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BCCI president N Srinivasan has decided not to travel to London for the ICC annual conference but he may attend the three ICC sub-committee meetings via vide-conferencing

Amol Karhadkar and Nagraj Gollapudi24-Jun-2013BCCI president N Srinivasan has decided not to travel to London for the ICC annual conference, to be held from June 25 to 29. Srinivasan has stepped aside from BCCI functioning till the completion of probe into alleged IPL corruption scandal.However, it does not necessarily mean that Srinivasan won’t attend the three ICC sub-committee meetings, including the important finance and commercial affairs (F&CA) committee, of which he is a member in individual capacity.A close associate of Srinivasan confirmed that he “will not” travel to London but didn’t deny the possibility of Srinivasan attending “some of the meetings” via video-conferencing.Last week it was decided that while Jagmohan Dalmiya, who has been taking care of day-to-day BCCI affairs since Srinivasan stepped aside, will represent the BCCI in the ICC board meeting, Srinivasan will attend the sub-committee meetings.BCCI secretary Sanjay Patel was going to attend the ICC chief executives’ meeting, while Sundar Raman, the IPL chief executive officer, was going to attend the working group meeting of the CEOs.A BCCI source revealed that since the BCCI contingent was getting bigger and the fact that Srinivasan would be at the conference but wouldn’t represent the BCCI in the board meeting, it “wouldn’t have reflected well on the board’s image. So the president agreed not to travel to London. In case he is pressed (by the ICC) to give his inputs during the sub-committee meetings, he may join them via video-conferencing,” he said.The F&CA committee primarily recommends to the ICC board regarding the shape ICC’s commercial rights should take. The ICC is looking to negotiate the next tranche of rights for eight years after the 2015 World Cup. The committee also decides on when the various primary ICC-owned events take place, how many events should be included, who might host those events, what sort of fees might accrue to host those events, the format of the event, what should be the strategy to sell the rights for these events, to whom should they go, should the rights be sold as a bundle, as was the case last time. The broadcast rights are sold as a bundle but the sponsorship rights are sold on an individual basis and that is managed by the ICC. Even though the committee has been discussing the commercial rights issue, the decision over the next tranche of rights is unlikely to be finalised this year. It is expected to be finalised in the first quarter of 2014.Meanwhile, Patel and Raman will hold the key in continuing BCCI’s opposition to implementation of the DRS in all Tests. Ever since the DRS was first used in a Test series featuring Sri Lanka and India in 2008, the BCCI has not allowed the technological aid for umpires to be used in any of its home series.While Patel, who was appointed the secretary earlier this month, will attend his first ICC meeting, Raman has enjoyed an increased profile over the last couple of years with regard to BCCI’s functioning and been a regular at recent ICC meetings.Raman had been inducted into the CEOs working group, which included representatives from the ECB and Cricket Australia (Dean Kino) with the ICC adding on two of its own representatives to carry out backroom work in preparation for contractual arrangements to be put in place by the time the final rights agreements discussions begin.Meanwhile, the ICC annual conference is likely to discuss anti-corruption measures in detail, following the spot-fixing scandals which erupted in the Indian and Bangladesh Premier Leagues. Besides, the fate of Bangladesh as hosts for the next year’s World Twenty20 may also be decided since the BCB has admitted lack of adequate facilities.

Wayne Parnell’s doctors have said that they will need at least seven days to diagnose his condition, after the player had complained of shortness of breath

