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Ryan McLaren and Rory Kleinveldt are in line for international debuts while Johan Botha has been named as standby captain for the injured Graeme Smith in South Africa’s squads for two upcoming home series, against Kenya and Bangladesh. Makhaya Ntini has been dropped from the ODI team, while Andre Nel doesn’t find a place in any of the squads named by the selectors.McLaren, the Eagles allrounder who is a Kolpak player with Kent, has been named for the ODIs against Kenya and Bangladesh. However, Cricket South Africa said McLaren’s selection depended on his being released by Kent, where he remains on contract. He has also been picked for the Twenty20 international against Bangladesh in Johannesburg on November 5, along with Kleinveldt, the Cape Cobras allrounder.With Graeme Smith suffering from tennis elbow, Botha – an offspinner with 32 ODI caps – is expected to lead the side for the two games against Kenya on October 31 and November 2 and has been named vice-captain of the 14-man squad.”Johan is to be congratulated on his promotion,” acting selection convener Gerald Majola said. “He will, in all probability, captain the side in the two matches against Kenya as we expect Graeme Smith to recover from injury in time only for the ODI series against Bangladesh.”A 13-man squad was also named for the two Tests against Bangladesh in late November and there was no place for Nel, who was part of the attack in England this year. Monde Zondeki was named in the group along with JP Duminy, who is yet to make his Test debut.Test squad (for two Tests against Bangladesh) Graeme Smith (capt), Neil McKenzie, Hashim Amla, Jacques Kallis, AB de Villiers, Ashwell Prince, JP Duminy, Mark Boucher (wk), Paul Harris, Morne Morkel, Makhaya Ntini, Dale Steyn, Monde Zondeki.ODI squad (for two ODIs against Kenya and three against Bangladesh) Graeme Smith (capt), Herschelle Gibbs, Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers, Jacques Kallis, JP Duminy, Ryan McLaren, Mark Boucher (wk), Justin Ontong, Johan Botha, Albie Morkel, Morne Morkel, Dale Steyn, Monde Zondeki.Twenty20 squad (for one-off match against Bangladesh) Graeme Smith (capt), Herschelle Gibbs, AB de Villiers, Loots Bosman, JP Duminy, Rory Kleinveldt, Ryan McLaren, Justin Ontong, Johan Botha, Albie Morkel, Morne Morkel, Dale Steyn.

Andrew Flintoff says he’s enjoying playing in a new, winning England set-up under a confident Kevin Pietersen. Flintoff was the leading run-getter and wicket-taker in England’s 4-0 triumph ODI over South Africa, and feels the present ODI team is a well-balanced outfit that could turn into a champion side given a decent run.”I’ve played in three World Cups and in each one of them, a week before the tournament began England didn’t know its best side and there was loads of chopping and changing,” Flintoff was quoted as saying on the ECB website. “I’m sure if these lads are allowed to play with each other over a length of time, I think that’s the way they’ll develop into a really good team.”England are yet to win a World Cup – they reached the final in 1979, 1987 and 1992 – or the Champions Trophy, where they reached the final when hosting the tournament in 2004 and lost to West Indies. But Flintoff was bullish on the future. “We’ve got all bases covered and when you’ve got Luke Wright coming in to bat at No. 8 that’s a strong line-up,” he said. “Everything is there but it’s been there in the past so it’s more about a mindset or a confidence thing, which I’m sure this side will get from Kevin.”One of the big things he has passed on to the side so far is confidence. He’s a confident lad and I think that’s started to rub off on to quite a few of the players. When you see the way he goes about his business, especially towards his own game, no matter how good a player you are you can still watch and learn from that.”What’s needed now, Flintoff said, is for this team to be given time. “If we’re allowed to play together over a long period of time and allowed to grow together then this side has great potential.”With the postponement of the Champions Trophy, England’s next scheduled ODI will only be in December, when they take on India for a seven-match series. “We’re on a roll against South Africa and it would have been great to take that form into a tournament,” Flintoff said. “The Champions Trophy is not the biggest tournament we could win but I remember when we got to the final in England a few years ago [2004] and everyone was gutted we didn’t win it, so we’ll have to take that form to India now instead.”Flintoff, who has led England in the past, said he was content with his role in this squad. “I think I’ve found my perfect role within the side,” Flintoff said. “I’ve had a go at captaincy and I think now in my own way I can lead. Kevin is obviously the captain and he’s in charge, but I can help by passing on some of the things I’ve learnt to the younger lads, especially the bowlers, and I can be there for Kevin to give advice if he needs it.

