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Gary Kirsten wasn’t about to push any panic buttons after a poor day, though he admitted that a slightly more vigorous wag from the tail would have been handy

Cricinfo staff17-Nov-2009
After a good first day, there was little for India to celebrate on Tuesday•Associated Press

After finishing the first day as much the happier side, day two at Motera was one of hard toil for India. Having lost the last four wickets for 37 runs, the bowling line-up was then slammed to all parts as Tillakaratne Dilshan scored yet another century in his annus mirabilis. It was only impetuous shot selection from Dilshan and Kumar Sangakkara that allowed India a route back into the game.Apart from Zaheer Khan, who bowled a tremendous second spell [5-2-4-2], none of the bowlers looked especially threatening on a surface that remained placid and slow. Gary Kirsten, India’s coach, wasn’t about to push any panic buttons, though he admitted that a slightly more vigorous wag from the tail would have been handy.”I think we would have liked a few more runs,” he said. “But I think it was a tremendous effort to get from 32 for 4 to 426. The Sri Lankans batted well. For me, the game’s pretty even at the moment. It’s a good wicket to bat on, we know that, and hopefully it’ll start taking more and more turn as the game goes on. Bowling last on that pitch will suit us.”The pick of the bowlers was undoubtedly Zaheer, returning to the squad after a shoulder injury he picked up during the IPL. After his first 10 overs had cost 41, he came back to restrict the scoring and take the wickets that India were so desperate for. And all that without any hint of the prodigious reverse swing that was such a feature of India’s series victory over Australia 12 months ago. “It’s good to have him back,” Kirsten said. “He’s a very experienced and very clever bowler. For his first time back, I thought he bowled exceptionally well. Hopefully, he can continue to use his skill throughout this match and into the next ones.”Reverse swing is the biggest of those skills and Kirsten admitted that they were “hoping for a bit more”. “In conditions like these, it does help to get the ball to reverse. In the second innings and maybe tomorrow as well, we’ll get a bit more. It’s not an abrasive surface and the outfield’s pretty good. The table around the pitch is pretty green so the ball stays in good condition.”There were encouraging words too for the spinners, though both struggled at times on a pitch where the batsmen had oodles of time to play shots. Zaheer apart, every other specialist bowler in the match has conceded more than 3.5 runs an over, the best indication of how batsmen-friendly the conditions have been. “I thought Harbhajan bowled really well, as good a rhythm as I’ve seen him bowl for a while,” Kirsten said. “He was very happy with his performance today.”Again, let’s bear in mind that it’s a good wicket for batting. And Amit [Mishra] hasn’t bowled for a while. He hasn’t had much game time. He would like his rhythm to have been a little bit better, but that’s going to happen. I’m pretty confident that both of them are going to be a real factor in this Test match.”Mishra was part of the squad for the seven-match one-day series against Australia without getting a game, and his position as national reserve also prevented him from turning out for the first two games of the Ranji Trophy season. “It’s always difficult,” Kirsten said. “You need to have subs. You need to have people around and available if someone does an ankle on the morning of a game. We’ve released two players [Murali Vijay and Pragyan Ojha] to go play Ranji Trophy, so we’ve got 13 players here, which is about as little as you can have. Amit didn’t play at all in the one-dayers, but we needed him there just in case someone picked up an injury.”With no viable all-round options after Irfan Pathan’s fall from grace, and no queue of fast bowlers breathing down the incumbents’ necks, this is pretty much the best XI that India can put on the park. On pitches like this, the fifth-bowling option is always a welcome luxury, but Kirsten was pretty content with the status quo. “We’ve gone in with four bowlers since I’ve been part of this team,” he said. “That’s what allows us to have the best balance. We’ve had a successful run with four bowlers and there’s no reason why it should change. The biggest issue is whether we play the extra spinner of the extra seamer.”In New Zealand, we played the extra seamer. In India, we play the extra spinner. A lot of teams have played successful cricket over many years with four frontline bowlers. We’ve got Yuvraj that can do a job for us, and Veeru who can.”Unless the second new ball can provide quick breakthroughs on the third morning, both may yet be needed over the coming days, with wickets at a premium on a pitch that’s diametrically opposite to the one on which South Africa romped to an innings success 18 months ago.

