Piyush Chawla, the 18-year old legspinner, says he sees a bigger role for himself in the one-day internationals following Anil Kumble’s exit from the 50-overs game but he is keen to cement his place in the Test team too.”I think [with Kumble’s retirement] I will get to play a lot of that [ODIs], but I am aiming for a permanent position in both the teams,” Chawla said.Chawla said he was not overawed by bowling to the likes of Jacques Kallis and Herschelle Gibbs. “They are great players but not bigger than Tendulkar,” said Chawla.Chawla says he has become a more confident bowler after dismissing Sachin Tendulkar in domestic cricket. “In domestic cricket, I have got Sachin Tendulkar out. If I can get his wicket, I can dismiss any batsman in the world.” Chawla had bowled Tendulkar with a googly in the Challenger Trophy event at the start of the last season.Looking back at the tour of Ireland, Chawla wished he had taken more wickets. “I am happy but not satisfied. I wanted to take more wickets,” Chawla told the . “I bowled well and created chances, I am happy with my bowling but didn’t get wickets. Bowling well is in my hands which I tried but wickets are something not up to you. It has been a good tour and a great experience as I got a chance to be on the field with the seniors of the team
Two contrasting left-handers made their mark on the opening day at Lord’s, as Marcus Trescothick signalled his return to international cricket with a robust century and Alastair Cook eased into his life at No.3 with 89, powering England into a commanding position. A late flurry from Kevin Pietersen signalled the intent to grind Sri Lanka down and the first act of the international summer could not really have gone much better for England.Muttiah Muralitharan, in his first Test at Lord’s, was Sri Lanka’s sole shining light and caused most of the uncertain moments. He was in the action by the 23rd over and Sri Lanka were only making the day competitive when he was twirling away. Until Farveez Maharoof snuck in by removing Cook with the second new ball, to take a marginal amount of gloss off England’s performance, Muralitharan was the only reason for any Sri Lankan smiles.The biggest grin, though, belonged to Trescothick, whose winter problems seemed a world away. Content to leave plenty during the opening overs, he let Andrew Strauss do most of the scoring – in an opening stand of 86. He escaped a plumb lbw appeal against Muralitharan when he had 28, and a couple of edges fell short of slip, but for a returning innings this wasn’t to shabby.Post-lunch the Trescothick that has hammered attacks around the world came more into focus as the tempo increased. He made an emphatic statement by launching Muralitharan into the Grandstand, with a trademark slog-sweep, to reach his fifty and when he shimmied down the track to Tillakaratne Dilshan’s part-time offspin, and deposited him down the ground, the swagger was back.He went to tea on 93 and wasted no time completing his hundred in the evening session, aptly sweeping Muralitharan through the legside. The helmet came off, the arms went aloft and the smile went from ear to ear. England’s balcony – and the whole of Lord’s – stood to applaud the century, which arrived from 171 balls, the 14th of his career and one of the most important. With a far-from-testing bowling attack – Muralitharan the notable exception – there was a monstrous innings on the cards but Trescothick couldn’t march on when he edged to slip.
While Trescothick had been the main feature Cook hung around in the shadows during their stand of 127. When he initially arrived in the middle, he had to work hard for his runs and struggled to pick Muralitharan’s variations. However, he was quick to pick off any loose offerings from the seamers, especially when Vaas drifted onto his pads.An early alarm did come from Muralitharan, but through his fielding rather than bowling. Cook set off for a single to mid-on and almost misjudged Muralitharan’s prowess as a sharp throw hit the stumps, but TV replays showed Cook had just made his ground by a couple of inches. A flashing edge then flew between Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene, but he slowly began to settle and the sparkling offside strokeplay that was present during his debut century at Nagpur began to make an appearance. However, with the chance to get his name in lights on the Lord’s honours board at the first time of asking, he had a waft outside the offstump and gave Sri Lanka a late boost.Cook’s lapse came three balls after Maharoof had committed the ultimate sin for a bowler – a wicket off a no-ball, and it was Pietersen who was reprieved when the catch at short cover didn’t count. Maharoof struggled with overstepping all day, sending down 12 in his 18 overs, and eventually one was going hurt. Pietersen had begun circumspectly – Vaas had a close lbw turned down against him on 4 – before unfurling his flamboyant strokeplay against a tiring attack and the reprieve on 52 could be costly. The pace attack is military medium at best and needs to take every opportunity.The basis for the commanding batting display was laid through a controlled opening stand by the reunited Trescothick and Strauss. They had to be watchful during the early overs as Vaas and Maharoof found some swing and it was Strauss who quickly located his rhythm and threaded the ball to the boundary. England appeared to be heading for a perfect first session but Strauss became Muralitharan’s first Test wicket at Lord’s when he pushed a conventional offbreak to Jayawardene at slip – a combination that became the leading fielder/bowler pairing in history.But, in many ways, Muralitharan’s lone performance just highlighted his team’s shortcomings and the pressure that is on his ever-twirling shoulders. With Pietersen having found his range and a powerful middle order around the corner it isn’t going to get any easier for Sri Lanka.
