Online video coverage of the Intercontinental Cup final between Afghanistan and Scotland in Dubai is to be streamed live in a joint initiative between the ICC and Cricket Scotland

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Nov-2010Online video coverage of the Intercontinental Cup final between Afghanistan and Scotland in Dubai is to be streamed live in a joint initiative between the ICC and Cricket Scotland. The match, being staged at the Dubai International Stadium in Dubai Sports City from December 2, is a five-day game and the culmination of the premier two-year first class competition among the leading ICC Associate and Affiliate nations.The coverage, which will be presented in an informal manner, is being produced through the Livestream website using a channel set up by Cricket Scotland and can be viewed here. Highlights of each day’s play will also be available on the official ICC website.”Even with basic resources, it is quite remarkable what can be achieved through the internet these days,” said Scotland-based producer Mike Stanger. “Our three-camera live coverage will not constitute a fully fledged outdoor broadcast of professional origin, but our production team includes cricket fans with professional broadcasting experience.”We will be working hard to convey the progress of the match in a manner that can be appreciated by the many thousands of followers of both Scotland and Afghanistan cricket who cannot be there in the flesh.””This is a fantastic chance for fans of Afghanistan and Scotland, as well as all those associated with Associate and Affiliate cricket, to see live action from the Intercontinental Cup final,” added ICC Global Development Manager Matthew Kennedy. “We’re grateful to be able to work alongside one of our Associate Members, in this case Cricket Scotland, in order to provide this service to fans of the game.”The hours of play in Dubai will be from 0930 to 1630 each day (0530 to 1230 GMT), and coverage of the game will start about half an hour before play begins and continue until approximately half an hour after the close of play. Recordings of each of the three sessions of play each day will be available from the Livestream channel to view in full as VoD (Video on Demand) services at any time as well as on the ICC’s website.The Intercontinental Shield final, between United Arab Emirates and Namibia, is also scheduled to be played from December 2 to 5 at the ICC Global Cricket Academy in Dubai Sports City.ICC Intercontinental Cup squads
Afghanistan: Mohammed Nabi (capt), Nawroz Mangal, Karim Sadiq, Asghar Stanikzai, Hamid Hassan, Samiullah Shinwari, Shapoor Zadran, Shabir Noori, Shehzad Mohammadi, Aftab Alam, Batin Shah, Abdullah Mazari, Mirwais Ashraf, Mohammed Sami Agha, Afzar Zazai, Najeeb Zadran, Gulbodin Naib, Khaliq Dad NooriScotland: Gordon Drummond (capt), Kyle Coetzer, Neil McCallum, Richard Berrington, Majid Haq, David Watts, Simon Smith, Gordon Goudie, Ross Lyons, Preston Mommsen, Matthew Parker, Gregor Maiden, Ryan Flannigan, Stuart ChalmersICC Intercontinental Shield squadsNamibia: Craig Williams (capt), Raymond van Schoor, Ewald Steenkamp, Sarel Burger, Gerrie Snyman, Louis Burger, Bjorn Kotze, Tobias Verwey, Kola Burger, Louis Klazinga, Bernhard Scholz, Louis van der Westhuizen, Nicolaas Scholtz, Chris Viljoen (TBC)United Arab Emirates: Khurram Khan (captain), Mohammed Touqir, Abdul Rehman, Arshad Ali, Ahmed Raza, Saqib Ali, Amjad Ali, Swapnil Patil, Naeemuddin Aslam, Qassim Zubair, Amjad Javed, Shoaib Sarwar, Shaiman Anwar, Aamer Ali, Nizel Fernandez, Arfan Haider, Riyaz Khaliq, Manjula Guruge

Nathan Hauritz has sent a loud and clear message to the Australian selectors by bowling New South Wales to victory on the final day against Western Australia at the WACA

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Dec-2010
Scorecard
Nathan Hauritz enjoyed his latest taste of Sheffield Shield cricket, finishing with match figures of 7 for 104•Getty Images

