Sreesanth removed as Kerala captain

Sreesanth, the India fast bowler, has been removed as captain of his state team Kerala but has been included in a list of 24 probables for the 2010-11 domestic season. Allrounder Raiphi Gomez replaces Sreesanth at the helm with batsman Robert Fernandez as his deputy.

A significant exclusion from the list is medium-pacer and India's first Test cricketer from Kerala, Tinu Yohannan. His previous season was poor, as he played three Ranji Trophy Plate League games and went wicketless.

Sreesanth was only marginally better, grabbing one wicket in three games while conceding 146 runs at over four-an-over. He had also been given a final warning by the Kerala Cricket Association in October last year for disciplinary reasons, and had been warned by the BCCI the same month that he will be suspended from domestic cricket if he violates the code of conduct.

Kerala drew their first two games last season before losing the next two to Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana by substantial margins.

Kerala probables list: Raiphi Gomez (capt), Robert Fernandez (vice-captain), Sreesanth, Rohan Prem, Abhishek Hegde, Karimuttathu Rakesh, VA Jagadeesh, Sony Cheruvathur, Sachin Baby, Arun Paulose, Sebastian Antony, Padmanabhan Prasanth, Sambasiva Sarma, CP Riswan, Arjun NK, Jineesh, Ramesh Kumar, Surjith, Kanakkatharaparambu Sreejith, Sunil Thomas, Chandra Tejas (wk), Prasanth Pramaeswaran, Manu Krishnan, Nizar Niyas.

Steven Finn rattles Bangladesh on rain-hit day

Bangladesh 237 for 7 (Mahmudullah 7*, Shahadat 3*, Finn 4-75) trail England 505 by 268 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details




Steven Finn was the star for England as they made good use of a short day © AFP


Related LinksPlayers/Officials: James Anderson | Steven Finn | Mushfiqur Rahim
Matches: England v Bangladesh at Lord's
Series/Tournaments: Bangladesh tour of England, Ireland and Scotland
Teams: Bangladesh | England




Steven Finn made the most of the 28.5 overs allowed by rain and bad light on the third day at Lord's to further enhance his reputation with three wickets as Bangladesh limped to 237 for 7 under overcast skies. With James Anderson bowling himself back into rhythm, claiming a confidence-boosting brace, it was tough for the visitors who had performed so admirably on Friday but are still 69 runs away from saving the follow on.

English bowling attacks always look far more threatening when they have overhead conditions to help them and they were transformed from the below-par performance of the previous afternoon. Finn was given his favoured Pavilion End and reaped the rewards by causing continued problems with his bounce, while Anderson began to rediscover his outswinger.

With a view to the future it was Finn's performance that was most eye-catching. Significantly he was handed the second new ball and struck with his second delivery to remove the stubborn Mushfiqur Rahim as one nipped between bat and pad, not dissimilar to now Glenn McGrath, Finn's idol, took many of his wickets at Lord's.

It wasn't until 3.20pm that the players managed to take the field and England were clearly keen to take advantage of the conditions, but had also clearly talked about their tactics as the lengths were much better. Finn, operating from the end where he does most of his bowling for Middlesex, struck in the fourth over when Junaid Siddique - after a resilient 58 - couldn't withdraw his bat in time; a problem caused by the extra bounce.

Mohammad Ashraful, who was dropped for the series in Bangladesh a couple of months ago, came in at No. 5 and opened his account with a positive square drive before being unluckily sent on his way. Finn nipped a ball back into his pads and Asoka de Silva answered the bowler's appeal though subsequent replays showed it was missing leg.

At the Nursery End Anderson continued to battle against himself following an inactive three-weeks in the Caribbean which has left him short of bowling. However, slowly he began to rediscover the outswinger which barely made an appearance the previous day and produced a lovely delivery which seamed away from Jahurul Islam to nick the outside edge.

Shakib Al Hasan, short of match practice after suffering chicken pox at the start of the tour, began in positive fashion but had to be very watchful as conditions continued to aid the bowlers. Tim Bresnan replaced Finn after a seven-over spell and was much improved as he found a fuller length to regularly beat Mushfiqur's outside edge.

It was Anderson, though, who made the next breakthrough when Shakib's concentration wavered and he pushed hard outside off stump to a ball that moved away. Matt Prior made a hash of a simple catch, but fortunately for the wicketkeeper Andrew Strauss was on hand at first slip to pouch the rebound much as Graeme Swann had been in the World Twenty20 final when Craig Kieswetter spilled an edge. However, given the scrutiny on Prior's place it won't be a good idea to do it too often.

Mushfiqur, five years after making his debut on this ground as a 16-year-old, gave another demonstration of the technique that makes him Bangladesh's most solid batsman. However, in gloomy light after tea he couldn't keep out Finn's excellent start with the new ball - during a seven-ball period between stoppages - but Jamie Siddons, the Bangladesh coach, was clearly annoyed by the umpire's judgement on the light as the players left the field again after the wicket.

Play resumed for another nine deliveries - three of which Shahadat Hossain swung widely at to suggest he wasn't keen on the fight - and although England were denied the chance to wrap up the innings they will be confident of putting Bangladesh back in again on the fourth day.

Younis' request for open hearing turned down

Former Pakistan captain Younis Khan's request to have his appeal against the indefinite ban imposed on him by the PCB heard in presence of the media has been turned down by the arbitrator hearing the appeals, former high court judge, Irfan Qadir. Younis' hearing will now resume on June 5.

On a day when Qadir decided to overturn the one-year ban on Pakistan allrounder Shoaib Malik, Younis' lawyer Ahmed Qayyum demanded that his client's hearing be conducted in front of journalists. Qadir denied the request and was willing to announce his verdict on Younis' appeal, but the lawyer refused to hear a decision "behind closed doors".

"The judge told me he would hold my hearing in camera and didn't allow the media representatives Younis wants to attend his hearings," Qayyum was quoted as saying by PTI. "Before the hearings I requested the judge to allow the media reps in but was told this was not possible as it was a confidential hearing. I was indirectly also told that the judge wanted to give a ruling on Younis Khan's ban immediately behind closed doors but I refused."

Younis has been picked in Pakistan's preliminary squad of 35 for the Asia Cup and the tour of England. He was banned indefinitely by the PCB along with Mohammad Yousuf in the aftermath of a winless tour of Australia for reasons of indiscipline, but his being considered for Pakistan's upcoming international assignments could be an indication that the PCB is willing to leave a door open for a possible return.

The reason for demanding a hearing in the presence of the media, Qayyum said, was to get the board to highlight the evidence based on which it decided to impose the ban. "Now they are saying it is not a ban and the Chairman of the board can include him (Younis) anytime in the team. But my client is adamant that he wants his case to be heard openly because he has done nothing wrong," Qayyum said. "My client wants the truth to come out and my client wants the board to show the evidence on basis of which they banned him."

Qadir said the board had explained its position on the issue, as a result of which he was ready to "wrap up" the pending appeals. "I wanted to give a ruling on Younis Khan's appeal but his lawyer said he wanted more time to talk to his client," Qadir told reporters. "I want to wrap up these appeals because the board has made its stance clear to me now."

Jaded rivalry banks on new faces

Match Facts

Sunday, May 30, 2010
Start time 0900 (0700 GMT)




India look to rebound against Sri Lanka after a disappointing loss to Zimbabwe © AFP


Related LinksMatches: India v Sri Lanka at Bulawayo
Series/Tournaments: Zimbabwe Triangular Series
Teams: India | Sri Lanka




The Big Picture

The greatest rivalry of our times resumes. Wait, when did it stop in the first place? Starting with the Asia Cup in July 2008, India and Sri Lanka have faced each other in a whopping 22 ODIs, six Tests, and four Twenty20s. The beauty of it is, what starts in Zimbabwe heralds a new beginning. By August 15, presuming these two teams make the finals of the three events they are playing, they will have played each other in seven more ODIs and three more Tests. And, whisper it lightly, there is a 20-day break for both the teams during the same period, which is a prime candidate for a hurriedly planned five-match bilateral.



Don't be surprised, though, if crowds in Zimbabwe and folks on TV give this rarest of rare contests a miss and find better things to do on a Sunday afternoon. That both the sides have rested their main players for the Zimbabwe tri-series is a small mercy, as some new contests might be seen.

The Indian selectors, though, have taken the whole rotation philosophy too seriously and forgotten to send a proper squad. At last glance, rotation in cricket meant resting important players in turns, one or two or three at a time. And even when players are rested en masse, the selectors usually ensure they send a balanced squad, unlike the one sent by India, which is made up of four specialist batsmen, two wicketkeeper-batsmen, three bits-and-pieces spinners, and six bowlers.

