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England’s rotation policy has had a mixed reception but Andy Flower insists the changes have proactively brought a dead rubber alive again

David Hopps21-Jun-2012If the views on the White Rose Forum are any guide, forgiveness will not come easily at Headingley for England’s rotation policy when they face the West Indies in the final one-day international. The debate on Yorkshire’s official forum touched well-worn themes. Younger Person: “I’ll forgive anything if we’re winning”. Older person: “We used to win in my day and we kept fit by bowling.”From England’s point of view, at least the players who are attracting most of the flak are, by the nature of the debate, the ones who will be absent and so unable to hear the protests. Stuart Broad, in some eyes, has sinned not only by being rested, but also by going onto Twitter and saying that he understood the decision because he wanted a long career. That could be regarded as loyalty, but the most trenchant view being aired in Yorkshire is that Them That Are Resting should keep their mouths shut.Some people will be grateful just to see a game of any sorts. It hosed down again in Leeds on Thursday. Yorkshire’s Australian coach Jason Gillespie has barely seen the sunshine since he arrived. “Got caught in the rain near home! What is with this weather,” he tweeted as Headingley’s groundstaff prepared for a troubled night.Yorkshire, who are under financial strain, kept alive because of the largesse of their chairman Colin Graves, will have been relieved that barely 1,000 tickets remained when England opted for experimentation. England are hardly making wholesale changes, but umbrage will have been taken for all that.Graves, who is not the sort to leave stones unturned, has contacted Geoff Miller, England’s chief selector, to discuss the policy. “I can understand their decision from a cricketing point of view,” he said. “I am not having a go at them or criticising but from the host county’s point of view it’s a disappointment.”Resting Tim Bresnan, alongside the Nottinghamshire pair of Graeme Swann and Stuart Broad, could also see England face West Indies without a Yorkshire player in the side; it is hard to see how Jonny Bairstow can break into the XI when Ravi Bopara and Samit Patel seem to be essential picks to share the fifth bowler’s duties.Bresnan has played only twice for Yorkshire at Headingley in each of the last two seasons. More than any other player, he epitomises Yorkshire’s pride in their ability to produce decent cricketers, but supporters long resigned to the fact that they cannot see him at county level now find they cannot see him for England either.England’s director of cricket, Andy Flower, has argued that the limited changes do not emphasise that this match is a dead rubber, rather than proactively bring it alive again, not only by resting bowlers faced by a punishing schedule, so ensuring maximum benefit, but by discovering more about those on the fringes of the side, grasping an opportunity to road-test the squad and plan for the future.Steve Finn was the latest England player to be delivered up to the media to offer support for resting players in the sort of sensitive, understated fashion that will ensure no demonstrations outside the Hutton Gates before the game, apart, that is, from those who cannot get into the car parks.Ian Bell fulfilled the same role 24 hours earlier. England’s new-ball attack when it comes to defending the rotation policy has comprised the two players who can be most relied upon to say nothing controversial at all so draining the debate of interest.Finn, a regular in the one-day side these days, sought this positive slant, suggesting that he would benefit from having more responsibility thrust upon him. “I’ve opened the bowling for a little while in the one-day team. I’m enjoying the responsibility. Having those senior players missing gives me an opportunity to be an even more senior player within the group. It’s an exciting experience – any experience I get of being a senior player is great.”It puts that added bit of responsibility upon me. Pressure comes with that but pressure is something I enjoy. I feel like I’m getting better at dealing with that and other pressures on the pitch and as you get more experienced at international cricket and are exposed to more experiences you become better.”There is also the little matter of a five-match one-day series against Australia, a series in which England, who have won their last six ODIs, can test themselves against the side ranked No. 1 in the world in one-day cricket. “That series is going to be a great gauge of where we are moving forward,” said Finn, his hurried coda that right now he was only concentrating on the series against West Indies not entirely convincing.Ottis Gibson, West Indies’ coach, was a former England bowling coach and he shares Flower’s philosophy. “Not really,” he replied when asked if he was insulted.”The English system has been a well-oiled machine for some time now,” he said. “It’s the envy of the world, let’s be honest. They are the top team in the world and they have the luxury of being able to rest players and it’s a credit to them and all the people that work behind the scenes.”They are the No. 1 team in Test cricket, they have an abundance of talent and good players and they can rest a few players and bring a few in and for them it’s all good. For us it’s just trying game after game to get the right balance and try and win a game. We lost 2-0 in the Test series and we certainly don’t want to lose 3-0 in the one-day series.”The tour has not gone too well, but we’re playing cricket in England against a very good English side. Yes, on paper we’ve got the makings of a great one-day side but England have just been that little step ahead of us all the time. We’ve just been a little off the pace.”