Firdose Moonda28-Aug-2013Wayne Parnell will not train for the next week as he awaits results from heart tests. Parnell left the field after bowling just two overs in the second unofficial Test between South Africa A and India A, complaining of shortness of breath, and was admitted to a hospital where he spent two nights. He had a number of examinations done, including being attached to a 24-hour heart monitor, and the doctors have said that they need at least seven days to conclude a diagnosis.”Wayne had some discomfort in the chest and he was found to have had an irregular heartbeat,” Mohammed Moosajee, South Africa’s team manager, who is also a medical doctor, told ESPNcricinfo. “At the moment, the tests have found that he has settled down and now it’s just about discovering what’s wrong.”According to Moosajee, Parnell could be suffering from either pericarditis or myocarditis, both of which are inflammations. The former is less serious as it is a swelling of the area around the heart and will put him out of action for two to three weeks, while the latter affects the actual heart muscle and takes approximately six weeks to recover from. Both are the results of a viral infection, most commonly flu.Both Moosajee and Brandon Jackson, the team physiotherapist, said that they had seen this illness in sportspersons before. For the moment though, neither have any reason to panic, as Moosajee was confident that Parnell would be fit for the start of South Africa’s domestic season in early October, and that it was just a case of “how much recovery time he will need”.The condition will still come as a small setback for Parnell, who was looking to cement his place in the national side, after a number of injuries plagued the early part of his career. A groin strain affected him for much of 2010-11 season, and he has also suffered wrist and other leg injuries since then.Parnell was included in South Africa’s recent tour to Sri Lanka, where he impressed, particularly with his death bowling, in the Twenty20s. He was also a part of the A team which played against India A. After taking three wickets in the first match, he also showed his prowess with the bat by hitting his highest first-class score of 91 in the second.South Africa A coach Vincent Barnes described Parnell as being “as strong as ever,” and seemed to expect big things from him in the coming summer, while national coach Russell Domingo was also pleased with the progress Parnell had made recently.

Umar Amin, the Pakistan middle-order batsman, has said his team had a simple plan coming into Thursday’s game against Zimbabwe: “play to potential to win the game”

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Aug-2013Umar Amin, the Pakistan middle-order batsman, has said his team had a simple plan coming into Thursday’s game against Zimbabwe: “play to potential to win the game”. Pakistan entered the contest one match down and were in a do-or-die situation. Their 90-run win means the series goes to a decider on Saturday.Pakistan lost the opening one-dayer on Tuesday by seven wickets, their first defeat in the past 15 years to Zimbabwe. They came back strongly, though, with Mohammad Hafeez leading the way with a dominating, unbeaten 136 and Umar Amin playing the supporting act with a pivotal half-century to lift Pakistan to 299.”After losing the first game there was some pressure on us but the way we bounced back today shows that we are a great team,” Amin said. “Everybody was focused on today’s game and wanted to win. The plan was simple, to play to our potential. Sometime it does get little bit difficult, because such defeats are remembered for long. So it was crucial, and also we had to win to keep the series alive.”We knew they would come strong at us and we would need to play at our best. The game plan was simply to stick to the basics though, and do the best we could to win.”Pakistan were in some trouble at one point, at 84 for 3, with both openers as well as captain Misbah-ul-Haq dismissed. Amin thereafter produced a 129-run fourth-wicket partnership with Mohammad Hafeez to give Pakistan a strong total. For Amin, who debuted in 2010, this was his first half-century in his eighth ODI, his 59 coming off 71 balls with six boundaries including a six before he was run out.”If you talk about my batting, the situation demanded me to stick in there and get used to the conditions,” Amin said. “They are not as pacey as our bowlers, but still they stuck with the basics, hit the right areas and utilised the conditions well. They didn’t give us easy balls to hit boundaries, but you always have a game plan against any bowling and for me it was simple – to stay there and make the best out of my good start. In the end I got my first international fifty and it’s a great feeling.”Pakistan were wary of Zimbabwe after their successful chase on Tuesday, and with the openers repeatedly doing well in the limited-overs matches so far on the tour, Pakistan were keen for early breakthroughs. “Of course the target was to get the openers out as quickly as we could because we knew they are the ones in form,” Amin said. “So it was crucial to get the wickets of Masakadza and Sibanda, that was what was required at the time.”

