All posts by h716a5.icu

With three straight defeats, Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel captain Dwayne Bravo admits he is still maturing as a captain

Renaldo Matadeen08-Aug-2013Following another Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel defeat in the inaugural Caribbean Premier League (CPL), captain Dwayne Bravo is emphasizing that he is still maturing in his role as a captain. Bravo recently came in some flak following disappointing home series against India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan, which also saw a dip in the all-rounder’s form. With fans mulling over his leadership qualities, Bravo made it clear, “I’m backing myself to do well as a captain of any team I lead.”The most recent CPL loss to Jamaica Tallawahs has reignited talks over Bravo’s ability to captain, as Trinidad’s dismal form has been compounded by three consecutive losses. “I know fans in the region, and in Trinidad, may be questioning my ability to lead, but I ask them to bear with me. I’m growing as a captain. I see it as a learning curve and a patient process. It’s not easy to adapt but I am trying. I’m confident I’m the man to do the job and I just need folks to rally around me.”In Jamaica’s five-run victory, Bravo bowled the 19th over and was slaughtered by Vernon Philander and Danza Hyatt for 26, when the likes of Samuel Badree (0 for 7 in two overs) and Suliemann Benn (0 for12 in two overs) were expected to finish at the death of the innings. “I know we have good bowlers but I had good figures up until that point and I was confident as the most experienced bowler. I’ve been in this pressure situation many times [before] and pulled it off, but unfortunately today, it didn’t work out. If we had won the game, people wouldn’t be talking about the over, but we lost so it stands out more,” he admitted. “I’ll accept responsibility. I have to work on my bowling because it’s been letting me down recently, but today I was glad to give a good batting display.”Bravo confessed that he would remain undaunted in his capacity to deliver. “80% of the fans will be for you when you’re going through a rough patch. The other 20% would say otherwise, but I just need a win and some good individual performances to convince everyone otherwise.”Everyone has ups and downs as captain – Brian Lara, Sachin Tendulkar and even Ricky Ponting, when he lost Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne to retirement. But history doesn’t remember those periods as much, it remembers they were great captains. I aspire to be that same thing,” professed Bravo rather dejectedly.The loss exacerbated a miserable start by Bravo’s unit, but he ensured that he was ready to make changes, reassess and lead the right eleven out in the future. He did say that it was frustrating coming off the heels of some off-key West Indies performances of late. However, he indicated that his role as mentor to the younger players was not deterred. Nicholas Pooran, who turned in another elegant cameo against Jamaica Tallawahs, is a player he wants to groom.”He has the ability and talent [and I] can see him become the next Kieron Pollard. I’m the captain and I would like to see Nicholas continue playing his natural game, freely and organically, and we’ll guide him. This keeps him grounded and we should support players like this. He can bat both left and right-handed, and I’m urging him to show this at some point in the CPL. I’m there to encourage youngsters to give it their all.”A captain is as good as his team. I am aiming to improve for my franchise and the West Indies. It’s a dream come true to lead my country and the West Indies, ever since I was a little kid. But I wasn’t groomed in my career to lead. I’ve been learning through playing and it’s been challenging. But I’m gathering experience and I’m hoping for support from the regional fans. I know I’ll win you over and bring joy to you soon.”

Brendan Taylor’s record 171, the highest score by a Zimbabwe Test captain, pushed the home side to a strong total against Bangladesh on the second day

