Sourav Ganguly is likely to miss India’s warm-up match against West Indies after injuring his ankle at net practice the day before.The team management may not wish to take a risk and play a half-fit Ganguly whenIndia is scheduled to play its first match of World Cup – against Bangladesh in Trinidad – in less than ten days time.India play West Indies in their second warm-up match today at the Trelawny Stadium in Jamaica.Meanwhile India’s other opener, Virender Sehwag, has said that the backing he received from Rahul Dravid to be included in the World Cup squad was a huge morale booster and he would like to repay the captain’s faith in him by scoring plenty of runs in the tournament.”I now want to justify the faith in me and live up to the expectations,” Sehwag was reported as saying in AFP. “I was confident of staging a comeback and the time I spent away from international cricket helped me get my focus back.”Earlier Dilip Vengsarkar, the chairman of selectors, had said that Sehwag had been selected on Dravid’s insistence. “When I was leading India, I never got the team I wanted and I didn’t want Rahul to go through the same,” Vengsarkar had said. “He insisted on having Sehwag and that made the difference.”Sehwag was included despite scoring just 273 runs in 15 one-day games, including an unimpressive 19 off 23 balls against Sri Lanka a day before the squad was picked on February 12.However he appeared to regain form with an aggressive 46 in the final match against Sri Lanka five days later. “I’m quite happy with my form now. It’s getting better and better with every session in the nets. I want to stay longer at the crease.”
This visit to Swaziland was certainly the most successive and promising one. Besides the Introductory Coaching Course for beginners, the Marketing and Promotion Supper for would be sponsors and other interested people proved very rewarding.The +/- 12 hour course for the 30 teachers from primary and secondary schools in the Manzini region the first formal coaching course proved beyond doubt that this was long overdue. The teachers were very enthusiastic, committed and went the extra mile during the practical sessions. Certificates for attendance were handed to the Swaziland Cricket Association. Mr. Fuad Waggie assisted the RDM in delivering the course.Soft ball cricket equipment was handed over to the SCA to be distributed to the various schools.Cricket manuals and posters were given to the secretary general.A number of well wishers and sponsors attended the marketing and promotion supper arranged by the SCA and the ICC Africa Office.The main aim was to raise money for the New Year, and make the public aware of the SCA’s Strategic Plans for the future and also to inform the gathering of the Africa Development Program. Much money was raised.A member from the National Sports Council and the Swaziland Schools Sports Association was present and very impressed with the proceedings.Judging from the attendance at the Introductory Coaching Course, talks with various people and the Marketing and Promotion supper one can safely say that Swaziland cricket is on the move.
Stuart MacGill, the No. 11 batting hero for New South Wales in the Pura Cup final, would be devastated if he missed the Ashes Tour after his best season. MacGill hit the winning runs against Queensland on Sunday to conclude a close final and a stunning summer.”I think I have done everything I possibly can to be selected for any winter tour,” MacGill told the Daily Telegraph. “If they drew up a set of selection criteria I would be very interested to see where I let myself down.”MacGill claimed 54 Pura Cup wickets for New South Wales, breaking Bill O’Reilly’s 65-year-old state record, and also helped bowl Australia to victory against Pakistan in the third Test in January. “I’ve played in a winning state side, I’ve played in a winning Test match side and every time I’ve got the ball I’ve done what I could," he said.A county bowler for a couple of seasons, MacGill believes his England experience is a big plus for selection as back-up to Shane Warne. “I’ve played on most of the grounds and come across most of their players, including a lot of the players the Australians have not played before,” he said.MacGill said before the Pura Cup final that he was considering a move to Queensland, but the one-wicket victory changed his mind. “Barring injury, I think you will probably see me here until I can’t walk any more,” he said.
