All posts by h716a5.icu

England’s one-day captain Alastair Cook has rubbished claims by Pakistan fast bowler Umar Gul that James Anderson and Stuart Broad were involved in ball tampering

Andrew McGlashan03-Oct-2011England’s one-day captain Alastair Cook has rubbished claims by Pakistan fast bowler Umar Gul that James Anderson and Stuart Broad were involved in ball tampering. Cook said if Gul did have any concerns he should have gone through the proper channels.Gul hit the headlines after giving an interview in Karachi, where he suggested he had seen examples of ball tampering and mentioned seeing Anderson and Broad using various techniques. However, he later tried to step back from controversy by saying he was only talking about the England pair in relation to natural wear that develops on a ball by throwing it across the outfield.”We certainly haven’t tampered with the ball and if he did have any complaints he should have gone to the ICC over that,” Cook said at Heathrow airport ahead of England’s departure for their one-day series in India. “I think he has almost said himself that it has been a bit of a mountain out of a molehill.”In a statement to Pakpassion.net, where Gul’s original comments first appeared, he clarified his remarks. “I was explaining that the ball gets scratched when it is thrown against the rough surface or hits the advertisement boards along the boundary rope. In this manner, I said, every bowler can be accused of doing it.”Gul made his earlier comments in an interview where he talked about the art of reverse swing and how various elements of ball tampering shouldn’t be included with the laws. “Leave cricket with its traditional ways rather than making changes that would take all the charm out of it,” he said.The recent change to using a separate ball from either end during one-day internationals, which will be implemented for the first time when Bangladesh play West Indies, could impact the role of reverse swing during 50-over matches. Under the previous regulations the ball was changed after 34 overs and the period shortly before the switch was when the fast bowlers would sometimes start to get the ball to reverse. However, with neither ball having no more than 25 overs of wear it will be harder for the natural deterioration to take place.

The ICC World Twenty20 should expand to accommodate more Associate teams, according to Darryl Cullinan, the former South Africa batsman

Firdose Moonda15-Mar-2012The ICC World Twenty20 should expand to accommodate more Associate teams, according to Daryll Cullinan, the former South Africa batsman. Cullinan is at the World T20 qualifiers as a consultant to Namibia, who have won their first three matches, including a surprise victory over Ireland in their opening game. He said the shortest format of the game provides the best opportunity for Associates to play top-level cricket.”It is important for the teams to have the chance to qualify for global events,” Cullinan told ESPNcricinfo. “T20 cricket is unpredictable and is a very good platform for Associate countries. There are players who can take the game away from the opposition. In fifty-over cricket, it is a lot harder, as the better teams have a chance to recover. In T20 cricket, there isn’t a chance to recover, so they can be a lot more competitive. I would support the idea of six teams playing in the next T20 World Cup.”Only two of the 16 teams at the current qualifier in Dubai will progress to the main event that will be staged in Sri Lanka in September. Initially, six teams were due to be included but after the ICC decided to keep the 14-team format for the 2015 fifty-over World Cup, they reduced the number of Associate at the twenty-over event to two. They have promised the 2014 event will have more teams.Cullinan believes this is the best avenue for the Associate players to get exposed to cricket in its highest form. “Associate teams need to be realistic that Test cricket is probably out of their reach,” he said. “They may be able to have a good team of players and compete, but over an extensive period you need a greater depth of players and a culture of cricket, and that can take a long, long time. I’m not saying it’s not possible, but it will take a lot for it to happen.”An important factor that could assist in developing cricket in Associate countries is the involvement of former players like Cullinan, who has eight years of international experience. Often, it’s nothing more than good luck or coincidence that links a former international to these countries. In Cullinan’s case, he went to university with Namibian Cricket president Francois Erasmus and knows the chief executive, Graham McMillan, who is former team-mate Brian McMcmillan’s brother.”It is important to expose people to Associate cricket,” Cullinan said. “I’ve been exposed and it has far exceeded my expectations. The more people from the highest level who can see this, the better.”Cullinan said his role has two aspects – to work on cricketing technique and mindset as some of the players are better than currently think they are. “Skill is a factor but confidence and experience are things that can be improved,’ Cullinan said. “The players need to be seeking bigger challenges outside of Associate cricket because if they get a bit more competitiveness, such as competition for places in a side, that will improve performance.”One possible avenue for Associate players to gain experience are the T20 leagues currently popping up around the world. “If Associate players perform well, with the amount of Twenty20 cricket around the world now, there is no reason why these guys can’t attract IPL interest for example,” Cullinan said. “With all the T20 leagues around the world, the door is open to all the players and it would be good to give these players to regular high standards of cricket.”Ryan ten Doeschate is one of the Associate players who has had success in twenty-over leagues. He plays for the Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL and has had stints in the Big Bash League, the HRV Cup in New Zealand, the Stanbic Twenty20 in Zimbabwe and South Africa’s MiWay T20. Meanwhile the Bangladesh Premier League has a rule requiring that each team have at least one Associate player. “There needs to be greater understanding of what is happening in the Associate countries,” Cullinan said, “be it players or administrators, so they know what is happening and what talent is involved.”

