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Peter Siddle will be nursed through the next week in the hope he can recover from a hamstring problem to appear in the final Test against West Indies

Cricinfo staff09-Dec-2009Peter Siddle will be nursed through the next week in the hope he can recover from a hamstring problem to appear in the final Test against West Indies in Perth. Siddle limped through the final days of the drawn second game and was expected to be unavailable for the decider, but the selectors avoided any changes when a scan on the injury showed no major damage.Clint McKay stays with the outfit in the hope of a debut at the WACA while Doug Bollinger, who took five wickets in Adelaide, should hold his spot whether Siddle makes it or not. “Peter Siddle experienced some hamstring soreness during the Adelaide Test and underwent a scan on Wednesday which has cleared him of any serious damage,” the team physiotherapist Alex Kountouris said. “He will continue to be treated and monitored before a final decision will be made on his availability to play.”Andrew Hilditch, the chairman of selectors, said Siddle would be assessed daily leading up to the match. “We are hopeful he will recover in time to take his place in the side for what should be an exciting climax to the three-match Test series,” he said. Australia hold a 1-0 lead after winning in Brisbane, but West Indies controlled much of the second game to put some pressure on the hosts.Ben Hilfenhaus was not included in the 12-man squad due to his persistent tendon injury in his left knee and will be held back in the hope he is fit for the Boxing Day Test against Pakistan. “He has not made sufficient progress to select him for the Perth match and he will remain in Hobart to continue his rehabilitation,” Kountouris said.Australia squad Simon Katich, Shane Watson, Ricky Ponting (capt), Michael Hussey, Michael Clarke, Marcus North, Brad Haddin (wk), Mitchell Johnson, Nathan Hauritz, Peter Siddle, Doug Bollinger, Clint McKay.

Jacques Kallis will line up for South Africa in the opening Test against England after the hosts confirmed his presence by releasing three players from their 15-man squad to play franchise cricket

Andrew McGlashan in Centurion14-Dec-2009Jacques Kallis will line up for South Africa in the opening Test against England after the hosts confirmed his presence by releasing three players from their 15-man squad to play franchise cricket. Friedel de Wet, the uncapped pace bowler, has been retained as cover for Dale Steyn following his hamstring problems but Alvrio Petersen, Ryan McLaren and Wayne Parnell have all been allowed to return to domestic action.”We are happy with the state of readiness of all squad members to play in the first Test on Wednesday,” said coach Mickey Arthur. “Both Jacques Kallis and Dale Steyn should be fit to take their places.”Nevertheless we are keeping Friedel de Wet on standby as a like-for-like replacement for Dale. There is always the chance with bowlers that Dale could wake up on the morning of the match with a recurrence and we don’t want to have to scramble around for a last-minute replacement.”There has been much speculation over the fitness of Kallis as he recovers from the fractured rib that ruled him out of the Test series. However, he came through South Africa’s three-day training camp in Potchefstroom with no adverse effects although it is highly unlikely that he will resume bowling duties.That will leave South Africa with a four-man attack which is a calculated gamble given Steyn’s recent injury problems. He bowled at decent pace on Sunday but was restricted to indoor training at Centurion Park on Monday after heavy thunderstorms left the nets unusable. De Wet’s was the most surprising inclusion in the original squad but Mike Proctor, the convenor of selectors, has been impressed with what he has seen.”He had a good season last year and I’ve seen him bowl recently on some pretty flat tracks at East London and at Johannesburg so he’s a player worth looking at and we’ll see what comes out of it,” Procter said last week.The decision to release the three players also confirms that Morne Morkel will return to the Test line-up after missing South Africa’s previous match against Australia in March. With concerns over the potency of the attack Morkel is viewed as someone who can add a cutting edge with his height and bounce.Makhaya Ntini, who will play his 100th Test, will be the third quick bowler and he believes South Africa will start favourites. “Of course,” he said, “we are on our home grounds and will have a lot of support.”He also said that Andrew Flintoff’s absence from the England line-up will be a significant blow to the visitors. “They’ve lost one of their major players in Freddie Flintoff. He was the one who made a huge impact. Losing the pillar of the team means we have a better chance – because he was always the guy that intimidated us.”Revised South Africa squad Graeme Smith (capt), Ashwell Prince, Hashim Amla, Jacques Kallis, AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, Mark Boucher (wk), Paul Harris, Morne Morkel, Dale Steyn, Makhaya Ntini, Friedel de Wet