Matthew Mott, Glamorgan’s head of elite performance, is one of three men shortlisted to become the new head coach of New Zealand

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Jul-2012Matthew Mott, Glamorgan’s head of elite performance, is one of three men shortlisted to become the new head coach of New Zealand.New Zealand and Delhi assistant coach Trent Woodhill and Mike Hesson, the New Zealander who resigned as Kenya’s head coach in May, are understood to be the other candidates on the shortlist for the role to replace John Wright, who decided against signing a new contract in April after a disagreement with New Zealand director of cricket, John Buchanan. Wright will leave his role at the end of New Zealand’s tour of the Caribbean.Paddy Upton, the former India and current South Africa mental conditioning coach, was also on the shortlist but has pulled out. The remaining candidates will be interviewed for a third time this week, with a new head coach set to be confirmed by July 25 – giving him a month to prepare New Zealand for their tour of India.”We are keen to retain Matthew’s services,” Glamorgan chief executive Alan Hamer said. “However, like all good coaches, he has aspirations to work at the highest level and we have therefore given him our blessing to apply for the role.”Mott, 38, arrived at Glamorgan for the 2011 season having spent four years as head coach of New South Wales. He also spent two years working under Buchanan at Kolkata in the IPL.Were Mott to move on it would leave Glamorgan faced with changing their coaching staff for the third time in two years. Following the 2010 season, they decided to appoint Colin Metson as managing director of cricket, prompting former head coach Matthew Maynard to resign and Mott to arrive in his place.At the end of last season another coaching review led to Metson becoming community and cricket development manager, with Mott resuming sole responsibility for Glamorgan’s first XI as their new head of elite development.So far, none of the changes have brought success on the field. In 2011 Glamorgan finished sixth in Division Two of the County Championship and failed to make an impression on either one-day competition. This season, it took them over two months – 13 matches – to record their first win in any competition.

Wayne Parnell, the South Africa seamer, is unlikely to be sanctioned by his board over allegations that he took recreational drugs

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Jul-2012Wayne Parnell, the South Africa seamer, is unlikely to be sanctioned by his board over allegations that he took recreational drugs, CSA acting chief executive Jacques Faul has said. Parnell had failed a drugs test after being detained by Mumbai police following a raid on a party in May.Faul questioned the handling of the matter by the Indian police. “To take action against Wayne will be next to impossible at the moment because the whole process over there has been shambolic,” he told . “The police are talking to some sections of the media but not to the cricket boards. The whole testing procedure was not done according to the standards that normally apply in sport and Wayne would be able to contest any action we take with absolute ease.”Parnell has insisted he is innocent, claiming he “was at the wrong place at the wrong time”. Rahul Sharma, the India legspinner and Parnell’s Pune Warriors team-mate in the IPL, had also tested positive, but denied taking any drugs.The Indian board has contacted the police for details of the specific test reports, and the Indian police have yet to lay any charges on the two cricketers.

Less than 24 hours after seeing their No. 1 Test ranking slip away England will name their squads for the World Twenty20 and one-day series against South Africa

