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Andy Roberts called on the board president Julian Hunte and the chief executive Ernerst Hilaire to resign and was also critical of the way the WIPA approaches its role

Sriram Veera03-May-2011Andy Roberts, the former West Indies fast bowler, has said that the West Indies cricket board needs a complete overhaul if the region’s cricket is to improve. He called on the board president Julian Hunte and the chief executive Ernerst Hilaire to resign and was also critical of the way the West Indies players’ association approaches its role. Roberts said today’s players spend too much time in the gym and not enough time in the nets.Having coached West Indies in the 1996 World Cup and been on the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) cricket committee as recently as 2008, Roberts understands how the existing system functions, and lashed out at the board, saying they were damaging cricket in the Caribbean. “The board does what it pleases them,” Roberts told ESPNcricinfo. “They don’t have a clue how to move West Indies cricket forward. They don’t have a clue. Some of the board members should resign otherwise the same problems will keep appearing in the future also.”When asked specifically if he thinks Hunte and Hilaire should resign, Roberts said, “Both should resign. Some of the top people in the board should resign. We need a different approach.”The West Indies board recently decided to take cricket in the region in a new direction with an emphasis on playing younger players as the last 15 years have not produced significant improvements. Roberts, however, warned that this “new direction” could lead West Indies cricket into another cul-de-sac. “Fifteen years is a long time and we haven’t seen much progress but if we don’t change the current approach, another 15 years will go down the drain.”He feels that the board is erring by just focusing on a few players rather than thinking of developing cricket at the grassroots levels across the entire region. “You can’t just concentrate on few players playing in the Test team. I have been saying this from 1995. The problem is that the board seems to view few players as the problem in West Indies cricket. That is wrong. The entire cricket in our region is in a mess. It’s not about [Ramnaresh] Sarwan, [Shivnarine] Chanderpaul, [Chris] Gayle or [Dinanath] Ramnarine. Don’t focus on two or three players.”Focus on the lack of development of cricket and lack of advancement in players across the region. For 15 years, they have been just trying to focus on few players in Tests and haven’t done much for the development of the game. Develop the regional sides, improve the system.”He believes that the real truth behind the on-going controversy between the board and some of the senior players might never be known. Gayle and Chanderpaul weren’t selected for the Pakistan series, with Chanderpaul claiming the selectors asked him to retire, while Sarwan was only drafted in for the fourth ODI. “We have three sides on this issue – your side, my side and the truth. I don’t think we will ever know the truth. Both parties have been presenting different versions.”However, Roberts thinks Chanderpaul should retire from the one-day cricket and focus solely on Test cricket. “It’s not totally clear whether the selectors asked him to retire from all forms of cricket. Personally, I think Chanderpaul should retire from one-day cricket and focus on Tests. West Indies needs him in Tests.”At the same time, he thinks the board has not handled the situation properly. “I am not clear on the Gayle issue. Both parties’ version differs so much. I wouldn’t like to comment without knowing the truth but all I can say is that it’s not being handled properly.”Roberts also had some advice for the WIPA, which he thinks is too focused on the monetary rewards from cricket rather than the quality of the players. “The president [Ramnarine] needs to get the players to improve their cricket. If they are good enough, they will get the money. If they aren’t good, there will be confrontation and trouble as you are asking for something you don’t deserve. The players should focus on setting their game right. Else we shall just keep having these problems.”

The board does what it pleases them. They don’t have a clue how to move West Indies cricket forward

The players did not escape criticism either, mostly for their attitude to personal development. “My advice to the players is to look at their cricket and take personal development seriously,” Roberts said. “Work on the attitude, skill, fitness, technique and work on them yourselves. Don’t wait for the board to do it. Don’t indulge in blame game. If the players can improve their skills to the highest level, and improve the attitude, West Indies cricket will improve. They have to change their attitude. That can only come from within.”The emphasis on fitness at the expense of actual cricketing skills has led Roberts to believe the thinking in West Indies cricket has sunk to a new low. “The new thinking is not the old way. I know cricket has changed, thinking has changed but the basics are the same. The technique remains the same. You can’t hold the ball across the seam and hope to bowl outswingers, for example.”He was critical of the approach of some players and the atmosphere fostered by the board that makes the players act in that manner. “Attitude and work ethic has changed. Lots of players don’t practice cricket much. Some spend more time in the gym than in the nets.”I heard Gayle being quoted as saying that the board says, ‘If you are not fit, you can’t play for West Indies’. That’s not the wholesome approach. If you aren’t technically and mentally good, and physical fit, then you can’t play at the highest level. Less time in the gym and more time in nets is what is needed.”

