a ball to spare. That victory meant that the Test opponent against whom England have their best win-loss record in World Cups is West Indies. It’s hard to say whether that’s good news or bad for England fans, given their side’s extraordinary showing over the past month.

Steve Rixon, Australia’s new fielding coach, talks about how they need to get back to the basics to become the world’s top fielding outfit again

Interview by Brydon Coverdale04-Jul-2011After 20 years of coaching around the world, it must be pleasing to be part of the Australian side again?
It is. I’ve spoken to a lot of people who said, “It must have rejuvenated you a lot.” I haven’t needed any rejuvenation! I’ve been extremely rejuvenated wherever I’ve been involved, and have had plenty of success wherever I’ve been involved.It is always great to be involved with any Australian side. My big thing is about being able to do something to actually try to help get Australia back into a better place. At the end of the day, a lot of people sit on the fence and do nothing. Well, I’ve been given an opportunity to be able to do something about it. I’m extremely excited at the proposition of working with a lot of those kids I’ve seen over the years. I’ve seen things that I would like to sit down and talk to the boys about, and hopefully turn them into better cricketers – certainly from the fielding perspective.What do you think of the fielding standard around the world at the moment?
If you go through the best sides of the past, whether it’s the Windies in the 80s, through to the cream of the crop with Australia, we’ve had some outstanding fielding teams. You can see the English now have upped the ante with their fielding, and it’s standing out. I’ve noticed the Indians are starting to hit the deck more often, and they’ve become better. Everyone has eventually realised that you can’t have a passenger in the field anymore. To me, it’s always been an important part. You can walk into any organisation and really not know whether someone is going to go out and get a hundred or get five-for, but there’s one thing you should always be assured of, if your preparation has been good, and that’s that they make limited errors in the field, and maybe do something that might change the pattern of the game.Not long ago Australia were the world’s best fielding team. Is that still the case?
I don’t think so. I won’t say that. We’ve got some world-class fielders. Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke and Michael Hussey – they’re three of the older boys. That tells me there are a lot of youngsters that need to get back to some simple basics in the field like they do in the other aspects of their game. I have no question they are crying out to be helped, and I think they will improve. But we’re definitely not leading the way in the fielding anymore.It was a little bit different when you had Warne and McGrath in your side, because even if you did drop a catch, it wouldn’t be too much longer before McGrath would give you another opportunity. Warnie just created opportunities for fun, and you can’t buy that back. In the changing of the guard, you don’t have that. That, to me, is something we’ve got to be realistic with. So what we’ve got to do is make sure that when we have an opportunity, we’re going to make the best of it. That’s when our fielding will be at a new level, because we’ll have people who are not missing anything, really. That’s in the perfect world, of course, but that’s the objective. We’re talking about getting less opportunities but getting more catches when we do.

“A lot of people will field for hours, and eventually they’ll walk off when they’ve had the worst quarter hour of fielding of the whole time they were out there. You gain nothing out of that. You stop when you’re on top of your game”

