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George Bailey and Nathan Lyon have won Australian ODI call-ups while Brad Haddin is a confirmed West Indies tourist after the national selectors unveiled their squads

Brydon Coverdale and Daniel Brettig29-Feb-2012George Bailey and Nathan Lyon will both be in contention for one-day international debuts after being named in Australia’s squad for the tour of the West Indies. The selectors announced a 16-man group for the five ODIs that begin the tour in mid-March and a 13-man squad for the two T20s that follow.The wicketkeeper Brad Haddin was named in the one-day squad as the backup for the new limited-overs No.1 Matthew Wade. The inclusions of Haddin, Bailey and Lyon were the major changes from the squad taking part in the final stages of the Commonwealth Bank Series, and there was no room in the attack for Ryan Harris or Mitchell Starc.As the national Twenty20 captain, Bailey was due to tour for two matches, but he will now take on the mantle of reserve ODI batsman. His selection came after a Man-of-the-Match performance in the Ryobi Cup final, when his captain’s hundred narrowly failed to earn Tasmania the title, and the national selector John Inverarity said Bailey would also be in contention for a place in the Test squad.”In the final and the other Ryobi Cup games and in the Sheffield Shield, he’s probably in the form of his life,” Inverarity said. “Post him being in the T20 side, whatever’s happened there seemed to have been a real boost to his confidence. He’s playing exceptionally well at the moment and very much deserves his opportunity in that side.”We realise that some time in the next year or two or whenever, we won’t have Ricky Ponting and Mike Hussey in the Test team. So what we’re trying to do is develop players for both forms but not least for Test cricket. We had that very much in mind with Peter Forrest … That door is open for George also, to play in the one-dayers and see how he goes and he’s certainly right up there as one of the players we might be looking to for the future.”While Bailey’s Test chances remain in the hands of the selectors, Lyon will certainly be part of Australia’s squad in all three formats. Although he has played 10 Tests and is yet to make his one-day or T20 debut for Australia, it was in the shortest format that Lyon first made his name for South Australia last summer, and he is well qualified for a position alongside Xavier Doherty in the squad.Australia squad for West Indies tour

ODI squad Michael Clarke (capt), Shane Watson, Dan Christian, Xavier Doherty, Peter Forrest, Ben Hilfenhaus, David Hussey, Michael Hussey, Brett Lee, Clint McKay, James Pattinson, Matthew Wade (wk), David Warner

Twenty20 squad George Bailey (capt), Shane Watson, Daniel Christian, Xavier Doherty, Peter Forrest, David Hussey, Michael Hussey, Brett Lee, Nathan Lyon, Clint McKay, James Pattinson, Matthew Wade (wk), David Warner

“Nathan Lyon caught the eye of the cricket community and the national selectors because of his performances in T20,” Inverarity said. “That’s where he first caught the eye. He was selected as a fine offspin bowler by the previous panel and that was a very good selection that they made. Towards the end of the [India] Test series he had a sore quad, so essentially he didn’t come to mind as a possible selection [for the T20s or CB Series].”There was no room for Brad Hogg, who came out of international retirement in Australia’s T20s against India earlier this month, but Inverarity said that was a pre-planned selection to allow Lyon some limited-overs exposure. He said it was likely Australia would take Hogg, Doherty and Lyon to Sri Lanka for the ICC World Twenty20 later this year as a diverse three-man spin attack.Michael Hussey has been recalled to the T20 squad after resting from the two matches against India, and having not played for Australia in the format in nearly two years. Forrest was also named in the T20 squad but Inverarity made it clear he was a backup batsman only, and was not considered part of Australia’s best batting line-up in the format.Aaron Finch and Travis Birt have also found themselves out of Australia’s preferred T20 side and face a challenge to force their way into contention for the World Twenty20 in September. And while the left-arm fast bowler Starc was not officially included, Inverarity said he would travel with the squad and work with the bowling coach Craig McDermott as a learning opportunity.”Mitchell Starc has not been selected as a member of this squad,” he said. “However, Mitchell will travel with this group as a further development opportunity and spend valuable time around the Australian squad in the West Indies.”

