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Wrexham star Jacob Mendy shared his delight and declared himself "hungry for more" after making his international debut.

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Mendy makes Gambia debutThanks fans for messages of supportEyes African Cup of Nations spotGetty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

The wing-back started for Gambia during their 2-0 defeat to Ivory Coast in World Cup qualifying on Monday. Despite the result, Mendy was delighted with the experience and has now set his sights on winning a spot in The Scorpions squad for the African Cup of Nations in January.

AdvertisementWHAT JACOB MENDY SAID

"Still processing it!" Mendy told Instagram followers. "Just wanted to thank everyone for the support and the messages I’ve received and I’m still receiving. Really appreciate it. Hungry for more"

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Mendy's energy down the left flank was a key feature Wrexham's promotion push at the end of last season and was typified by a crucial goal in the epic April showdown with Notts County. That form earned a first call-up for Gambia's summer internationals and a congratulatory message from co-owner Rob McElhenney. Mendy though, had to wait for the most recent round of internationals to finally make his international bow.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR JACOB MENDY AND GAMBIA?

Mendy will be eagerly waiting to hear if he makes the Gambia squad for the African Cup of Nations which begins in the Ivory Coast on January 13. The Scorpions have been drawn in an intimidating group alongside Senegal, Cameroon and Guinea.

The BCCI’s Anti-Corruption Unit had pulled up IPL franchises and players for failing to adhere to protocol during the 2014 tournament, but the board and teams confirmed the ACU was satisfied with the explanations it had received

ESPNcricinfo staff22-May-2015The BCCI’s Anti-Corruption Unit had pulled up various IPL franchises and players for failing to adhere to protocol during the 2014 tournament, but both the board and teams confirmed the ACU was satisfied with the explanations it had received and the inquiries were considered closed.In an email to some officials in the previous BCCI administration, ACU head Ravi Sawani outlined instances where franchises had failed to provide guest lists for private parties and sponsor events in advance, and certain players had allowed visitors into their rooms without informing the on-duty ACU officer, according to a report in the .ESPNcricinfo confirmed the contents of Sawani’s email with BCCI officials.The ACU’s concern that certain players were still not following the code strictly stemmed from the scandal of the 2013 season, when some players and team officials were found to be involved in corrupt activities that brought the game into disrepute.One example Sawani cited, according to the report, was of a private party organised by Kings XI Punjab owner Preity Zinta on a boat on April 30, 2014. In this instance, though only players were invited, there was also a friend of Zinta’s in attendance, whose presence the ACU was unaware of. It is understood the ACU wanted to first establish whether there was a party and whether there was an outsider present.The newspaper also cited similar examples of Kolkata Knight Riders owner Shah Rukh Khan and Delhi Daredevils owners hosting events involving their squads without intimating the ACU. The Daredevils reportedly hosted a party at a five-star hotel in Delhi before IPL 2014 where all the players and support staff mingled with more than 100 outsiders.A BCCI official said franchises have started sending out guest lists for private parties and sponsor events in advance to the ACU, which vets the names and sends an alert in case of any undesirable elements being present.Another instance Sawani cited involved two Chennai Super Kings players allowing friends to stay overnight in their hotel rooms without informing the ACU officer. They breached ACU protocol, which states no individuals, “except blood relations or wife/ partner,” should be entertained by players in their room.Ranjib Biswal, who was the IPL chairman in 2014, said all the necessary actions had been taken by the BCCI. “Our ACU chief Ravi Sawani was constantly in touch with all the franchises,” Biswal told ESPNcricinfo on Friday. “Wherever necessary, he had reprimanded the owners and players concerned”A Kings XI spokesperson confirmed the boat party had taken place, according to the newspaper report, and that “the BCCI was satisfied with the action taken by the franchise.” A Delhi Daredevils spokesperson also said the details of their function were shared with the BCCI-IPL management through various channels.Ever since three Rajasthan Royals players – Sreesanth, Ankeet Chavan and Ajit Chandila – and a Chennai Super Kings team official Gurunath Meiyappan were arrested during IPL 2013 for their alleged involvement in corruption, the BCCI has been extra vigilant about keeping the game clean.There is emphasis on educating players during other domestic tournaments as well as IPL, and all franchise squads are accompanied with an integrity officer who keeps a watch on player movements.BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur had said the efforts were paying off. “As far the players being approached is concerned, the BCCI education policy is working very well. If someone is being approached by anyone, he has reported back to the anti-corruption unit,” Thakur said. “I think this is the thing to highlight and admire that the players are reporting back.”

