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Brook came in for criticism during a relatively lean Test series against Sri Lanka but he has gas left in the tank after a long season

Matt Roller18-Sep-2024It tells you just how serenely Harry Brook’s international career has progressed that he came under scrutiny after averaging 30 in a series win. But by his own admission, Brook finds himself trying to avoid paralysis by overanalysis as he prepares to captain England for the first time at Trent Bridge on Thursday after his approach was questioned during Sri Lanka’s recent victory at The Oval.Brook made 19 and 3 in the final Test of the English season, having made between 32 and 56 in his first four innings of the series against Sri Lanka. If the scores were underwhelming, it was his manner at the crease that drew most attention: he grew visibly frustrated when Sri Lanka bowled wide outside his off stump, to the extent Michael Vaughan accused him of “taking the mick out of the game”.Related

• Harry Brook approach in spotlight after Sri Lanka hit back

• Harry Brook to captain England for Australia ODIs with Jos Buttler ruled out

• John Turner hoping to finally cap rise to prominence with England

• Champions Trophy looms into view as multi-format stars return

This has been a long season for Brook, who was England’s only ever-present across both June’s T20 World Cup and their six home Tests. He spent the three weeks between the West Indies and Sri Lanka series captaining Northern Superchargers in the Hundred, and will fly to Pakistan for October’s Test tour only three days after the fifth and final ODI of the Australia series.Brook seemed characteristically relaxed on the eve of his England captaincy debut at Trent Bridge, grinning through his pre-match press conference and laughing off the idea that he had ever craved leadership. He conceded that his Test summer had not quite gone to plan, but played down the suggestion that he was mentally drained after an intense season.”Because I wasn’t scoring the runs I wanted to, I probably was [feeling] a little bit [tired],” Brook said. “But if I’d have gone out and got two hundreds against Sri Lanka then I’d have been like, ‘I’ll just carry on’. But no, not really. I love playing cricket: I want to play as much as I possibly can. I do think breaks are important at certain times, but I was pretty chilled.”Obviously I didn’t do as well as I’d wanted. I want to get a hundred every innings, but it’s not going to happen, is it? Professional sport is not easy… I felt like I batted really well against West Indies and then didn’t play as well as I wanted to against Sri Lanka, but those things happen. You go away and think about it for a little bit, and hopefully come back stronger in Pakistan.”Harry Brook was in good spirits despite a long, busy season•Getty Images

Until the Hundred this year – where he oversaw five wins in six completed games – the majority of Brook’s captaincy experience came with England Under-19s, whom he led in 11 Youth ODIs, including five at the 2018 World Cup. Since then, he has played 50-over cricket only sporadically. Half of his 30 List A games have been full ODIs, and his record in them is underwhelming: 407 runs at 29.07, with three half-centuries.He will aim to keep things simple against Australia, batting at No. 4. “I’m just going to go out there and watch the ball as closely as possible,” he said. “If you have a few low scores here and there, you start thinking about different things and your technique and whatever. I’m just going to go out there, watch the ball as closely as I can and play on instinct.”Brook is only standing in as captain for Jos Buttler, who was with the squad on Wednesday as he continues his rehabilitation from a calf injury and will return for November’s Caribbean tour. “I might pick his brains here and there,” Brook said, “but he’s said I’ve got full rein to do whatever I want.”Buttler has challenged Brook to “identify those moments” in the field where he can change the game – something that Buttler himself has struggled with in ODIs. Brook showed signs of that instinct during the Hundred, and said that he would liberate his bowlers to make decisions: “Whatever you feel like doing, just do it. The only bad outcome is you could get hit for a boundary and the next ball could be a dot ball.”This ODI series is one of only three for England before February’s Champions Trophy, and the first since Rob Key announced that Brendon McCullum will take over as limited-overs coach as part of a “strategic restructure” of the senior set-up. The implication is that there will be greater convergence between formats, as evidenced by Ben Duckett’s promotion to open the batting on Thursday.Brook said that he has hardly spoken to McCullum, who has instead delegated responsibility to his Test assistant coach Marcus Trescothick. “It’s all going to merge into one at some point,” Brook predicted. “We want to go out there and entertain the crowd, take the game on, try to take wickets and put the pressure on their bowlers.”And after ending the Test summer on autopilot at The Oval, Brook hopes that this new challenge will prove reinvigorating. “I’ve only been here for two days, but the way the lads have gone about their business in training just seems so chilled at the minute. We’re all looking forward to going out there and having some fun.”