Sri Lanka, for example, have rested Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene and Sanath Jayasuriya, but they have Dinesh Chandimal, Chamara Kapugedera and Jeevan Mendis, among others, as like-for-like replacements. After India proved to be the equals of Zimbabwe, the minnows of the tournament, Sri Lanka clearly are the strongest side. It will take the young Indian side, three of whom made their debuts on Friday, and only four of whom have played a Test, some regrouping to compete with Sri Lanka.


Form guide (most recent first)

India LLWWL
Sri Lanka WLWWW


Watch out for...

Tillakaratne Dilshan's loss of form has been sudden and inexplicable. Perhaps he got used to India on low and flat tracks and found it too much of a culture shock when other sides on better tracks came prepared for him and cramped his style. That, like the other two captains in the tournament, he will be leading an ODI side for the first time will add more pressure.

After a smashing debut season, Ajantha Mendis, too, has slowly and surely become less and less effective. He will be bowling to inexperienced line-ups, and if he fails against them, it will be an ominous indicator of his future.

The heat is now on the Indian new-ball bowlers. It is no new thing for the medium-pacers to be the weakest link in India's limited-over sides, but these are new personnel, with no experience, and all by themselves in an unforgiving format.

Team news

Against Zimbabwe, India's medium-pacers went for 148 runs in the 23.2 overs between them. What's more, none of them troubled the batsmen. So India will be tempted to play both Amit Mishra and Pragyan Ojha. The only problem with that will be the presence of two part-time spinners in Yusuf Pathan and Ravindra Jadeja, who are more or less imposed on the XI because of the skewed nature of the XV. Unless, of course, India choose to play two wicketkeepers in Dinesh Karthik and Naman Ojha.

India (possible) 1 M Vijay, 2 Dinesh Karthik/Naman Ojha (wk), 3 Suresh Raina (capt.), 4 Virat Kohli, 5 Rohit Sharma, 6 Yusuf Pathan, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 R Vinay Kumar/Ashok Dinda, 9 Amit Mishra, 10 Pragyan Ojha, 11 Umesh Yadav.

The last time Sri Lanka played an ODI they were badly hit by injuries. So while they lose Sangakkara and Jayawardene from that XI, they have reinforcements in Angelo Mathews and Kapugedera. There should be debate over whether they want to play two allrounders, in Mathews and Thissara Perera.

Sri Lanka (possible) 1 Upul Tharanga, 2 Tillakaratne Dilshan (capt.), 3 Dinesh Chandimal (wk), 4 Thilan Samaraweera, 5 Thilina Kandamby, 6 Chamara Kapugedera, 7 Angelo Mathews, 8 Suraj Randiv, 9 Nuwan Kulasekara, 10 Thilan Thushara, 11 Ajantha Mendis.


Stats and trivia

•Suresh Raina has played 29 of his 91 ODIs against Sri Lanka, Virat Kohli 13 out of 24, and Pragyan Ojha eight out of nine.


•Over the last two years, India lead the head-to-head 13-8, but in multi-nation tournaments, Sri Lanka lead 4-3.


Quotes

"We need to work on our bowling. A couple of players are playing for the first time, but hopefully they will learn from this mistake."
Suresh Raina assesses the first game.

"I like it here. It's a good country. I made both my Test and ODI debuts here in Bulawayo in 1999, and I'm glad to come back as captain."
Tillakaratne Dilshan likes the environs.

USA crush Argentina in opener

USA hammered Argentina by 119 runs in their Division One match of the ICC World Cricket League Americas Region in Bermuda. Twin centuries by Orlando Baker and Aditya Thyagarajan propelled USA to a mammoth 347 for 6 in 50 overs at the St George's Cricket Club. Coming in after a mini collapse left USA at 91 for 4, Thyagarajan's century was the more brutal of the two, his 159 runs coming from only 119 deliveries, with 21 boundaries and three sixes. Opener Baker was the last batsman to be dismissed after scoring 113 from 108 deliveries, sharing a 213-run partnership with Thyagarajan.


An asking-rate touching nearly seven an over was always going to prove tough for Argentina and they lost wickets regularly to finish on 228 for 9. In a chase where they needed batsmen to stay longer at the crease, Argentina's best stand was 75 runs for the fourth wicket between Gary Savage and Grant Dugmore. Adrian Gordon took 4 for 38 in eight overs for USA, a spell which included the wickets of the Argentina openers.


Bermuda brushed aside Bahamas by seven wickets with more than 20 overs to spare after Bahamas were dismissed for 128 batting first at the National Stadium in Hamilton. Player of the match Kevin Tucker took figures of 8-3-9-3 as five Bahamas batsmen failed to score.


But for No. 8 Narendra Ekanayake's unbeaten 52, Bahamas would not have crossed 100, after being 19 for 5 at one stage. Ekanayake was supported by Dwight Weakley, who was the only other batsman to reach double figures, making 28 and sharing a 42-run seventh wicket stand. The state of the Bahamas innings could be gauged from the way opener Hamilton Gilliard scratched around for 57 deliveries for only 6 runs.


The Bermuda batsmen didn't face any trouble in knocking off the small target, reaching it in just 28.1 overs, with only opener Fiqre Crockwell failing to make runs.


Canada completed a comfortable eight-wicket win against Cayman Islands, chasing the target of 133 with 20 overs to spare at St David's Cricket Club.


In a game that was shortened to 41 overs, Cayman Islands were guilty of poor running between the wickets. Four batsmen were run out in an uninspiring batting performance, in which only one batsman crossed 20, as Cayman Islands were restricted to 132 for 9. Canada fast bowler Khurram Chohan wrecked the top order with 3 for 18 from eight overs. Though Cayman Islands captain Saheed Mohamed made 51, he lacked support from his team-mates, and the innings never recovered after Chohan had reduced them to 27 for 4.


Canada captain Rizwan Cheema seemed to be in Twenty20 mode as he smashed an unbeaten 79 from only 57 deliveries, finishing the chase in only 20.1 overs. He did justice to his reputation for big hitting, clobbering a staggering seven sixes and as many boundaries.

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NZC sees USA as long-term investment

New Zealand Cricket (NZC) is viewing its joint venture with United States of America Cricket Association (USACA) as a long-term investment that could even see USA host the ICC Champions Trophy, possibly after 2015.


"[2013 is] a real long shot. We talked about that, but ICC regulations require two venues pretty close to each other and at the moment we've only got one [in Florida]," NZC chief Justin Vaughan told the New Zealand Herald. "It also needs a number of practice facilities and at the moment there are no other turf wickets in Florida, so it would be a stretch. From the ICC's perspective, and a commercial perspective, there would be a lot of enthusiasm for it, but it's probably a bridge too far. ICC events beyond 2015, certainly that is something very much on the horizon."


Despite the lukewarm response, and financial loss, generated by the two Twenty20 matches played between New Zealand and Sri Lanka in Lauderhill, Florida, NZC has a lot of faith in the potential of the US market, particularly northern California, New York and Florida, areas with a high percentage of subcontinent ex-patriates.


"The projected losses were being underwritten by a third party," Vaughan said. "So we can go ahead and further develop a relationship with US cricket. It will take time. I think everyone understands you are not going to immediately transform the US into a cricket-mad nation, or excite the local sponsors and broadcasters."


NZC's interest in the US is part of its strategy to increase revenues, as it seeks to diversify its income sources, currently limited to the dividends it receives from the ICC and from cricket played within New Zealand.


That is why NZC views the recent Twenty20 matches as an important first step despite the games themselves being low-scoring affairs in front of modest crowds. "We got reasonable crowds. Obviously they were mainly ex-pats but we got some Americans there," Vaughan said. "The players really enjoyed themselves and through word of mouth that will have a positive effect on the cricket community there.


"While the wicket wasn't up to the standards we would like to see for international Twenty20 cricket, the facility is otherwise really good. The wicket has potential, but we had issues where the grass died."

Shoaib Malik's one-year ban lifted

Shoaib Malik's appeal against the punishment handed out to him by the PCB earlier this year has been "partially accepted" by an independent arbitration tribunal, which has overturned his one-year ban and halved his Rs 2 million fine.

"The board's legal advisor has reported to me that after monitoring Malik in the last three months they feel he has improved his behavior and attitude," Iqbal Qadir, the arbitrator, said. "I have decided to uphold his appeal and lift the ban as the purpose of disciplinary action against players was to make them rethink about their careers."


Malik was relieved after the decision and said the purpose behind his appeal was to "clear this stigma" against his name.

"His appeal has been partially accepted," the PCB's legal advocate Talib Rizvi told Cricinfo. "The ban has been lifted and his fine has been halved. The board has the right to review the decision but as of now he is eligible to play for Pakistan again."

The charge against Malik was never clearly explained by the inquiry committee that decided on the punishment but it was widely thought to be for what a number of management officials and players called his negative influence on the side. This was confirmed in a subsequently leaked video of the inquiry committee meetings, in which Malik's role within the squad was blasted by a number of players including Shahid Afridi and Mohammad Yousuf.