Australia are privately fuming but biting hard on their tongues and declining to express any public anger over the reprieve of Stuart Broad

Daniel Brettig and George Dobell at Trent Bridge12-Jul-2013Australia are privately fuming but biting hard on their tongues and declining to express any public anger over the reprieve of Stuart Broad after the umpire Aleem Dar failed to detect a thick edge to slip from the bowling of Ashton Agar.In the second major umpiring controversy in successive days at Trent Bridge, England were only 232 ahead when Broad stood his ground. Australia’s players reacted with considerable dismay at the decision, which they could not refer to the third umpire after using up their DRS allocation earlier in the day.Broad was still in occupation alongside Ian Bell at the close, by which time the hosts’ lead had reached 261. While the players’ immediate response on the field was plain, and the coach Darren Lehmann made his displeasure plain on the dressing room balcony, the fast bowler Peter Siddle did his best to avoid critiques of Broad, the umpires or the current protocols for the use of technology, saying only that he had only seen a bigger edge not given out “in the backyard maybe off my brother”.”How many people have ever walked? Some. That’s right, some,” Siddle said. “At the end of day it’s the umpires’ decision. The umpires make the decision and players stick with it. We just went about it. You finish the over and go through to the next over. If you watched out there, there wasn’t a big deal made of it. We got stuck in and just kept working to get the wicket.’I don’t see bowlers asking you back’

“The review system was brought in to get rid of the howler, I don’t see why umpire Dar couldn’t have had someone is his ear saying you’ve got that one wrong let’s just overturn that quickly. This has been a terrific game but I think a lot will be talked about that incident, which is sad.” – Michael Vaughan

“DRS was brought in to correct obviously wrong decisions and that is how captains should use it. Alastair Cook does just that, he is very sparing with it, and hopefully Michael Clarke does the same after this. To me, it has to be the umpire [fault]. A player is allowed to stand his ground. If Australia had one appeal left, Broad would have walked. The fact there was no referral left, he left it up to the umpire.” – Glenn McGrath

“The rules say that it’s ‘in the opinion of the umpire’ so it’s above things like ‘The Spirit of the Game’. I don’t see bowlers asking you back when the ball is sliding down leg. There is no debate, it’s quite simple. The Australians I have played with and have watched, with the exception of Adam Gilchrist, believe in standing and it’s up to the umpire to give you out – there shouldn’t be a morale argument. They should be upset, disappointed and angered by the umpires. If they keep making poor decisions, it’s up to the ICC to do something about it.” – Geoff Boycott

“He (Dar) always gets the crucial decisions wrong & always has, that’s why he’s not a great umpire! We all make mistakes & it’s a very tough job being an umpire, but when Dar continually makes crucial mistakes why does he keep getting a gig?” – Shane Warne on Twitter