“It also allows me to get on with my game as well. Kev has spoken to me and a few of the senior players about getting involved and helping and I’m keen to do that, and this role I’ve been given now is one I feel very comfortable with.”Flintoff, who hadn’t played a Test for nearly 18 months and an ODI for almost a year, said he learnt a lot during his time away from international cricket. “I think I’m a better cricketer for those dark times and a better person,” Flintoff said. “When you experience tough times, the better times are that much sweeter.”I was sitting on the balcony at Lord’s the other day after we’d won and one of the lads asked if I’d enjoyed it,” he said. “I’d been through a whole host of things just to be sitting there with a Man-of-the-Match award and playing for a side that’s 4-0 up in a series against South Africa, so I just couldn’t stop smiling.Ankle injuries had threatened to curtail Flintoff’s career: he’s needed four operations to fix the problem. “It’s a complete reversal from six months ago and I suppose that all goes back to enjoyment and I’m absolutely loving it at the moment.”One of the things I was determined to do when I came back into international cricket was that I wanted to enjoy it,” he said. “I knew there was going to be pressure on me but cricket’s not life or death, it’s a game and it’s to be enjoyed. Possibly for a period I lost that enjoyment.”Flintoff’s successful return sees him in the No. 1 spot among ODI allrounders in the ICC players rankings. “I’m in a privileged position because I’m playing cricket for England but I’m going to enjoy it while it lasts and it always helps when you’re doing well, but I’m in a very good place at the moment.”

Dale Steyn has been ruled out of the third Test against England, at Edgbaston, after fracturing his thumb. He will need two to three weeks recovery time, but has a chance of being fit for the final Test at The Oval.Initially it had been thought the injury wasn’t severe enough to put his place in doubt, but subsequent x-rays revealed the extent of the problem. He has had the thumb put in a cast to speed the recovery process.Andre Nel is the most likely replacement at Edgbaston although Monde Zondeki, who made his Test debut on the 2003 tour of England, is also in the squad.”Missing a player of Dale’s calibre is a huge blow, but I feel we have such good depth with the likes of Andre and Monde,” said coach Mickey Arthur. “Nel is probably next in the queue. That was why I was strong on wanting good reserve strength with experienced players who know about the intensity of Test cricket.”Steyn took seven wickets in South Africa’s ten-wicket win over England in Headingley after a sluggish start in the opening Test at Lord’s. He has risen rapidly up the world rankings over the last 12 months and has become the spearhead of South Africa’s attack.There were also injury concerns over Paul Harris, who hurt his right wrist after slipping in his hotel bathroom. However, he was passed fit for the three-day game against Bangladesh A as he aims to maintain his place in the Test eleven. He claimed three wickets at Lord’s, but didn’t make an impression at Headingley as the quick bowlers did the damage.

The volatile issue of Zimbabwe cricket, the country’s politics and its status as a Full Member of the ICC with voting rights is the first listed item on the main agenda for the ICC’s annual meeting, to be held in Dubai over the next week. The ICC on Friday said the “worsening situation within the country” prompted the president, Ray Mali, to place the issue on the agenda.Some Full Member nations have already started sending out informal feelers to fellow members to gauge their position on the issue, though an idea of where these discussions are headed has come from the BCCI, which has indicated that it is unlikely to support any stringent action against Zimbabwe.”We have always supported Zimbabwe cricket and have nothing to do with the political situation there,” a senior BCCI official told Cricinfo. “In fact, we are a bit surprised that the issue has been brought up once again since the ICC board had discussed this last year and decided clearly that politics and cricket can’t be mixed. The BCCI believes that a country’s politics and its cricket don’t go together. There is no reason to change our stand now.”A two-thirds majority vote within the ICC board – seven out of 10 votes – is needed for any resolution to be moved on Zimbabwe. That includes suspending them from full membership, which would see them lose access to a significant chunk of ICC funding and valuable voting rights. But the BCCI heads a powerful group within the ICC and has traditionally enjoyed the support of Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, who are all Full Members – and Zimbabwe.Yet, amid talk of various compromise options and even a potential face-off on the issue – the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has already taken a hard line stance on Zimbabwe – the surprise of the past week is the u-turn by Cricket South Africa, which was till recently a strong backer of its neighbouring country’s cricket, irrespective of its politics.CSA shifted position on Monday, citing the worsening political situation there, and cut off all bilateral ties with Zimbabwe. Later, Norman Arendse, the CSA president, described this action as a move to pressurise the Zimbabwe government run by Robert Mugabe, whom he accused of “doing everything he can to stop a free and fair election”.Within two days, the ECB scrapped its 2009 home series with Zimbabwe following an advisory from their government, and in the process put a question mark on hosting them for next year’s World Twenty20. The ECB later said in a press release that it “deplores the position in Zimbabwe and, like Cricket South Africa, finds this untenable. Therefore all bilateral arrangements are suspended with Zimbabwe Cricket with immediate effect.”This line of thought seems to have gained acceptance with some in the ICC administration too, especially after the unpleasant situation following a previous meeting which decided not take any specific action against Zimbabwe’s cricket officials based on the results of an independent financial audit that pointed to irregularities in utilisation of funds.Malcolm Speed, the ICC chief executive, failed to turn up for the press conference that followed the decision and was subsequently asked by the ICC board to go on paid leave till the end of his tenure this month-end after differences with the top brass over Zimbabwe. Speaking to Sky Sports on Wednesday, David Morgan, who will take over from Mali as ICC president at the end of the annual meeting, welcomed action against Zimbabwe but warned: “It will be a very difficult discussion. India and Zimbabwe are close and India’s position is crucial in all this, for sure.”Morgan added: “I reminded myself this morning of a meeting of the executive board just a year ago when the subject of how member countries are governed was on the table. The executive board decided by a substantial majority politics and cricket should not mix. For matters to move forward there will have to be a change in that regard.”

