Former India captain Sourav Ganguly has said that retirement should not be forced upon the senior players

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Sep-2011Kapil Dev, the former India captain, has said the selectors need to rotate the seniors – Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman – in the Test team so that the younger players can be given opportunities without weakening the side too much.”All three seniors – Tendulkar, Dravid and Laxman – should not play together in a single Test,” Kapil told Indian news channel Aaj Tak. “Two of them can play and one can be rested so that a youngster can be tested in his place. In this manner, we can give a chance to a talented youngster without taking too much risk and making too many changes all of a sudden.”Kapil also said the selectors needed to take tough calls and wanted an orderly phasing out of the senior players. “It is the selectors who will have to take a call on their retirement,” he said. “A player never likes to retire. Selectors should see the bigger picture and take a tough decision. But, they [selectors] should do this while giving full respect to these seniors.”Tendulkar and Dravid are both 38, while Laxman is 37. Dravid was Man of the Series during the recent Tests in England, scoring 461 runs at an average of 76.83. Tendulkar and Laxman, though, had poor tours, averaging 34.12 and 22.75.Sourav Ganguly, however, said retirement should not be forced on the senior players because India did not have the talent to replace them at the moment. “Players like Tendulkar, Dravid and Laxman should decide on their own when it comes to taking a call on quitting the game,” Ganguly said. “The day their performance drops, they will leave on their own.”Ganguly had retired from international cricket after the Test series against Australia at home in 2008, at a time when there was pressure on the seniors and an influx of youth in the Indian limited-overs sides. No batsman, however, has been able to fill the gap Ganguly left in Test middle-order, with neither Yuvraj Singh nor Suresh Raina cementing their spots.”It is good to see youngsters perform so well in the shorter format but I am more worried about Tests,” Ganguly said. “We haven’t seen anyone who can challenge these seniors. Definitely, the time hasn’t come to phase out seniors in Tests.”Kapil, however, disagreed with Ganguly’s view. “Everyone knows that it is not going to be easy to find replacements for the likes of Tendulkar, Dravid and Laxman. It is going to be extremely difficult. But youngsters, even though they might have failed in whatever chances they’ve got till now, have to be given another go.”Actually the problem is not with their [youngsters’] talent. It is their poor fitness level that is letting them down,” Kapil said. “Coach and selectors will have to play a big role in coming times. Youngsters should also learn to take pride in their cricket.”Former India allrounder Madan Lal seconded Kapil’s view, saying the youngsters in the team lacked proper work ethic. He also said Suresh Raina, who averaged 13.12 in the four Tests in England, should not be persisted with.”They [the youngsters] have to up their fitness levels. Players like [Virat] Kohli, [Cheteshwar] Pujara and Rohit [Sharma] will have to be given chances. I will not give another chance to Raina, though, as he has already wasted too many. Instead, Yuvraj [Singh], who hasn’t got much opportunity in Tests, should be tested again.”

Marcus Trescothick has admitted he is lost for answers when it comes to Somerset’s record of falling at the final hurdle after they came up short against Surrey at Lord’s in the Clydesdale Bank 40 final

Andrew McGlashan18-Sep-2011Marcus Trescothick has admitted he is lost for answers when it comes to Somerset’s record of falling at the final hurdle after they came up short against Surrey at Lord’s in the Clydesdale Bank 40 final. It meant a fifth runner’s-up position in two seasons for a county that is gaining the reputation of not being able to go that one step further.Somerset slumped to 79 for 5 in the final – with Trescothick the first man dismissed – and although Jos Buttler’s 86 carried them 214 it didn’t prove enough to seriously challenge Surrey in a Duckworth-Lewis run chase. It left Trescothick fielding familiar questions which he fielded with honesty as he said everything the team had tried to overcome their finals’ jinx had failed.”What more can you say to justify it or tell you what’s wrong? I don’t know if I’m honest,” he said. “We’ve looked at different things but it’s not working out when we get to this point. It’s another kick in the teeth”I’m out of ideas to try and improve. I’m out of answers. We didn’t bat as well as we could do, whether that’s nerves I don’t know. It’s something we need to address and it needs some honest answers.”He also acknowledged how tough the result would be for the Somerset supporters. “I apologise for putting everyone through this,” he said. “We are playing great cricket for 99% of the season and we all love coming to the big finals. We’ve got to give it our best – and will do – to keep fighting to get the right result.”However, despite the latest setback he still sees a bright future for Somerset and believes the fact the team keep getting close to gaining silverware shows how much is being done right.”I take a lot of comfort from that,” he said. “A lot of teams would swap. We are in the top five teams in the country and getting into positions to win things. It takes the edge off by not winning but we are doing a hell of a lot right. We could be a special team; at the moment we just aren’t quite good enough.”For Trescothick’s opposite number, Rory-Hamilton Brown, there were very different emotions as Surrey followed Championship promotion with a trophy. Hamilton-Brown also played a key role with the bat as he made 78 off 62 balls, although he lost out on the match award to Jade Dernbach who took 4 for 30, he was excited about the prospects for the team”The way I see it, a lot of change has been made over the last three years at the club,” he said. They are changes that needed to be made and this is just a start of what I think we can achieve. It lets the guys know that what we are doing is right and if we keep putting in the hard work we’ve got a very successful future ahead of us. We’ve worked really hard. We’ve had a fantastic finish to the season.”