Nathan Hauritz has sent a loud and clear message to the Australian selectors by bowling New South Wales to victory on the final day against Western Australia at the WACA. Hauritz collected 5 for 39 from 27 overs to help the Blues to their 199-run triumph, less than a fortnight after being axed from the Test side to make room for Xavier Doherty.Doherty has been retained for this Friday’s second Test in Adelaide but Hauritz has improved his chances of a recall at some point during the series, with excellent final-day work that earned him the Man of the Match prize. Western Australia were chasing 365 but hit trouble when Hauritz ran through the specialist batsmen, removing four of the top five.He began with Michael Swart caught at bat-pad for 39, before adding the opener Wes Robinson, who was caught at slip for a painstaking innings of 39 from 201 deliveries. Hauritz also collected the in-form Shaun Marsh, who was caught behind for 27, and Adam Voges also fell caught behind to Hauritz for 13, to leave the Warriors struggling at 5 for 136.The fast bowler Mark Cameron, who joined the side mid-match when Doug Bollinger was rushed off to Adelaide to bolster the Test squad, picked up 3 for 33 as the local lower order failed to offer much resistance. It was a good couple of days all round for the New South Wales Test hopefuls, after Usman Khawaja and Steven Smith both made half-centuries on the third day.The win has confirmed New South Wales as the competition leaders, with three victories from their five matches. Western Australia have not quite shown the improvement they would have hoped for under their new coach Mickey Arthur and are on the bottom of the table with one win from four games.

Pakistan have a packed schedule of commitments for 2011 but there remain concerns and reservations within the board in the long-term over ongoing Future Tours Programme (FTP) negotiations

Osman Samiuddin25-Dec-2010Pakistan have a packed schedule of commitments for 2011 but there remain concerns and reservations within the board in the long-term over ongoing Future Tours Programme (FTP) negotiations. Soon after the 2011 World Cup in April, Pakistan will tour the Caribbean for the first time in six years for a full series. They are then due to visit Zimbabwe in August and the year is rounded off by ‘home’ commitments with Sri Lanka and England, though in both cases, locations are yet to be decided.”As part of the FTP, England has committed to a full tour of three Tests, five ODIs and one T20 in January [2012].” the PCB’s chief operating officer Subhan Ahmed said. “But we havent decided on a venue yet. The UAE is one of the options at the moment. They have committed to it as part of the FTP.” Similarly, negotiations are ongoing with Sri Lanka for a series in October 2011 though the itinerary and venues have to be confirmed.But ESPNcricinfo understands that officials involved in the next FTP discussions, due to be unveiled in February 2011, hold “reservations” over Pakistan’s commitments in the next cycle. Concerns center mostly around contests with India, currently on hold due to a cooling in diplomatic ties between the two countries.The ICC has given Pakistan-India series icon status, similar to the Ashes, so that in one cycle of the FTP three bilateral series should be played between the sides as opposed to twice as happens between other, non-iconic contests. But there is a concern within the board that the ICC has not pushed enough for contests to resume; an India series remains cricket’s golden egg in financial termsIt is understood that feelers have been sent at state and diplomatic level to initiate cricket ties but in the near future, according to Ahmed, a full resumption is off the table.”If you look at our FTP for this year, we have such few slots between now and 2012 and where we have slots India is occupied,” Ahmed said. “So if an opportunity comes it won’t be a full-fledged tour, it might be in a small slot, a short tour. We are working with all boards on FTP negotiations, including India and wherever we see slots we can fill them in.”In fact, Pakistan’s commitments in the next year have put a number of potential series and tours on hold for now. Zimbabwe were due to visit in December for a series of fund-raising games – which would be the first visit by an international side since the Lahore attacks in March 2009 – but no suitable slot could be found; Ahmed said this month was a possibility but as it coincided with the Islamic month of Muharram, government advice was to push the tour to a later date. The ICC task force’s plan for a World XI visit to Pakistan, to potentially kickstart the return of international cricket to the country, also fell prey to a packed schedule.”Trying to bring international cricket back to Pakistan is an ongoing process of negotiations that we have with different boards,” Ahmed said. “But this process will be gradual. To change perceptions about security we will have to start with junior tours that will give confidence to other boards and only then can full-fledged tours begin. This process will be slow and a lot will depend on the security situation in Pakistan.”With this in mind, there is the prospect of a visit from a Bangladesh representative team at some point. “With Bangladesh we have initially discussed on a preliminary basis a junior level tour and hopefully something will materialise.”