Qadir, a retired judge, will now send a report to the PCB chairman Ijaz Butt, who will put the decisions in front of the board of governors. "We're going according to our constitution which says an appeal can be filed in such cases," Butt told Cricinfo. "I will now receive the report from the arbitrator and then put it up in front of the board of governors for their approval."


Though Butt refused to say so, it is expected he will approve the findings and that the board of governors will ratify it as well, thus removing legal obstacles from the way of Malik's potential return. Malik was named in the list of 35 probables for Pakistan's next two assignments, in Sri Lanka for the Asia Cup and then a long summer tour to England, but it is unlikely he will make the cut for the first task. The 15-man squad for the Asia Cup is to be picked in the first week of June and the governing board's next meeting is likely to be after that.

The decision also paves the way for some of the other players' punishments to be reduced or removed. The board has eased its stance in recent days against the punished players. Butt first told a national assembly meeting that he would review the punishments again before lavishly praising Younis Khan - another player punished by his board. Younis' hearing, which was due to take place immediately after Malik's, was adjourned to June 5.

Malik's relief, Cricinfo understands, is part of an agreement the board has reached already with at least three other players. According to board sources, like Malik, Afridi and the Akmal brothers will also see their monetary fines cut by half. Of the other players punished, Rana Naved-ul-Hasan's next hearing is scheduled for June 19, while no dates have yet been set for Afridi and the Akmal brothers.

When and if players such as Malik and Younis return - and if Mohammad Yousuf comes back from retirement - questions are likely to be asked about how cordial Pakistan's dressing room will be, given the startling levels of mistrust and disunity in the side. The PCB says they have given the team's manager Yawar Saeed and other officials greater authority in clamping down against any future incidents.

"I have instructed the team manager and other officials including the captain that any act of indiscipline, any such problem, and they have my full backing in immediately sending a player back," Butt said. "They need not even refer the case to me, they can send the player back immediately as they will have full authority to do so."

'Aggressive bowling won it for SA' - Graeme Smith

Graeme Smith, the South Africa captain, has singled out his team's aggressive bowling as the factor that clinched a 67-run win in Dominica, which gave the visitors an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series. West Indies put in a spirited performance with the ball, bowling out South Africa for 224 in a must-win game, but capitulated during the chase in the wake of attacking bowling from Morne Morkel, Dale Steyn and Charl Langeveldt, who shared eight wickets between them.

"The bowlers today must take the credit. They bowled with real aggression and intensity and today it's their win," Smith said after the match. "I thought we let ourselves down [with the bat] with some poor cricket, especially in the last 20 overs - a bit of awareness levels and making some bad decisions under pressure. But we knew the wicket had a bit in for the bowlers.

"We spoke in the meeting yesterday about being more aggressive with the ball, particularly with a few of their players. Today the surface really allowed us to do that, especially once the ball got older. It got a bit two-paced once you hit the deck hard - one would go through, one would stop. It really allowed us to play aggressively. Credit to the guys, they took it on board and it worked for us."

The series win, in addition to victories in the Twenty20 games on this tour, marks a positive turn of events for South Africa after exiting the World Twenty20 during the Super Eights earlier this month. "Only five or six games ago, we were in a very disappointing place," Smith said. "We had to bounce back and we did that."

Smith's counterpart Chris Gayle had West Indies' batting to blame for the defeat. While admitting there was a huge reliance on him to get his team off to a good start, he also called on the others to shoulder the responsibility. "We started well, restricting them to 224 was a good effort but not getting there was a lot of disappointment," Gayle said. "The bowlers have been doing a wonderful job for us. The area we have to work on is our batting. In the outfield as well, our energy was very good. But we faltered in our batting.

"A lot of guys actually look up to me to try and give them a good start. But if that doesn't happen they should put their hands up and be counted."

AB de Villiers was Man of the Match for his 70, which helped his team post a total it managed to defend quite comfortably in the end. His innings included only two fours and a six, but came off just 80 balls. He has been in prolific form this series with scores of 102 and 41 in his previous two games. "I understand my role in the middle order at the moment, I'm really enjoying batting at No.4," he said. "You've got some class players up front and some class to finish the innings. I'm just there playing my role and batting as long as possible, and trying to get the strike rate to 100% as much as possible."

The first of the two dead rubbers will be held in Dominica on Sunday.

'More embarrassment in store from West Indies' - Hilaire

In a scathing criticism of West Indies cricket, Ernest Hilaire, the CEO of the region's cricket board, has said fans will have to endure more "embarrassment" in the years to come not merely due to the lack of quality cricketers coming through but also because of the overall attitude of players towards the game, with money and fame favoured over excellence. The decline of West Indies cricket, Hilaire added, was also a reflection of what, according to him, was the virtual irrelevance of the "notion of being West Indian" to the younger players.

"I listen to our players speak, and they speak of money, that's all that matters to them - instant gratification," Hilaire said during a panel discussion on the topic 'Nationalism and the Future of West Indies cricket' at the University of the West Indies in Barbados. "There's no sense of investing in the future coming from them. We are producing young people in the region that we expect, when they play cricket for the West Indies, to be paragons of virtue. That just won't happen.

"Sometimes when you speak to the players, you feel a sense of emptiness. The whole notion of being a West Indian, and for what they are playing has no meaning at all.

"They have not been brought up with a clear understanding of what it means, and its importance. But do we blame them?"

This change in attitude was a product of the wider societal ills in the Caribbean, Hilaire said. "Our cricketers are products of the failure of our Caribbean society, where money and instant gratification are paramount. We as a region have some real issues and problems that are producing young men in particular, that cannot dream of excellence. Excellence for them is about the bling, and the money they have."

There was no shortage of advice for improving the state of affairs in West Indies cricket, Hilaire said, but until there was the right infrastructure, the decline was bound to continue. "Until the High Performance Centre, as a structure of support that has been created now [in Barbados] to prepare the next generation, we will suffer a lot of embarrassments and a lot of awfulness, because our present cricketers are not prepared.

"I have listened to many past players, taxi drivers, immigration officers, and hotel barmen to name a few. All will give you advice on what to do with West Indies cricket. People ask me, 'What will you do about this team? They are an embarrassment'! I tell them you have about three more years of embarrassment still to witness."

Hilaire said there was little hope even in those who could take over the reins from the existing senior team. "I keep hearing from people, 'Fire those [current] guys, and bring in new ones!', but where is the new set coming from? Who are we going to bring in?

"Somebody said to me, 'Bring in the Under-19s. They came third at the Youth World Cup'. And I whispered that almost half of the Under-19 team could barely read or write. The simple fact is that we are producing cricketers who are not capable of being world-beaters in cricket. It's just a simple fact."

While acknowledging that there was talent coming through, Hilaire said there was a general failure in the transition to succeeding at the highest level. "We can win matches occasionally, but not consistently with what we have," he said. "It is not that we do not have the talent, but in today's cricketing world, having talent alone means absolutely nothing.

"For the last nine years, we have been chopping and changing. Between 2000 and 2009, the WICB has tried 59 new players in Test match cricket alone. We have put young men in the international arena only to be slaughtered, demoralised, dejected, and the development path they ought to take never really takes place."

Finn the stand out for lacklustre England

On an otherwise lacklustre day from England's bowlers, one man stood out from the crowd - and not merely because he's the lankiest player on show. Steven Finn's Test debut came in bewildering circumstances in Chittagong back in March, only days after arriving in Bangladesh as injury cover. But the promise he displayed then was on show once again today, as he returned steady figures of 1 for 39 in 12 overs, in the vastly more familiar surroundings of his home ground, Lord's.

Using his height well on a slow surface, Finn was the closest that England's attack came to finding a cutting edge on an attritional day, and after Tamim Iqbal was run out for 55, he claimed the only other Bangladeshi wicket to fall, that of Imrul Kayes for 43, who gloved a lifter to Andrew Strauss in the slips.


"It was a fantastic feeling to get my first [Test] wicket at Lord's in front of that crowd, and the atmosphere," said Finn. "Initially, I wasn't sure whether he had gloved it or it came off his forearm or what, but I was excited to see it go through like that. It was relatively hard work, because the wicket's a little bit slow, but there's a bit of bounce from the Pavilion End, and we hope we can exploit that tomorrow."

After grafting his way through the lifeless decks of Chittagong and Dhaka, Finn was happy to play on a surface offering even a fraction of assistance, and remained upbeat about England's hopes of forcing the pace against a dogged Bangladeshi line-up.

"It wasn't that bad as Chittagong," he said. "I'm still having nightmares about that. A little bit more sun on it, and potentially the roller tomorrow, I think it could change. There's been a bit of variable bounce and that could be a big thing for us and work to our advantage tomorrow.

"At the moment it looks like a battle of attrition, us again trying to limit their boundary options and being clever with field-setting and able to attack at the right time. But you can see one going up, one going down. We're still 300 odd runs ahead, so if we can get a couple of quick wickets that's going to be in the back of their minds that they could potentially be following on within a session."