About 100 cricketers contracted to Sri Lanka Cricket, including the national players, have not been paid their salaries since Sri Lanka co-hosted the 2011 World Cup, BBC Sinhala reported

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Oct-2011About 100 cricketers contracted to Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), including national players, have not been paid their salaries since the 2011 World Cup, co-hosted by Sri Lanka, India and Bangladesh, BBC Sinhala has reported.There were also doubts over whether the SLC would be able to pay salaries in the next two months. “There is a truth in those media reports to a certain extent,” SLC chairman Upali Dharmadasa was quoted as telling BBC Sinhala.Dharmadasa said efforts were being made to pay the players as soon as the SLC received the remaining payments from the ICC for staging the World Cup. “The ICC still owes us $4-5 million,” he said.The board had revamped the Premadasa Stadium in Colombo and built two new grounds in Pallekele and Hambantota for the tournament in February and March, and the capital expenditure incurred is reported to have left it in debt.

India fast bowler Zaheer Khan has said he is only a few weeks away from regaining full fitness, as he prepares for selection for the Australia tour starting next month

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Nov-2011India fast bowler Zaheer Khan has said he is only a few weeks away from regaining full fitness, as he prepares for selection for the tour of Australia that starts next month.India’s premier strike bowler suffered a hamstring injury at the start of the Lord’s Test in July, and was then diagnosed with a right ankle impingement that required surgery, forcing him to miss the entire tour. His absence was one of the reasons for India’s poor tour of England, where they were whitewashed 4-0 in the Tests and failed to win any of the limited-overs games. Zaheer, who hasn’t played for India since, has been training at the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore.”I’m in a pretty good state of mind right now because I’ve learnt to handle things better. I feel I’m just a couple of weeks away from regaining full fitness,” Zaheer told the .” I only have to complete all the formalities of passing the fitness test. I am excited about playing a few first-class games. I have spent the last few weeks at the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore, was in rehab, worked on my fitness and now I feel good. I have started bowling in the nets. I have to keep going at it for another week or two and I’ll be ready for a four-day match.”Zaheer was among several players who broke down in England and the team management and players were criticised for poor injury management and lack of preparation against a strong England Test side. Zaheer had skipped the West Indies tour that preceded the England trip to rest. He insisted, though, that he was fit for the England tour.”Before I left for England, I don’t think I was short of any preparation,” Zaheer said. “In retrospect, I think I did the right thing by opting to go to England and again the right thing to opt out and go for surgery.”He also insisted that he wasn’t hiding any injuries before the tour. “Ahead of the England series, for seven to eight months, I was playing with an inflammation, but that didn’t hamper my performance,” he said. “It is just unfortunate that the inflammation ruptured on the tour of England. But would that mean I was hiding my injury? No. I wouldn’t say so.”He said the injury lay-off has only increased his hunger to get back into the team. “I think you need those insecurities to be around you. They help you be on your toes and make you battle-hungry. I am glad I don’t feel all that secure or that I’ve created any kind of a zone for myself. In fact, I am looking forward to prove myself all over once again.”

