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Colin Ingram’s refashioned career as a specialist white-ball cricketer will come with leadership duties at Glamorgan

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Oct-2017

Devastating South Africa batsman Colin Ingram and veteran Australian seamer Michael Hogan will share Glamorgan’s captaincy duties next season.The decision comes in the wake of Jacques Rudolph’s retirement. Rudolph stood down in the Championship in May, with Hogan stepping in on an interim basis, but he led Glamorgan to Finals Day in the NatWest Blast before his career came to an endIngram has turned himself into a white-ball specialist after a prolific limited-overs season fired his ambition to play in more global T20 tournaments worldwide.The standout performer of any county in limited overs cricket over the last two seasons, Ingram struck 1,026 runs and five centuries in white-ball competitions during 2017 and was named the PCA MVP award winner for the T20 Blast in 2016 and One-Day Cup in 2017.Ingram will feature for the Adelaide Strikers in the Big Bash later this year but his only experience in the IPL came with the Delhi Daredevils before he joined Glamorgan at the end of 2014.Hogan will now continue to lead the side in red-ball cricket next term, while Ingram will have the captaincy duties in the One-Day Cup and T20 Blast competitions.In the first two games under Hogan’s leadership Glamorgan secured back-to-back victories against Durham at Swansea and at New Road over Worcestershire, the eventual Division Two champions, before finishing seventh in Division Two with a line-up featuring up to eight Academy graduates towards the end of the season.Glamorgan Chief Executive Hugh Morris, said: “We are very fortunate to have two excellent leaders within the squad and the decision to appoint Michael and Colin was unanimous by our Committee. By splitting the captaincy during a busy season both players can bring fresh impetus across the different formats.”

The former India spinner arrived in Dhaka on Tuesday and began working with the Bangladesh bowlers ahead of the Test series against Australia

Mohammad Isam22-Aug-2017

Former India left-arm spinner Sunil Joshi has been appointed Bangladesh’s spin-bowling coach. Joshi, who has signed a short-term contract, arrived in Dhaka on Tuesday, joined the side ahead of the two-Test series against Australia and began working with the bowlers.Joshi’s appointment comes as a surprise after the BCB had announced on July 30 that former Australia legspinner Stuart MacGill was their first choice for the spin-bowling coach’s role. But the talks between MacGill and the BCB did not materialise,which led the board to pursue Joshi, who had been part of discussions for the role earlier this year.In February, when Bangladesh toured India for a one-off Test, Anil Kumble, the then India coach, had suggested Joshi’s name to some board directors who then spoke to him in Hyderabad, but Joshi’s appointment did not materialise at the time.Joshi made his international debut in 1996 and took 110 wickets in a career spanning 15 Tests and 69 ODIs. He ended his first-class career in 2011 with 615 wickets in 160 matches.He subsequently coached domestic teams Hyderabad in 2011, Jammu & Kashmir in 2014, and Assam in 2016. He had also served as Oman’s spin-bowling coach in the World Twenty20 in India in 2016.

أجرى الاتحاد الأوروبي لكرة القدم “يويفا” قرعة دوري المؤتمر الأوروبي اليوم الجمعة، لمرحلة خروج المغلوب.

وتخوض الفرق من المركز التاسع إلى المركز السادس عشر، مباراة فاصلة تلعب ذهابًا وإيابًا أمام الفرق من المركز السابع عشر إلى المركز الرابع والعشرين لتحديد الفرق الثمانية المتأهل لدور الـ16.

وشهدت القرعة إتاحة مواجهة فريقين من نفس البلد لبعضهما، وإتاحة المواجهة للأندية التي تنافست في مرحلة الدوري.

ويعد تشيلسي هو النادي الوحيد في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز المشارك في المسابقة وقد تأهل بالفعل إلى دور الستة عشر بعد فوزه بجميع مبارياته الست في مرحلة الدوري واحتلاله صدارة الجدول.

وتأهلت أندية تشيلسي الإنجليزي، فيتوريا جيماريش البرتغالي، رابيد فيينا النمساوي، فيورنتينا الإيطالي،  يورجورن السويدي، لوجانو السويسري، ليجا وارسو البولندي، سيركل بروج البلجيكي مباشرة لدور الستة عشر.