Richard Levi is looking forward to enhancing his reputation as a big-hitter with the IPL

Tariq Engineer12-Mar-2012When Richard Levi’s name was called out at the IPL auction in February, there was silence. Despite a base price of just $50,000, there were no takers for the 24-year-old South African. But all that changed a little over two weeks later, after Levi bludgeoned his way into the record books for South Africa against New Zealand in Hamilton. He hit 13 sixes – the most ever in a Twenty20 innings – on his way to a hundred from 45 balls, also a record for men’s cricket. He would finish with an unbeaten 117 from 51 balls in just his second international innings. It was an assault so brutal that South Africa’s run-rate rarely dropped below 10 after the first over.Levi said he wasn’t disappointed at not being picked in the auction because he only had “one or two good seasons of Twenty20″. In fact, he was surprised he made it to the final auction list at all. Following his assault on the hapless New Zealand bowlers though, it was no surprise that he became a hot commodity, with Mumbai Indians and Pune Warriors, the two teams with vacant spots in their squad, chasing his signature. In the end, he opted for Mumbai Indians and the chance to open the batting with Sachin Tendulkar.”I think it is going to be amazing,” Levi told ESPNcricinfo. “They [the crowd] won’t be cheering for me, they will be cheering for their ‘little master’, but I think it’s going to be amazing … I think the first time I do it, it could be a bit of a shock. I might have big eyes and that sort of stuff but it is going to be amazing to walk out and see a crowd that passionate and wanting you to do well.”Mumbai Indians have struggled to find an opening partner for Tendulkar in the IPL, with a number of contenders being rotated in and out of the side over the past four years. The potential impact of a destructive opener was plain to see in 2011, when Chris Gayle almost single-handedly turned Royal Challengers Bangalore’s season around and marched them into the finals. It was one of Gayle’s specials in the second play-off game that knocked Mumbai out of the tournament as well.Levi’s hundred drew comparisons to Gayle and he is confident he can be the attacking opener his team needs. The key, he said, will be how fast he can adapt to playing in Indian conditions, though he already has an edge in that regard, having played in last year’s Champions League Twenty20 with the Cape Cobras. That event taught Levi to be more patient on wickets that are slower than the ones in South Africa and where the ball doesn’t bounce as much. Leaning how to train in hot conditions and managing his body for the rigours of the seven-week tournament will also be crucial to his chances of succeeding in the IPL.”I spoke to a couple of guys [in the South African team] and they said if you can master [Indian] conditions, you can play anywhere in the world.”Levi has always had the ability to hit the ball a long way and said none of his coaches through the years have ever tried to change the way he played. “In the longer format of the game you are told ‘don’t be stupid’ and that sort of stuff,” he said. “In Twenty20 and the one-day game, you can get away with it. But in general, it has just been you have got to where you are playing the way you have. You need to refine it, but don’t lose it.”He credits his Cobras coach Richard Pybus in particular with helping him develop a clearer understanding of his strengths and weakness, while his Cobras team-mate Owais Shah has been another positive influence on his development as batsman. As a result, Levi went from averaging below 30 in the 2009-10 season in first-class cricket to over 50 in 2010-11. His List A average in 2011-12 was 49.44.”You are not going to score a 100 over 40 balls very time in T20 cricket,” Levi said. “The trick is to keep everything as simple as possible and play to your strengths and just watch the ball.”Anybody who watched Levi that day in Hamilton would have left with indelible memories of an astonishing innings. Yet the man himself remembers little from the innings that put him on the international map and led to high-profile IPL contract. There are memories of his captain, AB de Villiers, standing at the other end and clapping and he remembers getting to personal milestones, but not much else.”I watched the highlights once or twice and I still don’t believe some of the shots I played,” Levi said. “They were a bit messy and a bit freakish at times. Luckily, they came off on that day and I kept going and the ball kept landing over the ropes.”If he can keep sending the ball over the ropes in the IPL, Mumbai Indians aren’t going to mind if he can’t remember doing so.