Heath Streak, Zimbabwe’s captain, believes one-day internationals should consider new rules and fresh ideas to maximise its interest and appeal.Talking ahead of Zimbabwe’s opening game of the VB Series against Australia at Sydney on Sunday, Streak said: “One-day cricket is a fantastic advert for the game, but there is a risk that unless a tight finish is involved, the game can be predictable for players and fans.”Spectators now have dozens of sports and entertainment to choose from on their TV screens, so cricket has to find a way of holding its own in a crowded market.”Streak had a few ideas of his own on how to shake things up a bit. “For example, as a captain, I’d support the idea of being able to change the current fielding restrictions from the first 15 overs of a match, when you have to have two catchers and only two fielders outside of the circle.”If I could use the 15 overs in blocks of, say, five overs each, it would allow me to experiment more with my bowlers and have new options to try in the field. That might help change the quiet period you often get in games between overs 16 and 40.”He also suggested the introduction of international Twenty20 cricket, the 20-over format introduced in England last season. “We saw the instant impact that Twenty20 cricket had in England when we toured there in the last northern summer,” he said. “Perhaps the ICC could experiment with an international version of Twenty20, which I think would pull in spectators and be an attractive formula for telecasters.”Streak, who has played 172 one-dayers for Zimbabwe, warned that the game needs to keep coming up with new ideas. “With 11 countries playing limited-overs internationals there is plenty of scope to experiment with some fresh thinking,” he said. “Cricket needs to find a way of keeping itself attractive and interesting. Test cricket should always be there as the purest form of the game, but one-day internationals provide the perfect opportunity for some creative thinking.”
Steve Waugh admitted it would be almost impossible to improve on his day at Sydney, after completing his 29th Test century off the last ball of the day. to equal the late Sir Donald Bradman’s record.The innings, which seled Australia’s recovery in the final Ashes Test against England, was greeted with a standing ovation from both the sell-out SCG crowd and the England players.On his home ground, Waugh also became the third man in history, after Sunil Gavaskar and Allan Border, to pass 10,000 Test runs.”I don’t think it gets any better than that,” Waugh admitted. “To get a hundred off the last ball in front of your home crowd and playing the way I did today was fantastic.”For me it felt very much like my first Test hundred at Headingley in 1989, the way I saw the ball and hit everything into the gaps. I just wish I had more days like that than the bad days, it was almost the perfect day.”The shot had to be played off the last ball, I wasn’t really sure where it was going to be. The adrenalin was almost overwhelming and overpowering, but I felt that I had to get the hundred tonight.”I think it would have been a disappointment for the crowd and myself if I hadn’t and I might not have slept very well tonight. I just went along with the flow of the last couple of overs, I felt it was my day and it was meant to happen.”Waugh, who knows that his place is not guaranteed after the end of this series, is considering extending his career after playing so well today.”I’ve certainly enjoyed the way I’ve been playing in the last three or four innings. I feel as if I’m playing now the way I played when I was 19 years old, going out and having fun and just playing shots and it’s certainly a temptation to go on and have a bit of time playing like that.”You just have to assess things after the game and I’m not sure what’s going to happen. I’ve always said I want to carry on playing the game as long as I think I can improve and you’ve always got to aim for that perfect innings – it may never happen but it’s something I’ve always worked for and today was pretty close to as good as I can play.”Waugh insisted that he will have no trouble resuming his innings tomorrow despite this evening’s emotion.”You come back down to earth by looking at the match situation and we’re 50-50 at best at the moment. England still have their noses in front. It’s going to be a very difficult wicket to bat on last, it’s starting to break up now, and it will be hard to score 150 to win the game.”We’ve got to get up towards England’s first-innings total and try and get a lead and if we don’t we’ll have to bowl England out pretty cheaply to win the match.”England’s Alec Stewart, who is two years Waugh’s senior, was amongst the first to pay tribute after passing a milestone of his own earlier in the day, moving above Geoff Boycott as the third-highest England run-scorer after reaching 37 during his innings of 71. Only Graham Gooch and David Gower lie ahead of him.”I thought it was fantastic,” Stewart enthused. “People have been writing the fellow off, but today he showed what he’s been showing for 15 years. The bloke’s a cricketing legend in my opinion, and that today was the icing on the cake.”He’s a quality player, a quality person, and to do it on his home ground was perfect for him. He’s a fantastic cricketer. When you get to a certain age people want to write you off, but he’ll go on his own terms.”The Australian selectors will be picking a squad for the West Indies, and if they pick their best side he’ll go there as captain.”Stewart, 39, also indicated that he has no immediate plans to retire after his sparkling knock.”People have written me off,” Stewart added. “But you have personal pride and you go out there and do your best. That’s why we play and hopefully why I can keep playing.””When you play as long as you have you are going to go past certain people. But when you’re in the company of your Gooches and Gowers and Boycotts then it means you must be a pretty good player.”