How they were outAndrew Strauss c Jayawardene b Muralitharan 48 (86 for 1) Marcus Trescothick c Jayawardene b Muralitharan 106 (213 for 2) Alastair Cook c Sangakkara b Maharoof 89 (312 for 3)
Samir Inamdar, the newly elected chairman of the Kenya Cricket Association, has said that one of his priorities will be to ensure that the team gets back its official ODI status. The quoted him as saying that he would bring up the issue in a meeting with Ehsan Mani, the ICC president.”I have received an invitation from the International Cricket Council president Ehsan Mani to [come to] London towards the ICC annual conference and we shall discuss the matter,” said Inamdar. “He wants to meet me but this issue will feature prominently because I think there is more to it. We will make a presentation and we hope that we will be given a hearing.”The ICC executive committee had, at its meeting in March 2005, recommended that Kenya be stripped of their ODI status, and Percy Sonn, the ICC vice-president, said that only a formal ratification remained to be done. “Kenya’s one-day status is gone. It will be done formally in London during the June 24-25 annual general conference.” If this does happen, Kenya will then be demoted to associate-member status and will lose the right to qualify automatically for the 2007 World Cup.Inamdar, though, was still hopeful that the decision will be reversed. “Tom Tikolo [the chief selector] and I will be fighting to preserve this status as being a necessary stepping-stone for any country, including Kenya, to proceed to Test status.”Meanwhile, Inamdar said that the government had made arrangements to fly in four Kenyan internationals – Steve Tikolo, Collins Obuya, Thomas Odoyo and Hitesh Modi – who have been selected for the ICC Intercontinental Cup match against Namibia in Windhoek from June 2-4. Inamdar also expressed his satisfaction over the government’s decision to pay daily allowances to the players for the three-day game. “This is a good gesture by the government, especially the [sports] minister Ochilo Ayacko. We are pleased with the government for according cricket the seriousness it deserves.”
A late fightback by Chris Cairns and Brendon McCullum ensured that New Zealand and South Africa shared the honours after the first day of the final Test at Wellington. For much of the day, Graeme Smith’s decision to bowl first after winning the toss seemed justified, as New Zealand slumped to 23 for 2, and then 97 for 4. Then, Cairns (60 not out) and McCullum (55) carried on the good work that Mathew Sinclair – in the team for the indisposed Craig McMillan – had begun, as New Zealand ended on 248 for 6.The pitch at the Basin Reserve afforded the seamers enough pace and bounce, but South Africa’s hero was an unlikely one: Nicky Boje snared three crucial middle-order wickets with his left-arm spin, and finished with impressive figures of 3 for 61 from 19 overs. His contribution meant that the absence of Jacques Kallis – who left the field late in the first session with a side strain – wasn’t felt as much as it might have been.New Zealand were on the back foot for much of the day but their lower order, so effective in the first two Tests, did the job again. After two attritional sessions had produced only 141 runs, Chris Cairns and Brendon McCullum lit up the Basin Reserve in the last hour, as the post-tea session yielded 107.Coming off a scintillating 158 at Auckland, Cairns strode in and snatched the initiative immediately. Boje’s left-arm spin was dismissed over the sightscreen for six, while the seamers were cut and pulled with disdain. There was even an altercation with Andre Nel, who bowled with plenty of fire and heart, but had little to show for it. After being square-driven for four, Nel showed his displeasure with his usual verbals, and followed that with a beamer which Cairns just about managed to handle. The apology from Nel didn’t impress Cairns much.Smith opted for the second new ball as soon as it was due, but that only accelerated the scoring rate, as Cairns waded into Ntini, pulling a short one perfectly between the fielders stationed at fine leg and deep square leg. Ntini was forced to pitch it up, and Cairns duly smashed him through cover. He ended the day on 60, from just 72 balls.At the other end, McCullum proved to be the ideal foil. He had started off aggressively, but dropped anchor as Cairns provided the fireworks, working the ball into the gaps and turning the strike over perfectly. He was trapped lbw in the final over of the day, by Shaun Pollock, but by then New Zealand had battled their way back into the match.