Mitchell Johnson, the Australia allrounder, has been ruled out of this year’s IPL as he has not yet recovered from surgery on his big toe

Tariq Engineer28-Apr-2012Mitchell Johnson, the Australia allrounder, has been ruled out of this year’s IPL as he has not yet recovered from a surgery on his big toe. Johnson had been bought by Mumbai Indians for $300,000 in the February player auction. A team spokesperson confirmed his unavailability.Johnson picked up his injury while batting in the second Test at the Wanderers in South Africa last November. He was diagnosed with a severe injury to his ligaments, commonly referred to as ‘turf toe’. At the time, Cricket Australia doctor Trefor James said Johnson’s injury was so severe that surgery was clearly the best option and that he expected Johnson to be out for five or six months.Mumbai Indians have had a few injury problems already this season. Sachin Tendulkar missed a number of games with an injured finger, while Sri Lanka fast bowler Lasith Malinga flew home for treatment for a sore back. The team has struggled after getting off to a good start. They have lost three of their last four games after winning three of their first four, and are currently in seventh place on the points table after eight games.While Johnson will miss the IPL, he was signed by Durham earlier this month to be their second overseas player for the 2012 Friends Life t20 competition. He is also expected to be fit for Australia’s limited-overs tour of England that begins in mid-June.

Jerome Taylor, the West Indies fast bowler, has hit out WICB over claims he has not stuck to his rehab programmes

Nagraj Gollapudi27-May-2012Jerome Taylor, the West Indies fast bowler who has been overlooked on fitness grounds for the tour of England, has hit back at allegations by the WICB chief executive Ernest Hiliare that he has failed to commit to rehabilitation programmes put in place in the past two years to quicken his return to the Test side.Hilaire questioned Taylor’s commitment as a professional cricketer during a visit to the first Test at Lord’s, saying he was very “difficult” to deal with during the various rehabilitation progammes in the last two years.But Taylor has told ESPNcricinfo that on his home island of Jamaica nobody had ever seen fit to question his commitment and that he was “disgruntled” at the West Indies board’s policy of making demands on him that applied to no other players and that these demands had stalled his comeback to international cricket.Hilaire was critical of Taylor’s indifference towards the WICB medical programmes on Sky TV. “I know, for example, Jerome was on contract, he was injured, he was put on a programme,” he said. “It was exceedingly difficult to get him to commit to the programme and to apply himself, to even get him to go to Kingston to get his medical check-ups and to do what had to be done.”He was in that programme supervised by Jimmy Adams. And there were a lot of difficulties with Jerome. He came back, got injured again, and he was put on another programme. And he was asked to play an entire series of the first-class season to demonstrate that he was fit.”He took a break, went to Jamaica to a funeral came back and got injured. He was put on a programme. Next thing we heard he was in the IPL. Since then he has not played for Jamaica nor has he played in the IPL this year. There is only so much you can do. You have a player, you are providing for him to be on the medical programme, you are providing for him to be in that rehabilitation programme and he doesn’t commit himself to it as a professional.”Taylor, who has had differences with the board over communication about his injury, dismissed Hiliaire’s remarks. “I have no idea what Mr Hilaire is actually saying,” he said. “Basically I do not know where he is getting his information from. As far as commitment is concerned towards cricket I don’t think my efforts can ever be questioned. If you ask anybody in Jamaica, where I have played my cricket, they will tell you I am somebody who has always shown commitment towards cricket and my development.”He also said he has completely recovered from the back injury, having travelled to the USA where a combination of strength training, acupuncture and deep tissue massage were part of his recovery process.”Everything is feeling all right. I am just going through the paces, taking my time not to rush back to anything but also making sure no stone is left uncovered,” he said. According to Taylor, the WICB has not been in touch for the past 18 months except for speaking recently with the Jamaica Cricket Association president: “Nobody from the WICB has been in contact with me recently. The only person I have been in touch with was the JCA president.”Letter sent by Jerome Taylor to the WICB on June 30, 2011

Dear Mr. Howard,

I am seeking some clarification as to my eligibility for selection to the West Indies cricket team. Since I have received no official word from the WICB and have only seen what is written in the press, I am writing to you as Director of Cricket to see if you can shed some light on the situation for me.

