The USA Cricket Association is considering its position after suspended executive secretary Kenwyn Williams involves the ICC

Martin Williamson31-Oct-2012The USA Cricket Association has moved to distance itself from suspended executive secretary Kenwyn Williams, with a spokesman telling ESPNcricinfo that Williams “no longer has the rights to represent the association”.Williams’ future will be discussed at the USACA AGM in Florida on November 10 but the spokesman said the board may bring this forward in view of what was described as “ongoing unprofessional and non-compliant behaviour”.Williams has continued to attack individuals on the board, journalists and even the ICC on social media outlets. At the weekend Williams sent a long and rambling letter to the ICC, again on headed paper claiming to act as the board’s executive secretary, outlining his case and making a series of unfounded professional allegations against senior board officials.On Monday USACA’s lawyers replied stressing that Williams “does not and cannot speak” for the board and referred to his posting of “offensive materials [and] disparaging and defamatory letters” and sending out of notices to USACA members without authority.The ICC has confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that this is a matter for USACA to resolve internally.”He is suspended and no longer has a role in US cricket,” the spokesman said, adding that much of what Williams was posting contained “serious factual inaccuracies”. He added Williams’ leaking of private board business contravened agreements on confidentially which binds all board members.”If he continues to do this we will consider all options,” the spokesman concluded.While Williams’ position within USACA long ago became untenable, it now seems he risks being prosecuted by the board if he does not desist from his attacks. It is also believed some of those he has libelled are considering taking private legal action against him, something that could prove embarrassing given Williams works for a major New York law firm as a paralegal where, in his own words, he is “respected for my level of expertise and professionalism”.

Four fast bowlers bowled their hearts out in an intense training session in Perth, but it isn’t yet known how many of them will play in the Test against South Africa on Friday

Brydon Coverdale in Perth28-Nov-2012It is not uncommon to see two fast bowlers hard at work in the nets, competing for one spot. At the WACA on Wednesday, Australia took the idea to the extreme. Mitchell Johnson, Mitchell Starc, John Hastings and Josh Hazlewood were all running in and doing their darnedest to impress the selectors ahead of Friday’s third Test. None of them knew how many positions would be up for grabs. It could be one, it could be four. It could be anything in between.The first deciding factor is how Peter Siddle and Ben Hilfenhaus handle their training runs on Thursday, the end of a short turn-around following their heavy workloads in the Adelaide Test. The other issue is whether Nathan Lyon will be required, or if the selectors will choose a four-man pace attack, as they did with great success against India last summer. Lyon would enjoy the drift provided by the Fremantle doctor, the sea breeze that blows in the mid-afternoon in Perth, but he’s not the only one.Johnson has had success at the WACA, notably against the South Africans in 2008-09, when he took 11 wickets and was unplayable late on the second afternoon. But his fellow left-arm seamer Starc could justifiably expect to have the inside running, having been 12th man in the first two Tests. He used the cross-ground breeze to his advantage in Perth last season, when it helped him curl the ball in towards India’s right-hand batsmen, and one delivery that swung in and trapped Sachin Tendulkar lbw was especially memorable.”I have fond memories from last year,” Starc said. “It’s a nice place to come and bowl, a bit of extra pace and bounce than you get at the SCG where I play. There’s more in it for the bowlers but last year it was a pretty good cricket wicket. Hopefully if I get the chance to come out here again I can bowl similar to what I did last time.”Certainly, one of Starc or Johnson should play. Even if the only position available is as a replacement for the injured James Pattinson, the left-arm variety would ask different questions of South Africa’s batsmen. Graeme Smith, in particular, has been troubled by left-arm seamers in recent years. Not that Hastings and Hazlewood are out of contention.Should an all-pace attack be employed – a distinct possibility given the success the Australians had against India, and the likelihood that the pitch will need to spend time under cover with rain forecast on match eve and the first day of the Test – Hastings and Hazlewood might be battling each other for one spot. Both are tall men who extract impressive bounce, but do not deliver the ball at express speed. Neither has played Test cricket before.Hazlewood, 21, has been viewed as a national prospect since he first played for New South Wales at the age of 17. Nothing in his first-class form this summer – nine Sheffield Shield wickets at 46.33 – suggests he is quite ready for Test cricket, but the selectors have a hunch about him. By his own admission, his height is a key weapon, along with his consistency, but at 196 cm he has no discernible advantage over Hastings, who stands 195cm.Hastings, 27, has the form that Hazlewood lacks. This summer, he has collected 22 Shield wickets at 19.09. Having missed all of last season due to a shoulder reconstruction, Hastings spent countless hours in the gym and has returned better for it. Compared to state team-mates Pattinson and Siddle, Hastings can appear innocuous, but he has lifted his pace this season and has reaped the rewards.”When I wasn’t bowling or batting I spent a lot of time on my fitness, working on my strength and conditioning in the gym with David Bailey, the now Australian strength and conditioning coach,” Hastings told ESPNcricinfo last month of his time on the sidelines. “We worked our butts off to try to get me back. I think a yard of pace has probably helped me get a few more wickets than I normally would have in four-day cricket, and a little more durability as well, so I can continually back up my spells.”Although it is difficult to see Hastings and Hazlewood both playing, there is the outside chance that a full swap of Australia’s attack could take place, should Siddle and Hilfenhaus struggle at training on Thursday. One certainty is that Australia’s batsmen can expect a torrid time in the nets on match eve.”The guys in and around the squad know there’s a few places that might be up for grabs so they’re certainly having a good crack in the nets,” Shane Watson said on Wednesday. “That’s good for the batsmen because we certainly get a competitive, high quality net session, but it’s also great to be able to see how they’re travelling as well.”