For much of the day, though, South Africa were in control. They started well, with a couple of wickets in the first hour: Ntini nailed Michael Papps lbw with a yorker, though replays suggested that the point of impact was just outside off (23 for 1), and then, six balls later, Mark Richardson wafted at one outside off from Kallis and nicked it to Mark Boucher.Stephen Fleming and Sinclair led the recovery with a 67-run stand on either side of lunch, but a couple of quick wickets pegged New Zealand back again, as Fleming edged a drive to slip, and Scott Styris, with the confidence of a huge century under his belt at Auckland, charged down the pitch and was bowled for 1 (97 for 4). Boje, who had taken both those wickets, added a third one to his name when Sinclair missed a sweep and was trapped plumb in front (163 for 5). Sinclair made a controlled 74, a crucial innings but one which should have been converted into a more significant score. At that stage, Smith’s hunch to field first seemed spot on. Then, Cairns strode in and began to stamp his presence on the day.
With all the attention of politicians currently centred on Zimbabwe and the ICC poised to examine security aspects of staging World Cup matches there and in Kenya, another serious instance of politics interfering with cricket has come to light. The headlines might have been focused on the unacceptable aspects of the Mugabe regime in Zimbabwe, but the situation in Bangladesh is, it seems, little better.President Robert Mugabe was at least invited to become patron of the Zimbabwe Cricket Union. Reports from Bangladesh suggest that the ruling coalition has overthrown the elected directors of the Bangladesh Cricket Board and installed their own cronies to run cricket in the country.The parallel changes in government and cricket administration are nothing new, especially in parts of Asia, but the system appears to have been taken to excess in Bangladesh. Ali Asghar is a member of parliament belonging to the Bangladesh Nationalist Party. He was nominated to the post of president of the BCB after the general elections in late 2001.Although he is the president, the Board itself is dominated by Arafat Rahman, who is the younger of the two sons of Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia. It is alleged that Koko, as Arafat Rahman is known, and his friends are instrumental in decision-making and running the Board. Ali Asghar apparently acts as a front man and seldom goes against the wishes of Koko, as he owes his political entity to the Prime Minister. It is also thought that he is involved in some significant business deals conducted on behalf of the Prime Minister’s two sons.Out of a board of 25 elected directors, it appears that only four are allowed to operate effectively. Apart from Arafat Rahman, there is a further member of parliament, the son of another and the brother of yet another. The other elected members are all forced to assume a passive role in the knowledge that those who have spoken out against this government intervention have either been threatened with repercussions or have actually become the victims of violence.Even so, three have gone to the courts in an attempt to restore democratic principles to Bangladeshi cricket, and have been punished for doing so. Further threats hang over them should they not withdraw their petition from the courts.Such threats should not be taken lightly in Bangladesh. There are reports of government-controlled terror tactics being unleashed on the opposition parties and free thinkers almost every day. Thousands have been arrested, among them university professors, journalists and intellectuals. A Reuters journalist and two other foreign journalists – a Briton and an Italian on assignment from Channel 4 – were jailed for allegedly "plotting against Bangladesh"Some 45 people have died at the hands of the army in the last three months, with the widely-held belief that they were victims of torture and other unexplained treatment. The government states that they all died of heart attacks.Among those currently being detained is the former president of the Bangladesh Cricket Board and a government minister himself in the previous administration, Saber Hossain Chowdhury. He has been detained twice in three months and is currently facing charges of treason for "lowering the image of Bangladesh in the world."Saber Chowdhury was largely instrumental in the campaign that resulted in the elevation of Bangladesh to Test status. He was a national hero at the time among the cricket-loving Bangladeshis, but his political activities have been used by the present government to erode that support.His "crime" was to research and publish allegations that extremist and fundamentalist Islamic militant groups are operating in Bangladesh and that they have close links with