Official Cricket Articles Thread

[dan warna]

Re: Vaughan fears he may never play again

True dat, 2 years ago Australia had the Ashes, now look.

sad but true, although we kept it warm for a decade or so.

and wiht the wet tissues the brits are sending over looks like we'll get it for another decade too.

although we seem to about to handicap ourselves by selecting pup and katich again so you never know your luck

 

[Romeo]

CRICKET
Ireland thrash Scotland

Sun, 06 Aug 2006
Ireland thrashed Scotland by 85 runs in the European Cricket Championships on Saturday.
Ireland made 240 for eight with left-hander Eoin Morgan, on the books of English county Middlesex, making 99 against a Scotland attack featuring veteran Warwickshire pace bowling all-rounder Dougie Brown.
In reply Scotland collapsed to 72 for four and, despite a valiant 31 from Paul Hoffmann, they were still bowled out for 155.
Unlike some of the matches in this tournament, this one had full One-Day International status as both sides have qualified for next year's World Cup in the West Indies.
Scotland now face the Netherlands, also through to the Caribbean showpiece, on Sunday while Ireland next play Italy on Monday. In all five teams from outside cricket's elite will be in the World Cup, which starts in March, with Bermuda and Canada joining the European trio.

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

Please post them here.

 

[Romeo]

Australia's top curators to meet for Ashes preparation


Curators from Australia's major cricket venues will meet in Hobart today to prepare for a busy Summer that will be headlined by the Ashes series.
The curators will discuss the requirements of this Summer's first class and international schedule.
Bellerive Oval curator Cameron Hodgkins said methods for cultivating high-standard pitches and outfields would also be talked about.
He said it was a good opportunity to learn from the experiences of other curators.
"It's a chance for us to touch on any issues we had with our pitches or outfields from the previous season," he said.
"Obviously when you get the major curators from Australia together, it's also an opportunity for those guys to discuss any problems they had and solutions and so forth."
The first Test between Australia and England starts on November 23 at the Gabba, and Hodgkins said he and his fellow curators were keen to deliver the players outstanding grounds to play on.
"We're forever trying to find the right mix with our pitches," he said.
"You might bring up some experiences that you had last year and someone might have an idea that they can throw back at you that we might be able to take into consideration for our pitches in the future."

 

[Romeo]

A provocative article here

]Inzamam urged to relinquish captaincy[/B]

Former Pakistan fast bowler Sarfraz Nawaz said Inzamam-ul Haq should step down as captain after England scored their first home Test series win against the South Asian team in 24 years.
"In the best interest of the game, Inzamam should retire immediately and (vice captain) Younis Khan should be made the captain," said Sarfraz, acclaimed as the pioneer of reverse swing.
"Inzamam is scared of short pitched deliveries, he can't even negotiate short balls by a spinner."
England beat Pakistan by 167 runs on the fifth and final day of the third Test at Headingley earlier this week. The victory saw England take an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the four-Test encounter. The first Test was drawn.
Burly Inzamam became a figure of fun after his dismissal in the first innings, when he fell into his own stumps attempting a sweep shot against left-arm spinner Monty Panesar.
Pakistan's batting in the second innings crumbled for 155 runs while chasing a target of 323 in the possible 90 overs on the last day.
Sarfraz said poor team selection and a lack of team spirit were to blame for Pakistan's performance.
He criticised the picking of both flamboyant all-rounder Shahid Afridi in the first two Tests and of paceman Mohammad Sami, who was chosen after Shoaib Akhtar, Mohammad Asif and Rana Naved were ruled out by injuries.
"How long are they going to try Sami in international matches? He should make way for some other young fast bowler," said Sarfraz, who took 177 wickets in 55 Tests for Pakistan.
The former pacer praised the performance of English bowlers in the absence of their star Andrew Flintoff.
Sarfraz said he had been asked by the sports ministry to prepare a report on the loss in England and added that he might travel to England to witness the last Test match starting August 17 at the Oval.
It was Pakistan's first series loss since they toured Australia in 2004/5.

 

[Romeo]

Monty the best - Fletcher

England coach Duncan Fletcher has called Monty Panesar the best finger spinner in the world after the left-armer produced another impressive display against Pakistan.
Panesar took three for 39 in the second innings at Headingley and six wickets in the match in all as the hosts completed a 167-run third Test victory, and with it secured an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the four-match series.

"As a finger spinner there is probably no-one to match him in world cricket at the moment — his control is very, very good," said Fletcher of Panesar, whose tally for the series now stands at 16 wickets heading into next week's fourth Test at the spin-friendly Oval.

After Panesar took eight wickets in England's innings and 120-run second Test win at Old Trafford, Fletcher was lukewarm in his praise of the Northamptonshire bowler, saying the 24-year-old had to work on his fielding and batting as well as perform on less helpful pitches.

And the former Zimbabwe captain made it clear that Ashes-winning left-arm spinner Ashley Giles, currently out with a hip injury, could come straight back into the side on account of his batting and fielding, even though most observers regard Panesar as the more attacking bowler.

But Fletcher said of Panesar: "He bowled very well again. This has been a different pitch to the one he did well on at Old Trafford, a lot slower."

And he insisted the first Sikh to play Test cricket for England had always been in the selectors' thoughts for the Ashes' defence, which gets underway in Brisbane in November. "We never said we weren't going to take him to Australia.

"There will be 18 players going to Australia, and there was always a very good chance that he would be included. Now he is staking a stronger and stronger claim."