India’s captain MS Dhoni identified Monty Panesar, the England left-arm spinner, as the main difference between the sides

Sidharth Monga26-Nov-2012MS Dhoni has admitted to being disappointed “to an extent” with his own spinners, but he insisted Monty Panesar was a touch above everyone else, making the big difference. India finally got the square turner they wanted, played three spinners, won the toss, posted a first-innings total that many thought was surplus in these conditions, but squandered it through some ordinary spin bowling.In helpful conditions, Panesar and Graeme Swann took 19 wickets between them in 121.2 overs. India’s three specialist bowlers bowled 113.1 overs for just nine wickets. To say the Indian spinners were outplayed will be an understatement. This is one of the most disappointing performances by an Indian spin unit in favourable home conditions.It can be granted that Panesar’s natural pace is more suited to bowling on such pitches, but Swann adjusted well too, unlike the Indian bowlers. R Ashwin and Harbhajan Singh were especially friendly on a surface where spinners had no business being friendly. Especially disappointing was their tendency to bowl short, not making the batsmen drive, which was where most of the mistakes happened. That is what, according to Dhoni, was the bigger flaw than not being able to adjust to the pace required on the surface.”There is a particular style of bowling,” Dhoni said. “We also tried to bowl fast. We didn’t get the same purchase. It’s the same as two different batsmen. Some conditions suit you, some don’t. I felt the only thing we could have done better is make them drive more than we did. If you bowl short on a wicket that has a bit of bounce, you give them time. Especially the fact that we were getting more purchase when we were bowling a little slow.”However, Dhoni was fulsome in his praise of Panesar. “The way Monty bowled, he was different from other bowlers,” Dhoni said. “All the other bowlers were getting bounce and turn, but Monty bowled at real pace. He bowled at 90-95kph and even above that, and still he got real turn. He had a big impact on the game.”The other spinners got the bounce, but they never looked to trouble the batsmen as much a Monty did. Big credit goes to him. If you get performances like this, margin of defeat can be big. Credit also goes to Pujara from our side, who batted really well. Pietersen and Cook batted really well. They batted off the back foot really well. I wish we were a bit fuller, and made them drive more.”However, Dhoni stood by his demand for exactly the kind of pitch this Test was played on. “I think this was a very good wicket,” he said. “Tests in the subcontinent should be played on such wickets. The toss wasn’t that vital. It started turning from the first day.”Dhoni insisted he would love to get such pitches more often, regardless of the result here. “Of course I will want a similar wicket,” he said. “That’s what our speciality is. What’s the point of playing on a flat track and winning the toss and batting for three or four days over the Test? You want to face challenges in test cricket. These are the kinds of wickets that push you. Definitely all the wickets should be like this.”However, Dhoni’s reasoning for such pitches calls for a much better show from the players in Kolkata. “The best thing about these conditions is, no side is guaranteed a win,” Dhoni said. “You have to play well to win.” If India do get another turner, they will “have to play well to win.”