Aaron Finch blasted the highest score ever by a Victorian in Australia’s domestic one-day history to set up a 190-run thrashing of Queensland at the Gabba

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Oct-2012
Scorecard
Aaron Finch’s 154 was a state record•Getty ImagesAaron Finch blasted the highest score ever by a Victorian in Australia’s domestic one-day history to set up a 190-run thrashing of Queensland at the Gabba. The win was so comprehensive that the Bushrangers gained two bonus points, set up by their innings of 2 for 379 – the highest total Victoria had ever achieved in a one-day game and the third highest in Australia’s domestic history.In his first Ryobi Cup match as acting captain, Finch struck 154 from 141 deliveries, surpassing the previous Victorian record score of 144, set by Brad Hodge last summer. It was Finch’s first one-day hundred and he had plenty of support from Rob Quiney, who made a career best 119 as the pair put on 226 for the opening wicket, another state record.They were not parted until the 37th over, when Ben Cutting removed Quiney, but things didn’t get any easier for the Bulls as Chris Rogers came to the crease and struck an unbeaten 64 from 37 balls. When Finch fell in the 47th over Rogers was joined by Will Sheridan, who hit three sixes in his 12-ball cameo of 28 not out, and Cutting finished with the most expensive figures in Australia’s one-day domestic history – 2 for 101 off 12 overs.Queensland’s chase began poorly and at 2 for 9 it appeared Victoria would have a chance of achieving the greatest winning margin in the competition’s history, but Western Australia’s 219-run victory against Tasmania in 1998 remained the biggest win. Joe Burns offered some fight with his composed 50 from 55 balls and Chris Hartley chipped in with 36 in the lower order, but at no point were the Bulls in with a realistic chance. Jon Holland picked up 3 for 49 and Queensland were dismissed in the 39th over for 189.

Kevin Pietersen has agreed a rolling deal with Surrey, which will keep him with the club until the end of his ECB central contact

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Dec-2011Kevin Pietersen has agreed a rolling deal with Surrey, which will keep him with the club until the end of his ECB central contact.Pietersen joined Surrey ahead of the 2011 season following a brief loan spell with the county in late 2010, when he quit Hampshire and was then left out of the England one-day team. This new arrangement suggests he is unlikely to linger in the domestic game once his England days are over.Pietersen made four appearances for Surrey – two first-class and two Twenty20s – last season between his England commitments. He captained Surrey against Cambridge MCCU, which was his comeback match after the hernia that ended his 2011 World Cup early.”Surrey is a fantastic club and I have been really impressed with the environment and work ethic in place,” Pietersen said. “Their recent success is well deserved and I look forward to working with them in 2012.”

The appeal of cricket in Nepal has been underlined by the news that national broadcaster Nepal Television has renewed its deal to cover all the country’s international matches

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Aug-2011The appeal of cricket in Nepal has been underlined by the news that national broadcaster Nepal Television has renewed its deal to cover all the country’s international matches.The three-year contract, which is only worth US$8000pa, gives the broadcaster the right to cover all matches organised by the Nepal board.It means that Nepal remains the only Associate in Asia to offer national matches on free-to-air television.Cricket in Nepal remains a major sport, with the media carrying extensive reports on major tournament. Crowds for major matches rival those seen in Full member countries.

