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Cruel arithmetic dictated that only one of Simon Katich and Mike Hussey would be handed a Cricket Australia contract.

Daniel Brettig07-Jun-2011Cruel arithmetic dictated that only one of Simon Katich and Michael Hussey would be handed a Cricket Australia contract for 2011-12.Born only a few months apart, the pair have a long history together, dating back to their days in Western Australia’s under-age team. Katich, 35, was best man at 36-year-old Hussey’s wedding, and was again stood to one side, this time in far unhappier circumstances, when the 25-man contract list was announced.Having produced one of the best series of his career amid a generally disastrous Australian performance in the Ashes, Hussey remains a part of the national selectors’ plans. Hobbled by an Achilles tendon injury during the second Test of the series and invalided out of the remainder of the summer, Katich can no longer join him.”I’m pretty disappointed for Kato, his contribution to the Australian team over the last few years has really been enormous so I’m very disappointed for him,” Hussey told ESPNcricinfo. “We go back right to the start – he was best man at my wedding – so you’d have to say we’re pretty good mates. My initial reaction was to be very disappointed for him.”It is a disappointing way to go out but knowing Kato he won’t think about it that way, he’ll remember all the great times he’s had with the Australian team and be proud of that. Not many players get to have the fairytale finish.”Though the older of the pair, Hussey’s physical durability has played an unquestionable part in his retention. He is clearly the more agile fielder, throwing himself around in the gully in Tests or the outfield in limited overs matches, while his powers of recuperation were made plain by a rapid rehab from a hamstring tear to reinforce Australia’s World Cup campaign.By contrast Katich has never been the most dynamic presence in the field, though he has held his share of excellent catches in the thankless position of short leg. Katich added plenty of grit to the team, but Hussey’s boundless energy fits more neatly with the vision of the new captain Michael Clarke.”I’m not sure what the selectors would’ve spoken about in relation to me but I made it clear to them that I still wanted to be a part of the Australian team, and I guess the way I got into my recovery from the hamstring tear showed that desire to still be around,” Hussey said.”I’m still enjoying playing, my physical fitness is still pretty good and I hope I can continue on. I haven’t thought about that (whether this is the last contract) and I haven’t ever thought about the end. I think if you’re starting to think about retirement then you’re already halfway there.”Andrew Hilditch, the chairman of selectors, has indicated that Hussey and Ricky Ponting will need to play a major role in mentoring the younger Australian batsmen about to come through. Hussey said he would be happy to help, though his prime goal would be to keep putting together the sort of scores he managed during the Ashes.”The most important thing for me still over the next 12 months is to be making as many runs as I possibly can,” Hussey said. “On a secondary level it will be important to help the other guys as much as I can. My way with the young guys is really to encourage them to play their way and to know their own games really well.”Before Australia’s tour of Sri Lanka in August, Hussey intends to speak with CA officials about the issue of the Twenty20 Champions League, which again looms as a potential sore point for both Doug Bollinger and Hussey. They remain contracted to Chennai for a tournament that will straddle Australia’s tours of Sri Lanka and South Africa.”I haven’t spoken to anyone about it yet or had too close a look at the fixtures, but I definitely will be talking to Cricket Australia about it to make sure things run a bit more smoothly than they did last year,” Hussey said.