A slow track in Hyderabad resulted in an attritional day’s play in which Ajit Agarkar’s hostile opening burst left Mumbai the happier side

Siddarth Ravindran in Hyderabad01-Dec-2009
ScorecardAn incisive spell from Ajit Agarkar helped restrict the hosts on the opening day in Hyderabad•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

It was less than a month ago that Sachin Tendulkar slammed a majestic 175 in a one-day international at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on a batting beauty. On Tuesday as well, there was little in the surface for the bowlers, but it was a slow track that resulted in an attritional day’s play in which Ajit Agarkar’s hostile opening burst left Mumbai the happier side.Hyderabad had a jolt even before the toss after regular captain Arjun Yadav and in-form fast bowler Alfred Absolem were ruled out due to injury. Anirudh Singh, an ICL returnee, stepped in to lead the side and won an important toss, but the home side’s batsmen squandered the advantage.Hyderabad’s new opening combination, Shashank Nag and Rushi Raj, fared no better than the four others tried this season. They were rarely at ease during a probing opening spell from Agarkar and Dhawal Kulkarni, being squared up several times. The accuracy of the new-ball bowlers and the slow outfield combined to stifle the runs. Nag was the first to go, popping a return catch to an alert Agarkar after closing the face too early. Raj lasted a couple of overs more before he was lbw shouldering arms to a delivery that was heading for the stumps.Mumbai had a slice of luck soon after when the umpire deemed Anirudh lbw after failing to spot the batsman gloving Aavishkar Salvi’s third delivery. Much now depended on Ambati Rayudu, and he survived Agarkar’s nine-over opening spell (2 for 17) despite feeling for the ball outside
off several times.Rayudu and Abhinav Kumar stalled the Mumbai charge with some patient batting and started to open out towards the end of the morning session. Rayudu played some delightful drives, Abhinav stepped out to loft offspinner Ramesh Powar beyond long-on. But with 10 minutes to lunch Abhishek Nayar got the big wicket of Rayudu, the third lbw victim of the day.Agarkar returned after lunch to add another lbw scalp that left Hyderabad at 98 for 5. Syed Quadri and wicketkeeper Ibrahim Khaleel then combined to frustrate Mumbai for more than 30 overs. It was mostly dour batting with several edges past slip for four; Quadri played out 76 deliveries between his third and fourth boundary.It was one of Quadri’s rare aggressive shots that caused Mumbai most concern on the day: Rohit Sharma injured his left shoulder while diving to stop a carve through cover, and had to head for a scan. It remains to be seen whether Mumbai’s misfiring batting will have to make do without him for the rest of the match.Mumbai captain Wasim Jaffer kept attacking even with almost nothing in the track to encourage the spinners. There were rarely any men in the deep when Powar and Iqbal Abdulla were operating, and three men usually hovering for a bat-pad chance. Hyderabad had crawled to 171 for 5 off 72 overs when Powar provided the breakthrough, Khaleel also falling lbw.The entry of allrounder Amol Shinde perked up proceedings. He slapped three fours and a big six over long-on to dominate a 29-run stand before ducking into a Salvi bouncer and gloving it to the keeper.Hyderabad’s batsmen haven’t converted on their starts all season -74 is the highest score in eight innings so far – and Tuesday was no different. Four batsmen were dismissed between 23 and 35 on a placid track, leaving the side at a poor 223 for 7 at stumps. They can’t wait for the return of VVS Laxman, possibly for the final two games of the season, to help stave
off a first-ever demotion to the Plate League. The one consolation for them is that the other relegation-threatened team in their group, Himachal Pradesh, did even worse: bowled out for 197 against Punjab.There were lesser concerns for Mumbai coach, Praveen Amre, who applauded the intensity shown by his side through the day on a difficult pitch. “I would have liked two more wickets but I am satisfied as it was hard work in the middle,” he said. “Everyone put in their efforts in the field till the last over of the day though the conditions were good for batting, which is a big plus.”Another gain for Mumbai was Powar’s problem-free return from injury after a side strain had kept him out of three games. On Wednesday, if Mumbai’s top-order returns to last season’s title-winning form, there can be little for Amre to complain about.