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

As a batting duo Clarke and Ponting bounce off one another perfectly, playing in styles that contrast in ways that split the field

Daniel Brettig at Adelaide Oval25-Jan-2012Michael Clarke still needs Ricky Ponting. If not always as a tactical adviser on the field then certainly as a wise head in the dressing room and a similarly ravenous batsman in the middle. Between them they can construct the most authoritative partnerships of any two batsmen in this Australian side, and in Sydney and Adelaide their unions have sapped India.The SCG stand was made to look fleeting by comparison with the 386 runs piled up at Adelaide Oval, but both demonstrated Ponting’s best value to Clarke. As a batting duo they bounce off one another perfectly, playing in styles that contrast in ways that split the field. All the while they are coaching and encouraging each other, spotting faults in their partner’s technique or lauding strengths.As Clarke hinted when he spoke in the aftermath of their dual double centuries, his resolve with Ponting to stay together at the crease has been strengthened enormously by the pain of last summer’s Ashes defeat. Innings by innings each long occupation begins to atone for those not achieved against Andrew Strauss’ Englishmen.”It’s always nice to see us both scoring runs when we bat together,” Clarke said. “We’ve known each other for a long time, played a lot of cricket together. It’s nice to spend some time in the middle. Both of us were disappointed with our series last summer and we’ve worked hard on our games to improve … it’s nice to be scoring some [runs] this summer.”We know each other’s games quite well so we can certainly communicate to what we’re seeing, if we feel like we can help. We speak a lot when we bat about what the other person has seen, to get help and advice and to keep both of us going and this innings was no different.”Clarke’s effort elevated him to the rare club of batsmen to score a double century and a triple in the same series. Its other members are Don Bradman and Walter Hammond, neither of whom managed it when they were leading their team. On an Adelaide pitch of the most friendly characteristics, Clarke’s mind was less on records than the scoreboard.”I didn’t know that but it’s very nice to have scored some more runs,” Clarke said. “That wicket’s very flat out there to bat on. Ricky and I spoke early in our innings, once we got in again today, it was about going on and making big ones. The positive is it’s nice to score some more runs and to have 600 runs on the board. The other side of that though is that it’s going to take a hell of a lot of work to take 20 wickets on that wicket.”It’s very special, there’s no doubt about it. One thing I’ve never really been too bothered about is statistics and records. It’s about playing the game. It’s about trying to do whatever you can to help your team win. If records come along like that, it’s very special.”Following a 2011 of introspection and change, Clarke is enjoying the best of times in his career so far. He is gaining respect and admiration with each innings, but has not forgotten that there may be more meagre days ahead. The plight of India and their suspended captain MS Dhoni is proof enough of that.”I don’t think it matters if you’re captain or not. It’s a tough game. It’s the toughest game in the world,” Clarke said. “For Ricky and I to have individual performances and team performances like this, it’s why you train so hard. It’s very satisfying. It’s about enjoying the good times and when you’re not doing so well it’s continue to work hard and have the confidence in your own ability that things are going to turn around for you.”Turn has not been in much evidence across this series, and has again been absent so far in Adelaide. However Clarke preferred to hope for deterioration, offering spin for Nathan Lyon and variable bounce for the fast men. Umesh Yadav was one visiting bowler to gain some sharp reverse swing at times, something the Australians may be able to utilise against the heavier legs of India’s batsmen.”Hopefully we’ll see some deterioration especially in the back half of day four and day five – tomorrow it’s going to be pretty nice to bat on,” Clarke said. “A couple of balls stayed a little bit low, but it’s as good a batting wicket as you’re going to get. The bowlers are going to have to bowl well and we’re going to have to hang onto every chance in the field.”The man standing in Australia’s path is Sachin Tendulkar, he of 99 international centuries. Clarke was asked somewhat flippantly if he would show Tendulkar any sympathy. Given the pitch, and the rewards of a relentless approach with the bat, Clarke’s response was no surprise.”No I certainly won’t be showing him any sympathy,” he said. “We’re there to win the game. He’s a wonderful player, and he’s going to be really tough to get out on that wicket. Somehow we’re going to have to find a way to do it twice.”

The first match between Australia Women and New Zealand Women in the Rose Bowl one-dayers was washed out after only 22 overs were bowled at the SCG

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Jan-2012
ScorecardThe first match between Australia Women and New Zealand Women in the Rose Bowl one-dayers was washed out after only 22 overs were bowled at the SCG.Rain was expected to be a factor in the game as Australia elected to field. The first break occurred in the fifth over when showers stopped play. When play resumed, New Zealand openers Frances Mackay and Lucy Doolan played solidly to put up a half-century stand within the first 10 overs. Mackay was the more aggressive batsman, hitting five fours before falling for 25. Doolan, though, persevered and scored 43 before edging to the keeper just before the rains came.Only three more balls could be bowled after her dismissal before the game was abandoned. The two teams will clash again in the remaining two matches, both to be played at the SCG, on January 27 and 29.