Also in contention is Sajid Mahmood, the Lancashire quick whose Test-best four for 22 against Pakistan at Headingley suggested he could fill the gap in England's bowling attack left by the injured Simon Jones.

"We have always been pretty confident in Saj," said Fletcher. "I've seen some real potential in him, especially considering who he is replacing in Simon Jones, and what we need as a priority in Australia is to bowl them out twice.

"What also impresses me a lot about him as a quick bowler is that he tried things, and if they didn't come off he didn't become reclusive on those attempts, he was happy to try it again.

"But the key thing is speed. I have always believed you have to have someone who can bowl at 90 miles per hour," added Fletcher of Mahmood, 24, who a few weeks ago was dropped from England's one-day side for collective figures of 21-0-173-3 against Sri Lanka.

Both Panesar, whose family hail from northern India, and Mahmood, the son of Pakistani immigrants, received backing from Norman Tebbit, the former Conservative cabinet minister and close ally of Margaret Thatcher, who 16 years ago caused controversy with his 'cricket test'.

Tebbit said one way to judge how well ethnic minorities had integrated into British society was to see which side they supported at cricket.

"What cheered me enormously was not only that Monty was playing so well for England, but the attitude of the crowd towards him," Tebbit told the Daily Telegraph. "I was cheering both for him and Mahmood."

Meanwhile Fletcher said the bowlers had benefited from the captaincy of Andrew Strauss.

But the coach indicated that all-rounder Andrew Flintoff — currently out with an ankle injury — would lead the team in Australia, even though England great Geoffrey Boycott has said Strauss should retain the captaincy.

"Andrew (Strauss) is a really strong character, and nothing has highlighted that more than the fact that being captain hasn't really affected him," said Fletcher after the opening batsman's 116 in the second innings at Headingley.

"Every time we meet as selectors we debate certain positions, but at this stage we have spoken about Freddie (Flintoff) being a natural leader in Australia — we will have to talk more when the time comes."

 

[Romeo]

Raring to go ... Adam Gilchrist (File photo) (Getty Images)

Recharged Gilchrist ready for Ashes fight


Australian vice-captain Adam Gilchrist says he is refreshed after a lengthy break from cricket and is looking forward to this summer's Ashes series.
Gilchrist, like several other members of the Australian Test team, took time off over the winter.
But a recharged Gilchrist said he was raring to go, and highly motivated to regain the Ashes.
"I mean anyone who gets three months totally off in any job is going to be reasonably keen, if they like that job, to get back into it," he said.
"We're just so keen to go. I think everyone across the board is desperate for it."
Gilchrist said he hoped to face a full-strength England side this summer.
England has injury concerns in all-rounder Andrew Flintoff and paceman Simon Jones, while captain Michael Vaughan has already been ruled out after knee surgery.
Gilchrist said England's series victory over Pakistan this week showed the Ashes holders were on the right track ahead of their tour Down Under.
"There's been talk and fear of being an Ashes dud because of the injuries that England have had and their results since the Ashes," he said.
"I think that's all going to go out the window come day one and ball one of the Ashes series. I think they'll be ready to play."
Gilchrist's Test team-mate, Justin Langer, said he was expecting a barrage of bouncers from the England pace attack.
He said the English held a belief that he had a weakness against the short ball.
"I'd be absolutely surprised, I'd be staggered, if I don't cop more bumpers in the next summer than I have for my whole career," he said.
"So if I was the England bowlers I'd be bowling short to me. If I was the England bowlers, look out."
The first Test between Australia and England starts on November 23 at the Gabba in Brisbane.

 

[Romeo]

Star has all the credentials
Coach Duncan Fletcher has backed the captaincy credentials of Andrew Strauss following England's first series success since last year's Ashes.
Strauss has guided a much-changed side to npower Test victory over Pakistan and will now get the chance to prolong his tenure.
With Andrew Flintoff out for 12 weeks due to ankle surgery, Strauss is expected to be appointed for the five one-dayers against the Pakistanis and October's ICC Champions Trophy.
Should those campaigns go well - England name their provisional 30-man squad for the ICC tournament today - Strauss will have built a compelling case to retain the leadership, only weeks after his first full series finished in a one-day whitewashing by Sri Lanka.
"Andrew has captained very well in the sense that he has started with a new side," said Fletcher.
"It wasn't easy for him going through that loss to Sri Lanka but he is a really strong character and nothing has highlighted that more than the fact that being captain hasn't really affected him.
"Secondly he has got hundreds in the second innings twice against Pakistan, which is the hardest time to get hundreds."
When the extent of Michael Vaughan's absence was made clear by the management earlier this year, it was announced that Flintoff would lead the side indefinitely.
However, the Lancastrian talisman has played just three Tests this summer and is not due to regain match fitness until shortly before the first Test in the Ashes defence in Brisbane on November 23.
England may be loath to split power on what is their highest-profile tour for two decades.
"That is the kind of thing we have to keep in house amongst the selectors," Fletcher said of the captaincy conundrum.
"Every time we meet we debate certain positions but at this stage we have spoken about Freddie being a natural leader in Australia and we will have to talk more when the time comes."
Nottinghamshire wicketkeeper Chris Read increased his chances of being first choice behind the stumps this winter with impressive glovework and two solid contributions with the bat in this week's 167-run win over Pakistan at Headingley.
Both Read and Geraint Jones, the man he displaced, should be named in the England's over-inflated squad before it is cut to 14 by September 7, although the former has made an instant impression upon return.
"Chris Read did very very well because he was under two types of pressure," said Fletcher. "In the first innings he was under personal pressure to come back in and handle the expectations, which wasn't easy - he responded by getting that useful 38.
"But the biggest thing for him was in the second innings when he had to hold things together against those bowlers bowling reverse swing with inconsistent bounce.
"Danish Kaneria was also causing problems so he had to hold that tail-end unit together, because they are really inexperienced, so his 55 was probably worth a lot more than that."
Others might anticipate being named in a full England party either for the first time or first time in a long time.
Among those might be fast bowler James Anderson, who is on the comeback trail following a stress fracture of the back, and his Lancashire colleague Mal Loye, one of the county circuit's most destructive limited-overs batsmen.
England, runners-up in the 2004 Trophy, lacked firepower in Flintoff's absence with both bat and ball during the Sri Lanka whitewashing and those with eye-catching Twenty20 pedigree like Loye, James Benning of Surrey, and Leicestershire's Darren Maddy will have done themselves no harm.
Young paceman Stuart Broad, another of Leicestershire's Foxes, will bolster the fast-bowling department while at the other end of the spectrum Darren Gough is to discover is whether he will add to his 156 caps.
Gough has not played since 2005, opting out of winter selection to spend time with his family and then going on to win BBC television show Strictly Come Dancing.
But his stock has risen during absence - England have won only four of their past 19 completed matches, one of those against Ireland and two in dead rubbers against Pakistan and India.