ESPNcricinfo previews the third Test between West Indies and India in Dominica

The Preview by Nitin Sundar05-Jul-2011Match factsJuly 6-10, Dominica
Start time 1000 (1400 GMT, 1930 IST)Does Harbhajan have it in him to face the reality of his form slump?•AFPBig PictureIndia are 1-0 up with one to play, and with better weather might have sealed the series in Barbados, but the scoreline obscures some worrying realities. In four innings they have not once reached 300, that despite inordinate contributions from the old firm of VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid. India’s IPL generation, with the notable exception of Suresh Raina, has stumbled in what is arguably the easiest overseas assignment a Test side can currently hope for. It is a cause for some concern, considering the inevitable change of guard the middle-order will go through in the next couple of years.The story is inverted in the bowling department: the youngsters have pulled their weight, while the spearhead hasn’t. Praveen Kumar has impressively transferred his seam mastery to the red ball; Ishant Sharma has banished the pain of two seasons of under-achievement, with a series of sparkling spells from which there should be no turning back. Harbhajan Singh, however, has slipped into a comfort zone – both for himself and the batsmen facing him. There is a chance he will not reach the 400-wicket milestone in the Caribbean, despite having needed only seven wickets to get there at the start of the series.After the crushing disappointment in Jamaica, West Indies have plenty of positives to take out of Barbados. Fidel Edwards, on a comeback trail, is a work in progress, but there was enough evidence to suggest he is close to the finished product. Ravi Rampaul and Devendra Bishoo have stuck to the task, rarely allowing India’s line-up to dictate terms. The problem for the hosts, though, lies in the batting and there were signs of improvement in Barbados. Marlon Samuels and Darren Bravo – two players who exemplify the flamboyance of Caribbean batsmanship – showed they have the ability to grind out innings. It is a crucial step forward, given Ramnaresh Sarwan’s alarming decline, Chris Gayle’s continued absence and the drop in Shivnarine Chanderpaul’s once-immense powers. Can Lendl Simmons and Adrian Barath follow the example set by Bravo and Samuels? If the openers continue to wobble against the new ball, expect India to make it 2-0 without much strife.Form guide (most recent first)India: DWDWL
West Indies: DLLWD
In the spotlightMS Dhoni has been in the news for all the wrong reasons. His comment on umpiring standards in the first Test may have hastened Daryl Harper’s retirement. Dhoni’s batting has been an advertisement for shoddy shot-selection, and his drop of Carlton Baugh in the final session in Barbados potentially cost India a win. To make matters worse, his bowlers maintained such poor over-rates that he is now one infringement away from a match ban. His captaincy has, however, remained sharp judging by his field settings and the enterprising declaration in Barbados. Can Dhoni make a significant contribution as a player in Dominica?Ravi Rampaul may not have the natural talent of the men who set the Caribbean ablaze in the 1980s, but he has heart and discipline – both crucial ingredients for a side seeking a revival. Rampaul’s skidding action combines well with his tendency to whip the ball in, short of a length, almost inevitably on the seam. In his last four Tests, he has struck in his first over in four innings, a stat that makes him a nightmare for top-order batsmen.The doosra is a thing of the past. The floater he mastered in the pre-doosra years has fizzled into a poorly disguised topspinner that doesn’t trouble set batsmen. The bounce is sporadic, the flight and loop conspicuous by their absence, the turn is not sharp and the drift is harmless in the absence of the other factors. After 95 Tests, and in his 14th year of international cricket, Harbhajan Singh finds himself stuck in a dangerous cycle of under-achievement, perhaps ushered in by over-exposure to the shorter formats. He has the tenacity to rediscover his magic, but the first step to redemption will be admitting that he is in a slump. Does Harbhajan have it in him to confront reality?Team newsIshant Sharma and Praveen Kumar were involved in a minor collision while playing football during a training session, but both should be fit to play. Dhoni has a few tricky decisions to make ahead of the toss. Abhimanyu Mithun’s honest but underwhelming effort in Barbados, coupled with the over-rate threat, could tempt him to bring legspinner Amit Mishra back, unless the pitch is unduly grassy. M Vijay and Virat Kohli have had poor series, and have subsequently lost their spots for the England tour. Will they be motivated enough to perform in the decider? Or will India be better served using Parthiv Patel and S Badrinath, who will be fresh, and eager to prove a point since they aren’t in the England squad either?India (probable): 1 Abhinav Mukund, 2 M Vijay / Parthiv Patel, 3 Rahul Dravid, 4 VVS Laxman, 5 Virat Kohli / S Badrinath, 6 Suresh Raina, 7 MS Dhoni (capt & wk), 8 Harbhajan Singh, 9 Praveen Kumar, 10 Ishant Sharma, 11 Abhimanyu Mithun / Amit MishraWith their new-ball pair working so well, West Indies may once again choose to bench Kemar Roach. Kieran Powell will make his Test debut at the pivotal No. 3 spot, but he can do no worse than the disastrously out of form Sarwan, whose place he takes.West Indies (probable): 1 Adrian Barath, 2 Lendl Simmons, 3 Kieran Powell, 4 Darren Bravo, 5 Shivnarine Chanderpaul, 6 Marlon Samuels, 7 Carlton Baugh (wk), 8 Darren Sammy (capt), 9 Ravi Rampaul, 10 Fidel Edwards / Kemar Roach, 11 Devendra BishooPitch and conditionsThe Windsor Park at Roseau, Dominica, is set to become Test cricket’s 106th venue. It has been more than a year since the ground hosted the last of its four ODIs – a high-scoring thriller involving South Africa and West Indies. The more accessible – and given the happenings in Barbados, more crucial – variable is the weather, and the forecasts aren’t promising: showers are predicted on each of the five days of the Test. The curator, though, says the ground has excellent drainage facilities.The curator and West Indies captain Darren Sammy have both said there will be bounce in the pitch. “There is some moisture and that should help the faster bowlers early on,” Sammy said. “Normally, it turns later on in the match, so both the pacers and spinners can expect some help.”There was a four-day match played at the venue between England Lions and Windward Islands in March in which two left-arm spinners – Gary Mathurin of the hosts and Danny Briggs of the visitors – shared 19 of the 39 wickets to fall in the match. The seamers got carry and bounce from the pitch in that match, which produced a result early on the fourth day.Stats and trivia India have never won two Tests in a series in the West Indies. Excluding Zimbabwe and Bangladesh, they have not won more than one Test in an away series since Pakistan in 2004
Harbhajan Singh is now two wickets away from becoming the third Indian bowler and 11th overall to reach 400 wickets
Shivnarine Chanderpaul averages 33.00 so far in 2011, the lowest he has averaged in any single year since 2001
Quotes”His body position used to force his grip to change. Now he’s more upright, and his wrist is in a better position. Only when you are confident about the technique and start bowling at the pace you are capable of, can you be at your best.”