“Obviously people are going to be frustrated but it’s hard out there for players, for umpires. It’s a long day, it’s a tough day for people out there. Things are going to happen and we just have to deal with it. That’s just a part of the game and spectators have to understand that – that there are times when things like that happen. Obviously it’s a long day and it’s hard for everyone involved. We can’t be blaming anyone.”Siddle’s acceptance of Broad’s failure to walk – common practice in professional cricket for a generation and more – was in contrast to howls of outrage on social media sites and from media commentators, many of who judged Broad’s behaviour as immoral and unsporting.Michael Holding, the former West Indian fast bowler, contended that Broad’s behaviour was comparable to that of the West Indies wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin, who falsely claimed a catch against Pakistan in a Champions Trophy match at The Oval in London last month. Ramdin was banned for two one-day games by the ICC match referee, who happened to be Broad’s father, Chris.”What Stuart Broad did amounts to the same thing as Ramdin,” Holding told Sky TV. “He knew he had hit the ball. The ICC fined Ramdin and suspended him for ‘actions that were contrary to the spirit of the game’. What Stuart Broad did is contrary to the spirit of the game. He played the ball and stayed there.”The day after England sought clarification from the ICC following a Hot Spot operator error that contributed to Jonathan Trott’s lbw dismissal, Dar’s howler was not referred to technology that would have picked up the mistake because Australia no longer had any recourse to do so. Umpires do have the right to refer some decisions themselves if in doubt, but for now are limited to low catches and bump balls. Dar’s refusal of Australia’s appeal was as unequivocal as it was mistaken”You can’t do anything about that,” Siddle said of the burned referrals. “You use them because you think you’re going to get a result early on and you don’t. You can’t just hold them and put them in the back pocket and say ‘I’m going to get one in the afternoon’ and save it for that. You use them when you think there’s a chance of getting a wicket and that’s what they’re there for.”For their part, England stood by the view that Broad was well within his rights to stand and wait for Dar’s decision. It is debatable whether he would have done so had Australia still been able to use a video referral, but his team-mate Kevin Pietersen did not think Broad should have taken any other action in the circumstances.”Each and every player who plays for their country, their club side, for their franchise or their county has the opportunity to wait for the decision the umpire makes and you respect the umpire’s decision,” Pietersen said. “We play hard. We play fair and each individual has the responsibility and makes the judgement if he will wait for the umpire’s decision. Aleem Dar is a fantastic umpire and he has been rated one of the best umpires in world cricket over the last few years. Wait and respect his decision.”Contrary to reports, no apology has been forthcoming from the ICC to the ECB regarding the Trott decision on the second day.

Yorkshire could look back on a highly satisfying season after their final game ended in a 239-run win over Essex

George Dobell at Chelmsford 14-Sep-2012
ScorecardSteven Patterson wrapped up the Essex innings to finish Yorkshire’s season in triumphant fashion•Getty ImagesThey may not have been promoted as Division Two champions, but Yorkshire could look back on a highly satisfying season after their final game ended in a 239-run win over Essex.It was not just that they had won promotion that was pleasing. It was that in this side they have the nucleus of a team that could flourish in the county game for a decade or more. After letting themselves down with a poor campaign in 2011, Yorkshire overcame the challenge of bad weather – no team lost more overs to poor weather this season – England and Lions call-ups and the pressure of expectation to win promotion with some style. They finished the season the only undefeated side in either division and having won three Championship games in succession for the first time since 2005. Few would dispute they deserve their success.Fittingly, it was the bowling of a 21-year-old who hurried them to victory on the last day. Azeem Rafiq, gaining impressive turn with his offspin and utilising the breeze with rare skill, finished with his maiden five-wicket haul and his best match figures in first-class cricket. Suffice it to say he has a golden future.He is not the only one. Jonny Bairstow has already been elevated to the England set-up and Joe Root may not be far behind him. Adam Lyth could yet prove to be the best of the lot of them, while 20-year-old seamer Moin Ashraf was described by Essex captain, James Foster, as “exceptional”. Around such men will the future of Yorkshire be built, with the club also confirming they are keen to bring James Harris to Leeds and that Anthony McGrath will be offered another playing contract.It was a far cry from the emotions of 12 months ago. After last season’s relegation, Yorkshire’s executive chairman, Colin Graves, called performances “unacceptable” and “a disgrace” and warned that “there will be some heads rolling” if the club’s fortunes did not improve.He put his money where his mouth is, too. Graves has invested £7m of his own money into Yorkshire as well as personally guaranteeing bank loans. He reorganised the coaching staff, allowing Martyn Moxon to concentrate on his role as director of cricket and bringing in Jason Gillespie as first-team coach and Paul Farbrace to oversee the second team.”At the end of last season I said what a lot of people were thinking,” Graves said, as Yorkshire began to celebrate their success. “But it had to be said. If it gave them a spur then I’m glad because this just proves that we had the ability to do what we’ve done. The players have responded and I’m pleased for them.”The disappointing thing is that we have virtually the same group of players, apart from Phil Jaques coming in. And they’ve all performed. Last year some of them just didn’t perform, which is what I said. Gillespie has made a very big difference. The coaching structure now is entirely different and it has worked. Andrew Gale has had a fantastic year, too, and captained them very well. He’s brought the younger ones through as well, like Rafiq and Ashraf who have been a revelation.”We believe with the squad we’ve got here we have the makings of a good team for the next ten to 15 years. We’ve proved in the last three matches what we can do and if we can carry that back into the first division we can have another team of the 60s. I think we can challenge for the Championship next year. If you look back two years we ended third in the Championship with virtually the same team. So why can’t we do the same next year?”We’ll end up with a profit of £250,000 – £300,000 this year. I’ve never cut the cricket budget and the money is there if the right player comes along. Everybody in county cricket would tell you that they could do with another seamer. One or two new good seamers would make a difference. James Harris is a name that is mentioned with everybody, but let’s see what happens. I certainly don’t want McGrath to leave and I’ve told him there’s always something there for him at Yorkshire.”For Essex, however, this was a disappointing end to a disappointing season. Indeed, any year that starts with a former player being sent to prison and ends with a fifth-placed finish in Division Two might be described as grim.It is a puzzling club. In terms of talent production, Essex have a wonderful record. The likes of Reece Topley, Tymal Mills, Adam Wheater and Ben Foakes all possess the talent to follow Alastair Cook and Ravi Bopara into the England team. Any club with a production line like that is clearly doing something right.The fact is, however, that few of their players are fulfilling their potential for Essex. For some reason, the likes of Varun Chopra, Chris Wright, Stephen Peters, and Tony Palladino all had to leave the club to flourish. Tellingly, Wright – who finished with 62 Championship wickets for County Champions Warwickshire – was left out for Lonwabo Tsotsobe last year and replaced by Charl Willoughby this. The club needs to ask itself why it has failed to coax the best out of such players and what is failing in the management or coaching environment.There is something just a little bit cosy about Essex, something that seems a little too accepting, so it remains to be seen if the hard questions will be asked. But there is little evidence that a search for quick-fixes in the form of overseas players or expensive imports from other counties – the likes of Greg Smith or Owais Shah – is the answer.