India were declared winners of the Tri-Nation Under-19s Tournament in South Africa after the final against South Africa was rained out in Johannesburg

Cricinfo staff05-Jan-2010India were declared winners of the Tri-Nation Under-19s Tournament in South Africa after the final against South Africa was washed out in Johannesburg. This was the second match between the two teams that was abandoned due to rain after the last league match met a watery grave on Sunday.India dominated the tournament from the outset having gone undefeated in the league phase. The hosts got off to a winning start against Sri Lanka but lost the momentum, crashing to defeats against them and India.Paceman Saurabh Netravalkar was adjudged Player of the Series for his excellent returns. Netravalkar picked eight wickets including a five-wicket haul against Sri Lanka, making him one of the players to watch out for in the upcoming Under-19 World Cup in New Zealand. Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Buddika from Sri Lanka and Colin Ackermann for the hosts gave good accounts of themselves with the bat and will take confidence into the tournament.

A round-up of the third day’s action in the fifth round of the RBS Pentangular Cup

Cricinfo staff27-Jan-2010Fahad Masood grabbed four wickets as Habib Bank Limited humbled Karachi Blues and booked their place in the finals of the Pentagular Cup on the third day at the National Stadium. Resuming at 79 for 4, Karachi’s attempt to stay in the match got off to a false start when they lost a wicket after adding just six runs in the morning. Daniyal Ahsan and Sheharyar Ghani reached 40s, before Masood started wielding his influence. Javed Mansoor resisted with 38 to ensure that Habib Bank would have to bat again, before the innings folded at the score of 214. Mohammad Sami got the wicket of Imran Nazir (1), but Habib Bank faced no other hiccups as they romped past the target of 65 in 12 overs.Having secured a first-innings lead, Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited pushed further ahead in the second dig to end the third day 150 runs in front, with five second innings wickets standing at the National Bank of Pakistan Sports Complex. Resuming at 195 for 6, The Rest’s hopes of matching SNGPL’s first-innings score were carried by the overnight batsmen Naeem Anjum and Arun Lal. The pair added 54 runs before being separated. Zulfiqar Babar made 23 to keep their hopes alive, but spinner Yasir Shah ran through the tail, finishing with four scalps and securing a 35-run lead for his side. SNGPL’s second innings was punctuated by the periodic loss of wickets, and if not for first-innings centurion Naeemuddin repeating his heroics, they would have been in a sticky position. His 60 ensured that the lead moved to 150 by stumps, but with only five wickets remaining, The Rest will try their best to force an outright win to earn their spot in the finals.

Chris Gayle, the West Indies captain, has been rested from the 13-man squad for the only Twenty20 international against Zimbabwe in Trinidad on February 28