“I have played four tours here and these have been some of the toughest tracks I have faced. Guys will learn a lot from this experience.”

In an effort to cut costs, Sri Lanka Cricket’s new interim committee, headed by Upali Dharmadasa, has decided to cut down on the staff at SLC headquarters in Colombo

Sa'adi Thawfeeq24-Jul-2011In an effort to cut costs, Sri Lanka Cricket’s new interim committee, headed by Upali Dharmadasa, has decided to cut down on the staff at SLC headquarters in Colombo. The board has been in a financial crisis since the 2011 World Cup, for which they built two new stadiums, at Hambantota and Pallekele. When the new committee was appointed on July 1, the main task Sri Lanka’s sports minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage set for them was to keep an eye on the board’s finances.”Presently we intend to cut the staff at Sri Lanka Cricket headquarters from 82 to 50,” Dharmadasa said. “Our target is to eventually minimise it to 30 employees, which will still be more than enough to run cricket.”I don’t want to touch the rest of the staff employed in various parts of the country because there is an Australia tour coming up next month and an inter-provincial Twenty20 tournament currently on. We don’t want to upset the mechanism at present but I will personally visit the various international venues during the Australia tour and see for myself whether the staff that has been recruited at these venues is in excess and needs to be curtailed.”We need a minimum of only ten persons at SLC headquarters to run the Australia tour if we leave the organisation of the matches outside Colombo to the respective associations of each venue – Pallekele, Hambantota and Galle. The associations attached to SLC have already indicated to me that they are willing to do it on a voluntary basis.”The interim committee will also re-evaluate the benefits given to employees, and Dharmadasa pointed out the excess expenditure on board officials’ hotel rooms during the World Cup.”During the World Cup, officials of Sri Lanka Cricket used single rooms at costly hotels leading to unwanted wastage. For the Australia tour we have been reasonable with our hotel bookings and officials will share rooms instead. We want to create a platform that can be used as a guideline next year when Sri Lanka hosts the ICC World Twenty20 tournament.”There will also be a reduction on other overheads, including office equipment like colour printers. The World Cup had left Sri Lanka Cricket in debt to the tune of $23 million thanks to cost overruns and heavy expenses incurred in building the stadiums, and the board had to ask for a grant from the Sri Lanka government. Consequently, they slashed their budget for the series against Australia, which includes three Tests, five ODIs and two Twenty20 internationals.”From the original budget of 371 million Sri Lankan rupees we brought it first down to 276 million rupees and then cut it down further to 239 million rupees,” Dharmadasa said. He expected a profit of 343 million Sri Lankan rupees from the Australia tour by way of television rights, ticket sales, corporate boxes etc.Dharmadasa said he and Prakash Shaffter, the secretary of the interim committee, would handle the administration side of SLC while Nimal Perera would handle finance and Sidath Wettimuny, the former Sri Lanka batsman, would take charge of the cricket.