Is the fact that the fielding standard has dropped a reflection on domestic cricket around Australia?
I think that’s a very good summation. I have seen some of the domestic games, and there is the odd standout, but it does need a new level brought into state cricket. They’ve fallen off the pace quite a bit there. We need to be much more consistent and realise that every opportunity that comes could be the changing of the game. It is a reflection on our domestic game, which is a bit sad, because that has been without question the strength of Australian cricket. Our grade sides have been strengthened by the fact that we’ve had a lot of state players go back to grade cricket on occasions. That lifts the standard, as does Test cricketers coming back and playing state cricket. If we’re looking at getting that standard to a higher level, we’re certainly going to have to do that.Why have fielding standards dropped away in domestic cricket?
I’ve seen some games where the fielding is very, very good, and I’ve seen some games where the intensity level is down. Your intensity level comes from your preparation. If you prepare and train smart, you’ll probably find you’ve got a little bit of an edge. It’s not by accident those three older guys I talked about [Ponting, Hussey and Clarke] turned out to be very good fielders. They’re all quite athletic, but [the more important question is] who does that little bit extra from a young age all the way through? These guys have done the extra work.We need to focus on the intensity of training, and also the smartness of when to stop. I’ve seen a lot of people will field for hours, and eventually they’ll walk off when they’ve had the worst quarter hour of fielding of the whole time they were out there. You gain nothing out of that. You stop when you’re on top of your game, and you trust that preparation is the way you’re going to go out into the next game.How important was fielding practice in your previous coaching jobs?
I remember only too vividly turning a group of guys in New Zealand into arguably the best slips cordon I’ve seen, outside of anything Australia have produced. We had [Adam] Parore, [Stephen] Fleming, [Nathan] Astle and [Bryan] Young, and I can’t remember them dropping any more than about five catches collectively in all the games that we had. So we did have something special. We had to, because we didn’t have the bowling power or the batting power to compete with a lot of nations. That single-handedly kept us in a lot of these games.Will you be working with the keepers as well?
I’ve been working with Brad Haddin for seven or eight years, so nothing will change there, except that I’ll be around more often. Hadds and myself have had a special relationship for a long, long time and that’s never waned. I’ll certainly be doing my work with him and [Tim] Painey. It’s something I really enjoy doing. The slips cordon is something I’ll be doing a lot of work on.”Hadds and myself have had a special relationship for a long, long time and that’s never waned “•Getty ImagesI want to make players take ownership of a position. We’ve got to work out where everyone fits into the equation. We want players to have a wishlist of where they’d like to be – outside of stuck at fine leg or third man all day – if they’d like to be at slip or short leg, or be one of the important players square of the wicket. If you feel you can do it, let’s put it on the wishlist and work towards it. Then if the situation ever arose, you’re not out of your depth. That to me is very important – you have the basics covered but also have something in mind as to where else in the field you might be able to contribute, so we don’t have any passengers at any stages.The appointment is for the tours of Sri Lanka and South Africa. Do you want to stay on after that?
They [Cricket Australia] came to me asking the questions, I didn’t go chasing the job. I’ve never taken a coaching job and committed to anything like three or four years. I back myself to do two years and then reassess. Let’s see how it goes for two tours and see if it’s the sort of thing I would like to continue with – I’ll be very surprised if it isn’t. IPL is very much part of my life at the moment, with the Chennai Super Kings. They’ve been extremely good to me, so I’ve said from day one that that will be a priority. The idea of the shorter term is as much for me as it is for Cricket Australia.Will you be a sounding board for the other coaches as well, in areas besides fielding?
Most definitely. With 20-odd years of coaching and 15 years as a player, I’d be very surprised if they didn’t want to hear from a new set of eyes around the place. If I was a coach and had someone new come in, I’d be all over him. I’d want honesty out of him and I’d want him to tell me as he sees it, because that’s the only way you move forward. As Michael [Clarke] and Tim [Nielsen] know, I’ll be very happy to be honest with what I see. It’s not about individuals, this is about a group going together and trying to get Australia back on track, to get away from ever looking at fifth position on a Test table ever again. We don’t want to ever be seen or thought of in the same breath as, say, West Indies after their reign at the top of the tree. We need to recover quicker than anything West Indies have done.Are you confident Australia has the young talent to climb back up the Test rankings?
That’s the only part I really do know without any apprehension. I look at what we’ve got in our youngsters, throw in your mix of senior players, and we have the ability to get back on top of things very quickly – albeit we will be taking things in small steps, looking at the fourth position before we look at first. We want to be tracking to that first position, but that may take a little bit of time. We definitely have the quality of players in Australia, no question about that.