Kirk Edwards, the West Indies batsman, has been named in the 15-member Test squad for the tour of India

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Oct-2013West Indies Test squad for India

Darren Sammy (capt), Tino Best, Darren Bravo, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Sheldon Cotterrell, Narsingh Deonarine, Kirk Edwards, Chris Gayle, Veerasammy Permaul, Kieran Powell, Denesh Ramdin, Kemar Roach, Marlon Samuels, Shane Shillingford and Chadwick Walton
In: Sheldon Cotterrell, Kirk Edwards, Chadwick Walton
Out: Shannon Gabriel

Kirk Edwards and wicketkeeper-batsman Chadwick Walton have been named in the 15-member Test squad for West Indies’ tour of India. Edwards, who is currently captaining the touring West Indies A team in the unofficial Tests against India A, made a case for his selection with some good scores on the tour.Edwards was the 14th West Indies batsman to score a century in his debut Test – against India in 2011 – but was dropped after he failed during the side’s tour to England in 2012. He was a part of the squad for the Tests against Bangladesh in November 2012, but did not get a game.Since then, Edwards has captained the West Indies A team in first-class matches against Sri Lanka A at home and on the tour to India. The batsman is among the leading run-getters on the current tour of India. In three List A games, Edwards scored 159 runs at an average of 53, including one hundred and was third in the run-scoring charts, after Yuvraj Singh and Jonathan Carter. He scored two fifties in two first-class games and also captained the side to a 162-run win in the first match of the series.Edwards was also the second highest run-scorer in first-class matches for West Indies A during the home series against Sri Lanka A. He scored 191 in two innings at an average of 95.5.Another member of the Test squad on the comeback trail is Walton, who last played an international match for West Indies in 2009. Walton was a part of the replacement squad that was named after a player boycott erupted before the home series against Bangladesh in July 2009. The wicketkeeper-batsman had a productive domestic season earlier this year and was the leading run-scorer for Combined Campuses and Colleges, scoring 409 runs in six first-class games.Fast bowler Shannon Gabriel’s exclusion is the only other change from the Test squad that played against Zimbabwe in March. Gabriel was replaced by Jamaica pace bowler, Sheldon Cotterrell.West Indies are scheduled to play two Tests and three ODIs on their tour of India. The first Test will begin on November 6, while the second Test is scheduled for November 14. The three ODIs will be played on November 21, 24 and 27.