A round-up of the fifth match-day in the ICC Americas Region Division One Twenty20

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Jul-2011Canada won their fifth game in a row in the ICC Americas Region Division One Twenty20 tournament, trouncing Suriname by 61 runs at the Central Broward Regional Park Stadium Turf Ground in Lauderhill. Having been asked to bat, opener Khushroo Wadia led the way with a 75 from 56 balls, including five fours and three sixes, to set up Canada’s total of 138 for 4. Suriname lost Sauid Drepaul off the first ball of the innings and quick fell behind the asking rate. With wickets also falling at regular intervals, Suriname limped to 77 for 7 from their 20 overs. Satsimranjit Dhindsa was the pick of the bowlers, taking 2 for 8.Cayman Islands kept Argentina winless in the tournament by beating them by four wickets with two balls to spare at the Central Broward Regional Park Stadium Turf Ground in Lauderhill. Argentina crawled to 90 for 7 from their 20 overs, with only Donald Forrester, who made 22, able to score at more than a-run-a-ball. Cayman Islands made steady progress, and despite a middle-order wobble where three wickets fell for 15 runs, picked up two points for the win and moved to fourth in the table.USA rebounded from their narrow loss to Canada by beating Bermuda by seven wickets at the Central Broward Regional Park Stadium Turf Ground in Lauderhill to move into second place in the points table. USA chose to field and a disciplined bowling attack held Bermuda to 91 for 7. Left-arm spinner Bhim George finished with 2 for 12 to lead the bowlers, while Muhammad Ghous and Samarth Shah also took two wickets each. Opener Sushil Nadkarni led the chase with an unbeaten 39 as USA overhauled their target with four overs to spare.

A century from Paul Stirling set Middlesex up for a 34-run victory overDerbyshire in the Clydesdale Bank 40 game at Chesterfield to end the home side’shopes of taking second place in Group A

21-Aug-2011
ScorecardA century from Paul Stirling set Middlesex up for a 34-run victory overDerbyshire in the Clydesdale Bank 40 game at Chesterfield to end the home side’shopes of taking second place in Group A.Stirling made 109 off 81 balls to take the Panthers to 253 for eight with17-year-old off-spinner Peter Burgoyne taking two for 36 on his senior debut forthe Falcons. Chesney Hughes top scored with 66 and Wayne Madsen made 50 but Steven Finn took three for 28 as Derbyshire were bowled out for 219 with 26 balls to spare.The Panthers looked set for a more formidable total when 73 came off the first10 overs but the spinners dragged it back for the Falcons with Burgoyneimpressing on his first-team debut.Hughes also checked the Panthers progress by conceding only 39 from his eightovers and had former Derbyshire captain Chris Rogers caught on the midwicketboundary off a full toss. Hughes should have had Stirling on 51 when the Irishman skied a big pull but Wayne Madsen spilled the chance at midwicket and that proved a costly miss.Stirling went on to an excellent century off 75 balls and he hit six sixes andsix fours before a miscued drive was well caught by Martin Guptill sprinting infrom long off. Scott Newman scored 33 from 39 balls before he was Burgoyne’s first victim whenhe missed a pull and despite an unbeaten 34 from Ollie Rayner, the Panthersmanaged only 68 from the last 10 overs.Rayner swept Burgoyne for six but another of Derbyshire’s promising youngspinners Tom Knight conceded only four from the last over to keep the Panthersin range. Guptill had scored an unbeaten century on the same ground a week earlier in asix-wicket win over Yorkshire but this time he fell to Finn in the first over ofthe chase.The England paceman got the fifth ball of the innings to move away just enoughand although Dawid Malan could not hold the edge at first slip, wicketkeeperJohn Simpson scooped up the rebound.Hughes responded by twice driving Finn to the ropes and he launched TobyRoland-Jones into the pavilion before Finn struck again by bowling Wes Durstonfor 12 in the seventh over. The Falcons’ best chance now rested with Hughes and after reaching his fifty from 51 balls, he pulled Steven Crook for his second six before two wickets inthree balls put the Panthers firmly in charge.Hughes clipped Tom Smith to backward square where Crook held a diving catch andthe slow left-armer then took a return catch to send back Greg Smith. Madsen hit 50 off 57 balls before he was deceived by a Crook slower ball and although Tom Poynton hit Smith for consecutive sixes, Derbyshire’s last three wickets fell in the space of six balls.