Andrew McGlashan20-Aug-2012Less than 24 hours after seeing their No. 1 Test ranking slip away England will name their squads for the World Twenty20 and the one-day series against South Africa. Kevin Pietersen, the focus of so much attention over the last few weeks, is not expected to be among the names chosen.There remains a huge amount of work to do between Pietersen and the ECB to create a path for his return to international cricket after his omission from the final Test against South Africa. There remains uncertainty over when the two sides will meet and while Pietersen’s relationship with Andrew Strauss has the been the focus of the attention, the teams in the next few weeks will be led by England’s other captains, Alastair Cook and Stuart Broad.When the selectors sat down to pick the World Twenty20 squad two weeks ago Pietersen was officially retired from limited-overs international cricket, only to announce, via YouTube, that he was now available for all formats the day before he was dropped from the Test side.England had started the process of moving on from Pietersen with Ian Bell slotting in at the top of the 50-over side and Alex Hales making 99 against West Indies at Trent Bridge in the T20I. The Twenty20 side would clearly be stronger with Pietersen included – his Man-of-the-Tournament display in the Caribbean was stunning – but the selectors would have been loath to ditch Hales.England’s batting, though, faces a mighty challenge in Sri Lanka in conditions that will test their techniques against spin, which remains the weaker suit. The rest of the batting order will have to be at the peak of their powers to compensate for the loss of Pietersen. Eoin Morgan becomes a key figure, a player with a similar X-factor quality to Pietersen who can turn a game in an instant.The other issue the selectors have to decide on is Ravi Bopara, who has just returned to action following his personal problems, having earlier in the season cemented his one-day place with a strong series against Australia. He has a month to get back into cricket before the tournament – there may be consideration to leaving him out of the one-day series against South Africa – but England do not want to be left with any last-minute dramas to solve if his issues reoccur. The ECB is likely to have checked with the ICC if they would be allowed a replacement.Jonny Bairstow and Jos Buttler are likely to make up the middle-order batting options while there could be a vacancy for a player able to fill a variety of roles if injury or illness occurred. As a batsman Bell fills the remit, but someone like Luke Wright would give full all-round options and the experience of having been part of the 2010 success. In that regard, do not discount Michael Lumb from discussions after his move to Nottinghamshire sparked his career, which had slumped following his brief England spell.The bowling attack poses fewer issues with most names nailed on although James Anderson faces a nervous wait having not been regular in Twenty20 cricket. Chris Woakes, the Warwickshire allrounder, has pushed his claims recently while Surrey’s Stuart Meaker could be an outside chance. Back-up, or support, for Graeme Swann will be required even though Samit Patel will be the second spinner. In a tournament environment experience is important so that could earn James Tredwell the nod ahead of Danny Briggs.Possible World Twenty20 squad Alex Hales, Craig Kieswetter, Ravi Bopara, Eoin Morgan, Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler, Samit Patel, Luke Wright, Tim Bresnan, Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann, James Anderson, Steven Finn, James Tredwell, Jade DernbachPossible ODI squad Alastair Cook, Ian Bell, Jonathan Trott, Eoin Morgan, Jonny Bairstow, Craig Kieswetter, Samit Patel, Tim Bresnan, Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann, Steven Finn, James Anderson, Jade Dernbach

Warwickshire secured their first County Championship title since 2004, taking less than half the third day at New Road to take the remaining eight wickets in Worcestershire’s second innings

George Dobell at New Road06-Sep-2012
ScorecardChris Wright dismissed Alan Richardson to complete victory over Worcestershire and secure Warwickshire the title•Getty Images