وأسفرت القرعة عن مواجهة باناثينايكوس اليوناني بقيادة روي فيتوريا مدرب منتخب مصر السابق لبطل آيسلندا فيكينجور ريكيافيك.

اقرأ أيضًا | نتائج قرعة دور نصف نهائي كأس كاراباو.. مواجهة نارية لـ ليفربول نتائج قرعة دوري المؤتمر الأوروبي 

كوبنهاجن الدنماركي ضد هيادنهايم الألماني.

جنت البلجيكي ضد ريال بيتيس الإسباني.

بوراتس بانيا لوكا البوسني ضد أولمبيا ليوبليانا السلوفيني.

فيكينجور ريكيافيك الأيسلندي ضد باناثينايكوس اليوناني.

أومونيا القبرصي ضد بافوس القبرصي.

سيلجي السلوفيني ضد أبويل نيقوسيا القبرصي.

مولده النرويجي ضد شامروك روفرز الأيرلندي.

باتشيكا توبولا الصربي ضد ياجلونيا البولندي. موعد مباريات تحديد المتأهلين إلى دور الـ 16

تقام مباراة الذهاب يوم 13 فبراير 2025، ومباراة الإياب يوم 20 فبراير 2025.

Sri Lanka Cricket is unlikely to penalise any players who opt out of the proposed T20 against Pakistan in Lahore but the board has reminded the players of their “contractual obligation” to play where required

Andrew Fidel Fernando21-Sep-2017

Sri Lanka Cricket is unlikely to penalise any players who opt out of the proposed T20 in Lahore, but has reminded cricketers that they have a “contractual obligation” to play where the board requires them to.Although the recent World XI series in Lahore was a success, Sri Lanka’s own visit – for the third T20, on October 29 – is not confirmed yet. For now, SLC is positive the match will be played in Lahore, but will make further security assessments closer to the game. According to CEO Ashley de Silva, the board is committed to addressing player concerns.”I don’t think [there will be repercussions for players], but we would look at their security first and give them the assurance that nothing would happen if they go to Pakistan,” de Silva said. “As per the agreement they have signed with Sri Lanka Cricket, there is a contractual obligation. But always the players can bring concerns to the notice of the management. So far they have not brought anything to our notice.”Nevertheless, players are likely to have reservations about the trip. Two current cricketers – batsman Chamara Kapugedara and bowler Suranga Lakmal – had been on board the bus that was attacked in Lahore, in 2009. Lakmal, in fact, had even sustained minor injuries. It is possible that one of both of those players will be picked in the T20 squad, but even if not, the remaining players will be aware of the trauma suffered by the players who lived through that attack. They will have also have heard about the anxiety experienced by former team-mates’ family members during the ordeal.For now, Test captain Dinesh Chandimal remained non-committal about the players’ stance. He had, however, received a positive – though brief – report from Thisara Perera, who played in the recent World XI matches in Lahore.”We couldn’t talk to Thisara much, but when I spoke to him once he said the security was very good,” Chandimal said. “The players will have to sit down and make the decision together.”According to de Silva, SLC’s final decision on whether a squad will visit Lahore will be made soon after the Test series in the UAE finishes, on October 10.”As planned, we would be sending one of our security personnel to Pakistan at least two weeks in advance of the team going there to pad out an assessment and give us a report,” he said. “As indicated before, our prime concern will be the security of the players. If we feel there is a security threat, we will not send the team. We will assess the situation prior to taking the final call.”

As he soaks up that winning feeling, the Vidarbha captain talks about how he always knew his team could go the distance this season. Coach Pandit, meanwhile, is happy to script an inspiring-underdog story