Preview of the second ODI between India and Australia in Jaipur

The Preview by Devashish Fuloria15-Oct-2013Match factsWednesday, October 16, 2013
Start time 1330 local (0800 GMT)Which Mitchell Johnson will turn up in Jaipur?•Getty ImagesBig PictureOn a slow pitch in Pune, Australia’s fast bowlers made the Indian batsmen hop and jump, asking old questions about their ability to handle high-quality pace bowling. India are going to be put through the same test again, but in conditions that will add another level of difficulty. The series moves to Jaipur, where the pitch – on the evidence of how it played during the IPL and the Champions League this year – will be spicier and in a way, rather Australian.The quartet of Mitchell Johnson, Clint McKay, Shane Watson and James Faulkner didn’t just deliver a win in the first ODI, they also put seeds of doubt in the minds of the Indian batsmen, forcing them on the back foot with predominantly short of length bowling, but cleverly mixed it up with accurate bouncers and teasing fuller ones.Virat Kohli acknowledged that too. “Very few batsmen get out to short deliveries,” he said. “It’s not a wicket-taking delivery but a tactic used by teams. But at international level, one should be ready to play any delivery that is thrown at him.” It was a ‘tactic’ that was executed to perfection by Australia’s bowlers, two of whom – Watson and Faulkner – have played more matches in Jaipur in the recent times than anyone in the India side.Australia’s seemingly inexperienced batting has taken advantage of India’s weak bowling too. In 70 overs, they have amassed 505 runs, that too without Watson making a contribution. Aaron Finch continued his dominating form this year and Glenn Maxwell provided those sudden spikes in scoring later in the innings.It’s still early in the series though. India’s top three have looked comfortable against the Australian seamers and it’s about how the rest pull their weight. That includes the bowlers, who, until now, have looked tired despite this being just the start of the new season.Form guide (Most recent games first)Australia WWLWW
India LWWWWIn the spotlightThe figures of 10-0-38-1 don’t tell the whole story of Mitchell Johnson’s spell on Sunday. Johnson was at his menacing best, hustling the batsmen with deliveries that were hurled around 150 kmph. His only wicket was that of Yuvraj Singh, who was given a good working over. Yuvraj stayed on the back foot for five deliveries expecting the short ball, but only got full ones. Then came the snorter, which Yuvraj could only edge behind. It was a masterful spell. However, the other Johnson, the one who sprays the ball around, is never too far and Australia will hope the bad one keeps his appearances to a minimum this series.Ishant Sharma’s career has been almost as long as Johnson’s – both have played the same number of Tests. But while Johnson’s form follows a cycle, Ishant’s stays in a perennial trough with a few stray spikes. The only remnants of the exciting young bowler who debuted in 2007 are his run-up and his hair. He has lacked pace and leaked runs in the two matches against Australia, but with limited fast-bowling stocks, India don’t have the luxury of letting him go. Kohli, Ishant’s Delhi team-mate, also defended him, saying, “I don’t think you can drop a player on the basis of two poor matches.” Ishant has just two more matches to do something of note before the squad for the last four ODIs is announced.Team newsMS Dhoni has a tendency to stick with the same XI and is not likely to disturb it just after one ODI, but there is a case to try out either Jaydev Unadkat or Mohammad Shami.India (probable) 1 Rohit Sharma, 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Suresh Raina, 5 Yuvraj Singh, 6 MS Dhoni (capt & wk), 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 R Ashwin, 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10 Vinay Kumar, 11 Ishant Sharma/Mohammed Shami/Jaydev UnadkatBrad Haddin left the field during the first match after being accidentally poked in the eye by James Faulkner, but he was back to keep wickets later in the day and should remain part of the XI. Australia are not likely to make any changes.Australia (probable) 1 Aaron Finch, 2 Phillip Hughes, 3 Shane Watson, 4 George Bailey, 5 Adam Voges, 6 Glenn Maxwell, 7 Brad Haddin (wk), 8 James Faulkner, 9 Mitchell Johnson, 10 Clint McKay, 11 Xavier DohertyStats and trivia In the last five years, the average of India’s middle-order batsmen (Nos 4-6) is below 35 against only three teams – Pakistan, South Africa and Australia. In the same period, India’s bowlers have struggled against Australia. Each Australian wicket costs them 46.55 runs, which is their worst against any teamQuotes”In T20s, everyone gets hit. Even Australian bowlers went for a 200-plus score. They didn’t change their bowlers in the next match. This is my opinion and rest is on the team management. I am not the captain or the coach to decide on selection matters.”
“I don’t think we used the short ball any more than any other game we play, but we were happy with the result. We do have plans against certain players though.”
0:00

Ugra: ‘Watson, Faulkner looking forward to Jaipur’

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Nov-2013

There were a few sniggers in the pressroom when Ishant Sharma said Quinton de Kock, who scored three consecutive hundreds against India, had “been quite lucky”

Firdose Moonda in Centurion11-Dec-2013’We scarred their batters’ – de Villiers

Following South Africa’s emphatic 2-0 victory in the ODI series, AB de Villiers has said his bowlers had ‘scarred’ the Indian batsmen ahead of the two Tests.
“We spoke about it before the first ODI that we can make it a long tour for them if we start well and nail our authority down,” de Villiers said. “I felt we scarred a couple of their batters.”
De Villiers, however, warned that his batsmen shouldn’t get carried away ahead of the Tests because the red ball presented its own challenges. “There’s always a hell of a lot of respect for any bowling attack I play against, especially with the red ball,” he said. “You can get a bit fancy with the white ball, especially in T20 cricket. We will have to tighten up our techniques again for Tests.”