Zimbabwe batsman Tino Mawoyo has been ruled out of the 2011 World Cup due to an abdominal muscle tear, and Terry Duffin has been named his replacement

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Feb-2011Zimbabwe batsman Tino Mawoyo has been ruled out of the 2011 World Cup due to an abdominal muscle tear, and Terry Duffin has been named his replacement. Mawoyo played two ODIs for Zimbabwe against Bangladesh in 2006 and was himself a replacement for allrounder Sean Ervine, who opted out of the tournament due to personal reasons.Duffin, 28, has played two Tests and 23 ODIs for Zimbabwe. In the 50-over format, Duffin has three half-centuries and an average of 23.73. He last played an ODI for Zimbabwe in 2007 and represents Matabeleland Tuskers on the country’s domestic circuit. Duffin had a reasonably successful MetBank Pro40 tournament during the domestic season, scoring 188 runs in seven games at 37.60.Mawoyo is the seventh player to be ruled out of the 2011 World Cup after the squads were announced. Ervine, Nathan Hauritz, Michael Hussey, Praveen Kumar, Eoin Morgan and Sohail Tanvir are the others who’ve had to drop out.

Tillakaratne Dilshan has sent out a warning to other teams that Sri Lanka will start playing their best cricket from their game against New Zealand on March 18 onwards

Sa'adi Thawfeeq in Pallekele10-Mar-2011Tillakaratne Dilshan has sent out a warning to other teams that Sri Lanka will start playing their best cricket from their game against New Zealand on March 18 onwards, and keep improving as the tournament reaches its knockout stages. Dilshan’s all-round performance on Thursday – he scored a century and took four wickets – helped Sri Lanka qualify for the quarter-finals with a win over Zimbabwe, but he said it was from now on that they had to be on the top of their game.”After March 18 we have to play our best cricket. We cannot afford to make mistakes with the quarter-final and semi-finals coming up,” Dilshan said. “We know we have qualified but we can’t take it easy for the next few matches. We have to play with 100% commitment from the New Zealand match.”Dilshan had gotten off to starts in three of Sri Lanka’s previous four games in this World Cup, but had not kicked on to get the big score, on two occasions perishing to strokes he would not have been happy with. Against Canada in Hambantota, after reaching fifty, he hit a short and wide delivery straight to deep cover, and then against Kenya in Colombo, he seemed to be lining up for a big shot before deciding to fend a short delivery to the keeper, after making 44.After those performances, Dilshan recognised the importance of him having gone on to score 144 on Thursday in Pallekele. “I am really happy with my batting and bowling performance. In the first couple of matches I got the starts but I didn’t capitalise and get a big one. But today [Thursday] I did that and that’s why I am happy with the hundred.” His innings makes him the highest scorer in the tournament so far, with 283 runs at an average of 56.60.It was not just about Dilshan’s batting on Thursday though. He came on to do a job with the ball, and in just three overs snapped up figures of 4 for 4, his best in one-day internationals. He was even on a hat-trick at one point and would have got it had Mahela Jayawardene held on to a tough catch from Graeme Cremer at slip. Dilshan put his success with the ball down to the fact that Sri Lanka played only one of their frontline spinners on Thursday, which meant his responsibility as a bowler increasedTillakaratne Dilshan’s 144 in Pallekel made him the leading run-getter of the World Cup so far•AFP

“We usually have two or three spinners in the line-up, but today there was only [Muttiah] Muralitharan, so I knew at some point of time I would have to bowl. I seized that chance and I hope the captain will have lots of confidence in my bowling in the future. I think I can contribute a lot with my bat as well as ball and as a wicketkeeper in this World Cup.” Dilshan does also keep wickets but is not expected to unless his captain Kumar Sangakkara suffers an injury.As far as missing the hat-trick was concerned, Dilshan said he was not that disappointed because Jayawardene, who dropped the catch on the hat-trick ball, had taken a stunner the previous ball. “Mahela’s dropped catch can happen to anyone in the match. He created a great catch before that and made it a hat-trick ball.”There was another milestone mised as well: two more runs would have taken Dilshan past Aravinda de Silva’s score of 145 against Kenya in 1996, giving him the highest score by a Sri Lanka batsman in World Cups. But Dilshan said he was not even aware of the statistic until after he was dismissed.”It was only after I got to the dressing room that someone told me that if I had scored another one run I would have passed Aravinda’s record. At that time nobody can send a message. It was the 45th over. But I am not worried about messages and I am not thinking of records. I am always playing for my team. After the 45th over I was trying to get the maximum runs for my team.”Although Sri Lanka won comfortably, their fielding in the first ten overs of Zimbabwe’s chase was not up to the mark, and Dilshan noted the room for improvement. “At the moment we are playing really good cricket and everything is going really well for us. We can’t say we are not going to make any mistakes; anybody can make mistakes sometimes while batting or on the field. We have to minimise the mistakes coming to the quarter-final and keep going for the rest of the tournament.”Sri Lanka’s next game, against New Zealand on March 18, is not in Sri Lanka as all their other group games have been, but in Mumbai. Dilshan, though, put a positive spin on the slightly puzzling scheduling, saying playing at the Wankhede Stadium would give them an opportunity to get used to the renovated ground, where the finals of the World Cup will be held on April 2.”If we qualify to play in the final, we’ll play in Mumbai. It’s a good opportunity to play another match there before the final. We are happy playing New Zealand in Mumbai.”