Cricinfo staff24-Feb-2010Chris Gayle, the West Indies captain, has been rested from the 13-man squad for the only Twenty20 international against Zimbabwe in Trinidad on February 28. Denesh Ramdin has been named captain for the match and a West Indies board media release said that Gayle was “expected to be available” for the five-match one-day series that follows.”Chris Gayle went to Australia, and while there, his mother was ill, and he had to come back,” WICB chief Ernest Hilaire said. “We thought, in discussion with him, that he should probably go home for a few days to see his mother, to be with her, then join the team in Guyana.”West Indies have been boosted by the return of four players who were injured for the recent ODI series in Australia, which they lost 0-4. Shivnarine Chanderpaul has recovered from the thumb injury he sustained during the Test leg of the Australia tour, Sulieman Benn’s knee has healed and so has Adrian Barath’s hamstring. Darren Bravo, who suffered a shoulder injury during the Champions League Twenty20 in India last November, has also returned to the squad but his brother, Dwayne, is still out after breaking his thumb while playing for Victoria during the Big Bash.Chanderpaul, who last featured in the Adelaide Test in December, is happy with his recovery from the injury that laid him low. “I am feeling okay. It just needs to be tested at the higher level and see where we are,” he said.Apart from the four injured players returning to the mix, allrounder Dave Bernard jnr and opener Andre Fletcher have also been recalled. They were part of West Indies’ Champions Trophy squad in September 2009 but missed the trip to Australia.Zimbabwe’s tour begins with a 50-over practice match against a University of the West Indies’ Vice-Chancellor’s XI at the Frank Worrell Oval in Trinidad on Friday before the Twenty20 on Sunday.Squad: Denesh Ramdin (capt & wk), Adrian Barath, Sulieman Benn, David Bernard jnr, Darren Bravo, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Andre Fletcher, Nikita Miller, Kieron Pollard, Ravi Rampaul, Kemar Roach, Darren Sammy, Dwayne Smith.

The PCB remains tight-lipped about the nature of charges laid against senior players and the procedure followed in punishing them

Osman Samiuddin11-Mar-2010A day after carrying out the most comprehensive player cull in Pakistan cricket in recent memory, the PCB remains tight-lipped about the nature of charges laid against senior players and the procedure followed in punishing them.Seven senior players were punished by the board following an inquiry committee report into a disastrous tour of Australia. Younis Khan, Mohammad Yousuf, Rana Naved-ul-Hasan and Shoaib Malik were handed bans, while the Akmal brothers and Shahid Afridi were handed fines.But concerns have been raised about the legal process followed in handing out the punishments and the lack of information on the charges. Calls have been made to make the complete report of the inquiry committee public but the board is unwilling to do so.

Ijaz Butt, speaking to the BBC

On coach Waqar Younis’ limited options
We have no dearth of players, young ones, up and coming and under consideration. We will, as normal, be announcing 15 players, as required by the ICC and keep five players on standby. He won’t be handicapped.
On Rana Naved-ul-Hasan’s ban
He should have asked the committee, he had long sessions with the committee. It told him what was wrong. This is not something we want to [do] to create alarm among other players. It was something that was confidentially taken up with him. Without any charges, we are not taking any [player] out of the side. There are definitely positive charges.
On Mohammad Yousuf and Younis Khan
When one was captain he threw the other out, when the other was the captain he threw the other man out in spite of the fact that they would have been selected. Things of that sort. This is only one instance I am quoting to you. The committee also reported in detail that this is the effect [on the team]. But we haven’t fined these two gentlemen on anything. For the [World] Twenty20, they will not be considered

“It is a confidential report and not one for public consumption,” Ijaz Butt, chairman PCB, told Cricinfo. “If a certain level of people ask we will give them, but essentially this is a confidential report.”Butt insisted, however, that the committee – the composition of which has also been criticised – had carried out its objectives fairly. “We have given everyone a fair hearing,” he said. “The committee has spoken to many people, almost all of those concerned, we have collected evidence, everything has been done properly and all of it is documented and is available. It was a very thorough and comprehensive report. We have given details in the press release.”Butt was unwilling to comment on individual charges, such as the one-year ban on Naved, who had no previous disciplinary transgressions, or the nature of charges against Younis, Yousuf and Malik. Because of the lack of details, there remain concerns that the punishments are of an arbitrary and inconsistent nature. But the board says the players were punished not under the code of conduct that governs central contracts, but under the “inherent powers” of the board.”The punishments are not given under the central contracts code of conduct,” Taffazul Rizvi, the board’s legal advisor and a member of the six-man inquiry committee, told Cricinfo. “These are under the inherent powers of the PCB. The disciplinary policy of the board applies to all players who play for Pakistan, not just those on central contracts and that’s what has taken effect here.”The players can appeal against the punishments, Rizvi confirmed, though he clarified that is not a right the board gives, but an intrinsic right of the punished in any matter. “That is their fundamental right, it isn’t the board’s to give.” None of the players has yet issued a public response.Those who have criticised the PCB have also asked why no action has been taken against the board hierarchy or whether any will. Butt’s response was only that “some action has already been taken.”