I refer to the WICB press release dated May 29th 2011 which was made available to the press at the same time that the squads for the Digicel Pearls T20 and the first two ODI’s were announced. The selection notes at the foot of the release, note number five in fact, states that the selectors are of the view that I am required to play a full season of regional cricket in order to prove my fitness to perform adequately at the international level before I can be considered for selection. As it stands it appears that I will not be qualified to play for the West Indies for the rest of 2011 as there is no domestic cricket scheduled before the international commitments for the year are over.

I am a bit confused as to exactly why that is so as I played in the last regional tournament representing Jamaica until missing the last game through injury. There was no domestic cricket being played after my recovery but I have played other cricket and proved my fitness so I am asking for some clarification as to the policy of the West Indies Cricket Board regarding players returning from injury as it doesn’t seem as if the same thing applies to all players in the same situation.

I look forward to your early response.

Yours respectfully,

Jerome Taylor.

Taylor last played for West Indies in the home ODI series against South Africa in mid-2010 but a chronic spine injury resurfaced to sideline him once again. He did go on to play the IPL in 2011 season for Pune Warrirors but back spasms ended his chances of a quick comeback to the international fold.An attacking fast bowler, Taylor’s best spell came ironically against England in the first week of February in 2009 when he cut through the England batting order in the second innings in Jamaica with extreme pace and swing to roll out the visitors for 51, setting up a famous innings victory. West Indies have managed to secure just two Test victories since that success.A year ago, the WICB excluded Taylor from their limited-overs squads against India and announced that the selectors wanted him to prove his fitness during the first-class competition and then fulfill an entire season of four-day cricket to be eligible for a return to Test cricket.”The selection committee is of the view that Jerome Taylor is required to play a full season of regional cricket in order to prove his fitness to compete adequately at the international level before being considered for selection,” the release said.Michael Holding, the former West Indies fast bowler, argues that this stipulation was unfair to a youngster like Taylor. “I don’t care if Jerome Taylor wasn’t committed to the rehab program or if he even had a broken leg and couldn’t play,” he said. “I am dealing with the principle of dealing with a young man in his twenties and putting stipulations in place which will basically rule him out for at least 18 months and possibly more.”Holding also accused Hilaire of feigning ignorance about Taylor playing the IPL as it was mandatory for any player to get an No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the home board. “He had to get that from the WICB. Is there some other phantom WICB that gave him the NOC?” he said.According to Taylor he is “currently” not injured and is working in his native St Elizabeth in Jamaica, training at the St Elizabeth Technical School with the senior coach there. “I am not injured. I am working hard on my fitness along with the coach and we are making sure everything is sorted in due time,” he said.Taylor said making a comeback will not be difficult, but that he failed to understand why only he has been asked to pass stringent, long-term fitness standards before being reconsidered for selection.”I have never seen any other player who has to play a full season, which to me I think is unfair,” he said. “That is the only thing that has me disgruntled somewhat because if you are going to have to some criteria for returning to cricket, then let it be the criteria for all and not only for me. To me it is unclear why I have to play a full season. It makes no sense.”Taylor sent a letter (see sidebar) on June 30 last year to Tony Howard, the WICB cricket manager, “seeking some clarification as to my eligibility for selection to the West Indies cricket team.” Though he got a call from a WICB official, who said the board would like Taylor to meet the national selectors, Taylor’s response was why no on would reply to him in writing.Taylor, 27, has not ruled out taking the new ball for West Indies again. But for that to happen both him and WICB have to sit down and talk. He added he was certain what exactly he needed to do to get back in favour with the WICB.”What is happening now is not in my control,” he said. “Since I have to play a full season for the comeback and if that is the criteria I have no grouse about it and I wouldn’t want to get into a quarrel or argument with anyone. The only thing I can do is to make sure I do what I have to do, make sure that I get myself in a position where I am ready when they are ready to pick me.”At the same time Taylor, whose contract was bought out by Pune Warriors for the fifth IPL season, does not just want to sit idle.”I am not going to sit around and wait, just carry on with life serenely. I want to play some cricket. Cricket is happening around the world.”If West Indies are not interested, perhaps the life of a Twenty20 itinerant awaits.

