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Visitors want to have training sessions instead, says CSA

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Dec-20171:26

Chopra: Quality training sessions better than two-day warm-up match

India have opted for training sessions instead of a warm-up fixture in South Africa, in the lead-up to the first Test between the two teams from January 5 in Cape Town. A press release from Cricket South Africa on Monday announced India’s decision.Although the BCCI did not give any reason officially for dropping the warm-up match, it is understood the request was made by the team management well in advance. The board was told that the team management preferred to focus on training on their own as soon as it landed in South Africa on December 28. A team official confirmed the development, but declined to elaborating further, saying it was an “internal matter”.The Indian team management’s preoccupation with acclimatising the players to South African conditions even before they set foot in the country has been such that “lively greentops” were deemed the need of the hour through the Sri Lanka Test series at home.There had been some confusion over the schedule for India’s tour of South Africa, with both boards holding discussions since the beginning of the year. In August, the BCCI had made it clear to CSA that India would not arrive until at least the last week of 2017, because their home series against Sri Lanka ends on December 24.The BCCI wanted its players to take a short break before they departed for South Africa, ruling India out of the traditional Boxing Day Test, which South Africa will now play over four days against Zimbabwe. Eventually, even the New Year’s Test which is traditionally played from January 2 in Cape Town was pushed back to January 5. Incidentally, in September, an official involved in the discussions told ESPNcricinfo that India would “definitely play one practice match before the first Test”.Following the Cape Town Test, two more will be played in Centurion and Johannesburg, followed by six ODIs and three T20Is.

While Shikhar Dhawan is set to return after an injury lay-off, Harbhajan Singh will lead Punjab in his first match of the season

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Nov-2016 Harbhajan to lead Punjab on returnHarbhajan Singh will lead Punjab in the Group A match against Tamil Nadu in Nagpur in his first Ranji Trophy game of the season; the offspinner will be returning to the squad after a long personal break. Harbhajan will take over as captain from Yuvraj Singh, who will miss the matches against Tamil Nadu and Gujarat (starts from November 29) due to his wedding. Punjab are currently fourth in Group A with 16 points. Yuvraj is among the top five run-scorers this season with 672 runs, including a career-best 260 against Baroda, in five matches at an average of 84. “I am [still motivated],” Yuvraj told . “I got a career-best 260 just weeks ago. I’m not through with the game.”Gambhir set to lead DelhiHaving been released from the India squad, Gautam Gambhir is set to lead Delhi in their Ranji Trophy fixture against Rajasthan in Wayanad. Fast bowler Ishant Sharma was named the 16th member of the squad, although he is likely to stay with the national team as cover. Shikhar Dhawan, however, is a certain starter in the Delhi XI, having recovered from a thumb injury he sustained in the only Test he played against New Zealand, in Kolkata. Dhawan will be keen to prove his fitness in domestic cricket, in line with national coach Anil Kumble’s policy, and press his case for the hotly-contested opening spots.Mishra boost for HaryanaLegspinner Amit Mishra is set to turn out for Haryana in their Group C fixture against Goa in Ghaziabad after being released from the Test squad. Mishra picked three wickets in the first Test against England and his economy rate was over four runs per over in both innings. He was dropped for the second Test in Vishakhapatnam, and instead his Haryana team-mate Jayant Yadav was handed a debut. The match against Goa will be Mishra’s first Ranji game since February 2015. Haryana are currently placed second, behind Andhra, in Group C with 19 points from six matches.Vinay targets India returnKarnataka captain Vinay Kumar, who went past 400 first-class wickets with a nine-wicket haul in Karnataka’s 393-run win over Rajasthan, has now set his sights on a return to the national side. Vinay has made 41 appearances for India, with the last one in an ODI against Australia in Bangalore three years ago. “I am not going to be satisfied with this [400 first-class wickets] as my main goal is to make a comeback to Indian team,” Vinay told . ” I am feeling much better even though I am 32. Age is just a number. I will keep working on my batting and bowling and try to keep myself fit. I am never going to give up.”Krishna, Mathias included in Karnataka squadSeamers David Mathias and Prasidh Krishna have been called-up to the Karnataka squad for their Group B clash against Orissa in Delhi, with Abhimanyu Mithun still recuperating from injury. Mathias played two Ranji Trophy games last season, while Krishna is yet to make his debut in the tournament. Left-arm spinner Abrar Kazi, meanwhile, replaced J Suchith in a like-for-like swap. Karnataka are currently on top of the Group B table with 29 points.