Daniel Vettori is in danger of missing Saturday’s second ODI against Australia with a nagging neck injury

Cricinfo staff05-Mar-2010Daniel Vettori is in danger of missing Saturday’s second ODI against Australia with a nagging neck injury. Vettori, who sat out the dramatic opening victory, was unable to bat or bowl at training in Auckland on Friday and is hoping the problem improves dramatically overnight.”I got through the fielding session well but I didn’t bat today so I’m just going to leave it until the last possible minute,” Vettori said after training. “I’ve had this injury for about 13 years. It flares up and down occasionally. I’m just hoping I wake up feeling good in the morning.”Nathan McCullum, the offspinner, is expected to come in for Vettori if he doesn’t make it, a move which would give Ross Taylor his second match in charge. New Zealand are already without Jacob Oram, who hurt his knee on Wednesday and is expected to be out for up to a month.The Chappell-Hadlee Series had a heated opening when Mitchell Johnson and Scott Styris bumped heads late in the first game. Johnson was fined 60% of his match fee and Styris had to pay 15% in an incident giving extra spice to the contests.”We’re going to make sure we try to play it in the right spirit of the game without crossing that line,” Vettori said. “A lot of people enjoy that intensity. We’ve just got to make sure it doesn’t go too far. It’s the responsibility of both teams and both captains to make sure it doesn’t happen.”Shane Watson said Ricky Ponting had spoken to the team about behavior. “It’s an important part because we want to make sure that we are competitive but we don’t step over the line,” Watson said. “Ricky had a chat to us after the game to let us know that there is a line and no matter what we can’t cross it.”So that’s just something that Ricky and the coaching and the support staff are always talking to us about. We can’t afford for anyone to get suspended or get fined because it’s not in the spirit of the game. People enjoy watching two guys in the battle. That’s what everyone loves to see.”

Ireland’s coach believes his side are wiser going in to the third edition of the ICC World Twenty20 than they were in last summer’s competition

Cricinfo staff26-Apr-2010Phil Simmons, Ireland’s coach, believes his side are wiser going in to the third edition of the ICC World Twenty20 than they were in last summer’s competition. For Ireland the trip back to Jamaica also allows them to recapture memories of their 2007 World Cup campaign when they famously beat Pakistan to progress to the Super Eights, and Simmons was hopeful they could pull off a few more upsets.”I think it’s easier to pull off a shock in Twenty20 because recovery time is less than in 50 overs,” said Simmons. “We have played that little bit more Twenty20 than we had going into the last World Cup – so we are slightly wiser about Twenty20 cricket. That has to be a good thing.”Ireland have maintained consistent performances in recent times despite a number of high profile retirements and injuries, having lost players of the ilk of Eoin Morgan and Ed Joyce to England, and with Boyd Rankin – who is also on England’s radar after being included in the ECB’s England Performance Programme – sidelined since January with a stress fracture to his right foot. Yet they have the likes of veteran Trent Johnston, who captained during the World Cup, and his successor William Porterfield, as well as players with county cricket experience.”It’s nice (for me) to be playing in the West Indies and for the players to be taking on England too,” Simmons said. “But this is the group we would have taken too; we are happy with that. From our point of view, it is about trying to improve our performance every time we take on teams at this level – and Twenty20 is no different. It is a format we are not experienced in, but we have to keep picking things up as we go and make sure we use them.”Ireland’s preparations ahead of the tournament have not been too successful. They won just one of six tour games, lost an ODI to West Indies, and won one of two warm-up Twenty20 matches. Against the backdrop of calls in certain quarters to push for Ireland’s Test status, Simmons did not feel there was added pressure on the team. “Yes, the pressure is on; but that is inevitable on these occasions,” he said. “The stakes are always high, whenever you are taking on these full member top teams with a chance to show you are improving. It’s not something we even think about. We just go out to play as well as we can and make sure we take our opportunities.”Ireland have been grouped with West Indies and England during the initial phase of the World Twenty20, which starts on April 30.