Alan Butcher, Zimbabwe’s coach, has said the team’s return to Test cricket, scheduled for August 2011, after six years of self-imposed exile will be “massive” for the team

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Mar-2011Alan Butcher, Zimbabwe’s coach, has said the team’s return to Test cricket, scheduled for August 2011, after six years of self-imposed exile will be “massive” for the team.”Our return to Test cricket is happening in August against Bangladesh,” Butcher told on the eve of Zimbabwe’s last match of the on-going World Cup. “I think after that Pakistan and New Zealand come to Zimbabwe to play one Test each and some ODIs. That’s going to be a massive thing for Zimbabwe.”After withdrawing from Tests in September 2005, Zimbabwe have struggled in ODIs, having won only 32 out of 107 matches in that time, with just five of those victories coming against Test playing nations apart from Bangladesh. Butcher said he was aware it would not be an easy road back into Test cricket for his side.”No doubt you might be wondering if we are going to be up for the challenge and the answer to that, honestly, is probably no. The only place to learn to play Test cricket is by actually doing that. There is no other place that can prepare you. So obviously we will be doing all that we can but I will be surprised if we can come out of it without some beatings in the initial stages. But I hope the players can learn from the experience.”Zimbabwe have struggled in the World Cup so far, having lost four out of their five matches. They take on Kenya in their final match on Sunday, at Eden Gardens, and Butcher is hoping for an improved performance. He had earlier pointed to Zimbabwe’s exile from Tests as one of the reasons his batsmen were struggling to play long innings and continued to stress that batting had been the team’s weakness”Our spin bowling has done a fantastic job, but our batting has been a disappointment. We have not given our spin attack enough chances to win us games. We’ve scored runs in the past, but it has just not worked out [this time].”Butcher had also stressed on the importance of developing new talent when Zimbabwe re-enter the Test arena, but he did mention Brendan Taylor, Tatenda Taibu, Ray Price and Graeme Cremer from the current crop of players as being important to the teams’ future.
Zimbabwe’s opponents on Sunday, Kenya, have had their own problems through the World Cup, losing all their games so far. But Butcher said Zimbabwe wouldn’t be taking anything for granted.”We are making sure we do our homework and ensure that we give them [Kenya] as much respect as we gave other, big teams.”

England are back in the knock-outs for the first time in four World Cups, and given the excitement they have served up in the past month, their Colombo encounter once again has the makings of a humdinger

The Preview by Andrew Miller25-Mar-2011

Match Facts

March 26, Colombo

Start time 2.30pm (0900 GMT)Graeme Swann’s expertise will be invaluable for England as they seek to stifle a talented Sri Lankan batting order•Getty Images