The Report by Mohammad Isam18-Apr-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsBrendan Taylor made the highest Test score by a Zimbabwe captain•Associated PressA positive response from the Bangladesh batsmen livened up the first Test in Harare. Bangladesh batted freely in the 25 overs they had to face before the close of play, after Brendan Taylor’s 171 – the highest by a Zimbabwe Test captain – guided his team to a challenging score.With exactly 100 minutes left in the day and much to lose in that tricky period, openers Shahriar Nafees and Jahurul Islam chose to take the attack to the Zimbabwe bowlers, not through outrageous shot-making but attractive strokeplay amid a generous dose of half-volleys. Until Nafees’ dismissal in the 13th over, the pair dominated the home bowlers with drives through cover, mid-off and mid-on. Nafees also handled the short ball well, pulling through midwicket. However, he fell for 30 when a leading edge was easily caught at point by Timycen Maruma.Jahurul expressed himself better, using both his natural inclination to defend and his recently-acquired skill to find boundaries. He was dropped off the sixth ball of the innings, much like Zimbabwe opener Maruma had been on the opening day. Jahurul took advantage of that reprieve, striking seven boundaries in his short stay, most of them owing to excellent timing down the ground. He was also severe on balls offering width.Mohammad Ashraful played a couple of flashy cover drives, and there were some hits and misses. But how normal is an Ashraful innings without the odd flutter?The Test match progressed at a contrasting pace earlier in the day, as Zimbabwe took their time to put together a competitive total. Taylor went past Andy Flower’s 156, the previous highest for a Zimbabwe Test captain, made in 1995 against Pakistan at this venue. A few overs earlier, he reached the highest score by a Zimbabwe batsman against Bangladesh, going past Tatenda Taibu’s 153 in 2005. In the first session, he had overtaken his previous Test highest of 117.Taylor played a consummate captain’s knock, before it was ended by a top-edge that was snapped by his counterpart Mushfiqur Rahim. Taylor came to the crease just after the first hour on the first day and used switched gears depending on conditions, situations, and batting partners. He started off slowly with Hamilton Masakadza before letting Malcolm Waller’s energetic approach become the driving force of their 127-run fourth wicket stand. As soon as Waller got out for 55, Taylor restrained himself, only doing enough to reach his third Test hundred.On the second morning, Taylor was under greater pressure, after losing Elton Chigumbura and debutant Richmond Mutambami early. Along with Graeme Cremer, he slowed the pace down considerably, resisting the bowlers determinedly. Till lunch, the pair batted at 1.85 runs per over, before changing gears as soon as Taylor saw Cremer grow in confidence against spin. The two scored at four an over the hour after lunch. During this session, Taylor scored 36 at a run a ball, and his 171 comprised just eight fours and two sixes.Taylor survived two close calls. On 35, he was dropped at long-off by Nafees who ran in and dived to his left, only for the ball to pop out of his grasp. The second life came when he was on 116. Robiul Islam trapped him in front, but umpire Tony Hill rejected the call.Taylor and Cremer added 106 runs and it ended when Cremer was brilliantly caught at slip by Mahmudullah. That wicket was Sohag Gazi’s first in the innings, and he added one more.Enamul Haque jnr and Robiul Islam finished with three wickets each, but they were also made to toil. Robiul was the visitors’ best bowler on the first day, which he finished with two wickets. Mutumbami was his third. For the remainder of the day, he bowled with discipline and cut off the runs. Rubel Hossain took two wickets in his 30 overs and looked more disciplined than he did in his previous Test in Colombo.Enamul bowled 47 overs his left-arm spin seemed largely unthreatening. There was a period on the second afternoon when Cremer was happy to let his turning deliveries go to the wicketkeeper. Gazi was underused, but he, too, didn’t deliver what Mushfiqur would have been looking for. The Bangladesh captain even used Shakib Al Hasan for seven overs; Shakib was supposed to play this Test as a specialist batsman, recovering from an injury to his leg.

Fifties from Marlon Samuels and Kyle Hope put Sagicor High Performance Centre only 42 behind the Zimbabweans with three wickets in hand at the end of the second day of the tour match in Barbados

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Mar-2013
ScorecardFifties from Marlon Samuels, returning from a two-month injury break, and Kyle Hope put Sagicor High Performance Centre only 42 behind the Zimbabweans with three wickets in hand at the end of the second day of the tour match in Barbados.Continuing from their overnight score of 222 for 5, Zimbabweans added 33 before declaring. Kyle Jarvis soon reduced SHPC to 15 for 2, taking two wickets in two overs. Samuels and Hope put on 74 to steady the innings but SHPC lost two quick wickets again, both to Graeme Cremer in the space of three balls, to slip to 89 for 4. Cremer struck again to dismiss Keddy Lesporis for 13 and Hope for 62, putting SHPC in trouble at 144 for 6. Jahmar Hamilton and Yannick Cariah put 68 together for the seventh wicket, but Hamilton was dismissed for 37, and became Cremer’s fifth wicket.

A round-up of the second day of Ranji Trophy’s Group C matches on December 16, 2012