A round-up of the latest round of the Faysal Bank Super Eight T-20 Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Mar-2012Lahore Lions’ strong batting line-up fired to ensure a 48-run victory over Faisalabad Wolves in Rawalpindi that kept Lahore’s 100% record in the tournament intact. Nasir Jamshed and Ahmed Shehzad fired at the top with a 76-run partnership that was dominated by Shehzad, who hit two sixes and six fours in his 48 off 29 balls. The pair departed in quick succession but Umar and Kamran Akmal built on the platform with a 90-run stand. Kamran hit three sixes in his 46 off 31 while Umar scored 57 off 37, with seven fours. The total of 194 was always going to be a stiff ask for Faisalabad. Asif Hussain tok up the challenge and scored a boundary-filled 64 but wickets kept tumbling as Faisalabad tried to cope with the rising asking-rate. Zia-ul-Haq finished with five wickets as Lahore completed a comfortable win.Iftikhar Ahmed and Riaz Afridi starred with bat and ball respectively in Peshawar Panthers’ 31-run win over Karachi Zebras in Rawalpindi. The Panthers, choosing to bat first, were guided by Iftikhar’s 77, off 56 balls. He batted till the 18th over, hitting seven fours and three sixes in his knock, setting up his team’s score of 158. Anwar Ali and Uzair-ul-Haq took two wickets apiece. The Zebras were jolted by Afridi’s early strikes, losing three before the fifth over. Faisal Iqbal and Anwar added an exact 50 for the fourth wicket, but it wasn’t enough to sustain the chase. Afridi took two more wickets to end with 4 for 15 off his allotted overs to guide the Panthers to their first win.

West Ham manager David Moyes was encouraged by Kalvin Phillips' performance despite the midfielder's red card against Nottingham Forest on Saturday.

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Phillips sent off in Forest defeatMoyes pleased with performanceTold England man to 'keep going'GettyWHAT HAPPENED?

The Hammers crashed to a 2-0 defeat with their Manchester City loanee sent off after picking up two bookings in quick succession with his team trailing by a goal. Pundits and fans were quick to direct their ire at Phillips, who has endured a difficult start to his spell at West Ham, committing costly errors in his first two appearances then featuring in the second half of last weekend's thrashing by Arsenal. Despite the latest setback, Moyes saw some positives from Phillips on the 70 minutes before his dismissal.

Advertisement(C)Getty ImagesWHAT DAVID MOYES SAID ABOUT KALVIN PHILLIPS

"I thought for long periods he played well today," Moyes told after the game. "I though Kalvin played well. It looks like he's had a bad start and that adds to it a little bit but overall his performance today was good with just a couple of small incidents.