It was perhaps fitting that Chris Wright should take the wicket that secured the 2012 County Championship title for Warwickshire. Wright, offered a lifeline in professional sport by Warwickshire just over a year ago after he was released by Essex, has bowled with pace, persistence and skill this season and provides an excellent example of what can be achieved in a supportive, positive environment.But perhaps it was the influence of absent friends that was most telling at New Road. The spirit of Bob Woolmer, who died in 2007, and Neal Abberley, who died in August 2011, lives on in a side and a coaching team that are built in their image and steeped in the character of the club both men served as coaches with such distinction.Woolmer was at the helm as coach for the majority of the most successful period in Warwickshire’s history, between 1993 and 1994 (he was replaced by Phil Neale early in 1995) while Abberley, in whose memory a game will be staged at Knowle and Dorridge Cricket Club on Sunday, served Warwickshire, first as a player and then as a coach, from the early 1960s until his death. Hardly a player at the club has not felt the influence of one or both. Ian Bell and Ashley Giles, in particular, credit Abberley’s advice as a batting coach as the defining influence on their careers.It is hard to define exactly what that influence is. It is more than technical skill – though that is one aspect of it – and it is more than commitment – many players at many clubs are committed to their team. It is a combination of those things and of unity of purpose, too. It comprises values of sportsmanship, honour, belief in the self and the team and, most of all, a never-say-die attitude. Some of those values may seem anachronistic in the modern world, but they retain currency in county cricket.Every member of the Warwickshire coaching staff – director of cricket, Giles; bowling coach, Graeme Welch; assistant coach and academy director, Dougie Brown and batting coach and, odd though it sounds, groundstaff member, Tony Frost – were on the books in those glorious years of the mid-90s, the period when Woolmer and Abberley, in their very different ways, combined to catapult a club that had enjoyed only moderate success to one that used to delight in calling itself ‘the Manchester United of cricket’. Among the young players starting on the club’s development path were the current captain, Jim Troughton, and Bell. Chris Woakes recalls Warwickshire winning a Lord’s final as one of his earliest childhood memories.So it was no surprise when Troughton, moments after the trophy was won, said: “I want to officially dedicate this Championship to Neal Abberley. A lot of what has been achieved in the last five years is down to his influence and it needs to be recognised.”They were sentiments echoed by Giles. “Abbers was the heart and soul of the club,” he said. “He was someone who gave their life to the club. He was here for 50 years and died while still in service. I certainly wouldn’t be here without him. He was the coach who taught me a hell of a lot about myself and my game and also as a mentor when I took over the job as coach.”This was the seventh occasion on which Warwickshire have won the Championship – four of them in the last 20 years – and, with the CB40 final against Hampshire still to come, they may yet win the double.But counties are not judged purely on winning trophies. They must also be judged on their record of producing players for England. So, with three men – two of whom (Bell and Woakes) graduated through every step of the club’s youth development scheme – currently absent on England duty, Warwickshire must be judged high achievers by whichever unit of measurement you apply.Four other members of the side that played in this match against Worcestershire – Troughton, Ian Westwood, Richard Johnson and Tom Milnes – have also come through Warwickshire’s academy. So, tellingly, did the one man who offered meaningful resistance for Worcestershire on the last day of this game: Moeen Ali. His unbeaten 72, studded with elegant strokes and well-judged leaves, delayed Warwickshire until just after lunch but never, for a moment, did it seem they could be denied a result that also leaves their Midlands neighbours as good as relegated.Other members of the team are the results of wise recruitment but any suggestion that Warwickshire ‘bought’ this title would be erroneous. The likes of Keith Barker, Chris Wright, Varun Chopra and Boyd Rankin were unproven in county cricket when Warwickshire acquired them, while Rikki Clarke came with considerable baggage. Success can be achieved as a result of either good development, recruitment or coaching: Warwickshire have excelled in all three departments. The successes of Chopra and Wright should be the source of considerable reflection at Essex, too, who allowed special talents to go to waste.Ashley Giles paid tribute to former Warwickshire player and coach Neal Abberley after seeing his side secure the Championship trophy for the first time in eight years•Getty Images

It is worth reflecting on the club that Giles inherited at the end of 2007. Warwickshire had been relegated in both leagues – first-class and 40-over – players were heading for the exit – Mark Wagh and Moeen Ali had both departed for other counties; Dougie Brown and Nick Knight had retired – and morale was low. It was, arguably, the lowest point in Warwickshire’s history. The ground, decaying and outdated, represented the club all too accurately. It was a wretched environment.But rock bottom can provide a strong foundation. Giles, bringing the same attributes to coaching that he brought to his career as a player, patiently rebuilt, recruited and nurtured a team that have gradually improved. They achieved promotion in 2008, escaped relegation in 2010 by the skin of their teeth but won the CB40, narrowly missed out on the title in 2011 and, but for a one-wicket loss against Somerset this season, have looked every inch the best team in the land. No-one can say they do not deserve this success.The efforts of other non-playing members of staff has been vital, too. It was Welch who suggested bringing Wright to the club and Welch who coaxed the best out of Wright, Barker, Clarke and Rankin. Until Welch’s influence, none of them had come close to fulfilling their potential as bowlers.The contribution of Colin Povey is worth noting, too. Povey, the chief executive since Dennis Amiss’ retirement at the end of 2005, inherited a decaying ground, a staff that had grown complacent and cosy, and a team on the decline. He promised a redeveloped ground and a team that consistently challenged for trophies and he has delivered on both counts. Criticism of administrators in sport is often facile and Povey, with his abrasive style and demanding methods, will never be to everyone’s tastes. But Warwickshire owe him plenty.Depth is the key word for Warwickshire. Just as, due to international call-ups and injury, they have been obliged to utilise 19 players without unduly diluting the strength of their team, so they have proved almost impossible to kill-off in games. Often it would be the efforts of men coming in as low as seven, eight and nine who would revitalise a game with match-changing innings. This is a squad bursting with allrounders. Tellingly, Jeetan Patel, who appeared a modest overseas player at the start of the year, produced an unbeaten 43 from No. 10 to win Warwickshire a game against Somerset in April that appeared to have been lost.It was telling too, that despite losing the bowling of Woakes, Rankin and Clarke to injury for much for the season – the men who bowled them to within touching distance of success last year – they found new wicket-takers: Barker and Wright, unheralded in April, claimed 112 wickets between them at a cost of just above 20 apiece. The catching of Tim Ambrose, back to his best with bat and gloves, and Clarke, surely the best slip catcher in England, supported them superbly.This may well be just the start of their success, too. Such is the depth of this squad, the age range of the team and the strength of the recruitment, coaching and development system, that it would be no surprise if Warwickshire repeated this triumph next year. The talk at Edgbaston is of legacy.