Test cricket is a fascinating affair and this test match is ample proof. Pakistan players must have made some serious pledges last night but within 45 minutes of this morning’s play, they looked in a sorry state. It’s easy to talk a good game but damn difficult when you come to execute it. Plan must have been to restrict English batsmen’s free scoring for the first 18 overs and then declare an all out war with the second new ball.Saqlain sent down only three overs in the morning and fell well short of requirements. Waqar too, was unsuccessful from the other end even though the ball was reverse swinging. In forty-five minutes Pakistan used up five bowlers and the plan by this time was in tatters.
In the meantime, Thorpe and Vaughan had completed their well-deserved centuries. Thorpe in rich vein of form was at times almost making fun of Pakistan bowlers and Vaughan once again was composed and ready to pounce on any gift the Pakistani’s offered him. Despite all of this, Pakistan was given a tremendous reprieve. Thorpe blocked a ball from Wasim and set-off for a run which was insane. Wasim pounced on the ball in his follow-through and threw down the stumps in an instant. From then onwards it was an inspired performance from Pakistan bowlers.Wasim and Waqar remained aggressive throughout the day. They bowled their hearts out for the Pakistan team. Five years ago, with this kind of effort, they would have sentenced any team in the world to the dungeons.Post lunch session was always going to be crucial. Stewart is at his best on a pitch like this. Waqar had earlier out-thought Vaughan with a cleverly disguised bouncer and after only fifteen overs the ‘new’ ball had started to reverse swing. Wasim looked at his most offensive in this series and deserved much better figures in the end. Anyway, his spell must have inspired Razzaq who at last, bowled a tight and searching line.
They say, ‘never run on a misfield’! Ian Ward did just that, paying no heed to this saying and was run out by an alert Azhar Mahmood. At this time, England was surely destined for a total of above 500 runs. You can say Razzaq’s spell was commendable. But Stewart played a leading hand in conceding a first innings lead to Pakistan. Inexplicably, he kept exposing his lower order batsmen to the rampant Pakistan bowlers who gleefully accepted such gentle offerings. Pakistan was thus able to bowl England out with considerable ease.
Saeed and Razzaq started off the Pakistan innings at a brisk pace but the left-hander was decidedly uneasy against Darren Gough and the tough demand confronting him as the senior opener. I’d admit anytime, I was a player of limited ability but with plenty of resolution and often wish I had the natural ability of players like Saeed Anwar. It really irks me when they concede to the opposition so tamely. Gough peppered Saeed with a few rising deliveries which was nothing out of the ordinary. Saeed coped with this barrage miserably and did not seem to be on the same planet as rest of his team. At the end, his demise though expected was degrading. He guided a simple catch to Thorpe at about fifth slip and walked off the pitch mighty relieved. Pakistan players and Caddick had been at loggerheads this entire match and more words were exchanged when he got in to bat earlier. Perhaps upset or unnerved by it when he came on to bowl in the second innings, he was hit around by Razzaq and taken off quickly. Darren Gough, I am afraid is made of other stuff. He came charging in and relaying a message that we are not down and out in this game. I simply admire his spirit.Razzaq buoyed up by his productive bowling spell was eager to get on top of the England bowling. His on drives off Caddick were immaculate and a six over mid-wicket was of some caliber. He is predominantly a front foot player and must learn to deal with or avoid a short-pitched ball. You are playing with fire if you decide to hook and pull and your feet are not in perfect position to execute this most difficult stroke. Hoggard, aided by his senior bowlers, preyed on Razzaq’s lack of understanding.Faisal, I am afraid was incessantly peppered with short balls. He was full of resolution but at international level this is not enough. By persisting with this formula Caddick was able to send Faisal packing to the pavilion. This boy does need to learn how to cope with short balls as well if he wants to bat high in the order.Inzamam & Youhana played for the end of the third day’s play. Although they were intact at the end but with two days remaining, there is a lot left to play for in this test match. While England are striving hard to gain firm footing, Waqar and his men have to play very poorly to lose this initiative. Let us hope they don’t lose any ground and resolve to go for a win.
Ed:Mudassar Nazar is a veteran of 76 tests and 122 ODIs. He is currently the chief coach of Pakistan’s National and Regional Cricket Academies. In view of the overwhelming interest of users in CricInfo’s articles, we have invited him to write for us.
Regis Le Bris no longer has his entire Sunderland camp to select from, with six figures from his energetic Black Cats squad now out of action at the African Cup of Nations.