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Dec-2012
ScorecardRajat Paliwal scored his third century this season to provide Services with a handy first-innings lead against Jammu and Kashmir in Delhi, before their bowlers, led by Suraj Yadav, reduced their opponents to 136 for 6 at stumps, giving them the upper hand. The second day was not as rewarding as the first, on which 16 wickets had fallen, but batsmen didn’t flourish effortlessly either.Resuming at 150 for 6 after having bowled J&K out for 85 on the previous day, Paliwal and Sarabjit Singh stuck together for another 7.3 overs before Sarabjit was out, breaking a 138-run stand. The remaining batsmen couldn’t provide much resistance, and Paliwal struggled to find partners. After scoring 120, his was the final wicket to fall. J&K began positively as their openers put on 40 runs, but wickets started falling thereafter through seamers Suraj Yadav and Nishan Singh, punctuated by small partnerships. Opener Ian Dev Singh featured in four of those, and reached a half-century before being dismissed. At stumps, their team had erased the deficit, but at the cost of six wickets.
ScorecardKerala turned its screws on Tripura by piling a total of 400, led by captain Rohan Prem’s big century, and reducing them to 55 for 4 at stumps on the second day in Agartala. Prem added 65 runs to his overnight score of 105, striking three partnerships, the most prolific one worth 88 with comeback India seamer Sreesanth, who is returning from a rehabilitation following a toe surgery. The duo helped their team reach 400.Their bowlers built on the advantage of the big score by taking early wickets. By the 18th over, four top-order wickets had fallen, all claimed by seamer Unnikrishnan Manukrishnan in his third first-class game. Opener Shubhrajit Roy and Abhijit Dey added 34 runs before close of play.
ScorecardAndhra marginally held the advantage in their battle against Jharkhand, who were taken to a middling score of 257 by their middle-order batsman Saurabh Tiwary, and then milked for 45 overs so Andhra could end the day within 125 runs of the total. Tiwary, unbeaten on 73 overnight, scored a crucial century, and struck a productive stand of 74 with captain Shahbaz Nadeem, who scored a fifty.In reply, Andhra were four down for 54 in the 23rd over, but Amol Muzumdar and AG Pradeep set about rebuilding the innings.
ScorecardIn Porvorim, Goa laid the foundation for a strong first-innings total after bowling Himachal Pradesh out for 338. Their openers had added 58 runs 28.5 overs before the stand was broken, but Asnodkar went on to score a half-century in the company of No. 3 Amogh Sunil Desai, to take his team to 118 for 1 at close of play.This was after their bowlers toiled to end Himachal’s innings. Himachal’s lower order, especially, Rishi Dhawan, Karanveer Singh and No. 10 Rahul Singh stretched their total after they had been reduced to 243 for 8.

AB de Villiers has admitted for the first time that he has been overburdened by his demanding roles of batsman, wicketkeeper and captain after conceding the gloves for South Africa’s one-day series against New Zealand

Firdose Moonda18-Jan-2013AB de Villiers has, for the first time, admitted being overburdened by his roles as a batsman, wicket-keeper and part of South Africa’s leadership core. His acknowledgment comes after a policy change to the limited-overs squads which has seen the gloves taken away from de Villiers to allow him to focus on captaincy.”I have always felt a bit rushed trying to captain the side and keep wicket,” de Villiers said ahead of the first ODI against New Zealand in Paarl. “I will probably stand at mid-off and be able to communicate with my bowlers a lot better as well as get a better perspective of the game.”De Villiers latest statement contrasts with his assessment of his own handling of the triple task the last time South Africa played limited-overs cricket, at the World Twenty20 in September. De Villiers required three weeks rest after the tournament after he aggravated his chronic back condition during the tour of England and the ICC event.Despite the recurrence of the injury, de Villiers insisted he was not paying the price for taking on too much. “I don’t believe there is too much on my plate; I really enjoy the captaincy and batting and keeping. It’s what I am going to do,” he said, while even going as far as to say he would continue in all three roles irrespective of the effect it had. “If I miss out on a year of my career, so be it.”Since that tournament, de Villiers has played five Test matches for South Africa and one domestic 50-over match. De Villiers complained of a tired body after turning out for his franchise, the Titans in the one-day cup playoff. He scored a hundred in a losing cause that day but was so worn out from the cumulative effects of that match after a Test series that he to be rested from the three-match T20 series against New Zealand, a request which was granted.In that time, de Villiers also “changed his mind,” according to convenor of selectors Andrew Hudson about ‘keeping at Test level. When de Villiers was required to take over from Mark Boucher in and emergency situation in England, he was reluctant to become the permanent wicket-keeper. During the third Test against Australia in Perth in early December, Hudson spoke to de Villiers again and he asked if he could continue in the role. The selection panel and team management agreed.But de Villiers ‘keeping at Test level has widespread implications beginning with his own batting. Crouching behind the stumps for extended periods seemed to hinder de Villiers ability to bat with freedom, which South Africa needs him to do. As yet, that theory has not been completely disproved. The 169 he blazed at the WACA came after he was in the field for three overs more than an ODI. Even against New Zealand, where he scored two half-centuries, periods on the park were minimal thanks to the visitor’s short batting time.It has been enough to convince the powers that be, though and de Villiers will continue as Test wicket-keeper but in order do that, he has had to give up the gloves in shorter formats. Quinton de Kock did the job in the T20s and will do in the ODIs, to allow de Villiers time to develop his leadership style, 18 months after taking over the job.De Kock’s selection is also a means to ensure de Villiers’ back can be rested, although how much it will be questionable. Gary Kirsten revealed yesterday that de Villiers finds keeping in 50-overs “more intense,” than in a Test. Previously de Villiers went on record saying he found it harder on his body to be in the outfield – where he will now prowl – than to keep wicket.After the three ODIs, it may be clearer which discipline takes greater toll on de Villiers because his back can be compared to the way it felt after the World T20. Should de Villiers first guess be correct and he comes out worse, he may have to consider ‘keeping again which will require another rethink of South Africa’s limited-overs policy. Should he cope well with fielding again, it could open up another option for South Africa at Test level, the specialist wicket-keeper, should they require it.As a result, the debate over South Africa’s wicket-keeping options is far from closed. Life after Boucher was always going to be uncertain because of the poor planning that preceded it. Even as Boucher’s form dipped, no clear attempts were made to identify or groom a successor.At that time, de Villiers himself distanced himself from wicket-keeping permanently as he confirmed his career goal was simply to become the best batsman in the world. Recently, he has spoken of his desire to improve his wicket-keeping, to captain the side as best he can and to contribute with the bat.To change one’s mind or expand one’s goals is only natural, for the administrators to accommodate that if it works with their team plans is also understandable but it all points to an obvious question that must be asked soon: when does too much room for individual flexibility cause too much disruption to the team’s needs?