Chris Gayle continues to be ignored for selection following an unproductive meeting with the WICB management on and has been left out from the squad for the first Test against India

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Jun-2011Chris Gayle continues to be ignored for selection following an unproductive meeting with the WICB management on June 14 and has been left out of the squad for the first Test against India at Sabina Park. The only change to the squad chosen for the St. Kitts Test against Pakistan is Trinidad opener Adrian Barath replacing Barbados opener Kraigg Brathwaite. This meant there was no place for allrounder Dwayne Bravo as well.Bravo had skipped the Test series against Pakistan, after playing the ODIs, to play the IPL. He returned for the one-day series against India and played the first two games before asking to be rested for the remaining three. Bravo had said he wanted to “refocus, reflect” and “rejoin the team for the beginning of the Test series.” Apart from Bravo, there was also no place for allrounder Andre Russell, who impressed during the one-dayers against India.Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who missed the second Test against Pakistan because of injury and was omitted from the limited-overs matches against India, was included in the squad. The WICB, however, said it would meet with Chanderpaul before the first Test.”Following communications between WICB management and Chanderpaul over the past weeks the WICB management and team management will meet with Shivnarine Chanderpaul prior to the Test,” the board said. “The WICB management and team management will outline to Chanderpaul the WICB’s expectations of him in his future participation in the West Indies team as a player.”Barath had suffered a hamstring injury in the lead-up to the 2011 World Cup and had been out of action since. He made his return in the final ODI against India at Sabina Park. The first Test against India begins on June 20.Squad: Darren Sammy (capt), Brendan Nash, Adrian Barath, Carlton Baugh (wk), Devendra Bishoo, Darren Bravo, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Fidel Edwards, Ravi Rampaul, Kemar Roach, Marlon Samuels, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Lendl Simmons.

Afghanistan captain Nawroz Mangal has said that his side’s tour of Pakistan would help in re-opening the gates of international cricket to the country

ESPNcricinfo staff24-May-2011Afghanistan captain Nawroz Mangal has said that his side’s tour of Pakistan would help in re-opening the gates of international cricket to the country. “This trip of Afghanistan to Pakistan is a support to Pakistani cricket,” Mangal told .Afghanistan will play a three-match one-day series against Pakistan A with the first match in Islamabad on May 25, and are the first foreign side to visit Pakistan since the Lahore attacks on Sri Lanka’s cricketers and support staff in March 2009.The series is being played even as Sri Lanka expressed reservations about visiting Pakistan after the PCB sounded out their Sri Lankan counterpart on the possibility of a tour in October.PCB chairman Ijaz Butt hoped that the Afghanistan tour would pave the way for more foreign teams coming to Pakistan. “We want to send a message to the world that Pakistan is a safe place to play cricket and the people of Pakistan would welcome any team coming here,” Butt said.Apart from doing their bit towards the return of international cricket to Pakistan, Afghanistan are also hoping to get more games against quality opposition, something that hasn’t been happening regularly despite their rapid strides in international cricket. Afghanistan have progressed in 2009 from ICC Division Five to Division One and also secured one-day status the same year. They also won the ICC Intercontinental Cup in 2010, and qualified for the 2010 World Twenty20 in the West Indies.”We are here for ourselves because we don’t get international matches as an Associate member,” Rashid Latif, Afghanistan coach and former Pakistan wicketkeeper, said.Afghanistan shocked a second-string Pakistan side in the semi-finals of the Asian Games Twenty20 event in China last year and Mangal said that result proved his team had the ability to beat anyone. “Asian Games was the biggest ever thing that happened in our cricketing history,” Mangal said. “Playing against Pakistan A is also the biggest chance for us, we can show talent to the cricketing world.””We can request the ICC or any other cricketing authority to give us some more matches against Test playing nations and hopefully we will play (the full-strength) Pakistan team one day here in Pakistan as well.”Mangal recalled his days playing cricket during his stay in refugee camps in Pakistan during the Soviet war in the 1980s. “I still remember those days when I was immigrant here during the Soviet war. We learnt cricket here and it’s a gift we took back home.”Latif said Afghanistan has at least 120-125 players who compete in regional tournaments in the war-ravaged country. “Out of these at least 30-35 are capable of playing against Associate nations,” Latif said. “Not many people have seen us in action on the cricketing field, but I hope we will give good competition to Pakistan A.”Pakistan A will be led by left-arm fast bowler Sohail Tanvir and have international players like Umar Amin and wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed.

