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Australian allrounder James Hopes will not take any further part in the ongoing seven-match series against India due to a hamstring injury and is set to fly back home

Cricinfo staff01-Nov-2009Australian allrounder James Hopes
will not take any further part in the ongoing seven-match series in India due to a hamstring injury and is set to fly back home. Cricket Australia’s selection panel has confirmed that Clint McKay , the Victoria fast bowler, will join the squad as cover.Hopes’ injury is the latest setback to the team which is currently 2-1 down with four games remaining. Hopes bowled just two overs in the first ODI in Vadodara before leaving the field after pulling his right hamstring.”James has done everything he can with medical staff to try and make himself available for the remaining games of the tour of India,” Kevin Sims, the team physiotherapist, said. “However due to the compressed nature of this tour and his speed of recovery so far, we feel now we have insufficient time to have James fully fit to take part in the remaining games of this series.”Therefore a decision has been made that James will return to Australia where he will continue his rehabilitation from this hamstring injury.”McKay, 26, was impressive for Victoria during the Champions League Twenty20, which he finished as the tournament’s joint second-highest wicket-taker (with Moises Henriques) with ten wickets at an impressive economy rate of 6 per over. In the 2007-08 FR Cup, he collected a remarkable 13 wickets at 14.76 from only five games.”Clinton is a young promising bowler who performed well at inter-state level last season and has recent very good form for Victoria in the Champions League in India,” Andrew Hilditch, the chairman of selectors, said. “He will be very well suited to Indian conditions and we believe he is another young player who benefit from the experience of being in the Australian team set-up during this tour.”We also feel he has the ability to perform well at the international level. With Moises having played in the last ODI game and James Hopes going home, Moises will now remain with the squad in India for the duration of the series.”Hopes joins Australia’s strike bowler Brett Lee and wicketkeeper Tim Paine, who have already flown home after picking up injuries. Lee was unable to complete his quota of overs in Vadodara – he bowled six – after complaining of a sore right elbow.Paine broke his finger
during the second game in Nagpur and was replaced by Graham Manou. Before the series began, Australia had already lost Michael Clarke, Brad Haddin, Callum Ferguson and Nathan Bracken to injuries.

The Umpire Decision Review System proved less contentious at the Gabba than in Dunedin on Friday, but it nonetheless made for several head-scratching moments

Alex Brown at the Gabba27-Nov-2009The Umpire Decision Review System proved less contentious at the Gabba than in Dunedin on Friday, but it nonetheless made for several head-scratching moments. The first came when Mitchell Johnson challenged Ian Gould’s decision to rule him caught behind to a Sulieman Benn delivery he claimed not to have nicked.Because the edge of Johnson’s bat was turned away from Hot-Spot, no firm evidence was uncovered to dispute Gould’s original ruling. It was eventually upheld, even though Johnson seemed adamant he had not come into contact with the ball.”Originally I thought I wasn’t out and that’s why I went to the referral,” Johnson said. “It came back that I was out so I guess you just accept those decisions. I still think the system works pretty well.”The UDRS was in the spotlight again later in the day, this time for West Indies’ injudicious use of it. Chris Gayle and Shivnarine Chanderpaul both challenged lbw verdicts that never appeared likely to be overturned, opening themselves to accusations of ego influencing their decision-making.”We thought they were pretty much out but if that’s how they want to use it that’s their choice,” Johnson said. “There’s talk about how to use the referral and when to use it, but obviously they didn’t think they were out at the time and that’s what it’s there for.”Denesh Ramdin, West Indies’ not out batsman who will not have the luxury of a review for the remainder of the innings, admitted the tourists had yet to settle upon a UDRS strategy. “Generally if it’s an important batsman or a batter who is set we will try to use it,” Ramdin said.”Unfortunately it didn’t come off for us today. I’m still trying to get used to it. Some series we use it, some we don’t. It has it’s bad side and it has it’s good side.”

Pakistan are set to play two Twenty20 internationals against England in Dubai in February to warm up for the ICC World Twenty20 in the West Indies at the end of April

Cricinfo staff24-Dec-2009Pakistan are set to play two Twenty20 internationals against England in Dubai in February to warm up for the ICC World Twenty20 in the West Indies at the end of April.”We have reached an agreement to play two Twenty20 matches against England on February 19 and 20 as part of our preparations for the World Twenty20 next year,” Wasim Bari, the Pakistan Cricket Board’s chief operating officer, told .Pakistan wind up their tour of Australia on February 5 while England will head to Dubai a month after their tour of South Africa concludes. The World Twenty20 will be held between April 30 and May 16.Pakistan are the defending champions and Bari said the latest development was aimed at discovering more talent. “We see the two matches as an opportunity to try and develop some new players and give more and more players the opportunity to play at the top level,” Bari said.He added that the Pakistan A team will take on England A for a series of three one-dayers in the UAE later in the year.