ESPNcricinfo previews the 2011-12 domestic season in South Africa

Firdose Moonda28-Sep-2011South African cricket has experienced its longest winter break in 14 years, with the national squad out of action for almost seven months. Some players have played in the IPL, in county and club cricket in England and in the ongoing Champions League Twenty20.While little has happened on the field, there have been changes in the national setup. In June, a new coaching staff was appointed in Gary Kirsten, Allan Donald and Russell Domingo; a new limited-overs captain and vice-captain, in AB de Villiers and Hashim Amla respectively, were named; and members of the old guard, like Vincent Barnes and Corrie van Zyl, were roped in to strengthen the development structures.A few tweaks have also been made to the domestic tournaments as South Africa tries to fall further in line with the international game. The most significant move is that the one-day competition will feature 50-over games instead of 40-over matches to mirror ODI cricket.South Africa’s 11 provinces, who previously played in the amateur competition, but whose matches were still regarded as first-class, will now play in a semi-professional league. They will contest the usual three-day and one-day fixtures as well as feature in a new Twenty20 competition. The best players from that tournament will be selected to form a seventh franchise that will feature in the country’s premier domestic Twenty20 competition, which will be played in February.With the ongoing bonus scandal’s shadow starting to cast itself over the game, Cricket South Africa has not yet got sponsors for the 50-over, 20-over and semi-professional competitions. The corporate world has distanced itself from South African cricket with only Castle Lager staying on board as Test and ODI team sponsor and SuperSport continuing to back the first-class competition in accordance with their television rights deal.The SuperSport series starts on Thursday, ensuring that a sense of familiarity prevails as the season begins. Like many first-class competitions around the world, this tournament often takes place unnoticed by cricket fans. Stadiums take on a village-like atmosphere, with the number of spectators countable on two hands and free entrance for all. It is on this low-key playground that future international stars are bred, and although the competition is allowed to meander along with little care from either administrators or spectators, it remains the most important aspect of domestic cricket in South Africa.The first round this year will feature only two fixtures since the Cobras and the Warriors are contesting the Champions League in India. Both fixtures take place inland with the Lions hosting the Dolphins in Johannesburg and the Knights visiting the Titans in Centurion.LionsCaptain: Alviro PetersonCoach: Dave NosworthyHow they fared last season: A decent showing saw them finish third but they were only able to win two of the ten matches they played. The Lions shared the record for most number of draws, with seven. They scored over 400 in an innings four times and bowled the opposition out for under 200 twice. Neil McKenzie was their highest run-scorer with 771 runs, while spinner Dale Deeb was best among the bowlers with 21 scalps.Players to watch: The Lions have a clutch of low-profile players but pride themselves on the consistency they can provide in their line-up with few of their lot leaving for national duty. Stalwarts Neil McKenzie and Zander de Bruyn lead the team. This season sees the introduction of two players who impressed at Under-19 level, wicketkeeper batsman Quinton de Kock and batsman Dominic Hendricks, and can also be used as an opportunity for the likes of Shane Burger, Jean Symes and Jonathan Vandiar, who have been in the system for years, to cement their spots. The Lions find themselves a little short in the seam bowling department, with Craig Alexander and Ethan O’Reilly the core of the attack. Pumelela Matshikwe is an emerging talent and Cliffie Deacon may have to provide some experience. They have lost Paul Harris in the spin department but Deeb and Aaron Phangiso ensure that they have that area covered.Jacques Rudloph will not be leading the Titans this season and may get a recall to the national side•Getty ImagesTitansCaptain: Martin van JaarsveldCoach: Matthew MaynardHow they fared last season: Their wins and losses were equal, with three apiece and the four draws they featured in saw them place second, 10.54 points behind the competition winners, the Cobras. A notable feature of their performances was that the results were often comprehensive and they drew only when weather intervened. Jacques Rudolph topped the run charts, overall, with 954 runs while Ethy Mbhalati’s 39 wickets saw him end as their most successful bowler.Players to watch: Rudolph has stepped down as captain, with suspicion mounting that he is line for a national recall. Martin van Jaarsveld, a veteran of the franchise, returns in the leadership role. Wicketkeeper Heino Kuhn will be closely monitored by the national selectors, especially as it appears that they will turn to him to succeed Mark Boucher behind the stumps. Bowler Cornelius de Villiers, who they acquired from the Knights two seasons ago, slipped under the radar last season but may make an impact in this one and hard-hitter Farhaan Behardien may be pushing for higher honours. Paul Harris also has an interesting season ahead of