The Big Picture

Fifteen years ago this month, England and Sri Lanka met at the same quarter-final stage of the 1996 World Cup, only for an epoch-changing contest to pan out in front of an astounded crowd in Faisalabad. With his remarkable 82 from 44 balls, Sanath Jayasuriya not only ignited Sri Lanka’s charge towards their maiden global title, he signalled the end of England as a force in one-day cricket, as they failed to reach the last four of the World Cup for the first time in the tournament’s history.Since that match, the fortunes and expectations associated with the two teams have been flipped on their head. Sri Lanka went on to crush Australia in the 1996 final in Lahore, and have since contested a semi-final in 2003 and another final four years later in Barbados. England, on the other hand, have found a range of ignominious means to bomb out at the earliest opportunity – a trait they came perilously close to emulating this time around as well, following their embarrassments at the hands of Ireland and Bangladesh.But regardless of their numerous scares along the way, England are back in the knockouts for the first time in four World Cups, and given the excitement they have served up in the past month, their Colombo encounter once again has the makings of a humdinger. It is doubtless being greedy to expect their seventh consecutive contest to go down to the wire, but the one and only constant in England’s skittish campaign has been their ability to raise their game against more fancied opposition. And make no mistake, Sri Lanka on home soil present a formidable challenge – arguably the toughest assignment that any of the quarter-finalists could have landed.Four years ago in the Caribbean, the Sri Lankans were by some distance the best of the rest – the only team worthy of facing Ricky Ponting’s invincible Australians in the final. That they failed to bring home the spoils was no disgrace whatsoever, but while Ponting and his colleagues have since been vanquished at long last, Sri Lanka are arguably a stronger outfit than ever before. Eight of the 11 men who played in that final remain in their squad today, but crucially, sentiment has played next to no part in that fact. Two legends in Jayasuriya and Chaminda Vaas have been put out to pasture, leaving the stage clear for the likes of Ajantha Mendis and Angelo Mathews to bid for their own indelible mark on the tournament’s history.To judge by the narrative of their campaign to date, England will relish their underdog status – for it is a peculiar fact that of the eight quarter-finalists, they are the only side to boast an unbeaten record in matches against their fellow qualifiers. They salvaged a tie against India before out-muscling South Africa and West Indies in a pair of Chennai thrillers, and their never-say-die spirit will doubtless prove invaluable at some stage of a high-octane encounter.But can sheer tenacity prevail against a team so brimful with talented campaigners? Sri Lanka’s top-order triumvirate of Tillakaratne Dilshan, Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara is second only to India in terms of scorecard menace, while the breadth and variety of their attack is hard to rival – Lasith Malinga’s slingers and Muttiah Muralitharan’s enduring class epitomise the two extremes of a line-up that has men for all seasons and conditions. “It’s going to be a significant challenge for us,” remarked Andrew Strauss, never a man to cares to overstate the case.At least England have had a chance to put down some roots in the course of an itinerant campaign. They’ve had nine days of down-time since their decisive victory in Chennai, and the past week has been spent in the pleasant environs of Colombo, where they will remain in the event of progressing to the semi-final. Nevertheless, the sad news of Michael Yardy’s early departure to the UK once again speaks of a squad that is clinging on at the end of a draining winter, rather than clicking through its gears as the grandest prize draws closer. How many more “last big efforts” have they got in them?

Form guide

(completed matches, most recent first)

Sri Lanka WWWLW
England WLWLT

Watch out for…

It was on England’s tour of Sri Lanka in 2007-08 that Graeme Swann first showcased the skills and mindset that have since propelled him to the upper echelons of the international game. It was his first England tour since his ill-fated debut in South Africa seven years earlier, and with seven wickets at 22.28 in his four games, his determination to grasp his second chance was tangible. That refusal to surrender has driven England’s sketchy challenge throughout this World Cup, even in Chittagong when a dew-sodden ball drove him to distraction. He was immense in both Chennai victories, and his touch of class will be invaluable against such potent opposition.After 492 international appearances, 1343 wickets and almost 63,000 deliveries in a 19-year career, Muttiah Muralitharan is now a maximum of three matches and 180 balls from bidding farewell to the global stage. And in the event of an England win on Saturday, it will all end precisely where it began against Australia in August 1992, at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. Murali, however, will not care a jot for such elegant symmetry – even as he approaches his 40th year, he remains as fiercely competitive and enthusiastic as ever. And, as his four-wicket haul against New Zealand last week demonstrated, his wiles cannot be trifled with, least of all by an England team whose collective performance against spin has been leaden-footed in the tournament to date.

