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South Africa’s assistant coach backs Temba Bavuma to return stronger after being dropped

Firdose Moonda in Port Elizabeth14-Jan-2020Temba Bavuma is not among the 12 South Africa players who have assembled in Port Elizabeth to prepare for the third Test against England, but he remains close to the conversation. So close, that assistant coach Enoch Nkwe has indicated that if Bavuma finds form, he could be candidate for the national captaincy in future.That may seem like a long way away for a player with 39 Tests to his name and only one century, scored more than four years ago, who averaged 19.84 in 2019 and has scored 9 and 17 in his last two domestic first-class innings but Bavuma is no ordinary player. He is South Africa’s only only black African Test batsman and has accepted the pressures of being a flagbearer and leader for millions.Bavuma has chosen not to engage in the debate at the moment, posting on social media that his silence is “full of answers”. Instead it was Nkwe, himself a black African batsman, who spoke extensively on the expectations and challenges Bavuma faces and the reasons why the South African administration believes he will be back in a big way.Are you comfortable with where South Africa is in terms of transformation targets and how things are progressing? “There’s been a different approach, but that will come over time. We’re keeping very close with Temba Bavuma, for example. I strongly believe he’s a good player, and he’s in the process of making sure that — from a mental, emotional and skills point of view — when he gets an opportunity to come back, whether it’s in the next Test match or in a different format, he takes ownership of his position and does 10 times more than what he has done. We’re confident and believe in him. [Mark] Boucher is the same, and the rest of the team. All I’m going to ask is that we are more patient. We’re trying to put a few things in place so that we can shape things in the right direction.”Do you think the weight expectation on Temba, being the first black African Test batsman in South Africa, has been detrimental to him?“Knowing Temba, no. There is always going to be pressure in this environment but if you look at it, he has been unlucky. Let’s be honest. There’s been times where he got 95 not out and he was probably one big hit to get over the line and he was unfortunate. There’s been times where he got 70, 80. But also sometimes people tend to forget that the situations he has come in for South Africa have been challenging and he has been able to take the team from that position and put them in a much healthier position. Sometimes he gets out for 60, sometimes he gets out for 50 and if you look at the batting positions over the last couple of years – Nos. 4, 5 and 6 – he has been able to make those massive contributions. They might look small in terms of numbers but his contribution has been very powerful for the team and put them in a winning position. He has had good partnerships with Quinny [Quinton de Kock] and obviously Quinny has been more explosive. If maybe a bit of luck had gone his way, he would have got two or three more hundreds but those things we’ve put behind us.”I know that having spoken to him recently, he is someone that actually looks forward to getting an opportunity. He is going to do everything in his power to make sure that when the next opportunity comes he is ready for it. He wants to be in this environment and hopefully in the future he performs well enough and he can lead the team because I know having worked with him, he is a strong leader, very smart and he is able to lead a massive group to greater heights.”Do you see him as a future captain? “In my mind, yes. I can see that happening. But he does understand that he needs to put in some performances. The future could be in a year’s time, it could be in two years’ time, we don’t know. Having worked with him in the last year-and-a-half, he has got the qualities, there’s no question around that. I wouldn’t be surprised if, after Faf, he takes over. That will be great for South African cricket.”Was it the right decision to send Temba back to franchise cricket? “From a coach’s hat and a high-performance point of view, it’s not healthy just to sit around and not play. If you are not playing, you really need to go and find some game time and fortunately, we have some franchise cricket taking place at the moment and we saw that opportunity for him to go there and stay in the game. Some of the challenges we have when we go on tours, is we have a 15-man squad and only 11 can play and the challenge of those individuals to try and get some game time is massive. It’s not only him; it’s a couple of other guys we have released as well.”