When Rahul Dravid was asked at the toss to name the changes to his line-up, he paused for a few seconds before giving up trying to recollect the second spinner. Ajit Chandila ensured that his captain and the rest of the world weren’t going to forget his n

The Report by Kanishkaa Balachandran13-May-2012
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsAjit Chandila’s hat-trick was the first of IPL 2012 and all his victims were international batsmen•AFPWhen Rahul Dravid of Rajasthan Royals was asked at the toss to name the changes to his line-up, he paused for a few seconds before giving up trying to recollect the second spinner. Ajit Chandila ensured that his captain and the rest of the world weren’t going to forget his name. The little-known offspinner from Haryana responded with a hat-trick in only his second game, reducing Pune Warriors to a train wreck early in their chase of 171. Warriors extended their losing streak to eight – the worst in IPL history – while Royals stayed in the hunt for the playoffs.It proved a masterstroke by Dravid tossing the new ball to Chandila. Warriors didn’t know what to expect from the tall spinner, only two first-class matches old. With a run-up of barely a few steps, and a languid action to boot, Chandila tossed it up at such an agonisingly slow pace that it took an eternity for the ball to land. Jesse Ryder opted to hammer him out of the attack but ended up mis-hitting it to Shane Watson pedaling back at mid-on.Sourav Ganguly tried to nudge the next delivery but the ball dribbled back towards the wicketkeeper Shreevats Goswami who broke the stumps before Ganguly could ground his bat. Chandila struck with the first ball of his second over, drawing Robin Uthappa forward and beating him on the drive before Goswami whipped off the bails. Chandila’s split hat-trick was all the more glossy because the victims were international batsmen. It was the seventh hat-trick in IPL history and the first of this edition.Chandila had time to sneak in another wicket, off a simple caught and bowled to get rid of Anustup Majumdar, and finished with figures of 4 for 13. Warriors were tottering at 26 for 4, a position from which they never recovered from. Royals never allowed a partnership to get past 34, they conceded just 11 boundaries in the innings and lit up an otherwise drab phase after the hat-trick with a jaw-dropping fielding effort at the boundary by Johan Botha and Ajinkya Rahane to get rid of Rahul Sharma. Botha caught it at the edge of the rope at long-off and relayed it to an alert Rahane who claimed the catch.Royals batted Warriors out of the match thanks to half-centuries by Watson and Rahane. Ganguly returned to lead Warriors but he and his team-mates let themselves down with a flat performance in the field that allowed the Watson-Rahane partnership to flourish.The urgency in the running between the wickets picked up when the pair came together. Rahane in particular was impressive in his calling as he pushed the ball to the slower men in the deep, starting with Ganguly, and the few extra seconds they took to get to the ball cost Warriors extra runs.Watson biffed boundaries through his favoured on-side region. He began with a slog over midwicket off Bhuvneshwar Kumar, before pounding consecutive sixes off Murali Kartik, one of which was a full toss clubbed over the second tier at deep midwicket. As the pitch was on the slower side, Watson’s powerful bat-speed gave his shots more velocity. He punished the spinners with powerful pulls and drives, fetching two free boundaries via misfields. Steven Smith, known for his acrobatic saves at the boundary, overran the ball at deep midwicket, while Kartik too let one slip between his legs.Watson sped to his fifty with a clipped four to deep square leg and a six over deep midwicket off Jesse Ryder. However, he played all over a yorker from Ashish Nehra, leaving his team at a healthy 123 for 2 in the 15th over. Warriors were guilty of not bowling to their field, bowling half volleys on the pads with the fine leg up. Rahane proceeded towards his fifty with wristy clips and punches through the off side. His knock ensured that Royals didn’t lose their way after Watson’s departure. Minutes after the chase got underway, the game was all but won by Royals.