The ICC have extended the deadlines for naming World Twenty20 squads, although the chances of Kevin Pietersen being included for England remain very slim

Andrew McGlashan16-Aug-2012The ICC has extended the deadline for naming the World Twenty20 squads, although the chances of Kevin Pietersen being included for England remain very slim.The original deadline was Saturday but boards have now been given until August 24 to submit their 15-man lists for the tournament which begins on September 18, after the ICC received requests “from several of its members”.It is understood that the ECB was one of the boards who asked about the possibility of an extension with the ICC but that was to avoid a clash with the final Test against South Africa which starts on Thursday. The ECB was also believed to be happy to abide by the Saturday deadline if required.Sri Lanka, who are currently in the midst of the SLPL, are another country who requested an extension as their domestic Twenty20 tournament will help determine selection for the World Twenty20.It is now expected that England will name their squad on Tuesday, following the conclusion of the Test series, although the party, it is believed, was decided during a selection meeting at Edgbaston last week.Although Pietersen offered an apology to the ECB on Tuesday night for what he termed ‘provocative’ text messages to South African players it was met by a cool response from the management and Andrew Strauss. His apology followed the YouTube video on Saturday night when he made himself available for all international cricket having previously retired from limited-overs cricket which led to him being unavailable for Twenty20.”The truth is a lot has happened over the last seven days,” Strauss said. “The England team has been in the news for the wrong reasons. We all want to move forward but there are some underlying issues on trust and respect that don’t get dealt with over night and it’s going to take quite a long time to overcome those.”Hugh Morris, the managing director of England cricket, said lots of negotiations remained. “We are in receipt of Kevin’s apology, but further discussions need to take place to establish whether it is possible to regain the trust and mutual respect required to ensure all parties are able to focus on playing cricket and to maintain the unity of purpose that has served us so well in recent years.”Five countries – Australia, India, New Zealand, South Africa and Bangladesh – have already named their squads for the World Twenty20.

Eoin Morgan made 50 batting at No. 3 for England Lions on a damp opening one of the first unofficial Test against Australia A

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Aug-2012
ScorecardEoin Morgan made 50 in his first match as Lions captain•Getty ImagesEoin Morgan made 50 batting at No. 3 for England Lions before three wickets in the evening session brought Australia A back into the match on a damp opening day of the first unofficial Test.With a slow, turning pitch expected at Old Trafford – 34 wickets fell to spinners in Lancashire’s Championship match against Worcestershire last month – the Lions included Samit Patel, James Tredwell and the local boy Simon Kerrigan, for his first Lions appearance, while Australia A picked only two quicks in their four-man attack.Ravi Bopara, who missed England’s second Test against South Africa for personal reasons, was not included for the Lions after deciding he was not ready for a return to cricket.Morgan, captaining the side, elected to bat despite rainfall during the morning that delayed the start until 2.30pm. In testing conditions, the Lions openers, Joe Root and Nick Compton, scored seven runs from the first seven overs, before Mitchell Johnson had the former caught behind off the glove.That brought in Morgan and he and Compton buckled down for a 79-run partnership. Nathan Lyon removed the Somerset batsman after a typically obdurate innings, his 46 coming off 137 balls, and it was Lyon’s offspin that also accounted for Jonny Bairstow after another painstaking stay at the crease.Morgan had already reached his fifty but Johnson struck in the next over, having the England batsman caught at mid-on, to leave the Lions 114 for 4. However, Patel was joined by Craig Kieswetter to shore up the innings and remain unbeaten the close.