There were a few sniggers in the pressroom when India fast bowler Ishant Sharma said that Quinton de Kock, who scored three consecutive hundreds in the ODI series, had “been quite lucky.”When asked if India were sick and tired at the sight of de Kock at the wicket, and if they were relieved he was not part of the Test squad, Ishant said: “I think he has been quite lucky. I can say that. Because the ball is getting in between fielders, he is getting top edges, players have been dropping catches off him. I think, you have to take positives. If he is scoring, good for him. What we can do is more important.”Minutes later, de Kock and his captain AB de Villiers had a laugh about it. “He was telling the truth,” de Kock said, folding his arms and trying to hide his laughter. “I did get a bit lucky today. There were two dropped catches and I was really angry with myself. I just had to go back into my bubble again.”De Kock, on 37, had offered Ajinkya Rahane a regulation chance at short fine leg, and he also gave Yuvraj Singh an opportunity at mid-on six runs later. Neither catch was taken and de Kock was shaken by his carelessness, in conditions “where you had to fight for runs upfront.”De Kock’s only rash move after those reprieves was on 99, when he charged Mohammed Shami and mis-timed the ball. In the commentator’s box Herschelle Gibbs, whom de Kock joined as one of five batsmen to score three successive ODI hundreds, was impressed because he believed the young batsman had showed guts. At the non-striker’s end, de Villiers, who also has three straight ODI tons, was not. He marched towards de Kock to have a word.”I don’t remember what he said,” de Kock admitted, after the game had been washed out. De Villiers, who was sitting beside him, put on an expression of mock shock. “You don’t remember anything,” he joked. De Kock blushed a little while the people in the room laughed, and de Villiers explained what he had told the newest member of his team.”I spoke to him twice,” de Villiers said. “I spoke to him before the start of the game today and I told him never to be satisfied. And then I spoke to him when he was the 90s. Anyway, he can’t remember anything.”De Kock does remember that this was, “one of the harder hundreds of these last three,” and not only because of the conditions. South Africa had been in trouble at 28 for 3 and de Kock did not have the support of Hashim Amla in this game. He said the innings – 101 off 120 balls – showed how he had matured “I think I have grown a lot,” he said. “My confidence was never there before. It has grown a lot. My work ethic has grown as well.”Despite de Kock being in such rich form, South Africa’s selectors did not pick him for the two Tests against India. He simply accepted he has more work to do to play the longer format at the top level. “I’m sure anybody would love to be part of the Test squad, but I will have to go back to four-day cricket, bide my time and hopefully score some runs there.

Graham Gooch was up indecently early as usual. Once the media had been despatched, he had a chat planned with two England batsmen. It was just routine, he insisted, but he did not hide the fact that the art of dealing with a sledging fast bowler, banging