A wrap of the second day of the ninth round of Ranji Trophy matches in Group C

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Dec-2012
ScorecardAmol Muzumdar scored his 28th Ranji century, third behind Ajay Sharma and Wasim Jaffer•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

In a match that belongs to the Yadavs, Services’ Suraj Yadav took six wickets to counter Jharkhand’s Ajay Yadav’s five. Services, who lead the table but can still be ousted if this round doesn’t go their way, bowled Jharkhand out for 120 to claim a considerable first-innings lead of 65.Jharkhand were going all right at 87 for 3 – one of those wickets was that of Shahbaz Nadeem – but collapsed after that. Saurabh Tiwary retired-hurt when he hurt himslef running between the wickets, and Suraj took the important wickets of Ishank Jaggi and Rameez Nemat. Jharkhand couldn’t fight the momentum, and Tiwary’s comeback didn’t make much difference either.However, Jharkhand, who need an outright win to give themselves a chance of qualifying, kept themselves interested with two Services wickets before stumps, including that of captain Soumik Chatterjee.
ScorecardAmol Muzumdar brought up his 28th Ranji century, now behind only former team-mate Wasim Jaffer and Ajay Sharma, to take Andhra to a solid 329 in Cuddapah. However, heavy rain cut short their attempt to take a first-innings lead. Kerala were 55 for 2 in reply.This was Muzumdar’s fifth century of this Ranji Trophy, also third in his last three matches, and took him to No. 3 on the run-getters list this season, behind wicketkeepers CM Gautam and Parthiv Patel. Crucially, it involved vital runs with the tail. Andhra began the day at 249 for 7, with Muzumdar on 99, but lost their eight on 253.Muzumdar, though, eked out partnerships worth 34 and 42 with Shaik Basha and DP Vijaykumar. Vijaykumar carried the confidence into the bowling, too, and removed Abhishek Hegde and Robert Fernandez before the rain arrived.
ScorecardAssam, placed third in the table, made progress towards three points with the help of the Dases, Arup and Pallavkumar. Goa began the day at 264 for 3, but Arup Das’ second five-wicket haul restricted them to 381. Overnight centurion Amogh Desai fell on 105, and the rest made only middling contributions.In reply, Assam got off to a solid start.Their openers added 113, and the only blemish was that Pallavkumar Das couldn’t convert his innings into a hundred.
ScorecardA combination of rain, bad light and fog has allowed only 23 overs to be bowled in two days in Jammu. Tripura scored 60 runs for the loss of two wickets in that period. Neither of these teams has a realistic chance to make it to the quarters.