Development follows a warning from the prime minister’s office of a possible attack on the team

Andrew Fidel Fernando11-Sep-2019Sri Lanka’s forthcoming tour of Pakistan has been thrown into doubt after Sri Lanka’s government is said to have received news of a “possible terrorist threat on the Sri Lanka team”.The team was scheduled to leave for the tour in less than two weeks, but the tour now hinges on a “reassessment of the security situation in Pakistan”. One security assessment – described as “meticulous” by an SLC official – had already been conducted, with the board formerly convinced that the tour was safe. But this new information about a specific threat on the team has sparked fresh fears.”Sri Lanka Cricket today sought the assistance of the Sri Lankan government to conduct a ‘reassessment’ of the security situation in Pakistan ahead of the national team’s planned tour to Pakistan,” a board release said.”The decision was taken following a warning SLC received from the Prime Minister’s office, sent via the Ministry of Telecommunication, Foreign Employment and Sports.”The warning highlights that the Prime Minister’s Office has received reliable information of a possible terrorist threat on the Sri Lankan team, while touring Pakistan.”The new information had been received on Tuesday evening by SLC, who had named their ODI at T20 squads for the tour late in the afternoon. With 10 frontline players already having refused to tour Pakistan, this new perceived threat may create apprehension among even the players who have agreed to travel.Cricket in Pakistan came to a halt in 2009, after the Sri Lanka team was attacked by gunmen on the way to the ground in Lahore.The first match of the tour was set to be played on September 27 in Karachi.

Warner has been charged with a Level 2 offence, while de Kock has been booked under the Level 1 category

Firdose Moonda and Daniel Brettig06-Mar-2018Australia’s David Warner and South Africa’s Quinton de Kock have been charged by the ICC for their stairwell confrontation in Durban, with both players having until Wednesday to respond to the charge.Both players were charged under the catch-all ICC code of conduct clause on bringing “the game into disrepute” following the episode that marred the Kingsmead Test, but Warner faces a more serious level 2 charge while de Kock a less serious level 1 offence. The difference in levels means Warner could be banned for one Test, but the heaviest penalty de Kock faces is a fine.The matter was debated in a meeting at the hotel being shared by the two teams in Port Elizabeth on Tuesday night, with the Australian and South African team managers Gavin Dovey and Mohammed Moosajee speaking with the match referee Jeff Crowe.The incident took place as the players left the field for tea on the fourth day. CCTV footage from cameras trained on the staircase leading to the dressing rooms showed Warner being physically restrained by several team-mates as he launched a verbal attack at de Kock. South African captain Faf du Plessis emerged from the hosts’ dressing room to try and diffuse the situation. He was accompanied by Kagiso Rabada, who did not get involved. The players went into their own changerooms after a few minutes. The video was first made public by South African media outlet .South Africa’s management will meet with de Kock to discuss his options before deciding how to respond to the charge. They strongly maintain that the verbal fracas started while de Kock was batting and was led by Warner making personal affronts to de Kock. South Africa are understood to be disappointed that Warner did not receive a more serious charge; a Level 3 charge would have required an independent arbiter to hear the case.The on-field umpires – Kumar Dharmasena and S Ravi – are understood to be claiming not to have heard anything that could be considered a breach of the code. South Africa’s reaction to this is one of incredulity, and some sources told ESPNcricinfo that the view in the home camp is that the umpires are “intimidated” by Australia. After the Durban Test, du Plessis said he felt the umpires should have stepped in earlier to avoid the situation spilling over onto the stairwell, but he also admitted the chatter had got personal from both sides.The charges against Warner and de Kock were brought by the on-field umpires. “Australia vice-captain David Warner and South Africa’s Quinton de Kock have been reported for breaching the ICC code of conduct following their altercation on the fourth day of the Durban Test which was captured on CCTV,” an ICC spokesman said. “The umpires officiating in the Durban Test have reported Warner for a level 2 offence and de Kock for level 1 offence for ‘conduct that brings the game into disrepute’ following the incident in the stairwell near their dressing rooms. The teams have been given until tomorrow to respond to the charges.”The former Australia batsman Simon Katich, currently commentating in South Africa, said the ICC had the opportunity to draw a line under the sort of aggressive exchanges captured on the CCTV footage by imposing a ban. “The one thing the match referee has got the control to do is if they set a precedent, players will stop behaving like that,” Katich said on SEN radio.”At the moment it might take a one-Test ban for players to realise they can’t behave like that, and then it would put it to bed.”In the end, the team that gets affected by a player missing out on a Test match is going to be very disappointed with their fellow team-mate, and what will happen is the team-mates will start to police these issues, rather than let them happen over and over again. Let’s see what happens with the match referee and whether they’re going to be stern enough to stamp this behaviour out.”

