Category Uncategorized

Cricket needs someone from completely outside the game to take the role of chief executive when David Richards’ steps down from his position with the International Cricket Council.New Zealand Cricket chief executive Christopher Doig told a media briefing in Christchurch today that the position should be looked at in the same way that the International Olympic Committee or FIFA would look for a chief executive.”The job needs someone with highly-tuned diplomatic and corporate skills,” he said.Doig said that criticism directed at the ICC in the past that it was moribund and slow to react was probably fair enough but before making criticism people needed to look at where the ICC had been and how far it had come.To start out as an offshoot of the MCC which was directed by the MCC to the fully-fledged international organisation it was now was significant.But with the greater emphasis going on development of the game and the larger amounts of money now coming into cricket it needed more staff and different approaches.The best person for the job was likely to come from outside the sport which he said had some “internecine issues” that would make it difficult for anyone from within cricket to deal with.Doig was delighted with developments taking place in the New Zealand game and said the work done by Alec Astle in growing the game for children was “the most compelling thing we have done.”The growth of the development programme is enormous and we are struggling to keep up the resources,” he said.But the scheme was clearly catering for a need that was there. Doig said $2 million needed to be spent in developing the scheme and that was the next phase of the programme.Doig said that it had always been his, and the board’s, goal to have NZC finances independent of gate receipts.”We’re not far away from that,” he said.The ability to pre-sell television rights for five years would help in achieving that goal.

Shaun Marsh has set his sights on emulating his father Geoff and becoming an opening batsman for Australia in Test and one-day cricket. Marsh was handed his first Cricket Australia contract on Wednesday and with Matthew Hayden and Phil Jaques the only specialist openers in the 25-man squad, he knows a top-order spot could soon be there for the taking.Chris Rogers, who filled in for Hayden in the Perth Test in January, was axed from the list and there is also no obvious replacement for Adam Gilchrist as an ODI opener. James Hopes and Michael Clarke have performed the role on occasions, but the inclusion of Marsh in the limited-overs squad to tour West Indies indicates he is in the running.Andrew Hilditch, the chairman of selectors, said the panel believed Hayden and Jaques had formed such a good Test pairing that a specialist backup was not necessary. They also considered Marsh a potential replacement if required.”Jaques has grasped his opportunity to open the batting very well, while we’ve taken the view that Hayden will see his way through to the next Ashes tour of England in 2009,” Hilditch said in the . “I’d like to think that was achievable, while on the other hand I’d also like to think a Shaun Marsh, Simon Katich or Brad Hodge could put their hand up if the occasion arose.”Marsh often comes out first for Western Australia in one-day games but is typically used at No. 3 in Pura Cup matches. The departure of Rogers from the state side will open up a top-two position and with Hayden, 36, approaching the end of his career, Marsh is keen to try his hand as an opener.”Obviously in the next few years it is going to change up there, and it is a position that is going to open up,” Marsh said. “It is something I want to do.” His Western Australia coach Tom Moody said it was likely Marsh would be bumped up the Warriors order next season.”He is not stupid,” Moody said. “He realises that with Hayden getting to the stage where he is at in his career, and Phil Jaques still cementing his position, he sees there is an opportunity at the top of the order more than in the middle order. He’s a player that has come along enormously in the past 12 months and could easily walk into the opening position, so we will just move the middle order around.”

As preparations for a World Cup go, this is one of the more unusual ones – entering an Under-16 boys’ league. But that’s what Bermuda women have done, as they aim to succeed in the qualifying tournament in Pakistan this November.The Bermuda board has entered the side into a men’s evening league alongside the national under-16 boys’ league ahead of the qualifiers for the 2009 World Cup in Australia. There are two spots up for grabs among eight teams, including South Africa and Pakistan.The move comes following a recommendation from Ann Browne-John, the former West Indies women coach, who suggested that the women needed to compete regularly.The Bermuda coach, Allan Douglas, told The Bermuda Sun: “This is just what we have been looking for. Cricket for women is very new to Bermuda and so this will give us the opportunity to show the public that we are serious and play serious cricket.” Douglas co-ordinates two practice sessions a week, as well as one gym visit.One of the rising stars of Bermuda is 15-year-old Reuna Richardson. A spirited allrounder, she had this warning for the boys: “They’d better watch out because I think we can show them up. I think they will be surprised.”But she knows that qualification in Pakistan will not come easily. “I think about it a lot. I’m a bit nervous. I think it’s going to be hard. We are going to have to do a lot of work between now and then to get better.”