David Hopps02-Dec-2013Graham Gooch was up indecently early as usual. Once the media had been despatched, he had a chat planned with two England batsmen. It was just routine, he insisted, but he did not hide the fact that the art of dealing with a sledging fast bowler, banging it in short with the crowd baying for blood, would be somewhere on the agenda.It all seemed a little late in the day. Adelaide will lack the hostility of the Gabba. It has a drop-in pitch these days, but it has always taken pride in its drop-in crowd. “Do drop in later, we’ll put something on the barbie.” At the Gabba, as Australia hastened to victory, an English batsman smelling burning would have expected to be served up as the main course.When it comes to combating mental disintegration, Gooch, in his role as England’s batting coach, can only teach so much. There must have been a time early in his career when he found the sledging slightly unsettling, and as the end came, the short, quick stuff must have seemed even shorter and quicker than it once was, but you don’t become England’s most prolific Test run-maker if you are unsettled by a word or two. Memories for the most part are of him phlegmatically padding around his workshop, the blacksmith perspiring at his anvil, giving the ball a smite now and then and looking forward to the chance to slake his thirst at the end of the day.”We talk to the players every day,” he piped. “I’ve got two players coming in now – that’s the job. Coaching is building a relationship with someone. You discuss things: how you deal with things mentally, how your technique is, how you look to build an innings, score runs. How you look to approach things if someone’s trying to verbally intimidate you.”It’s always been the way with bowlers and some teams down the years to try to intimidate batsmen. It’s nothing new, it’s part of the game and you have to accept that. I don’t think anything that happened in Brisbane we haven’t seen to some degree in the past. You have to handle it. It’s part of being a success in international sport. It’s about being the complete player and handling the mental side as well as the technique and the conditions.”If someone comes with sledging, people deal with it in different ways. Some people it motivates, makes them play better, more determined; some people it can unsettle. But generally sledging is about getting you to play the man and not the ball, to get your focus off the ball. In my career, the players I’ve seen who’ve dealt with it best either smile at the opposition or take it as a compliment. Generally if you get sledged, you’re doing okay.”Gooch observes Joe Root, the baby of the England batting line-up and nods approvingly. Gooch used to look impenetrable; Root grins at the fun of it all. At least short-pitched bowling, backed with a tirade of abuse, would allow him to sit on the back foot and try to take his pleasure where he can.But Jonathan Trott’s departure has left England in a quandary about who should bat at first drop. You most notice the rock when it has been dislodged. “Whoever moves to No.3 – and it’s probably fair to say that Joe Root and Ian Bell are the two candidates – I’m sure they’ll stand up for England,” Gooch said. “You start off with a plan and you’d like to stick to it all the way through but players have to be adaptable. If these things come along, someone has to move and do the job. The decision has not been made but obviously it will be talked about in the next couple of days.”The irony is that many English observers, and perhaps players too, relished the pitch at the Gabba even as England were being trounced on it. Too many England Test wins, home and abroad, have been dredged out on slow, unresponsive pitches. Against opponents, too, without a fast bowler cranking it up above 145kph. Matches have been won, minds have been deadened. The challenge has been one of attrition, patience and logic. Now Australia have thrown a wilder game at England, a more physical, aggressive brand, and they have been excited by the sensation that destroyed them.”The pitches are great over here,” Gooch said. “It was a fantastic Test wicket at the Gabba. There were stages when we were batting when things were calm, but then things got a bit out of hand, the crowd whipped it up a bit and we didn’t handle the situation as well as we should have, so we’ve got to improve. To get dismissed twice for under 200 is very disappointing. You’re not going to win any games of cricket if you do that.”Johnson had a great game at Brisbane and I take my hat off him. He took nine wickets and you’d be lauding any bowler on any side who took nine in a Test, so congratulations to him. He bowled fast and inconvenienced a few of our players with the short ball, but short bowling has been around since the game started. We have to deal with it better this game.”His philosophising almost over, Gooch’s thoughts began to turn to his chats with the players – unnamed – who were next on his list for guidance. What were England’s plans for Adelaide’s drop-in wicket? “We have a simple plan: play better, okay?” he said.

EPSNcricinfo’s preview of the fourth ODI between Australia and England in Perth

The Preview by Brydon Coverdale23-Jan-20140:00

‘England’s best chance for a win’