Ashton Turner broke Sydney Sixers’ spirit with five sixes in his 27-ball 52 as Perth Scorchers cruised to a six-wicket win

The Report by Alex Malcolm23-Dec-2017
Getty Images

There is a reason the Perth Scorchers have won three BBL titles, out of six.Even without Australia’s previous T20I new-ball pairing in Nathan Coulter-Nile and Jason Behrendorff, the Scorchers still fronted up at the SCG with an attack featuring five international players and blew away the Sydney Sixers’ top order, including a hat-trick from Andrew Tye, to set up a comfortable six-wicket win.The chase wobbled early without the experienced Michael Klinger. But the composure of Ashton Turner and Adam Voges turned potential disaster into a doddle with an unbeaten 70-run stand from just 38 balls to see the Scorchers home with 11 balls to spare.Sixers slump earlyFor as well as the Scorchers bowled, some of the Sixers batsmen contributed to their own demise after having been sent in to bat on a good surface.Daniel Hughes wiped across a straight half volley and lost his off stump. Jason Roy looked in sublime touch until he bunted a slower ball that he hit straight to midwicket. Both batsmen fell to Jhye Richardson.Henriques was unfortunate to glove one down the leg side off David Willey. Billings made a strange decision to walk down the wicket off the first ball he faced from Tye only to meekly pop a leading edge to square leg.Willey bowled Botha with a slower ball that gripped past his outside edge and clipped the top of off leaving the Sixers in trouble.Tye’s hat-trick of hat-tricksNic Maddinson and Peter Nevill were forced to consolidate to avert further disaster. Their 37-run stand never really exploded. Voges brought back Mitchell Johnson to bowl his fourth over in the 14th over. He removed both set batsmen in three balls.Sean Abbott and Steve O’Keefe threatened to push the total towards 150. But Tye dashed those hopes with his third T20 hat-trick this calendar year, ending the innings at 132 with eight balls remaining.Top-order wobble for inexperienced ScorchersThe Scorchers chase took a while to get going. Debutants Will Bosisto and Josh Philippe put together a 31-run partnership at just above a run-a-ball. The run-rate dropped well below six when both were dismissed to Abbott in the fifth over. Willey and Hilton Cartwright also struggled to score freely. In total, the Scorchers’ top four faced 29 dot balls from the first 71 deliveries. When Cartwright fell to Doug Bollinger, the Scorchers still need 67 from 49 balls.Cool and calm in the endTurner and Voges never panicked. They calculated that boundaries were difficult to find early so they elected to place balls into gaps and run twos to get the run-rate moving. They pinched three twos in an over from O’Keefe with just nudges to the 30-yard circle at a vacant midwicket to take nine from his fourth over after he had conceded just 14 from his first three.Turner then used his long reach to target Daniel Sams and Abbott. He struck five sixes to break the back of the chase. His boundary to win the game also took him to 52 not out from just 27 balls.

Off the field and on it, the lines between Delhi and Haryana can be blurry but the line between Virender Sehwag and Delhi is a distinct one this season

Sidharth Monga in Delhi14-Oct-2015At around 11am Virender Sehwag’s white Audi entered Feroz Shah Kotla. His team had earlier come on the bus, but Sehwag drove his own car in about half an hour later. The security didn’t stop him. You can tell when people are in unfamiliar places. This car wasn’t. Without hesitation, the bespectacled Sehwag drove the car to the players’ enclosure entry, opened the boot, got off, pulled out his kit, left it near the entry, closed the boot, went back into the driver’s seat and parked the car in a corner by the Delhi nets.Anil Jain, joint secretary (sports) of the Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA), rushed from inside the nets and towards Sehwag’s car. Jain was looking after the ground on the morning. He cleared who could go in, he had people greeting him when he went into the Delhi nets. Now he theatrically made a move towards Sehwag’s car. He wanted to be the first person to welcome Sehwag, but another DDCA official had already reached the car and hugged Sehwag.Sehwag looked a little bemused at all the attention, but this was par for the course. The kit bag that Sehwag had earlier offloaded was Haryana Cricket Association’s. He has played against Delhi Daredevils in the IPL before, but this was the first time he was coming to Kotla to prepare for a first-class match against the home side.