the present government. He was also accused of masterminding a series of terrorist outrages himself as a result of a telephone call with the arrested Reuters man.Quite obviously there are forces at large in Bangladesh that might not be acceptable to many observers, but whatever internal politics are involved is not the concern of the cricket community. The interference with the Bangladesh Cricket Board is.When similar tactics were applied to the Bangladesh Football Federation, FIFA stepped in and stripped Bangladesh of its membership with an ultimatum that the elected federation be reinstated or face a ban from international as well as club football. The government was humiliated and forced to return the administration of the BFF to the elected body.The same is not happening with cricket. The ICC has not yet taken similar steps and is unlikely to unless there is a formal complaint from those who feel there has been injustice. The policy is to accept any notified changes to a country’s board until such time as any alleged wrongdoing is brought to their attention, at which time there could be an ICC investigation.That allegation will come from a member of the Bangladesh Board, Mubasshar Hussain. Currently in England recovering from heart surgery, he says that he does not want to initiate any process now in case such action distracts the players in the national team. However, this former freedom fighter during the liberation war that resulted in independence from Pakistan will lodge that formal complaint once the World Cup campaign comes to an end.The situation for Saber Chowdhury is not as simple. Amnesty International has expressed anxiety at the way political prisoners like him are being held in Bangladesh. A spokesman for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London said, "We are concerned about reports from Bangladesh and we have made the point to the authorities there through our High Commission in Dhaka that we expect all detainees to be held according to international norms."There are plenty of examples in the world of injustice and the suspension of human and democratic rights. That does not make them acceptable to civilised society but they have to be accepted, however reluctantly. Nevertheless, cricket in Bangladesh has enough problems in coming to terms with its status as a Test nation. It would stand a better chance of succeeding on the field if problems off it were resolved.
Jerry Hayward blitzed 26 runs off the final over against Havant at London Road and sent Andover soaring into their first Southern Electric Contracting Cup final.The Andover captain smashed three sixes as he laid into the 23rd and final over, bowled by Havant’s teenage Western Australian all-rounder Shawn Gillies.Hayward’s unbeaten 33, which complimented Marc Kavanagh’s earlier 65, took Andover on to a powerful semi-final total of 176-6.Havant gave chase, with Richard Hindley (60 not out), Andy Perry (25) and Gillies (46) taking their reply to 128-1 after 19 overs.But Havant lost four wickets for 12 runs in a desperate last gasp bid for victory and finished 15 runs behind at 161-6, Sam Miller (2-20) bowling a tight spell.They will play either Rowledge or Lymington in the SEC final at the Hampshire Rose Bowl on Wednesday August 1.Lymington, without Australian Brian Clemow, Neil Trestrail and probably Glyn Treagus, expect to be captained by former Hampshire left-hander Jon Hardy in tomorrow’s (TUES) second semi-final at Rowledge, 6pm.Lymington : (from) Hardy, Peacock, Craft, Griffiths, Young, Molloy, Treagus, Allen, Carr, Phillips, Smith, Pain.
Rangers slipped six points behind their arch-rivals at the top of the Premiership on Sunday as Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s men lost 2-1 at Ibrox.
The Gers failed to make the most of their early advantage as they allowed the away side to come back from 1-0 down.
Aaron Ramsey had put Rangers in front early on with a smart finish at the front post, but goals from Tom Rogic and Cameron Carter-Vickers ensured that the three points went to the Hoops.
They are now six points and a significant goal difference gap below Celtic and their chances of sealing the trophy for a second successive year appear slim at best.
One player who let van Bronckhorst down badly and is, subsequently, costing the side the title is centre-forward Kemar Roofe.
The striker put in a poor display in the Old Firm clash and cost his team for the second time in this fixture since the Dutch head coach arrived.
On the ball, he offered very little. As per SofaScore, he had fewer touches (26) than Allan McGregor (32) as the striker completed nine passes. He managed three efforts on goal and all of them were off target, with one of them being a big miss as he fired a volley over from eight yards after an excellent cross from Connor Goldson.