Sanath Jayasuriya has been overlooked for Sri Lanka’s four-day warm-up game against Sussex at Hove, starting tomorrow, and is therefore a doubt for the second Test at Edgbaston next week.Jayasuriya, who recently reversed his decision to retire from Test cricket, met up with the squad during the Lord’s Test and had been expected to slot quickly back into the side.But Sri Lanka’s achievement in saving the first Test has changed the management’s strategy. Upul Tharanga, who made a composed half-century, is guaranteed a place in the starting line-up, but both Michael Vandort and Jehan Mubarak are expected to compete for the second opener’s slot.At the age of 26 and 25 respectively, they are a full decade younger than Jayasuriya, and consequently form part of Sri Lanka’s long-term strategy.”We need to be playing the guys who are fronting up tomorrow,” said Sri Lanka’s coach, Tom Moody. “They need the opportunity to find some form and prepare them for the Test match.”Sanath is very much a part of our plans depending on the conditions going into the second and third Tests. You just don’t know what the form, fitness and all those things are going to be.”All we are concentrating on now is working very hard with a young and exciting squad in a transitional period. As long as we are patient and show faith in these young players the future of Sri Lanka cricket is in good shape.”With a ten-day gap between Lord’s and Edgbaston, the game against Sussex is important for Sri Lanka’s top-order batsmen to keep their momentum going. Sri Lanka are therefore likely to play their full batting line up barring Tillakaratne Dilshan who is being rested because of a mild hamstring injury.”It’s a crucial game for us because it is important that we continue the positive momentum we’ve taken from Lord’s into this game,” added Moody. “Hopefully we will get some very good practice ahead of what’s going to be an important second Test.”Moody added that Muttiah Muralitharan and Chaminda Vaas would also be rested because of the heavy workload they will be asked to do for the rest of the tour. Nuwan Zoysa and Lasith Malinga, who missed out at Lord’s, are likely to get an opportunity to impress.”We need to see who the form bowler is,” added Moody, “because we want to win the second Test and we need to take 20 wickets.”Sri Lanka team v Sussex (probable) 1 Upul Tharanga, 2 Jehan Mubarak, 3 Michael Vandort, 4 Kumar Sangakkara, 5 Mahela Jayawardene (capt), 6 Thilan Samaraweera, 7 Prasanna Jayawardene (wk), 8 Lasith Malinga, 9 Nuwan Zoysa, 10 Malinga Bandara, 11 Farveez Maharoof.

Billy Bowden has apologised for his horrible lbw decision against Virender Sehwag, despite a clear inside edge, and blamed the noise from the Bangalore crowd for the error.Bowden, officiating in his first Test in India, was surprised by the ear-splitting atmosphere, which made it almost impossible to hear the nicks, and appealed for understanding after he had been criticised in the local press. “Everybody makes a mistake,” Bowden said. “There are ups and downs in everyone’s career. You have to move on. This is the first time I’m umpiring under such circumstances and it’s just too noisy.”After the match Bowden talked with Sehwag and said “sorry”. Sehwag, who was fined 65% of his match fee for showing dissent after the second-innings decision, replied: “It’s ok.”Bowden and Steve Bucknor made at least seven incorrect calls during the Test, most of them going against India, but the captain Sourav Ganguly refused to be critical. “You’ve all seen it on TV,” he said. “We understand that, and move forward.”