Sehwag’s numbers in the opposition

• v Delhi Daredevils: 4 matches, 80 runs, no fifty

• As an opposition batsman at Feroz Shah Kotla: 2 matches, 24 runs

• v Gambhir and Dahiya: 11 matches, 255 runs, one fifty
  

In the Delhi nets, Gautam Gambhir, long-time opening partner and friend, and Vijay Dahiya, who along with Sehwag had scored a fifty against Australia in Bangalore in 2001*, had been preparing Delhi for this big match. Before Sehwag came, some of the Delhi players had hopped on to the other side to catch up with the Haryana players. Most of the players from Haryana have learnt their cricket playing in the leagues in Delhi. Haryana’s home venue, Lahli, is only a two hours’ drive away. The line between Delhi and Haryana is blurred, what with a few Haryana cities now only an extension of Delhi, but the line between Sehwag and Delhi is not so unclear now.Dahiya didn’t help himself from having a quick sledge. Asked about the game against “Viru”, Dahiya began with a straight bat, but the wicketkeeper in him soon took over. “It’s Haryana,” Dahiya said. “That’s what the game is all about. It’s the second game for them, third for us. We know they are a very consistent side. In this league, every side is a fantastic side.”Asked again about facing up to Sehwag, Dahiya said: “It’s a match between two teams, and that’s how you plan it. If somebody plays as an individual that is a different thing. We are playing as a team.” And then he smiled a cheeky smile.Dahiya can afford to smile with a ten-wicket win last week against Vidarbha after he took over as coach of the team in a shambolic state. Delhi’s administration remains in a similar state, with Mohammad Azharuddin invited to a Ranji match and allegedly allowed inside the players and match officials area (PMOA) for a chat with some of the participating players. Dahiya says the players are far away from the mess. They have been talked to a lot, they have been made to feel comfortable enough to trust each other, to be able to say anything they want in the dressing room.Despite all the controversies, the way Dahiya announced three changes to the XI a day before the match could point to a team better than what it looks from the outside. Sumit Narwal is injured. Sarang Rawat is rested, but Dahiya says they are going to ask DDCA to play him in Under-23 games so he stays in touch with “days” [multi-day] cricket. Parvinder Awana comes back after he was considered short of overs in the first match and after bowling a lot over the last week. On the surface at least, the clarity is at odds with the way the team was selected or the way the selectors and the coach were selected.Delhi’s and captain Gambhir’s relationship with Sehwag remains a matter of speculation. It is said in Delhi circles that Sehwag made the move because he and Gambhir had fallen out. Opening partners, friends, India comeback aspirants, opposing Ranji captains. At their home ground. Gambhir will have Ishant Sharma too, who will, in consultation with the physio, decide if he plays any more games after this.On Thursday, too, Sehwag will drive into his home ground with the same authority and calm. Some DDCA members might show up to greet him again. There will be warm-ups. Then the toss. If Gambhir wins it, early on a Thursday morning, in all likelihood Ishant will be charging in at Sehwag. Dahiya might not want to admit it, but a lot of it will be about individuals.*October 15, 0832 GMT. The article had erroneously stated a 100-run partnership between Vijay Dahiya and Virender Sehwag. This has been corrected

Ajmal Shahzad is the most notable English county player seriously considering whether to sign up for the planned PSL

David Hopps31-Jan-2013Ajmal Shahzad, who only two years ago was regarded as a integral part of England’s fast-bowling future, is the most notable English county player seriously considering whether to sign up for the planned Pakistan Super League.Pakistan are so anxious to attract overseas players that they have offered life insurance of $2 million (£1.25m) as well as 24-hour personal security for a tournament which would offer competitive cricket immediately ahead of the English county season.That has been enough for Shahzad to toy with the possibility of making himself available, along with three other county players with Pakistani antecedents: Lancashire’s Kabir Ali, Mooen Ali of Worcestershire and Kadeer Ali, who is currently a free agent since being released by Gloucestershire in 2010.That they would eventually accept offers, though, is far from certain. Players’ associations including the international body, FICA, and their England equivalent, the PCA, have warned players that they should not visit Pakistan on security grounds and there is a general acceptance that overseas players will be immensely difficult to attract.But players with a Pakistan background, and of Muslim religion, are naturally more willing to consider any offers than most, privately feeling that their safety, although impossible to guarantee, might be less compromised.Shahzad, who is forging a new career with Nottinghamshire after sharing a troubled 2012 season between Yorkshire and Lancashire, said: “It’s still early doors but if the PSL is set up professionally and becomes official and the security is top notch then I would think about it. My first commitment is to Notts but the fixtures don’t clash with the English season.”Nottinghamshire have taken a firm line against the involvement of their players in the IPL because it clashes with the England season, but their director of cricket, Mick Newell, emphasised that there would be no automatic objection to any overseas T20 tournament which took place in England’s close season.He counselled: “We would advise players to have full discussions with the PCA before making a decision about any overseas T20 tournament so they were fully aware of any issues, but we would not automatically block an NOC if it was requested.”Lancashire are confident that they have dissuaded Kabir from making the trip. “We haven’t granted an NOC for any of our players to go forward to the PSL auction,” a Lancashire statement said, giving the impression that the subject was closed.Kabir, though, had been among the keenest to make the trip, despite an unnerving experience with terrorist violence, this time in India, more than four years ago. When attacks on Mumbai forced the suspension of India’s tour of India, In November 2008, Kabir was due to have dinner at the Taj Palace, where England were also shortly due to stay, on the night of the attacks. He changed his mind at the last minute and went to the cinema and the shootings began shortly afterwards.Worcestershire’s director of cricket, Steve Rhodes, said that Mooen Ali has also not yet applied for an NOC certificate. Such applications would be premature, however, as details of the PSL have not been finalised. Mooen is believed to have more reservations about the tournament than many others under consideration.