A century from Sheldon Jackson and handy contributions by the lower order helped Saurashtra post a challenging first innings total of 477, and put Punjab under pressure with three days remaining

The Report by Amol Karhadkar in Rajkot17-Jan-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsFile photo: Siddarth Kaul was the most impressive Punjab bowler for the second successive day•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

If the first day of Saurashtra’s Ranji Trophy semi-final at the Khandheri stadium was good for the home team, the second turned out to be better. A century from Sheldon Jackson and handy contributions by the lower order helped Saurashtra post a challenging first innings total of 477, and put Punjab under pressure with three days remaining.When Jackson and Kamlesh Makvana walked out to the crease on a chilly morning, with the score at 274 for five, Saurashtra needed the last recognised pair of batsmen to bat on as long as they could. Jackson, who was batting on 70, converted his fifty to a hundred.On the opening day, Jackson, who is playing his first full season, had displayed patience in abundance. On the second day, he showed his ability to switch gears with ease. Once he survived a close leg-before shout in the second over of the day, he decided to go for his shots. The first loose ball he was offered was in the fourth over, bowled by Siddarth Kaul, who was easily the best of the Punjab bowlers for the second day in succession. The half volley was dispatched through covers for a boundary.It prompted Punjab captain Harbhajan Singh, who opened the proceedings on the day with his offspin, to opt for the new ball. It didn’t help much, as Jackson drove Kaul through point.Forty-five minutes into the day’s play, he rocked on to the backfoot to hit Sandeep Sharma through point for his fifth boundary that fetched him a deserving century. Jackson was applauded by his team-mates and a bunch of school kids, who had their first real experience of watching first-class cricket from close quarters. Even before the applause had died down, Jackson, having scored his third century of the season and second in back-to-back matches, thudded the next ball past the bowler for another boundary.He was ably supported by Makvana, the under-rated allrounder, also grew in confidence at the other end, flicking Kaul through square leg for a delightful boundary.Kaul, eventually, had the last laugh. At the stroke of the day’s first drinks break, he got one to nip back and slip past Jackson’s defence, crashing into off and middle stump. It ended Jackson’s four-hour stay at the wicket. Despite the sixth-wicket stand of 106 runs between Jackson and Makvana, Saurashtra were far from challenging Punjab’s batting. However, Makvana and Vishal Joshi – primarily an off-break bowler – frustrated the Punjab bowlers with sensible batting.The Saurashtra duo were helped by Harbhajan’s tactics as he chose to bowl himself and legspinner Sarabjit Ladda in long spells instead of short bursts. The tired bowlers offered many scoring opportunities to the batsmen, who duly capitalised. Bipul Sharma, who was brought in as an additional spinner, was hardly utilised for the second successive day. The left-arm spinner, who gave his side the vital breakthrough of Jaydev Shah in his first over on the opening day, was given just two of the 68 overs Punjab bowled in the day.Makvana was unfortunate to be given out on the verge of his second century of the season. He misread a good length ball from Ladda but instead of connecting with the ball, the bat hit the pad as the ball lobbed off wicketkeeper Uday Kaul’s gloves into the slip cordon. Umpire Rob Bailey gave the decision in the bowler’s favour, denying Makvana of a deserving ton.Joshi, though, continued his march and raised his maiden fifty before he ran out of partners. By the time Harbhajan ended the innings, forcing a nick off Siddharth Trivedi for his second wicket, Saurashtra had already reached a strong total. The Punjab batsmen will have to chase a 400-plus target for the second time in as many weeks.The Punjab dressing room had a reason to be optimistic about their chances of making it to the final. The opening combo of Jiwanjot Singh and Ravi Inder Singh played the Saurashtra bowlers with ease before bad light forced them to end the day’s play 15 minutes into the extended period of play.

Eoin Morgan is a doubt for England’s second T20 against New Zealand after jarring his back in the field during their 40-run win in Auckland