Vishal Dikshit in Indore01-Jan-2018

Captain Faiz Fazal believes Vidarbha’s first match of the season, which they won against Punjab by an innings and 117 runs, “set the tone” for their victorious Ranji Trophy campaign. Vidarbha lifted the prestigious domestic trophy for the first time in their 61st attempt by beating Delhi comprehensively in Indore on the first day of 2018. Overall, Vidarbha registered an impressive seven wins in nine matches and only drew against Chhattisgarh and Himachal Pradesh.”The way we played the first game against Punjab – they are a great side and we got seven points from that game,” Fazal said after winning the Ranji Trophy. “That set the tone and we started believing that definitely we can win this trophy.”I cannot describe this feeling. This is what we work for. As a cricketer, you always think winning the Ranji Trophy will be the biggest thing. If you want to achieve anything, you have to go through the process and discipline and everything. Winning the Ranji Trophy has been the biggest achievement in my career. Playing for India was a big high for me, as an individual you get to achieve that.”Vidarbha dominated the Ranji final right from the first day when debutant Aditya Thakare struck in the first over of the match. They wrapped up Delhi on the next morning for 295 and even though Vidarbha were briefly in trouble at 246 for 6 in their first innings, they took a hefty lead. Fazal was confident at the end of the third day that he would get to lift the trophy before long.”To be very honest, yesterday, when the day finished, I thought that [we were going to win]. I know we were talking about how we shouldn’t lose our grip and everything, but I thought that we are going to win this game.”Vidarbha had a new coach this season – Chandrakant Pandit – who has a reputation of being a disciplinarian and a strict mentor. Throughout the final day too, when Vidarbha inched closer to the win, he barely displayed his emotions while sitting outside the dressing room and intently watching each and every delivery. Finally, victory sealed, the coach said the players had earned the right to let loose and celebrate.”They deserve to celebrate, that [victory] is what they were waiting for,” Pandit said. “I am sure my team and my captain must be very excited to celebrate and they should. There is no restriction, today you are not going to restrict them from anything. They can do whatever they want for they have been working hard throughout the season.”I must thank the selection committee, they also contributed so much during our journey. And each and every person who has been working… I would like to especially thank the ground staff. The way they have been preparing pitches, given us nets every time we asked for it. They also deserve to be celebrating.”We have been following our routines, which is the best part that the team has been doing. All credit goes to the players because they have put in a lot of hard work. I am also happy with the way they have respected me. The system which we have been following, they have never ignored that. The team is together, they started enjoying each other’s performances. We stayed together all the time. We had certain kind of activities within the team [for] bonding. So the boys have done a fantastic job.”A day before the final, Fazal had clearly stated he was confident of winning the match because of the kind of wave his team was riding by winning the quarter-final and semi-final. Fazal had even said he was itching to “get the feel of trophy in my hands”.When he was asked after lifting the trophy on Monday when he had first thought they would win the tournament, he took everyone a few months back. “From day one,” he said. “I never thought that we can’t lift this trophy. I was in England before the season so when I came to Nagpur and when I met Chandu sir, first thing we discussed was how to win the trophy and then the process started for me. The team was already preparing for it but then I joined in the act and from day one of the preparation I thought that we should lift the trophy.”Pandit said his team of underdogs winning such a title will motivate teenagers to play for their state and will instil belief in them. “Everybody likes to win the cup,” he said, “but this win will not only change the team, but in Vidarbha, every 14-year-old and 16-year-old boy will probably stand up and raise his hand that he can also win. That kind of culture I will be happy to achieve in Vidarbha.”

The current trio of Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood have a more outstanding collection of fast-bowling attributes than the pace trio of 2013, according to Ryan Harris