George Bailey believes Australia’s spin bowlers must find a way to be more effective on the subcontinent if the team is to have any chance of winning the next World Twenty20, to be held in Bangladesh in 2014

Brydon Coverdale08-Oct-2012George Bailey believes Australia’s spin bowlers must find a way to be more effective on the subcontinent if the team is to have any chance of winning the next World Twenty20, to be held in Bangladesh in 2014. After returning home Monday Bailey also defended the form of the middle-order batsmen, who besides his own 63 in the semi-final loss to West Indies had little impact in the tournament as the top three carried the bulk of the workload.Three days after Australia’s tournament ended their exit might not have looked so bad, coming as it did against the eventual champions. However, one notable feature of the final was that both sides had outstanding finger-spinners with a mystery element: Sri Lanka’s Ajantha Mendis was the tournament’s leading wicket taker with 15 at 9.80 and the West Indian Sunil Narine was equal fourth with nine victims, including five in the semi-final and the decider.Another bowler of similar ilk, Pakistan’s Saeed Ajmal, was also equal fourth on the wicket tally and all three were miserly as well. In contrast, Xavier Doherty leaked 8.63 runs an over – his 1 for 48 from three overs in the semi-final seriously dented Australia’s hopes – while Brad Hogg managed only two wickets in his six games and the allrounder Glenn Maxwell was equally ineffective. Bailey knows it will be almost impossible to win in Bangladesh in 2014 with a similar slow-bowling output.”One of the things we need to look at is the way we bowl our spin,” Bailey said. “I don’t know any other way to describe it than as a Western-type way of bowling, which tends to be to try and draw the batsman out of the crease, whereas all the teams who have had success at the World Cup, their spinners are bowling into the wicket, quite fast, hitting the stumps every ball, making it very hard.”We need to find a way to develop spinners like that, and the tough thing is maybe bowling like that doesn’t really suit conditions in Australia. But I think if you look at all the stats from the tournament that was probably one of the areas that if we’re serious about winning the tournament we’re going to have to find a way to improve come Bangladesh.”During the World Twenty20, Muttiah Muralitharan said he believed one of the reasons Australia would not produce such a spinner was that unorthodox bowlers would be encouraged at junior levels to change their style. Bailey said it was important that young spinners with potential were identified regardless of whether they fit the Australian idea of what makes a good slow bowler.”As a nation we still talk about whether guys have legitimate actions or not and at the end of the day that’s really not for us to be arguing about,” Bailey said. “If that’s the rules and that’s how bowlers are bowling now and having success in international cricket then we’ve got to start developing those players and developing them at 10-11 years of age and we start to have some bowlers who do bowl like Murali or Ajmal or Narine.”You’re hoping that a few of our spinners are watching the tournament [World T20] and seeing the type of spinners that are having success. I think the way our coaching system is set up it’s going to be tough for some spinners to get through because the way a lot of the spinners who have had success bowl in the subcontinent, you’re probably not going to be playing much cricket in Australia if you bowl like that. There’s a balancing act there.”A lack of impact from the spinners cost Australia but there were also concerns about the imbalance in the batting order, with most of the runs coming from the openers Shane Watson and David Warner, and the No.3 Michael Hussey. Although opportunities were limited because of the success of the top three, there were still times when Australia needed runs from the middle order, notably in the semi-final.Chasing 206, Australia were 29 for 3 and it was the perfect time for the rest of the batsmen to step up and back the work of Watson, Warner and Hussey from earlier in the tournament. Batting at No.5, Bailey blasted 63 from 29 balls but had no real support – Cameron White was caught down leg side for 5, David Hussey chipped a return catch for a duck and Matthew Wade top-edged a sweep.”It’s a tough one. If you’re talking about winning the tournament, I think if you’re winning a World Cup you’re not talking about how well your four, five and six batted,” Bailey said. “Your one, two and three need to get you the runs. Four, five and six come in and either get you to a reasonable total or save your bacon. But if you’re winning the games it’s your top three you need to rely on.”I think whenever we’re progressing through to the back end of one of these tournaments we’re not going to be seeing much of the middle order. The challenge of the format is when you do get a chance you’ve got to be prepared to step up and make it your day.”Australia’s exit before the final was a disappointing way for Bailey to end his first tournament in charge, but he said the memories wouldn’t be all bad.”To knock out South Africa and India as we did was really pleasing,” he said. “I thought we played some really good cricket there. It’s just a matter of when you do get to the knockout stages you’ve got to be able to play your best cricket.”