Javed Zaman, a Pakistan board advisor on grass-root level cricket, has handed in his resignation stating domestic problems as the reason. His decision to quit follows the PCB’s sacking of Saleem Altaf, a senior board official, reportedly on allegations that he leaked sensitive information to the press.Zaman was a close associate of Altaf and it has been suggested that he may have quit over the sacking of Altaf. Two other board officials were also sacked at the same time as Altaf. But Zaman maintained his decision was for personal reasons.”I had been working with the board in different capacities for almost three decades on honorary basis but now my domestic activities are not allowing me to continue with the job,” Zaman told Pakistan daily .It is believed conversations Altaf had with several journalists over a period of time were being recorded by the board. Zaman said bugging the phone was wrong. “No law allows recording of private conversion of any person the world over and it is a spiteful act.”

The new spirit of the West Indies team, so encouragingly confirmed over the first two and a half days of the most daunting challenge in international cricket, was, yet again, squandered by individual rashness. One man stood above the negligence that led to the collapse of four wickets for eight runs just before tea that suddenly transformed a promising position into potential disaster.One man restored West Indies’ hope and stimulated a sensational fightback in the closing overs of an engrossing day. No one has epitomised the new attitude more starkly than Shivnarine Chanderpaul whose fighting qualities have been so well established that he has long since been dubbed “Tiger”.Throughout the 13 years since he entered the West Indies team as a fragile 19-year-old, he has set an example for every batsman, present team-mates and those to follow, that an innings is to be treasured almost as dearly as life itself. It was a credo ignored by his early partners yesterday.Runako Morton has never played with more maturity than for his 67 but he wasted three hours of diligence with an unbecoming heave at Stuart MacGill, a waste compounded by the fact that it came minutes before lunch. Dwayne Bravo’s typically bold attack included three sixes in his 46 off 60 balls but was ended by an expansive drive off a wide ball from Brett Lee. Denesh Ramdin and Daren Sammy soon went to equally loose strokes.It left them to observe Chanderpaul’s courage and determination from beyond the boundary in awe and embarrassment. In the midst of the breakdown, he took a shattering blow on the back of the helmet from a bouncer from Lee.The contact reverberated around Sabina Park like a gunshot, a familiar sound in these parts. He instantly fell to the ground. The thousands in the stands watched in hushed anxiety. His wife, Amy, following the remarkable battle from the stands, shed emotional and understandable tears.

For a few minutes, that seemed an eternity, Chanderpaul lay still on the pitch, immediately surrounded by concerned opponents of whom Lee was the first on the scene. Dr Akshai Mansingh, the assigned West Indies Cricket Board doctor, and team physio CJ Clark rushed to the middle. A stretcher appeared.The consensus among all except Chanderpaul was that he surely could not continue. He was on 86 and his faltering team needed him. It would take something more serious than a stunning blow to the cranium to extract him from the middle.He got to his feet, shook his head and satisfied the good doctor that he was ready to continue. Right away he was again middling the ball, nudging and pushing, manipulating the strike away from Fidel Edwards, the No. 10. A crowd shocked into silence by the upsetting events of the previous hour again rediscovered its voice.Every Chanderpaul run was cheered as if it was winning the match. So was every block by Edwards. When, finally, a straight drive off Stuart Clark carried Chanderpaul past his 18th Test hundred, every man, woman and child rose to acclaim a sporting performance they will remember for as long as their memories do. Amy was not the only one shedding tears. So were big men, without a hint of embarrassment.Nor were the tears, and cheers, over. Chanderpaul’s heroics had clearly inspired his team as much as it re-energised their fellow West Indians in the ground. As Edwards and Daren Powell swept aside Australia’s vaunted top order with their searing pace and swing in the final half hour, the depression of the recent years of decline seemed in the distant past. It might or might not be a fleeting wonder. But, my goodness, it was spine tingling.