him as he looks to prove he still belongs at the international level.KnightsCaptain: Morne van WykCoach: Sarel CilliersHow they fared last season: A forgettable campaign saw them end fifth in the table, with only a solitary victory, two defeats and six draws. One of their main problems was the inability to take 20 wickets in a match, something they only managed once in ten matches. They scored over 400 runs in an innings four times, but were often guilty of batting too slowly to force a result. Their leading run-getter, Obus Pienaar, was 10th on the overall list with 593 runs, and Ryan McLaren and Dillon du Preez were joint-top of their wicket-charts with 22 scalps.Reeza Hendricks will be hoping to catch the selectors’ eye•Getty ImagesPlayers to watch: The Free State side is another low-key outfit, including many players who are not afraid of the hard grind. Rilee Rossouw, Dean Elgar and Reeza Hendricks are the standout batting trio and have been involved in meaty partnerships in the past. They are on the selectors’ radar and if more runs flow from their bats, could find themselves in the squad for matches against Sri Lanka and New Zealand. Ryan McLaren falls into a similar category, having fallen out of favour but still possessing the all-round skills that South Africa treasure. Victor Mpitsang, at 31-years-old, may be entering the twilight of his career but brings invaluable experience to the bowling, which also contains Charl Pietersen and allrounder Johan van der Wath. Spinner Thandi Tshabalala has not been re-contracted but Malusi Siboto has been recruited from North West to fill that slot.DolphinsCaptain: Imraan KhanCoach: Graham FordHow they fared last season: With just over 10 points separating them from the Lions, the Dolphins ended fourth in the table with two wins, four draws and four losses. The season swung from the highs of scoring 500 for 5 declared against the Warriors to being bowled out for 99 by the Cobras. Imraan Khan, who played in one Test for South Africa, was the leading run-getter with 594 runs and Imran Tahir, who only played in five of their ten matches before getting a national call-up, topped the overall wicket-taking charts with 42 wickets.Players to watch: The spotlight will be on the Dolphins in the Twenty20 competition, for which they have contracted Australia’s Shaun Tait and West Indies’ Chris Gayle. In the longer form of the game, old favourites like Ahmed Amla and Imraan Khan will add sagely structure to the batting. They have acquired Friedel de Wet, who played two Tests for South Africa against England and has battled a series of back injuries, and Robert Frylinck from the Lions and have young talent in Saidi Mlongo and Mthokozisi Shezi who need to be looked after. Vaughn van Jaarsveld, who attended the national training camp in August, will be looking for consistency as will wicketkeeper Daryn Smit and batsman David Miller.WarriorsCaptain: Davy JacobsCoach: Piet BothaHow they fared last season: After a thrilling Champions League campaign in 2010, the Warriors began their domestic season with a bit of a hangover. As a result, they finished last, with a single win and four defeats. They had no batsmen in the top 10 with JJ Smuts coming in at 12, with 513 runs, while Andrew Birch’s 34 wickets saw him finish as fifth-highest wicket-taker overall.Players to watch: As the franchise that has produced the most number of national players in recent times, the Warriors are bursting with talent. The Smuts brothers – Jon-Jon and Kelly – have the right brand of aggression and solidity of technique to pique the interest of national selectors, as does the bustling bowling of Basheeru-Deen Walters and Lyall Meyer. This franchise is also the home of players who are right on the verge of cementing national places like Wayne Parnell, Rusty Theron and Colin Ingram and the trio will know that a series of good performances at franchise level will go a long way to securing more permanent spots at national level. With the risk of losing players to the South Africa team always looming and the issue of continuity rearing its head, it will be up to the old hands, Nicky Boje, Makhaya Ntini, Arno Jacobs and Justin Kreusch to provide experience and leadership.CobrasCaptain: Justin KempCoach: Richard PybusHow they fared last season: With five victories from ten matches, four draws and not one defeat, the Cobras were the champions of last year’s first-class competition. They went through the tournament without being bowled out twice in any match and scored more than 400 runs six times. Andrew Puttick scored 678 runs to lead their run-scoring charts and Claude Henderson took 38 wickets, to end third on the overall bowling rankings.Players to watch: The Cobras are another team that often lose players to the national side, but are fortunate enough to have a steady supply of talented hopefuls waiting in the wings. Batsman Stiaan van Zyl and bowler Vernon Philander have had success in the recent past and both are in line for national call ups. They have retained a core of senior players, such as Justin Ontong, Justin Kemp, Charl Langeveldt, Johann Louw and Puttick, who form the glue that holds the youngsters together. Richard Levi, Dane Vilas and Francois Plaatjies are the players in the next tier that are worth keeping an eye on. The Cobras also welcome back Jacques Kallis and Mark Boucher from the Warriors, although the two are unlikely to make too many appearances for the franchise.