Kumar Sangakkara, the Sri Lanka batsman, has called for stability in the team after they gave themselves a chance of staving off a Test match and series defeat by Australia in Pallekele

Daniel Brettig in Pallekele11-Sep-2011Kumar Sangakkara, the Sri Lanka batsman, has called for stability in the team after they gave themselves a chance of staving off a Test match and series defeat by Australia in Pallekele. While he acknowledged the team’s poor performances with the bat so far in the series, he said the batsmen needed to be given extended runs without the constant fear of being dropped. Only that, he said, could bring positive results – Sri Lanka have not won a Test match since the retirement of Muttiah Muralitharan..”The first thing is the guys have to be pretty solid in their minds about what their roles are,” Sangakkara said. “They’ve also got to be comfortable in the fact they’re here because they’re good enough and also that they’re going to be given a nice, long-lasting run to prove what they can do. No-one comes here easily, everyone’s done the hard work in the A side or in first-class cricket to get to this level and earn a Test cap for Sri Lanka.”But it’s hard for batsmen to play looking over their shoulders; they need to be told ‘we trust you enough to go out and do the job for the country’ and these guys will respond to that. I think [Tillakaratne] Dilshan’s done that pretty well. You’re seeing slow results, but at all times the senior guys have to keep putting their hands up and performing; that’s what’s going to allow the newcomers to perform even better.”Sri Lanka started the fourth day in Pallekele 237 runs behind after a first-innings surrender for 174. By the close they were 223 for 2, just 14 behind, with Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene in occupation on the cusp of the second new ball.”It was important we showed some character in this innings,” Sangakkara said, “especially since the last three innings we’ve had opportunities to try to win Test matches but we haven’t done that with our batting. Today was another opportunity for the guys to go out there and graft the runs and if we get a good start again tomorrow morning we can put some pressure back on the Australians.”Under a new captain in Michael Clarke, Australia brought an inexperienced bowling attack to Sri Lanka, but Sangakkara expressed genuine respect for the way the visitors have gone about their work, forcing the hosts to accept that hard graft was the only path to runs.”It’s pretty disappointing but we can’t point the finger at anyone else but ourselves [about the batting so far]. Test matches are usually won or lost on first-innings totals; very rarely do you see huge comebacks in the third and fourth innings. As a batting side we’re going up against an Australian attack that’s come out here and showed us how disciplined and well planned they are in their bowling. We’ve got to be up for the fight.”It is not just a case of batting a session or batting two sessions, it is about batting five, six, seven sessions against these guys to build up good totals. It’s hard to allow bowlers to dominate the course of things throughout, but they’ve done a really good job of bowling straight, bowling great areas and bowling to their fields. This is not a side against whom you can score a hundred in a session or two, it is a case of pushing the Australia bowlers into their third or fourth spells, tiring them out and then grafting your runs.”The DRS caused some more headaches for both sides on the fourth day, as Tharanga Paranavitana was first the beneficiary then the victim of its vagaries. In both instances replays suggested there might have been a deflection to the keeper but there did not appear to be conclusive evidence of an edge; however, while Paranavitana survived the first review, the second not-out decision was overturned. Sangakkara said technology was not yet 100% accurate, and therefore a state of compromise had to be reached between those providing technology and those compelled to use it.”We’ve all seen technology; we’ve seen the good and the bad of it. We’ve seen Hawk-Eye not picking up the turn of the ball, depending on the distance between where the ball pitches and where it hits the pad; you’ve seen Hotspot sometimes fail in the India-England series, so the debate will go on.”Today we saw Paranavitana given not-out on the field and the decision overturned by the third umpire, so that’ll probably be another point of debate. I think everybody’s got to come to a middle ground, where you’ve got to accept that it’s not 100% if you’re using it and be comfortable with that, or go back and say we’ll wait until technology is 100%.”