Team news

After a difficult tournament, Yardy was never likely to feature in this showdown, though his departure has been an understandable disruption to England’s preparations, with Adil Rashid – his nominated replacement – still finding his way to Sri Lanka from the Caribbean. Tim Bresnan’s troublesome calf has flared up once again, though he came through a fitness test without any visible concerns and has been passed fit for selection. Jade Dernbach, the surprise replacement for Ajmal Shahzad, has been preparing all week as if he is going to play, although James Anderson’s big-match experience ought to earn him a recall following a fortnight out of the firing line. The identity of Strauss’s opening partner has been confirmed within the squad, with Ian Bell believed to be the chosen man.England (possible) 1 Andrew Strauss (capt), 2 Ian Bell, 3 Jonathan Trott, 4 Ravi Bopara, 5 Eoin Morgan, 6 Matt Prior (wk), 7 Luke Wright, 8 Tim Bresnan, 9 Graeme Swann, 10 James Tredwell, 11 James Anderson.Fewer dilemmas for Sri Lanka to consider, especially now that Murali has been declared “100% fit” by his captain Kumar Sangakkara after struggling through the New Zealand victory with a hamstring strain. Sangakkara also acknowledged the potential weakness of Sri Lanka’s untested middle order, but backed Thilan Samaraweera, Chamara Silva, angelo Mathews and Chamara Kapugedera as “the best players we have to do that job”. One of the Chamaras – Silva and Kapu – seems set to miss out.Sri Lanka (possible) 1 Upul Tharanga, 2 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 3 Kumar Sangakkara (capt & wk), 4 Mahela Jayawardene, 5 Angelo Mathews, 6 Thilan Samaraweera, 7 Chamara Kapugedera, 8 Nuwan Kulasekara, 9 Lasith Malinga, 10 Muttiah Muralitharan, 11 Ajantha Mendis..

The pitch is flat, as they generally tend to be at the Premadasa, although the threat of thunderstorms adds an extra factor to the team’s preparations. Afternoon showers on the eve of the game caused the entire outfield to be covered in tarpaulins, which may just sweat a bit more moisture to the surface for the seamers.

Stats and trivia

• England and Sri Lanka have faced each other on eight previous occasions in World Cup history, and though England eased to victory in each of the first five of those encounters from 1979 to 1992, they have lost two of the last three – including a thrilling two-run margin in Antigua four years ago.
• The overall head-to-head for the two teams could scarcely be tighter. In 44 contests, England have won 23 and Sri Lanka 21. However, Sri Lanka have won eight of their last 12 encounters, dating back to 2006.
• England did, however, achieve a notable success on their last one-day tour of Sri Lanka in October 2007 – Swann’s aforementioned comeback tour. Despite losing the first game of a five-match series, they bounced back to win each of the next three for a well-deserved 3-2 victory.

Quotes

“It’s not difficult for us to focus our minds on this game of cricket. It is a massive game. If we lose we’re on the plane home; if we win we’re in the semi-finals.”
Andrew Strauss believes England’s off-field distractions will be of no consequence.“It’s do-or-die for all the teams when you get to the quarter-finals. That incentive is going to be there, and both sides will feel that intensity and that pressure equally.”
Kumar Sangakkara prepares for his team’s biggest match of the tournament to date.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul has claimed the selectors asked him to quit at the conclusion of the World Cup and that he was dropped from the West Indies team when he refused to do so