South Group leaders Sussex maintained their unbeaten record in this season’s Friends Life t20 with a dramatic four-wicket victory over nearest rivals Essex

28-Jun-2012
ScorecardJames Foster’s half-century was not enough to secure victory for Essex•Getty ImagesSouth Group leaders Sussex maintained their unbeaten record in this season’s Friends Life t20 with a dramatic four-wicket victory over nearest rivals Essex.Faced with a daunting run-chase after James Foster’s 65 not out led the Eagles to 177 for 4, Sussex got home in a thrilling finish with just one delivery to spare. When Ryan ten Doeschate began the final over, they still required 10 for victory, but Will Beer rose to the occasion by scoring nine from the first four balls, after which Ben Brown found a boundary to seal the win.The foundations for their success had been laid by openers Chris Nash and Luke Wright, who raised the 50 in the sixth over and took the total to 77 before the former, on 31, hit Reece Topley to James Franklin at long-on.Wright, with the help of three sixes and four fours, went on to make 46 from just 26 deliveries before Greg Smith held on at the boundary following another big hit.Matt Prior kept the momentum going with a 19-ball 35 that included two sixes among his five boundaries. Sussex required just 36 from the final five overs and, despite losing a couple of cheap wickets, managed to hold their nerve to get home.Essex were indebted to an outstanding captain’s innings from Foster, who struck five fours and four sixes during his 31-ball stay. The wicketkeeper-batsman’s dominance was best underlined by the fact big-hitting Adam Wheater contributed only five to their 65-run stand.Foster’s fireworks arrived after Graham Napier and ten Doeschate had threatened to tear the Sussex attack apart; both hit three fours and two sixes before falling without delivering substantial innings.Napier was first to go, caught by wicketkeeper Brown, who atoned for dropping a chance off the same batsman two overs earlier, for 32. Ten Doeschate was caught low down on the midwicket boundary for 39 and the Eagles were left rueing his and Napier’s failure to capitalise on fine starts.

Mignon du Preez will lead a 14-member South Africa squad at the ICC Women’s World Twenty20 in September

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Aug-2012Mignon du Preez will lead a 14-member South Africa squad at the ICC Women’s World Twenty20 in September. This will be South Africa women’s first experience of playing cricket in Sri Lanka.”Our captain, Mignon du Preez, has played a vital role in our preparations and is growing quickly in this leadership role,” Yashin Ebrahim, the coach of the team, said. “Her calm demeanour, both on and off the field, has gelled the squad.””She will be backed up by some fine individual performers such as her vice-captain, Trisha Chetty – who is one of the best wicketkeepers in the world and is also ranked among the top ten specialist batsmen – Shandre Fritz, who is our only player to have scored a century in this format and Sunette Loubser, last year’s SA Women’s Cricketer of the Year.”South Africa would hope to improve their dismal record in Twenty20 matches – three wins in 21 attempts. They have been placed in Group B along with New Zealand, West Indies and Sri Lanka. South Africa play hosts Sri Lanka in the opening match of the tournament on September 26 in Galle.South Africa squad: Mignon du Preez (capt), Trisha Chetty (vice-capt), Susan Benade, Dinesha Devnarain, Shandre Fritz, Alison Hodgkinson, Shabnim Ismail, Marizanne Kapp, Ayabonga Khaka, Marcia Letsoalo, Sunette Loubser, Sune Luus, Yolandi van der Westhuizen, Dane van Niekerk

The second Twenty20 international at Old Trafford was an exercise in futility as rain returned five balls before a result would have been achieved