While this will surely frustrate the Frenchman, it also presents an opportunity to those on the fringes to stake a claim for a starting space, as a much-changed Sunderland starting XI took to the field against Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday.
Unfortunately, the visitors’ performance at the Amex was largely flat, with the game ending in a drab 0-0 draw.
Consequently, various Sunderland away shirts trudged off at the end unsatisfied with their efforts, even if they held onto fifth spot in the Premier League with a share of the points.
Notable Sunderland underperformers vs Brighton
The natural place to start here is with the personnel who were handed chances to impress by Le Bris, in the wake of the Black Cats’ starting lineup being decimated by AFCON.
In all fairness, Trai Hume would come back into the main XI – with Reinildo on international duty with Mozambique – and look lively from minute one, with the Northern Irishman putting in a battling shift from the left-back spot throughout, as seen in him winning a memorable seven tackles and ten duels, per Sofascore.
The same can’t be said for Simon Adingra, on the flip side, with the Ivorian looking rusty on what was his first league start for the Wearside warriors since October. Indeed, from his hour on the pitch, the forgotten number 24 failed to really strike fear into his former employers at the back, with zero accurate crosses and zero successful dribbles next to his name.
Moreover, Brian Brobbey – who has now led the line for Le Bris and Co. two league matches on the spin – faded in and out of the dull contest far too much, with only one on-target effort registered, before Wilson Isidor came on and looked equally timid on the South Coast.
Thankfully, to counteract the weak performance up top, Sunderland look well-drilled at the back once more, as the aforementioned Roefs collected another clean sheet.
Still, that won’t completely lessen the worry on Le Bris’ shoulders regarding this shaky performance from another one of his attackers, who even mustered up fewer touches than the standout Dutch goalkeeper come the full-time whistle.
Le Bris must now drop this Sunderland star
On another day, Sunderland could well have come away from the stalemate on the South Coast three points better off, with Bart Verbruggen making a crucial six saves in total for the hosts.
Chris Rigg would fire two shots of his own at the 23-year-old’s well-protected goal, with the homegrown Stadium of Light prodigy eager to impress, having been thrown into the main lineup in place of an absent Bertrand Traore.
Rigg’s performance in numbers
Stat
Rigg
Minutes played
64
Goals scored
0
Assists
0
Touches
28
Shots
2
Accurate passes
9/19 (47%)
Possession lost
13x
Accurate crosses
0
Successful dribbles
0
Stats by Sofascore
The table above doesn’t make for the most compelling argument, however, regarding the 18-year-old gaining more starts as Le Bris comes to terms with the amount of selection dilemmas he has to address, with the ropey number 11 only managing to make nine accurate passes all afternoon long, from his minimal 28 touches of the ball.
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As also stated above, that’s less than Roefs amassed, who came away from the even affair with a weightier 48 touches, having also had to stay alert with four saves accumulated.
Looking back at the lack of action, it really was a game where both defences shone, away from both attacks just severely struggling, with Rigg also coming away from the 0-0 draw with zero attempted crosses or zero attempted dribbles, meaning the Black Cats very rarely troubled Fabian Hurzeler’s men on the right flank.
The teenager was a breakout sensation last campaign under Le Bris, with analyst Ben Mattinson even dubbing him “one of the best talents in the Championship” when collecting four goals and one assist during his team’s dramatic promotion story. But it’s clear that he isn’t quite cut out for the bright lights of the Premier League as a starter, just yet.
He will be handed more opportunities to impress, though, with Traore out in Morocco for the latest instalment of AFCON, as the Frenchman now scrambles for more options he can rely on down the right wing, rather just solely relying on the youngster to come good.
Sunderland flop is fast becoming their biggest waste of money since Ndong
Regis Le Bris will have a lot of Sunderland selection issues to come to terms with during the African Cup of Nations.