India swooped into a strong position after yet another West Indian batting failure, to finish 164 ahead by stumps on the second day

The Bulletin by Siddarth Ravindran21-Jun-2011
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were outAdrian Barath’s half-century was the only bright spot for West Indies on a day dominated by the visitors•Associated PressOn another bowlers’ day in Kingston, India swooped into a strong position after yet another West Indian batting failure, and finished 164 ahead in what is shaping up as a low-scoring Test. On a Sabina Park track that had so much turn that the spinners were wondering how to keep the ball on the stumps, the Indian fast bowlers – debutant Praveen Kumar and Ishant Sharma – knocked West Indies over for 173. Adrian Barath played his shots in a battling half-century but there was little from the rest of the top order.Praveen was India’s star in the morning session, though it was Ishant who made the first breakthrough, removing Ramnaresh Sarwan with his first ball of the day. With Harbhajan Singh getting the ball to spin and bounce, more early wickets looked likely but two of West Indies’ emerging batting stars – Barath and Darren Bravo – defied the bowling for over an hour.Initially the runs weren’t easily available as Ishant cranked up the pace, but Barath broke free with a bunch of boundaries. Bravo too seemed to settle in, with an impressive on-the-up cover drive off Ishant, but followed it up with two nervy moments in the same over: Suresh Raina dropped a dying edge at third slip, and the next delivery reared up and nearly took the the edge.The pair survived some more close calls, and with the first hour of the day negotiated, Barath decided to open out. Amit Mishra, the most impressive Indian bowler in the one-dayers, was greeted with a loft over long-on to bring up Barath’s fifty, and the next delivery was launched into the stands in the same direction.A change of ends for Praveen, though, transformed the session. In his first over from the Michael Holding End, he produced the ball of the morning – slanting in towards off before bouncing and jagging away, forcing Barath to play, and nick to the keeper. For a bowler who has had a long wait to make the Test grade, it was a maiden wicket to savour.That was only the start of a spell in which he bagged three wickets in 14 deliveries. The other settled batsman, Bravo, was the next to go, with the off-stump line and the movement again resulting in a catch behind. West Indies still had two of their most adhesive batsmen at the crease, but Praveen separated them with a straight delivery to Brendan Nash, that took the leading edge to slips.Praveen’s day was blotted a touch as he was suspended from bowling soon after lunch, on getting his third warning for running on the danger area. India had started the second session poorly, sending down too many leg-side deliveries. Praveen’s exit and Shivnarine Chanderpaul’s presence at the crease gave West Indies fresh hope.Smart stats

West Indies’ 173 is their fourth total below 200 in the team first innings in Tests since the start of 2008. They have lost on each of the previous three occasions.

Praveen Kumar’s 3 for 38 is the best bowling figures by an Indian on debut against West Indies since Narendra Hirwani, who picked up 8 for 61 and 8 for 75 in Chennai in 1988.

After a strong start to his Test career, M Vijay has scored just one century and one half-century in his last 12 innings at an average of 29.50.

Rahul Dravid’s aggregate in Jamaica is the most by an Indian batsman. He has scored 363 runs in eight innings in Jamaica at an average of 60.50 with three half-centuries.

This is only the fifth occasion that India have taken a lead in a Test in the West Indies after batting first, and only the second time after scoring less than 300.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul was dismissed for the first time in Tests by Harbhajan Singh, after facing 575 balls and scoring 203 runs off him.

The three Indian specialist bowlers, however, stepped up in Praveen’s absence. Ishant harried the batsmen with his accuracy, and the variable bounce and generous turn kept the batsmen wary against the spinners. Still, Carlton Baugh and Chanderpaul put on 45 before Harbhajan had Baugh tentatively poking to silly point. He removed Chanderpaul for the first time in Tests soon after, getting him to inside-edge onto the pads for an easy catch at short leg. There was some resistance from the tail-enders, though their efforts weren’t enough to prevent West Indies from conceding a hefty lead.India’s batsmen then set about stretching that lead, and led the side to a comfortable position despite ducks for two of their top four. M Vijay was lbw to a short Ravi Rampaul delivery that was unplayable, rising little above knee-high. VVS Laxman had a rare double failure as his attempt to get off the mark by punching Darren Sammy down the ground ended up as a return catch.Sammy latched on to that one, but put down one he will regret. He fluffed a simple chance at second slip – nice height, close to his body – to give Rahul Dravid a life on 6. Dravid went on to play his second important innings of the match. While these may not be in the league of 2006 Jamaican masterclasses that secured the series for India, Dravid again showcased his patience, judgment and tenacity, to finish unbeaten on 45.In difficult conditions, he and Abhinav Mukund added 56 for the second wicket. Mukund played a cautious hand, rarely trying anything extravagant as he looked to make an impact on debut. It was slow progress, but having negotiated the bowling for nearly two hours, he lost his concentration soon after a drinks break in the final session, feathering Bishoo behind.The other Indian debutant Virat Kohli had flopped in the first innings, and didn’t have the most comfortable of times in the hour he had till stumps. With a barrage of bouncers coming his way, he was involved in a tussle with Fidel Edwards. Kohli blew a mock kiss whenever Edwards stared him down after sending down a short ball.With Dravid at his unyielding best and the pitch remaining a brute, India will be thrilled at the quick turnaround in the fortunes after the top-order collapse on the first morning.