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).

Kent fast bowler’s slower than expected recovery from knee surgery prompts decision

Matt Roller20-Jul-2021Tim Groenewald has called time on a 15-year professional career by announcing that he will retire from professional cricket with immediate effect.Groenewald, 37, had surgery on his knee in April and said that despite “amazing support” from Kent’s medical staff, his recovery has not been sufficient for him to resume his playing career.Born in South Africa – and educated at the Maritzburg College in Natal, the same school as Kevin Pietersen – Groenewald juggled his early county career with winters back home but he made a breakthrough in 2006, making debuts for Warwickshire in all three formats, and played for the club as a non-overseas player thanks to his English mother.He left for Derbyshire at the end of the 2008 season where he quickly became an integral part of their bowling attack across formats, and took 42 wickets in their promotion season in 2012. He led the attack in Division One but turned down the opportunity to extend his contract and joined Somerset on loan in 2014 as a precursor to a permanent move.He became a fan favourite at Taunton, not only for his whole-hearted efforts with the ball but also for his knack of playing match-winning innings with the bat, dragging them to famous one-wicket wins against Surrey in the Championship and Gloucestershire in the Royal London Cup in 2016, with Jack Leach and Jamie Overton for company respectively.Groenewald joined Kent on a permanent deal ahead of the 2020 season and took seven wickets in his nine appearances for the club. Paul Downton, their managing director, confirmed that he would stay with the club in a coaching capacity until the end of the season.”I feel privileged to have played professional cricket for 16 years,” Groenewald said. “I will always be extremely grateful to the clubs I’ve represented and the opportunities they have afforded me. I’ve made some lifelong friends and memories along the way and will cherish those forever.”Groenewald retires with 625 career wickets, 403 of which came in first-class cricket at an average of 29.53, with 16 five-wicket hauls. While England Lions selection eluded him, he was part of the North v South series in the UAE in early 2017 after earning a spot through his performances in the Royal London Cup.

The Strikers move to third place, while the opponents slip into strife

Alex Malcolm11-Jan-2021Adelaide Strikers sent Rashid Khan off in style with a hard-fought five-wicket win over Melbourne Stars to vault up to third on the BBL table and leave the Stars in strife.Wes Agar starred with 2 for 19, including a maiden, while Khan took 2 for 29, including the prize scalp of Glenn Maxwell, to restrict the Stars to just 7 for 149 after they won the toss. Marcus Stoinis played a lone hand at the top smashing 47 but he failed to kick on while Nic Maddinson made an excellent 48 not out to rescue the Stars after they had slumped to 5 for 92.The Strikers stumbled in the chase losing Phil Salt and Alex Carey in a failed attempt to claim the Bash Boost point. Adam Zampa’s sublime spell of 2 for 20 put the Strikers in a hole but Jono Wells and Ryan Gibson dug them out. Wells took his time before hammering Haris Rauf to finish with 36 from 27 while Gibson guided the side home with 22 not out from 13 balls. Fittingly, Khan was out there for the winning runs in his 50th game for the Strikers, and last for the season as he heads off to international duty.Wes Agar bowled an excellent spell•Getty Images

