All posts by csb10.top

Former Pakistan fast bowler Aaqib Javed will offer specialised coaching and expert opinion to a group of select fast bowlers at the Grameenphone Pacer Hunt Phase Three camp.Aaqib, who was the coach of the world-cup winning Pakistan U-19 team in 2006, will arrive in Dhaka on Monday and will work with the pacers at the camp on the technical and non-technical aspects of fast bowling. He also serves as coach of the National Cricket Academy in Pakistan and accompanied the Pakistan Academy team on their tour of Bangladesh last month.Until Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) decision to opt for a foreign coach, Aaqib was one of the front runners to be appointed as Bob Woolmer’s successor.He will be there at the camp at the Bangladesh Krira Shikkha Protisthan (BKSP) from June 25 to June 28.

Venkatesh Prasad, the former India new-ball bowler who is currently the team’s bowling coach, has revealed his chat with Dennis Lillee, the former Australian fast bowler, played a part in India’s historic win in Perth.Prasad, who had worked under Lillee at the MRF Pace Foundation in Chennai, met him on the morning of the second day of the Test in Perth and learnt how his bowlers could utilise the conditions.”I was under him at the MRF Pace Foundation,” Prasad said. “He’s a fantastic person and has a great knowledge of fast bowling. He told me how to use the breeze. He said that was the best thing to do here.”Prasad in turn passed on the advice to the Indian medium-pacers, who played a big part in Australia’s first defeat in Perth since 1997. “It depends on the line each bowler is bowling,” he said on the plan to use the Fremantle Doctor, the breeze at the WACA. “If you feel the breeze is blowing across and it’s coming back a long way you need to bowl on the fifth or the sixth stump to get it to come back towards the off and middle stump. You need to gauge that out in the middle.”I’ve always been saying our bowlers are the best in the business. Almost all can swing it at a good pace. All have a great wrist and seam position at the time of delivery. With the breeze here it helped them more. They’re usually bowling at 135-140 [kph] and swing it at a good pace. They trouble any batsman with their pace – not express but quick.”Prasad, who toured Australia in 1999-2000, was happy his bowlers had stuck to their plans for each batsman. “The venue doesn’t really bother us,” he said. “For some batsmen it’s about bowling full when they come in. For others it’s about bowling outside off. I’ve seen a lot of batsmen not being comfortable against swing bowling and our bowlers have shown they can produce that anywhere in the world. They did it in England and did it here. We’ve done it in Bangladesh and India as well.”The fact that a number of young Indian fast bowlers have managed to make an instant impact on the international circuit heartened Prasad. “The biggest difference between domestic and international cricket is in the mind. A good ball in domestic is a good ball here. But it’s about adaptability, planning and execution. In India you play on pitches that aren’t so encouraging to fast bowlers. A bowlers job is really hard and they don’t get as much credit as the batsmen do in India. Considering the wickets we bowl on, they deserve a lot of credit.”

Delhi 278 for 5 (Manhas 74, Chopra 73, Bhatia 66*) lead Maharashtra 219 by 59 runs
Scorecard

When Delhi batted on the second day on a tricky Nagothane track, the difference between the two sides came down to one factor: experience. While the Maharashtra batsmen played too many shots, the Delhi batsmen applied themselves, saw out the tough periods, strung together partnerships and by stumps had put their side 59 ahead of Maharashtra’s total of 219 with five wickets to spare. The main contributors were Mithun Manhas, Aakash Chopra and Rajat Bhatia, each of whom scored a half-century.Manhas, who came in to join Chopra after Chetanya Nanda, the nightwatchman, and Virender Sehwag fell in quick succession, looked the most comfortable batsman. From the outset, he batted with ease off both front and back foot, choosing to wait for the ball to come to him rather than commit to playing strokes. He opened his account with a flick off the pads through midwicket, which was a feature of his innings. He hit seven boundaries in his 74 and strung together two important partnerships – 75 for the fourth wicket with Chopra and 91 for the fifth with Bhatia – before his dismissal against the run of play and when he looked good for his second century of the season.If Manhas made batting look easy, Chopra weathered the tough period, just before stumps yesterday and in the first hour today. He survived a couple of confident lbw appeals, when the fielders contended that the bat was hidden behind the pad. One edge fell short of slip and there was a big caught-behind shout too. On a pitch with variable bounce, he took a blow from one that kicked disconcertingly from a good length.While all that happened, he didn’t let the scoring slow down, rotating the strike consistently and hitting eight boundaries. He was comfortable against the spinners, playing the first pull shot of the match when he hit Sairaj Bahutule to the midwicket boundary in the 24th over. He stepped out to hit Agharkar for two fours down the ground and crossed 50 for the fourth time in this Ranji Trophy, one of which he has converted into a double-century and another into a century. The knock, which comes ahead of the selection for the Australia tour and with Bhupinder Singh, a national selector, watching, ended when he was on 73. He was given lbw off a Bahutule delivery that came in and was visibly unhappy with the decision, standing motionless at the wicket for about eight seconds before shaking his head and walked off.After Chopra got out, Bhatia, a five-for in his bag already, joined Manhas and the two carried Delhi through to the first-innings lead with ease. Bhatia batted with the same sense he had shown with the ball and played only when the bowlers made him play. When he went for the big hits, they cleared the boundary and he hit the only sixes of the match so far. He ended the day unbeaten on 66 off 190 deliveries.Sehwag, meanwhile, once again played an innings where he promised a lot and delivered little. In one over from left-armer Fallah, he walked down the wicket to take two boundaries – one flicked to fine leg and one driven straight down. But in the same over he went for another big drive, and beaten by the angle from round the stumps, played it on to the leg stump.The young Maharashtra bowlers bowled with heart, creating chances, and beat the bat on several occasions. However, like the Delhi seamers, Samad Fallah and Wahid Sayyed lacked the discipline, Fallah bowling eight no-balls and the two bowling two wides each. The young side’s inexperience showed as they appealed almost every time the ball hit the pad or beat the bat. The fielders stayed chirpy till the end of the day and kept cheering even wide balls, which were left alone. The new ball, taken in the 84th over, did not do any tricks for Maharashtra either, as Mayank Tehlan and Bhatia negotiated the period before stumps easily.