Stuart Broad can now remember Durban for the good times. His fourth-afternoon spell put England on course for their crushing innings-and-98-run victory

Andrew McGlashan in Durban31-Dec-2009Stuart Broad can now remember Durban for the good times. His fourth-afternoon spell of three wickets in 15 balls helped put England on course for their crushing innings-and-98-run victory and it was far cry from his previous experience on his ground. During the 2007 World Twenty20 he was clobbered for six sixes in an over by Yuvraj Singh and has been reminded about it many times since.Now, though, after ripping out Jacques Kallis, AB de Villiers and JP Duminy in a dramatic post-tea session there is a different Kingsmead story to talk about. “I made sure I bowled at the other end,” he said with a laugh. “It’s a very different format of the game – and I can’t remember what happened yesterday, let alone years ago.”But I’ve learned a lot since back then and I’m feeling confident with where my game is at the moment. It was nice to get six wickets in the game at a ground I didn’t have too many fond memories of. To have won one of the best Test matches abroad that I’ve been involved in will certainly diminish the memories I had left of that poor day.He also believes that such experiences have helped him develop on the world stage, although that may have been quite hard to see while Yuvraj was launching him towards the ocean. “I’ve always been a big believer that you learn most from your mistakes,” he added. “It was a pretty brutal way to be introduced to international cricket. I’m pleased the way I’ve reacted to failures in the past, and it’s up to me to keep doing that.”For a bowler who was on the verge of being dropped four Tests ago, Broad has made significant strides to now be a key part of England’s four-man attack. He has ended 2009 as the third-highest wicket-taker for the year with 47 wickets at 28.36, six behind his destroyer-in-arms, Graeme Swann. Still, if it hadn’t been for Andrew Flintoff’s omission at Headingley due to injury Broad would have been left out after a poor start to the Ashes series.Instead he took 6 for 91 – a flattering analysis as Australia romped to victory, but still career-best – and then there was his day in the sun at The Oval. What people really wanted to know, though, was could he do it again?His most recent spell provided the answer. In 15 balls he extracted three high-class batsmen as Kallis, de Villiers and Duminy each departed to a variety of leaves. Kallis’ was the most dramatic as the off-stump went cart-wheeling then de Villiers padded up and Duminy dragged on.Stuart Broad can treasure the memory of Jacques Kallis’s flying off stump from Kinsgmead•Getty Images

“It was pleasing to get Kallis with one that nipped back when the seam was wobbling,” he said. “One thing that helped me before this series was to watch a bit of footage on Shaun Pollock because he’s the sort of bowler I want to be like.”He seemed to get the ball to talk when the seam wasn’t exactly perfectly bolt upright, when it was just wobbling slightly. It just nipped either way, on the South African wickets. It was a very happy moment when I saw Kallis raising his arms – because I knew it was not missing the off-stump; I just felt like it was tailing back.”Broad’s development as a Test cricketer mirrors, in many ways, that of the team from an inconsistent performer capable of occasional glimpses of something special to a consistent threat on the world stage. People still point to an average the wrong side of thirty, but it’s on the way down and as batsman’s averages have climbed over the last decade so have bowler’s. Broad has been the only ever-present in the England attack this year, which shows a wise investment from the management and they are now getting the rewards.”I’m fortunate at my age to have experienced quite a lot of different conditions round the world,” he said. “We’re learning as a bowling unit that pressure is getting us wickets. We’re not necessarily bowling huge, reverse-swinging yorkers. It’s the pressure we’re building from both ends.””We’re improving all the time. It’s crucial that we don’t get carried away, though. It was a great lesson in the Ashes series in the Test where we could have won the Ashes but were terrible at Headingley. It just shows we shouldn’t look too far ahead. We’re always a better team when we’re talking about winning the next hour or the next session.”The shorter targets are really helping us as a team, and that’s something we’ll take into Cape Town. We’ve got a great opportunity over here in South Africa – one of the hardest places to come and win Test cricket – and that first hour at Newlands will be crucial, whether with bat or ball, that we strike the first blow.”

Mohammad Sami, the Pakistan fast bowler, is upbeat about his international prospects after returning to the national side for the second Test against Australia in Sydney