Herschelle Gibbs scored an unbeaten century as South Africa crushed Sri Lanka by eight wickets to take an unassailable 3-1 lead in this five-match series at the De Beers Diamond Oval on Wednesday.Sri Lanka had high hopes of leveling the series here after a resounding win in third game at Benoni but a combination of ill-fortune, electric fielding and sloppy batting now leaves them fighting for only pride in the final game on Friday.Sri Lanka threatened a competitive score after being asked to bat first, racing to 57 without loss after the first ten overs, but a freak run out sparked a dramatic top order collapse and they were bowled out for 184.Such a meager target was never likely to be sufficient on a flat batting surface, but new ball bowlers Chaminda Vaas and Pulasthi Gunaratne sent jitters through the South Africa top order with the early wickets of Andrew Hall (2) and Neil McKenzie (7),However, the experienced Herschelle Gibbs and Jacques Kallis quickly reasserted their authority over the visitors in a record unbroken 173 run partnership for the third wicket.Gibbs, who came into the game with three successive failures in the series, finally hit form after an awkward start, smashing a succession of boundaries, including a remarkable punch over mid-wicket to bring up his 11th one-day century.The right-handed opener finished with 108 from just 92 balls having hit 14 fours and three sixes.Kallis has had no such problems with his form coming into the game and he carried on where he left off at Benoni, cruising to his third half-century of the series, finishing unbeaten 64 from 83 balls having hit five fours and a six.Under pressure to take quick wickets, the discipline shown by Sri Lanka’s bowlers last Sunday evaporated and South Africa reached their target with an embarrassing 19.1 overs to spare.But it was the batsmen who shouldered most responsibility for the defeat, like they did at Wanderers and Centurion where they were bowled out for an unacceptable 140 and 128.They had started the day well enough with Marvan Atapattu playing gloriously against the new ball, driving through the covers on the up and cutting imperiously, as he raced to 39 from 46 balls.But his purple form was wasted by a lackadaisical piece of running, as the right-hander was adjudged to have not ground his bat or foot the crease by television umpire Brian Jerling after a cheeky backwards flick from wicket-keeper Mark Boucher.The Sri Lankans, who were seething immediately after the decision, will claim with some justification that there was too much doubt for Jerling to press the red light, but Atapattu was guilty of ignoring the basics as he failed to run in his bat properly after ambling back from a comfortable two.The incident changed the course of the game, visibly rattling the impulsive Sri Lankans, who hit the self-destruct button, losing four wickets for just seven runs.Kumar Sangakkara (1) pulled a Kallis long hop straight into the hands of square leg and Aravinda de Silva (0) followed his fine 71 in the last match with a duck as he top edged an attempted hook.An astonishing one-handed airbourne catch by McKenzie – playing his first game of the series – then accounted for Jayasuriya (27 from 33 balls) andMahela Jaywardene (9) was trapped lbw by Alan Donald to leave Sri Lanka on 97 for five.Russel Arnold produced provided some timely resistance with the Sri Lankan selectors set to finalise their squad for Australia on Saturday, scoring 50 from 88 balls, adding 34 for the seventh wicket with Hashan Tillakaratne.But the fight-back proved shortlived as Tillakaratne swung across the line against Pollock and was bowled. The rest of the tail were then blown away, although Gunaratne did add 29 for the last wicket with Arnold.Donald was the most successful bowler, taking three wickets for 18 runs from his allotted ten overs. Pollock also claimed a three-for.