"I've watched him gain 50 or 60 caps for England, play incredibly well for Leeds United and get a huge transfer to Manchester City. So he's not a bad player, he probably just needs to get back on it and keep going and today he played well."

GettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Moyes made the point that Phillips' second yellow card was harsh and it's hard to not feel a shred of sympathy for the player who played a key role in Marcelo Bielsa's thrilling Leeds revival before being picked up by City with a view to becoming an established part of Pep Guardiola's midfield.

Phillips spoke earlier this week about his sadness at being frozen out at the Etihad and it seems his lacking of playing time is now being punished ruthlessly before he can shake any of that rust off.

West Ham's alarming dip in form has seen them go eight games without a win. And the Hammers fans' frustrations with Moyes has not provided the calmest of environments for Phillips to play his way back into form.

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WHAT NEXT FOR DAVID MOYES AND WEST HAM?

The suspended Phillips will have to sit on the sidelines once again when West Ham seek their first win of 2024 against Brentford at the London Stadium on February 26.

New South Wales denied Queensland first-innings points in their match at the SCG, which finished in a severely rain-affected draw

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Mar-2012
ScorecardNew South Wales denied Queensland first-innings points in their match at the SCG, which finished in a severely rain-affected draw. The Bulls needed to score 270 to take two points from the game, but instead they will enter the final round of Sheffield Shield matches level on points with Victoria and Tasmania, and four shy of the competition leaders Western Australia.Joe Burns scored 90 for Queensland and was almost single-handedly keeping them in the contest as wickets fell at the other end. Trent Copeland picked up 4 for 69 but it was Scott Coyte who delivered the points to New South Wales when he collected the last two wickets in consecutive deliveries, the first of which was Burns caught at second slip.Steve Magoffin was then bowled first ball to give two points to the Blues, who cannot make the final. New South Wales started their second innings and reached 0 for 15 as the match petered out to a draw

Alastair Cook has assured Monty Panesar that the door is not closed on him in terms of an England comeback.

George Dobell21-Aug-2013Alastair Cook has assured Monty Panesar that the door is not closed on him in terms of an England comeback.Panesar was released by his county, Sussex, earlier this week after he was fined by police for his part in a drunken incident in Brighton that involved the player urinating over nightclub bouncers in the early hours of the morning.But while Cook admitted that Panesar had “let the England shirt down”, he also acknowledged his qualities as a bowler and let him know that he will be welcomed back into the side if he can demonstrate he has made the necessary “changes in his life”.”What’s happened over the last couple of weeks has been disappointing,” Cook said. “I’ve spoken to him – he actually rang me – which shows he knows he’s done wrong and let the England shirt down a bit.”But he recognises he needs a bit of a change in his life which I think is always the first step.”The bottom line is that we need Monty back bowling as well as he can bowl. The way back is through taking wickets and he knows that. We know he has that pedigree in international cricket.”Panesar has started the process of change by joining Cook’s county side, Essex. And while Cook admitted that move had taken him by surprise, he welcomed it.”I didn’t know he was going to Essex,” Cook said. “I thought he was going to Northants. I’m not the be-all and end-all at Essex. But I’m glad we get a quality spinner and I’m going to get a nice good look at him at Essex.”Apart from taking wickets, though, Panesar will also need to demonstrate that he is committed to team success and has no problems with alcohol. Panesar had been dropped by Sussex earlier in the season for a poor on-field attitude.”I don’t really know all the details,” Cook said. “But he has that side of his life that he definitely needs to get right because we know what an off-field life can do to you.”Everyone is saying, ‘Is the door shut?’ It’s certainly not, but he knows what he must do to get back.”It was not the most pleasant phone call for him to make – to the England captain to apologise. But we know the class Monty has as a bowler and what he can do when he gets it right. We’ve seen that time and again. He just has to go back to basics, work as hard as he can and do what he does best – which is taking wickets. If he does it for Essex, it’s even better for me.”

Mominul Haque and Tamim Iqbal exhibited patience and character to shore up Bangladesh, and by the end of the day secure a 114-run lead

The Report by Mohammad Isam24-Oct-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsMominul Haque was part of a record third-wicket partnership for Bangladesh•AFPSmart stats

Mominul Haque became only the second Bangladesh batsman after Tamim Iqbal to hit centuries in two consecutive Tests. Tamim hit two hundreds in consecutive Tests against England in 2010.