Cricinfo staff29-Jan-2010Mohammad Sami, the Pakistan fast bowler, is upbeat about his international prospects after returning to the national side for the second Test against Australia in Sydney. The Test was Sami’s first in more than two years – he had participated in the ICL in the interim – and he impressed in the first innings, taking 3 for 27 to help his team bowl out Australia for 127. However, he was left out of the third and final Test in Hobart but Sami, though disappointed, claimed he was a much-improved bowler and had the wherewithal to succeed at the highest level.”It was great being back among friends in the Test squad and representing my country. Wearing the green cap of Pakistan made me feel a proud man” Sami told Pakpassion.net. “It felt like I was on debut once again even though it was my 117th match for Pakistan. Naturally the nerves were there and it felt like I was playing for the first time. The international cricket gap for myself had been more than two years and I had missed playing for Pakistan so much.”Sami is currently playing for Karachi Blues in the Pentangular Cup. In Sydney, he grabbed three top-order wickets in favourable conditions to hand Pakistan the edge in a game they eventually lost. “For my return to the Pakistan team, conditions were great for fast bowling in Sydney and removing the top three of the Australian batting order was fantastic,” he said. [Mohammad] Asif bowled really well too and we were on top for most of that Test match. The fact that we lost the Test made me and my team mates feel very sad.””Like any other cricketer, I want to play all of the time and I was disappointed that I didn’t play in the third Test in Hobart, but that is something you have to accept at times.”Sami, who made his debut in 2001, has a busy domestic season ahead of him and hopes to make a mark to warrant selection for the World Twenty20 and Pakistan’s tour of England. “I feel I am a rejuvenated cricketer, I am more mature and I feel very strong and fit these days, possibly fitter and stronger than I have ever felt. My rhythm is good, I’ve been working on a few things with my coach and I have done well in domestic cricket this season for Karachi Blues and I want to continue the good form in the upcoming 50-over competition and then the Twenty over competition.”I think I am good enough to play in all three versions of the game for Pakistan and that is my aim. I want to perform well and be selected for the matches in Dubai, the Twenty20 World Cup and then the tour of England to play against Australia and England”.

Virender Sehwag, the Indian opener, has said he aims to play 100 Tests before his retirement and wishes to bat at No.4, even though he may have to wait until Sachin Tendulkar, who occupies that slot, ends his career

Cricinfo staff19-Feb-2010Virender Sehwag, the Indian opener, has said he “would love” to bat at No.4, even though he may have to wait until Sachin Tendulkar, who occupies that slot, ends his career. Sehwag was speaking at the ESPNcricinfo Awards ceremony in Jaipur, where he won the prize for best Test innings for the second year running. His audacious 293 against Sri Lanka in Mumbai was chosen over four other nominations shortlisted for the award.”I would love to bat at number four. I know I would not get that till Sachin retires. But I can wait,” Sehwag said, despite his enormous success at the top of the order. “I still would like to bat in the middle order. It’s difficult to field one-and-half days and then come out to bat in 10 minutes. When you bat at No. 6 like (MS) Dhoni, it allows you some rest. I have been successful as an opener but who knows, maybe I would have been more successful in the middle order.”Sehwag’s brutal innings against Sri Lanka included 40 fours and seven sixes, and set up an innings win for India, propelling them to the No.1 ranking in Tests. He had tremendous success in 2009 – an average of 108.98 in six Tests – and in the four Tests he’s played this year, he’s already managed two centuries. Sehwag said his form would only get better in the years to come. “I’m 31 and I think I’m playing well. And I would get only better in the next three-four years.”Sehwag defended his naturally aggressive approach to batting, saying there were risks involved even if he opted to play more cautiously. “People say I take too many risks. But the fact is, there is risk involved in every shot. You can get out trying to defend a ball as well. At times, people tell me to leave ball outside the off-stump. But some of them can jag back and get you out if you don’t play shots. I think if you think so much, you simply cannot bat,” he said.”In my case, it would become risky if I try to become defensive, since my technique is not that good. I think in a different way. When I grew up, I tried to score off every ball, be it a 10-over-match, a 20-over or even a Test match. If I stay in the wicket for say about 30 minutes, I want to make the most of it and score maximum runs possible. You never know when you get out, try to score as much possible before that.”Sehwag added he wished to play 100 Tests for India before retiring from the format. “I want to play 100 Test matches and once I have done that, I may retire from Test cricket,” he said.