Stafanie Taylor and Anisa Mohammed frustrated Sri Lanka and ensured West Indies swept the three-match Twenty20 series

Cricinfo staff25-Apr-2010
Scorecard
Sri Lanka will be sick of Stafanie Taylor, Shanel Daley and Anisa Mohammed after their tour of the Caribbean is over. For the third consecutive game, the West Indies trio frustrated Sri Lanka and ensured West Indies swept the three-match Twenty20 series. Sri Lanka had done well to keep West Indies to 112, out of which Taylor made a match-winning 59, but their inability to cope with Mohammed’s teasing offspin saw them slump to a 28-run loss at St Mary’s Park.Taylor, who in the previous two games had hit half-centuries, was again to the fore in testing circumstances. Sripali Weerakkody, bowling right-arm medium with the new ball, struck in the first over and then again to snap a brisk 40-run stand between Taylor and Juliana Nero. When Deandra Dottin edged Weerakoddy behind for 6, West Indies were 55 for 3 and Taylor had to reassess the situation. Shashikala Siriwardene, bowling her tidy offspin, and the left-armer Suwini de Alwis struck as well to keep the pressure up on the hosts. Taylor’s 59 off 50 balls was the highest score after Nero’s 24 and no other batsman crossed 6. Taylor was last out off the penultimate ball of the West Indies innings.As it turned out, she had again done enough with the bat. Sri Lanka’s chase got off to a good start with Dedunu Silva and Chamari Atapattu adding 40 in 5.5 overs, but Silva’s run-out for 13 off the last ball of the sixth over changed the complexion. Daley, who had been impressive in the first game with 3 for 13 off her quota, induced false strokes in consecutive overs to have Atapattu (27) and Inoka Galagedara stumped. From here the chase completely fell apart at the seams and like West Indies middle and lower order has succumbed, so did Sri Lanka’s. Only one other batsman reached double-figures and Mohammed accounted for the last four wickets in another outstanding spell of 4 for 8 from 3.3 overs.

The WICB president Julien Hunte dedicated the Sagicor West Indies Cricket High Performance Centre to fans “who are longing for the glorious past of West Indies cricket to return”

Cricinfo staff08-Jun-2010WICB president Julien Hunte outlined a comprehensive plan for the resuscitation of West Indies cricket at the opening of the Sagicor West Indies Cricket High Performance Centre in Barbados on Sunday. While dedicating the centre to fans “who are longing for the glorious past of West Indies cricket to return,” Hunte said it was not an isolated move but part of a “four-pronged focus of the board” to revive West Indies cricket and respond to the loss of pride, dignity and standards in Caribbean cricket over the past 15 years.The four “prongs” the board is focusing on are strengthening the institutional framework, generating resources, developing cricketing excellence, and improving operations. The full text of the board’s plan, as laid out by Hunte, is below:

Enhancing the institutional capacity of the WICB: We accepted that management has been ineffective in meeting the demands of a modern day sports governing body. A management audit was undertaken previously and with the assistance of a human resource consultant and the Human Resource Committee formulated a comprehensive organizational redesigning plan. The plan will be implemented from July 1 2010 and will include a new structure with each employee given a new job description and appropriate placement. Changes will take place in staffing, including the creation of posts with responsibilities for player relations, sponsorship management and event management, and the appointment of new personnel to strengthen our department responsible for cricket operations.In addition, we are about to undertake the development of an action plan that outlines our response to the changes in the international landscape and the implications for the future of cricket in the region. This will be a seminal action plan that will shape the future model for the administration and financing of cricket in the region. It is expected to cover all the critical areas of cricket.We are also committed to examining ways in which we can improve the governance and administration of the affairs of the board and other committees to ensure, among other things, accountability and transparency.I must also make mention of the West Indies Cricket Board’s recognition of the need to build effective and meaningful relationships with all stakeholders of the game. It means that we must engage in a dialogue that presents to us an understanding of the expectations of stakeholders but likewise expresses our views on the roles and responsibilities of the WICB. This will be a delicate yet necessary process in paving the way for a successful future.The board is hoping to return West Indies cricket to its glory days•AllSportUK