This shows that he struggled to impose himself on the game as Carter-Vickers and Carl Starfelt dominated him throughout. He was unable to showcase his quality in possession and that played a major role in the result as he did not make the most of the service he was provided with.
Against the ball, he was a lightweight. As per SofaScore, he lost a whopping 70% (7/10) of his individual duels as he was dominated by the Celtic centre-backs.
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This was not a one-off for the attacker as he also had a shocker in the 3-0 defeat to the Hoops back in January. As per SofaScore, he lost 70% of his duels in that game as well, whilst failing to register any shots or key passes.
He has only started two Premiership games under van Bronckhorst and both of them have been huge games at the top of the table, with Roofe’s lack of quality at the top end of the pitch costing them both times. If you turn both of those defeats into wins then the Gers would be six points clear, themselves, and that is why the flop’s dismal showings have cost the head coach the title.
AND in other news, GvB can save Rangers millions with “brave” 48-goal teen who’s “clinical and calm”…
Two of England’s leading international grounds, Lord’s and The Oval, are considering offers to stage exhibition games involving teams from the Indian Premier League, according to a report in .Although the venues for the initial games have already been allocated in India, there seems an increasing likelihood that other international venues will be also be used, as a way to promote the tournament around the world as much as provide world-class facilities. As it stands, however, the London venues will only host exhibition matches.Paul Sheldon, the Surrey chief executive, declined to comment to , while a spokesman for the MCC also refused to make a statement.Meanwhile, the Domestic Structure Review Group, chaired by Glamorgan chairman Paul Russell, will go before the ECB on April 9 and is due to suggest a radical response to the IPL. The committee proposes two new Twenty20 competitions, the first of which will run in early summer along similar lines to the old Benson & Hedges Cup which ran for 30 years from 1972. It will feature Minor Counties, the universities and Ireland and Scotland.The second tournament, according to today’s , will be called the English Premier League, taking place at the height of summer and consisting of 21 teams in three groups of seven – with county sides supplemented by international players from India, Australia and South Africa. The idea falls in line with the suggestions made by ECB’s chairman, Giles Clarke, that England should mirror some of the IPL’s makeup: namely, that Twenty20 sides field three overseas players and four players under the age of 23.”We wanted to see something radical come out of this committee,” an insider told the , “but instead it is as if they have put all the same balls into the hat, shaken them around a bit and taken them out again.”The idea of restoring the old Benson & Hedges Cup under a different name is just crazy. What this needed is some vision, a different pair of eyes. The DSRG should have gone out and sought the input of the players, the press, television. What about city teams, for instance, rather than counties? If we don’t take this thing by the scruff of the neck, we will find that the game has been pinched off us by other operators.”
Ken Gordon, the chief executive of the West Indies Cricket Board, has agreed to meet with the two sides battling for control of US cricket in a bid to find an end to the row which has seen the USA suspended from the ICC.The two factions – the USA Cricket Association, led by Gladstone Dainty, and the regional league presidents – have been asked to come together in Washington on the weekend of June 9-10.In a letter to all those concerned, Paul de Silva, the USACA secretary, wrote:”Mr. Gordon is of the view that an important first step would be to have a general airing of views from USACA membership so that there can be a clear understanding of whether problems exist.”Gordon and the WICB were asked to intervene by the ICC in March when the USA were suspended for the second time in as many years.The timing of the meeting is important as should a resolution be worked out then it will enable the WICB to report this to the ICC executive when it meets in London at the end of June. If all goes well, it is possible that the ICC executive might recommend that the suspension be revoked.
Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, the Pakistan fast bowler, rushed home from Colombo on Sunday to be with his wife who has been hospitalized following complications with her pregnancy.”He was put on the first flight that was available,” a Pakistan team official told .”He was desperate to return and be with his family after hearing about his wife’s poor health.”Rana had been named in the eleven, in preference to over Rao Iftikhar, because of his experience and good form in the ODIs. In the end, Umar Gul was called in to replace Rana; his first Test appearance for nearly two years.Rana rushed to the airport in the afternoon, only possible because the first day’s play of the first Test was washed out. “He took the permission of the team management before returning home,” Zaheer Abbas, the team manager, said. Whether he will return before the second Test is uncertain at the moment and Zaheer said a decision on any replacement would be taken soon.