The ex-wife of Lou Vincent, the disgraced former New Zealand cricketer, told Southwark Crown Court in London that Chris Cairns was “very confident” that he would get away with match-fixing because “everyone was doing it in India”

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Oct-2015The ex-wife of Lou Vincent, the disgraced former New Zealand cricketer, has told Southwark Crown Court in London that Chris Cairns was “very confident” that he would get away with match-fixing because “everyone was doing it in India”.Cairns, who denies two counts of perjury and perverting the course of justice, also told other players that they would “never play cricket again” unless they agreed to take part in fixing, according to testimony from Eleanor Riley, who was married to Vincent until the couple’s divorce in 2012.Riley was recalling a conversation with Cairns in a restaurant in Hale, near Manchester, in 2008, when her ex-husband was playing for Lancashire and Cairns for Nottinghamshire.After raising her concerns with Cairns about Vincent’s activities, whom she said had a “tendency to talk to anyone who listened” she said she was also reassured by Cairns’ wife, Mel, whom she had met for the first time that evening.Orlando Pownall QC, Cairns’ defence lawyer, put it to Mrs Riley that she been mistaken in her recollection of the conversation with someone she had apparently just met, and suggested she was “infected” by alcohol. Mrs Riley, however, pointed out that she had just eaten a five-course meal. “When I’ve had a large meal it doesn’t matter how much I drink, I’m as clear as a bell.”Asked by Sacha Wass, QC, the crown prosecutor, whether she had any reason to lie about the conversation with Cairns, Mrs Riley replied: “No, not at all. I certainly wouldn’t come to a perjury trial to lie.”She added that she and Vincent had not separated on good terms, and when asked if she had any reason to support her ex-husband, she replied: “None at all.”Her first exposure to match-fixing had come in April 2008 when Vincent rang her in tears, claiming that Cairns had asked him to match-fix but that he hadn’t been able to follow through.”He said he had been approached by a man with a suitcase in Abu Dhabi. He [Vincent] said he refused, and told me that part of the training was how to handle situations like this – being approached for match-fixing.”Five days later, however, Mrs Riley claimed that Vincent had changed his story. “He was crying. He told me that he had lied, that he had taken the money for the match-fixing. He told me that he had stuffed a game up. He just hadn’t played how he was supposed to play.”He said that he was working with Chris – Chris Cairns.”Vincent had previously testified that he had been “under direct orders from Chris Cairns to get involved in fixing” and that he had on one occasion been threatened with a cricket bat after failing to fulfil his side of the deal.Prior to giving her evidence, Mrs Riley was given assurances by the court that she would not be charged by police for her knowledge of the money that Vincent had received for match-fixing. However, this was not part of an immunity deal for her to give evidence.She did claim, however, that Vincent had given his evidence in order to escape charges, adding that the ICC had written him “a letter to stop him from going to jail” in exchange for coming clean with the “big names”. Riley also agreed with Pownall that Vincent “hated” Cairns, because he believed he owed him money.The trial continues.

Sri Lanka women won a thriller against the West Indies in the last over of the fourth Twenty20 of the series in Colombo

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Mar-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsSri Lanka women won a thriller against the West Indies in the last over of the fourth Twenty20 of the series in Colombo. Chasing 102, Sri Lanka were 79 for 4 in the 17th over and the match could have gone wither way as they lost two more wickets after that, but the hosts held their nerves to win with three balls to spare.Sri Lanka’s opening partnership was broken in the fifth over when they were scoring at under four per over. Prasadani Weerakkody made 16 of 32 and stitched a 32-run partnership with Nipuni Hansika (17). But Sri Lanka lost both the batsmen at the score of 47 which brought West Indies back. Shashikala Siriwardene and Deepika Rasangika steadied their chances by putting together 32 in 37 balls. Eshani Kaushalya was soon dismissed for nine by Stafanie Taylor but Rasangika made sure Sri Lanka won their first match of the series.Eerlier, West Indies were rattled in the first three overs and were reeling at 18 for 2 after both their openers were dismissed. Only Stafanie Taylor withstood the bowling attack with a 33-ball 40 as Kaushalya and Udeshika Prabodhani ran through the top order and Siriwardene took three wickets. Their highest partnership was of 21 for the fourth wicket and only three players managed to reach double figures.