Generating the resources for the financing of West Indies Cricket : Critical for the implementation of any development plans and managing the operations of the board is the availability of resources. In January, the board engaged a marketing consultant to assist management in formulating proposals which could be presented to the market and commencing the efforts to build a commercial department that can adequately raise the resources required. The immediate result was the production of a publication titled “Transforming West Indies Cricket”.This document has served as the basis for frank interaction and discussion with potential sponsors for long term relationships. We are excited by the reaction to the document and our proposals, although we recognise that there is a lot of confidence building which has to take place to overcome past failures and disappointments.The board will soon make a major announcement on the arrangements for the broadcast of the Caribbean Twenty20 which will be held in July. For the first time our regional cricket will receive global coverage and I am certain that this will start a process of breaking down barriers to secure further sponsorships.Cricket Development : If there is no product to sell then there can be no commercial programme to implement. There are four critical activities under consideration with our cricket development:1. We need to get our senior team more competitive. The Board immediately sought to employ the best cricket coach to lead the development of our teams and coaches. We are proud to have engaged Mr. Ottis Gibson and look forward to his continued efforts to change the mode of the team and the positive results this should soon bring. We are totally committed to making the resources available to make the team more competitive.2. We need to prepare the players on the fringes of international selection through the reactivation of the “A” Team programmes. We have all seen the immediate success of this action in the short time since it has been implemented. While we are committed to the extension of the first-class season that will be implemented as soon as it is affordable, we believe that this action is of greater priority.3. We need to prepare our next generation of international cricketers, those between 19-23 years. This is the reason we are here tonight – the establishment of the most advanced training programme in the region.4. The implementation of a talent development programme which, together with the Scotia Bank Kiddy Cricket Programme as our talent identification programme, will provide WICB with a clear player development pathway for 7-11 year-olds; 12-15 year-olds and 17-19 year olds. Accordingly, in the next few weeks the WICB will announce a US$ 2 million grass roots and community coaching programme that will provide opportunities and a pathway for young people from the streets and community playing fields to Kensington Oval, Lords, Eden Gardens and the Wanderers.Cricket Operations: This has been undoubtedly a major area of repeated failures and shortcomings. In addition, to the strengthening of our implementation capacity, the Board has introduced an injury management system that will incorporate every player from regional teams to the international team registering every medical condition, injury and rehabilitation programme. The system will offer a real-time, interactive and user-friendly resource that will manage the injuries and avoid the present situation of incoherence which exists. The system is already being implemented at the level of the senior team.

The purpose of the centre is to help bridge the gap between youth cricket and international cricket. To that end, 15 young cricketers between the ages of 19 and 27 have been selected to spend three months at the centre, where they will be exposed to state-of-the-art training facilities, coaching techniques, equipment, education and sports science.Players selected for the high performance centre: Shamarh Brooks, Jason Holder, Shane Dowrich, Kyle Corbin, Kevin McClean, Brandon Bess, Ravindra Chandrika, Veerasammy Permaul, Nkrumah Bonner, Andre Creary, Kieran Powell, Devon Thomas, Shannon Gabriel, Keron Cottoy, Delorn Johnson.Management Team: Toby Radford (Director and head coach), Andre Coley (Assistant coach), William Bourne (Spin specialist coach), Shannon Lashley (Strength and conditioning coach), Courtney Browne (Wicketkeeping coach), Roddy Estwick (Fast bowling coach) Simon Grayson (Performance coach), Jacqueline King-Mowatt (Physiotherapist), Jessica Reid (Administrative assistant).