Australia’s new assistant coach, Justin Langer, believes Ricky Ponting should stay at No. 3 in the batting order when Michael Clarke leads his first tour as Test captain later this year

Brydon Coverdale12-May-2011Australia’s new assistant coach, Justin Langer, believes Ricky Ponting should stay at No. 3 in the batting order when Michael Clarke leads his first tour as Test captain later this year. Langer has spent the past 18 months around Australia’s squad as a Test batting consultant, but his new role for the next year is as the full-time assistant to head coach Tim Nielsen.However, Langer will still work closely with the batsmen, and one of the major questions surrounding Australia’s batting order over the next year is how to handle Ponting. At 36, Ponting is in his twilight years as an international player, but he showed with his century in Australia’s World Cup quarter-final loss that he still has something to offer, and Langer believes he can remain a top-order force.”In my opinion, now that he has relinquished the captaincy, I still think he should bat No. 3,” Langer told ESPNcricinfo. “He could bat anywhere in the order, so I guess they’ll be looking at what the best balance is, but in my opinion he is still suited to that No. 3 spot. He was a little lean during the summer but he’s outstanding, and we saw that in his last innings at the World Cup.”Another of the challenges for Langer and the rest of the coaching staff will be to turn around the Test form of the new captain Clarke, who in the past year has made 367 Test runs at a dismal average of 21.58. The initial signs for Clarke’s leadership, during the one-day tour of Bangladesh, were positive, but he cannot afford to struggle with the bat during his first two Test tours as leader.Those trips will most likely be to Sri Lanka in August, where his ability against spin will be critical, and in November to South Africa, where he will need to counter a high-class pace attack in unfriendly conditions. Langer is confident that Clarke can thrive as a batsman with the new responsibility of being the side’s official leader, in the same way as his predecessors did.”If you look at Steve Waugh and Punter, Andrew Strauss in England – the added responsibility might be good for him. In a lot of ways, Clarkey has been like the bridesmaid for a while, he’s almost been waiting for the opportunity to be captain and now he has become captain, I expect him to really grasp it and show great leadership on and off the field.”Ultimately, great leadership on the field is about scoring runs. That’s why I admired Ricky and Steve Waugh so much, because in their tenure as captains they’ve also been absolutely outstanding batsmen. Their statistics as captain are fantastic.”Langer’s appointment came on the same day that Craig McDermott was named bowling coach, and between them the two new mentors have represented Australia in 176 Tests. The pair should bring a serious Test-match mentality to the group, and Langer is looking forward to instilling some of his wisdom into all the players, not just the Test batsmen.”I want to really develop my coaching and not just be pigeon-holed as a batting coach, but develop all aspects of my coaching. That’s what really interests me. To me, it’s a brand new appointment, really, as assistant coach. With Troy [Cooley] going to the academy and Mike Young going, I’m looking forward to being Tim Nielsen’s right-hand man and really helping him in this resurgence of Australian cricket.”Cricket Australia’s general manager of cricket, Michael Brown, said Langer had been a valuable presence around the squad since he joined the staff in November 2009. “Justin’s record as a player and then over the last 18 months, as coach, leader and mentor within the Australia team coaching group, speaks for itself,” Brown said, “and we are all delighted he has agreed to continue his outstanding work with the Australia team.”

Wriddhiman Saha, back from a decent performance in the Adelaide Test against Australia, put East Zone in a strong position against North Zone with an unbeaten century in Delhi

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Feb-2012Wriddhiman Saha, back from a decent performance in the Adelaide Test against Australia, put East Zone in a strong position against North Zone with an unbeaten century in Delhi. East began with a 60-run stand between openers Dheeraj Jadhav and Manish Vardhan but soon found themselves in some trouble. Rajat Bhatia trapped Vardhan leg-before and Jadhav was bowled by Parvinder Awana in the next over. The score became 60 for 3 when Bhatia dismissed Natraj Behera for a duck. Saha and Ishank Jaggi then settled into a big partnership for the fourth wicket which ended only in the penultimate over of the day. The pair had put on 194 at a healthy rate when Jaggi fell to Harshal Patel for 86. Saha was batting on 100 with 12 boundaries as East finished on 258 for 4.Mohammad Kaif helped Central Zone recover with an unbeaten hundred against South Zone in Chennai. Central put in a disappointing performance after choosing to bat, with only No. 8 Piyush Chawla making more than 30 apart from Kaif. Abhimanyu Mithun bowled Naman Ojha for 9 in the ninth over, after which Central’s specialist batsmen were unable to build any partnership of note. When Robin Bist, the highest run-getter in the recent Ranji Trophy, was bowled by KP Appanna for 5, Central slipped to 90 for 4. Parvinder Singh and Jalaj Saxena managed starts but could not support Kaif for long. It was down to Chawla, who smashed eight boundaries in his 52 off 54 deliveries, to revive the stuttering innings. Stuart Binny limited the stand between Chawla and Kaif to 73 when he had the former caught by Robin Uthappa. Kaif remained unbeaten on 108 off 207 deliveries with Central ending on 292 for 8.