The West Indies allrounder has said in order to ensure limited-overs success against Australia, they would need to stick to game plans and execute them clinically

Cricinfo staff02-Feb-2010Allrounder Darren Sammy has said West Indies will need to stick to game plans and execute them clinically in order to ensure limited-overs success against Australia. West Indies have returned to Australia for five ODIs and two Twenty20 internationals after losing a three-Test series in November-December last year. Although that margin of defeat was 2-0, West Indies fought hard and proved to be testing opponents.”The last time we were in Australia nobody expected us to play the way we did but, with that series, we gained a lot of confidence knowing we could definitely beat the Aussies,” Sammy told the . “In this shorter format of the game it is up to us to continue the good work we left off in Australia and implement it in the one-day series.”It’s an opportunity for everyone to step up and show what [they] are made of. It’s up to us as long as we execute properly whatever team plans and team goals we have. The cricketers need to go out there on the field and play to the best of their ability.”Sammy said most players in the squad were in form after putting in solid performances during the WICB regional first-class tournament.”I think most of the batsmen have been scoring runs, [Denesh] Ramdin has two hundreds Narsingh [Deonarine] one, [Brendan] Nash has some good scores and everybody should be happy with their game,” Sammy said. “But like we know, Australia are always tough to beat but we just have to go out there and believe and execute properly. I love that word, I think execution will be our most important word there in Australia.”West Indies will be hoping to overturn their last one-day series result against Australia, when they were beaten 5-0 at home in 2008.

As a sporting nation, the USA sets itself apart from the rest of the world with its insular focus on homegrown pursuits such as baseball and American football. When it does venture outside its own sporting bubble, it often finds itself caught up in politi

The Preview by Liam Brickhill10-Feb-2010As a sporting nation, the USA sets itself apart from the rest of the world with its insular focus on homegrown pursuits such as baseball and American football. When it does venture outside its own sporting bubble, America often finds itself caught up in politically charged events. From the so-called ‘Miracle on ice’ ice-hockey game between the US and the Soviet Union at the 1980 Winter Olympics, to the defiantly good-natured meeting between the American and Iranian football teams at the 1998 football World Cup, and the continued baseball rivalry with Cuba, American political relations have coloured those on the sports field.Afghanistan’s game against USA at the World Twenty20 Qualifiers on February 11 has taken on a similarly political complexion against the backdrop of America’s military engagements in that country. The match was also made all the more intriguing after Afghanistan won both of their opening games at the tournament to clear a path to the Super Fours. USA shocked Scotland, running to an unexpected six-wicket victory, in their first match but crashed to a 78-run defeat at the hands of Ireland in their second, and so, in an interesting twist, Afghanistan are now well placed to knock USA out of contention in the tournament.Although both teams have insisted they are approaching the match as they would any other game of cricket, it is hard to ignore the social context in which it is taking place. In the last few days, hundreds of villagers living in the Taliban-controlled town of Marjah in southern Afghanistan have been abandoning their homes ahead of what is expected to be one of the largest counter-insurgency operations since the Afghan conflict began in 2001, and the first major military action since US President Barack Obama announced the deployment of 30,000 extra US troops to the region.Almost 1,700 kilometres away, Afghanistan’s cricketers – already heroes and a source of hope in their homeland – are surging towards a fairytale entry to the World Twenty20. Though their passage to the Super Fours is all but assured, Nowroz Mangal, Afghanistan’s captain, has already warned against complacency and insisted his side respect every team they play against. His comments have been backed up by Hamid Hassan, the MCC-groomed fast bowler who has played a vital role in both of Afghanistan’s wins so far.”Every game is very important for us in this tournament, because everyone wants to see the Afghanistan team on television and in international cricket,” Hassan told Cricinfo. “The game against America is one that everyone is waiting for, because people expect us to beat them, but inshallah we will win all three of our games, and not just that one. Lots of people back home are praying for us all the time, so we are going to fight against these teams for a chance for World Cup qualification, and we have a good chance against them, so let’s see what happens.”With media attention on both teams increasing in the lead-up to their encounter, USA captain Steve Massiah was equally unwilling to assign undue relevance to the game, while he remained quietly confident of a positive result. “We have never played against Afghanistan, but we will treat the game like every other game, we’re not making any special provisions,” he insisted in an interview with Cricinfo. “There is nothing special in the way we are preparing to play them. It’s not that we’re not giving special attention to them, but the way we approach the game against them is the way we approach any other team. I think we stand a very good chance once we can play to our potential.”While Afghanistan have risen rapidly to become one of the best Associate nations, USA came to this event with plenty to prove. Having fallen down the rankings in recent years they only made it to the qualifiers as a wildcard entry, along with hosts United Arab Emirates. There has been a whiff of controversy over their participation in this tournament, and despite some progress in the organisational problems and chaotic infighting that have plagued their board in the last few years Massiah admitted that the team’s preparation for the tournament was far from ideal.”Well, it could have been better,” he said. “But you know we’ve got to work with whatever we have and we have to let bygones be bygones. That’s totally out of our control, we can’t do anything and I’m sure everyone would wish they could prepare well coming into a tournament. But that’s the way it is, and we’ve got to pick ourselves up and do whatever it may take to become competitive and hopefully at the end of the day we can be victorious.”Afghanistan supporters cheer their team on during the victory over Ireland•International Cricket Council