 

[Romeo]

Gough back in England fold

London - England's selectors have included veteran fast bowler Darren Gough in a 30-man provisional squad for this year's ICC Champions Trophy in India although there was no place for new spin sensation Monty Panesar.
The squad released on Thursday includes five players uncapped at one-day international level - Ravi Bopara, Stuart Broad, Mal Loye, Graham Onions and Michael Yardy - but some are likely to miss out when the travelling squad is cut to 14.
Gough, who will be 36 by the time of the October/November tournament, has not featured in an England one-day squad since last year's series against Australia.
Panesar has taken 16 wickets in the first three tests of the current series against Pakistan but has been overlooked in favour of long-serving spinner Ashley Giles, presently injured. Provisional squad
1. James Anderson (Lancashire)
2. Ian Bell (Warwickshire)
3. Ian Blackwell (Somerset)
4. Ravi Bopara (Essex)
5. Tim Bresnan (Yorkshire)
6. Stuart Broad (Leicestershire)
7. Andrew Flintoff (Lancashire)
8. Glen Chapple (Lancashire)
9. Rikki Clarke (Surrey)
10. Paul Collingwood (Durham)
11. Alastair Cook (Essex)
12. James Dalrymple (Middlesex)
13. Ashley Giles (Warwickshire)
14. Darren Gough (Essex)
15. Stephen Harmison (Durham)
16. Matthew Hoggard (Yorkshire)
17. Geraint Jones (Kent)
18. Ed Joyce (Middlesex)
19. Jon Lewis (Gloucestershire)
20. Alex Loudon (Warwickshire)
21. Mal Loye (Lancashire)
22. Sajid Mahmood (Lancashire)
23. Graham Onions (Durham)
24. Kevin Pietersen (Hampshire)
25. Liam Plunkett (Durham)
26. Chris Read (Nottinghamshire)
27. Vikram Solanki (Worcestershire)
28. Andrew Strauss (Middlesex)
29. Marcus Trescothick (Somerset)
30. Michael Yardy (Sussex)

 

[Romeo]

Ponting rejects 'matey' claims


Sydney, Australia - Ricky Ponting has rejected claims his Australia cricket team lost the last Ashes series because they were too friendly with the English players, and vowed to take a similar approach as he tried to regain the famous urn this southern summer.
Australia selector Merv Hughes recently made the "too matey" remark.
But Ponting disputed it, saying the 2005 series in England produced some controlled aggression.
"When we are really aggressive we play our best cricket and you can still be aggressive with a smile on your face," he was quoted saying on Friday by the Australian Broadcasting Corp radio.
"We'll get out and do that all again, and this time I can pretty much guarantee the result will be different."
Australia lost their long stranglehold on the Ashes in England last year, going down 2-1 in a five-Test series after winning the opening match at Lord's.
Stung by the loss, Australia have not been closely challenged in a series since. England's form, meanwhile, have been up and down.
But Ponting said he was impressed with England's performance in the recent series win over Pakistan. He said he was not surprised that offspinner Monty Panesar played a big role. "We played one county game against him last year and ... I said I thought that guy might be the next England off spinner and as it turned out I was spot on," Ponting said.

 

[Mr P@H]

Ashes 2006
Warne queries Buchanan's 'boot' camp
AFP
August 11, 2006

Where will Shane Warne be? At Hampshire or at the Australian 'boot' camp? © Getty Images