New Zealand have retained their 14-man Twenty20 squad for the first two matches against South Africa this weekend

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Feb-2012

Squad

Brendon McCullum (capt & wk), Michael Bates, Doug Bracewell, Andrew Ellis, Colin de Grandhomme, James Franklin, Martin Guptill, Ronnie Hira, Nathan McCullum, Kyle Mills, Rob Nicol, Jacob Oram, Tim Southee, Kane Williamson

New Zealand have retained their 14-man Twenty20 squad for the first two matches against South Africa this weekend. Ross Taylor remains sidelined with a calf injury, though he is hopeful of recovering in time for the one-dayers.Brendon McCullum continues to lead the side in Taylor’s absence, while the new faces like Colin de Grandhomme, Ronnie Hira and Michael Bates get more time in the national squad.New Zealand have been in top form in the current series against Zimbabwe, sweeping them aside in the only Test, the three ODIs and the first T20. The series ends with the second T20 in Hamilton on Tuesday.

Two matches, two close defeats, crucial mistakes in the final stages of both matches. South Africa have to be hurting

Sidharth Monga in Cape Town19-Jan-2011Two matches, two close defeats, crucial mistakes in the final stages of both matches. South Africa have to be hurting. Batsmen freezing might just be the lesser of the evils. They pride themselves on their fielding, and tonight they dropped two catches they would normally take nine times out of 10. Zaheer Khan got reprieved on nought, Harbhajan Singh on 12, and the duo carried India home. Something similar happened when they were batting: after recovering well from an average start, they slumped from 198 for 4 in 44.4 overs to 220 all out.Graeme Smith chose to focus on that period – during the end of an innings – that has hurt them the most in this series. “I think 220 gave us a chance. The wicket was very difficult to bat on, had sort of plates on it, and its two-paced nature made strokes very difficult. It also had up and down bounce,” he said. “[But] we were really hoping for 240. I think 240 would have been a really good total there. JP [Duminy] and [debutant] Faff du Plessis played well together to take us to a decent total [rescuing them from 90 for 4]. Our Powerplay was poor again, we lost JP and Faff within two overs, and we only got 19 overs in our last six overs.”I really felt if we got 240 we were in with a real good chance of winning the game. We came real close, we missed two crucial chances at the back end, but I can’t fault the guys’ commitment tonight, their intensity and the effort they gave.”The commitment was of course there, in the way Morne Morkel and Dale Steyn bowled, in the way they caught, Steyn off his own bowling and Morkel at third man. Also pleasing was how – despite an expectedly nervous start – du Plessis made it easier for the selectors to pick him for the World Cup.”Terrific to see a guy like him come in,” Smith said. “He had a good domestic season, and just to carry that on here is good. He has prepared well, I have watched him in training. He will bring a lot to the squad I think. It was great to see him and play that well. Especially under pressure. We were under pressure when he came in. I think he has something special, which is good.”Smith said the key to bouncing back from such close defeats in back-to-back games was to not change what has been working for them. “I think it’s always important to keep doing the right things at training,” he said. “Keep reiterating the same point. The margins have been so small in the last two games, we could easily be 2-1 up or 3-0 up. Just got to keep training hard and keep doing the right things and hopefully the things will kick into place.”The World Cup squad comes out tonight, that will ease a lot of minds and stress on players. Hopefully free up a lot of players, and make them play with sort of freedom in the next few games.”They will need all the freedom because the opposition – an under-strength one at that – is sensing they are under pressure. “Our team is full of confidence right now,” Yusuf Pathan, Man of the Match tonight, said. “South Africa will obviously be under pressure because they have lost two matches, and we have done better in pressure situation. We made a comeback in the previous game, and here too. So the pressure will be there.”