After India’s seventh consecutive overseas Test defeat, throats were cleared for some angry shouting

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Jan-2012″I think a lot of soul-searching needs to be done. We need to look at first-class cricket structure, pitches that we play, scheduling of matches, it has to be a really long hard look at everything.”
“The last time India was in Perth was the start of India’s rise to the No. 1 ranking. This time we have lost the last seven away games. In the first meeting I attended as captain of India, the first question I asked was do we have a transition plan for all the senior players? The answer then was: yes we have ready replacements.”
“There are many reasons for Indian team’s disappointing performance in Australia. Some players are ageing and they have been so good for over a period of time but at 39 they are no longer young for Test cricket.”
“I think MS Dhoni has a habit of staying back and waiting for things to happen. I think we need to look for a new captain for Test matches.”
“When Tendulkar and Dravid and those boys retire in a couple of years, where is Indian cricket going to be. Are the youngsters coming through?”
“The selectors need to choose players carefully keeping in mind the players who can adjust to conditions, can change their game according to the pace and bounce outside even if they haven’t scored enough runs in domestic cricket. We need to progress step by step. Dhoni’s batting is a concern, he is low in confidence and it is affecting his captaincy but we should not take any drastic step.”
“India will prob have one of those “reviews”. These are their best players but they can’t handle pace. Solution: pitches at home.”
“They (BCCI) are doing extremely well when it comes to making money and controlling world cricket. But what is the use if your team fails to win matches abroad?”
“Sachin is getting out to balls frequently coming back into him. Laxman and Sehwag are giving catches in the slip cordon regularly and even Dravid is getting bowled repeatedly. All sad signs of diminishing class of these great players.”
“I am saying this with a heavy heart, but once the IPL comes around in April, every Test defeat will be forgotten.”
“I don’t think the Aussies bowling attack was unplayable as was the case in the past. I don’t think someone like Peter Siddle is like that. They are essentially length bowlers. In a way, we let the Australian bowlers come on top of us which I don’t feel they deserve to be.”
“Indian cricket’s problem is not much shortage of talent as self-delusion. Being the richest in the world is not necessarily synonymous with the best. Building a truly great team needs long-term vision, rigorous planning, strong leadership and some luck with the right talent coming together at the same time.”

Cricket Without Boundaries is a UK initiative that takes cricket, and a message of AIDS awareness, to an entire continent