Mominul’s 376 runs in this series are the highest by a Bangladesh batsman in a two-match Test series and the second highest ever by a Bangladesh batsman in any Test series. He is just four runs short of beating the 379 runs that Habibul Bashar scored in a three-Test series against Pakistan in 2003.

The 157-run partnership between Mominul and Tamim was Bangladesh’s highest for the third wicket in Tests.

Tamim faced 218 deliveries for his 70 runs in this innings; this was his slowest innings of fifty-plus runs in terms of strike-rate.

This was only the seventh instance of Bangladesh scoring 200 or more runs before the fall of their third wicket in a Test innings.

The unbeaten 57-run partnership between Mominul and Shakib Al Hasan was Bangladesh’s tenth fifty-plus partnership of the series. This equals Bangladesh’s record for the most fifty-plus partnership in a series. Before this, Bangladesh had ten fifty-plus partnership in a home-series against England in 2010.

Mominul Haque and Tamim Iqbal exhibited patience and character to shore up Bangladesh, and by the end of the day the home side had secured a handy 114-run lead in Mirpur. Mominul remained unbeaten on 126 after raising his second successive Test century.The pair chipped away at the 155-run deficit, and in the process laid to rest the unsettling trend of Bangladesh batsmen throwing their wickets away in the third innings of a Test match. Their record 157-run partnership for the third wicket ensured New Zealand were chasing the game at the end of the fourth day. Though the stand was broken in the final hour of play, Mominul will have the company of Shakib Al Hasan as Bangladesh head into the final day’s play.New Zealand made a promising start, but were unable to replicate their discipline from the first innings. Neil Wagner ran in hard and had both Anamul Haque and Marshall Ayub caught in the slips. On their first full day fielding under the Dhaka sun, he and his fellow seamers struggled to put pressure on the batsmen. The fielders were running low on energy as well, exemplified by Ish Sodhi’s keeling over on the boundary in the 66th over, and letting a cut from Mominul go through him.Tamim and Mominul hardly forced the issue, their interest fixed on orthodox Test match batting, extending the bowlers’ wait for a mistake. There were occasions when Mominul showcased his dominance from the first Test when he scored 181. New Zealand had not learned from Chittagong and continued to be either too short or too full, especially outside the off-stump and Mominul took full advantage, and became only the second batsman from Bangladesh to score back-to-back Test hundreds.More than his shots or the milestone, Mominul’s calm in trying conditions – exhibited best when he wasn’t flustered despite being stuck on 99 for ten deliveries – caught the eye. Brendon McCullum, the New Zealand captain, packed the off side and asked his bowlers to bowl wide of the off stump, trying to prey on the batsman’s nerves. Mominul did play away from his body twice, but would not be tempted when McCullum ran up and had a word with him. He waited, and when the ball was pitched up, drove straight, to collect the four that gave him a second Test century.He found excellent support in Tamim, who played within himself and concentrated on preserving his wicket, as would be expected of a senior batsman. He struck just four boundaries in his 218-ball innings. This was his second slowest fifty and has never scored so many runs with so few boundaries. The last time it happened was in Colombo on a thick, grassy outfield in March. He was careful with balls outside off stump, reining in his usually extravagant cover drives, and collecting his runs by tucking the bowlers on the leg side when the bowlers strayed on his pads. He looked gutted when Ross Taylor leapt up and clung safely to a top-edged cut, lingering before making the walk back.In the morning, New Zealand could only add 18 runs to their overnight total as they were bowled out for 437. Ish Sodhi was slow to react to BJ Watling’s call for a single and Mominul Haque scored a direct hit to break the 93-run ninth wicket stand.There were no heroics from the tenth-wicket stand, as Boult was trapped leg before by Abdur Razzak two overs after the ninth wicket fell.Shakib was the better of the two left-arm spinners though, finishing with 5 for 103 while Razzak took two for 96 in 23 overs. Debutant seamer Al-Amin Hossain and Nasir Hossain took a wicket each but Sohag Gazi and Rubel Hossain remained wicketless.