A barnstorming 66-run partnership between Kieron Pollard and Jos Buttler helped Somerset book their place for Finals Day for the third year running with a five-wicket win at Trent Bridge

The Report by George Dobell at Trent Bridge07-Aug-2011
Scorecard
Kieron Pollard thrashed four sixes in his unbeaten 47•Getty ImagesKieron Pollard will probably never win over all his critics. Some doubt his technique; some doubt his temperament and some are just plain jealous. But whatever the 24-year-old Trinidadian Pollard does or doesn’t achieve in international cricket or even at first-class level, he really is a devastating Twenty20 cricketer.Here, in partnership with the equally impressive Jos Buttler, Pollard helped Somerset snatch victory from a Nottinghamshire team that had been in control throughout this quarter-final. As a result it is Somerset and not Nottinghamshire that will be at Edgbaston for Finals Day on August 27.The pair thumped 66 runs in 26 balls, with Pollard’s savagery complemented by Buttler’s subtlety, as Somerset sealed a six-wicket victory with five deliveries to spare. The pair thrashed six sixes and six fours between them as a Nottinghamshire attack, immaculate up to that point, suddenly wilted under pressure when it mattered most.To be fair to the hosts, batsmen such as Pollard and Buttler, players who hit decent deliveries to or even over the boundary, can intimidate bowlers. Buttler moves across his stumps and plays the scoop shot over fine leg so effectively that even yorkers can be hit for six, while Pollard’s immense strength and bat speed mean there is no margin for error for any bowler. Even Andre Adams, so often the leader of this Notts attack, was plundered for 20 in an over as his attempted yorkers became juicy full tosses. And no-one hits a full toss harder – or further – than Pollard.Perhaps Nottinghamshire really lost this game between the 10th and 14th overs of their own innings. While they accumulated nicely enough to score 32 runs in those five overs, they lacked the power hitting that so benefited Somerset. Subtlety is all well and good, but Twenty20 cricket is more about the sledgehammer than the suggestion.Until that point, Alex Hales had been progressing well. The 22-year-old, who really must be close to selection for one of the England limited-overs squads, played particularly well off the back foot, hitting three sixes including one pull off Pollard that cleared the Fox Road Stand.Until Chris Read, a hugely under-rated limited-overs ‘finisher’, came to the crease in the 17th over, however, no-one else in the Notts side could bat with the required urgency. Samit Patel and Adam Voges scored at a run a ball, which just isn’t enough, and Adams’ perky contribution came too late to make a difference.Somerset were not, perhaps, absolutely at their best with the ball. But their fielding was excellent – head and shoulders above anything seen in Saturday’s quarter-final at Grace Road, while their spinners ensured Nottinghamshire’s total never grew unassailable. Arul Suppiah, in particular, impressed in conceding just 13 from his three overs.Still, the way Nottinghamshire’s bowlers began, it seemed Somerset wouldn’t get anywhere near their target. Luke Fletcher, who earlier this season was suspended when a night of drinking went a little too far, bowled an immaculate first spell. Fletcher, ignoring the overdone fashion for endless slower balls and variations, produced yorker after yorker, eventually forcing Marcus Trescothick into a desperate scoop shot that resulted in a brilliant one-handed catch by Adams at fine leg.Craig Kieswetter and Peter Trego kept Somerset in the chase but, when the former drove to mid-off and the latter was drawn down the wicket and beaten by turn, it left Somerset requiring 64 from the final 31 balls.Perhaps, had Riki Wessels hung on to a desperately tough chance at point offered by Buttler when the batsman had just 14, Notts might have held on. But, as it was, Buttler and Pollard brought up their 50 stand in just 18 balls, with Pollard driving Patel for one huge six into the top of the Radcliffe Road Stand and Buttler scooping a perfectly respectable Darren Pattinson delivery for six over fine leg. If Notts looked a little ragged in the closing moments, it’s only because the batting tore them apart.There was just a moment of silliness between Pollard and Fletcher, when the pair seemed to barge one another and exchange harsh words, but hands were shaken and apologies made afterwards and it would be a shame if a minor incident were to detract from another highly entertaining – and high quality – game of cricket.This result leaves Nottinghamshire with just an outside chance of CB40 success to sustain any trophy hopes in the closing weeks of the season. As a result, Voges now heads back to Australia so Notts hope to replace him as an overseas player within the next few days. Darren Bravo is understood to be in line to replace him.Somerset, meanwhile, could yet win all three trophies. After their unfortunate finish to the 2010 season, few would resent them some success. But, before Somerset supporters grow too excited about the prospect of the Champions League, it’s worth remembering that they would, almost certainly, have to do without Trescothick, Kieswetter, Pollard, Thomas and Kartik if they qualified. All are likely to be either unavailable or required by other teams.