Josh Cobb blazed his way to a career-best 91 not out to fire LeicestershireFoxes to only their second victory of the season in the Clydesdale Bank 40 andput a dent in Northamptonshire Steelbacks’ hopes of reaching the semi-finals

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Jul-2011
Scorecard
Josh Cobb blazed his way to a career-best 91 not out to fire LeicestershireFoxes to only their second victory of the season in the Clydesdale Bank 40 andput a dent in Northamptonshire Steelbacks’ hopes of reaching the semi-finals.The Foxes’ 20-year-old opener blasted two sixes and nine fours in his 88-ballinnings as Leicestershire raced to a five-wicket win, reaching their target of207 with 9.2 overs to spare.Half-centuries from Stephen Peters and Andrew Hall helped the Steelbacks to atotal of 206 for six after they had been put into bat. But with Cobb in such blistering form it proved nowhere near enough.The home side put down a marker in the first few overs of their innings – Cobband Andrew McDonald putting on 58 in the first six. The second over from Hallwent for 31 runs with two no-balls added to a six and five fours that came fromthe bat of McDonald.The Australian all-rounder finally fell to a catch in the deep off the bowlingof Lee Daggett for 35 but, by the end of the eight power-play overs, the Foxeshad reached 83 for two compared to the Steelbacks’ 36 for two at the samestage. From that point on the Foxes were in complete command and they made light workof the victory charge with Cobb dominating the Northamptonshire attack.He struck the ball superbly on both sides of the wicket, hitting sixes offChaminda Vaas and David Willey, in addition to numerous other boundaries thatflew through the gaps in the field.Although Will Jefferson, Jacques du Toit and Wayne White fell cheaply to leavethe Foxes on 138 for four in the 16th over it proved just a brief respite forthe Steelbacks.Cobb and Matt Boyce (28) shared a fifth-wicket stand of 66 in 14 overs thattook the home side to the brink of victory before Boyce skied a catch off JamesMiddlebrook.Cobb sealed the win with another cracking boundary to go past his previous bestone-day score of 87 against Durham in the same competition earlier in theseason.Peters, with 63 off 90 balls, and Hall, who made 67 off 81, provided thebackbone to a disappointing Steelbacks innings. The visitors never recoveredfrom a poor start when Foxes seamer Nadeem Malik took three for 18 in his firstsix overs. Only a stand of 91 between Peters and Hall gave the innings any substance, butin the end it was well below what was required.Having won their first five games in the competition the Steelbacks have nowlost two in succession and face a real battle to reach the last four.

John Buchanan, the former Australia coach and now a consultant with the ECB, has said Kevin Pietersen could prove a “major problem” for England during the Ashes in Australia later in the year if he doesn’t regain his form