Rajasthan are missing key players but their captain Hrishikesh Kanitkar believes the Irani Cup contest against a strong Rest of India side is not “uneven.”

Nagraj Gollapudi20-Sep-2012Aakash Chopra, Pankaj Singh and Rituraj Singh, three men who contributed to Rajasthan’s successful Ranji Trophy campaign last season, are absent from the squad but their captain Hrishikesh Kanitkar believes the Irani Cup contest against a strong Rest of India side is not “uneven.”Chopra, one Rajasthan’s three professionals and their third highest run-scorer, moved to Himachal Pradesh. Pankaj, the third highest wicket-taker in the 2011-12 tournament with 34 victims, is recovering from an injury. Rituraj, a the star performer with the ball during the knockouts, is touring New Zealand on India A duty. These three players, along with Robin Bist, Vineet Saxena and Sumit Mathur, were pillars of Rajasthan’s success last year. At one stage during the league phase Rajasthan, who were defending their maiden title won in 2010-11, were in the danger of being relegated to the Plate League, but they finished winners instead.Kanitkar, however, said the belief that Rajasthan could challenge Rest of India came from their hard work in the last two years. “We are a state team and they are representing the rest of the country. So on paper, it definitely looks off balance,” he said. “But we have a combination that has done well and we will stick to it and then who knows what will happen.”When told the last team to beat Rest of India to win the Irani Cup was Railways in 2000, Kanitkar said his team was capable of doing the same. “A couple of seasons back, Rajasthan had never won the Ranji for 76 years. So this record is not that imposing, it is just 10 years old. Hopefully, we will be able to win it this time.”One reason for Kanitkar’s belief is that he can draw on the experience of two coaches: Meyrick Pringle, the former South African fast bowler, and Chandrakant Pandit, the former India wicketkeeper and a successful domestic coach. Pringle, who was brought in as a consultant for the second half of the previous season, was given a formal contract by the Rajasthan Cricket Association last month. Pringle, according to the players, was one of the architects behind Rajasthan’s fast bowlers bouncing back during the end of the season.Pandit, who formerly coached various Ranji Trophy sides including Mumbai and Maharashtra, was signed by RCA late last season as the director of cricket. He also doubles up as the coach of the senior team and is expected to renew bonds with Kanitkar, who was the Maharasthra captain when Pandit was coach.With the curator having left some grass on the pitch, both Cheteshwar Pujara, the Rest of India captain, and Kanitkar said they would play at least three seamers. In the absence of Pankaj and Rituraj, Kanitkar said it was a good oportunity for Deepak Chahar, who made headlines with his record performance against Hyderabad in a Plate group Ranji match, to prove his talent once again. “Rituraj Singh came in when Deepak Chahar missed a lot of action in the last season due to jaundice. Deepak had done well a couple of seasons back. Rituraj had grabbed that opportunity. When Rituraj is not there, Deepak has come back. This match is a big stage and hope Deepak will make use of it,” Kanitkar said. Chahar is likely to share the new ball with the left-right combination of Ankit Choudhary and Sumit Mathur.