The Somerset Cricket Board has been asked by the ECB to pilot the emerging Club Accreditation Scheme, known as `Clubmark’.Sport England is promoting this scheme in partnership with the ECB to recognise and accredit clubs that are committed to providing a safe, effective and child friendly environment for children and young people.To gain the `Clubmark’ the core criteria that has to be met covers the duty of care and child protection, coaching and competition , sports equity and ethics and club management.Once clubs have gained the `Clubmark’ there will be some clubs in the county who will want to go onto the next level of the scheme and these will then strive to meet the criteria laid down for the `Community Mark’.Beyond the `Community Mark’ there will be a few clubs who may aspire to the `Performance Mark’ with the ultimate level being the `Excellence Mark’ that is likely to be attained by a very small number of clubs in the county.Somerset Cricket Development Officer Andrew Moulding told me: "Gaining accreditation will be challenging for many clubs. Some will already operate to standards set by the ECB, but others will need to undergo a considerable amount of development work."Mr Moulding continued: "In order to pilot the scheme, Somerset has selected a team of SCB officials to act as club assessors who will assist clubs to gain accreditation. The team members have already received training from the ECB and have made a start on the process."The Development Officer continued: "Bath Cricket Club, Taunton Cricket Club and Weston super Mare have all been selected to pilot the scheme, along with village club Broadway and Horton from South Somerset, to demonstrate that it is not just the big clubs who can gain accreditation."He concluded: "We feel that this is an excellent scheme and will give all clubs the probability of demonstrating their commitment to good practice whilst providing opportunities for young people."

Graham Thorpe missed a big score in his first appearance in first-class cricket for more than six weeks, but otherwise new county champions Surrey looked worthy of the accolade at The Rose Bowl. Ian Ward hit a century against relegated Hampshire in Surrey’s first match since they clinched the title at the weekend. Ward (112) shared a second-wicket partnership of 197 with Nadeem Shahid (82). Thorpe made 19 before he was bowled by Shaun Udal, who added two more wickets as the middle order showed uncharacteristic frailty. Ali Brown (49*) steadied the ship, helming his side to the calmer waters of 348 for seven at stumps.Robert Key didn’t let his England omission get him down, opening up with 75 against Lancashire at Canterbury. Key shared an opening stand of 148 with his captain, David Fulton, who was still there on 137 as the hosts closed on an imposing 286 for two. After Glen Chapple bowled Key, Ed Smith (68) added another 138 with Fulton before being stumped off Gary Keedy.In Division Two, Kevin Dean did Derbyshire’s outside chances of promotion no harm, with four wickets to peg back leaders Middlesex’s push for the title. Sven Koenig (72) and Paul Weekes (88) were the visitors’ weightiest contributors at Derby, but no one else got beyond 33 as Middlesex finished on 291 for eight.Mark Waugh provided plenty of entertainment at Chester-le-Street, but unfortunately at the expense of the hosts. The Australian Test veteran made 117, adding 218 with Aftab Habib (123) after Essex, hot on Middlesex’s heels at the head of the table, were teetering after losing their first three wickets at 83. It was pretty much one-way traffic after that, with Essex on 368 for five at stumps.Robert White didn’t mess about on his way to his maiden first-class century. He got it before lunch and finished with a magnificent 277 (325 balls) as Northants racked up a daunting 417 for four against Gloucestershire at Northampton. It may be a meaningless match, but it wasn’t short of entertainment as White and Mark Powell (107) put on 375 before the visitors took a wicket. When they finally did there was almost a clatter, but the damage had already been done.Nottinghamshire compiled a respectable 344 for seven against promotion rivals Worcestershire at Trent Bridge. It was built around 112 from Darren Bicknell, whose innings included 20 boundaries. Bicknell added 102 with Jason Gallian (62) and Chris Read, picked for the England academy this winter, made 50. There were three wickets for another academy selection, off-spinner Gareth Batty.

A stellar run of recent form has pushed South Africa batter Lizelle Lee to the top of the ODI batting rankings for the second time this year. With 762 ranking points, Lee is jointly atop the women’s batting rankings along with India captain Mithali Raj.Lee currently has two fifty-plus scores on South Africa’s ongoing tour of the West Indies, including an unbeaten 91 in the first ODI. Before her move atop twice this year, she had first topped the women’s ODI rankings in June 2018.Meanwhile, Lee’s team-mate and medium pacer Ayabonga Khaka gained a spot among the bowlers to move to No. 7 after grabbing four wickets in the first two ODIs against West Indies, which came at miserly economy rate of only two runs an over. Equally impressive was allrounder Dane van Niekerk, whose four wickets in the first two games came at an economy of 1.85, thus pushing her up a spot to No. 7 among ODI allrounders.Also, in the T20I rankings, England legspinner Sarah Glenn moved over to the second spot among bowlers after four wickets in the recently-concluded home series against New Zealand, while the visitors’ offspinner Leigh Kasperek climbed up seven places to sit at No. 15 after bagging six wickets on the tour, where she was the leading wicket-taker in her side’s 1-2 defeat.And runs in the ongoing ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Africa Qualifiers saw Zimbabwe’s Modester Mupachikwa moved up to No. 20 among batters after scoring 133 runs in four innings, with her captain Mary-Anne Musonda gaining 14 places to be rise up to No. 52.