Firdose Moonda15-May-2012Ed Williams, Andy Hobbs and Chris Kangis spent seven months in as many African countries, taught over 3000 children to play cricket, and trained 175 others to become coaches. They carried kit from Kenya to Namibia, via Tanzania and Zambia, on a two-day train journey. They stayed everywhere from seedy hotels to the home of a one-legged British Defence attaché. They played football on a beach in Malawi, taught in schools in Zimbabwe, became better acquainted with the terrain of Africa than most people who live on the continent, and then had an experience that would become Williams’ most treasured memory.In a slum in one of Kenya’s industrial towns, Thika, they met a group of young girls in the final stages of AIDS. One of them, Eva, was too frail to get out of bed and rarely played with the other children. The day Williams met her, she was able to join in, and not only did she take part in the match, Eva also hit the winning runs. “That image has been on the homepage of my phone for the last six years,” Williams says.Travelling into the heart of Africa had been in Williams’ plans since he was 15 years old. “I wanted to do a Cairo to Cape Town trip ever since I watched former Monty Python Michael Palin do it in his television show.”Playing cricket and teaching others to play it was also part of his plans. “My passion for cricket comes from a lifetime of playing it and later coaching it,” Williams, who describes himself as a pretty average schoolboy cricketer who went on to play village cricket in Sussex and eventually for a University team, says. “I love the way in which cricket forces teams to work together in more subtle and personally interactive ways than say rugby.”In Hobbs, Williams met someone whose plans seemed similar to his own. The pair played for the same University of Nottingham team, and both played league cricket. Together they discussed growing the game, having a positive social impact, and seeking out an adventure. Africa was the ideal place to do all three.They found work in Zimbabwe, coaching cricket and teaching at two schools, but something did not feel quite right. “It was fun but a very private school, and we were not exactly making a difference,” Williams said. It was while playing football in a local village game on the shores of Malawi that they made up their minds to focus on those with lesser opportunities.Noble as that intention was, it would take an inordinate amount of planning to make it a reality. Both had professions to get back to in the United Kingdom. Williams was a barrister, and Hobbs worked for the ECB in Berkshire. Kangis, a corporate lawyer friend of theirs, turned out to be keen on their idea.It was during that phase that they discovered how unavoidable the problem of HIV/AIDS was. Sub-Saharan Africa is the most infected region in the world, with an estimated 22.9 million people carrying the virus – nearly equal to the population of Mozambique. The three decided that AIDS awareness was going to have to be part of their message.Williams and Kangis had to quit their jobs to go on the first trip, in 2006, a sacrifice they decided was worth it. They called their mission Cricket Without Boundaries (CWB) and in a symbolic gesture, set off from Lord’s. It would be a journey Williams calls the biggest adventure of his life and “probably one of the things I am most proud of”.

“My favourite country was Uganda. It was like Sussex but with no one cutting the lawns, and lots more banana trees. They are mighty impressive at cricket too, with a really strong development angle, particularly with girls”Ed Williams, co-founder of Cricket Without Boundaries

Egypt and South Africa would be among the seven countries they visited. They donated equipment, which CWB had flown out to them at various stages of their trip, in four countries, Egypt, Uganda, Kenya and Namibia. “In addition to bags of kit, we carried the rest of our stuff in a backpack. So we had lots of long bus journeys with far too much stuff,” Williams remembers.He recalls using means of transport they would normally have avoided as too precarious, and staying in some “pretty awful” places. But what far outweighs all of that is the thought of what they achieved. “We genuinely did what we set out to do,” Williams says.”My favourite country was Uganda. It was like Sussex but with no one cutting the lawns, and lots more banana trees. Perhaps it was because English was their main language, but I fell in love with the place and the people. They are mighty impressive at cricket too, with a really strong development angle, particularly with girls.” Uganda has proved Williams right recently, with impressive showings in events such as the World T20 qualifiers and World Cricket League tournaments.In their short time in Africa, the three men built what they consider the platform for a legacy. Although real life summoned them once they reached the United Kingdom, they did not want to let CWB disappear. The organisation expanded to become a full-fledged charity.CWB goes on four visits to Africa a year, taking volunteers along. People interested in making the trip are interviewed (for five years some of these interviews took place at The Oval, but they had to move to the BBC World Service headquarters this year because of costs) and have to fund their own trips. First-time volunteers raise £750 to cover the cost of the project, and also pay for their flights. Returning volunteers pay £500 but only travel for a week. The money is used for equipment, transport and accommodation on the tour.Each mission consists of at least eight people, who spend two weeks on tour. Once in a country, the plan is two-fold. Cricket coaching – the group includes an ECB Level 3 tutor – is done in co-ordination with the country’s cricket association, and if possible the national team, such as in Rwanda. Along with teaching children how to play the game, CWB also trains adults to become coaches, a qualification that is endorsed by the ICC. The hope is that the coaches will be able to continue growing cricket in the country once CWB leaves.”Our core is to use cricket as an enabler,” Dave Terrace, a CWB volunteer, says. In addition, the sport facilitates the campaign for AIDS awareness. “We teach the ABC: Abstain, Be faithful, use a Condom. There are also other messages like knowing your status and inclusiveness [boys and girls playing together] that we use,” Terrace says.Cricket Without Boundaries with kids in Rwanda•Cricket without BoundariesCWB are aware that most of the countries they visit will never play cricket at the highest level, but they are content simply spreading the game and waiting for success. “The goal is to have at least one national team player in each of our partner countries to have been through a CWB programme as a coach or player,” Terrace says. So far, CWB has coached 35,000 children on the continent and trained 2000 coaches.Williams, Hobbs and Kangis still oversee the activities of CWB and lend a hand in between. For Williams, the best reward has already been bestowed upon them. A year after they returned from their African adventure, the British High Commission visited Thika. They found a few children playing cricket, including one who Williams had hoped would still be there.”They sent me a picture of a smiling, much chubbier little girl who was Eva,” Williams said. “I am not sure if she is still alive but we understood she got anti-retrovirals shortly after playing cricket with us on that day. We like to think we helped her get better in some small way by giving her the incentive to get out of bed and come and play.”