Shane Warne has queried the timing of the Australian cricket team's pre-Ashes training camp in outback Queensland later this month which conflicts with his commitments with English county Hampshire.
Warne has reluctantly agreed to return home from England for the three-day "boot" camp, devised by John Buchanan, the national coach, ahead of the Ashes series against England in November. But Warne indicated he was not keen on returning to Australia this month while Hampshire is in the running for the English County Championship.
"The Ashes will not start until November 23, it is three months away until the Ashes start so it is early, very early for a camp, but that is what John wants to do," Warne told Channel Nine. "I think it is one of John Buchanan's wonderful, mastermind things that keeps everyone stumped ... and, well, who knows, we all have to be there."
Australia's campaign to regain the Ashes, which they lost to England last year, gets underway in Brisbane on November 23 but before that the national one-day side, without Warne, is set to play a tournament in Malaysia and Singapore next month before the Champions Trophy in India. The training camp will be the first time the Australian team has been together since April's tour of Bangladesh.
Warne told The Guardian newspaper in London this week that he was likely to miss two of his team's remaining five first division matches if he attended the camp. But Cricket Australia wanted all contracted players to be at the camp, which would force Warne to miss Hampshire's matches against fifth-placed Warwickshire and second-placed Sussex.
Warne, leading Hampshire's bid for a first championship title in 33 years, wanted to be back in England to face Sussex on August 31. "Realistically, I'm asking that I can be released early and get back for Sussex," Warne told The Guardian. "Of the two it's preferable that I miss Warwickshire."
Buchanan hopes the camp will help Australian squad members shut out the distractions that put them off their game in England last year. The details of the outback training camp are secret but Buchanan said it was the first chance since he took over as coach in 1999 for all 25 contracted players to come together for a substantial bonding session because of the rare, extended break between overseas tours.
"The underlying philosophy is about taking all of us outside our comfort zone and then seeing how we respond to that, individually and collectively," he said. "The means to get there is secretive and that's where it remains."
© AFP



It's a shame Buchanan is such a ****** as we need Warnie for the Sussex game

 

[Romeo]

Perth pitch loses its pace


Perth's WACA cricket pitch, once regarded as the fastest in Australia, will not be at its fearsome best for Australia's Ashes series with England in December, the ground curator said on Saturday.
The WACA pitch on Australia's west coast has been known as the slickest of Australia's five regular Test pitches, but has been criticised in recent seasons for losing its trademark bounce and pace.

Western Australian Cricket Association (WACA) curator Cameron Sutherland said Australian captain Ricky Ponting had spoken to him and his colleagues last February about the likely state of pitches for this year's Ashes Test series.

"(The Australians) want to know what each characteristic is so they can pick a squad and arrive at the ground and it (the pitch) is basically what they expect it to be," Sutherland told The Daily Telegraph on Saturday.

Fast bowling great Dennis Lillee criticised the WACA pitch last season for not having its renowned liveliness.

Sutherland said the matter was being addressed, but the pitch would not be at its best for the Ashes series.

"The clay percentage has dropped probably 20 percent from its heyday," he said.

"That has been replaced with sand and makes for a wicket more like the (Australian) eastern states.

"It is still going to be a pretty good wicket in terms of pace and bounce, but it is still not going to be like it was 20 years ago when Lillee and (Jeff) Thomson were steaming in."

Gabba curator Kevin Mitchell said his Brisbane pitch, which will be used for the first Test on November 23, was vying with Perth as being the fastest in Australia.

"We are up there for pace for sure," Mitchell told the newspaper.

"We have a pacy deck, but bounce is hard to compare."

Mitchell said there had been no requests from Ponting for an unfair pitch advantage against England.

"We are lucky in Australia to have the support of Cricket Australia and all the teams," Mitchell said.

"We are so lucky we don't have the pressures other countries do."

AFP

 

[Romeo]

CRICKET
Shoaib back for final Test?

Sun, 13 Aug 2006
Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar could return to action for the final test against England next week, coach Bob Woolmer said, after coming through eight overs against a West Indies 'A' side on Saturday.
The 'Rawalpindi Express', who has been gradually returning to competitive cricket after a stress fracture of the left ankle, captured one wicket for 44 runs in the Pakistan tour match at Shenley, north of London.
It might be "asking too much" to expect Akhtar or fellow bowler Mohammad Asif, who flew back to Pakistan with an elbow injury last month, to leap straight back into Test action, Woolmer said.
This was especially true with England having taken an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the series ahead of the fourth and final Test beginning at the Oval on Thursday.
"It is less necessary to field such players after we have lost the Test series," Woolmer said.
"But that doesn't mean we don't want to win the Oval Test. We want to win the last Test to prove our critics wrong.
"I don't think we have done badly, England played better."
Asked if Akhtar, 31, could be risked, Woolmer said it was still possible.
"If it's necessary," he said. "I wonder if it is necessary, just for the sake of winning a Test, then why can't others who are match fit and doing well not do that?
"Shoaib had a stress fracture, and what he has to do is to play little bit of cricket, and the perfect scenario I see for him is to get fit for the five one-day internationals, the ICC Trophy, then the home series against the West Indies. That is really the sort of path I want for him.
"I don't want to make this judgement before talking to him. If he bowls 15-20 overs by Sunday then I will ask him, because he will be in a better position to tell.
"Today he looked trim and slim, but he hasn't bowled for six months," Woolmer said.
"If we play him in the Test and breaks down, then people will say that we played him early. We don't want to rush him into Test cricket, for the sake of Pakistan cricket and for the sake of Shoaib's future."
Asked again if Akhtar would be considered for the Test, Woolmer replied: "If he says that he is fit and wants to play, then the judgement will be ours".
The paceman's last Test was the series-clinching third Test against India at Karachi in January and February.
Last year Akhtar had a leading role in the home Test series against England, taking 17 wickets as Pakistan won a three-match encounter 2-0.
AFP

 

[Romeo]

Lee aims for greater things
Cricinfo staff
August 16, 2006

Heavy load: Brett Lee was exhausted in Bangladesh at the end of a long season © Getty Images