Rubel Hossain led a spirited charge by the Bangladesh attack that Had New Zealand in trouble before Brendon McCullum and Martin Guptill rescued them to 258 for 5 on the first day in Hamilton

The Bulletin by Andrew Fernando14-Feb-2010
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were outMartin Guptill stood tall, even as his batting mates failed, and carried New Zealand’s hopes in Hamilton, along with Brendon McCullum•Getty Images

An unbroken 100-run partnership between Martin Guptill and Brendon McCullum helped New Zealand stage a comeback on the first day in the one off Test at Seddon Park. The pair combined with the home side struggling at 158 for 5, but batted with assurance till stumps to rescue them from a dodgy position.New Zealand were pushed to a corner by the Bangladesh seamers who made good use of a green, seaming wicket after a rain-delayed start. Shafiul Islam bowled an immaculate line and length throughout his first spell, beating the bats of both New Zealand openers repeatedly before getting one to seam slightly away from Tim McIntosh who edged to Imrul Kayes at second slip.Rubel Hossain then took over, bowling at a lively pace and finding consistency in the afternoon session to trouble the New Zealand top order with a barrage of short-pitched deliveries. He was the pick of the visiting bowlers, ending with 3 for 86. After accounting for opener BJ Watling, Rubel added the scalps of debutant Peter Ingram and Ross Taylor, who both promised a lot in their aggressive knocks.Ingram’s announced his arrival, following McIntosh’s departure, with a flurry of powerfully hit boundaries through the off side while Watling struggled to an unconvincing 13 at the other end. Ingram eventually holed out to mid on, attempting to pull Rubel from wide outside off stump, ending a 47-ball innings that included an enormous straight six off Shakib Al Hasan.In the afternoon session, Taylor continued to bat as aggressively as he has done throughout the tour, dealing in boundaries through point and mid wicket, but was again unable deliver a big innings that would have given his side the advantage. A fuller Rubel delivery was to be his demise, as he edged behind leaving the team total on 126 for 4.Daniel Vettori, batting at six in the absence of Jesse Ryder and Grant Elliott, was unable to make an impression, getting to 10 before dancing past a Shakib Al Hasan delivery that clipped the top of the off stump. His dismissal left the hosts teetering at 158 for 5, and in desperate need of rescue mission.Martin Guptill led the recovery, continuing his sparkling form from the ODIs to end unbeaten on 80 at stumps. After being dropped on 4 by Shafiul, attempting to complete a sharp return chance, Guptill batted impeccably, keeping out a menacing Bangladesh attack, and driving handsomely down the ground and through the covers on a regular basis to keep the scoreboard ticking over. The pull shot was also used to good effect towards the end of the day, as the Bangladesh seamers’ short deliveries became less effective as the bounce got steadily lower.New Zealand’s highest partnership of the day between Guptill and Brendon McCullum, who ended on an unbeaten 58 from just 71 deliveries, revived their hopes of a sizeable first innings total. The unbroken century stand, a New Zealand record against Bangladesh for the sixth wicket, looked set to resuscitate the innings before bad light stopped play. Bangladesh will be pleased with the way they have competed, but will need to make early breakthroughs tomorrow to stand any chance of pulling off an unexpected victory.

Delhi Daredevils enter the third IPL with the same label as they did the past two – as the team to beat. That is, however, until they reach the semi-finals

Jamie Alter09-Mar-2010

Delhi Daredevils

Delhi have many explosive batsmen, but keep an eye on Dinesh Karthik•Associated Press

Delhi Daredevils enter the third IPL with the same label as they did the past two – as the team to beat. That is, however, until they reach the semi-finals. Two seasons, two semi-final games, two poor performances. The Delhi juggernaut is a formidable one at normal times, but when the stakes get higher, they have failed to bring out a facet that is only the preserve of champions. Simply put, in two semi-finals they failed to lift their game to an even higher level.Boasting the best batting order of the tournament, a very reliable wicketkeeper-batsman, the best Twenty20 spinner with an economical Indian ally, and an enviable new-ball attack, Delhi have everything going for them three days before the IPL starts. If Virender Sehwag and David Warner provide sheer belligerence with the bat, Tillakaratne Dilshan and AB de Villiers bring a mix of calculated big-hitting and superb running between the wickets. Gautam Gambhir can score at a clip without being half as audacious as these four names, while Dinesh Karthik holds up an unassuming lower middle order with his brand of Twenty20 batting.Dirk Nannes and Ashish Nehra proved a highly successful pair in South Africa and later in the Champions League Twenty20 in India and are fitting prelude to what follows. Daniel Vettori, when he links up with the team in the second half of the tournament, brings talent and experience and Rajat Bhatia, Pradeep Sangwan and Aavishkar Salvi are more than capable medium-pace options.