Match factsJanuary 24, 2014, Perth
Start time 11.20am (0320GMT)George Bailey’s Test position might be gone but he still has plenty to offer in the one-day game•Getty ImagesThe Big pictureAustralia began Wednesday second on the ICC’s one-day international rankings. The players went for a spot of training, returned to their hotel in Perth, probably watched some television and by the end of the day they were No.1. India’s loss to New Zealand in the second ODI in Hamilton was enough to drop MS Dhoni’s men down from first to second on the rankings list and, by default, Australia will enter their fourth ODI in Perth occupying the top spot. Of course, if they lose to England at the WACA, it could be the shortest rule since Frank Forde spent a week as Australia’s prime minister back in 1945. But their stated goal is to return to the top of the rankings in all three formats, and their victories in the first three matches of this series have allowed them to achieve that in the 50-over game – even if it is only temporarily.To retain their ranking, Australia will need to rely on a second string batting line-up with Michael Clarke, Shane Watson, David Warner and Brad Haddin all rested now that the series has been decided. For a period on Wednesday it even appeared that their stand-in captain George Bailey might miss a second consecutive game after picking up a hip flexor niggle during the win in Brisbane, which might have meant a captaincy debut for his nominated deputy Mitchell Johnson or a rushed flight to Perth for one of the resting men. However, on Thursday, Bailey was passed fit and will lead the Australians as they hope to continue towards another clean sweep over Alastair Cook’s side.For Cook, it looms as serious challenge to lift his team given the series is now dead, and considering the way he responded to the loss in Sydney. After the game, a despondent Cook indicated that his time as ODI captain could be coming to an end, and that “English cricket needs a little bit of a change”. Presumably he meant personnel, but a change in on-field results would be a good start. Victory in Perth would also prevent this England side from joining the 1993 and 2001 outfits as the only England teams ever to lose 10 consecutive matches across all formats. Against an Australian team missing four of their finest players, this could be England’s best chance.Form guide(Completed matches, most recent first)
Australia WWWLL
England LLLLWWatch out forIt has been an up-and-down week for George Bailey, who on Monday was named Australia’s One-Day International Player of the Year at the Allan Border Medal night in Sydney, having earlier that day missed out on selection in Australia’s Test squad to tour South Africa. But as befits a man of Bailey’s maturity, he took his Test axing in his stride and concentrated instead on ensuring he recovered from his hip flexor injury in time for this ODI. Bailey decided against going out with the team to celebrate the series win on Sunday night or his personal award on Monday evening so that he could maximise his chances of recovering. Now he wants to show the selectors that he still has plenty of runs in him.Ian Bell has made starts in all three ODIs so far in this series but is yet to go on and make a really big score. His scores of 41, 68 and 29 have shown that he is in decent touch but perhaps the most frustrating thing for Bell has been that in two of the three innings he has been run out. Perhaps Perth, where he played club cricket ten years ago, will be kinder to him.Team newsAustralia confirmed their XI on Thursday, with four changes from the side that won in Sydney. Clarke, Haddin and Warner will all miss after being rested, while Xavier Doherty will also be left out on a surface expected to offer more to the fast men. Bailey will return from injury and Johnson from a rest, while the other two inclusions are Steven Smith for his first ODI in more than a year and Matthew Wade, who is keen to prove that he still has plenty to offer at international level.Australia 1 Aaron Finch, 2 Shaun Marsh, 3 George Bailey (capt), 4 Steven Smith, 5 Glenn Maxwell, 6 Matthew Wade (wk), 7 Daniel Christian, 8 James Faulkner, 9 Mitchell Johnson, 10 Nathan Coulter-Nile, 11 James Pattinson.The promotion of Ben Stokes to No.3 in the Sydney match did not work out for England but Perth was the site of his maiden Test century during the Ashes, so they may be inclined to give him another chance. James Tredwell might struggle to hold his place given the expected pace in the WACA pitch, although Boyd Rankin is unavailable due to a hamstring problem, so Chris Woakes could come in if Tredwell is left out.England (possible) 1 Alastair Cook (capt), 2 Ian Bell, 3 Ben Stokes, 4 Gary Ballance, 5 Eoin Morgan, 6 Ravi Bopara, 7 Jos Buttler (wk), 8 Tim Bresnan, 9 Stuart Broad, 10 Chris Jordan, 11 James Tredwell / Chris Woakes.Pitch and conditionsThe WACA should offer more pace and bounce than any of the venues so far in the series. The forecast for Perth is partly cloudy and 33C.Stats and trivia If England lose in Perth it will be their 10th straight loss in all formats combined, equalling their record losing streaks set in 1993 and 2001 Australia’s last period at the top of the ICC one-day rankings ended in August 2012 Australia have used 21 captains in one-day internationals, including Ray Bright and David Hookes, and had Bailey been ruled out due to injury they might have added a 22ndQuotes”It probably is their best chance. But having said that I think our side is still pretty good.”
George Bailey believes his team is capable of extending England’s losing streak