Wasim Akram has said he will encourage Pakistan’s latest breed of fast bowlers to adopt an aggressive approach in order to be successful

Umar Farooq20-Apr-2013Wasim Akram has said he will encourage Pakistan’s latest breed of fast bowlers to adopt an aggressive approach in order to be successful but he can’t magically bring rewards.Akram, a former captain, has started working with the country’s quicks after coming to a short-term agreement with the PCB. He commenced a 10-day training camp at the National Stadium in Karachi for 18 of Pakistan’s top fast bowlers, including members of the national team and some new, raw talent.The camp was set up ahead of the Champions Trophy in June in England and Akram said that the change to regulations in one-day cricket were tough for bowlers.”You need to be aggressive and learn how to adapt to these rule changes. Pakistani bowlers have a lot of talent but they need to learn and adapt to the demands of international cricket.

Pakistan’s pace pack at Karachi camp

Wahab Riaz (L), Zia-ul-Haq (L), Mohamamd Aftab (L), Rahat Ali (L), Mohamamd Irfan (L), Junaid Khan (L), Sadaf Hussain (L), Hammad Azam (R), Ahmad Jamal (R), Asad Ali (R), Ehsan Adil (R), Mohammad Talha (R), Bilawal Bhatti (R), Imran Khan (R), Tabish Khan (R), Anwar Ali (R), Aziz Ullah (RAF), Atta Ullah (R)

“With the change in ODI cricket, that you can’t keep more than four fielders outside the circle in a 50-over match at any time, and the rising popularity of T20 cricket means pace bowlers now need to be more adaptable.”I will advise these bowlers that to be successful in this scenario, aggression is a must with top grade fitness, pace and the ability to have length variation. T20 cricket has changed the mentality of batsmen. The odds are stacked against the bowlers. First I will tell them how to swing the ball, then reverse swing and how to make use of the yorkers.”I am not a magician able to work wonders in ten days but I will try my level best to help them in phases and hope that the same training camp is staged after a break of three to four months,” he added. “I will be there in the camp and then at the Champions Trophy so will do my best to help them to learn and mature.”Prior to the Champions Trophy, Pakistan will tour Scotland and Ireland to play a two-match ODI series each. After the South Africa tour which ended in March there is feeling prevailing around the country that Pakistan’s pace-bowling resources are declining but Akram is not too concerned about the future.””I don’t think it’s a serious concern. The talent is definitely there but these kids need experience and must learn to adapt to the demands of international cricket where they are found wanting,” he said.”It’s not easy to found someone with 145kph pace, you need to do scouting and hunting for fast bowlers and I am sure there will be talent.”The grounds in South Africa were green but you need a certain strategy to bowl, so until and unless they learn it they will not be able to turn their potential into performances.”

David Willey took his Championship wicket-tally to 15 in five innings by taking 4 for 71 on the opening day against Gloucestershire

24-Apr-2013
ScorecardDavid Willey continued his impressive start to the season with the ball•PA Photos

David Willey took his Championship wicket-tally to 15 in five innings by taking 4 for 71 on the opening day against Gloucestershire at Bristol. Thanks largely to the left-arm seamer, the home side were able to post only 192 all out after winning the toss, 18-year-old wicketkeeper Cameron Herring top-scoring with 43 in his first Championship innings.Steven Crook, James Middlebrook and Trent Copeland, who conceded only 26 runs from 18 overs, provided able support for Willey. By the close the visitors had replied with 107 for 3.Gloucestershire’s County Ground is a building site at the moment with ground development work continuing behind the bowler’s arm at both ends. Perhaps that contributed to a tentative batting display by the hosts, who were 9 for 2 in the seventh over, with Willey having Chris Dent taken in the slips and bowling Dan Housego pushing forward.Michael Klinger was caught behind playing forward to Crook for 23 and, with the ball moving in the air and off the seam, may have regretted his decision to bat. Crook accounted for Alex Gidman, as he was caught at first slip by Andrew Hall and it was 70 for 5 when Hamish Marshall was caught behind off Willey for 8 in the final over before lunch.Will Gidman offered a second catch to Sales to give Willey his fourth wicket and although Benny Howell (31) looked in better form than most, he had his stumps rearranged by Crook pushing forward to make it 111 for 7.Herring and Jack Taylor then put together an attractive stand of 48, which ended when offspinner Middlebrook was introduced into the Northants attack. He accounted for Taylor with the score on 159 as the batsman skied to mid-off. David Payne was then stumped by David Murphy off the medium pace of Hall for a duck.Herring was last man out, stumped advancing down the track to Middlebrook, having hit eight fours in an 81-ball innings of immense promise.The teenager’s good day continued when he dived to catch Kyle Coetzer for 24 off Will Gidman to break a Northants opening stand of 41. Sales pulled a simple catch to mid-wicket off Liam Norwell and departed kicking himself for 5. Then Stephen Peters, on 34, repeated the shot against the same bowler and was brilliantly caught by Will Gidman at mid-on.