Daniel Brettig07-Nov-2017

Ryan Harris rates Australia’s Ashes pace battery of Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins as superior to the trio he formed with Mitchell Johnson and Peter Siddle to inflict a 5-0 sweep on England in 2013-14, but believes both teams face potential trouble in the form of unsettled batting line-ups.In a judgement some may find surprising, given the older group combined for a total of 627 Test wickets, including 75 in that Ashes series alone, Harris said that this summer’s combination boasted a more outstanding collection of fast-bowling attributes than the one he was a part of, starting with Hazlewood’s greater height.”I think so. Hazlewood’s probably doing the job that I did and he’s quicker than me, and he gets more bounce,” Harris said in Adelaide when asked if the current attack was better than his own. “And you’ve got Starc who can definitely do a Johnson role, and you’ve got Cummins so you’ve probably got an extra bit of pace.”Cummins on his day, he’s fast as well. Obviously we did a good job last time but the key is going to be working as a team, as a bowling unit. That’s what we did well last time and obviously got the results.”Australia and England each enter the series with doubt swirling around their batting line-ups – for the visitors at the top of the order and the hosts in the middle order. Then there is the uncertainty around the possible participation of Ben Stokes – pending a police investigation and an ECB internal investigation – after his involvement in a fight outside a Bristol nightclub during the northern season. Harris said these issues raised the potential for a closer series than four years ago.”I think both squads are a bit unsettled, more on their batting line-ups, which I think brings them closer together,” Harris said. “I think Australia have got a pretty good idea of who they want to pick but having unsettled feelings going into that first Test – the bowling line-ups are fine – but I think they’re on even par with their batting line-ups.””[Stokes missing] it’s huge. He’s the one that if England lose wickets at the top he is the one that comes out and steadies or counter-attacks. It’s a big hole for England to be honest. I’m sure Australia will be happy he’s not here but they’d also want him here because you want to play against and win against the best. I guess time will tell whether he comes but I think it’s a big hole for them.”Joe Root’s tourists are in Adelaide preparing for a four-day floodlit fixture that will give them a first look at the conditions in which the inaugural day-night Ashes Test will be staged in early December. Harris is coaching a Cricket Australia XI that lacks bowlers of the sort of velocity expected from Starc, Cummins and Hazlewood, but he still expected the adjustment to be a challenging one for England.”The ball will probably swing early around start time, it may stop swinging in that sort of 30-45 overs and then when it gets to dusk the grass seems to stand up and it zips around,” he said. “We saw in the Shield game the other week that Starc got it to talk a bit around that time when the sun goes down.”Talking to a couple of boys they find it tough to bat around that time so that’s where we’ll try to make it as hard as we can for them. Hopefully we’re not batting around that time, that’s my plan. But they’ll have to get used to that real hard seeing time, and we’ve got some good bowlers here. We haven’t got the pace of Starc or Cummins or Hazlewood, but they’ll have to get used to it.”As for the possibility that the moving pink ball would provide an advantage for England, Harris said he saw bowling attacks as the strong suit of each team. “The bowling line-ups are world class and I think they’re going to have a big say on each Test match,” he said. “With the ball moving around, it’s been well documented that we’ve had trouble with that, but we’re in our own conditions.”But Anderson and Broad – I’m not sure about England’s third quick, probably Woakes – but those two blokes can destroy games and destroy line-ups and they’re proven good bowlers over here. Anderson’s gotten better in these conditions, it’s pacey and Broad likesthe pace.”Having met with the national coach Darren Lehmann before venturing to Adelaide, Harris said the invitational side was not planning to “bat for four days” but would endeavour to make life difficult for the tourists, while also keeping a close eye out for any information that might be useful once the Test matches start.

The Mumbai Cricket Association has decided to file an intervention application before the Supreme Court to highlight the “difficulties and inconsistencies” in the Lodha Committee’s report, making it potentially the first member unit of the BCCI to seek cl