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Oct-2010John Buchanan, the former Australia coach who has accepted a consulting role with the ECB, has said Kevin Pietersen could prove a “major problem” for England during the Ashes in Australia later in the year if he doesn’t regain his form. He pointed to Pietersen’s recent outburst on Twitter, following his omission from England’s Twenty20 squad against Pakistan, and said it did not help the team’s unity.”He (Pietersen} is a quality player and he could be an incredible strength for them but, if he’s not scoring runs, he could become a major problem for the batting line-up and the entire team. Andy Flower has been trying to work on that,” Buchanan told the .Pietersen averaged 27.25 in four innings against Pakistan during the summer, and has gone for 26 innings without a century. He represented the Dolphins franchise in South Africa most recently, playing first-class cricket in preparation for the Ashes. That stint was preceded by an outburst on Twitter following his exclusion from England’s Twenty20 side, for which he was fined and subsequently apologised.”Pietersen hasn’t done himself or the team any favours with his recent Twittering,” Buchanan said. “Two of the things that will be tested in Australia are strength and unity and clearly he hasn’t understood his role within the team yet.”Despite his doubts about Pietersen, Buchanan – who is expected to take up his assignment when the Ashes squad lands in Australia next month – said he was optimistic about England’s chances in Australia and their potential to be the pre-eminent team in world cricket. “They seem to have a new mental toughness and they are more consistent, except for the odd glitch, which is mainly Pietersen,” Buchanan said. “They need to retain this united spirit and sense of purpose. England teams in the past would often be beaten before the Test started. They didn’t believe in themselves, even when they were ahead, but they are better at handling that now.”Australia were at the receiving end of a 2-0 defeat at the hands of India this month, with their batting crumbling in the second innings of each Test. Buchanan believed the Ashes could possibly be decided by the performance of the respective top orders. “The top four, Andrew Strauss, Alastair Cook, Jonathan Trott and Kevin Pietersen, will be England’s most important players. That is where the series will be decided. Whoever wins the battle of the top fours will win the series.”England were humiliated on their previous tour Down Under, losing all five Tests, and the role of England’s bowling coach, David Saker, was a critical factor said Buchanan. “The most critical member could be the bowling coach, David Saker, with his knowledge of Australian conditions, players and balls and his ability to bring them together as a solid unit. The England bowlers are all good players, so they should be able to adapt.”None of them has any experience of winning in Australia. Playing overseas is very different and they have yet to prove they can do it over a five-Test series in Australia. At some point doubts will start to creep into their heads and it is all about how they deal with them.”

According to 90min, Paris Saint-Germain midfielders Georginio Wijnaldum and Julian Draxler are open to being part of a loan swap deal which would involve Tottenham’s Tanguy Ndombele or Dele Alli heading in the opposite direction.

The Lowdown: Ndombele and Alli exiled at Spurs

According to reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano, Spurs and PSG are still in talks over a loan move for club-record signing Ndombele, and the Lilywhites are considering various options as a direct replacement for the midfielder.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/spurs-latest-updates-5/” title=”Spurs latest updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Lilywhites manager Antonio Conte has exiled the 25-year-old at N17, leaving the Frenchman out of the matchday squads for their previous two Premier League games, and he has even forced him into training alone at Hotspur Way.

Dele Alli has also faced a similar situation under the 52-year-old, having been excluded from Spurs’ matchday squad for the London derby against Chelsea and making the starting XI just four times in all competitions during the Italian’s reign at the club.

The Latest: Wijnaldum and Draxler open to Spurs loans

90min editor Sean Walsh reported of Wijnaldum and Draxler’s interest in a possible loan switch to Tottenham, sharing a link to his article via Twitter.

In the tweet, he summarised: “Georginio Wijnaldum and Julian Draxler are open to joining #THFC on loan, potentially as part of deal to send Tanguy Ndombele or Dele Alli to PSG.”

This news arises as the Ligue 1 club have been deciding on which players they could include as part of a swap deal to lure Ndombele or Dele away from Spurs.

Wijnaldum would be open to a return to the Premier League and his representatives have informed Tottenham of his willingness to move back to England. Draxler is said to also be an option for Spurs, as the German has been on the fringe of the PSG squad for several years, so it seems likely that the club would be willing to let him leave on loan.

The Verdict: Good deal for all parties

With the details of the deal yet to be determined, it is hard to determine the plausibility of a complex swap deal. However, looking at the players involved on paper, Spurs are seemingly getting a good deal, especially when you consider that the two potentially outgoing midfielders have both been effectively exiled by Conte.

Having made 217 Premier League appearances and won some of football’s biggest competitions, Wijnaldum is a proven player who could make an instant impact in Spurs’ midfield.

Draxler could also prove to be a shrewd signing who could provide Conte with depth in the attacking positions. He has excelled in the Bundesliga in previous years, and squad rotation may be crucial if Tottenham are to achieve Champions League qualification, so they could do a lot worse than bringing in the Germany international too.

In other news – “Still in talks”: Fabrizio Romano provides the latest on exit-linked Spurs colossus