Left-arm spinner Zulfiqar Babar and fast bowler Junaid Khan took 13 wickets between them to propel Water and Power Development Authority to an innings-and-nine-run victory over National Bank of Pakistan

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Nov-2012
ScorecardLeft-arm spinner Zulfiqar Babar and fast bowler Junaid Khan took 13 wickets between them to propel Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) to an innings-and-nine-run victory over National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) in Faisalabad. Zulfiqar backed his bowling performance with a responsible innings of 78 to guide his side to a first-innings lead of 122 runs, which was enough for the comprehensive win.NBP, after being put in to bat, struggled to put together partnerships, with a 39-run fourth-wicket stand being the highest. Pakistan wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal top scored with 37, as Zulfiqar, Junaid and another left-arm seamer Sarfraz Ahmed bowled NBP out for 164. Akmal’s knock was his highest in ten matches across all formats.WAPDA’s reply was strong, thanks to a productive last-wicket partnership of 75 runs featuring Zulfiqar, who scored 78. Middle-order batsman Ali Azmat was the other batsman to score a half-century. Fast bowler Imran Khan took four wickets.Pakistan limited-overs opener Nasir Jamshed, who scored 56, was the only one to provide some resistance to WAPDA’s bowling in NBP’s second innings. Eight other batsmen scored in single digits, with two others making 19 and 10, as Zulfiqar, Junaid and seamer Azhar Attari took nine of their wickets to help complete an innings victory.

Nathan Lyon enjoyed bowling on the Gabba pitch against New Zealand last year and he should again find some turn and bounce, according to the curator Kevin Mitchell Jr