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Feb-2013Eoin Morgan is a doubt for England’s second T20 against New Zealand after jarring his back in the field during their 40-run win in Auckland on Saturday. Morgan, who was England’s top scorer with 46 from 26 balls and took a brilliant running catch to dismiss Brendon McCullum, tweaked his back later in the New Zealand innings.The team have moved on to Hamilton, venue for the second T20 on Tuesday, and the England management will assess Morgan’s fitness on Monday. If he is unable to train, Morgan’s place in the side is likely to be taken by Joe Root, who came on as a substitute fielder in Auckland.Losing Morgan would leave England without one of their most experienced T20 players as they look to secure the three-match series with a game to spare. Morgan has played 33 times in T20 internationals, putting him sixth for England, with Stuart Broad and the rested Kevin Pietersen among those above him. The most-capped England batsman in the shortest form, however, is Luke Wright, who has played 40 times since his debut in 2007.Wright joined Alex Hales in making 99, the highest score by an Englishman in T20 cricket, at the World Twenty20 in September. In the first New Zealand T20, Wright hit four sixes in a blistering 20-ball 42, confirming his value at No. 3, and then picked up a useful 2 for 29 with the ball.With Ashley Giles recently installed as England’s limited-overs coach, Wright hopes his consistent T20 form since a recall last year can also push him into Giles’ thoughts for the ODI team. “I have huge ambitions to get back in the one-day side,” he said. “It’s something I’m desperate to do.”I’ve just got to keep knocking on the door, and keep badgering Gilo and saying ‘Look mate, I’m scoring runs – what have I got to do?’ If there’s a spot for me, I hope he’ll pick me. If there isn’t, I can’t do much else. Maybe come the end of the tour, it might be something I could sit down and have a chat with him about, to find out what he wants to see from me or where I can improve and give myself better chances to get in.”The Champions Trophy is a major target for England this year and much of the preferred XI is in place. However, with a technically adept top three of Alastair Cook, Ian Bell and Jonathan Trott followed by the power of Pietersen and Morgan, England could do with an allrounder to help balance the side. Wright’s ODI bowling average of 57.53 weighs against him but, with Tim Bresnan undergoing further elbow surgery and the likes of Chris Woakes unproven, he could still make a case for his inclusion.”It’s quite tough obviously at the top of the order – with KP, Cookie, Belly and Trotty to come back in,” Wright said of his ODI chances. “But I’d like to come into that middle order if there’s no role for me at the top, and obviously my bowling might help. Batting at number three [in T20], I’m getting a key role in an England side – a responsibility that gives me a lot of confidence, and it’s great to repay that faith.”Wright and Morgan helped England to their record T20 total in Auckland and with the small boundaries at Seddon Park – scene of the fastest T20 hundred, by Richard Levi a year ago – the next match could be another high-scoring one. New Zealand will have allrounders Ian Butler and Grant Elliott to choose from, after they were passed fit, and may be tempted to make changes.The game will provide another opportunity for Ross Taylor to continue his international comeback. Mike Hesson, New Zealand’s coach, was pleased to have the batsman available again, although he agreed with Taylor’s assessment of their relationship, after a controversial change in the captaincy. “It was certainly good to have him back,” Hesson said. “I think ‘work in progress’ is a good term. We’re working well together … and the longer we do that the better that relationship will be. But it’s going to take a while before we’re going out for coffee every week.”

Andy Flower, the England team director, has cautioned against over-hyping Joe Root’s early success at international level