Stoinis needs some spiceAndre Fletcher was a late addition to the Stars squad for the BBL as a replacement for Jonny Bairstow. It was hoped he would provide a nice foil for Stoinis at the top of the order but his struggles have really hurt the Stars and again he failed to fire. He faced a maiden in the first over and although he struck two sixes in the third he faced nine dots in 12 balls before holing out to mid-on. The ball did nip and swing early and the Stars were wary of losing wickets. Nick Larkin faced another maiden in the powerplay from Agar while Stoinis was 8 off 11 at one stage.Stoinis made up for it with some sublime hitting but it was nullified by Khan’s double-strike. He bamboozled Larkin with a stunning googly, before Maxwell fell for his second consecutive golden duck slicing a full wide wrong ‘un to backward point. Stoinis clubbed the hat-trick ball through midwicket for four with contempt. He was fortunate to survive a dropped catch in the deep, but Agar got him four balls later with some extra bounce catching a leading edge. Hilton Cartwright also failed to leave the Stars 5 for 92 with just 36 balls left in the innings.Awesome AgarThe Stars left the Power Surge until the 17th over and Agar continued his outstanding form, delivering six straight yorkers to concede just four runs and two leg byes. Dan Worrall then backed it up taking two wickets to leave the Stars in a huge hole. But Maddinson kept his head to give the Stars a score to defend. He used the pace of Worrall to flick him over fine leg and uppercut over third man in between the two Power Surge wickets. He then smashed Agar over deep midwicket in the 19th over, but Agar still finished with the phenomenal figures of 2 for 19 from four overs. Maddinson finished the innings with back-to-back sixes off Worrall to reach 48 not out from 34 balls and lift the Stars to a competitive total.Bash Boost blunderThe Strikers needed just 68 for the Bash Boost point and had it under control through eight overs. Salt lost his opening partner early but struck four boundaries to reach 31 from 21 balls and leave the Strikers needing just 10 from two overs with Salt and Carey at the crease. But they made a mess of the short-term goal and did significant long-term damage to their chase.Maxwell backed himself and Zampa with 9th and 10th overs and came up trumps. Salt skied Maxwell to long-off with the first ball of the over, with Maxwell’s angle from around the wicket causing the miscue. Then Carey and Wells scored just seven singles from the next 10 deliveries to put the Bash Boost point in jeopardy before Carey committed the ultimate sin. Needing three for the point, he tried to loft a reverse sweep off Zampa and was caught at short third man with Maddinson moving well to take an excellent catch. It left the Strikers without the point and needing 85 to win from 60 balls as their captain trudged off.Gibson goes to the WellsWells remained composed despite Jake Weatherald also falling to the reverse sweep to Zampa. The legspinner delivered an outstanding Power Surge over as a part of a brilliant spell. Wells found an ally in Gibson and the pair of calm heads prevailed. They failed to take a boundary off Zampa’s last over but didn’t panic despite needing 30 off 18 balls.Wells waited for the pace of Rauf and used it to perfection. He carved him through point, clipped him through midwicket, and lofted him over the midwicket rope to reduce the equation to 16 off 14. Wells did hole out trying to go again over point but the damage was done. Gibson picked up the slack, slicing Rauf to third man to take 18 from the over and leave just 12 required from 12 balls.They only needed six. Gibson again found the rope off Liam Hatcher at midwicket. He had some fortune last ball when the substitute Tom O’Connell dropped him running back with the flight for the winning runs.

Head coach says stats suggest “seam is the way forward” at Centurion

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Dec-2019England are contemplating whether to field an all-seam attack for the second Test running, according to the head coach, Chris Silverwood. The tourists’ build-up for the Boxing Day Test at Centurion has been disrupted by illness in the camp, with frontline spinner Jack Leach one of the players affected, and Silverwood said the stats suggest “seam is the way forward” at SuperSport Park.In their previous outing, on last month’s tour of New Zealand, England picked four seamers and Ben Stokes at Hamilton, but only succeeded in taking 12 wickets in a rain-affected draw.England’s selection discussions this time around will be coloured by the fact that Stuart Broad and Jofra Archer missed both warm-up games with sickness, while James Anderson is in line to play his first Test since August, after suffering a calf injury that ruled him out of the Ashes. Chris Woakes, Sam Curran and Craig Overton are the other quicks in the party, along with Mark Wood, who is working his way back to fitness and won’t be available until the third Test.ALSO READ: England’s bug-struck trio play no part in warm-up“Yeah, I think it is,” Silverwood said in response to whether it was possible England could play an all-seam attack. “Obviously in Hamilton we looked at all the stats, who took wickets at the ground, and it showed that spin didn’t really play much part in the games, or certainly have much effect on the games.”We look at the stats for this ground, it’s the same thing, you’re looking at wickets taken by seam, wickets taken by spin and the averages that go along with them, it suggests that seam is the way forward, and the thing that has most effect on the game here, so we’re certainly looking at that.”Leach played in Mount Maunganui at the start of the New Zealand series, taking 2 for 153 as England went down by an innings, but was then hospitalised by a bout of gastroenteritis in Hamilton before falling unwell on the team’s arrival in South Africa. Uncapped legspinner Matt Parkinson was the back-up slow bowler originally selected in the party and England have also called up Leach’s Somerset team-mate Dom Bess as cover.”We’ve got some good resources in the spin department, Leachy is coming back to fitness now, we’ve got Dominic Bess here as well, Parky who bowled nicely in Benoni. So we’ve got the resources but we’re looking at it for what it is, what has most effect in this game. We’re not definitely going down the road of all seam, but it’s something we’ve got to discuss over the next few days.Jofra Archer and Stuart Broad were both fit to train•Getty Images