Durham’s attempt to regain the County Championship that they won in 2008 and 2009 may not be over but it has grown significantly more difficult after Nottinghamshire, sent them home with a third defeat in four matches

Jon Culley at Trent Bridge24-Aug-2011
Scorecard
Mark Stoneman’s battling 74 couldn’t save Durham from defeat•Getty ImagesDurham’s attempt to regain the County Championship that they won in 2008 and 2009 may not be over but it has grown significantly more difficult after Nottinghamshire, who took the title from them last season, sent them home with a third defeat in four matches.Chasing 321 for the victory that would take them ahead of Lancashire again, they were bowled out for 253 as Notts achieved their aim of proving then can still have a say in determining the outcome of this year’s title race.Chris Read’s side conceded some weeks ago that the pennant would be flying elsewhere next season but have not given up hope of claiming a share of the prize money by finishing in the top four. Moreover, they can have more influence on who takes first place when they face Warwickshire at Edgbaston in their penultimate game.Durham remain 10 points behind Lancashire and have only two matches left. The other contenders, which still include Somerset as well as Warwickshire, all have three.”We are not out of it,” their director of cricket, Geoff Cook, said. “Of course it depends on other results, but it is vital that we lick our wounds and put in two performances befitting of a side near the top of the league. But realistically it is going to be tough for us now.”In theory, Durham had two days in which to chase down the further 301 they needed when they resumed on 20 for 1 but while Cook insisted this Trent Bridge pitch has been a good one, most of the batsmen seemed to treat it with suspicion and there are not enough modern players with the patience to apply themselves for long periods.There is a tendency for batsmen to play surfaces with variable bounce and sideways movement as if one ball will inevitably have their name on it and this seems all too often to prompt somewhat gung-ho tactics.It was no real surprise then that, one down for 20 overnight, Durham lost a wicket to the fourth ball of the day when Michael di Venuto edged the ever-threatening Andre Adams to wicketkeeper Read.They suffered another setback in the fifth over when nightwatchman Mitch Claydon was trapped on the crease by the same bowler but the next pair did produce the level of application needed to give Durham a chance of pulling it off.Paul Collingwood’s willingness to leave balls he need not play hardly came as a surprise but it must have pleased Cook to see the much younger Mark Stoneman follow his example. The 24-year-old and the 35-year-old combined in easily the longest partnership of the match, grittily negotiating 27 overs through to lunch without further loss and adding 83 runs. It brought the target down to 203 which, with seven wickets in hand and the pitch flattening out, was one that , with due care, was not out of reach.But the good work was undone when Collingwood was out to the fourth ball of the afternoon, driving at Darren Pattinson but not quite getting to the pitch of the ball. Read took the catch.The blow was compounded by the loss soon afterwards of Dale Benkenstein, who got into a tangle in an attempted pull when Adams made one lift and come back at him, sending the ball skywards off a top edge, Read running around from behind the stumps to take the catch square of the wicket.There was still batting to come but, psychologically, the balance was now with Notts, more so after Stoneman met an unlucky end. Having grafted magnificently for more than three hours for his 74, he jammed down on a full length ball from Luke Fletcher but succeeded only in diverting it onto his stumps via a boot.The rest of the damage was done by the left-arm spinner, Graeme White, whose contribution to only his 13th first-class match has demonstrated that he has more to offer than just a role in one-day and Twenty20 games.He supplemented his three wickets in the first innings by taking the last four in the second, landing two telling blows when, for the second time in the match, he took a brilliant return catch to dismiss Ian Blackwell and then trapped Phil Mustard leg before.Mark Wood, the debutant bowler who had been made to suffer at times in his first discipline, acquitted himself rather well by taking a positive approach with the bat but in the end was stranded on 45 after Callum Thorp holed out when Steven Mullaney held a steepling catch behind the bowler and Read pulled off a characteristically adroit stumping to remove Ruel Brathwaite.”Stoneman and Collingwood played really well and it is disappointing that our main men were not able to take us a bit closer to the target but Notts bowled very well, in particular Andre Adams, exploiting Geoff Boycott’s corridor of uncertainty,” Cook added. “The fact that the game finished in three days reflected some poor batting and good bowling rather than anything in the pitch.”Durham had looked favourites to win a third title in four years when they went 23 points clear in June, having done the double over Warwickshire and Lancashire, but have since lost momentum and the absence of Ben Stokes and Graham Onions on England duty this week – and, potentially, for the rest of the season should they be retained for the India series – could not have come at a worse moment.”I never really felt it was in our grasp because we were always a game ahead,” Cook said. “We had played some good cricket up to then but people like Lancashire had played on some good wickets to get results on and Warwickshire have played some excellent cricket too, and after all 23 points is only one win, which is cancelled out really quickly.”