Brydon Coverdale in Brisbane07-Nov-2012Nathan Lyon enjoyed bowling on the Gabba pitch against New Zealand last year and he should again find some turn and bounce, according to the curator Kevin Mitchell Jr. Australia have not yet decided on the make-up of their attack for the first Test against South Africa, which begins in Brisbane on Friday, but over the past few days all the murmurs from the camp have been that a four-man pace attack is unlikely.The stereotype of the Gabba being a green-top has not held true in Test cricket for many years, although there is always some assistance for the fast men on the first morning. Mitchell said there was unlikely to be as much seam movement as there was for last year’s Test – the preparation 12 months ago was interrupted by too much rain – and there would be plenty of runs available for the batsmen.”It’ll probably be similar to last year’s wicket, maybe not as much sideways movement,” Mitchell said. “We had a little bit of interrupted weather last year leading-up [to the match]. We’re hoping it’s going to be fast, good bounce and carry, and then wears on as the game goes on.”There’s always going to be that nip around for the first couple of hours and then it tends to flatten out and the moisture goes out of it. Then it’s a pretty good batting wicket, but a new-ball deck. Given a nice day you’d tend to want to have a bat [first]. But sometimes we get humid weather in Brisbane and as you know the ball swings around a bit.”The strong pace attacks of both teams will enjoy some pace and bounce but as the match goes on, Lyon and his South Africa counterpart, Imran Tahir, will be expected to play more of a role. Shane Warne always said the Gabba was one of his favourite venues at which to bowl – he took more wickets there than at any other venue – and Mitchell expects there will again be something for the spinners.”If the weather dries it out there certainly will be,” he said. “We’ll probably get a bit of deterioration with some cracking and then the footmarks will dust up for the spinners.”That is good news for Lyon, who took seven wickets against New Zealand last year in what was not only his first Gabba Test, but also the first time he had so much as visited the ground. Since then, he has been back for one Sheffield Shield match and he is looking forward to the chance of sending down some more overs over the next week.”It was great to bowl out here,” Lyon said. “I really enjoyed it. Hopefully I get my chance on Friday morning and we’ll see where we get to. I love it because you get great bounce and if it’s a bit tacky early in the game, it spins a bit. Then later on it spins even more. I’m just really looking forward to the opportunity of getting out there on Friday.”On Wednesday, Lyon was bowling in the nets under the watchful eye of John Davison, the spin mentor at the Centre of Excellence, and one of a select group of coaches to whom Lyon now turns. A left-field addition to that group is Steve Rixon, officially Australia’s fielding coach, who has also been assigned a role with Lyon to allow the bowling coach Ali de Winter to focus on the fast men.”Stumper [Rixon] is just going to be around at training as someone I can talk to, more so that Ali de Winter can just concentrate on his quicks and they can work together,” Lyon said. “I’m pretty excited, Stumper has kept to some great spinners in his career and has worked with some. I’m really excited and it’s going to be a great thing.”

Brad Young has become the latest veteran spinner to join the Big Bash League after signing with the Adelaide Strikers

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Dec-2012Brad Young has become the latest veteran spinner to join the Big Bash League after signing with the Adelaide Strikers. Young, 39, has been confirmed as the team’s replacement for his fellow left-arm orthodox bowler Jon Holland, who will miss the entire BBL season while recovering from shoulder surgery.Young played six one-day internationals for Australia in 1998 and 1999, and he also took a hat-trick against New Zealand in the semi-final at the 1998 Commonwealth Games, in a match that was not considered an official ODI. He has not played at the elite level since his last appearance for South Australia in 2003 but he impressed the Strikers coach Darren Berry, who trialled Young and Mark Higgs during practice matches last month.”Brad Young is a great story coming off the surf beach at Grange,” Berry told the of Young, who has been playing cricket in the Adelaide Turf Cricket Association rather than grade cricket. “It was a tough call [between Young and Higgs], but we just felt Brad was better suited to what we are looking for. He will be a handy addition.”Young will be available for the Strikers’ next game, against Brisbane Heat on Thursday. He joins fellow veteran spinners Shane Warne and Brad Hogg in this year’s BBL – Stuart MacGill was also part of the tournament last summer – and Young believes his age and experience will hold him in good stead for a return to elite cricket.”I played when Australia were the No. 1 side in the world, I look back with fond memories and hopefully there are a few more over the next few weeks,” Young said. “I have a wiser head on my shoulders. I do feel ready, shed a few kilos, the ball is coming out well and I am just trying to get up to speed on the fielding and batting.”

ESPNcricinfo’s preview of the fourth ODI between Australia and Sri Lanka in Sydney

The Preview by Brydon Coverdale19-Jan-2013

Match facts

Michael Clarke will be aiming to lead from the front after Friday’s debacle•Getty Images

January 20, SCG
Start time 1420 (0320 GMT)