Mark Gillespie, the New Zealand fast bowler, has been ruled out of the second Test against Bangladesh after he aggravated the shoulder injury which forced him to miss the first Test while playing for Wellington against Auckland.Gillespie took 3 for 36 off 4.2 overs during his comeback for Wellington but the injury, which he sustained in the second ODI against Bangladesh in Napier, resurfaced and forced him to leave the field.”He [Gillespie] is definitely out of the Test line-up,” Durning told stuff.co.nz. “He bowled a complete spell the other day but yesterday he was three or four overs into a spell and all of sudden something happened again. We’ll wait and see the results of the Tests before making another other decisions.”Wellington coach Anthony Stuart also couldn’t explain what the problem with Gillespie’s shoulder was. “He [Gillespie] was confident of getting through ten overs and he got three wickets for us early and then just pulled up lame so it doesn’t look good,” Stuart said. “I’ve got no idea and to be fair I don’t think many people have got any idea about it. But there’s obviously a problem in there, whether it’s a rotator cuff or a nerve.”It only hits him at certain times and I don’t know if there’s an apparent reason for it or not, whether there’s something in his action, I don’t know, we can’t pinpoint it.”Gillespie did not take part in New Zealand’s practice session at the Basin Reserve in Wellington on Thursday. Fast bowlers Iain O’Brien and Michael Mason were the contenders to replace Gillespie though offspinner Jeetan Patel also had a chance depending on the nature of the pitch.

John Emburey has left Middlesex to continue his career in coaching.”John’s role as director of cricket was becoming more administrative, taking him away from the area of the game where his strengths lay,” explained Vinny Codrington, the county’s chief executive. “After lengthy discussions with the club, and a full review of our cricket structure, it was mutually agreed that John pursue his ambitions in coaching. He leaves behind a strong coaching team, led by Toby Radford, and a squad under Ed Smith more than capable of competing for all four domestic competitions. The club’s cricket structure has a solid base for an exciting future and we are very grateful to John for this.”John was open and honest throughout as he always is, and I’m certain we will see plenty of him in the summer and in the future”.Emburey has spent the bulk of his career with Middlesex, firstly as a player and then, after stints with Northamptonshire and Berkshire, as a coach. In 2001 he signed to coach Berkshire with the intention of emigrating to Australia at the end of the summer, but on the eve of the season he was appointed as Middlesex’s third coach in as many seasons, taking over from old team-mate Mike Gatting.In six years he struggled to motivate a side in transition, bringing in some distinctly average players as well, and at the end of 2006 the county were relegated from the top flight in both the Championship and National League. In 2007 Middlesex brought in Richard Pybus to coach with Emburey moving to the more hands-off role as director of cricket, but when Pybus unexpectedly quit five months into his contract, Emburey returned. In between he had briefly – and remarkably – been shortlisted for the India coaching vacancyLast autumn Middlesex appointed former player Toby Radford as first-team coach, signalling another move to a less hands-on role for Emburey, and it appears to have been that which led to today’s announcement.”I’ve really enjoyed my time here, but I want to continue my career in a direct coaching role,” Emburey said in a short statement. “I believe I leave the club in great shape and look forward to the club’s success in the future”.