Pakistan were so clinical in finishing Sri Lanka off on the fourth day that you wondered if this was the same group of players that is known for losing its way in the final furlong

The Report by Sidharth Monga29-Oct-2011
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsSaeed Ajmal made sure Pakistan finished Sri Lanka’s tail off•AFPPakistan were so clinical in finishing Sri Lanka off on the fourth day that you wondered if this was the same group of players that is known for losing its way in the final furlong. They remained patient and persistent even when fortune didn’t favour them or even when a late partnership held them up. The pitch with variable bounce and turn did the rest for them. Pakistan began the day 76 ahead with nine wickets to take, their bowlers shared the early spoils, and then Saeed Ajmal ran through the tail – no mean feat considering their recent travails with lower orders – to register his third five-for in Tests. The fielders turned up too, diving in desperation for every ball remotely within reach and not missing a single catch, and the batsmen made short work of the 94-run target.Pakistan attacks are reputed to be mercurial and extravagantly talented, but it is an underrated virtue that stood out today – patience. The biggest test of their patience came last afternoon when Kumar Sangakkara and Tharanga Paranavitana enjoyed good fortune with edges not going to hand, and the good deliveries turning out to be too good to take the edges. The bowlers, though, kept it tight and did not go looking for magic balls. The rewards duly came.They were helped by Sri Lanka’s failure to attempt to disrupt their rhythm by hitting out. Some help also came their way from the umpires. Sangakkara and Tillakaratne Dilshan fell lbw to decisions you couldn’t be sure of, but the balance was restored a bit – so to speak – when Angelo Mathews survived a pretty adjacent call. Mathews went on to delay Pakistan with yet another impersonation of the boy on the burning deck but, as with Paranavitana’s fifty, there was no sting in the innings to hurt Pakistan.The two efforts didn’t prove to be the kind of denial that has recently led to Pakistan bowling’s wilting. Paranavitana did try to show some intent in the fourth over of the morning when he lofted Abdur Rehman over mid-on for four. Rehman had troubled all left-handed batsmen with his flat trajectory and accuracy, repeatedly hitting the rough outside their off stumps. Soon, though, Paranavitana saw Sangakkara walk back in disgust, and went back into his shell.Sangakkara’s reaction seemed justified. He had taken a big stride in a forward defensive when Rehman got one to turn in extravagantly and hit him half inside the line of off. Even if the umpire Tony Hill adjudicated that Sangakkara was trying to hide his bat behind the pad, the ball turned massively, had a long way to travel, and in all likelihood would have missed leg.Pakistan now turned the screw tighter. Umar Gul gave Mahela Jayawardene a stern examination with the ball holding its line outside off. Paranavitana hung on grimly against Ajmal’s turn. Runs were not even an afterthought. Their partnership added 18 in 11.3 overs. Jaywardene was sent back by a smart bit of bowling from Ajmal. The first big offbreak got Jayawardene trying extra hard to get outside the line of off. To the next delivery, Jayawardene premeditated a paddle from outside off, and Ajmal bowled the quicker offbreak that turns less, and went behind him to knock the leg stump out.The under-pressure captain Dilshan was outside the crease when a swinging Junaid Khan delivery from round the stumps hit him in front of middle. Again, the ball was moving in and had a considerable distance to travel. In Junaid’s next over, though, Mathews padded up to one that hit him just outside off and would have taken off and middle.Mathews was lucky to survive that, but even though he and Paranavitana defended for their lives, neither got rid of close-in catchers nor did they make the bowlers change their plans. The dangerous wicket-taking delivery with their name on it was lurking around all the time. Paranavitana found his end soon after lunch when Ajmal tossed up an offbreak that finally took a healthy edge and went straight to slip.To compound Sri Lanka’s troubles, the new ball was due then and brought immediate results when Kaushal Silva top-edged Junaid. For a brief period after that Dhammika Prasad took the bowlers on and Pakistan backed off for a while. With Mathews he added 52 at four an over, but Pakistan got the chance to regroup during the tea break.In the first over after the interval, Rehman cleaned Prasad up with an arm ball. Once again Pakistan had refused to wilt. The tail tried to steal valuable runs in the end, but Ajmal was too good for them. Mathews, who tried to farm the strike but didn’t go for the big hits, remained unbeaten.Misbah, who had made all the correct moves this match, right from the team’s selection to the bowling changes, took the lead role in the huddle with what seemed like an impassioned speech. Not sure if he told Mohammad Hafeez he wanted Sunday off, but the opener came out in a positive mood with just 23 overs to go in the day. The ball still misbehaved, but after two fours in the first over and a huge six in Rangana Herath’s first over, you knew Hafeez had had enough of this heat. Azhar Ali joined the fun when he lofted Dishan over long-off. All in all, it was a pretty fine way to bring up their first Test win over Sri Lanka in five years, in the anniversary week of their maiden Test victory.