Arun Venugopal22-Feb-2016

The Mumbai Cricket Association has decided to file an intervention application before the Supreme Court to highlight the “difficulties and inconsistencies” in the Lodha Committee’s report, making it potentially the first member unit of the BCCI to seek clarity on the committee’s recommendations. According to an MCA official, the key concerns highlighted in the application are the age limit of 70 for the office bearers, the cooling off period between terms in office, and bringing state associations under the purview of the RTI.Should the recommendations be accepted in their present form, it will become untenable for the incumbent president, Sharad Pawar, who is well over 70, to continue in office. MCA vice-president Ashish Shelar said the association was seeking advice from the Supreme Court on the implementation of the recommendations. “There is no objection. There are some difficulties about implementing [the recommendations] which we will point out to the court,” Shelar told ESPNcricinfo.”Right now the existence of MCA itself is in question [because of the one-state, one-vote recommendation], we will ask the guidance from the court on how to deal with it. We are doing that [pointing out that MCA is the oldest body in the state].”It has also emerged that many other member units, including the KSCA, TNCA and the Cricket Club of India, are likely to follow suit and file similar applications in the coming days. An official of the CCI, which according to the Lodha report has “no cause” to be treated as a Full Member, said after the SGM on Friday that it was contemplating an intervention application. “Our contributions to the BCCI over the years have been significant,” he said. “We will present our arguments to the Supreme Court.”The TNCA, it is learnt, is likely to be among the last few associations to make the intervention plea. “We are going to wait for associations like Mumbai and Maharashtra to make the first move,” a TNCA source said. “Because of the whole CSK episode we don’t want to be seen by the court to be in the forefront in opposing [the recommendations].”Meanwhile, the BCCI is expected to file its affidavit – one that will point out the “anomalies and difficulties” encountered in implementing the recommendations – in the next few days. According to a source privy to the goings on at the SGM on Friday, the BCCI was required to submit the affidavit “around February 25 or 26,” about a week before the deadline of March 3 that the Supreme Court had given for the BCCI to inform if it could implement the Lodha report.The source also said that the BCCI had encouraged its member units to file intervention applications to the Supreme Court, as each member had specific concerns that needed to be raised individually. BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur had in fact said after the SGM that the board could not stop the state associations from filing pleas to the Supreme Court.In an oral submission before the Supreme court on January 25, the Cricket Association of Bihar, the original petitioner, had sought a full implementation of the Lodha report.The BCCI’s legal counsel said the board found certain anomalies in the report and needed more time to further review the recommendations. Justice TS Thakur dismissed the request for any extension, and said the court was going to accept the Lodha report completely and implement it if the BCCI did not inform the court before the March 3 deadline.The Lodha committee, appointed by the Supreme Court in January 2015, recommended a complete overhaul of Indian cricket. Its report covered every aspect of the game with special focus on the BCCI’s administrative and governance structures and the issue of transparency.

Chris Woakes’ second spell of the day yielded four wickets for 15 runs, and his six-for took his wickets tally in two first-class matches on the tour to 12

George Dobell in Townsville15-Nov-2017
ScorecardChris Woakes doesn’t fit the classic image of a fast bowler.While the newspapers in Australia are full of stories of his counterparts – brooding, menacing types persuaded to stare down the lens like it just took the last pringle – promising to unleash pace and destruction upon England, Woakes responded to another outstanding performance by saying “it was nice”. And then, after a pause, “and pleasing”.Make a headline out of that: “It’s nice,” roared Woakes. “It’s pleasing,” bellowed Woakes. “I’m focusing on my processes,” vowed Woakes.But beneath the bluster, beneath the wearying propaganda that seems to preface Ashes series these days, Woakes is getting on with his job “very nicely” indeed. And while most of the media may be fixated on the damage the Australian fast bowlers are promising to inflict on England and the absence of Ben Stokes, the tourists’ other fast-bowling allrounder is enjoying the opportunity to warm-up for a confrontation that could go a long way to defining his career. And the result of the series.Woakes’ performance is vital. If he can replicate his record in England – where he has 42 Test wickets at a cost of 24.28 apiece – he will have given England a potency that will support James Anderson and Stuart Broad and ensure they have a viable attack. If he cannot improve his overseas record – he has currently taken eight Test wickets outside England (and Wales) at a cost of 63.75 apiece – then too much will be required of England’s opening bowlers and it is hard to see how they win.The key would appear to be movement. If Woakes can persuade the Kookaburra ball (used here) to move laterally as he can the Duke’s (used in England) then his other qualities – his control, his relative pace (upper 80s, you would think) and his bounce – will all be enhanced.So the good news – from an England perspective – from this tour to date is that he is finding that movement and, as a result, proving a tough proposition. Even on these pudding pitches.Getty Images

Woakes, for the second time in successive innings, produced a spell that effectively cut the opposition in half. This time it was four – the first four wickets to fall – for 15 in six overs. Later he returned to claim two more. It means he has, at present, claimed 12 first-class wickets on this tour at a cost of just 10.25 apiece. The opposition is about to get much tougher but the pace he is bowling and the movement he is generating are encouraging.It may be tempting to read some diffidence into Woakes’ softly-spoken manner. To imagine that he will recoil in the furnace of the Gabba.’Getting close to being cooked’ – Woakes

Chris Woakes feels he is coming to the boil nicely ahead of the first Test in Brisbane.
Woakes claimed 6 for 54 on the first day of the match against a CA XI in Townsville and afterwards spoke of his delight at his own rhythm and his ability to move the Kookaburra ball.
“All the numbers are saying I’m getting close to getting cooked,” Woakes said. “I’m pleased with where my body is at and getting overs in the legs is important. You don’t want to go in to the Test series undercooked and I’m pleased with where I’m at.
“We got a bit of shape with the ball, which was nice. There has been a lot spoken about the Kookaburra ball not doing as much as the Duke’s and generally it doesn’t. The fact that we got a bit of movement today is pleasing and builds some confidence with this ball that we are not as used to.
“The most important thing today was that I was pleased with how it came out and my rhythm. Six wickets is pleasing but had I picked up one or two I would still have been pleased.”