“It’s not rocket science, every team has these stats. You look at what’s effective on that ground and then you look at what you’ve got in your arsenal and try to put out the best side you can.”Broad and Archer both delivered five-over spells at training in Centurion on Monday, as well as batting in the nets, as they looked to prove their match fitness for the first Test. Silverwood echoed Joe Root’s view that England will be relying on “trust” when it comes to their capability of getting through a full five days, although he admitted there “maybe a little bit more caution” over Archer, who is just six Tests into his career.”I think they’re exactly where we’d hope they would be really, if they continue with another couple of good days training, all being well they’ll be able to throw their hats in the ring for selection for the first Test,” he said.Asked if it might be considered a gamble to go into the Test with Broad, Archer and Anderson in the same XI, Silverwood replied: “I don’t think so, as long as from the medical point of view they feel good.”Anderson was the pick of the England bowlers in their three-day game in Benoni that finished on Sunday, claiming tidy figures of 3 for 41 as South Africa A made kept Root’s men in the field for 93.2 overs. With the bat, England saw Joe Denly and Ollie Pope score centuries, and Silverwood was pleased with the application that underpinned a total of 456 for 7 declared.”I thought both teams came away with something positive, I know we certainly did,” he said. “If you look at it from a first-innings runs point of view, we’re continuing to build those methods and create good habits there. From a bowling perspective we got over in the legs of Jimmy and the rest of the bowlers, and they all started finding their rhythm, which was great.”

Wayne Madsen scored his 27th first-class hundred for Derbyshire but Northants made a good start to their pursuit of 314 to win

ECB Reporters Network24-Jul-2018
ScorecardNorthamptonshire skipper Alex Wakely revived his team’s chances of pulling off a record-breaking run chase after another Wayne Madsen century set up the prospect of a thrilling finish to the Division Two match against Derbyshire at Chesterfield.Madsen made 116 and allrounder Matt Critchley 51 as Derbyshire posted 342 to set Northants 314, which would be the highest fourth innings total at Queen’s Park. Dan Wheeldon dismissed England batsman Ben Duckett to claim his maiden first-class wicket but 68 from Luke Proctor and an unbeaten 48 from Wakely took the visitors to 174 for 3, 140 short of their target.The first session was always likely to be pivotal and Derbyshire were the team who went into lunch in a position of strength thanks to Madsen and Harvey Hosein. Both played patiently to deny Northants early wickets and although the bowlers maintained discipline on another stiflingly hot morning, there were few alarms for the batsmen.By the time Hosein was bowled sweeping at Seekkuge Prasanna for 38, Derbyshire’s lead was 180 and Critchley helped Madsen add another 40 to that by lunch. Madsen completed his 27th first-class hundred for Derbyshire from 170 balls and although he fell to a smart slip catch soon after, he had given his side the initiative.Critchley acknowledged his fourth Championship fifty of the season before he was unluckily run out but Hardus Viljoen hit Prassana for two big sixes to take Derbyshire’s lead past 300.Northants knew they would have to bat exceptionally well on a pitch taking increasing turn and the odds against them appeared to lengthen when they lost Duckett and Ricardo Vasconcelos in the first 14 overs.Duckett was hit on the back leg by a good ball from Wheeldon and when Vasconcelos edged offspinner Hamidullah Qadri to slip, the target looked a long way off. But Proctor and Wakely showed good judgement and Northants’s hopes were starting to climb when Critchley got one to pop to have Proctor caught at leg slip.Another wicket would have made Derbyshire favourites but Wakely and Richard Levi batted through the last 10 overs to tilt the match towards Northants although the outcome remains in the balance.

“Moments are going to get heated,” Vernon Philander has said of the upcoming Test series against Australia