The start to the Bangladeshi innings had a recurring theme, with Tamim Iqbal blazing a 62-ball 55 before being run out by a direct hit. It was his fourth half-century in five Test innings against England, but having seen his hurricane style blow out on previous occasions, he was confident that the bowlers would be able to regain control as the match develops.

"Obviously, Tamim Iqbal is going to come out and play his way. But if we can 'dot him up' second innings, when he's faced two or three on the trot, he'll play a silly shot - try to slash one that's too straight through point. We did go for a few runs today but we bowled to our plans and stuck to our guns.

"We saw them bat like that in Chittagong and Dhaka earlier in the year," he added. "They're a developing team who are getting better game-by-game. They have players who are dangerous, and it's important we don't take them lightly, treat them with respect and have to be able to build dots against them."

"We're not just going to be able to blast them away; we have to build pressure, which will in turn get us wickets. The important thing is to use the new ball, because we know the Bangladeshis will struggle against the moving ball."

Shahadat ends bitter Lord's memories

On this very day five years ago, Bangladesh were subjected to one of the most comprehensive drubbings ever witnessed in the history of Test cricket. The final margin, an innings and 261 runs, was vast even on paper - at the time, it was England's third-largest victory, and their best for more than 30 years - but the manner in which it was delivered, and the message it sent to the watching world, was of even greater significance.

From Bangladesh's first-day dismissal for 108, via Marcus Trescothick's uncompromising 194, and through to the second-innings shredding for 159, the entire contest was wrapped up inside seven sessions, as indeed was the second Test at Chester-le-Street. And at the end of it all, Michael Vaughan's damning verdict - as his team's thoughts shifted towards a seismic tussle with Australia - was that the whole contest had simply been too easy.

Five years on, and England's planning is once again being geared towards the Ashes, but on this lacklustre evidence, it's just as well that Brisbane is still some six months in the distance. All throughout their recent tour of Bangladesh, England's bowlers kept themselves sane on the flattest of shirt-fronts by dreaming of the green, green grass of home. The wars of attrition at Chittagong and Mirpur would be long forgotten, they assumed, once they located the seam and swing of England's early-season surfaces.

And yet, England failed to acknowledge the tenacity of a team with a far greater incentive to raise their game to untouched heights, and for Shahadat Hossain, one of three survivors from the 2005 chastising, redemption was achieved on his return to the hallowed turf. Shahadat had made his Test debut in that game, a thrusting teenager with a penchant for the bouncer and a grunt at delivery to rival Monica Seles. His inclusion was intended to apply some menace to a powder-puff attack, but his hideous analysis of 12-0-101-0 told the tale of a rookie overawed.

Today, however, Shahadat returned older and 26 Tests wiser, and made it his mission to atone for those shortcomings. His reward was a place on the dressing-room honours board - the first Bangladeshi ever to achieve such a feat. But more importantly, the verve and impetus he injected into his own performance provided his team with the inspiration that had been so sorely lacking on that last infamous visit. The net result was the best day that Bangladesh has ever produced in a Test against England, and for a sceptical audience, definitive proof of the strides they have taken in their development.

"I am very happy today," said Shahadat. "My name is on the board, and it's the first time in Bangladesh cricket so it's a big thing for me. After my debut, I never thought I would get a second chance to come here to Lord's, but I always said that, if I did, I would try to make up for it. That time Trescothick and [Andrew] Strauss hit me everywhere, but this time I just tried to forget it. I bowled line and length with a bit of swing, and nothing else."

From the moment Shahadat found his range in a purposeful second spell, Bangladesh's collective approach was of the up-and-at-'em variety. They claimed six wickets for 143 to rob England of their right to declare, and if Tamim Iqbal's initial flurry of bat-swishes crossed the line between bold and reckless, it nevertheless got the close fielders out of his eyeline, and encouraged his more timid partner, Imrul Kayes, to knuckle down alongside him.

In Chittagong, Kayes had been badly found out by the short ball, and in 22 previous Test innings, his highest score had been 33. He may never be the answer to his team's top-order needs - and a lifter from Steven Finn eventually did for him in the pre-ordained manner - but not before he had compiled a calm 99-ball 43. Perhaps the fierce blow to the helmet he took at short leg helped to steel his mindset, but either way, to produce his Test best on the biggest stage he's yet played was a credit to his growing tenacity.

"We saw them bat like that in Chittagong and Dhaka earlier in the year," said Finn, who took a phlegmatic view of his first day's work in an England home Test . "They're a developing team who are getting better game-by-game. They have players who are dangerous, and it's important we don't take them lightly. We need to treat them with respect and have to be able to build dots against them, because we're not just going to be able to blast them away; we have to build pressure, which will in turn get us wickets."

But playing the waiting game will only get a team so far - a bit of intent is needed as well, and to that end, the performance of Jonathan Trott was instructive. Admirably though he performed in notching up a career-best 226, he also batted with a lack of ambition, especially after reaching his maiden double-century. While the ability to bore a team to death is not something to be underestimated, Trott's default setting was ponderous, and his mood permeated the collective performance.

It doesn't exactly amount to a scientific study, but of the 36 individual scores in Test history that fall in the range of 220 to 230, Trott's tally of 20 fours is the second lowest boundary-count after that renowned barnacle, Bobby Simpson, way back in 1966 (and Simpson even hit a six to offset his 18 fours). Perhaps it's too easy to get carried away with boundaries in the Twenty20 era, but the England of 2005 set about putting all opponents, Bangladesh included, in their place. And they weren't even Twenty20 champions back then.

"The last time we were here, the wicket was grassy, and England had one of the best bowling attacks ever," said Shahadat. "Harmison, Jones, Flintoff ... their bowling was very fast, and the conditions were very hostile. Everyone tried their best, but the ball was swinging so much and they bowled very well."

The veteran said it best. Compared to what he and his team-mates were put through five years ago, the reception that Bangladesh have received this time around has been tame in the extreme. The gap between the sides may have shrunk in the intervening years, but that's all the more reason for England to raise their game, rather than go through the motions.

Taylor lauds Zimbabwe's all-round performance

Man of the Match Brendan Taylor has put down Zimbabwe's six-wicket win over India to a combined effort that was unlike many of his team's performances in the past. "This was a thoroughly good all-round performance on a flat wicket, and it's nice to see the guys chipping in," Taylor, who top scored for his team with 81, said. "We've always struggled in the past when one guy chips in and everyone struggles."

Taylor, during his 103-ball stay, was involved in two major partnerships that set up Zimbabwe's successful chase of a seemingly formidable 285. He added 88 in 13 overs with opener Hamilton Masakadza, and followed it up with a further 63 with Greg Lamb. The second stand consumed 16.3 overs, and when Taylor fell with the score on 176, Zimbabwe's required rate had crept to more than seven-an-over. The flat wicket and the presence of some power-players down the order, however, meant Zimbabwe had to preserve their wickets for a good part of the chase, Taylor said.

"The plan was to basically just keep knocking the ball around. We know we have Andy Blignaut and Elton [Chigumbura] at the bottom there and Charles [Coventry] coming in too. So we've got the firepower to catch up in the end with the batting Powerplay. There wasn't really too much risk to be taken.

"We were trying to bat the way they [India] sort of started; construct the innings pretty well. It was a nice wicket to bat on, [the strategy was to] not lose too many wickets and back yourself to really have a go."

Chigumbura, leading Zimbabwe for the first time, was off the mark with the ball, conceding 26 in an over which included 14 wides and a no-ball, but chipped in during the chase, combining with debutant Craig Ervine in an unbeaten 58-run stand to steer his team home. "It wasn't easy for me," he said of his first match as captain. "I thought I let the team down in the first half but some of the guys played well. We had a good partnership first up which gave us a good foundation to win the game.

"The plan was for the seamers to get one or two wickets to make it easy for the spinners, but it went the other way - only one seamer bowled well. I thought the rest of the spinners bowled well.

"It's a good start for Craig Ervine to score a half-century on debut. The main focus now is to be consistent as a team."

Suresh Raina, unlike his Zimbabwean counterpart, had a poor start to his captaincy, as his bowlers, particularly the inexperienced seamers, failed to measure up in a determined chase by the hosts. The batting Powerplay available to Zimbabwe at the death, with Chigumbura and Ervine cashing in, cost India the game, he said. "It [the target] was defendable. Amit Mishra bowled really well, [Ravindra] Jadeja also. But they still had a Powerplay left at the end, and a couple of their players batted really well. That's what cost the game for us."

The highlight of India's performance was a maiden ODI century from Rohit Sharma, who helped them recover from 67 for 3. The bowling, though, according to Raina, needed improvement if India were to challenge Sri Lanka in their next fixture. "The way Rohit was hitting the ball was remarkable," Raina said. "We need to work on our bowling. A couple of players are playing for the first time, but hopefully they will learn from this mistake."