The Nairobi Provincial Cricket Association has again delayed its reconvened AGM after some member clubs complained that they had not received the necessary notification.The original AGM in July – the first for three years – was a stormy affair at which clubs refused to pass the accounts or the chairman’s report. A follow-up meeting was due to be held in mid September but was cancelled by the executive.That was rescheduled for October 8 but last week Cricinfo was told by some Nairobi clubs that they had either not received formal notification or that they had but not in time for them to submit agenda items.It is not clear whether the elections will be held in accordance with the old constitution. The NPCA agreed in May 2005 to amend its constitution in accordance with the new one adopted by Cricket Kenya and the two other functioning provinces – Coast and Rift. However, this has not been done and a promised review of the constitution appears to be delayed by lawyers.

Today was one of Chennai’s less cruel summer days. Although the humidity levels remained high enough to drain the moisture out of you, the sun played hide and seek behind cloudy skies. That said, playing cricket in such weather is tough. Fast bowling in such conditions is tougher and if you’re a big and burly quick with a long run-up and heavy landing, you’re really in for a tough time. But Dilhara Fernando shrugged it all off saying: “It was really hot and was sweaty but we are used to such conditions back home in Sri Lanka.”Fernando hadn’t played the first game at Bangalore because Mashrafe Mortaza was preferred as the third seamer. Brought in for that role today, his responsibility was magnified when Zaheer Khan picked up a niggle after bowling just 2.4 overs. At the 2007 World Cup, Fernando wasn’t picked for Sri Lanka’s first two games against Bermuda and Bangladesh but when he got his chance against India, he delivered a knock-out punch by bowling Sachin Tendulkar for a duck. Today, he used the bouncer, the slower ball that he disguises so cleverly, and the yorker to lethal effect while bagging 4 for 36.Fernando has had trouble controlling the white new ball and perhaps that was why Mahela Jayawardene bowled a couple of overs when Zaheer went off the field, bringing Fernando on only as second change. Fernando kept the ball full in his first over, and tested Vusi Sibanda with a yorker. He produced another boot-crusher to Boeta Dippenaar early in the 13th over, which was dug out for a single. When Sibanda took strike for the next ball, he probably expected another one aimed at the toe, only to be caught unawares by a deadly bouncer.Pitched short on leg stump, it wasn’t short enough to allow the batsman to evade it calmly. Sibanda had backed away towards leg stump but saw the ball rise sharply towards his helmet. With a sharp jolt, he arched out of the way and as he did so, lost balance and fell to the ground. Visibly shaken, he prepared to face Fernando again.Instead of being predictable and following up with a yorker, Fernando bowled another short ball. Sibanda was late on the pull and top-edged it to Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Two balls later, a 140 km/hr in-cutter burst through Justin Kemp’s defence and pegged back the off stump.Throughout his spell, Fernando used the heavy ball to gain the extra bit of bounce that unsettled batsmen on a placid pitch. To ensure that he didn’t get too predictable, he varied pace and length regularly. He disguises his slower ball cleverly by spreading his fingers wide on either side of a vertical seam, while delivering it with no perceptible change in action. He set up Mark Boucher with a slow yorker, and followed it up with another slower ball that wasn’t as full. Boucher gotunder it, was too early on the lofted drive and hit it straight to long-on.Fernando then bowled Johan Botha to finish with 4 for 36 off ten overs. Given the heat, an unhelpful pitch and the fact that both teams scored over 300, it was an exemplary performance.

Premier Limited Over Tournament

High-riding Bloomfield, without their prolific scorer Tillakaratne Dilshan who was leading a Sri Lanka President’s XI against England, suffered their first defeat of the season when Colombo CC won by one wicket during an exciting encounter at the Bloomfield ground. Allrounder Laknath Perera was Bloomfield’s adversary taking four wickets with his gentle medium-pace and then showing a cool head to score an undefeated 25 off 29 balls to enable CCC to pass the target of 198 in the 48th over. Despite the defeat Bloomfield continue to head the points table hotly pursued by Colombo Colts.Colombo Colts kept pace with NCC by defeating Ragama CC by nine wickets at the Colombo Cricket Club. Angelo Mathews, the former Sri Lanka Under-19 captain, knocked out the top and bottom of the order with four wickets. Colts made short work of the modest target, cruising home in the 23rd over mainly through an opening stand of 100 by Shantha Kalavitigoda and Dilruwan Perera, who made his ODI debut against England last month.Player of the week – Riki Wessels
Although there were a number of closely fought matches, the overall standard of batting has been disappointing with many young players failing to play straight. But one player who has stood out is Riki Wessels, the 22-year-old son of former Australian and South Africa cricketer Kepler Wessels.An Australian by birth Wessels, who plays for English county Northamptonshire and has set his sights of representing England in the future, signed up for one season with Nondescripts CC. According to the club’s vice president Ranjith Fernando he has making a good impression. “Riki’s fitted into the system very well. The way he is batting he’s certainly shown that he is enjoying himself.”Having started the season with an impressive knock of 83 against Tamil Union, Wessels has shown consistency as an opener averaging 53 from five matches. Last weekend he hit back-to-back half-centuries – 61 and 53 against Bloomfield and Chilaw Marians. However, despite Wessels’ contributions NCC are struggling to keep pace with the rest of the clubs. They are lying sixth and need to lift their game in the remaining four matches to have any chance of qualifying for the knock-out stage.