Mike Hesson, who took over as Kenya’s coach in July, has told the Otago Times that he arrived to find players in dispute with the board

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Nov-2011Mike Hesson, who took over as Kenya’s coach in July, has told the Otago Times that he arrived to find players in dispute with the board and that his first role was to act as a mediator between the two factions.Hesson quit after six years as coach of Otago and moved his family to Nairobi to take up the two-year contract. He was in no doubt as to the challenge ahead of him after Kenya’s dismal performance at the World Cup.”We had eight players on strike seeking better pay and work conditions, including most of our fast bowlers,” he said. “After a brief settling-in period I ended up acting as a go-between for the board and players. It meant trying to master Swahili fairly fast. I understand more than I speak but I’m getting the hang of it.”Basically the players weren’t getting the greatest of advice. There are lots of issues here based on tribal loyalty. You respect what your elders tell you out of blind faith.”Hesson said the situation had now been resolved and that the 18 fully-contracted players “who live well by African standards; they’re probably in the top half of earners in the country”.He had already seen what he has to work with on matches with Namibia and Zimbabwe and is now focussing on next year’s World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka with two spots up for grabs for Associates.

On the same day he anointed Peter Siddle spearhead of Australia’s least seasoned bowling attack for 23 years, the head coach Mickey Arthur has stressed the spinner Nathan Lyon must also be prepared to play the role of a leader in the first Test against Ne