Andrew McGlashan in Queenstown03-Mar-2013Andy Flower, the England team director, has cautioned against over-hyping Joe Root’s early success at international level after his form prompted discussion as to whether he should immediately be promoted to open in Tests, and which of the established top order he could force out for the 2013 Champions Trophy.With the new split coaching role that has Ashley Giles in charge of the limited-overs squads, Flower has not been around the team during Root’s impressive run in India and New Zealand since the start of this year. However, Flower did see at first hand Root’s Test debut in Nagpur, where he made 73 off 229 balls in the first innings to help England towards their series-clinching draw.Root gave another composed display during England’s warm-up match against the New Zealand XI in Queenstown – scoring 49 in the first innings and contributing useful overs during the three-wicket defeat – ahead of a series where he is penciled in to retain the No. 6 position he had in Nagpur.Root has already been given tags ranging from the opener-in-waiting to a future England captain, so while acknowledging what he had achieved in the embryonic stage of his career, Flower hoped expectations would not become too inflated.”You’ve got to remember Joe Root has played one Test match,” he said. “I think everyone should keep a little calm about his prospects. No one knows exactly how he’s going to do, not Joe and none of us.”But he has handled himself very well in the international competition and the opportunities he’s been given so far. We look forward to him having a very successful career, but he’s got to take it one step at a time – as do all of us.”Another impact of Root’s emergence has been to increase the pressure on Nick Compton. Debate continues about one of the few questionable places in the England Test line-up despite Compton’s solid performances in India. He made only 21 and 1 against the New Zealand XI to be, along with Kevin Pietersen, the most short of time in the middle.”I thought Nick played really well in India,” Flower said. “He had some tricky situations to deal with there – some extreme subcontinent conditions, obviously the pressure of playing in India for the first time. I thought he did extremely well out there, without getting the huge score. He put on some really valuable partnerships with Cook.”He missed out in this game, having spent a bit of time there in the first innings when the ball was darting around. He’s a good player.”The England squad made the three-hour journey to Dunedin, the venue for the first Test, on Sunday but before leaving picture-perfect Queenstown, Flower also reflected on a performance against the New Zealand XI that was less pleasing on the eye than the backdrop.In both innings the top order failed to impose itself – the first innings was guided by a pleasing performance from Ian Bell and Matt Prior boosted the second – and the pace bowling was less-than-convincing as the New Zealand XI lost just seven wickets in each innings, chasing down 334 on the final day with eight balls to spare.”Winning is a great habit to keep, but they played pretty well and I thought we were a little sloppy in a few areas,” Flower said. “But there were some good things to come out of that game. I thought Bell and Prior were excellent with the bat.Stuart Broad is almost certain to play the first Test•Getty Images

“The bowlers, after a poor first-innings display, all got better in the second innings. It’s not ideal, losing. But the crux of the matter is the first Test is four days away, and that’s when it will count.”I think there was ring-rustiness there, without a doubt. That was obvious for all to see. The point of playing these games is to get ready for the first Test. It was an excellent game of cricket … all in all, a very good outing for everyone.”No one was rustier than seamer Graham Onions who had a forgettable match, ending with figures of 1 for 213 from 38 overs, which means Stuart Broad is assured of a return to the Test team although, as ever, Flower would not confirm any selection decisions. Broad was the pick of England’s quicks as he put his troublesome heel through a solid work out, maintaining good pace in multiple spells, and did not appear hindered at any point.”I’m very pleased,” Flower said. “His heel is obviously a worry to him and to us. But it reacted well to the number of overs he bowled, and he came through it well. He is fit and available for selection for the first Test.”Still, half of England’s bowling attack in the first Test will be pushing bodies that are not in prime order. Along with Broad’s heel there is Graeme Swann’s elbow to monitor. He spent six overs off the field on the final day in Queenstown, when he sent down 20 overs in total, for what was termed ‘routine’ work on the elbow, which underwent surgery in 2009 and will remain a concern for the rest of Swann’s career.Swann will have an immense workload in the next 12 months – unlike the quicks he is unlikely to consistently have someone to share the burden – and 15 Tests between now and the end of the back-to-back Ashes, not to mention the Champions Trophy, could stretch his joint to breaking point.”Inevitably, there are niggles – the stresses and strains that are put on their bodies mean there always are,” Flower said. “But at the moment everyone is fine.”Flower was also confident that, despite the bowling attack struggling in the absence of James Anderson and Steven Finn, there were enough resources to cover whatever situations occur.”We’ve got some very fine international bowlers. That’s why we’ve had a lot of success recently. We’re always conscious of the contingency plans in case some of our star bowlers get injured – and because of the nature of the job they do, they are going to get injured. I am confident that, if we do have injuries, we will have bowlers who can create pressure and chances.”