ESPNcricinfo staff02-May-2011Shivnarine Chanderpaul has claimed the West Indies selectors asked him to quit at the conclusion of the World Cup and that he was dropped from the West Indies team when he refused to comply. Chanderpaul’s allegation forms part of a letter he’s written to WICB chief Ernest Hilaire – the second such communication over the past few days – in which he’s sought explanations for various issues that are at the centre of the current controversy in West Indian cricket.The controversy was kicked off by comments made by Hilaire on April 25. Two days later, Chanderpaul reacted to that with a letter addressed to Hilaire seeking a few clarifications. Hilaire responded on April 29, stating that his comments on cricketers did not name individual players and were based on reports and public comments made by previous coaches.Hilaire also stated that Chanderpaul “has been and remains a valued member of the West Indies first team squad”.It was in response to that April 29 letter, that Chanderpaul has once again questioned why he was then dropped for the series against Pakistan. “As far as you are concerned I was dropped from the team not for lack of performance, age, fitness and/or discipline but it is the new direction WICB is going in. What direction is that, when three of the four best batsmen are dropped from the team?”In that letter, also dated April 29, Chanderpaul also expressed his displeasure with Hilaire’s statement that he was acting on the “ill advice” of the West Indies Players Association (WIPA). Hilaire said, “The WICB has informed Chanderpaul that he has been and remains a valued member of the West Indies first team squad and looks forward to his continued involvement with West Indies cricket,” Hilaire wrote. “The WICB expresses disappointment that WIPA appears to be intent using every opportunity to cause disaffection in West Indies cricket and is not averse to offering ill advice to players to achieve this end.”Chanderpaul’s retort was acerbic: “I may not be Dr Chanderpaul, but I have been a top-ranked international batsman and we have to be able to think critically under the most intense and stressful situations.”It is therefore distressing that you blame WIPA by implication, if not overtly, for my letter saying that WIPA was offering me “ill advice”. You may not be aware but I have faced the best bowlers in the world in my career and I know how to counter-attack. Furthermore, I am my own man and would ask that you respect that!”In this latest letter, Chanderpaul also raised several other issues that include claims of faulty injury management by the WICB.- “The treatment towards me after the last Australian tour where, after diving for a ball, I got injured and my treatment from the WICB physio was ineffective. I had to look after myself on my return home, including paying for all my medical expenses. The WI team physio advised that what I required was rest when in fact the doctors decided that I needed to have a cast because of the seriousness of the injury.- “That the WICB selectors asked me to retire and were upset when I refused to do so;- “That one of the selectors further told me that I would need to go to Regional Cricket and do exceptionally well and then they might consider me for future selection, despite me having the 3rd best average in the recently concluded World Cup for the WI cricket team, of anyone with more than two innings;- “That the Coach said that I did not do anything for the team in the last 12 months and hence the reason for me being dropped.”

ESPNcricinfo previews the second ODI between West Indies and India in Port of Spain

The Preview by Nitin Sundar07-Jun-2011

Match facts

Wednesday, June 8, Port of Spain

Start time 0900 (1300 GMT)Can Ramnaresh Sarwan roll back the years?•Associated Press

Big Picture

The first ODI epitomised everything that is going wrong with West Indies cricket. It began with the openers: in Chris Gayle’s absence, the uncalled-for timidity from Lendl Simmons and Kirk Edwards ended up giving credence to Sunil Gavaskar’s comparison of Munaf Patel to Glenn McGrath. Once the spinners came on, the middle order shut shop. Nothing captured West Indies’ woes more succinctly than the number 169 – their dot-ball count on Monday.Ramnaresh Sarwan, who has collared better Indian attacks in tougher circumstances in the past, was restricted to poking and jabbing in hope. Marlon Samuels also was a pale shadow of the batsman who thumped a fierce century against India eight years ago. The result was a score as underwhelming as the bowling attack that tried to defend it, and an easy win for India, despite their own skittish approach to the chase. West Indies will need a huge lift in all departments – including their lethargic out-cricket – if they are to match the Indians.Twice in two games on tour, India’s top order has faltered. The depth in their line-up opened up escape routes on both occasions, but Duncan Fletcher will want more application at the top. Parthiv Patel has a wide range of shots, but will be expected to put a bigger price on his wicket, after perishing to a needless run-out in the first ODI. Shikhar Dhawan looked ill at ease against seam and spin, but to his credit he managed to scrap his way to a half-century. S Badrinath knows how long it has taken him to get a second chance in the India side, and will try to make the opportunity count. And despite finishing in sublime fashion, Rohit Sharma will want to revisit his alarming shot-selection early on. In short, there is plenty of room for improvement from both sides.

Form guide (most recent first)

West Indies: LWWLL
India: WWWWW

The spotlight

Amit Mishra goes about his work with such quiet efficiency that he rarely gets noticed. On Monday, he easily out-bowled Harbhajan Singh without getting the reward he deserved. There was loop, flight, drift and variety, and at times the West Indies batsmen were just not good enough to edge him. R Ashwin breathes down Mishra’s neck for the spot of second spinner, but his rhythm on Monday should give him another chance. Mishra now needs wickets to back his case for the rest of the series.Over the past year or so, Dwayne Bravo has struggled to live up to his own standards, especially with the bat. In the first one-dayer, he was beginning to get into his groove when he walked past a Harbhajan drifter. When Bravo is in good form, he is a fine player of spin, and the dominance is founded upon his sure footwork. Will he be able to reprise that fluency in front of his home crowd?