Tempting but wrong. Instead his quiet manner reflects a confidence in his own ability, which doesn’t require the layer of bravado others see fit to use. He knows it is performances that matter, not rhetoric. And he knows, if he “nails his processes” he will end the tour in a “very nice, very pleasing” mood. What’s that saying about empty vessels and loudest sounds? Talk doesn’t take wickets.It’s been noticeable in Woakes’ career to date that he has produced some of his most eye-catching performances when his side have been under pressure. How about that 11-wicket haul against Pakistan at Lord’s? England lost. Or that unbeaten 95 in an ODI against Sri Lanka at Trent Bridge? He came in when England were 82 for 6 and chasing 287. Both times, the pressure brought the best out of him.His wickets here generally came from deliveries on or around off-stump that either bounced or nibbled away. So once Nick Larkin and Josh Carder’s fine opening stand (they put on 66 in 26 overs as England failed to fully utilise the first new ball) was ended with Larkin slashing to gully, Carder and Ryan Gibson were unfortunate enough to receive balls that demanded a stroke and nipped away just enough. Jason Sangha and Simon Milenko were beaten for pace by full deliveries while Harry Nielsen also pushed one to gully.Broad’s figures, in comparison, were modest. But he bowled fine generally and used this game for the warm-up that it is. He is, in the best sense of the word, something of a show-off. And performing amid the bucolic charm of Riverway Stadium – and a vocal crowd who were never far away from reminding him he remained wicketless for most of the day – was never likely to inspire him.This is another slow pitch, too. Disappointingly slow. England opted to come here over other options (Drummoyne in Sydney and Hobart were mentioned) as the ground had a reputation for pace that was akin to that expected in Brisbane. Instead, they have something more akin to New Road. Mount Louisa, off in the distance, even did a passable impression of the Malvern Hills. For the third time in succession, they surface they have encountered has been markedly different to that expected in Brisbane.The England camp are remaining tight-lipped on their view of the preparation they have been provided. But it will be no surprise if, the next time they are here for an Ashes series, they bring a battery of their own seamers (and perhaps hire their own training facility) to ensure they face more taxing bowling. The likes of Mark Footitt, Stuart Meaker, Olly Stone and Richard Gleeson could all have been employed – fitness permitting – to ensure England experienced some pace ahead of the Ashes.Getty Images

Cricket Australia would have you believe this CA XI represents almost the best opposition available with the Shield in full swing. It’s not entirely true, though. Ed Cowan, for example, says he would have loved to play this game but, having been offered the opportunity to appear only 48-hours ahead of the Adelaide match, could only promise his availability for the second game. Perhaps, with a bit of planning, the likes of Cameron White and Michael Klinger could have been included, too?England experienced a few nervous moments during the day, though. The most serious came when Jonny Bairstow had to leave the field after hurting the middle finger of his left hand in scuffing a delivery off the bowling of Woakes that appeared to bounce just in front of him.While Ben Foakes, who was permitted to take the gloves by the umpires despite not being named in the XI, is a more than capable deputy (and soon had a catch – perhaps the first ‘caught Foakes, bowled Woakes’ of many), the thought of losing Bairstow from England’s middle-order is enough to keep Joe Root up at night. He will, therefore, have been hugely relieved to see Bairstow reclaim the gloves about 50 minutes later having been diagnosed with nothing more serious than a bruise.The cordon remains a bit of a concern, though. While James Vince, so fallible in the slips during his first spell in the side, has taken to the gully position with some class – he held three sharp chances on the first day here, none of them easy – another two or three chances went begging in the region. The most straightforward went to Root, off Mason Crane, when Matthew Short had 36, while Bairstow – leaping in front of first slip – put down another (this time off Woakes) to reprieve Milenko. Another edge, again off Crane, went between Bairstow and Root, while Mark Stoneman dropped a tough chance – he did well to get a hand on it, really – when Short cut Crane on 25.Short took advantage of his reprieves to record a stubborn half-century (51 from 122 balls with just two boundaries) and ensure the CA XI recovered from the loss of four wickets for 25 runs either side of lunch.Craig Overton impressed, too. He has settled into this tour nicely and, with his height and ability to generate movement, has demanded respect from the batsmen. He has conceded almost exactly two an over in the first-class games on this tour so far and has given himself an outstanding chance of a Test debut in a week’s time.There was also good news off the pitch for England. James Anderson, who missed training on Tuesday due to illness, bowled in the nets, while Jake Ball returned to running for the first time since sustaining strained ankle ligaments in Adelaide, and later also enjoyed a gentle bowl.