The Report by Andrew McGlashan10-Sep-2012Match abandoned
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsHashim Amla continued his form through the summer into the second T20•Getty ImagesThe wettest of English summers has struck again. The second Twenty20 international at Old Trafford was an exercise in futility as rain, which had reduced the contest to nine overs per side, returned five balls before a result would have been achieved.South Africa were favourites at that stage, however difficult that is to call in such a small game, with England needing 13 off five balls to win on Duckworth/Lewis after Luke Wright had been caught at deep square-leg the ball before the heavens opened again. It had been a faltering chase of 78 with the top three struggling to score off Morne Morkel and Dale Steyn.Kieswetter had tried to swing at Morkel from the first ball, a difficult task at the best of times, and only found fresh air with his first four attempts. His innings was ended by a wonderful catch by Robin Peterson running backwards from mid-on and diving full length. It was almost the equal of Dan Christian’s stunner in Dubai a few days ago.South Africa’s innings had also included a screaming catch when Graeme Swann back-peddled off his own bowling and stuck out his right hand to remove JP Duminy. However, England dropped another and it was inevitably Hashim Amla who, once again, finished as top-scorer with 47 off 30 balls meaning he has achieved career-bests in all three formats on this tour. Amla had been recalled in place of Faf du Plessis for this match and adapted to the shorter-than-short format.Apart from Amla, it was a helter-skelter innings from South Africa, which began with Richard Levi gloving the first ball down the leg side against Steven Finn about two-and-a-half hours after he had been ready to start the game before the rain fell.AB de Villiers also fell to Finn, top-edging a pull to mid-on where Jade Dernbach juggled the catch before holding on falling backwards, but after the three overs of Powerplay South Africa had made good use of them to have 32 on the board. Interestingly, though, with an eye on future cricket at this ground, notably the Ashes Test next year, the pitch had regained some of its old pace and bounce with Finn and Stuart Broad – whose speeds have increased after his break – zipping the ball through.Out of the Powerplay, Swann produced a tight over which only conceded five singles, spearing his deliveries full at the batsmen to ensure they could only work them down the ground. This was followed by Wright’s first over which only went for four and included the wicket of Albie Morkel who skewed a catch to cover.On the whole England’s bowlers did well with only Broad proving really expensive as his second over – the penultimate of the innings -cost 18 and included a no-ball. Such lapses cannot be afforded in the World Twenty20.Also with thoughts moving towards the World T20, England made a significant decision when Ravi Bopara’s awful form finally cost him place and led to Wright’s inclusion. It was about the only call England could make after his horror run of 34 runs from the eight innings he has played since returning from personal problems after the first Test.Whether he now has a chance recapture any semblance of touch before the World T20 is a major doubt and England look like entering the tournament carrying one of their 15-man squad. England have one more match against South Africa, at Edgbaston on Wednesday, and a couple of warm-up matches, against Australia and Pakistan, in Sri Lanka before the tournament proper but Andy Flower and Broad may already have made up their minds. The only way a player can be replaced in a squad is through injury or illness.Wright, for his part, deserved his chance after a productive season for Sussex in both limited-overs formats. This was officially his first England match since June 2011 when he faced Sri Lanka in a T20 match at Bristol. Since then he has travelled the world playing franchise T20, making a name for himself in the Big Bash League especially where he scored a 44-ball hundred, and returned to Sussex a more rounded cricketer.Wright’s recall was the only change for England, who resisted tinkering further despite the heavy defeat at Chester-le-Street, with Danny Briggs, Michael Lumb and Tim Bresnan still waiting for their turn. Bresnan’s elbow, which he had surgery on at the end of the last year, has been causing further concern in recent weeks and he had scans before the T20 series started but took a full part in the warm-ups.The match was played at an Old Trafford where the redevelopments are seriously taking shape. The new players and media building was used for the first time today and initial impressions were excellent. Further work will have been done by the time the Ashes Test arrives next year, including finishing the famous pavilion, and everyone will have their fingers crossed for better weather.

Shane Warne’s has presented an outlandish scenario by which he would return to the Test team for next year’s dual Ashes series