India take on Sri Lanka in the next game of the series on May 30 in Bulawayo.

Give Shahid Afridi time, says Imran Khan

Former Pakistan captain Imran Khan has come out in support of Shahid Afridi, saying the allrounder should be given a long run as captain to avoid the destabilising effect of frequent changes at the top.

"Since I retired in 1992, Australia has had only three captains while Pakistan has had more than two dozen and that is why there is a big difference between Pakistan and Australia," Imran told AFP.

According to Imran, Afridi was the logical choice to lead Pakistan as he is already the Twenty20 captain. "Who else if not Afridi?" Imran said. "I think if they had made anyone else captain, problems would surely have persisted, so I think Afridi was the best choice available."

Imran said Afridi has to be given time if he is to develop into a good leader. "Afridi has been leading the team well in the Twenty20 format. A good captain should be brave, can handle pressure and should have the respect of the team, so let us give Afridi some time to settle and then judge him.

"You can never predict about him as a Test player and a captain until you give him a chance. If he was not playing Tests and now he intends to play, then maybe with responsibility he performs better."

Pakistan's current captaincy crisis was precipitated by Younis Khan's resignation and the sacking of Mohammad Yousuf. The PCB then appointed Afridi to lead the team during the World Twenty20 and earlier this week made him captain for the Asia Cup next month and the subsequent tour to England.

Khan also said he is in favour of having having one captain for all formats of the game. "Cricket is the only sport where you need able leadership and if a captain is successful in one format he could be successful in all three."

Surrey ban Andre Nel for two matches

Surrey have suspended Andre Nel, the former South Africa fast bowler, for two matches following continued on-pitch controversies. He had already received a two-game ban from the ECB this season but his county have now felt the need to take their own action.

Nel has always been a fiery character on the field and blames it on his alter-ego called 'Gunter'. The latest incidents occurred during this week's Championship victory against Northamptonshire at Wantage Road when he reportedly threw the ball towards Niall O'Brien.

Nel appeared before an internal hearing on Friday where he was found guilty of a level two breach of the ECB code. He has also been fined £5,000 pounds with half of that suspended for the remainder of his Surrey contract.

"The way we conduct ourselves on and off the field is of utmost importance to us and breaches like this can't go unpunished," said Gus Mackay, Surrey's managing director. "We have to be firm and consistent in our stance regarding improper behaviour that can bring the club and game into disrepute."

Nel's ban covers the County Championship matches against Glamorgan and Leicestershire.

South Africa brush aside hosts to take series

South Africa wrapped up their sixth successive bilateral series against West Indies after their well-oiled pace machine steamrolled the home side on a barely responsive track in Dominica. AB de Villiers' fluent half-century was the centerpiece of what had seemed a small South African total, but a string of soft dismissals undermined the chase and extended West Indies' winless streak against Graeme Smith's side to nine.

West Indies made a bright start to their pursuit of 225 but Chris Gayle fell in the sixth over after two balls that highlighted his hit-or-miss style: an awesome strike shipped the first delivery over midwicket for six, the next ball was met with a footwork-free slash which ended up as a top edge to slip. His opening partner, Dale Richards, played a nervy innings interspersed with some confident hits like the eye-catching drive over mid-on for four off Charl Langeveldt.

At 58 for 1 after 11 overs West Indies were coasting, but the introduction of the bowler of the series so far, Morne Morkel, gave the visitors hope. In his first over, he had Richards edging to Jacques Kallis as the batsman tried for the umpteenth time to guide the ball to third man. In his next over, he proved too quick for Darren Bravo, who was struck in front of middle stump. The home side were now 63 for 3, and Morkel's figures after two short spells were 4-0-5-2 .

The potentially explosive but brittle West Indian batting now needed the experienced Shivnarine Chanderpaul to anchor the innings. His brand of no-risk cricket - cutting out the showbiz shots and poking the ball into the gaps for singles - took West Indies to 85 for 3 after 20, before Kallis had him nicking to the keeper. de Villiers pouched another one soon after when a pacy Steyn bouncer flew off Dwayne Bravo's glove.

The asking-rate was still manageable and West Indies had a chance if their big-hitters, Kieron Pollard and Darren Sammy, knuckled down and played some sensible cricket. However, they were tied down by a barrage of short balls from the South African quicks and they decided to take the batting Powerplay in an attempt to pick up some boundaries.

However, the West Indian challenge was soon snuffed out in the 30th over from Langeveldt in which three wickets went down. Pollard's international career remains a pale imitation of his glittering domestic Twenty20 one, and he wasted another chance to win over West Indian fans by slashing straight to backward point when on 10. Sammy followed four deliveries later, looking for the big hit but only edging to the keeper.

The softest dismissal of the innings was of Jerome Taylor off the final delivery of that Langeveldt over: he screamed 'Go, go, go' to his partner after pushing the ball to mid-off but jogged for most of what he thought was a simple single, before sprinting the last few yards which didn't prove enough to beat a direct hit from Steyn. West Indies were 118 for 8 and the series was gone.

The home side's batting was in sharp contrast to their spirited bowling and fielding earlier in the day, their best effort in the field this series. Though the South African top-order was mostly untroubled in the initial Powerplays, Gayle's men fought back to bowl the visitors out with nearly three overs remaining.

Despite a quiet spell midway through the innings following the loss of Smith and Jacques Kallis in the space of five overs, South Africa were well placed at 146 for 3 after 31 overs, with de Villiers confidently moving towards yet another half-century. However, two of their youngsters, Alviro Petersen and David Miller, couldn't deliver when needed and South Africa slid into a hole.

That meant de Villiers had to play out the final 15 overs with players who weren't quite accomplished with the bat. He regularly waltzed down the track even to the quicker bowlers and placed the ball adroitly to score at a brisk pace even when the rest floundered. It seemed South Africa were set to hit top gear when he clobbered a huge six over midwicket in the 38th over, but the bouncer which struck Johan Botha above the eye snapped the momentum.

Another burst of wickets followed, including the run-out of de Villiers to a slide-rule throw from Benn at mid-off. South Africa had no specialist batsmen left for their batting Powerplay and ended up with just 224, but their aggressive fast bowling ensured it was enough to clinch the series.

PCB seek government advice on Howard

The PCB will seek the advice of the Pakistan government before deciding whether or not to support John Howard's bid for the vice-presidency of the ICC, a stance senior officials say indicates the seriousness and sensitivity of the issue.


Howard, the former Australian prime minister, was nominated by Australia and New Zealand as their candidate for the vice-president's post which will eventually see him take over from Sharad Pawar as ICC president in 2012. But his nomination has run into stiff opposition from a number of boards within the ICC. Four votes are needed to block the nomination and currently, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka are determined to block it. Pawar, who will take over as president in June, backed the process that threw up Howard as a candidate rather than the candidate himself in an ICC statement earlier.

Ijaz Butt, chairman PCB, considers Howard a personal friend and is aware of his love for the game. But he has refused to make the voting intentions of his board public, telling Cricinfo only that "the issue is a very sensitive one and it has to be handled delicately." Cricinfo understands, however, that the board has sought the advice of the government on the matter and contacted the office of the President Asif Ali Zardari, who is also patron of the board. Effectively, the board will go by the advice they receive.

Senior board officials remain reluctant to talk about the issue, publicly or privately, but they stress repeatedly that the decision is one serious enough to warrant state advice. "Things on this issue are not as simple as they look," one official told Cricinfo. "What appears on the surface is not what you will see below. That is all I can say currently on the matter."

Another official firmed up the stance. "This is a very big issue and we cannot just decide on it ourselves. It is a complicated matter involving many different aspects so we have to seek direction."


There is little clarity on why the matter should be referred to the government. Diplomatic ties between Australia and Pakistan have traditionally been straightforward, cordial and friendly. Howard last visited Pakistan in 2005, touring northern areas devastated by an earthquake and bowling an embarrassing series of half-trackers at a camp. Howard did rile much of Sri Lanka by calling Muttiah Muralitharan a chucker twice. Murali later forgave him but said on his nomination that Howard would face a tough challenge in trying "to convince the subcontinent."

Another member board has said that they will discuss the issue with other boards before making any decision. A senior official of the Bangladesh board told Cricinfo that the issue of Howard's candidature had not as yet been discussed at boardroom level. But he added that in light of the increasing resistance to his nomination, the matter was likely to be addressed in consultation with other member nations.

Tamim and Siddique build on Shahadat's five

Bangladesh more than held their own on the second day at Lord's, reaching 172 for 2 at the close - 134 runs away from the follow-on - after Shahadat Hossain's 5 for 98 saw England bowled out for 505 after Jonathan Trott hit 226. Imrul Kayes and Tamim Iqbal added 88 for the first wicket before Junaid Siddique guided the visitors to the close with a determined, unbeaten 53 alongside Jahurul Islam.