The 40-year old offspinner did not have an extravagant farewell. He walked off the field after his final T20 match in Pakistan, waving to a nearly empty Rawalpindi Stadium

Umar Farooq in Rawalpindi29-Nov-20170:43

What’s Ajmal’s favourite cricketing memory?

With tears in his eyes, a slight tremble in his voice but with nothing to regret, Saeed Ajmal officially brought the curtains down on his international and domestic career, after Faisalabad exited the National T20 Cup following their semi-final loss to Lahore Whites in Rawalpindi.The farewell was not too extravagant: he walked off the field after the match, waving to a nearly empty Rawalpindi Stadium. However, players from both Lahore Whites and Faisalabad gave him a final guard of honour as he left the ground. The PCB, too, arranged for a press conference, which had “Thank you Saeed Ajmal” across its backdrop. Ajmal walked into the packed conference room, with every news channel’s reporters in anticipation, as the nation saw the Pakistan offspinner – via live feed – battle hard to keep from tearing up.”It’s been 25 years…my love for cricket…so when you retire you do get emotional,” Ajmal said, after taking a moment to gather his thoughts. “I am retiring with a heavy heart, but I am satisfied with my career. Although I am retiring from international and domestic cricket, I want to stay in touch with cricket through my cricket academy and want to contribute for the country.”Ajmal, however, did not completely rule out the possibility of playing in T20 leagues elsewhere. “I want to remain available for foreign T20 leagues, other than the PSL, and want to continue to play the format. But for now I have accepted Islamabad United’s offer to be their spin-bowling coach. I think now is the right time to go away. I am 40 years old and I think I am now considered as baggage in domestic teams. So I don’t want to lose respect here. I want to leave with my head held high and it’s time for the youngsters to come in and take my place.”Ajmal, who was captaining Faisalabad in the National T20 Cup, finished his final innings with figures of 1 for 13 in four overs. That, however, did not bring an end to his player duties right away. After the match, PCB conducted a dope test with him, the results of which are due only after a week.Nine years ago, he had made his international debut, when he was chosen by chief selector Salahuddin Salu for the 2008 Asia Cup. Back then, Ajmal was considered one of Pakistan’s best spinners, and was soon one of the world’s most successful bowlers. He ended his Test career with 178 wickets in 35 Tests at an average of 28.10. His form swelled under the captaincy of Misbah-ul-Haq, when he took 141 wickets in only 26 Tests, including the 24 wickets against England in the UAE in 2011-12, when Pakistan won 3-0.The scorecard paid a tribute to Saeed Ajmal•Khurrum Amin / PCB