Matt Prior said he was not worried about fellow wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow’s inclusion in the England squad to face West Indies

Alan Gardner15-May-2012Matt Prior is currently regarded as one of the finest wicketkeeper-batsmen in Test cricket, so you wouldn’t expect him to be ruffled by the prospect of a little competition. With England set to give a debut to Jonny Bairstow in the first Test against West Indies at Lord’s, Prior said he is actually enjoying the presence of a fellow gloveman in the dressing room – though if his 22-year-old team-mate enjoys a similar Test debut to the one Prior made five years ago, he may scratch his beard and mull the question a little more deeply next time he’s asked.Prior made an unbeaten 126 in his first Test in 2007, against the same opponents on the same ground, and despite a brief period when he lost the gloves to Tim Ambrose at the start of 2008 has carved an unassailable niche for himself as England’s wicketkeeper in the long format. Bairstow, who keeps wicket for Yorkshire and was behind the stumps for the Lions’ ten-wicket win over the West Indians last week, is expected to play as a specialist batsman, coming in at No.6, but Prior is not worried about welcoming a man who could become a rival for his spot into the side. At least not yet, anyway.”If he smashes a double hundred and I get nought he’ll probably become a rival pretty quickly,” Prior said, with a laugh. “He’s a team-mate, obviously he’s a wicketkeeper as well, but there are a number of wicketkeepers around the country and there always has been. Whether they’re in the team or playing county cricket I know that I have to perform well to keep my place.”It’s always exciting when a player like Jonny comes through into the squad, he’s settled in very well. It’s nice to form a relationship with another keeper because ultimately he’s the only other bloke in the room that knows what it’s like to be a keeper. It’s hugely exciting for Jonny this week and if he does get selected to make his debut it will be a great feeling I’m sure.”Prior, who has made three of his six Test tons at Lord’s, including two in his last two Test matches at the ground, is the sort of player who would not begrudge Bairstow success, even if his place were less secure. He may have received a ticking off from the ICC for breaking a window in the pavilion and discombobulating a few MCC members during the Sri Lanka Test last year but it is team achievement, rather than individual accolades, that gets Prior worked up, a trait that is common to Andy Flower’s hard-working England side.”I’ve never been a big stat watcher. I’ve always tried to play the role that’s needed to win the game, or save the game, or whatever it may be, so that’s for me more important than the individual score,” Prior said. “I’ve always played like that and I think I would struggle to play any differently. I find it more exciting to play for the team and to win a Test match.”I believe it is one of our strengths. The team goal and team performance comes ahead of any one person’s own goals and ego and I think it’s vital in any successful team to have that.”Similarly, he will happily resume his place at No. 7 in the order, having been promoted to No. 6 on England’s tour of Sri Lanka, as they supplemented their four-man attack with Samit Patel as the spin-bowling allrounder. In English conditions, on green pitches and against green opponents, a return to four bowlers and six batsmen is almost certain.”I really don’t mind. It doesn’t make any difference, really, batting six or seven, that one spot,” Prior said. “Batting at six you potentially have more opportunity to get a bigger score but then batting a seven has its challenges as well and that’s something I enjoy doing. I genuinely believe the most important thing is getting the balance of the team right to win the Test match and if I bat at six or seven, I’m easy with either one.”While West Indies are depleted by the absence of key players at IPL, Prior was unequivocal about what his priorities are. “Personally for me no, because Test cricket is my life, all my goals are based around Test cricket at this moment in time,” he said, when asked whether he would put an IPL contract above playing for England. “But it’s an individual choice and it’s up to those people to make their decisions. For me, I love playing Test cricket and it’s something I want to do for a few more years to come.”It is perhaps easier to be enthusiastic when you are ranked No. 1 in the format, as England are. West Indies are currently rated the world’s No. 7 Test side, a position they have not been higher than since the summer of 2000, when England beat them in a Test series for the first time in 31 years. But while Prior was not taking victory for granted, he denied that England needed to reassert their credentials after losing four Tests out of five over the winter and with their closest challengers for the No. 1 spot, South Africa, arriving later in the summer.”I don’t think we need to prove anything, as such, I think we’ve played pretty good cricket over a number of years now so I don’t know about that. But certainly we want to get off to a good start this summer, after a few little glitches in the winter I know that everyone’s very keen and pumped up to perform well from the off. There are two big series coming up, we want to play well, we want to win those series.”