Firdose Moonda in Perth01-Nov-20161:43

Rabada an exciting bowler to watch – Philander

While some of Australia’s former players have cautioned the current crop against too much talk in the upcoming Tests, Vernon Philander warned things won’t always stay genteel from the South African side, especially not when they are up against it.”There’s going to be a time when a partnership will develop and it will require one or two bowlers to put up their hands and get a bit ugly and make things uncomfortable,” Philander said.When those times come, Philander seems ready to put himself at the forefront. “That tests your character, it’s a part of Test cricket and testing your skills – you need to get out there and win that moment for your team. It’s going to be fun.”For Philander, it may also be personal. He is perhaps more highly regarded at home than in Australia, – as was also the case when he toured England – despite his eight-for on debut against Australia in Cape Town in the match in which they were bowled out for 47. The Australians want to see him do that in Australia, just like the English wanted to see him to do it England.Then, he responded by taking seven wickets at Lord’s, including 5 for 30 in the second innings, to win the Test and the mace and signed off with a line that is still repeated in South African circles: “Stats don’t lie,” he said, when asked what he would like to say the English after that day.They don’t, and Philander’s numbers against Australia could do with some improving. In seven Tests against them, Philander has taken 35 wickets at an average of 30.24, much higher than his overall average of 22.09. In the past two series against them – 2012 and 2014 – he has taken only 11 wickets at 51.00.His powers are considered to have waned since he became the fastest bowler in over a century to 100 Test wickets and the injury that kept him out of most of last summer has not helped him restore his reputation. On this tour, Philander has everything to prove but pre-series, he chose to play that down.”It’s very important for me personally and it’s also important for us as a unit,” Philander said. “We’ve got to take 20 wickets and as long as I play my part in taking 20 wickets in a Test match, then I’ll be happy.”His first chance at doing that will be on the surface that could offer the most assistance. The WACA is set to have something in it for the seamers, as the Gabba was expected to four years ago. Then, looks were deceiving and the all-pace attack Philander was part of backfired so he is being cautious about whether South Africa will go guns blazing this time. “We’ve always had three seamers with a spinner and a part-timer and we’re pretty used to that,” he said.But with the pace pack at their disposal – Dale Steyn, fit-again Morne Morkel, Kagiso Rabada, Kyle Abbott and Philander – it will be difficult to decide which two must sit out. And if they do opt for a four-pronged attack, Philander’s advice to his team-mates is not to get too excited by the surface.”The simpler you keep it, the better it becomes,” he said. “You can get carried away by the pace and bounce but for seamers you need to be ultra-disciplined here.”Control is something Philander has built his game on. He is known for being able to hit the area outside off for over after over, and only move the ball off the seam slightly. That is likely to be his line of attack in this series.It’s not as emphatic as Steyn’s swing or Rabada’s pace and in many ways, it is indicative of the bowler Philander is. He does not get throbbing veins or send the speed gun above 150kph, he does not have much to say about the opposition except that they are the “11 individuals who are the best in Australia at the moment and we’ve to to respect that for what they are,” and he does not have much to say to them either.Unlike Steyn he did not name a target or threaten to sink an entire side. He just mentioned that he is capable of not being a nice guy too, if he has to.”Moments are going to get heated,” he said, “but you as a person have to be stay calm and collected.”

Shane Watson believes he made the right decision to prolong his international career following the homework controversy during the India tour of 2013

Melinda Farrell24-Mar-2016Shane Watson believes he made the right decision to prolong his international career following the homework controversy during the India tour of 2013.Watson, who was among four Australia players axed for the third Test of that series in Mohali for ignoring team orders, admitted he was not entirely comfortable with his working conditions at the time, and had even pondered over his future. However, Watson’s “love” for the game ultimately made his decision an easy one.”Absolutely [glad I went on]. That was a time when I certainly was considering my future within the Australian team. Because at that point of time, I certainly was not enjoying the environment at all. I wasn’t enjoying playing,” Watson, who will retire from all internationals after the ongoing World Twenty20, said.”The thing that really shone through at that point of time was how much I loved the game, realising I was living the dream. I just had to get through that period of time knowing – or having faith – that there was light at the end of the tunnel.”That light came in the form of Darren Lehmann, who was appointed as Australia’s head coach in June 2013 following the sacking of Mickey Arthur. Within six months, Watson was part of the squad that whitewashed England 5-0 during the home Ashes in 2013-14. Two years later, Watson would also get his second taste of World Cup success, as Australia lifted the trophy for the fifth time, at the MCG.”There certainly was a change within two or three months, with Darren coming in and really changing things around. There’s no doubt like all situations in life when it doesn’t work out how you want to, or it’s not going on the same lines, if your’e able to stick it out for a period of time there is normally some light there. I’ve been very fortunate that there certainly was with an Ashes win at home and the World Cup at home.”I think its’ a combination of everything. There’s no doubt when Darren took over from Micky, yeah, certainly we got back to playing the Australian way, which everyone certainly enjoys doing and you’re [increasing] the chance of having success.”Watson, who has led Australia in all three formats, felt the team was safe in the hands of the current captain, Steven Smith: “He [Smith] is doing a great job. He’s learning on the job and learning quickly. It’s hard to realise he still is really a very young guy, even though he has achieved a lot of things in his career already.”He is going to continue to get better as a leader as well. I know the guys who have grown up with Steve as well, they love how honest he is. How simplifiied he is with everything he does and how he talks to the group. The guys are certainly very relaxed in that regard.”