ESPNcricinfo previews the Irani Cup match between Rest of India and Rajasthan in Jaipur

The Preview by Siddhartha Talya30-Sep-2011Match factsOctober 1, Jaipur
Start time 0930 IST (0400 GMT)Had they not been involved in the Champions League, Virat Kohli and Suresh Raina could have been part of the Rest of India team•Getty ImagesBig PictureNot for the first time the first first-class game of the Indian domestic season will be reduced to a sideshow. Last year, the Irani Cup clashed with Australia’s two-Test series in India, and this time it will fight a losing battle with the four-day game’s ultimate foe, Twenty20 cricket. It’s not so much a battle for hearts and minds of most of Indian cricket fans – that appears to have been settled – but one for putting the best team available on the field.

Many who would presumably have found a place in the Rest of India squad for the Irani Cup are representing their IPL franchises in the Champions League Twenty20. Those yet to prove a point in Test cricket, Suresh Raina and Virat Kohli for example, are unavailable, and so are those who could have a Test future – R Ashwin and S Badrinath.Fans are not the only ones neglecting the start of the first-class season. The Irani Cup could have done without the selection fiasco that raised questions about the selectors’ professionalism and their communication with state associations vis-à-vis the availability of players. At a time when Indian domestic cricket is struggling to stay relevant to the needs of upcoming cricketers in the wake of other, more lucrative, options, the selection blunders and the scheduling are all the more concerning.For many players with an eye on India’s international assignments in the months to come, this is the first opportunity to attract attention. Seven members of Rest of India are part of India’s ODI squad against England, and will also be keen to stake their claim for the home series against West Indies in November.Ajinkya Rahane impressed in the limited-overs games in England, and his selection owed much to his prolific run in the previous domestic season, during which he averaged 87 in the Ranji Trophy. He’s part of a strong squad with an attacking batting line-up – Manish Pandey was the fourth-highest run-getter in 2010-11, the captain Parthiv Patel is back in the Indian squad and opener Shikhar Dhawan will want to make a return to the national side.The bowlers will be under greater scrutiny. Many would have liked to have a look at the Jharkhand seamer Varun Aaron during the ODIs in England, and he is likely to share the new ball with Umesh Yadav, who had a satisfactory tour with India Emerging Players to Australia and is in the ODI squad against England. Rahul Sharma, the legspinner, shone in this year’s IPL and won a national call-up, and joins the race for the regular spinner’s spot in the absence of Harbhajan Singh.Rest of India’s opponents, Rajasthan, made history by winning the Ranji Trophy for the first time but had problems in the build-up to this match. Pankaj Singh and Deepak Chahar, the seamers who took 20 wickets in three Super League games and 63 in the Plate League, have suffered injuries. Pankaj is out – he was replaced by Aniket Choudhary – while Chahar reportedly split the webbing of his palm, but may play. The veterans Aakash Chopra and Hrishikesh Kanitkar are key to the batting line-up and Rajasthan will hope Ashok Menaria and Rashmi Parida, who are returning from injuries, perform in the middle order.Players to watch out for…Abhinav Mukund made 620 runs in nine Ranji Trophy games last season, but had difficulty against the moving ball in the Tests in the West Indies and England. Abhinav will feel he could have had a better start to international cricket, and with the home series against West Indies coming up, he’s back in friendlier batting conditions. Vacancies may fill up with the return of Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir, but he won’t want to waste time getting into the groove should an opportunity arise.Ashok Menaria led India in the 2010 Under-19 World Cup, and after recovering from injury was elected by Rajasthan for the Ranji Trophy quarter-finals last season. He answered their call with centuries in each knockout game. He has had a run in the IPL, cracked 112 in a high-scoring game in the Emerging Players Tournament, and also bowls left-arm spin. Against a formidable Rest of India line-up, much may depend on how Menaria delivers for Rajasthan.Pitch and conditionsThe track at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur reportedly has some grass on it, and Parthiv didn’t mind that. “We have three very good medium-pacers in side in Varun Aaron, Umesh Yadav and R Vinay Kumar. So, we are not concerned about the grass,” he told .”This time it has more grass on it. Last year, it turned out to be a run feast but I hope it is a sporting one this time,” Rajasthan captain Kanitkar said. “We did not have any say in it and the chairman of the BCCI pitch committee was here to supervise.”Stats and trivia Rest of India have won the Irani Cup in 10 of the previous 12 seasons. The Irani Cup became the curtain-raiser for the Indian domestic season after 1965-66; until then it used to be played at the end of the season.Quotes”To be realistic, it was an unbelievable performance and it would be hard to repeat it. We wish to take one step at a time and it is too early say anything. We have stuck to routine preparations and had a 16-17 day camp.”