Don Lockerbie, the new chief executive of USACA and a calming influence after the disputes and controversies of recent years, gave an honest, yet hopeful appraisal of USA’s standing in world cricket. “We start every cricket match as underdogs,” he said. “Everybody wonders what does the USA know about cricket, but we take the game very, very seriously and want to be the best we can. But there’s no question that our players are still amateurs, weekend warriors if you will. They are working very, very hard to professionalise their skills, in a bid to fast-track themselves to being a professional side.”And so although the circumstances of these two teams are a world apart, their aspirations are ultimately the same and whether or not we give some special significance to this game, the very fact that it is happening at all can be seen as a chance for a humanising connection through sport. As Massiah explained: “I think it’s a good opportunity for us to forge a relationship and bridge the gap and show that through sports you can achieve unity and you can bring people together and hopefully that can help towards forging a healthy relationship.”I would hope they [the Afghanistan team and supporters] receive us very well, and I hope this can show that we can work out whatever differences there may be between us as people, but we as cricketers would not get involved in the politics really. We’re here to bridge the gap between us and hopefully have a healthy relationship with them.”
Hassan’s comments in his Cricinfo blog provide a telling echo of Massiah’s sentiments: “I think that it is a great thing that cricket can bring people together and that players from Afghanistan and the USA can play each other in an international match. It also shows what a global game cricket now is.”Commendably, Lockerbie also argued that his team understand the political and social value of what this game means to both countries. “We expect that tomorrow will be a great game of cricket and very high energy, but we intend to be gentlemen on the field,” he said. “This is not about what’s happening politically, but we can’t miss the fact that there’s bullets flying around in Afghanistan, and tomorrow it will be cricket balls.”

The Pakistan Cricket Board has come down heavily on the national players, acting on the findings of an inquiry committee that looked into the team’s disastrous tour of Australia