Almost everyone, either openly or secretly, had a good laugh when Kapil Dev called those who joined the Indian Cricket League (ICL) “the cream of the country”. That was because the players picked by the ICL did not promise a competitive league. But now, at the start of the first-class season, looking at the situation in terms of the loss to the Ranji Trophy rather than the ICL’s gain, the impact of the exodus seems huge; and it is only natural that it dominates pre-season thoughts.Moving from one Indian domestic season to another has long been a seamless transition, with not many changes, or changes that place too slowly to be noticed. It is usually difficult to identify the start of one season from another, but the huge exodus to ICL – about 15% of the total workforce – means this time will be different. When in two days’ time Bengal play Hyderabad at the Eden Gardens, more than 10 regular players from both sides will be missing. Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Baroda, Maharashtra, almost every team has been affected by the migration. The teams hit by ICL have never been too far from the semi-finals, which makes this one of the most unpredictable seasons in recent memory.It will be interesting to see how they cope with the predicament they find themselves in. “Cricket doesn’t stop with a few players”, has been the general, outwardly brave attitude of the teams severely hit. But only on the first morning will we know if Railways can do without JP Yadav, if Bengal without Deep Dasgupta, Baroda without Rakesh Patel, Punjab without Dinesh Mongia and UP without Shalabh Srivastava. This season will test the resilience of Indian domestic cricket and the supply of talent from junior cricket.Not a pointless exercise
From this season, holding on to a draw will get teams a point. What used to happen earlier was once a side had conceded the lead, it would play devil-may-care cricket in the second innings and get bowled out, in turn handing four easy points to the leading team. That usually hurt other teams in the group competing to make it to the semi-finals.Another aspect the BCCI might want to look into is that the team is awarded no points for gaining a first-innings lead if it eventually loses the match. This keeps the teams from going for outright wins, once a lead is attained.Getting the order right
The decision to schedule the Ranji Trophy before the Duleep Trophy this season, has meant that Ranji will have an early start on November 3. It also means the best performers can be picked for the Duleep Trophy for playing in an inter-zone tournament should be an apt incentive for performing well in the inter-state tournament.

Ump, you are being watched
Lack of feedback and proper appraisal has long been the umpires’ grudge in domestic cricket. Starting this season, every decision made by them will be logged and there will be an appraisal for umpires based on reports from the umpiring officer, the match referee and the captains. The umpiring officer will be assisted by the video-feedback system.But that is not where the umpiring officers’ work ends. Off the field they will have to guide the umpires on the match management; communication and team work; professionalism; preparation; and fitness, diet and appearance.Welcome to the big league
Orissa and Himachal Pradesh (HP) are the teams promoted to the Super League this season. HP, the Plate League champions, and Orissa, the runners-up, have made it on the back of dominating performances last year. While HP conceded a first-innings lead once last season – trailed Orissa by 51 runs – Orissa’s record was unblemished. But they will know this is a different league and to stay here for more than one season they will have to considerably up their performance.**First-round matches
Himachal Pradesh v Saurashtra in DharamsalaMumbai v Karnataka in MumbaiTamil Nadu v Maharashtra in ChennaiOrissa v Uttar Pradesh in CuttackPunjab v Andhra in AmritsarBengal v Hyderababad in Kolkata*Delhi v Rajasthan in Delhi**The two matches will start on November 4.

Zimbabwe will wait until the last minute before naming their starting line-up for their first four-day match against South Africa A in Harare which starts on Thursday after a flu virus struck most of the squad.Vusi Sibanda, Tino Mawoyo, Edward Rainsford, Tawanda Mupariwa and Graeme Cremer are all suffering. Sources have indicated that only Cremer and Rainsford are serious while the rest could play. It is thought the players were infected as the team travelled from Bulawayo to Harare last week.In the event that Cremer is not available, left-arm spinner Keith Dabengwa or legspinner Tymicen Maruma are likely to replace him. Mupariwa, who did not play against India A is most likely to take up Rainsford’s slot.A change in the batting order seems imminent with left-hander Terry Duffin sure to replace the out-of-form Mawoyo who failed to make an impression in the twomatches against India A. Duffin and Sibanda should open the batting with Hamilton Masakadza dropped to No. 3. Tatenda Taibu, Stuart Matsikenyeri and Elton Chigumbura are set to complete the batting order.Zimbabwe face an uphill task against South Africa A as their neighbours have sent a strong squad for the two first-class matches.