Blessed with a God-given talent bequeathed to only the chosen
few, Brian Lara became the finest batsman of his time, and one of
the finest of all time

Tony Cozier22-Feb-2013Blessed with a God-given talent bequeathed to only the chosen
few, Brian Lara became the finest batsman of his time, and one of
the finest of all time.He created individual scores higher than anyone has ever reached
in either Test or first-class cricket and fashioned innings of
such dazzling brilliance they brought applause from even the
most cynical of wizened old players.He earned fortune and fame, was accorded his nation’s highest
honour, and was elevated to the most exalted post available to
any West Indian cricketer, the captaincy of the Test team.Such is the stuff of which the wildest dreams are made but, for
Lara, they were repeatedly transformed into the reality of
dreadful nightmares.Now 31, he should be at the height of the exceptional powers that
were first manifested when he was a boy in short pants at Fatima
College in Port-of-Spain, in his native Trinidad.Instead, he has been overpowered by the enormous pressures to
which every international celebrity is subjected. They have
drained him of the enthusiasm and the yearning without which not
even the greatest artists can perform. Now he cannot even bring
himself to hold the bat that he had wielded with such devastating
effect.Lara had the world at his feet when, within six weeks of each
other in 1994, he set the new standards of 375 in a Test against
England in Antigua and 501 not out for English county,
Warwickshire, against Durham. It was an incredible double and
brought gifts and adulation from his grateful countrymen and fat
contracts from eager sponsors.A friend warned him at the time that his headaches had just
begun. He soon came to realise what he meant. Within a year, it
had all become too much.On the West Indies tour of England in 1995, Lara complained to
manager Wes Hall that ‘cricket is ruining my life’, announced his
retirement and left the team. Only sympahetic persuasion from
then president of the West Indies Board, Captain Peter Short,
influenced him to return, but things would never be the same.Time and again, the mercurial temperament of a genius has been
since exposed with upsetting consequences.He withdrew from the tour of Australia in 1995-96 two days before
the team was scheduled to leave. When he returned from the
subsequent World Cup in India and Pakistan, he was censured by
the board for his biting criticism of the team management that
was picked up by the tape recorder of a snooping reporter and for
an open spat with team trainer Dennis Waight. In the Caribbean,
he was fined, not for the first time, for turning up a day late
prior to a Test against Sri Lanka.Not only did he seem to be self-destructing. He was also causing
chaos within West Indies cricket itself.When the board overruled the selectors’ recommendation that they
replace Courtney Walsh with him as captain for the 1997 tour of
Pakistan, the Trinidad and Tobago Board charged there was ‘a
calculated plot’ against ‘its captain, its national hero and its
world-class performer’ and that it was ‘sowing the seeds of
destruction’.Jamaicans, on the other hand, accused Lara of deliberately
undermining Walsh as all three Tests were lost in Pakistan.For all his unpredictability, two things remained constant about
Lara. He was a very special player and he had an understanding of
the game that made him the obvious, if not only, choice for the
captaincy, a post for which he had been prepared since he led the
West Indies team to the first Youth World Cup in Australia.Inevitably, if belatedly, Lara was installed in his predetermined role as captain against England in 1998, replacing the
admirable Walsh, and proceeded to lead the West Indies to a
double triumph, 3-1 in the Tests and 4-1 in the One-Day
Internationals.His boyhood dream, it appeared, had finally come true.In less than a year, it had again turned sour. On the way to a
tour of South Africa as eagerly anticipated as much for its
social and political significance as for its cricket, the players
chose London’s Heathrow Airport as the venue for an unexpected
strike to air their grievances against the board.Lara, and his vice-captain Carl Hooper, were immediately
dismissed, only to be reinstated after a settlement was reached.
What followed was the shame of a 5-0 whitewash in the Tests and a
6-1 thrashing in the One-Day Internationals.Lara returned home with his captaincy in jeopardy and his public
status as low as it had ever been. Had there been a clear
alternative, there is little doubt he would have been sacked.As it was, he was retained, yet castigated, by the board for his
‘weakness in leadership’, told he had to make ‘significant
improvements in his leadership skills’ and placed on probation as
captain for two Tests.What happened next beggared belief and revealed a strength of
character in Lara not previously obvious.When the West Indies were bowled out for their all-time low 51 to
lose the first Test to the dominant Australians by 314 runs,
there was justifiable reason to fear the absolute worse. Instead,
the crisis seemed to light a fire in Lara’s belly.He had not scored a hundred for 13 Tests. Now he successively
reeled off three of his most magnificent. His 213 in Jamaica and
153 not out in Barbados inspired remarkable victories.If his even 100 in Antigua could not prevent Australia from
levelling the series and retaining the Frank Worrell Trophy, at
least he had almost single-handledly restored West Indian pride
and self-esteem and his own reputation and credibility as
leader.Once more, the euphoria was short-lived. Exit from the first
round of the World Cup followed immediately and a succession of
limp performances in later short-game tournaments in Toronto and
Sharjah presaged a new crisis in the life of Lara and of West
Indies cricket.It came in December and January on the tour of New Zealand where
both Tests and all five One-Day Internationals were surrendered
to unified, committed but hardly intimidating opponents.It was the last straw.