Osman Samiuddin10-Mar-2010The PCB has struck against its players with a venom unseen in recent memory, carrying out the deepest cull of a senior cricket team in many years and banning and fining seven of its top players after the side’s disastrous, winless tour of Australia. It has banned Younis Khan and Mohammad Yousuf, from playing for Pakistan in any format for an indefinite period, while handing out one-year bans to Shoaib Malik and Rana Naved-ul-Hasan. Shahid Afridi and the Akmal brothers were fined Rs2-3 million [$24,000-35,000] for various misdemeanours and put on six-month probations.Action had been expected once details of the inquiry committee’s report recommendations were leaked in the press on Monday and Ijaz Butt, the PCB chairman, had followed it up by saying “more than significant action” would be taken against players. While the punishments for Malik, Rana, Afridi and the Akmal brothers were expected, the action against Yousuf and Younis has caught most people off-guard.”Mohammad Yousuf and Younis Khan, keeping in view their infighting which resulted in bringing down the whole team, their attitude has a trickledown effect which is a bad influence for the whole team should not be part of national team in any format,” the board said in its statement issued on Wednesday.The PCB has stopped short of calling the punishment a life ban. “They will not be part of any Pakistan team in any format from here on,” Taffazul Rizvi, the board’s legal advisor told Cricinfo. “A life ban means they cannot play domestic cricket or any other similar cricket, but we are not stopping them from that. They can play domestic cricket or county cricket here and abroad.”Typically there was confusion and the board later appeared to climb down by clarifying that this was not the end of their careers. In a statement released at least six hours after the original release, the board said, “that the recommendation of the Committee is not a life ban on these cricketers. There is no specified term in the recommendation for these two players. As and when the PCB deems appropriate, these players will be considered for selection for the national team.”Rizvi refused to elaborate on the nature of the pair’s cases, but it is believed that the board had generally had enough with the two. Younis twice stepped down from the captaincy last year with player unrest against his leadership the underlying cause both times. Yousuf’s sins are equally unclear, other than that he led a winless tour to Australia and engaged thereafter in a public battle with Malik.The cases of indiscipline that have led to one-year bans on Malik and Rana, similarly, have not been expanded upon. “Rana Naved ul Hasan and Shoaib Malik be fined Rupees Two million. They should not be part of national team in any format for a period of one year.”Malik’s name has figured persistently at the centre of speculation over the last year in inciting player unrest within the team, though nothing substantial has appeared in public to back that up. “We cannot discuss the specifics of the incident as we are under oath,” Rizvi said. “But obviously we have taken action after much consideration and based on solid information.”In contrast, the cases of Akmal brothers and Shahid Afridi are straightforward. The brothers were fined for their behavior in the aftermath of the Sydney Test; Kamran was dropped by the board but insisted publicly he would be selected in the run-up to the third Test. Younger brother Umar was alleged to have feigned an injury to not play the Test in protest, though he did eventually play. Kamran has been fined Rs 3 million, Umar Rs 2 million and the pair are on probation.Afridi was punished for the ball-biting incident in the Perth ODI, where he was captain. He has already been punished by the ICC, who immediately gave him a two-match ban. “For the shameful act of Shahid Khan Afridi, which has brought the game and country into disrepute, he be fined Rupees 3 million,” the board said. “A warning be issued to him by the Chairman PCB and he be put on probation for 06 months, during which his conduct be strictly monitored.”The bans were handed down by an inquiry committee which comprised former players Wasim Bari, Zakir Khan and Yawar Saeed, besides Wazir Ali Khoja, a member of the PCB governing council, and Rizvi. The committee held hearings on February 12th, 13th and the 27th, and looked into reports from former coach Intikhab Alam, manager Abdul Raqeeb and newly appointed coach Waqar Younis, who was the bowling consultant during the Australia tour. Besides the players who were punished, the committee questioned Intikhab, Raqeeb, opener Salman Butt, assistant coach Aaqib Javed, the physio Faisal Hayat and the PCB’s cricket analyst Mohammad Talha.Attention will turn now to how the players will respond. Legal action or appeals will be a consideration though Rizvi insisted the board was on solid ground. “We are on good ground with this,” he said. “The PCB has done it thinking it is the right thing to do. It sets an example for the future.”As a whole, the action is almost unparalleled in even Pakistan’s troubled history. The 2000 Justice Qayyum report had similar repercussions but that was about the graver concerns of corruption. This cull has been carried out, ostensibly, in a bid to curb indiscipline and player power.

Mark Cosgrove has missed out on a contract with South Australia to end an eventful eight years with the state

Cricinfo staff13-Apr-2010Mark Cosgrove, who played for Australia in 2006, has missed out on a contract with South Australia to end an eventful eight years with the state. A gifted left-hander, Cosgrove has often struggled with the demands of first-class cricket, with his weight and fitness analysed as closely as his batting average.While still only 25, Cosgrove has been over-looked because Jamie Cox, the state’s director of cricket, said he had not fulfilled his potential. “Mark has made a valuable contribution to South Australian cricket over many years, and I certainly hope there are other opportunities out there for him,” Cox said. “We have worked hard with him during this time, but the unfortunate reality is that we were unable to help him fulfil his full potential.”The decision comes after Cosgrove scored 511 first-class runs in 2009-10, including two hundreds, and also averaged more than 40 in the one-day competition. He contributed as South Australia progressed to the Twenty20 domestic final, but will not be part of the squad for the lucrative Champions League later in the year. The good news for Cosgrove, who appeared in three ODIs in 2006, is he has interest from two other states.

Graham Manou has been sacked as South Australia’s captain and they will look to the batsman Michael Klinger to lead the revival

Cricinfo staff30-Apr-2010Graham Manou has been sacked as South Australia’s captain and they will look to the batsman Michael Klinger to lead the revival. In 2009-10 the Redbacks made the final of the Twenty20 competition, which qualified them for the Champions League, but finished last in the Sheffield Shield and FR Cup to signal an off-season of change.The wicketkeeper Manou’s two-summer reign is over following a mix of poor form, tactical mistakes and a nagging knee injury. The state’s overhaul has also involved cutting Mark Cosgrove and Dan Cullen from the squad, while they have signed the fringe Victorian pair of Aiden Blizzard and Rob Cassell.Klinger’s appointment is a surprise considering he was not part of the Twenty20 outfit last season and the Champions League will be the immediate priority. A cautious batsman, Klinger has been outstanding in the past two summers and has won back-to-back state player of the year awards. He scored 886 runs at 63.28 in 2009-10 to follow his 1203 first-class runs in 2008-09.Callum Ferguson, who has appeared in 25 ODIs, has been appointed vice-captain and is currently recovering from a knee reconstruction. “We have expressed the need for change within our culture,” Jamie Cox, South Australia’s director of cricket, said. “These two men are both enormously respected throughout the cricket community for the way they prepare and play the game and I know they will develop into a very strong leadership team.”