England had been expected to dominate the day when they started on 362 for 4 but it didn't quite transpire that way even though Trott reached a career-best first-class score and equalled Kevin Pietersen's 226 as England's highest Test score since Graham Gooch's 333 in 1990. Shahadat's effort kept Bangladesh in the game and also made him the first Bangladesh cricketer to be included on the honours board at Lord's.

Tamim then shrugged off concerns about his injured left wrist with a half-century compiled in his own inimitable fashion after the visitors came out to bat midway through the second session. He got going by slashing Tim Bresnan over the slips and hammering a pull through square leg from consecutive deliveries, but also flashed wildly every so often to keep the bowlers interested.

Kayes was found out by the short ball during England's tour of Bangladesh, and it wasn't long before Bresnan and James Anderson were testing his technique. But as the shine started to come off the ball, things became easier and Bresnan was removed from the attack after Tamim took to him with three marvellous strikes in one over.

Tamim brought up his fourth half-century in five Test innings against England with a powerful pull through midwicket. He celebrated with a superb pick-up over square leg off the front foot, but two balls later took on Kevin Pietersen's arm with a risky single and was run out for 55 by a direct hit from point.

With his wicket, Bangladesh suddenly seemed more vulnerable, having collapsed after similarly promising starts countless times before, but this time they showed they have the grit and determination as Kayes and Siddique built another solid partnership. However, Steven Finn's pace and bounce eventually proved too much for Kayes to handle, as he gloved a nasty, neck-high bouncer to be easily caught by Andrew Strauss at first slip for 43.

Again, England felt they had their opening, but Siddique and Jahurul buckled down and defied everything the hosts could throw at them. Siddique had started aggressively, striking four boundaries before he had reached 30, but reined himself in after Kayes's departure while Jahurul, determined to survive until the close, was in no hurry at all.

Siddique passed fifty with a firm push to the midwicket boundary off Swann and as the end of the day approached both batsmen retreated into a defensive shell. They had some luck too, as the odd ball nipped past the outside edge and an inside edge from a tentative prod by Islam shot just past the stumps in the final over, but Bangladesh will be mighty pleased with their efforts.

They had desperately needed a good start after a weak showing on the opening day, and Shahadat responded with a determined opening spell as he found movement through the air with a newish ball and kept tight off-stump line to trouble the batsmen. He was quickly rewarded with Eoin Morgan's wicket - edging a flat-footed push to be well caught by a tumbling Mushfiqur Rahim behind the stumps - and also hurried both Trott and Matt Prior's defences with his probing line.

Bangladesh were gifted their second breakthrough by some witless running as Trott placed the ball through the covers and Prior charged back for a second run, only to see his partner wasn't responding. Unperturbed, Trott progressed in much the same vein as he had on Thursday.

However, Shahadat continued to impress after lunch to break a 63-run partnership between Trott and Bresnan, changing his line of attack to round the wicket and forcing Bresnan to push away from his body at a delivery angled across him to edge a catch to Siddique at a wide first slip.

Graeme Swann wasted no time in getting going, but Bangladesh struck again when Trott opened the face of the bat to guide a ball straight to backward point to end his 349-ball stay before Shahadat secured his pride of place on the away dressing room wall by rattling Anderson's stumps. Bangladesh left the field with a spring their step and ended the day in equally high spirits.

Pakistan disappointed at Champions League exclusion

The Pakistan board has expressed its disappointment at not having a domestic team invited to participate in the 2010 Champions League Twenty20 in South Africa. This appears to be a u-turn on an earlier stance it had taken, when in the aftermath of the IPL snub to Pakistan players, Ijaz Butt, the PCB chairman, had ruled out the participation of any Pakistan team in the Champions League. That, says the chairman however, was not what he had said at the time.

"Those comments of mine were about the IPL and our participation in that event and not at all about the Champions League," Butt told Cricinfo. "I had said our players would not be in the IPL because of what had happened at the auction. I did not say that our domestic teams would not go to the Champions League. Why would I deprive them of that opportunity? My comments were misinterpreted."

Nevertheless, the confusion means that Sialkot Stallions, Pakistan's domestic Twenty20 champions five years running now, will again miss out on the most lucrative global club tournament in cricket. Sialkot, which won the RBS Twenty20 in March this year, could potentially include Pakistan players such as Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Asif, Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, Abdur Rehman and Abdul Razzaq. They were invited to take part in what would have been the inaugural Champions League at the end of 2008 but the terror attacks on Mumbai in November that year forced a postponement to 2009. By that time, relations between India and Pakistan having deteriorated, no team was invited from Pakistan.

"Nobody has invited us this year and that is disappointing," Butt said. "We asked them about it and we received no reply at all. We will take up this issue with the ICC. After all, why are we being discriminated against like this? Clubs from so many other countries are invited and our Sialkot side has done so well over the last few years."


A Champions League official, however, told Cricinfo that no Pakistan team had been considered for the 2010 tournament after Butt's statements in February. "Mr Butt had formally announced and communicated in February that no Pakistani team would be permitted to compete in the 2010 CLT20, and as Mr Butt is the Chairman of the PCB, the Governing Council of CLT20 could not and did not consider any invitations to Pakistani teams," the official told Cricinfo. "Unfortunately, due to the announcement by Mr Butt, it is now clearly too late to even consider the addition of Pakistani teams to the 2010 CLT20."


Gerald Majola, chief executive of Cricket South Africa, one if the founding members of the Champions League, also said it was too late to include a Pakistan team. "I don't think the PCB approached us," he told Cricinfo. "If that was the case we would've known earlier. Unfortunately it too late now, things have been finalised so there can be no question of sending an invite."

However, whether or not the league was ever considering inviting a team from Pakistan is open to question. Another tournament official told Cricinfo that "the plan was always to invite the same make-up of teams as 2009, with the understanding that if English teams were unavailable, the field would be reduced to 10 teams.

"To my knowledge PCB made no approaches to be included in this year's CLT20," he said. "There won't be any late invitations issued. The match schedule is being drafted at the moment and venues being finalised, so we're advanced in our planning."

That means Shahid Afridi, who helped South Australia qualify, could be Pakistan's only representative in the tournament this time round, although his national responsibilities until September 22 makes his participation uncertain as well. The number of teams taking part was reduced to ten this year (from 12) after the ECB said its sides could not take part because of a clash of dates with the end of the English domestic season. Other than Bangladesh and England this year, teams from all Test-playing countries participate in the tournament. The tournament is run jointly by the cricket boards of Australia, India and South Africa.

Mohammad Yousuf won't end retirement for England

Mohammad Yousuf: "I don't think I am mentally ready for international cricket at this stage" © Associated Press


Related LinksNews : Afridi requests Yousuf to come out of retirement
News : Shahid Afridi to lead in Asia Cup and England tour
Players/Officials: Mohammad Yousuf
Series/Tournaments: Pakistan tour of England
Teams: Pakistan


Mohammad Yousuf has closed the door on the prospect of coming out of retirement for Pakistan's upcoming tour of England, saying he was still disappointed with the way he was treated by the PCB.

"I will not change my decision about the retirement. What happens in the future only God knows," Yousuf told Reuters. "I am still disappointed at the way the board treated me, and with the ban, because I didn't deserve it as I have always given my 100% to the team."

Of the seven punished players, Yousuf was the only one to not file a formal appeal against the sanctions imposed by the PCB. On Tuesday, Pakistan announced the 35-member list of probables for the Asia Cup and England tour. Five of the punished players, including former captains Younis Khan and Shoaib Malik who are currently serving bans that are due to be reviewed, were picked but Yousuf was not considered. On Thursday, Shahid Afridi, the newly-appointed captain, requested Yousuf to reconsider his decision since "we will certainly need his services in England", but Yousuf turned down the offer.

"I don't think I am mentally ready for international cricket at this stage. I do plan to play the next domestic season to see how it goes," he said.

Taylor and Ervine seal terrific win

This wasn't an upset at all. Zimbabwe were the stronger side, which showed in the assured manner of a tall chase, set up by fliers from Brendan Taylor and Hamilton Masakadza and finished off with 10 balls to spare by a cool-on-debut Craig Ervine. The return of high-profile cricket to Zimbabwe put smiles on the faces of a spirited crowd, built mostly of school children, as the home team meticulously beat India for the first time in eight years, and sealed its second-highest successful chase in ODIs. A weak India's only creditable spell came when Rohit Sharma scored 69 off the last 36 balls he faced to score his maiden ODI century and give them a fighting total on a flat track.

That Rohit assault and a wayward bowling start aside, Zimbabwe dominated the rest of the game. India's real weakness showed when their three debutant medium-pacers proved to be no match for Zimbabwe's batting. Zimbabwe, though, could only have played against the side their opponents sent over, and that they did fantastically.