Graeme Smith, South Africa Test captain, batted for the first time in a competitive match since undergoing a knee operation in July

Firdose Moonda01-Oct-2011South Africa Test captain Graeme Smith, batted for the first time in a competitive match since undergoing a knee operation in July. Smith was ruled out of the Cape Cobras squad for the Champions League to complete rehabilitation on his knee, which he injured while playing for the Pune Warriors in April this year.Smith collided with Rahul Sharma while fielding against the Kochi Tuskers Kerala and had to bat with a runner, a practice that has subsequently been outlawed, later in the match. He played two more games for Pune but left the competition before its completion. Smith complained of discomfort after that, went under the knife and started batting against the hard ball in mid-August.It was only on Saturday that Smith was able to get some game time, during a 20-over match for Claremont Cricket Club against Belville in Cape Town. He occupied the crease for seven overs and scored 20 runs, including two fours. “It was great to be back in the middle,” Smith said. “I hit some nice straight and cover drives and it was also important to start running sharply between the wickets again.”He is due to play another T20 game for Claremont next weekend and may turn out for his provincial side Western Province midweek. There is no opportunity for Smith to play franchise cricket because the Cobras’ first fixture of the season is on October 13, the same day as South Africa begin their series against Australia.Smith stepped down as T20 captain in August last year and as ODI captain after World Cup but remains available for selection in all three formats. His presence will be a much-needed one after AB de Villiers, who named Smith’s successor in limited-overs formats, broke his finger and was ruled out of the T20 and ODI series. There has been some talk of Smith returning to the captaincy, but that seems unlikely with Hashim Amla, the appointed vice-captain, waiting in the wings.

Salman Butt, after experiencing his tenth and most difficult day of the alleged spot-fixing trial yet on Tuesday, was accused by the prosecution of lying to the jury

Richard Sydenham at Southwark Crown Court18-Oct-2011Salman Butt, after experiencing his tenth and most difficult day of the alleged spot-fixing trial yet on Tuesday, was accused by the prosecution of lying to the jury after being forced to answer several awkward and uncomfortable questions.Butt was in the witness box for over five hours and will have to take the stand again on Wednesday as Aftab Jafferjee QC for the prosecution has not yet even reached the three no-balls in question on which alone the jury have been ordered to base their verdict.Butt was asked about his little blue book, which was found in the suitcase that police discovered in his hotel room on the night of the raids on the third evening of the Lord’s Test. It contained all his scribblings about income, expenditure and money “still to be received” and Jafferjee used the contents of that pocket-sized notepad to grill Butt.He was asked why it did not mention the £30,000 that Butt was due from an apparent bat sticker deal with Majeed’s company Capital Cricket. “It’s up to me about what to write and what not to write. It’s my diary,” Butt replied, becoming agitated many times by Jafferjee’s probing. Often he turned to the female interpreter to convey his thoughts when things became very tense.Jafferjee quizzed Butt on why he withdrew US$181,000 from his Bank Alfalah account in Lahore on the day of his police interview on September 3, days after the scandal had broken in the media. Butt has transferred the amount into his mother’s account.”It might have happened on the same day as my interview but it was not something that I aimed to happen on the same day,” Butt answered. “I can’t explain why (I withdrew it). You are trying to portray something else, but you don’t know anything about the Muslim culture,” Butt snapped as Jafferjee continued to poke at the topic.He added: “We didn’t know how long we were going to be here (in England),” Butt said. “We were being investigated by the police and we didn’t know if we would be allowed to leave.”Jafferjee also questioned Butt on his relationship with Majeed and asked why he tolerated the agent, even though Butt has revealed to the court that Majeed would send him text messages that suggested Butt would help him fix matches. Butt had already told the jury on Monday that he confronted Majeed about these and the agent said he was testing him. But Jafferjee then raised further text messages that suggested Butt tolerated Majeed’s behaviour and concluded they shared a “corrupt relationship”.Jafferjee also quizzed Butt on why he spent so much money on luxury watches. Butt admitted to buying a £12,500 Rolex, a £5,000 Bulgari watch, $6,000 on a Tag Heuer in India while playing in the Indian Premier League – that purchase despite a 40 per cent discount being given – $5,000 on an Omega watch from Dubai and $12,000 on a Breitling. Butt agreed that he liked to buy luxury goods but argued that they were investments because he would make money also when he eventually sold them.Despite a player-agent relationship spanning about three years, the court heard that the only payment that came from Majeed via a cheque or bank transfer was for £9,600 deposited in Butt’s Clydesdale Bank account two days before the Pakistanis arrived in England on June 24, 2010. All other payments would be in cash.Jafferjee questioned Butt on whether he thought it strange that a global sportswear brand like Adidas would pay him just £800 per appearance yet Majeed was willing to pay him £30,000 for a bat sticker to advertise his company Capital Cricket in 2010, and also £5,000 “to cut a ribbon” – as Jafferjee phrased it – at an ice cream parlour.Not convinced by Butt’s answers, several times Jafferjee accused him of lying to the court, including the time when Butt could not answer why he was in team-mate Wahab Riaz’s room after midnight with Kamran Akmal and Azhar Majeed, the brother and business partner of Mazhar.Butt also accused the Pakistan team security manager Major Najam of lying in his statement, making fun of the official by calling him “007”.The former Pakistan captain and opening batsman Butt and his former team-mate Mohammad Asif are facing charges of conspiracy to cheat, and conspiracy to obtain and accept corrupt payments, following that Lord’s Test last year when they allegedly conspired with agent Mazhar Majeed, teenage fast bowler Mohammad Amir and other people unknown to bowl pre-planned no-balls. Butt and Asif deny the charges.The case continues.