Big Picture

Just as the Test series between these two teams was decided with one match still to play, the one-day battle could be done and dusted before the teams fly to Hobart for the fifth and final game. Through outstanding swing bowling over the past two matches in Adelaide and Brisbane, Sri Lanka have positioned themselves so that in Sydney on Sunday they can become the first team ever to secure bilateral one-day series triumphs against Australia in Australia. South Africa have done it once, in 2008-09. So have Pakistan, in the winter of 2002. Sri Lanka did it with a 2-1 success in early 2010-11. But no team has done it twice – yet.Sri Lanka were disappointing in the Tests, no question, but a one-day series win would at least allow them to fly home with some pride restored. At the very least they have shown that their pace attack, pilloried during the Tests, is a much more dangerous proposition in the one-day format. The presence of Lasith Malinga helps, of course, but in Brisbane on Friday it was Nuwan Kulasekara, who was here for the Test series, who destroyed Australia with the kind of prodigious swing most bowlers could only achieve with a half-taped tennis ball. It was brilliant stuff, and Australia’s batsmen will need to show more of a willingness to fight through such swing if it is again present in Sydney, although the conditions are unlikely to be as helpfully humid as in Brisbane.For Australia, this match is as much about regaining pride as it is about keeping the series alive. If their 170 in Adelaide looked bad, their 74 all out at the Gabba was as embarrassing as it gets in one-day cricket. Only the final batting pair, Mitchell Starc and Xavier Doherty, reached double figures. It was only due to their 34-run stand that Australia avoided their all-time lowest ODI total. The match was nearly over by 5pm, the time that should have been the change of innings. Those numbers cannot be avoided. Nor can they be repeated.

Form guide

(Most recent first)
Australia LLWWL
Sri Lanka WWLWW

In the spotlight

For most of Australia’s brief innings on Friday, it looked like Michael Clarke was going to be the top scorer with 9. He was one of several men beaten by hooping inswing and as the captain, it is up to him to ensure Australia find a way to combat Sri Lanka’s bowlers on Sunday. Such has been his consistency lately that not since the opening two Tests of the 2010-11 Ashes has Clarke made two consecutive single-figure scores for Australia. Now is not the time to change that.Nuwan Kulasekara‘s 5 for 22 was the best analysis ever achieved by a Sri Lankan in an ODI in Australia and it was a performance built on controlling and directing his inswing, and in many cases swinging it late. The conditions in Sydney won’t be quite as helpful, but after Friday’s performance Australia’s batsmen will be wary of him all the same.

Team news

Jackson Bird has been added to Australia’s squad for this match as cover, just as Ben Cutting was for the Brisbane game. But it’s not Australia’s bowling that has been the problem, and Bird may find himself running the drinks if all the other fast men are fit. Glenn Maxwell will come into contention again after being left out due to the conditions at the Gabba, and might be jostling with Moises Henriques for the No.7 position.Australia (possible) 1 Phillip Hughes, 2 David Warner, 3 Michael Clarke (capt), 4 George Bailey, 5 David Hussey, 6 Matthew Wade (wk), 7 Moises Henriques / Glenn Maxwell, 8 Mitchell Johnson, 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Clint McKay, 11 Xavier Doherty.Ajantha Mendis should be reinstated at the SCG after Sri Lanka’s selectors shrewdly judged the Gabba as a venue much friendlier to swing and seam. Shaminda Eranga would be the most likely man to miss out, having replaced Mendis for the Brisbane game. The fitness of Dinesh Chandimal remains a query but with Kushal Perera performing impressively over the past two games, there is no need for Sri Lanka to rush Chandimal back if he is not quite ready.Sri Lanka (possible) 1 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 2 Upul Tharanga, 3 Mahela Jayawardene (capt), 4 Lahiru Thirimanne, 5 Angelo Mathews, 6 Kushal Perera (wk), 7 Jeevan Mendis, 8 Thisara Perera, 9 Nuwan Kulasekara, 10 Lasith Malinga, 11 Ajantha Mendis.

Pitch and conditions

Both teams would be pleased the Sydney match was scheduled for Sunday instead of Friday, because while they were competing in Brisbane, the temperature in Sydney reached an all-time record of 45.8C. The forecast for Sunday is a much more pleasant 25C, with a shower or two possible.

Stats and trivia

• Sri Lanka have not only won their past two ODIs against Australia at the SCG, they have also won four of the six the teams have played there this century
• Ajantha Mendis needs two victims to reach 100 ODI wickets and if he reaches the milestone during this series he will be the quickest Sri Lankan to the mark
• In the four games (Tests and ODIs) Australia have played in 2013, they have used 23 players; Phillip Hughes is the only man to have taken part in all four matches

Quotes

“Our batting performance was very poor. We have no excuse for that … If we bat like that in any conditions, we’re not going to make many runs.”

“What happened in the last two games is fantastic but we need to start all over again in Sydney, have that intensity, have that energy.”