Taylor and Masakadza were brutal against the new ball. None of the medium-pacers looked like creating a chance, and the openers duly punished them, reaching 88 in 13 overs. The first over of the chase was indicative of the effort of both sides. Ashok Dinda finished with one pitched up too far, and Taylor drove it wristily for four. It remained the case in the first 10 overs: whenever the bowlers went too full or too short, they were hit. The in-between lengths induced respect, but never bothered the batsmen. The pitch didn't have the bounce, nor the bowlers the pace to trouble them with the bouncers. Umesh Yadav, the fastest of the three, and R Vinay Kumar were both pulled away for sixes.

If Masakadza unleashed raw power, Taylor brought a sense of calm with the way he went about scoring. Two balls after Dinda failed to collect cleanly and missed his run-out in the eighth over, Masakadza made room and smashed him through extra cover. That was the first time Zimbabwe's run-rate went past six, batting would only look easier in the upcoming few overs. Vinay got the worst treatment when Taylor hit the 10th over for two sixes and a four: a pull, a golf swing over long-on, and a square-cut.

Amit Mishra was the only bowler who challenged Zimbabwe, and in his second over he removed Masakadza with a googly. Taylor dropped anchor then, and while he and Greg Lamb added only 63 in 16.3 overs, Zimbabwe needed only 135 in more than 20 overs by the time they were separated.

That's when Ervine belied someone making debut. Even as Taylor slowed down, and then holed out to fine leg, Ervine kept scoring at almost a run a ball without taking undue risks. He picked up gaps well, and by the time he hit his first boundary he had already scored 30 off 38 balls. By then Zimbabwe had lost Taylor, but Charles Coventry was in the middle of a cameo himself, and 72 were required off 52 with a batting Powerplay in hand.

The sort of time, then, when the minnow side's mental strength is tested with a win in sight. Ervine, though, made mockery of such fears, and went after the fastest bowler on display, Yadav. That Elton Chigumbura moved to 20 off 15 with the winning hit will relieve the new captain after a horrible start to the match.

Chigumbura conceded 26 runs in a forgettable 12-delivery fourth over, 17 of them through extras, but India were not to be left behind when it came to generosity. In the ninth over, M Vijay was princely slow in sliding his bat back in after having taken two steps down the pitch for a non-existent second. Virat Kohli, in the next over, called for a single that wasn't there and was run out without having faced a delivery. Dinesh Karthik, two overs later, edged a short and wide drifter from Prosper Usteya.

Captain Suresh Raina and Rohit put their heads together and prevented it from becoming a procession of wickets, but Christopher Mpofu came back to end that 67-run partnership with a bouncer way outside off. India were 128 for 4 off 30 overs then, and Rohit - 31 off 65 - was the only specialist batsman left: India's 15-member squad consists of four specialist batsmen, two wicketkeeper-batsmen, three bits-and-pieces spinners, and bowlers.

Zimbabwe's famous band of spinners, Ray Price, Utseya, Greg Lamb and Graeme Cremer, along with Mpofu, had done their job until then, conceding only 91 runs in 28 overs between them. They had induced a couple of mis-hits from Rohit, which both fell short of long-off, but with Ravindra Jadeja for company, Rohit cut out all risks from his batting. His first boundary came off the 84th delivery he faced, and took him to one short of a half-century. It didn't faze him that at the time the run-rate was hovering around four an over in the 38th over.

His late burst, full of elegant shots over extra cover and midwicket, taking his strike-rate from 50 to close to 100, getting India 115 runs in the last 11 overs, was to end up second-best.

Morgan and Pawar back nomination process

The controversy over the nomination of John Howard for the role of ICC's president-designate has taken an interesting turn with Sharad Pawar, the president-in-waiting, throwing his weight behind the process that chose the former Australian prime minister. Pawar's stand, which also received backing from ICC president David Morgan, comes in the wake of opposition, led by the Zimbabwe, South Africa and Sri Lanka boards, to Howard's nomination.

The ICC statement, released following a meeting between Morgan and Pawar in London, did not mention Howard by name and made it clear that the final decision on his candidature will be taken by the ICC board.

"The ICC had decided that the next vice-president would be nominated by Cricket Australia and New Zealand Cricket. Those two boards have been through a very thorough and robust selection process to suggest a candidate," the statement said, "and now the ICC Board has to consider and decide on this nomination."

As it stands, the ICC board is divided on the issue, with Cricket South Africa and Zimbabwe Cricket leading the move to prevent Howard's nomination. On Thursday, Sri Lanka expressed their support to the African bloc. Howard needs seven of the ten votes in his favour, and with three countries already against him, one more negative vote will rule him out. India is expected to play a crucial role in the final result.

"I am sure we can reach a decision which will be unanimously supported by the ICC Board," the statement quoted Pawar as saying.

"The board of the ICC debated and approved, some two years ago, a nomination process for the presidency and the vice-presidency," read the joint statement issued by Morgan and Pawar. "The unanimous decision of the Board at the time was that the presidency and the vice-presidency should be decided on a rotational basis."

All the previous nominations to the ICC presidency have been unanimous.

Ottis Gibson keen on batting coach

Following a series of failed run-chases in the home series against South Africa, West Indies head coach Ottis Gibson has identified the role of a batting coach as critical to his team's fortunes.

"At the end of this Digicel Series, we will sit down and look at what I believe my ideal coaching staff to be and that will include a batting coach for the long term," Gibson told reporters ahead of the third ODI. West Indies have already lost the two Twenty20 fixtures and the first two ODIs of the series. Former captain Jimmy Adams stepped in as a batting coach during the recently concluded World Twenty20, but currently the slot is empty.

"Jimmy came in and did a very good job and I will sit down with the CEO (Dr. Ernest Hilarie) and put together that coaching staff and a batting coach will certainly be high on the agenda," Gibson said.

After a lacklustre start to their chase of 301 in the second ODI, which suggested a repeat of the previous match where they missed the target by some distance, West Indies fought back admirably through Dwayne Bravo and Darren Sammy to give the visitors a scare. Gibson identified the loss of Bravo's wicket as the turning point of the game.

"Bravo got out to the last ball of an over that had conceded 13 runs and it was the last ball of a bowler's (Dale Steyn) spell. Those little things we need to get better at," Gibson said.

"We've created winning opportunities. Before you win, you have to create the opportunity to win. Those opportunities have not been strong enough. We have not thought through well enough. Talent-wise we're not far behind South Africa, thinking-wise - we're showing that we're very far behind," he said.

Siddons rues poor Bangladesh bowling

Jamie Siddons has witnessed plenty of disappointing days in his three years as Bangladesh coach, so he was in a phlegmatic mood as he assessed the damage done to their prospects on the first day of the Lord's Test. A close score of 362 for 4 was not as grim as it had threatened to be at one stage when Andrew Strauss and Jonathan Trott were in full flow, but once again, he was left to rue the inexperience of his young attack.

"We wanted to bowl in good areas, put some pressure on the batsmen, and make them make some mistakes. But I don't think they had to take any risks today," said Siddons. "We didn't put enough balls in the right spot. We probably bowled eight maidens for the day and in Test cricket that's nowhere near good enough. I think our fast bowlers really let the side down today."

Bangladesh's hopes of competing had been given an early boost when Shakib Al Hasan won the toss under heavy cloud cover, and chose to bowl - a decision that not only gave his team a chance to push for early breakthroughs but also spared his batsmen the prospect of facing James Anderson and Steven Finn on a zippy surface. But by mid-afternoon, all such help from the heavens had gone, and all that remained was a long hot day of toil.

"I guess looking out at the ground half an hour into the game, the sun was shining and it was a beautiful day for batting," said Siddons. "The ball didn't swing as much as we thought, or maybe the bowlers didn't stand the ball up on the seam as much as they should have, and it went downhill from there pretty much.

"The skill to put the ball in the right areas often enough, under the pressure of a Test match at Lord's or just a Test match against England over here, it was very difficult for them. A couple of their batsmen made mistakes and gave us a few wickets, and you end with four for a lot of runs at the end of the day."

Of the three-man pace attack, only Shadahat Hossain had played at Lord's before, having toured as a rookie back in 2005, while Robiul Islam was making his Test debut. "I'm sure they weren't trying to bowl half-volleys and short balls outside off-stump but they certainly bowled a lot of them," said Siddons. "Look, two wickets in a hurry tomorrow, work hard for the rest, bat well in the first innings, and you never know. But we are a long way back."

Siddons was impressed, however, with the discipline shown by Trott, who had endured a tough tour of Bangladesh, where accidents and anxieties curtailed most of his innings before they had been fully formed. "He was really patient, but the bowling was quite poor today," he said. "He didn't try to step up the pace at all but he's still ended up with 175 at the end of the day.

"Good on him for persevering, sticking at it and making sure he was still there at the end of the day. I thought he batted really well."