The buzz

The pitch at the Feroz Shah Kotla, which was severely criticised following the abandonment of the India-Sri Lanka ODI on December 27, has passed the scrutiny of Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi, chairman of the IPL cricket committee. However, the surface remains an unknown quantity after it first came under scrutiny during the Champions League Twenty20 in October when the pitch was slow and offered uneven bounce. The venue has been banned from hosting internationals for 12 month but IPL games have been passed.Last week Delhi signed up Eric Simons, India’s bowling coach for the home series against South Africa, as an assistant coach. Simons, who will assist Greg Shipperd, fills the position left vacant by Australia’s David Saker, and will focus on working with the large bunch of young bowlers in the Delhi squad.

New faces

Delhi jumped at Wayne Parnell in this year’s auction and netted the young fast bowler for $610,000. That amount surprised Parnell, and has increased the pressure on him. Parnell fills the slot left vacant after Delhi bought out the contract of Glenn McGrath. The other acquisition is the New South Wales allrounder Moises Henriques, who was transferred from Kolkata Knight Riders, the former India offspinner Sarandep Singh, and the Punjab legspinner Sarabjit Ladda. These three are unlikely to see much playing time given the overseas player cap and Amit Mishra’s success as the prime spinner.

Watch out for

David Warner has been in brutal touch against New Zealand and West Indies during Australia’s successful summer, and his accomplishments for NSW during the Champions League Twenty20 in India last year prove he likes the conditions. Warner is wicked when at his left-handed best but also likes to change it up every now and then. Tellingly, Warner does not want to abandon the switch-hit, which he believes gives him the advantage of being able to hit with the turn regardless of whether an offspinner or a legspinner is operating.

Missing in action

Daniel Vettori will not be available until the end of New Zealand’s Test series against Australia ends on March 31, but franchises have a 48-hour window to name a swap so expect them to usher him back. Apart from that, each of their first-choice players is available for the entire tournament.

X factor

Dinesh Karthik. After a very powerful top five, Karthik settles into the middle order as a major asset for Delhi. A very skilled limited-overs player, Karthik is an asset in Twenty20 because of his ability to hit a long ball and lead a recovery at a brisk pace . He has never looked bogged down in Twenty20 and has most always been able to find the gaps even when wickets have been lost. Certain to play all Delhi’s matches due to his role as wicketkeeper, this is one player the opposition may happen to overlook because of the far more accomplished names the squad. But they do so at a big risk.

Strength

When the first five names on your team list are Sehwag, Gambhir, Dilshan, de Villiers, and Warner, sufficed to say batting is your strongest asset.

Weakness

Delhi are fast earning the unwanted tag of being club cricket’s South Africa in that they have a tendency to choke when it most matters. They made the semi-finals of both IPL seasons and failed to get that far in the inaugural Champions League Twenty20 held in India last year. The batting, fielding and bowling are top notch but it’s in the head and gut that this outfit needs to toughen up.

IPL 2009 – the key figures:

Final position: Semi-finalists
Top scorer: AB de Villiers with 465 runs at 51.66
Top wicket-taker: Ashish Nehra with 19 wickets at 18.21 and economy rate of 6.78
Best result: Ten-wicket win over Kings XI Punjab
Worst result: six-wicket loss with 14 balls remaining to eventual winners Deccan Chargers in the semi-finals
Highest team score: 189 v Chennai Super Kings
Lowest team score: 120 for 9 v Punjab

Prediction for 2010

Put your money on them making the semi-finals – and they could get third time lucky.

The former Victoria fast bowler, David Saker, has been named as England’s new bowling coach, after a lengthy search for a replacement for Ottis Gibson, who took charge of West Indies in February this year