England’s bowling coach David Saker has turned down an offer to become director of cricket at Warwickshire, saying that he still has “unfinished business”.

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Jan-2013David Saker has turned down a chance to become director of cricket at Warwickshire, saying that the prospect of back-to-back Ashes tours in the next year and the 2015 World Cup has left him “unfinished business” with England.Saker first revealed to ESPNcricinfo last month that he was attracted by the role relinquished by Ashley Giles last month after he took over day-to-day coaching duties with England’s one-day sides and Warwickshire were interested enough to pursue the matter.However, exploratory talks over the weekend have not come to fruition, leaving Saker to commit his future to England as he prepared to leave on Thursday with the team for their tours of India and New Zealand over the next three months.He told the : “I had talks with Warwickshire and it was certainly an attractive offer they made. But it has come a little too early for me. I have unfinished business with the England team and I would like to take that through at least until the end of the 2015 World Cup.”Warwickshire’s chairman Norman Gascoigne insisted that a firm offer had not been made. “We contacted David to clarify the situation with him and ask whether he wanted to apply or not. He came back to us and said that the timing was not right for him and that he intended to continue with England. That is as far as it went. I can categorically say that at no stage did we offer him the job.”Saker, lives south of Birmingham and, as a fulltime member of England’s backroom staff, still must withstand the heavy travelling demands that have caused Andy Flower to relinquish day-to-day management of England’s one-day sides to Giles.Since funding his own flight from Australia to be interviewed for the job, he has played a leading role in England’s home and away Ashes wins as well as victory in the Test series in India. He must be due a refund on his original ticket.His emphasis on the psychology and methodology involved in fast bowling, rather than biomechanics, has had a positive effect on England’s fast-bowling attack.His decision to stay with England increases the likelihood that Warwickshire will follow Giles’ initial recommendation and appoint somebody with links to the county.

Mohsin Khan, Pakistan’s interim coach, believes Misbah-ul-Haq’s side has the ability to become the best team in the world following its second successive Test victory over England

George Dobell in Abu Dhabi29-Jan-2012Mohsin Khan, Pakistan’s interim coach, believes Misbah-ul-Haq’s side has the ability to become the best team in the world following its second successive Test victory over England.Pakistan’s 72-run win in Abu Dhabi gave them an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series over the No.1 Test side. It also meant that Pakistan had won four series in a row. Mohsin did warn, however, that England’s struggles on Asian pitches illustrated how hard it can be for teams to adapt to a foreign environment and said Pakistan had “a lot to prove” in overseas conditions.”I think this team has the capacity to become the world’s best team,” Mohsin said. “Our target should be to gradually come in the top three in both Tests and one-day cricket, and then gradually go to world number one.”Now we have to perform when we play in other parts of the world. We have a lot to prove. When we go to England, our batsmen struggle against swing and seam bowling just as England struggle against spin. But give our bowlers credit: it needs skill to exploit rivals’ weaknesses. Our spinners bowled well.”Mohsin also praised Misbah’s leadership and credited the warm relationship between captain and coach as a key ingredient in Pakistan’s success. “He is a very good captain,” Mohsin said, “and I have a wonderful rapport with him. He gives me respect as coach and as his senior and I give him respect as captain, so it is a mutual thing.”We make a game plan and take inputs from senior and junior players. Maybe a junior player has something good and wise to tell us. Misbah respects my experience and as coach it is my duty to support him as he is to make the team fight. He is doing that.”When I became coach I knew that this team had talent in abundance. My first priority was to make them mentally and physically strong and that was on display when Azhar Ali and Asad Shafiq batted. We won a lost match on Saturday and the kind of belief and self confidence this team has shown is great.”Mohsin’s own future remains unclear. He was only appointed as interim coach after Waqar Younis stepped down in September 2011 and it is still anticipated that Dav Whatmore will win the position on a full time basis after the limited-overs section of the series against England is completed. The manner in which the Pakistan players lifted Mohsin upon their shoulders in the immediate aftermath of the victory in Abu Dhabi, however, spoke volumes for the high regard in which he is held by them.”I am proud of my team and the moment when we won and then the players
lifted me and celebrated the win, that was a joy to behold,” Mohsin said. “It showed team spirit and the unity in joy. That was the biggest gift I can have from my players. Our actions are louder than words and I hope that this good work goes on and on.”