Mohammad Ashraful’s Bangladesh team-mates have expressed their surprise at his admission of involvement in match-fixing and spot-fixing during the BPL

Mohammad Isam08-Jun-2013Mohammad Ashraful has continued to be the subject of discussion at all levels of the public sphere in Bangladesh over the last four days. Some of his national team-mates have also weighed in, expressing their surprise at his admission of involvement in match-fixing and spot-fixing during the BPL.Shakib Al Hasan said he had also heard questions about February’s BPL match between Dhaka Gladiators and Chittagong Kings, but wasn’t around the players’ dugout long enough to understand the situation.”After the match everyone was talking about it. The opposition players were asking us, ‘so you’ve thrown the game?’ Shakib told the Dhaka-based . “They were asking questions about Dhaka’s slow batting and the big no-ball (by Gladiators’ Mahbubul Alam).”I was not present in the dugout for too long. I was working on my injury inside the dressing room. Since I didn’t play that game, I can’t be sure how difficult the wicket was for batting.”Shahriar Nafees, a student of the same cricket academy where Ashraful began his career, lauded his courage to speak the truth, but wanted just punishment for the guilty. “This is a sad chapter in Bangladesh cricket.” Nafees said. “I have to compliment his courage to come out and confess. I am feeling bad for him, but if he has committed the crime, he has to be punished appropriately.”Mushfiqur Rahim, Ashraful’s Bangladesh captain for the last two years, sent him a text message that said: ‘Allah will be looking after you for being able to gather the courage to confess your guilt before you die. Thanks for the honesty you have shown and I hope you will again return to the cricket field.’Other team-mates like Enamul Haque jnr and Alok Kapali also spoke out. “I was totally shocked when I read about it in the newspaper,” said Enamul, now playing for Wolverhampton in the Birmingham Cricket League. “It seemed like someone close to you was going far away as I heard his confession.”Kapali, who was among 13 Bangladeshi cricketers who left for the Indian Cricket League in 2008 and was ostracised as a result, had a different message for Ashraful. “I am feeling bad for him but I don’t think we need so much money in our life that we need to get involved in fixing.” Kapali said. “Look at Shakib, he is playing the world over. If you play well, money will follow you.”

The 2013 Champions Trophy has been deemed such a success that it appears highly likely that the competition will be repeated.