Somerset won their second successive Clydesdale Bank 40 match against Lancashire at Old Trafford by 42 runs thanks to an impressive display in the field today.

Cricinfo staff03-May-2010
ScorecardSomerset won their second successive Clydesdale Bank 40 match against Lancashire at Old Trafford by 42 runs thanks to an impressive display in the field today.Defending 236, Marcus Trescothick’s men were boosted by four wickets for 34 in seven overs from Alfonso Thomas. The experienced South African put the skids under the Lightning with two wickets in the 35th over of their chase – the first of the batting powerplay – to reduce them to 174 for 6.They were just two of five wickets lost by the hosts for 12 runs in 13 balls as they fell from 173 for 4 to 185 for 9. Ben Phillips also took three wickets as Lancashire subsided to 193 all out in the 38th.Arul Suppiah’s one-day career best 80 had earlier boosted Somerset’s 235 all out but Sajid Mahmood, Daren Powell and Tom Smith all claimed a wicket apiece to keep the visitors in check within the first 20 overs.Suppiah hit six fours in 91 balls but was the fifth wicket to fall when caught at deep midwicket by Kyle Hogg off Powell in the 31st over. The Lightning looked to have things under control when Jos Buttler was stumped
off a Smith wide by Luke Sutton to leave the score at 168 for 6 after 32
overs.But explosive England Lions allrounder Peter Trego, who hit 38 off 31 balls, smeared four boundaries off Hogg in the 35th over – the first of the batting powerplay – to bring the visitors back into contention. Powell, having earlier bowled Nick Compton around his legs, then forced Trego
to chip to cover before he took his fourth wicket when he bowled Thomas.Somerset lost their last four wickets for 20 runs in 13 balls as Hogg trapped Max Waller lbw and stand-in captain Mark Chilton ran out Charl Willoughby. Powell finished with 4 for 49 off eight.Smith was trapped lbw by Phillips for a duck in the second over of the home side’s chase. Moore (51) and Horton (59) then shared a second wicket stand of 78 in 18 overs before the former holed out to mid on off the left-arm spin of Suppiah to leave the score at 86 for two in the 20th over.And when Ashwell Prince (23) spooned Thomas to Trescothick at midwicket in the 27th they were on the back foot at 130 for 3. Lancashire won Monday’s Group A fixture against Glamorgan when they needed 87 off the last ten overs with seven wickets in hand but repeating the feat looked a tall order when they took the batting powerplay.Horton found Phillips at deep square leg to get legspinner Waller’s name in
the wickets column just before the powerplay was taken, and then Thomas got rid of Chilton and Hogg, both caught inside the 30-yard circle, while Phillips forced Croft to hole out too. Lancashire were 177 for seven in the 36th.Stephen Parry was run out before Thomas and Phillips added their fourth and third wickets respectively. Both sides return to Old Trafford tomorrow for their County Championship match.

Malachi Jones, the Bermuda allrounder, has been removed from the national squad after breaching the protocol that prohibited national players from playing for their domestic club on Sunday, 30 May, a scheduled rest day

Cricinfo staff31-May-2010Malachi Jones, the Bermuda allrounder, has been removed from the national squad after breaching the protocol that prohibited national players from playing for their domestic club on Sunday, 30 May, a scheduled rest day. Bermuda is hosting the WCL Americas Region Division One tournament and will complete the competition with 13 players.David Moore, Bermuda’s coach, said: “I am extremely disappointed and surprised that one player would not only let the team down but Bermuda as well. The purpose of the rest day is recover and regenerate from injuries to be able to continue in the tournament at optimum level.”I would like to personally thank all clubs for supporting the national team and following Board directive. International cricket is very important for the future of Bermuda cricket and we can not improve without the partnership and co-operation of all involved.”The Bermuda Cricket Board president Reginald Pearman added: “On behalf of the Board we are extremely disappointed to note this development and we agree and support the coach and team management’s decision that the appropriate action has been taken.”