Official Cricket Articles Thread

[Cooldude]

Poms are good players of off spin bowling, Macgill will get a go way before he would

 

[Romeo]

England must be bold to keep Ashes - Chappell
September 25 2006 at 10:02AM [SIZE=+1][/SIZE]
By Ed Osmond

Sydney - England must make bold selections and play positive cricket if they want to retain the Ashes, former Australia captain Ian Chappell said on Monday.

Chappell expects Australia to win back the famous urn they lost last year for the first time since 1987 but believes the choice of Andrew Flintoff to replace injured captain Michael Vaughan was a step in the right direction for England.

"I thought they made the brave choice going with Flintoff even though there are doubts over his fitness," Chappell said.

'I think it was the right thing to do'"I initially thought the captaincy would put too much responsibility on his shoulders but now I think it was the right thing to do."

Chappell said England had reaped rewards for positive selections before the 2005 Ashes series, opting for Kevin Pietersen in the middle order instead of the far more experienced Graham Thorpe.


"I felt they would go with Thorpe but opting for Pietersen proved to be an inspired move and he contributed hugely to England winning the series with his attacking batting," he said.

"People say he has a suspect technique but I have looked closely at him. Although he has weaknesses like any attacking player he has plenty of strengths to his game as well."

Chappell says it is important England show faith in young left-arm spinner Monty Panesar ahead of the experienced Ashley Giles and stick with their best wicketkeeper, Chris Read, instead of going back to Geraint Jones.

'Reid is clearly the best wicketkeeper in England'"As soon as I hear the names of Giles and Jones coming back into the selectors' thoughts I will start to worry for England," he said.

"Panesar showed against Pakistan that he is a real attacking bowler who will get good batsmen out like Ricky Ponting and Matthew Hayden," Chappell added.

"Reid is clearly the best wicketkeeper in England and he should play."

Chappell also believes the form of fast bowler Steve Harmison will be vital for England.

"Harmison is the type of bowler who can cause real problems on the hard wickets in Australia with his height and pace," he said.

"But England need the Steve Harmison who played against Pakistan at Old Trafford, not the one who played the rest of the summer there."

Chappell also hopes Australia captain Ponting leads his team more decisively than he did in England last year when Vaughan clearly held the upper hand.

 

[Romeo]

Sydney - Former Australian Test cricketer Dean Jones will resume his career as a television commentator next year after being sacked for calling South Africa's Hashim Amla, a terrorist.
Jones, 45, lost his job with the South Asian network Ten Sports last month when viewers heard him say "the terrorist's got another wicket" as Amla took a catch in a Test against Sri Lanka.
He later apologised for the remark, saying it was meant as a joke among commentators and was not meant to go to air.
Jones said on Tuesday that two Indian TV networks have employed him and that he'll return to commentating next year.
He refused to name the networks but said he will be providing commentary from the 2007 World Cup in the West Indies for Indian audiences.
Jones said he has also signed a two-year deal with Australia's Southern Cross radio network.
Jones said he believed cricket followers, including Muslims, had forgiven him for the terrorist remark.
"It's an unfortunate situation, and I've apologised," he said. "I've spoken to Hashim three times already since and everything's fine. "There's a few other ugly things in the world to worry about than worry about that."

 

[Romeo]

Bell - I've nothing to prove


Ian Bell has insisted he will have nothing to prove when England attempt to retain the Ashes in Australia this winter.