George Dobell22-Jun-2013The 2013 Champions Trophy has been deemed such a success that it appears highly likely that the competition will be repeated.The ICC had originally decided to replace the competition with a Test Championship and the 2013 tournament would be the last one. But after excellent crowds and interest from around the world, the ICC are reconsidering that decision and will discuss their options at their annual conference, from June 25-29 in London.The ICC remain keen to promote Test cricket and feel a Test Championship would complement the World T20 and the World Cup and ensure there was a high-profile competition for each of the three formats of the game. While continuing the Champions Trophy would mean there were two global 50-over events, it is now thought there is sufficient difference between the Champions Trophy and the World Cup and sufficient interest from broadcasters for both to survive.The Test Championship is pencilled into the Future Tours Programme (FTP) for a three-week window in June 2017 in the UK. But the concept in its present guise is compromised by the fact that it would involve just four teams – the top four teams in the Test rankings – and would feature only three games: two semi-finals and a final. As such, it would be of less relevance and interest to those nations not participating and may be less attractive to broadcasters. There is little scope in the FTP for a longer event or a change in venue.The ICC privately acknowledges that, even if the event was held successfully in 2017, there is a concern over its sustainability. Among their issues is the possibility that one of the key nations in terms of broadcast revenues, most obviously India, might not always be ranked among the top four Test nations, while there is also a concern that, outside the UK, games between neutral countries may not be well supported. The ICC is keen to avoid a situation where its flagship Test event is played in near-empty stadiums.While the final of the 2013 Champions Trophy is threatened by poor weather, 12 of the 15 games will have had sell-out crowds (defined as a minimum 95% of the ground capacity) with the multicultural population of the UK helping guarantee enthusiastic audiences at most games. Sensible ticket pricing has also played a part.The Champions Trophy has, for much of its existence, been unloved. But the short, sharp format involving only the top eight sides playing for only 18 days in which nearly every game has a consequence has captured the imagination of the cricket-watching public. By contrast, the 2011 World Cup lasted six weeks and featured some tediously one-sided encounters.There is a chance that the 2013 trophy may have to be shared as rain threatens to intervene in the final. Such is the frenetic international schedule it was deemed impossible to allocate reserve days. England and New Zealand, for example, play a T20 on Tuesday, just two days after the Champions Trophy final, while Australia being their Ashes preparations in earnest on Wednesday when they start a four-day match against Somerset.Whatever its faults, the strengths of the Champions Trophy format have been apparent over the last couple of weeks and, as the details of a Test Championship are considered in more detail, the Trophy has arguably never appeared so attractive.

England’s selectors could delay a decision on Kevin Pietersen’s availability for the third Investec Test at Old Trafford when they make an announcement on an expanded squad on Sunday morning

Andrew McGlashan27-Jul-2013England’s selectors are likely to delay a decision on Kevin Pietersen’s availability for the third Investec Test at Old Trafford by naming him in an expanded squad on Sunday morning, which will include batting cover in case his calf strain does not recover.Pietersen has been undergoing extensive treatment since picking up the injury on the second day of the Lord’s Test, and is likely to be given another couple of days to show whether he will be able to get through five days in Manchester. Had these been back-to-back Tests, Pietersen would have been ruled out, but the 10-day break has worked in his favour.England, though, will not take any risks, and are unlikely to be overly concerned should Pietersen’s injury keep him out. He remains a crucial asset to the team, but apart from an important 64 in the second innings at Trent Bridge, has had a stuttering start to the Ashes series, and England will feel they can cover for his absence.James Taylor, currently playing for Sussex against the Australians, remains the leading candidate to provide batting cover (and come into the side if required), and was unbeaten on 64 at the end of the second day.It would be a quirk of fate if it were to be Taylor who replaced Pietersen, given the stories that emerged following his Test debut against South Africa, at Headingley last year, where he had an extended partnership with Pietersen, although may not have overly impressed his senior team-mate.After being abruptly dropped after his two appearances against South Africa, and not even named in the England performance squad at the start of the season, Taylor was told to churn out the runs at domestic level and work on some technical flaws which concerned the selectors, specifically his ability to handle deliveries outside off stump.His performances for Nottinghamshire, where he has made 824 runs at 58.85 in the Championship, mean he has done all he can at county level to make the selectors consider him again.The other batsmen who would perhaps come under consideration all have significant issues against a call-up. Eoin Morgan has yet to play first-class cricket this season (although he did train with England during the Lord’s Test), Ravi Bopara has picked up a side strain which has prevented him from bowling and playing in Essex’s recent Championship match against Leicestershire, while Nick Compton, dropped shortly before the Ashes began, is not a like-for-like middle-order replacement.Given England’s healthy position in the series, and the success of the bowling attack at Lord’s, there is no overwhelming need to tinker with the bowlers, although the conditions at Old Trafford will be taken into consideration. In the past, before the square was turned to face north-south instead of east-west, it was renowned for pace, bounce and, later in the match, spin.The pace element remains a slightly unknown factor on the new pitches – although last year’s Twenty20 against South Africa saw the ball flying through from the quicks – but there has been plenty of evidence that spin remains a key weapon. In Lancashire’s previous Championship game against Glamorgan, Simon Kerrigan, the left-arm spinner, took 12 wickets in the match.Kerrigan’s impressive Championship season where he has taken 44 wickets at 19.72 (making him the leading spinner in the country) continue to mark him out as an England player in waiting, but if a second spinner is required on this occasion it remains likely that the selectors would opt for Monty Panesar especially after his solid showing against the Australians at Hove.At home, however, and even taking into account Australia’s issues against spin, it will take an awful lot for England to select an attack with two spinners, especially while they continue to have an major impact with the reverse swing found by James Anderson and Tim Bresnan. Joe Root, with three important wickets in the series, has also shown he is a more-than-handy option with the ball.Probable squad Alastair Cook (capt), Joe Root, Jonathan Trott, Kevin Pietersen, Ian Bell, Jonny Bairstow, James Taylor, Matt Prior, Tim Bresnan, Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann, James Anderson, Steven Finn, Graham Onions