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Dec-2012Shane Warne’s sympathy for his close friend Michael Clarke – and fervent desire to remain in the spotlight – has extended far enough for the former Australian legspinner to present an outlandish scenario by which he would return to the Test team for next year’s dual Ashes series.Watching Clarke look powerless for just about the first time as Australian captain as Hashim Amla and Graeme Smith battered a wayward bowling attack to all parts of the WACA ground during the third Test, Warne said he felt a strong urge to help out. This time, Warne said, the desire to aid Clarke went beyond the regular advice he shares with his former team-mate around Test matches.”I felt like I wanted to jump off the couch and grab the ball,” Warne told . “I really felt for Michael Clarke from a captaincy point of view. When you’ve got international bowlers bowling one or two full-tosses an over and half-volleys, I felt for Pup, I really felt for him.”While the scenario is highly improbable, if not laughable, Warne said a suitable persuasive phone call from Clarke would be enough for him to forego the “Shane Warne inc.” of his life since retirement in order to play for Australia again. Warne even suggested he would be happy to return through grade cricket and earn his way with wickets for club and state before a Test recall could be considered.”If your best friend says, ‘Mate, I want you to seriously consider making a commitment to Australian cricket and coming back out of retirement’, (to) make myself available for selection, that’s a different scenario,” Warne said. “Especially with back-to-back Ashes coming up next year, it could be a 12-month thing where you take three spinners with you and say, ‘Righto, work with these spinners and see how you go for 12 months.’ That’s a different kettle of fish.”I’m definitely not asking for Michael Clarke to come out and say that – that’s a different scenario. You asked me if I think I could still play international cricket if I wanted to just turn up, do my bowling and if the first Test match was in three weeks, do you think I could play, (then) I’d have no hesitation in saying yes – and I think I’d do pretty well.”Presenting a fitter figure at the age of 43 than he did during most of his playing days, Warne argued the major obstacle to his return was not his bowling capability but the demands he now has on his time. He is set to captain the Melbourne Stars in this summer’s BBL, and has bowled presentably for the team in their warm-up matches this week.”From a purely bowling perspective, I don’t think my form would be the concern, it’s just the time and actually making that commitment again,” Warne said. “My kids are turning 16, 14 and 12 next year and we’re juggling two continents, Elizabeth [Hurley’s] work and my work commitments. There’s travel, sponsors, businesses, there are charities, so much stuff that I’d basically have to put it all on hold to make a commitment to international cricket.”That’s the reason I haven’t for a while said I’m gonna make a comeback. For me it’s not a matter of whether I could do it or not – I have absolutely no doubt if I wanted to commit to try to make a comeback and go through grade cricket, first-class cricket and try to get selected … that I could do it.”While supportive of Clarke, Warne’s words cannot be of much succour for Nathan Lyon, Australia’s undisputed No. 1 spin bowler, who was the team’s leading wicket-taker against South Africa while becoming the youngest Australian offspinner to reach 50 Test wickets.

With only two matches left and 11 miserable points from six matches, Delhi will attempt to bring all their powers of purpose down on Maharashtra from Saturday at the Roshanara Club in north Delhi

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Dec-2012As the winter in Delhi begins to bite, its Ranji Trophy team has decided it must do the same – with a bullet. With only two matches left and 11 miserable points from six matches, Delhi will attempt to bring all their powers of purpose down on Maharashtra from Saturday at the Roshanara Club in north Delhi. Those powers begin with the fortuitous occurrence of a home ground going into preparation lockdown for an international game against Pakistan. It is why Delhi must move groundstaff, supersopper, catering unit and everything else it needs to play yet another all-or-nothing match on the fastest wicket in the neighbourhood with the promise of a four-man pace attack and a 9:15 start time known usually for freezing fingers in Delhi’s Decembers.Even though the Kotla ODI between India and Pakistan is more than three weeks away, the logistical nightmare of moving from the Kotla to the private Roshanara Club, around 8 km away, will have to be undergone. The grumbling will be kept to the minimum if the move ends up being to Delhi’s eventual advantage, even though Ashish Nehra, their most experienced of quick men, is not on the team roster and Parvinder Awana, their quickest and most successful, finds himself in the Indian dressing room.Instead, said coach Vijay Dahiya, medium-pacer Vikas Tokas had been called into the 15. If he does indeed turn up in the XI, Tokas will make his debut for Delhi after having played two Ranji matches for Railways in 2010-11. He completes the quartet of Delhi quicks being promised to stomp all over the Roshanara Club alongside Pawan Suyal, Pradeep Sangwan and Sumit Narwal. Delhi may be tempted to play five bowlers, including left-arm spinner Vikas Mishra, according to Dahiya, given that they are trying to snatch two outright wins and sneak their way into the knock-outs.Against them will be a batting line-up that has rattled up totals of 764, 315, 333 and 540 and has six centuries, including a triple, from their batsmen in five matches. Yet, Maharashtra do not have a single outright win. Against Tamil Nadu, they were all out for 88 in their second innings in Chennai and beaten by 104 runs. Eight points and many tall totals have come from four draws, from first-innings leads against Vidarbha and Haryana. They may have three group games still left as compared to Delhi’s two, but at the tail-end of the Ranji Trophy, it is only strong and desperate opposition that lies in wait. First Delhi on what the day before the game looked like a green top, and then Baroda and Karnataka. In Group B, given Haryana’s unpredictability, Maharashtra must do all they can to ensure they do not end up hitting the bottom of the points table.