Brett Lee has warmed up for the Ashes series by telling his opponents the best is yet to come. Over the past year Lee has assumed the attack leader's responsibilities in both forms of the game and he will be a key weapon against England this summer.
"I'm 29 now and they reckon a fast bowler doesn't reach maturity until he's 30," Lee said in the Daily Telegraph. "So there is no reason why I can't get faster and faster, but it's going to take a lot of hard work."
The signs of maturity in Lee showed when he spoke at the 100-day countdown to the Ashes of the need to work out batsmen instead of knocking them over with speed. "You can bowl fast and pick up the odd wicket by scaring a batsman, but Test cricket batsmen don't scare any more," he said. "You've got to really work a batsman out which is why Glenn [McGrath] has done so well."
After 18 months out of the Test side, Lee returned for the 2005 Ashes and since then has picked up 72 wickets in 17 matches. Last summer he became Ricky Ponting's main fast man, especially after McGrath withdrew from the squad to be with his sick wife, and was exhausted after back-to-back series in South Africa and Bangladesh.
Since the end of the Bangladesh tour Lee has got married and this week he will fine-tune with Troy Cooley, the new national bowling coach. "We'll talk about workload ... how he's going and his build up for the next couple of series," Cooley told AAP. "It's up to Brett to work out what he wants to do, where he wants to go and then we start to build a relationship from there."
Andrew Flintoff's expected return from ankle surgery for the series, which begins in Brisbane on November 23, has excited Lee. "If we are going to be playing against England we want them at their strongest," he said. "They beat us fair and square and we want another crack."

 

[Romeo]

Boot camp garbage - Harvey


Sydney, Australia - A pre-Ashes boot camp at which Australia's top cricketers underwent commando training in a Queensland forest was "absolute garbage", test great Neil Harvey said on Friday.
"Can you imagine (Don) Bradman or (Keith) Miller, or (Ray) Lindwall, or any of those blokes going on one of those?" Harvey said, referring to some of his more notable former Australian teammates. "They'd just laugh in your face and say 'see you later.'
"I think it's a lot of absolute garbage. I suppose you've got to blame the coach (John Buchanan) for that. Maybe that's all he can do, I don't know."
Television footage has shown the Australian players, dressed in combat fatigues, exercising at the camp which is designed to prepare them for this season's Ashes Test series against England.
"All it can do is get someone hurt," Harvey said. "They call it a bonding exercise, but these guys have been playing together for 10 years. If they're not bonded by now, forget about it."
Former Test allrounder Alan Davidson approved of the boot camp, saying it might help to toughen some of the "city boys" in the Australian team.
"I think the boot camp could possibly give some of these young blokes, especially, a bit more inner fibre," he said. "If it's an endurance thing and you suffer a little bit and feel a bit of pain, I don't think there's anything wrong with it. "When you get in a tense situation in a Test match and you've got some bloke that's been living in luxury all his life, I know I'm tougher than he is."

 

[London Adelaidian]

ICC reveals Hair 'quit' proposal
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/sport1/hi/cricket/england/5286690.stm

Hair penalised Pakistan for ball-tampering on Sunday

Darrell Hair offered to resign as an umpire in exchange for $500,000, the International Cricket Council has said.

The Australian made his offer in an e-mail to the game's governing body after last weekend's controversial end to the fourth Test at The Oval.

ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed told a news conference in London that the umpire had been under great stress.

And he said he was satisfied Hair had not made the offer with any "dishonest, underhand or malicious intent".

Speed added: "He was seeking to find a solution that was in the interests of the game."

Hair and fellow umpire Billy Doctrove penalised the tourists five runs and allowed England to choose a replacement ball after deciding that Pakistan had tampered with the one which had suddenly started reverse-swinging after 56 overs.

There have been allegations of bias, racism and conspiracy but it is about none of these things
Malcolm Speed


When Pakistan initially refused to re-emerge after tea in protest, the two officials ruled that they had forfeited the game.

Speed urged the media not to question Hair's motives even though he himself was "extremely surprised by the content" of Hair's e-mail on Tuesday to Doug Cowie, the ICC umpires and referees manager, in which he made his offer.
"There have been allegations of bias, racism and conspiracy but it is about none of these things," he insisted.

"It involves two simple cricket issues. Did the Pakistan team change the nature of the ball in an illegal manner under the laws of the game?
"Secondly, did the refusal by the Pakistan team to resume the match when directed to do so bring the game into disrepute?"

The ICC's lawyers advised the organisation to disclose the contents of Hair's message to the Pakistan Cricket Board as they were relevant to the disciplinary case brought against captain Inzamam-ul-Haq.

He is not sacked, he is not suspended, and he has not been charged - I didn't guarantee those positions would be maintained indefinitely
Speed on Hair


Having informed the PCB, Speed then felt compelled to make the documents public in case they were leaked anyway.

Hair is hoping to continue officiating, saying in a statement: "This correspondence was composed after a very difficult time and was revoked by myself two days later after a period of serious consideration.

"There was no malicious intent behind this communication with the ICC.

"I am anxious that the code of conduct hearing takes place as soon as possible so these matters can be resolved and allow me to move on with my umpiring."

Pakistan complained about Hair's performances earlier in the series but the Australian has denied being biased against Asian countries.

He famously reported Sri Lanka spinner Muttiah Muralitharan for having a suspect bowling action in 1995.

Pakistan have already said they do not want him to umpire any of their games in the future.

And Speed refused to offer any assurances about his future in the game.

"Darrell Hair has been in a difficult position since Sunday and as a result of this disclosure that position has been made more difficult," the ICC chief executive said.

"I have said to him that he is not sacked, he is not suspended, and he has not been charged.