Former Test umpire SN Hanumantha Rao has died in Bangalore. He was 83 years old

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Jul-2013Former Test umpire SN Hanumantha Rao has died in Bangalore. He was 83 years old. Rao stood in nine Tests and two ODIs from 1978 to 1983. He also went on to become a BCCI match referee. He is survived by his wife, two sons and one daughter.”The president, office bearers and the members of the managing committee of the Karnataka State Cricket Association deeply regret the sad and sudden demise of former Test umpire Sri SN Hanumantha Rao. May his soul rest in peace,” KSCA said in a release.Like it is often with umpires and wicketkeepers, it was a mistake of his that became famous. In his case, though, that mistake was corrected by a fellow Kannadiga, and became a glowing example of sportsmanship. In the Golden Jubilee Test, in Bombay in 1979-80, Rao ruled Bob Taylor out caught at the wicket off the bowling of Kapil Dev. Taylor protested, but walked off. India’s captain, Gundappa Viswanath, fielding at slip, was convinced Taylor had not edged the ball, and persuaded Rao to overturn the decision.Rao agreed, and Taylor was called back. It didn’t matter that the incident came around at a crucial juncture of the Test, and could have reduced England to 143 for 6 in reply to India’s 242. By the time that sixth-wicket partnership ended, England had reached 229. England went on to win the Test by 10 wickets.

England Lions thrashed Bangladesh A by 191 runs in the second unofficial ODI and sealed the three-match series

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Aug-2013
ScorecardMichael Carberry amplified his claim for a place in the England ODI squad for the upcoming series against Australia after battering Bangladesh A for 146 in the second unofficial ODI in Taunton, while James Taylor also made his mark in the game with an unbeaten century to remind the selectors and Lions coach Ashley Giles, just what he was capable of. The visitors, unable to handle yet another deluge of runs, were eventually crushed by 191 runs, as the Lions took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series.Bangladesh were defeated for the seventh consecutive time on tour, and this result was been made even worse by virtue of the fact that their bowlers conceded in excess of 350 for the second straight game as the home side topped Tuesday’s 353 for 4 with another massive score, this time making 367 for 3 after they decided to bat first.Carberry, while at 59, reached an important milestone by crossing 500 runs in both List A and Twenty20 cricket this season. He struck eighteen fours and four sixes in his innings, and added 70 for the first wicket with James Vince.
But his third wicket stand with Taylor was the clincher, as the pair added 185 in just 165 deliveries. Taylor reached his century off the penultimate ball of the innings with a six off Robiul Islam, and ended up on 106 off 100 balls with seven fours and four sixes as the Bangladesh bowlers were handed a hiding.Left-arm spinner Elias Sunny had been the tourists’ most successful bowler on tour, but he was flogged for 95 off his nine overs. Sohag Gazi, Robiul Islam, Al-Amin Hossain and Mominul Haque all went for more than six runs an over, with only Ziaur Rahman bowling tidily and ending with 1 for 41.Captain Jahurul Islam made his first half-century on tour and Naeem Islam scored a 54-ball 31, but with wickets falling at regular intervals, neither batsman was unable to build a significant partnership, as Bangladesh were bowled out for 176 in 44.4 overs.Sussex pacer Chris Jordan was the pick of the bowlers, ending with 4-38, while David Willey, Boyd Rankin, Ben Stokes, Luke Wright and Carberry all notched a wicket each to complete the rout.