The Warwckshire batsman was part of the side which triumphed 2-1 in 2005 but, despite scoring two centuries in the third Test at Old Trafford, he averaged only 17 in the series.
Bell was then an international rookie, having only played three Tests - including two against minnows Bangladesh - before that memorable series with Ricky Ponting's side.
But he is now an established member of the England set-up, scoring centuries in three successive Tests this summer, and will be full of confidence for the tasks ahead.
Bell said: "I've got 18 Test matches under my belt now compared to three last time I faced Australia. I've played a winter on the sub-continent.
"I've got some experience of playing against the top players in the world and can go to Australia with that in the bank and I've also got three hundreds in the last four Tests.
"Have I anything to prove in Australia? I don't feel as if I have to prove anything to myself. I would like to score runs against Australia. But I don't think I need to go and prove too much to anyone.
"They would have seen I've scored three hundreds in the last four Tests. They will know that. A lot of Australians play county cricket as well so I don't think I have to prove too much to anyone.
"But it would be nice to go out there and score some runs. I was chuffed to bits to be a part of the Ashes side but would like to do more with the bat this time."
Bell added: "To be part of England retaining the Ashes would be pretty special, especially in their own back yard. That would be great.
"What happened last summer against Australia will always stay in people's minds and it is up to us go to Australia and compete like we did last time.
"I feel I belong more in the Test side now and am mentally stronger. That has come with a bit of experience. I've had some ups and downs. I've been left out a little bit and then got back in.
"Probably those little things have helped me get to where I am now. I am probably a bit more mentally tough and much more experienced cricketer now."
Bell was speaking at a college in Solihull where he was supporting England's domestic cricket sponsors npower's new community sports project called NS Fusion, a five-year scheme designed to engage young people in sport and physical activity.
Before the Ashes, England will be competing in the ICC Trophy in India and he feels England have renewed confidence in the limited overs game after their two victories against Pakistan enabled them to square the series.
He said: "The two wins against Pakistan were a great lift and it is really what we needed.
"A lot of cricket is about momentum and, if we can take what we've done in the Test matches and the one-dayers at the end of the summer, it will stand us in good stead for the ICC.
"If we can win the games well in the ICC, it will also give us some good momentum for going into the World Cup. That's important and every game for the one-day side, which is sort of emerging with young players, is important."

 

[Romeo]

Freddie actually hopes to bowl in the Champions Trophy

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,20490561-2882,00.html

 

[Romeo]

NZ's Walter Hadlee dies


Former New Zealand Test opener, captain and administrator Walter Hadlee died today, aged 91, his family said.
Hadlee, who recently suffered a stroke, died in his home city of Christchurch in New Zealand's South Island.
"We deeply appreciate the public support that we have received in recent weeks and ask that we now be given time to come together as a family," his son and former New Zealand fast bowler Richard Hadlee said in a statement.
Walter Hadlee opened the batting for New Zealand between 1937 and 1951, playing 19 innings in 11 Tests, scoring 543 runs at an average of 30.16. He captained the national side in eight Tests from 1946 to 1951.
Hadlee retired from first-class cricket in 1952 after a 29-year career, notching up 7,523 runs in 117 matches at an average of 40.44, including 18 centuries. He continued to play club cricket for 15 years.
He became deeply involved in the administration of the sport in New Zealand from 1950 to 1983, variously as a national selector, team manager, chairman and president of the national board.
Three of his five sons - Dayle, Barry and Richard - represented New Zealand, with Richard at one stage the world's leading wicket taker with 431 Test scalps.

 

[Romeo]

Mahmood prepared for Aussie abuse

Mahmood wants to bowl faster in Australia

England fast bowler Sajid Mahmood believes he will be able to handle any abuse Australia fans give him during this winter's Ashes series.
Mahmood came in for criticism from Pakistan supporters during their tour of England in the summer.
And Mahmood said: "I got a fair bit this summer from Pakistan fans but I think I coped with that pretty well.
"What happened to me this season has helped a lot," added Mahmood who only made his Test debut six months ago.
"I suppose if I went straight to Australia without any of that behind me it might have been a lot harder with their fans giving us a load of stick.
"But I know what it's like now and I've come through it, so if it happens again in Australia I know I can cope," he said.
Before the much-awaited Ashes at the end of the year, England head to India to take part in the Champions Trophy.
The 24-year-old admits he still has to work on his bowling, correcting technical aspects, but believes he can bowl in excess of 90mph.
But he added: "I know I've still got a lot of things to work on, like bowling more consistent lines and learning to bowl to different batsman.
"The main thing about my bowling is to get rhythm, and when I've got that I bowl pretty well. "But there are probably a couple of extra miles an hour in me. I know I can bowl quicker."

 

[Super Hans]

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/a-straight-bat-cricket-blog/2013/oct/25/shaun-marsh-the-special-one

One of the better articles I've read.