David Warner and Steven Smith have been named as part-time scholars for the 2010 Centre of Excellence intake in Brisbane

Cricinfo staff05-Mar-2010David Warner and Steven Smith are two of Australia’s brightest international hopes but they are being sent back to school this winter by the national selectors. Warner and Smith, who are both in the Twenty20 side, have been named as part-time scholars for the 2010 Centre of Excellence intake in Brisbane.Warner, who was sent home from the Academy in 2007, has played seven ODIs and 13 Twenty20s while Smith made his debuts in both formats this summer. Jason Krejza, the two-Test offspinner, Moises Henriques and Jon Holland are other players who have been chosen in Australian squads to be included in the 11-man part-time unit. They will spend four weeks in Brisbane and be available for the Academy’s matches.The 14 full scholars include a group of fast bowlers who have already made marks with their states and John Hastings, the impressive Victoria allrounder. Mitchell Starc, James Pattinson, Luke Feldman and Ben Cutting have caused trouble on the domestic scene this summer while the batsman Luke Pomersbach’s rehabilitation from a drink-driving incident continues after he was given a spot.”I’m excited about this group, which has a good mix of under-19 young guns and experienced players with first-class experience,” the head coach Greg Chappell said. “The lists highlight the depth of talent in Australia and shows that the next generation of Australian cricket is in good hands.” The full scholars will complete an 18-week programme that includes the Emerging Players Tournament and a training camp in India.Centre of Excellence 2010 squad Nic Maddinson (NSW), Jason Floros (Qld), Luke Pomersbach (WA), Nicholas Buchanan (Qld), Mitchell Starc (NSW), James Pattinson (Vic), Nathan Coulter-Nile (WA), John Hastings (Vic), Luke Feldman (Qld), Ben Cutting (Qld), Nathan Brain (NSW), Glenn Maxwell (Vic), Ryan Carters (Vic), Ben Dunk (Qld).

Part-time scholars Usman Khawaja (NSW), Moises Henriques (NSW), David Warner (NSW), Steven Smith (NSW), Jason Krejza (Tas), Mitchell Marsh (WA), Josh Hazlewood (NSW), Jon Holland (Vic), Peter George (SA), James Faulkner (Tas), Alister McDermott (Qld).

Development scholars Alex Keath (Vic), Sean Abbott (NSW), Luke Doran (NSW), Adam Zampa (NSW).

Sri Lanka went into the game unchanged after Dunith Wellalage re-joined the team

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Sep-2025Bangladesh won the toss and decided to bowl, as the Asia Cup Super Fours stage kicked off in Dubai. Chasing sides have a 70% win record at this venue and that played a big part in Litton Das’ decision. He also added that he was a little “confused” by how the wicket would behave.Sri Lanka are a side that prefers to chase in general, and Charith Asalanka said as much though, with this being a used pitch, he’s not too bothered by batting first.Sri Lanka have gone with an unchanged XI with Dunith Wellalage rejoining the team after leaving for home following his father’s death. Bangladesh have made two changes with Mahedi Hasan and Shoriful Islam coming back into the side. Offspinner Mahedi’s return is presumably to combat Sri Lanka’s left-hander heavy batting line-up.Related

• Bereaved Dunith Wellalage rejoins SL squad in Dubai

• Tait confident Mustafizur Rahman will do better against Sri Lanka

Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar during the pitch report noted that while the potential of dew means chasing might be easier, if it doesn’t come in and the pitch continues to get drier, that equation could change. In terms of ground dimensions, one square boundary is shorter than the other.Sri Lanka: 1 Pathum Nissanka, 2 Kusal Mendis (wk), 3 Kamil Mishara, 4 Kusal Perera, 5 Charith Asalanka (capt), 6 Kamindu Mendis, 7 Dasun Shanaka, 8 Wanindu Hasaranga, 9 Dunith Wellalage, 10 Dushmantha Chameera, 11 Nuwan ThusharaBangladesh: 1 Saif Hassan, 2 Tanzid Hasan, 3 Litton Das (capt & wk), 4 Towhid Hridoy, 5 Jaker Ali, 6 Shamim Hossain, 7 Mahedi Hasan, 8 Rishad Hossain, 9 Taskin Ahmed, 10 Shoriful Islam, 11 Mustafizur Rahman.

Division One leaders seal second win from three games inside first session on day three