Three days of cricket saw Gujarat and Baroda flexing their battingmuscles in the West Zone Under-14 Tournament at the Sardar PatelGujarat Stadium, Motera, Ahmedabad. The match ended as a draw onSaturday with Gujarat taking five points to Baroda’s three.Electing to bat after winning the toss on Friday, Baroda batsmen heldthe centre stage for the best part of a day and half to declare at428/8 in 132.4 overs. Mrunal Pandey with 4/93 excelled with the ballas the Baroda kids had a good time with the bat. Two of them got totheir hundreds. Captain Aditya Bochare made 132 and Priyank Barnda139. Opening the innings, Bochare was in punishing form smashing theball for 20 fours in his 151 ball innings that lasted for a littleless than 3 hours. Barnda played a sedate innings facing 295 balls ina little over five and half hours, striking the ball for 3 sixes and 9fours. Barnda added 149 for the sixth wicket with Sahil Patel who madean unbeaten 75 off 133 balls hitting 7 foursIt must have been a brave declaration by Baroda captain Bochare. Withthe all important first innings lead at stake, Gujarat went about withtheir batting with consummate ease. Three centuries were scored asGujarat made 482/6 in 167 overs at the close of match. Sunny Patel andMrunal Patel put on 149 for the second wicket. Sunny made 110 off 149balls hitting 12 fours. Mrunal was more in a compiling mood as he made178 in 490 balls. He struck 23 boundaries in his eight hours and 49mintues long innings. He was also involved in a partnership of 179 forthe sixth wicket with Kuldeep Gadhvi who made an impressive 111 offjust 142 balls. Gadhvi struck 18 boundaries as he along with Mrunalpushed the Gujarat first innings past Baroda’s.
Chris Rogers is one step closer to a dream international debut on his home ground after he was added to Australia’s squad for the WACA Test as cover for Matthew Hayden, who has a hamstring injury. Hayden trained with his team-mates in Perth on Sunday but doubts remain over his ability to recover in time for the Test, which begins on Wednesday.If his right hamstring does not heal it will end a streak of 86 consecutive Tests – Hayden has not missed a game since March 2000, which puts him seventh on the all-time list. It would also give Australia one of their least experienced opening pairs in recent memory with the uncapped Rogers set to join Phil Jaques, who himself has only just established his place in the side.Alex Kountouris, the team physio, is doing what he can to get Hayden ready for match day and Michael Clarke believes Rogers, 30, might have to wait for his Test debut. “It’s a fantastic opportunity for Chris Rogers to come into the squad and prepare like he’s going to play,” Clarke said.”But the type of guy Haydos is you’d have to chop his leg off to not see him out there this game. With Alex’s magic and Haydos’ discipline and the type of person he is I’m pretty confident we’ll get to see Matty Hayden out there.”Kountouris said it was still far too early to make a call on Hayden. “Matthew has taken part in training today,” Kountouris said. “We will continue with the program on his hamstring and make a decision about Matthew’s fitness and availability much closer to game time.”Like Hayden and Jaques, Rogers is a left-hander, and he would come to Test cricket with more than 8000 first-class runs to his name. He was named State Player of the Year for last season after posting 1202 runs at 70.70 for Western Australia, and he would have some idea of the opposition attack after making 60 against the Indians in the recent tour match in Canberra.Australia also have a decision to make at the other end of their order, with Shaun Tait trying to impress the selectors at training as they consider leaving out Brad Hogg and using a four-man pace attack. Tait was a standout at the World Cup last year and is hoping to add to his two Test caps, both of which came on Australia’s doomed Ashes tour in 2005.”He looks like he’s bowling pretty quick and swinging the ball away,” Clarke said. “It’s going to be tough for the selectors because if they’re talking about Hoggy not playing, his form in the last game was fantastic with bat and ball. He might have been disappointed not to pick up that many wickets in the second innings but I thought Hoggy did a great job and I think Taity is itching to get his opportunity.”
Tropical Cyclone Favio has hit the eastern highlands town of Mutare, Zimbabwe and has made it virtually impossible to hold cricket matches. Cyclone Favio killed at least 10 people, injured 70 and left tens of thousands homeless in central and southern Mozambique in the past week.Manicaland provincial manager Samuel Mutsutsururu said: “The cyclone is wrecking havoc on our match schedule and on the pitches. Every time we take to the field it starts pouring, so for the time being our cricket league is on hold, as soon as the weather clears we hope to get back on track.”Matches have continued smoothly in Bulawayo. In the latest round of the Metropolitan League, Zimbabwean allrounder Gregory Strydom clubbed a massive 177 as Queens Sports Club 259 all out (36.4 overs) beat Bulawayo Athletic Club 240 (40 overs) by 19 runs on Saturday. Gavin Ewing top scored for BAC with a well-crafted 53 and Charles Coventry made 39.