Kapil Dev, the former India captain, has cut off his association with the unofficial Indian Cricket League opening the door to work again with the BCCI

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Jul-2012Kapil Dev, the former India captain, has cut off his association with the unofficial Indian Cricket League, which is now defunct, opening the door to work again with the BCCI. He also stands to be awarded his benefit of Rs 1.5 crore ($270,000) and possibly his pension arrears.”Mr Kapil Dev has informed the Board that he has resigned from the Essel Sports Private Limited/ICL,” the BCCI said. “He has also stated in the letter that he has always supported the BCCI, and will continue to do so in the future.”The BCCI acknowledges Mr Kapil Dev’s immense contribution to Indian cricket, and looks forward to a fruitful association with him in the years to come.”Kapil spoke briefly to reporters after the meeting. “The BCCI is like a parent and we are like its children. I have contributed to the welfare of cricket and cricketers during my earlier association [with the BCCI] and aim to do so even now.”Speaking to the BCCI’s website, Kapil was all praise for the Indian board and its president, N Srinivasan. “There can be misunderstandings at times, but as part of Indian cricket, I’ve always had respect for the organisation more than the individuals [that form it]. I love my cricket board and I’m so happy to be back here. I’m proud to be part of one of the biggest sporting organisations in the world.”He [Srinivasan] is a wonderful administrator and has shown his worth. I was so delighted to hear from him. He’s a man with endless passion for Indian cricket and that’s what I admire the most about him. There are people who are only interested in name and fame, but few work sincerely for 25 to 30 years for the betterment of the game.”This ends a long and bitter battle between the board and Kapil, which began with the birth of the ICL in 2007 in the aftermath of India’s disastrous World Cup campaign in the West Indies. The ICL, promoted by the Zee group, pre-empted the BCCI’s own IPL and was promptly declared unofficial, its players barred from all forms of the game in India and eventually globally. Kapil himself was sacked as chairman of the National Cricket Academy and there followed a series of events, court cases and failed negotiations that led to the ICL’s closure; the league’s last competitive match was in November 2008.Kapil spent the next five years on the margins of the game as a television talking head and a newspaper columnist, his relationship with the official side of Indian cricket remaining rocky. However, he held centrestage at the official silver jubilee celebration of India’s 1983 World Cup win and, two years later, was inducted into the ICC’s Hall of Fame.In April 2008 the BCCI announced an amnesty scheme for all involved with the ICL, with a May 31 deadline to cut off all ties with the rebel league. On June 2 it announced an amnesty for 79 players, 11 former players and 11 officials. Kapil Dev was not on that list but his rehabilitation has now been completed.The BCCI will tick July 2012 off as a month of restoration: first came the Indo-Pak cricket ties, then Kiran More was returned to the fold, and on Wednesday, it was time for reconciliation with the biggest fish of them all, Kapil Dev. A five-year cold war over the ICL has ended in a warm embrace of cordiality and bonhomie. The BCCI has kindly recognised Kapil’s “immense” contribution to Indian cricket and Kapil has called the BCCI his “parent”. Behind all this are two simple truths: one, that the BCCI’s financial clout is very hard to resist, and two, fighting words from Kapil Dev are to be taken as seriously as crackpot news television. This is the same cricketer who had threatened to go on a hunger strike if the ICL’s younger players were ignored by the BCCI.The BCCI’s first response to Kapil joining the ICL was to sack him as head of the National Cricket Academy and cut off his monthly pension. Devastating for a cricketer of small means, much less so to someone with Kapil’s hefty financial earnings. Then the BCCI tried to snub him by not inviting him to a few functions and, as he was India’s only World Cup-winning captain until 2011, that only made them look small. The master move came two months ago when the BCCI announced one-time benefits to former cricketers; Kapil was omitted, losing about Rs 1.5 crore ($270,000 approx). The BCCI’s pound of flesh was in the form of written assurances of loyalty from former players who have had sterling careers for India. In an angry newspaper column, Kapil, though, drew himself up to his impressive height and said: “Not all cricketers are answerable to the board.” On Wednesday, he put himself in the category of cricketers who are affordable.
Sharda Ugra

Opening batsman Alviro Petersen has been recalled to South Africa’s 13-man squad for the first Test against Sri Lanka