ECB Reporters Network21-Apr-2024Jamie Porter and Shane Snater blasted through a brittle Lancashire batting line-up to give Essex victory by an innings inside three days at Chelmsford. The Essex pace bowlers exploited a pitch playing low by taking three wickets apiece as Lancashire capitulated in just 41 overs for the second time in the match.Porter set the ball rolling with the first of nine Lancashire wickets to fall in the session to finish with 3 for 24 before Snater took his match figures to 7 for 59 with 3 for 17 in the second innings. Essex’s second win of the season, worth 22 points, took them further clear at the top of the Vitality County Championship with only three games played.”We have started the season fantastically well,” Essex captain Tom Westley said. “Even that last game against Kent we were a bit unlucky with the weather so potentially, it could have been three wins from three.”We’ve been successful for a while now as a club so every game is a big game and we look to win every single game. We’ve just played some fantastic cricket and I think this is one of our better, most complete performances.”I thought the bowlers bowled amazingly well and I think our challenge is to maintain this momentum and keep the standards as high as they currently are.”We know what a good side Lancashire are, they are always identified at the start of the year as contenders to win the division. So to control the game and win every session is a huge pat on the back for Essex.”Lancashire had started day three on 10 for 1 and requiring another 221 runs to make Essex bat again. They lost five wickets in the first hour and never recovered with the game wrapped up in extra time before the scheduled lunch interval.Essex were forced to field 19-year-old Ronnie McKenna as substitute behind the stumps when Michael Pepper pulled out with a finger injury suffered the night before. The Basildon-born 2nd XI wicketkeeper, the third to do the job for Essex in three Championship matches this season, had four leg byes sail past him down the leg side in the first over from Cook.However, 11 balls into his first-team appearance, he was celebrating a first significant contribution as nightwatcher Will Williams edged Porter into his gloves having hung around for 36 balls.That precipitated a catastrophic collapse with four wickets falling in 16 balls. Josh Bohannon lasted 25 balls before he walked across a delivery from Cook and was lbw, while Luke Wells was beaten all ends up by Snater to be bowled for a 54-ball 21. In the same Snater over George Balderson saw the umpire’s finger go up as he played down the wrong line before Tom Bruce had his off stump sent cartwheeling by Porter.There was a 10-over hiatus while Matty Hurst and George Bell put on 30 runs before the wicketkeeper scooped Snater into square leg’s hands.Offspinner Simon Harmer had not bowled much on this seamer’s paradise, but in his fourth over of the innings he had Tom Bailey walking down the wicket and patting the ball back for a simple caught and bowled. Next over Jack Blatherwick followed Bailey’s lead and gave Harmer more catching practice by chipping the ball back to the bowler.Bell had hung around for 40 balls and appeared to be heading for a third fifty in four innings at Chelmsford when he nicked Cook to Dean Elgar at first slip to wrap up the match.

Chris Green, making a rare appearance for his state, picked up four wickets

AAP17-Nov-2022Daniel Hughes smacked yet another century before spinner Chris Green weaved his magic with the ball to lead New South Wales to a crushing 160-run win over Tasmania in the one-day clash at Blundstone Arena.Just days after missing a Sheffield Shield clash due to Covid-19, Hughes scored 101 off 114 balls as the visitors reached 8 for 300 after being sent in to bat.In reply, Tasmania were skittled for 140 in 28.1 overs, with Matthew Wade (42 off 49 balls) the only home batter to post a score of any substance. Green starred with the ball, finishing with figures of 4 for 20 off nine overs.NSW entered the match yet to taste victory this season in either the one-day competition or the Sheffield Shield.But the 207-run opening stand between Hughes and Kurtis Patterson (92) put the Blues on track to end the rut. Hughes has now posted three one-day centuries this season and he can consider himself unlucky to be overlooked for Australian selection following Aaron Finch’s retirement.Thursday’s innings took his average to 67.8 for the past four seasons with only Shaun Marsh having more one-day domestic centuries – 10 to Hughes’s nine – of current players.The left-hander was strong square of the wicket, cutting, pulling and pushing off the back foot whenever Tasmania dropped short.Sitting pretty at 0 for 194 after 32 overs, the runs dried up slightly for NSW after Patterson picked out the man on the legside boundary while trying to pull Tom Rogers.It kickstarted a collapse of 5 for 35 in the next six overs as Rogers, Nathan Ellis and Tom Andrew pulled back the Blues. Jason Sangha and Baxter Holt were the only remaining batters to pass 20, as NSW took just 63 runs from the last 10 overs.Tasmania’s run chase started poorly with the home side crashing to 3 for 35. Wade sent a scare through the camp when he was struck on the side of the helmet by a Liam Hatcher bouncer. The veteran had raced to 21 off just 11 balls but struggled for fluency after being hit.Wade even fell to the ground later that over while evading another Hatcher bouncer and he eventually holed out 10 overs later in the search for quick runs.The bonus-point win lifted NSW (five points) off the bottom of the ladder, but they are still five points adrift of the third-placed Tasmania (10 points).