John Wright did nothing to clarify the much-debated matter of India’s opening combination for the final Test at Rawalpindi. “It is a good problem to have,” said Wright, talking about the possibility that the inclusion of Yuvraj Singh as opener could alter the set partnership of Virender Sehwag and Aakash Chopra. “We will take a decision on it immediately after the nets tomorrow. The tour selection committee – Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar and myself – will sit down to solve the problem. All I can tell you is that it will be a left-hander or a right-hander.” While some people believe this is an indication that Yuvraj will replace Chopra, it is interesting to note that Wright has earlier indicated that Parthiv Patel was also in the reckoning for an opening slot.Yuvraj’s blistering hundred in the second Test has made it next to impossible for the team to leave him out of the playing XI, especially in the light of Dravid and VVS Laxman struggling for runs in this series. “We had Sourav for the first Test and when Yuvraj came in he did so well. He came up with a quality fifty, followed by a century. The good thing about him is he wants to be out there in the middle. Actually, we might go into this Test match with a non-specialist opener.” Once again this reference to a non-specialist opener could mean either Yuvraj or Parthiv.Wright left things hanging in the air some more when he praised Chopra lavishly for his efforts. “At the same time, Aakash Chopra too has done very well. You cannot condemn a player on the basis of failure in one match alone. He helped give us great starts in Australia and in the first Test, put on what, 160, with Viru. Opening is a specialist position, he has a job to do, but we may consider a non-specialist option this time. Also, don’t forget that in the long run, Viru views himself as essentially a middle-order batsman.”When asked whether it was necessary to even contemplate breaking up such a successful opening partnership, Wright countered, “Yes, that’s true, but given the situation we have, what would you do? It is an interesting problem.”In the bowling department there are less tricky problems. “Balaji and Pathan are pretty certain to play and it’s a toss up between Ajit Agarkar and Ashish Nehra. Also it depends on what is decided [by the team management]. If we want to bat first, we may even go in with two-and-two, two seamers and two spinners. Let’s see.”Pitches and tosses have come in for much discussion in this series, and Wright did not add fuel to the fire. “Everyone has an opinion about the wicket. The openers wouldn’t want to get anywhere near if they see a green top while the bowlers would be itching to have a go. Everyone has an opinion and a captain has to take all those into consideration before making his own. A captain who cannot decide whether to bat or bowl first is in trouble from the start.”Wright also refused to place undue importance on the fact that Mohammad Sami was injured and thereby a doubtful starter for the deciding Test. “It was the same in the last match and they had a bloke [Umar Gul] who just walked in and took five wickets. You’ve got to respect your rivals. The team that they put up is the team that has to do the job. And I am sure they’ll be trying real hard. Sometimes a new bowler can be dangerous – he’s never had a chance and they want to make the best of the opportunity.”

DURBAN, South Africa, March 18 AFP – Kenya may have won just two matches against India, their opponents in Thursday’s World Cup semi-final here, but the entire fifteen-man squad knows what the experience is like.Ten of the 11 players who took part in Kenya’s first-ever win over India at the Roop Singh stadium in Gwalior on May 28, 1998 are still representing their country at the World Cup.The remaining five were on hand when Kenya won a second time against India at St George’s Park at Port Elizabeth on October 17, 2001.That India have won nine of the 11 matches between the two will matter little when the semi-final is played under the Kingsmead lights on Thursday.In fact, Kenya’s both wins came under floodlights when they batted first, put up a substantial score and bowled out India for less than 200.Sachin Tendulkar, India’s man of the moment, knows what it feels to lose against a non-Test playing nation. He, vice-captain Rahul Dravid and senior pro Anil Kumble were the only ones to feature in both defeats.Veteran left-arm spinner Aasif Karim was the Kenyan captain who won the toss in Gwalior five years back and saw his side score 265-5 with Ravindu Shah making 70, Maurice Odumbe 83 and Hitesh Modi 51.India managed only 196 in reply as Odumbe completed a fine all-round display with 3-14 in 25 balls and current captain Steve Tikolo chipped in with 3-29.Dravid was the main scorer for India with 33 while Tendulkar made 18 before he was dismissed by Martin Suji.Three years later, Tikolo was the captain who elected to bat at Port Elizabeth and Kenya hammered 6-246 following an opening stand of 121 between Shah and Kennedy Otieno.Thomas Odoyo followed the openers with the third half-century of the innings, a blazing 51 off 52 balls with six boundaries and a six.India were shot out under the lights for a meagre 176 after Tendulkar was bowled for three by seamer Joseph Angara, who finished with 3-30 and Odoyo ran through the tail with 3-41.No wonder, Kenya’s current coach and former India player, Sandeep Patil, believes Sourav Ganguly’s India will be foolish to take victory for granted on Thursday.If the Super Sixes clash between the two sides earlier this month is any indication, a close match is in the offing.India, chasing Kenya’s modest 6-225, were reduced to 3-24 under the Newlands lights at Cape Town before Ganguly hit a match-winning 107 and Yuvraj Singh made 58 to steer their team home.It was at Kingsmead on Saturday night that 39-year-old Karim gave the mighty Australians a scare with figures at one stage reading an incredible 8-6-2-3.Entire Kenya will be hoping for an encore on Thursday.