Aaron Finch will replace Michael Clarke in the Pune Warriors squad for the sixth IPL season after Clarke was ruled out of the entire season with a back injury

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Mar-2013Aaron Finch will replace Michael Clarke in the Pune Warriors squad for the sixth IPL season after Clarke was ruled out of the entire season with a back injury. Finch, another top-order batsman, tweeted the development and is expected to leave for India on Saturday.Finch will be joining his third IPL franchise after playing for Rajasthan Royals in 2010 and Delhi Daredevils in 2011 and 2012. He was released by Delhi in November 2012 and went unsold in the auction on February 3 at a base price of $200,000.He represents Melbourne Renegades in the Big Bash League and averaged 66.40 in eight matches last season, scoring 332 runs with a highest score of 111 not out. However, he scored only 4, 7 and 1 for Australia in the three T20Is in January against Sri Lanka and West Indies.Overall, he has scored 1699 runs in 58 domestic T20 matches at 36.14 with a strike-rate of 130.49.The Warriors will be captained by Angelo Mathews this season.

It must surely rank as one of the funniest run outs in cricket history. As much as Samit Patel, Nottinghamshire’s England allrounder, might have wished otherwise, it was a natural for YouTube.

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Apr-2013It must surely rank as one of the funniest run-outs in cricket history.As much as Samit Patel, Nottinghamshire’s England allrounder, might have wished the footage would never get out, it was bound to get onto YouTube before too long.Samit Patel’s run-out against Derbyshire in the Championship match at Trent Bridge was one of those moments when the batsman just had to put personal embarrassment aside and accept that his team-mates could do nothing else but laugh.”Samit Slips over!” is fast becoming the cricket video of the moment. As Stuart Broad, Patel’s England and Notts team-mate, remarked on Twitter: “Who put that banana in the middle of the wicket? A must watch.”Broad told Steve Davies, the Surrey and England keeper, on Twitter how he had to pad up immediately after Patel’s dismissal, trying to act professionally but with tears rolling down his face.Davies called the video “comfortably the funniest thing I have ever seen.” Chris Tremlett, another Surrey and England man, termed it “priceless” and there were comments from the outer that the heavy roller had returned to county cricket.Jon Culley, reporting for ESPNcricinfo from Derby, had sought to record the run out with more gravitas, merely calling Patel’s downfall “unfortunate”, although he did point out that Patel should have been run out for an earlier stumble when the fielder running in, Billy Godleman, missed the stumps from five yards.As for England, they might be tempted to remind Patel that it would not be quite so funny if it happened in the closing stages of a Champions Trophy final.