"I also said to him that I didn't guarantee that each of those three positions would be maintained indefinitely."

 

[Romeo]

'We're twice as good as last year' - McGrath
AFP
September 1, 2006

Australia are twice the team they were when losing the Ashes last year and are ready to wrest back the urn from England, according to Glenn McGrath. McGrath, who missed the two Tests Australia conceded in 2005, believes the lessons have been learned and the players are well prepared to win the five-match contest starting on November 23.
"I look back on last year's Ashes with a lot of positive memories," he said during the team's camp in Coolum. "You learn the most from the times you get beaten or don't play well. As a whole, the team learnt so much from that Ashes tour.
"We looked at what we needed to improve on and put that in place. Since then, I think we're twice the team we were at the start of the last Ashes."
McGrath looks at the loss as one that has generated considerable interest in world cricket and made for a compelling return bout. "If we'd have won that series convincingly the interest in world cricket - not just Australia-England but the world - would not be to the same extent," he said. "You look at this series coming up and the interest it's generated, it's the biggest thing that's happened in cricket for a long, long time."
McGrath will return to the international arena for the first time since January during the mini-series in Malaysia this month, and he has rejected the idea of retiring after next year's World Cup. "I'm probably more excited for this season than I have been before," McGrath, who has 542 wickets in 119 Tests, said. "I've had a good break and I've been training hard and working on a few things that I wanted to touch up on."

 

[Browney2006]

'We're twice as good as last year' - McGrath
AFP
September 1, 2006

Australia are twice the team they were when losing the Ashes last year and are ready to wrest back the urn from England, according to Glenn McGrath. McGrath, who missed the two Tests Australia conceded in 2005, believes the lessons have been learned and the players are well prepared to win the five-match contest starting on November 23.
"I look back on last year's Ashes with a lot of positive memories," he said during the team's camp in Coolum. "You learn the most from the times you get beaten or don't play well. As a whole, the team learnt so much from that Ashes tour.
"We looked at what we needed to improve on and put that in place. Since then, I think we're twice the team we were at the start of the last Ashes."
McGrath looks at the loss as one that has generated considerable interest in world cricket and made for a compelling return bout. "If we'd have won that series convincingly the interest in world cricket - not just Australia-England but the world - would not be to the same extent," he said. "You look at this series coming up and the interest it's generated, it's the biggest thing that's happened in cricket for a long, long time."
McGrath will return to the international arena for the first time since January during the mini-series in Malaysia this month, and he has rejected the idea of retiring after next year's World Cup. "I'm probably more excited for this season than I have been before," McGrath, who has 542 wickets in 119 Tests, said. "I've had a good break and I've been training hard and working on a few things that I wanted to touch up on."

Oh Boy Glenn's at it again.

 

[Romeo]

ICC wants spirit of cricket back

In light of the Inzi fiasco will they now try to sanitize the game?



Top playerswant that 'spirit' back



Some of the world's leading players have already backed the International Cricket Council's (ICC) decision to dedicate this year's ICC Champions Trophy to the Spirit of Cricket.
South Africa all-rounder and former captain Shaun Pollock said cricket went back a long way as a gentleman's game and while it always needs to be competitive it was important we still remember that history.
"In the past, people have sometimes had a go at cricketers for losing the plot and not sticking to the game's true ideals and if dedicating the ICC Champions Trophy to The Spirit of Cricket can help ensure the focus is on those ideals then that is great."
India captain Rahul Dravid said: "This is a fantastic idea as The Spirit of Cricket is important.
"We must all be aware of and conscious of the great traditions that we represent when we take the field and perform in front of the public.
top.DisplayAds('SquareL', 13, 1661);
"It is vital that the right spirit is shown by players, officials and supporters so that the ICC Champions Trophy reflects the true spirit of our great game of cricket." India opening batsman Virender Sehwag said: "Cricket is a gentleman's game and it is our responsibility to ensure the youngsters watching us play get inspired by the right things on the field and off it so it is important to play the game in the right spirit.
Sri Lanka wicketkeeper-batsman Kumar Sangakkara said the spirit of cricket was the reason he played the game.
"When I was young I used to watch all these great cricketers play the game and that is how I developed a passion for it. They were my heroes not just because they were great batsmen or bowlers but because they played the game in the right spirit.
The ICC Champions Trophy takes place at four venues in India - Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Mohali and the Cricket Club of India in Mumbai - between October 7 and November 5.
The top 10 sides in international cricket will take part in 21 matches with a total prize pool of $1.15-million.

 

[Romeo]

Strauss coy on captaincy

Should Freddie or Strauss get the job? Maybe it's burdening the former with too much but he seems keen to do the job, as does AS. Strauss's record was unflattering until he squared the one day series with Pakistan. It seemed the toss was influential in most of those matches.






Strauss coy on Ashes captaincy


Captain Andrew Strauss played down talk of leading England in their defence of the Ashes after overseeing a three-wicket one-day win against Pakistan at Edgbaston overnight.
Speaking after a win which saw the one-day series finish all-square at 2-2, Strauss said it was up to the selectors to decide whether he or Andrew Flintoff would lead the team in Australia.
England are due to name their Ashes squad at The Oval on Tuesday, a year to the day since a dramatic draw at the south London ground saw them win an Ashes series for the first time in 19 years.
And Strauss said the fact that England had come from 2-0 down to square the series against Pakistan should have no effect on the Ashes leadership.
"I don't think it should have any bearing whatsoever.
"I've been captain of the side since June and I think they (the selectors) have got a fair idea of what sort of captain I am and likewise with Fred (Flintoff).
"It's obviously getting close to the time to make that decision.
"It's an important time for the selectors to gather their thoughts and decide who's the best man for the job.
"I haven't spent too much time thinking about it ... what's been more important has been trying to get back into this series, which we've done well."
-AFP

 

[Browney2006]

Re: Strauss coy on captaincy

Personally i would like to see Strauss captain, he is a good captain and can get the job done. I also like having a batsmen as a captain, Bowlers have enough to worry about when they are out on the field, even more so an all-rounder. I feel that if Freddie was to continue on as captain it MAY have an effect on his game. Strauss on the other hand Strauss' batting will not suffer from the captaincy.