A round-up of the action from the first day of the third round of matches in the Ranji Trophy Plate Division 2011-12

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Nov-2011Vikramjeet Malik’s four-wicket haul restricted Andhra Pradesh to 241 for 9 against Himachal Pradesh after they had been 128 for 1 at one stage in Vijayawada. Hemal Watekar (69) and Gonnabattula Chiranjeevi (61) had lifted Andhra from the early loss of Shankara Rao but Vishal Bhatia broke through, dismissing Chiranjeevi. Malik then ran through the middle order, taking four of the next five wickets to fall, including Venugopal Rao for 14. Vamsi Krishna and T Atchuti Rao took Andhra past 200 but Bhatia struck twice more to make it Himachal’s day.Only 65 overs were possible in Guwahati, where Assam limped to 131 for 5 against Hyderabad. Anwar Ahmed accounted for the first three wickets after which Sibsankar Roy and former Tamil Nadu allrounder R Sathish tried to steady the innings. Sathish could not carry on for long though, falling to Lalith Mohan. Assam lost captain Gokul Sharma to T Suman in what proved to be the last over of the day. Wicketkeeper Ibrahim Khaleel had a role to play in all five dismissals.A lower-order fightback helped Goa recover to 281 against Jammu & Kashmir in Jammu. They had slipped to 175 for 8 at one stage but Amit Yadav (51) and Sher Yadav (51) put on 102 for the ninth wicket to take Goa to a decent total. Abhishek Raut was the only one among the top seven to make a fifty. Parvez Rasool was the most successful bowler for J&K with 4 for 79. J&K reached 15 without loss at stumps.Kerala’s Sony Cheruvathur ripped through Tripura’s line-up in Kochi, taking 6 for 40 to demolish them for 139. Only Vinayak Samant, the former Mumbai wicketkeeper, resisted for Tripura, grinding out a patient 65 while the rest of the side capitulated. Tripura were 44 for 5 at one stage but Samant and Debabrata Chowdhury took them past 100. Chowdhury’s 21 came off 132 balls before he was bowled by Cheruvathur. Prasanth Parameswaran ended the innings when he trapped Samant leg-before after a 183-ball vigil.Chirag Khurana made a hundred on first-class debut for Maharashtra, setting up his side’s healthy 372 for 4 against Jharkhand in Nasik. Khurana added 53 upfront with Harshad Khadiwale and 152 with Sangram Atitkar (62). He struck 21 fours during his 123 which came off 154 deliveries. Left-arm spinner Shahbaz Nadeem trapped Khurana and Atitkar leg-before but Nikhil Paradkar and captain Rohit Motwani put on an unbeaten 111 for the fifth wicket to end the day on a high.Vidarbha ended on a strong 265 for 1 against Services in Delhi, riding on Aniruddha Chore’s maiden first-class ton. Chore gave Vidarbha a solid start, putting on 104 with Akshay Kolhar (41) before the latter was dismissed leg-before. Former India and Orissa batsman Shiv Sunder Das settled in for the day along with Chore, who was unbeaten on 144 off 292 deliveries with 15 fours. Das finished on a patient 65.