South Africa U-19s and India U-19s were victorious on the opening day of the Quadrangular tournament in Visakhapatnam

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Sep-2013Bradley Dial’s all-round display was instrumental in South Africa Under-19s securing a 17-run victory over Australia Under-19s in the first match of the Quadrangular one-day series in Visakhapatnam.Dial’s innings was the sole source of impetus for South Africa, who were 43 for 5 in the 13th over after winning the toss. Matthew Fotia, who has taken 17 wickets in his last seven matches, continued his fine form, claiming all his three wickets in the space of two overs.Dial, however, was resolute, and his 48 off 53 balls included five fours and one six. But South Africa had slipped to 119 for 9 before a last-wicket stand of 60 between No. 11 Andile Phehlukwayo, who made 39 off 38 balls, and Justin Dill took them to a fighting total. South Africa folded for 179 in 44 overs, as legspinner Tom Andrews picked up two wickets.Damien Mortimer and Jaron Morgan set up Australia’s chase with a steady opening partnership, but the introduction of spin caused multiple mini-collapses. From 40 for 0, Australia slipped to 67 for 4 as Yaseen Valli’s offbreaks fetched two wickets in successive overs. Jake Doran kept Australia’s hopes alive with a sedate 35, but once Dial removed Cameron Valante to end the 46-run partnership and then claimed Tom Andrews in the 43rd over, Australia were bowled out for 162.Deepak Hooda powered India Under-19s to 291 in their 50 overs before Kuldeep Yadav took four wickets to set up a massive 148-run win over Zimbabwe Under-19s.Hooda cut lose after a 77-run stand with Sarfaraz Khan was broken in the 45th over. India leaped from 219 for 6 to 291 as Hooda dominated a seventh-wicket stand of 72 runs with Aamir Gani, who contributed only 14. Wicketkeeper Ankush Bains and captain Vijay Zol gave India a solid start, but they wobbled primarily because of Kieran Geyle’s three for 32. Hooda’s 83 off 55 balls, however, with five fours and five sixes, transformed the innings.Zimbabwe’s chase was hampered early when Yadav dismissed the openers with only 36 on the board and their recovery efforts were foiled by the Hooda-Gani combination again. Offspinner Gani’s double-strike in the 31st over accounted for the innings top-scorer Ryan Hurl, for 46, and Luke Jongwe. With the score at 116 for 5, Hooda dismissed Charles Kwinje and later captain Malcolm Lake for 13 and Yadav returned to finish off the tail, claiming two more wickets.

“I want my England place and I think I deserve my England place.” Kevin Pietersen wasted no time in stating his case after a spectacular, unbeaten triple-centur

Tim Wigmore at The Oval11-May-20153:52

‘What more can I do to impress the ECB?’ – Pietersen

“I want my England place and I think I deserve my England place.” Kevin Pietersen wasted no time in stating his case after a spectacular, unbeaten triple-century – the highest score of his career – increased the clamour for the ECB to reverse the decision made to sack him more than a year ago.Pietersen confirmed he would meet with Andrew Strauss – his former England team-mate and the ECB’s newly appointed director of cricket – and Tom Harrison, the ECB chief executive, on Monday evening for a meeting that could prove critical in determining his international future. “That is a private matter. There is a meeting this evening but I am not one for giving anything away,” Pietersen said.”I was thinking about it while batting and, given the pressure I was under this morning, that is one of my best innings I have ever played, purely because I knew that tomorrow there is a press conference and there were things happening this evening. I needed to answer any questions with runs on the deck. Goodness 326 is a pretty good argument.”Pietersen’s innings came the day before Strauss was due to be unveiled at Lord’s and shortly after Peter Moores’ removal as head coach. Giles Clarke, an implacable opponent, is also about to be replaced as ECB chairman.Andrew Strauss looms as the man to decide Kevin Pietersen’s chances of an England return•AFP