But for all of Ajmal’s successes until 2014, his career was dented due to his bowling action. He was reported for an illegal action twice in his international career and it brought the potency of his doosra – a delivery he used to devastating effect – under a cloud. He was later cleared to bowl by the ICC, albeit with the doosra still outside the limit, but the remodeled action came with a dip in form. He was eventually discarded from the Test team, with his last foreign tour coming against Bangladesh in 2015. Two ODIs and a T20I later, Ajmal faded away.Ajmal, however, has often been sensitive to criticism on his bowling action, including lashing out at the ICC over their 15-degree flex rule. “I feel only 10% of all bowlers would be able to stay within the limits defined by the ICC protocols,” Ajmal said. “I always felt ICC has been hard on Pakistan and PCB never did enough for the bowlers. Doosra is a regular delivery and it’s purely legal.”I don’t know why there is a false perception about its legality,” he said. “It’s a routine thing and if a bowler works on it it can be done easily. Not every fast bowler can bowl the reverse swing. Similarly, doosra isn’t for everyone. You have to work really hard to master it, and rejecting it is outrageously harsh. It should be encouraged as it was one of the finest deliveries by an offspinner.”Whatever I have done in my career, I am absolutely happy and proud. I came into the national team after the age of 30 and have done great things for Pakistan. What I have done, many take over 20 years to achieve. Therefore I have achieved everything in my career, but I wish my last match could have been in international cricket. However, I am still happy and thank you to every single person who has supported me through my ups and downs.”Since Ajmal’s exit from the national team, Pakistan had been struggling to find even one promising offspinner, but have never looked back after legspinner Yasir Shah took over the spin-bowling reins. Selectors, however, are still on the look out to find Pakistan’s next big offspinner, but haven’t found one yet.”PCB needs to think seriously about it,” Ajmal said on the lack of quality offspinners in Pakistan. “We are never short of talent and I believe we will never face a drought. We do have offspinners in the system, and they need to be developed, but I am afraid offspinners are being discouraged. They [PCB] should plan to bring offspinners back into the cycle and keep this system alive. We have great offspinners and historically, spinners have done a lot for Pakistan.”

Dimuth Karunaratne has become the latest player to advocate for a stronger first-class competition in Sri Lanka

Andrew Fidel Fernando at SSC04-Aug-2017

Dimuth Karunaratne has become the latest player to advocate for a stronger first-class competition in Sri Lanka, suggesting that India’s comparatively sturdy domestic infrastructure has seen them thrive in Test cricket.The number of players – both former and present – who have called for drastic change in first-class cricket now represents a consensus. Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene have been the most vocal critics of the present system, but virtually every former player, from Thilan Samaraweera to SLC cricket manager Asanka Gurusinha (who played as far back as the 1980s), have said domestic cricket is substantially weaker now than it had been when they were emerging as top players.Test captain Dinesh Chandimal and batsman Lahiru Thirimanne have at times spoken of the chasm in quality between domestic cricket and internationals as well. Despite this, the incumbent SLC board has failed to reform the club structure during their two years in office. However, board president Thilanga Sumathipala has promised a stronger five-team, four-day competition for next year – though those schedules have not been finalised yet.Where most players have asked for a higher standard of cricket, calling for a drastic reduction in the number of first-class teams, Karunaratne has said Sri Lanka’s players must play more games in the domestic season. This year a player from one of the top eight clubs played six three-day matches, and four four-day matches. In terms of one-day cricket, SLC hosted a 23-team District Tournament, in which a cricketer could expect to play a maximum of seven games, and most played only four, before hosting a much stronger provincial tournament, in which some cricketers played seven games. There was no domestic T20 cricket.”India have played a lot of good cricket,” Karunaratne said of the manner in which India have rebuilt their team. “They’ve played a lot of IPL and first-class cricket. In Sri Lanka, we only have eight to ten domestic matches in first-class. Then we have five one-dayers. That’s it for the season. I think that’s the main reason. We have to play more first-class cricket and then we can find more players who can dominate the game. That’s the thing SLC have to work on for the players.”Questions over the quality of Sri Lanka’s domestic cricket have also arisen in this match on the basis of left-arm spinner Malinda Pushpakumara’s first-innings performance. He had 558 first-class wickets at 19.85 apiece before he made his debut in this match, but conceded runs at four an over, and finished with figures of 2 for 156 for the innings. Karunaratne, who himself has been through an extended weaning period at the top level, spoke also of the challenge bowlers might face in adjusting to Test-match intensity.”In Test cricket all best batsmen play, and we have to bowl intelligently,” he said. “We have to bowl on one side of the pitch and set the field accordingly. It takes 10-15 overs to get a wicket here. In the domestic level, sometimes you can get five wickets from five overs. International cricket is very different, and we need to get used to that. Like it’s tough to get a run, it’s also difficult to get a wicket.”