I want Strauss for captain, as do many other English fans.

 

[Romeo]

Zimboks to return to test cricket in 2007

Zim to return to test cricket

Zimbabwe is planning its return to Test cricket in November 2007. This was revealed on Monday by Zimbabwe coach Kevin Curren, when the team arrived in South Africa for a short one-day international series against South Africa.

"We will be playing the West Indies at home in November next year," said Curren. "We think that will give us time to develop our very young team, and we also believe that the West Indies would be at the right level of play for our return to Test cricket."
He said it was important for the Zimbabwe team to get as much international exposure as possible. "It's a very young team - the average age is about 21 - so we need to play lots of competitive cricket. We are also planning a number of four-day matches against teams like South Africa A and other A sides.
As these players gain international experience, they will improve and become more competitive. If they can get 30 or 40 international caps under their belts, they will be much better prepared for the return to Test cricket. So we will grab any opportunity with both hands.
"Losing about 20 senior players made a huge dent in Zimbabwe cricket," Curren continued. "When you look at the kind of experience there is in the South African team, with players like Jacques Kallis, Makhaya Ntini and Shaun Pollock, it's going to be a huge challenge for our guys to play against a team we consider one of the best in the world."
Return to full competitive cricket

Welcoming the Zimbabwe team, Gerald Majola, chief executive of Cricket South Africa (CSA), said South Africa was committed to assisting Zimbabwe in its attempt to return to full competitive cricket.
"That is one of the reasons we are having this short tour," said Majola. "Zimbabwe will be playing in the qualifying rounds of the ICC Champions Trophy in India, and we want to help them as much as we can. The three matches will also give us an opportunity to hone our skills ahead of the Champions Trophy."
Majola confirmed that a South African A side would tour Zimbabwe next year, and said there were thoughts of a mini triangular tournament involving South Africa, Zimbabwe and Kenya ahead of the Afro-Asian Cup next year. The Zimbabwe tour of South Africa gets under way on Wednesday with a Pro20 match against the Eagles at the De Beers Oval in Kimberley. The first match against South Africa is a day/night game in Bloemfontein on Friday night, followed by a day match in East London on Sunday. The final match is in Potchefstroom next Wednesday.

 

[Romeo]

Re: Strauss coy on captaincy

Flintoff just wants to play

Tue, 12 Sep 2006
On the eve of England's Ashes squad announcement, star all-rounder Andrew Flintoff made it clear he would be happy to return to Test duty merely as a player and not as captain.
The only certainty as England prepare to reveal their party for the four of Australia at The Oval on Tuesday, a year to the day since they regained the Ashes at the south London ground, is that the captain's first name will be 'Andrew'.
Flintoff was in pole position when leading the side in the early part of the English season.
But ever since the end of the drawn Test series against Sri Lanka an ankle injury has kept the all-rounder, the hero of last year's Ashes, out of international cricket.
England, in Flintoff's absence, have been led by opening batsman and former Middlesex captain Andrew Strauss.
Strauss, after a 5-0 one-day international series thrashing by Sri Lanka, led an injury-hit England side lacking several Ashes stars to a 3-0 Test series win over Pakistan, a result featuring last month's controversially forfeited fourth Test at The Oval, and a come-from-behind 2-2 drawn one-day encounter with Inzamam-ul-Haq's tourists concluded at Edgbaston on Sunday.
The current England skipper has made it clear he is happy to serve under Flintoff and on Monday the 'other Andrew' also did his best to shy away from suggestions of selfish personal ambition.
"If I get an opportunity to captain the side, it would be fantastic," Flintoff said. "I'd love to have a go but it's out of our control and Strauss has done a great job. As long as we win the Ashes, I'm not bothered."
Strauss too was equally keen to be seen to put the team first although, like Flintoff, it was quite clear he fancied having a crack at becoming the first England captain since his Middlesex predecessor Mike Gatting some 20 years ago to win a Test series in Australia.
"I'd love to do the job in Australia but it's for other people to decide."
Ashes-winning skipper Michael Vaughan's recurrence of a knee injury has long ruled him out of the defence of the urn.
Meanwhile, the hopes of immediate successor Marcus Trescothick nosedived when he returned home early from the tour of India with a stress-related illness which has also forced him out of next month's Champions Trophy tournament.
England coach Duncan Fletcher has tried to make a virtue out of a dilemma by insisting the captaincy conundrum was a "great positive" for England.
"When Vaughan first took over we were wondering where the next captain was coming from and it was the same when Nasser (Hussain) was captain and we didn't know where the next captain was coming from.
"It's nice to see there are two candidates now even though I wish it was only one because then we wouldn't have had this difficult decision."
But with Fletcher one of the few constants in England's rise to second place in the world Test rankings since he took charge in 1999, there are some within English cricket who believe the choice of captain matters less now than it has ever done.
Optimists say that is because of Fletcher's tactical expertise.
Pessimists say that England's fitness doubts over the likes of Flintoff and fast bowler Stephen Harmison, not to mention the fact they are set to be without reverse-swing ace Simon Jones, a key figure in last year's Ashes, mean that it doesn't matter who the captain is as England are likely to lose the series come what may.
Fletcher is known to favour Strauss, although his fellow selectors — chairman David Graveney and former England off-spinner Geoff Miller — are believed to be Flintoff supporters.
"You would like it to be unanimous but that's why you have selectors," Fletcher told BBC Radio Five.
England are set to name a squad of 16 with five other players based at Hampshire coach Paul Terry's cricket academy in Perth.
Their last tour of Australia, in 2002/03, never recovered from the fact they arrived with several unfit players, including Flintoff, who then played little or no part in the Ashes.
Pacemen James Anderson (back) and Liam Plunkett (side) are both doubtful and that could open the way for promising one-day international fast bowler Stuart Broad to be called up despite being uncapped at Test level.
Left-arm spinner Monty Panesar and opening batsman Alastair Cook are just two of the young players who've shone during the past year for England although pitching Broad, 20, in for a debut in Australia would be something else. Nevertheless, the omens are good. When England last won a series in Australia, in 1986/87, Broad's father Chris, an opening batsman, had a superb tour and back then England arrived with another uncapped 20-year-old Leicestershire seamer in Phil DeFreitas. <span class="accr