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Dec-2011Opening batsman Alviro Petersen has been recalled to South Africa’s 13-man squad for the first Test against Sri Lanka. Uncapped Titans seamer Marchant de Lange has also been included although he is unlikely to play because of a dislocated thumb. Lonwabo Tsotsobe, JP Duminy and Paul Harris have been dropped.Petersen lost his place for last month’s two-Test series against Australia after Jacques Rudolph was recalled to open the batting with captain Graeme Smith. Rudolph did not replicate the form he had shown in the SuperSport Series – where he topped the batting charts last season and scored 592 runs in four matches in this season – and only managed a top score of 30 in four innings.While Rudolph has failed to live up to the hype, Petersen has made a strong case for a recall. He is second on the first-class batting rankings, with 441 runs at an average of 55.12 and scored 186 in the opening fixture of the season. He also made a fighting 103, on a seamer-friendly pitch, against the touring Australians in a warm-up match last month in Potchefstroom.Petersen and Smith shared in nine opening stands of at least 50 in the nine Tests they played and there is some suggestion that Petersen will open the batting once again, with Rudolph likely to move down into the middle order, increasing pressure on Ashwell Prince. In his nine Tests Petersen has scored 572 runs at 33.64 with a best of 100.De Lange is fast emerging as South Africa’s Pat Cummins, having been elevated to the Test squad after just 14 first-class matches and while still playing in his first season. He caught the eye with an explosive 5 for 56 against the Australians in Potchefstroom and has impressed with his pace. Batsmen from the Knights, who played against de Lange’s Titans earlier in the season, said he was “faster than Morne Morkel,” after facing them both.His speedy rise to the national squad appears part of a plan to assimilate him with the group. De Lange was also he was also invited to train with the South Africa team in their preparations for the second Test against Australia. Barring injury or unusual circumstances, he will likely not be promoted to the starting XI and will be asked to use the experience as a learning curve.”There is some doubt about whether he will recover in time from his thumb injury but, even if that is the case, he will learn a great deal just from being part of the national squad environment,” Andrew Hudson, convenor of selectors, said.The bowling attack will be the same as the one which played against Australia, spearheaded by Dale Steyn, who will likely share the new ball with Vernon Philander. Morne Morkel will have time to settle into a different role as first change while Imran Tahir is the sole spinner in the squad.Tahir’s debut was much anticipated but he fell short of expectations, save for a spell on the second afternoon of the Wanderers Test when he cleaned up the Australian tail. However, he has been given another opportunity to build on his domestic form.The only other player who was facing pressure for his place was wicketkeeper Mark Boucher, who did not contribute with the bat against Australia with 20 runs in three innings. Boucher remains the country’s top gloveman and the selectors have decided not to include a back-up keeper in the squad. They have the door open to add players for the second and third Test, with Hudson saying the squad is likely to expand over that period.A South African Invitation XI, which includes Thami Tsolekile and Harris, will play a three-day warm-up match against the Sri Lankans in Benoni starting on Friday, with the first Test scheduled to be played in Centurion from December 15.South Africa squad Graeme Smith (capt), AB de Villiers, Hashim Amla, Mark Boucher (wk), Marchant de Lange, Imran Tahir, Jacques Kallis, Morne Morkel, Alviro Petersen, Vernon Philander, Ashwell Prince, Jacques Rudolph, Dale Steyn

Odean Brown scored 66 and took three wickets to give West Indies A an opportunity to push for a win against Pakistan A

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Nov-2010

ScorecardOdean Brown, the Jamaica legspinner, gave West Indies A an opportunity to push for a win against Pakistan A with his all-round performance on the third day at Arnos Vale. Brown first ensured that a couple of quick wickets from seamer Yasir Arafat, who has played three Tests for Pakistan, didn’t derail the West Indies A innings. Brown’s highest first-class score in 51 innings prior to the match was 33, but he doubled that on Friday to help West Indies reach 357 in their first innings. He then took three wickets to put Pakistan under pressure, leaving them at 122 for 3 at stumps, just 26 ahead of the hosts. Khurram Manzoor, who scored a century in Pakistan A’s first innings, was unbeaten on 66 and his captain Faisal Iqbal, who has played 26 Tests for Pakistan, was still at the wicket, batting on 33. The pair’s role will be crucial in trying to save the match on Saturday, as West Indies will fancy their chances of running through Pakistan’s lower-order after they took the visitors’ last seven wickets for 60 runs in the first innings.