“They say timing is everything. Strauss has come in, there is a new chairman on Friday and there has to be a new coach now Moores has gone and it is an interesting time,” Pietersen said. “What more can I do? I was told to get a county, I was told to score runs and I have always said since my knee was sorted that if my knee is good I will play well. I am not being paid any money here and I am dedicated to getting my England place back.”As a batter you get judged on hundreds you get. I always wanted to get 50 first-class hundreds and to have ticked that off as well today was pretty special. The more you bat the better you see the ball and because of the fields they placed with every man on the boundary for two hours it was about managing my patience.” He also praised the batting of Chris Tremlett and Matt Dunn, who he shared century partnerships with. “It is not just the 300 runs I got,” he said. “There are two Surrey lads there who have been outstanding today. I just had a beer with them upstairs because you do not get anywhere without your team-mates and they were outstanding today.”But Pietersen confirmed that he would go to play in the last stages of the IPL should Sunrisers Hyderabad qualify – something made more likely by their victory over Kings XI Punjab on Monday. “If they get to the play-offs then I think I will go next week,” he said.Pietersen was particularly enthusiastic when asked about the possibility of Jason Gillespie being appointed as Moores’ successor as England coach. “All the Yorkshire guys I have spoken to have said he is a brilliant man manager, he is very relaxed, he is not in your face but he does the right things,” Pietersen said.”He is a strict disciplinarian, which you need to be to do your job. If you want to go out there and take wickets or score runs you have to be a strict disciplinarian. I have done that my whole career. I have never missed a bus or worn the wrong clothes. I have always trained hard because I want to be successful on the field. I don’t know who is going to get the job but I am willing to work with whoever gets the job.”

Ben Raine returned career-best figures of 5 for 48 in 18 overs as Leicestershire took the honours on a rain-affected day at Chelmsford.

ECB/PA31-May-2015
ScorecardBen Raine claimed his career-best figures on a good day for Leicestershire•PA Photos

Ben Raine returned career-best figures of 5 for 48 in 18 overs as Leicestershire took the honours on a rain-affected day at Chelmsford. Taking full advantage of overcast conditions and a greenish pitch, the right-arm paceman posed problems to all the Essex batsmen to fully justify skipper Mark Cosgrave’s decision to insert his rivals.Raine’s main weapon was swing and he could have reaped a bigger harvest so often did he beat the bat, sometimes with deliveries that lifted awkwardly. He embarked upon his destructive course by removing Tom Westley and Jaik Mickleburgh in successive overs after the pair had shared in a second-wicket stand of 43 following the loss of Nick Browne, who was caught in the slip cordon in Clint McKay’s first over of the day.Westley was trapped lbw for 27 while Mickleburgh was bowled for 16 following resistance of just over an hour that spanned 40 deliveries. Raine later had Jesse Ryder well caught on the deep fine leg boundary by Ned Eckersley, the New Zealander making 38, the top-score of the home side’s innings. Ryan ten Doeschate and James Foster were his other victims as Essex, who gave a first-class debut to 20 year-old slow left-arm bowler Aron Nijjar, were left still seeking their first batting point of the season at Chelmsford in their third match on the ground.Ravi Bopara’s hopes of making an impact were quickly ended by McKay when a loose shot presented wicketkeeper Lewis Hill with an easy catch with just four runs to his name.Apart from Westley and Ryder, Graham Napier was the only other batsman to top 20. He struck five boundaries in his 29 before he was caught at second slip to give Charlie Shreck his solitary success. That was a wicket that ended a partnership of 54 with Ryder, the pair joining forces with their side deep in trouble at 67 for 6. McKay finished with 2 for 42 while offspinner Jigar Naik claimed the final two wickets at a cost of nine runs in 8.3 overs.On a day when 27 overs were lost to rain and bad light, Leicestershire’s openers Matt Boyce and Angus Robson reached the close on 28 without loss from seven overs to complete a rewarding day in their quest to end a sequence of 37 Championship matches without a victory.”I haven’t had many five-fors in my life, to be honest, coming from a batting background,” Raine said. “So it’s nice to get my first one for Leicestershire and I can only hope that it’s the first of many. I’d roll that pitch up and take it with me everywhere I went if I could. This morning, the constant drizzle kept that bit of life in it although in the afternoon it got a bit better to bat on.”Essex head coach Paul Grayson said: “It was certainly a good toss to win and we would have bowled first had we had the opportunity. Credit to Raine – he used the conditions well.”