Bangladesh's main threat, once again, came from their captain, Shakib Al Hasan, who has been suffering from chicken pox and only resumed full training earlier this week. "He's a bit tired, he's still recovering and trying to get his energy back from his illness," said Siddons. "But he'll be right tomorrow to go again."

Trott finds fluency on home turf

Of all the South African-born cricketers to have been selected for the England team in recent times, Jonathan Trott has attracted more opprobrium than most. The perception has been that he is a prickly character to whom it is hard to warm, and the gratitude that England's fans felt for his Ashes-winning heroics at The Oval last summer was swiftly replaced by schadenfreude as his confidence collapsed in the course of a traumatic winter.

And yet, for anyone who tuned out of Test cricket at the end of the English season last August, here was the sight of Trott striding onto the front foot on the first Test of the 2010 summer at Lord's, with confidence renewed and mindset focussed only on each of his 270 deliveries. No-one who missed it would believe the mental fluctuations that his career has encountered in the intervening nine months. Ironically for a man who struggles to come across as sufficiently "English" to his detractors, there's nowhere quite like England for bringing out the best in his game.

Right now, Trott's home Test record stands at 335 runs in three innings, with back-to-back centuries and an average of 167.50. Those are not the statistics of a man in crisis, but had it not been for the decision to rest Paul Collingwood, it's hard to see how Trott could possibly have made the cut for this contest. Match by match, format by format, his apparently integral role in all three England squads has been eroded by doubt on his own part, and also by the emergence of key challengers, and the collective impact on his psyche has been plain to see.

"Every time you don't get runs when you put on the England helmet, it's disappointing," said Trott. "You want to do as well as you can, but perhaps I got over-keen. It's not so much that I was trying to chase the game, but having done so well in the Ashes Test and the one-day games in South Africa, and the first Test as well, you think it's something you really enjoy, because it's a great feeling and a great buzz. So when a few innings don't go your way, you start to ask: 'Why am I not getting runs?', and you start to look for things that perhaps aren't there."

The rot for Trott had set in with an inexplicable fury shortly after the first Test in Centurion. He helped to save that game, with a gutsy five-hour 69 in the second innings, but even during that performance the doubts were visibly creeping into his mind. Whereas on debut against Australia he had stretched forward to pace and spin alike and dominated the crease even in defence, now he found himself camped on the back foot, literally and metaphorically, with gripes about his time-wasting chiselling away at his psyche.

Somehow, Trott found it impossible thereafter to extricate himself from the negativity of that performance, and his first innings of the decisive final Test at Johannesburg was grim, as he thrashed at every delivery and was eventually pinned lbw for an eight-ball 5, while South Africa's coach, Mickey Arthur, mimed the suggestion that he had a screw loose prior to his final innings of that campaign. In Bangladesh, bad judgment gave way to bad luck, as he was caught off his helmet, bowled off his armguard and run out by an erroneous decision in three of his four innings.

"I was a little bit disappointed with the way I ended the South Africa tour," he said. "Everyone seems to speak about that, but I played a few good innings. It was just a few bad shots, a few good balls, but that's cricket. I was a bit frustrated in Bangladesh, getting a few scores but getting out in a few funny ways, but that's in the past, and to be able to stay composed and get a good start today was important. I had a positive frame of mind and intent when I walked out there today."

A new season has brought with it a new serenity, and the demons of the winter appear to have been cast aside. "I'm really chuffed to be able to sit here overnight with a chance to bat tomorrow morning," he said. "It's not payback, but the game just works itself out. That's a bit philosophical, but the more you play it the more you see things go someone's way when they need it, after having a rough time."

Right up until the moment that Trott emerged to replace Alastair Cook midway through the first hour, his position at No. 3 had remained the subject of some speculation. With few pundits giving him much hope of playing in the crucial first Test at Brisbane in November, the match towards which Andrew Strauss admitted that this entire summer is being geared, it seemed counter-intuitive to play an apparently peripheral figure in such a key position.

But equally, Strauss had also called upon his batsmen to turn their starts into big hundreds, and in that regard, Trott has lived up to the demand magnificently. A pretty fifty would have proved little against opponents of Bangladesh's calibre; even a middling 120 would have left him open to a shrug of the shoulders. But a big daddy of an unbeaten 175, with the promise of more to come, is a performance that sets the cat among the selectorial pigeons.

All winter long, Trott has batted with the joie de vivre of a condemned man, but now, all of a sudden, he's decided it's time to fight for his stay of execution. The pressure for Ashes places is hotting up already.

Yorkshire content to see out quiet draw

Yorkshire 415 and 292 for 5 dec drew with Hampshire 351 for 9 dec and 12 for 0
Scorecard


Adam Lyth narrowly missed out on a second hundred of the match as Yorkshire and Hampshire played out a turgid final day's play at the Rose Bowl.

Resuming on 152 for 1 after a 16-over delay for rain in the morning session, quick Yorkshire runs were the order of the day if a sparse crowd was to see anything other than a predictable draw.

But their progress was pitifully slow, captain Andrew Gale clearly content with mere bonus points and a tepid stalemate as his side added just 28 runs in an hour, for the loss of Anthony McGrath for the addition of just four to his overnight 60.

Even the arrival of Jacques Rudolph at the crease could not lift Yorkshire's scoring rate above a dismal three per over, as the former South African man limped to 28 from 85 balls before being dismissed by Rangana Herath with the first ball of the afternoon session.

The only point of interest for the travelling White Rose fans was whether Lyth, imperious all game, could add a second-innings hundred to his marvellous 133 in the first. But even that scant moment of potential jubilation was dashed as Lyth snicked David Balcombe to Neil McKenzie at second slip for a patient 98.

The tea interval did not change things as the Tykes continued to bat with dour intentions. Such was the respect shown to Hampshire's bowlers that even Michael Carberry's looping part-time off-spin was rendered dangerous enough for the England hopeful to dismiss Andrew Gale for 12.

Finally, after reaching 292 for the loss of five second-innings wickets and with James Vince replacing Nic Pothas behind the Hampshire stumps as Pothas threatened to have a bowl himself, the declaration came - to sarcastic applause.

Gale's lack of a killer instinct frustrated a pocket of Yorkshire fans, who felt a demoralised Hampshire were there for the taking. But as the dreary fare continued on the south coast, even the staunchest White Rose fan drifted into indifference.

All that was left was for Hampshire's openers to dully block out the remaining 14 overs - bowled by Adil Rashid and part-time spinners Joe Sayers, Lyth and Rudolph - as both sides finished with nine points on a day which was a dismally poor advert for the competitiveness of county cricket.

Ramprakash guides Surrey to first victory

Surrey 386 and 241 for 3 beat Northamptonshire 397 and 229 by seven wickets

Scorecard

Mark Ramprakash struck an unbeaten half-century to guide Surrey to a seven-wicket win over Northamptonshire on the final day of their County Championship Division Two match at Wantage Road. Ramprakash, who also made 70 in the first innings, hit 79 off 143 balls as the visitors won for the first time in 17 Championship matches, their last success coming in this fixture last year.

Former South Africa paceman Andre Nel, who blasted 96 on Thursday, had earlier taken four for 68 as Northamptonshire were reduced to 229 all out, giving Surrey a target of 241. Surrey captain Rory Hamilton-Brown then hammered an explosive 45 off 42 balls as they comfortably made that total with 10 overs to spare.

The hosts began the day 165 runs ahead of Surrey on 154 for 4, with captain Andrew Hall on eight and his predecessor Nicky Boje on 18. However, Boje only faced four balls without adding to his overnight score before he smashed Tim Linley straight to Matthew Spriegel at backward point.

The hosts were then left floundering on 159 for 6 when David Sales, who has been suffering with a migraine during the match, was run out by Chris Schofield at mid-wicket to bag a pair. Hall made it to 32 before he became Nel's third victim when he edged him to Surrey wicketkeeper Steven Davies.

Nel struck again by trapping James Middlebrook lbw for five before Sri Lankan seamer Chaminda Vaas (17) went via the same method off Jade Dernbach. Dernbach, who hit an unbeaten 56, then wrapped up the Northamptonshire tail by bowling Lee Daggett, who made just two.

Chasing 241 with 68 overs left, Surrey made a quick start by crashing 37 off the first seven overs before losing Davies for 25, when David Willey took a superb diving catch at mid-wicket off the bowling of Boje.

Arun Harinath, who went for a duck in the first innings, threw his wicket away when two short of his half-century by launching Willey to Rob White at mid-wicket. Hamilton-Brown then blasted his exciting knock of 45 before missing an attempted cut off Middlebrook and was stumped by O'Brien.

This left the visitors on 156 for 3 at tea and they needed 85 from the final session for the victory. The runs continued to come freely after the break and Ramprakash reached his second fifty of the match off 94 balls. He and former Northamptonshire man Usman Afzaal, with 33 not out, then shared an unbeaten stand of 88 to carry Surrey over the line.