Cricinfo staff08-Apr-2010The former Victoria fast bowler, David Saker, has been named as England’s new bowling coach, after a lengthy search for a replacement for Ottis Gibson, who took charge of West Indies in February this year. Saker joins the ECB following a six-year tenure as assistant coach of Victoria, the state he represented at first-class level on 49 occasions.In his role as Victoria assistant coach, Saker helped to guide the team to the past two Sheffield Shield titles, as well as four domestic Twenty20 tiles in the past five years. He served as head coach of the Delhi Daredevils during last year’s Champions League, following an assistant coach’s role with the franchise throughout the initial two seasons of the IPL.Saker, 43, debuted for Victoria in 1994 before going on to play 23 first-class matches for Tasmania from 2000-2004. He returned to Victoria in the role of assistant coach and co-ordinator of Cricket Victoria’s high performance unit, working closely with the likes of Australian internationals Peter Siddle, Dirk Nannes, Clint McKay and Andrew McDonald.It is expected that Saker will link up with the England team in time for the forthcoming ICC World Twenty20 in the Caribbean at the end of the month. “I’ve long held ambitions of coaching at international level so the prospect of working with the England team is something I’m very much looking forward to and excited by,” he said. “I’ve really enjoyed my time as assistant coach with the Bushrangers and I’m now aiming to take my coaching to the next level with the England team.Saker’s duties will include guiding the fortunes of the established frontline bowlers, Stuart Broad and James Anderson, as well as working on the development of young prospects such as Steven Finn, Ajmal Shahzad and Chris Woakes.”I believe I can offer the England bowlers a great deal and oversee their development at the highest level,” he said. “This role will be challenging but there’s no question I’m looking forward to working with the impressive crop of bowlers currently in and around the England team.”England’s head coach, Andy Flower, said: “David has a wealth of playing and coaching experience and will be a valuable addition to the England set-up. His record with Victoria in recent times is second to none and he has managed the development of a number of top-class fast bowlers.”We were sorry to see Ottis Gibson leave the position but we believe we’ve found an excellent successor and look forward to David joining us in the lead up to what will be an exciting and challenging year ahead.”Saker was selected from a shortlist of five candidates – including Allan Donald, who worked with the England team briefly in 2007; the former Australian fast bowler, Craig McDermott; Dougie Brown, the Warwickshire assistant coach, and Stuart Barnes, a bowling coach at Gloucestershire and the ECB academy. His appointment means that Bruce French, who works with England’s wicketkeepers, is the only regular member of the coaching staff with an English background.Hugh Morris, the managing director of England cricket, said: “We’re pleased to appoint David Saker as England fast bowling coach after an exhaustive recruitment process that included a number of world-class candidates. David’s credentials are exceptional and we believe we’ve secured an outstanding bowling coach who’ll take up a vital full-time role within the England team management.”

Bangladesh Cricket Board Academy hung on for a nervous draw against South Africa Academy in Chittagong, as the last two Bangladesh wickets batted out the last five overs to keep the visitors at bay

Cricinfo staff25-Apr-2010
ScorecardBangladesh Cricket Board Academy hung on for a nervous draw against South Africa Academy in Chittagong, as the last two Bangladesh wickets batted out the last five overs to keep the visitors at bay. South Africa had a chance to steal a win with two balls left in the game, but the last-wicket pair of Emon Ahmed and Subhasis Roy batted them out.Resuming on 145 for 3, chasing 395, Bangladesh were boosted by a 104-run stand for the fourth wicket between Mahmudul Hasan and Shuvagoto Hom. But the lack of partnerships after they were dislodged hurt their chances of fighting on. Keshav Maharaj, the left-arm spinner, started the slide by picking up two quick wickets, including Hasan for 55, before Gino Vries sent back Hom for 74. The South Africans won a series of lbws in their favour as the game slipped further away from the hosts. They lost their eighth wicket with five overs to play but held their nerve in the end.

Dwayne Smith has performed for Sussex but can’t secure a place with West Indies

Cricinfo staff02-Jun-2010In the midst of a career that started with Barbados almost a decade ago, lead to selection for West Indies, and on to stints with Sussex, Deccan Chargers, Mumbai Indians, and New South Wales it would seem that Dwayne Smith is a player in demand in the game’s shortest format.At 27, playing international cricket should be at the top of his priorities, but since his last appearance for West Indies in the tense, two-run loss to Zimbabwe in Guyana, Smith’s services have apparently not been required, and it is unclear when he may get a chance to boost his stalled international career.Asked by reporters what his standing with West Indies currently is, Smith could only reply: “If I knew I could tell you. I’m in the same position as you are. I’m still available but they’re not picking me. I haven’t heard anything yet so I’m still waiting to see what happens.”In the meantime, Smith has settled in at Sussex. So much so, in fact, that when his Kolpak status expired at the end of the 2009 season, he was signed as an overseas player for the county for 2010.”Here in England, for me, at Sussex, I love it here, especially when we play at home,” he said. “I have the crowd behind me, and the competition you have is probably at the same level [as the IPL], so it’s still good.”Although Sussex won their opening match of the Friends Provident t20, Smith failed in the game, falling to Murali Kartik for a first-ball duck and conceding 13 runs in his solitary over. But his contribution was vital to Sussex’s success in the format last year, and for the moment West Indies’ loss continues to be the county’s gain.