Daniel Brettig in Brisbane28-Nov-2011On the same day he anointed Peter Siddle spearhead of Australia’s least seasoned bowling attack for 23 years, the head coach Mickey Arthur has stressed the spinner Nathan Lyon must also be prepared to play the role of a leader in the first Test against New Zealand.Siddle and Arthur spoke at length during the team’s first training session in Brisbane, the Victorian paceman accepting the critical role he must play in a bowling quartet that will feature two debutants alongside himself and Lyon. James Pattinson is favoured to take the third spot, leaving the local man Ben Cutting to duel with Mitchell Starc’s left-arm for the final place. All will get the chance to influence the captain and selector Michael Clarke when he bats in the Gabba nets on Tuesday.Having selected the most callow Australian bowling ensemble since the 1988 Pakistan tour – the last time an XI was chosen with fewer than the 126 wickets this team can boast between its members – Arthur and Clarke must decide on a practical balance.Each of Pattinson, Cutting and Starc have been commonly used as aggressors by their states and are not so familiar with the hard graft of long spells, leaving Siddle to do much of the heavy lifting. Arthur said that Lyon, who has been ushered gently into Test cricket by Clarke over his first five Tests, would now have more to do.”That’s certainly going to be a role we’re going to need,” Arthur said. “I think our spinner can play that role quite effectively, I thought he bowled beautifully today, so I’m hoping he can play that role, and then we can rotate those guys.”Bowling at the Gabba, overs 0-30 is about getting the ball up and making the ball work for you, 30-60 is the hard work, rolling the sleeves up, hitting back of a length and building pressure, and hopefully 60-80 you can get the ball to reverse. I’m hoping that overs 30-60 the young guys can stand up and build that pressure as much as we need the pressure to be built at that time.”There’s going to be four real young bowlers, Pete Siddle is going to have to lead the attack for us, there’s no doubt about that. I had a chat to him about it this morning and he’s ready for that responsibility. But it is going to be interesting, we’ve got to look at what’s going to be the best attack, and who’s bowling the best and gives us the most variation.”Lyon has never bowled at the Gabba, but can expect to profit from the bounce and occasional turn available to a spin bowler with sufficient discipline. Graeme Swann struggled for traction on the ground in last year’s Ashes Test, but later said that was more to do with bowling badly than not finding any comfort in the surface.”At the Gabba if it’s done a little bit it generally starts a little bit soft, which allows a bit of grip,” Arthur said. “And the one thing a spinner does get is bounce, and spinners thrive on bounce. So they do get bounce here. I’m really hoping he can do the job, I reckon he can.”Siddle agreed the task ahead was as daunting as it would be exciting, guiding bowlers as young and unaffected as he was on his debut against India at Mohali in 2008. Since then, Siddle has fought injuries but also refined his body shape, to be the hardiest if not flashiest member of Australia’s pace battery.”A little bit daunting, thinking these blokes are all so young and all haven’t played, so that does make it a little bit daunting, but it does make it exciting as well,” Siddle said. “To get the opportunity to play with some of these guys that obviously can be the future of Australian cricket, to go out there and hopefully lead them and show them some good things.”I’m looking forward to it … it is going to be tough and nervous for them at the start, but I’m looking forward to being a part of it with them, being able to enjoy it with them. Even last week to be involved with Patty [Cummins] and talk to him at mid off or mid on and just see how he goes about it, I’m very excited about these next few weeks.”Given his knack for away swing, Pattinson appears the most likely debutant to share the new ball, a welcome scenario for Siddle having known the younger man since he was “about 10 years old”.”I’ve played with his brother in club cricket for about 11 years now and I’ve known Jimmy since he was about 10, so he’s been like a little brother to me since I’ve moved down to Melbourne,” Siddle said. “I’ve enjoyed the times I’ve got to play with him for Victoria, so hopefully I do get the chance to get out on the park with him and better yet we could open the bowling together in a Test match, that would be quite amazing.”Among the players at Allan Border Field was a ginger-looking Shaun Marsh, who Arthur said was unlikely to be considered before the Boxing Day Test against India at the MCG.

Jimmy Hansra will lead Canada’s 14-member squad for the Caribbean T20 in January

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Dec-2011Jimmy Hansra will lead Canada’s 14-member squad for the Caribbean T20 in January. The team will be participating in the tournament for the third consecutive year, which will be held in Antigua and Barbados.Canada managed just one win out of four in last year’s edition, beating Hampshire, and finished fourth in their group. The squad will leave from Toronto on January 6 and start the tournament five days later against Winward Islands. The other teams in their group are Leeward Islands, Guyana and defending champions Trinidad and Tobago.Squad: Jimmy Hansra (capt), Rizwan Cheema (vice-capt), Manny Aulakh, Jeremy Gordon, Ruvindu Gunasekera, Nitish Kumar, Usman Limbada, Salman Nazar, Henry Osinde, Hiral Patel, Raza Rehman, Junaid Siddiqui, Zubin Surkari, Hamza Tariq