An intense tournament has produced two deserving title-contenders who promise a gripping finale

David Hopps in Colombo06-Oct-2012Sri Lanka are desperate to reward a decade of quality by winning their first major tournament since they surprised the cricketing world by claiming the World Cup 16 years ago; a West Indies win would bring hope in the Caribbean that Twenty20 can be the catalyst for their revival, just as the 50-over game inspired Sri Lanka to greater glories all those years ago.For the neutral, yearning for a victory that will be good for cricket, there has rarely been a more difficult choice. Mahela Jayawardene, captain of Sri Lanka, deserves his intelligent and empathetic leadership of Sri Lanka to be recognised with a trophy after three near misses; Darren Sammy, a big-hearted captain whose affability has re-educated West Indies about the value of unity, equally deserves some reward for that.Whatever the unpredictability of T20, few of those who have watched this tournament unfold doubt that Sri Lanka and West Indies are the appropriate teams to contest the final at Premadasa on Sunday. Sri Lanka, some seven-over nonsense against South Africa apart (10 overs, not five, should be the minimum length of a match) have been consistent, buzzy and well-drilled. West Indies, more strongly fancied in this tournament than they have been for a generation, have to no-one’s great surprise provided a roller-coaster ride, domineering one minute, all at sea the next.It has all been enormous fun. The malcontents who have seen their side crash out of World Twenty20, and who have lost interest as a consequence, need to recognise the narrowness of their thinking. What is there not to like about World Twenty20? For a few weeks, the best players in the world have been on show in an intense, tightly-scheduled tournament and, for all the unpredictability of the format, it has provided two deserving finalists.The final promises many appealing match-ups but none will be more mouthwatering than Chris Gayle v Lasith Malinga. Gayle’s commitment to batting long against Australia (how quickly our perceptions change that we can talk about “batting long” in T20) contributed to one the matures innings of his career and Australia, who had hoped that Mitchell Starc could expose him early, saw their plans frustrated. Sri Lanka will aim to keep Gayle on strike against Malinga as much as possible, but will want to save two of his overs for the death. It will be a key period.This West Indies side is vulnerable. In their semi-final thumping of Australia, both Denesh Ramdin, at No.6, and Andre Russell, a place lower at No.7, look a place too high. Sammy, at No.8, has little form of note in the tournament. The pace attack amounts to the craft of Ravi Rampaul and little else, about as far away from the heyday of West Indies fast bowling as it is possible to be. But somehow they are in the final, their ability to muscle the ball many a mile leaving them brimful of confidence.Sri Lanka’s side covers more bases. They were not convincing champions at the start of the tournament, not to this observer at any rate. That was partly because no-one was certain that their less-celebrated players would perform as reliably as they have. But it was also because of the way that their achievement in reaching three finals in ICC tournaments in recent years was being represented not as a worthy reward for a side punching above its weight – which is how it should properly be viewed – but as a fatal flaw worthy of criticism. They have not allowed the high expectations to consume them.Now Jayawardene is in his fourth ICC final for Sri Lanka. No current cricketer has graced the game more, nobody is more deserving of leading his side to victory. He has led Sri Lanka through difficult times, countering both the defeatism that could arise in a country that was bedevilled by a long war and the lack of an extensive infrastructure, and the small-minded political struggles that drained them further.Throughout the hard years, Jayawardene and his close confidant, Kumar Sangakkara, have provided a stable environment in which young players could flourish, and have also shown Sri Lankan cricket the value of trust, integrity and sound planning. Jayawardene stood down from the captaincy and then dutifully took it up again when his work was in danger of being wasted.Sri Lanka, because they have been more consistent, deserve to start slight favourites in front of their own fans. But all that could fly out of the window if Gayle and co. begin to launch the ball into orbit. Gayle has told the world that West Indies will win this tournament, and end years of suffering for Caribbean supporters, and it would be a foolish person who dares to tell him in advance that he is misguided.We could be in for a treat. If the October monsoon stays away for just one more day, a successful tournament can have a memorable finale.