 

[Romeo]

Khan slams Pakistan

Tue, 12 Sep 2006
Former cricket great Imran Khan on Tuesday said he was dejected at Pakistan's poor performance in the one-day international series against England's "weakest" outfit.
"This was the poorest performance by any Pakistan team and considering England was the weakest one-day outfit, I am disappointed at the one-day series result," Khan told AFP.
The Pakistan team returned on Tuesday after losing the four-Test series 3-0, which included forfeiture of the final Test at The Oval over a ball-tampering row. England also squared the five-match one-day series 2-2.
"I am amazed at the result, this same England team was thrashed 5-0 by Sri Lanka in one-dayers three months ago," said Khan, who is now a member of the Pakistan parliament.
Khan led Pakistan to a 2-1 series loss in England in 1982, the last time Pakistan was defeated in a Test series in England.
Five years later Khan led Pakistan to a series win in England. Pakistan also won 2-1 on the 1992 tour of England and 2-0 in 1996 before they drew 1-1 in 2001.
But the 53-year-old former all-rounder blamed the Test series loss to injury problems in Pakistan team.
"Pakistan lost the Tests because their main bowlers Shoaib Akhtar, Mohammad Asif and Rana Naved-ul Hasan were injured, even England missed their captain Michael Vaughan and Andrew Flintoff, but they did well," he said.
He strongly criticized Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer for not helping Inzamam with a proper strategy.
"Woolmer muddled things and it's amazing that he has failed to find a suitable opening pair in two years," said Khan, who said Pakistan need to solve this problem before next year's World Cup in the Caribbean.
"Pakistan is still the most dangerous team after Australia but they are losing one-day matches despite having the world-class talent.
"It all boils down to strategy and where Inzamam-ul Haq lacks, Woolmer fails to compensate," he said.
"I am as surprised as anyone in the public how Pakistan lost. I don't agree that players were tired due to a long tour, some of them were fresh and did not play in Tests."
Khan disagreed that Inzamam should retire from Test cricket and concentrate on the one-day game.
"He still is the best man to lead as he is the best batsman around," said Khan. "Inzamam needs to formulate things and needs to have better planning while playing international cricket and results will be better."

 

[Romeo]

Spinner hopeful


Young Australia off-spinner Dan Cullen is hoping his recent emergence will culminate in an Ashes appearance against England this winter.
Cullen is currently with the one-day side competing in the DLF Cup in Malaysia against India and West Indies, but has had limited opportunities to prove himself, bowling only eight overs in Australia's three matches.
The 22-year-old played his first and only Test against Bangladesh earlier this year, and has been earmarked as the long-term replacement for Shane Warne.
But for now Cullen is content to simply continue proving himself for state side South Australia, and grabbing opportunities when they present themselves.
"Personally I just want to concentrate on taking it one game at a time, whether that's playing a Pura Cup game or whatever," Cullen said.
"I just want to do well and bowl well and contribute to the side winning and hopefully your performances at state level can maybe lead to higher honours.
"I just want to keep taking wickets whatever level I play and keep doing the right things."
While Warne will no doubt be the principal spinner for the five-Test series, Cullen may receive a call-up to the Test side on the spinner-friendly Adelaide and Sydney wickets.
Cullen can also secure a place in the one-day side for next year's World Cup with some strong performances in Malaysia, and he feels he has been hitting the spot despite his limited chances.
"Yeah it feels like it's coming out of the hand pretty well, obviously (game three) was a really good challenge and a great experience for me," he said.
The Australian bowlers have had to contend with hot and humid conditions in Kuala Lumpur, and Cullen admitted he enjoyed playing in the heat, believing it will also be the perfect warm-up for next month's ICC Champions Trophy.
"Most countries in the sub-continent are fairly warm and humid so most of the players are pretty aware and get used to it," he added.
"Personally I enjoy playing in it (the heat) and it's good to get out in the sun and play in the heat - it's good fun.
"For the Champions Trophy, the weather's going to be very similar with the humid conditions in India. I know it's really hot over there so it's definitely a great warm up for the Australian side with the ICC and Ashes coming up."