It was bad news for the youngsters at the National Cricket Academy(NCA) as they capitulated to a massive 164-run loss to BPL Sports Clubon the third day of the first match in the Coromandel Cement Cuptournament at the RSI ground in Bangalore on Monday.After conceding a first innings lead of 55 runs to BPL Sports Club,the NCA side allowed their opponents to make a very healthy 247/5 offtheir allotted 40 overs. Set a stiff target of 303 off 40 overs, theNCA team slumped to a meagre 138 all out in 27.5 overs.For the BPL Sports Club team it was Adithya Mishra who provided theimpetus. Scoring at more than a run a ball, Mishra managed 84 at thetop of the innings. Striking six boundaries and clearing the ropesthrice, Mishra spent a little over two hours at the crease beforefalling to mediumpacer Uday Karkera. When Mishra was dismissed, theBPL Sports Club score was 155/3 in 27.3 overs.Following Mishra’s dismissal, N Mulki (56 in 58 balls) and firstinnings top scorer C Raghu (40 in 30 balls) took BPL Sports Club to247/5 in 40 overs, leaving NCA the daunting target of 303 in 40 overs.In the face of the huge total, the NCA batting line up fell to bits.Vinayak Mane with 32 top scored while GI Singh and leggie Amit Mishrawith 22 apiece notched up the only significant scores of the innings.Wickets tumbled at regular intervals and Karnataka Ranji fast bowlerMansur Ali Khan was too good for the NCA finishing with figures of5/56 from 10 overs.

A gallant 95 from RVC Prasad helped Andhra settle at 243/8 on thefirst day of their opening Ranji Trophy South Zone clash againstKerala at Vijayawada today. Home team captain Amit Pathak won the tossand chose to take first strike against Kerala’s three pronged seamattack of Renjith Menon, Tinu Yohanan and Sunil Oasis.Oasis struck a double blow in the 11th over of the day, taking outopener LNP Reddy and then two balls later removing the baby of theteam, 16-year-old Y Gnaneswara Rao, who was making his first classdebut. Another teenager, Y Venugopala Rao fell shortly afterwards toleave Andhra at 48/3.Pathak and Prasad added 87 for the fourth wicket in just over 35 oversbefore the former fell to the wiles of his opposite number, legspinner KN Ananthapadmanabhan for 58. Prasad was involved in anotheruseful association of 68 with KST Sai but from 203/4, Andhra lost fourwickets for 28. The hosts suffered a major blow just before stumpswhen Prasad gave a return catch to Ananthapadmanabhan for 95 (209balls, 9 fours). Yohanan, yet to take a first class wicket prior tothis game, was the most successful bowler with 3/78.

Simon Katich has used Matthew Hayden, Damien Martyn and Justin Langer as role models during his record-breaking campaign to regain a Test spot. Finishing the season as a Pura Cup-winning captain, Katich also set a record for the most runs in the competition, with his 86 and 92 in the decider pushing his tally to 1506 at 94.12.During the final, which New South Wales sealed by 258 runs, Katich insisted the trophy was all that mattered, but after the game he spoke about the possibility of a return to the international scene. “My whole philosophy was to try to improve as a player and I have looked at guys who got back into the Test team later in their careers and have become better players,” Katich said in the Australian. “There are quite a few examples of that whether it’s Matty Hayden, Justin Langer or Damien Martyn.”The tour of the West Indies starts in May and Katich is a strong chance of joining the squad, although it will be hard initially to break into a settled top six. Steve Waugh told Fox Sports Katich “should be playing for Australia”.”He is too good to be playing just domestically,” Waugh said. “He is a class player and he gets runs in all situations, particularly when it’s tough. The last couple of years have been very successful, they [Australia] have dominated teams. But now with a bit of a changing of the guard, I think they will need Simon Katich in the side at some stage.”Allan Border, a former selector, said Katich had responded well to being dropped from Australia’s contract list last year. “He can do no more,” Border said. “David Hussey and Brad Hodge are playing in [the Pura Cup final]. They haven’t done themselves any harm, Hodge in particular. But Katich, it’s hard to go past that sort of stuff.”