A change in focus has rewarded South Africa’s endeavour with impressive results

Firdose Moonda10-Jan-2013To identify an area where South Africa are lacking at the moment would be to look for the smallest, barely visible crease on a shirt that is pristine in every other way.After a 2012 in which they were not beaten and a three-day drubbing of New Zealand to open 2013, to point out that South Africa have not won consecutive Tests in almost three years would seem to be nit-picking.But as the No. 1 team, standards are expected to be raised and levels of ruthlessness should follow. Although weather has been one of the reasons South Africa have been denied back-to-back wins, complacency and an allergy to Durban are two other causes.At home, South Africa lost the Kingsmead Test for the last four years even after thumping wins up-country because of an inability to adapt to slightly less-bouncy conditions. Port Elizabeth has a similar – though slightly smaller – hoodoo.South Africa have lost their last three Tests in the city, against West Indies, England and Pakistan. Only one of those was in the middle of a series so the relaxation factor can’t be blamed, as AB de Villiers suggested yesterday, it was actually a case of starting slowly. With conditions at St George’s not much different from what they were in the past, South Africa have identified that adjusting will be their biggest challenge, especially with an eye on the match in Durban coming later in the year against India.”It’s generally a bit slower and so it’s a bit harder work for batsmen and bowlers. The bounce and carry are not the same as other grounds,” Graeme Smith said. “But the training has been intense and has focused as before. We’d love to keep winning.”With that in mind, it was surprising to see mostly the bench players attend the optional practice day before the Test. Dean Elgar, Faf du Plessis and Graeme Smith were the only members of the playing XI who had a net session while Jacques Rudolph and Ryan McLaren put in some hard yards to stay match fit.For the rest, preparation is being done mentally in keeping with the new approach. It may sound a little too new an age for those who believe in a more rigorous regime but it has worked well for South Africa. Their team of mostly experienced internationals have blossomed under Gary Kirsten’s man-management and Smith believes the tactics which took them to No. 1 in the world can also help them starting stacking victories together.”In the past of we would have been running 60 shuttles, doing push ups, running up and down the stairs,” Smith said, remembering regimes under coaches like Eric Simons and Ray Jennings.”Now, there’s an understanding of how to be successful and there’s maturity in the group. That is the key difference. Back in the day we were always hard working and we always gave our best. I think the word to describe us was discipline. Now, there’s a good maturity in allowing people to grow.”The guys who have been around for a while understand what they need to get out of preparation. Someone like Dean Elgar may need a bit more guidance but Jacques Kallis may take a day off because it’s what he has been doing for the last 50 Tests. It’s all very professional behind the scenes and nothing is taken for granted.”Smith has seen the effects of all the changes and with three months to go from completing a decade in the job is more comfortable in it than ever before. “I am enjoying leading in this environment. The coaching staff take pressure off me as a captain and I don’t have to worry about too many things. We are taking steps forward now as a formidable unit who can put in consistent performances and it’s nice to have come full circle.”An opposition in the state of turmoil and transition as New Zealand can hardly be seen as one in which South Africa can use to take a significant step up. Before the series began, it was a considered a given that the home side would win and the margins would be massive.Newlands proved that the teams are running their own races and South Africa’s finish-line would be to notch up two successive wins and earn an extra point on the rankings. If the Test is drawn and the series is only won 1-0, South Africa will lose a point while if New Zealand surprise South Africa and win the match to square the series, South Africa drop four points.