Team news

India are unlikely to fiddle with the two-seamer, two-spinner combination given the lifeless nature of the pitch at Queen’s Park Oval. Manoj Tiwary might come up in team discussions, but S Badrinath has earned at least a couple of opportunities to fail in the middle order. Ishant Sharma, too, is likely to be eased into action later in the series.India (possible): 1 Parthiv Patel (wk), 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 S Badrinath, 5 Rohit Sharma, 6 Suresh Raina (capt), 7 Yusuf Pathan, 8 Harbhajan Singh, 9 Amit Mishra, 10 Praveen Kumar, 11 Munaf Patel.West Indies will seriously consider bringing in Kieron Pollard to inject some urgency in the middle order. While Anthony Martin gave a good account of himself with the ball, it is tough to imagine West Indies succeeding against India with two specialist legspinners in their XI.West Indies (possible): 1 Lendl Simmons, 2 Kirk Edwards, 3 Darren Bravo, 4 Ramnaresh Sarwan, 5 Marlon Samuels, 6 Dwayne Bravo, 7 Kieron Pollard/Andre Russell, 8 Darren Sammy (capt), 9 Carlton Baugh (wk), 10 Ravi Rampaul, 11 Devendra Bishoo/Anthony Martin.

Stats and trivia

• This will be the 98th one-dayer between these two sides. India have won 40, and West Indies 54
• Among the players in this series, Ramnaresh Sarwan (1319) has scored most runs in India-West Indies matches
  

  Quotes

  “When you play for India it is a given that fans and media would talk about your performance. I have no problem with it. But yes I have worked extremely hard over my fitness in the last three months and I want this tour to count for me.”

Jonny Bairstow added an unbeaten 80 to his first innings century as Yorkshire fought back hard on the third day

26-May-2011
ScorecardJames Hildreth added valuable runs for Somerset•Getty Images

Jonny Bairstow added an unbeaten 80 to his first innings century as Yorkshire fought back hard on the third day of the County Championship Division One match with Somerset at Taunton.The home side established a first innings lead of 94 when extending their total to 452 all out, James Hildreth making 87, while Adil Rashid took 4 for 100 and Ryan Sidebottom 3 for 66. But Yorkshire responded well, reaching 249 for 6 by the close of a day of high winds to lead by 155. Joe Root (67) shared a century stand for the fourth wicket with Bairstow, while captain Andrew Gale made 50.The first hour of the day was lost to rain with eight overs deducted. Somerset then resumed on 389 for 6 in their first innings and were able to add 63 either side of lunch. Lewis Gregory looked unlucky to be bowled off his thigh pad by Ryan Sidebottom for 17 with the sixth ball of the day, but Hildreth quickly took three of the first delivery of the second over from Steven Patterson to move to his half-century off 70 balls, with a six and seven fours.Gemaal Hussain helped add 28 for the eighth wicket before being caught behind off Oliver Hannon-Dalby and at lunch it was 437 for 8. Steve Kirby then fell lbw playing across the line to Rashid, who finished the innings by having Hildreth caught behind trying to cut. The England Lions captain had hit 12 fours and a six.The lead of 94 had been reduced by 37 when Adam Lyth, on 14, edged a lifting delivery from Hussain to be caught by wicketkeeper Jos Buttler. And it was 46 for 2 when Anthony McGrath fell lbw to Kirby on the back foot.But Gale and Root wiped out the remainder of the deficit and by tea Yorkshire were 108 for two and 14 in front. Gale reached his half-century off 56 balls, with a six and five fours, but was immediately pinned leg before wicket by a Peter Trego yorker. The visitors had a lead of only 23 and there was still much work to do.Bairstow survived a huge appeal for a catch behind first ball, but then went on play with the fluency that brought him 136 in the first innings. Root reached a battling half-century off 115 balls, while Bairstow’s 50 occupied only 76 deliveries and featured nine fours.They were parted with the total on 224 when Root was bowled by teenager Gregory a fraction late on his shot. That signalled a bad end to the day for Yorkshire, who lost two wickets in an over from left-arm spinner Arul Suppiah.Gary Ballance was snapped up at slip by Marcus Trescothick pushing at a ball that turned out of the rough and nightwatchman Patterson lasted only three balls before falling lbw stretching well forward.