Craig White, the former Yorkshire and England allrounder, is to join Hampshire’s coaching set-up ahead of the new season

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Feb-2012Craig White, the former Yorkshire and England allrounder, is to join Hampshire’s coaching set-up ahead of the new season. White had been expected to pursue a career as an umpire after leaving his position as coach of Yorkshire’s second XI in November of last year, but he will now take up his new role on March 1.White left Yorkshire after more than two decades as a player and coach, with the club bringing in Jason Gilliespie and Paul Farbrace as part of a backroom shake-up. He retired as a player in 2008, having made more than 12,000 runs and taken 395 wickets in first-class cricket, with 30 Test appearances for England and another 51 in ODIs.”This is a very exciting new challenge for me,” White said. “I’ve been at Yorkshire for 22 years but I now feel it would be interesting to see how things are at a new county. I’ve always admired the way things are done at Hampshire – it seems a very focused but relaxed place so it should be exactly my kind of atmosphere. They’ve got some great young cricketers there so I’m looking forward to working with them.”Hampshire finished bottom of Division One in last season’s County Championship and were subsequently relegated. It has been a winter of change at the Rose Bowl, with players such as Dominic Cork, Nic Pothas and Michael Lumb all departing. Simon Katich has been signed as the county’s overseas player, while Jimmy Adams will continue as captain after taking up the role at the end of last season.Giles White, the Hampshire manager, said: “The players and staff are excited about this appointment. We all look forward to working with Craig and tapping into his experience. We are delighted to have him at Hampshire.”

ESPNcricinfo previews the IPL game between Kings XI Punjab and Royal Challengers Bangalore in Mohali

The Preview by Siddhartha Talya19-Apr-2012Match factsFriday , April 20, Mohali
Start time 2000 (1430 GMT)David Hussey hasn’t really got going for Kings XI this season•AFPBig pictureThe teams came have had contrasting fortunes in their respective previous games, and Royal Challengers Bangalore, among the most closely-followed teams this competition, have got the win they needed to revive their campaign.Not only did Chris Gayle deliver in typical Gayle fashion, smashing five consecutive sixes to give his team a strong chance in a big chase apart from a breaking a spectator’s nose in the process, Bangalore broke a run of three straight defeats to clinch a thrilling victory that included a six off the final ball. Saurabh Tiwary finally did something to justify his $1.6 million buy, hitting the winning runs while playing an important cameo and AB de Villiers was masterful, disdainfully reverse-sweeping and scooping fast bowlers for sixes.Kings XI Punjab’s previous experience was far less dramatic, in fact it was dispiriting, as they were beaten comprehensively by Kolkata Knight Riders. It broke the momentum set by two straight wins, leaving the team seeking a recovery again. They’ll be without their captain Adam Gilchrist for the game; he’s recovering from a slight hamstring tear.Players to watchIt’ll be interesting to see if Muttiah Muralitharan is left out of the playing XI again, as he was against Pune Warriors. The man who replaced him was Tillakaratne Dilshan, who managed just 4. He is part of what is potentially the most destructive opening duo this IPL, and will be expected to play his role in this campaign even though he may not be a regular in the side throughout if the choice is between him and Murali.David Hussey has had a quiet IPL season so far, with scores of 13, 18, 32 and 10. He’s had starts in each of the four innings he’s played, only one of those has had a significant impact in the outcome. He’s expected to lead Kings XI without Gilchrist playing. Azhar Mahmood has had his visa issues resolved and is a good all-round option to consider for Kings XI in the absence of their regular captain.2011 head-to-headThe teams played each other twice last season, and won a game each. Each victory was by a big margin. In Bangalore, the Royal Challengers, led by Gayle’s blistering ton, amassed 205 and defended it with ease. In Dharamsala, it was Adam Gilchrist’s turn to make a hundred and Kings XI won by 111 runs.Stats and trivia Gayle overtook Gilchrist to become the batsman with the most sixes across the five IPL seasons. He now leads the tally with 85, one ahead of Gilchrist. Gayle’s done it in less than half the matches – 32 against 65. Royal Challengers have conceded 616 extras in the five seasons of the IPL, second only to Mumbai Indians’ 642. Kings XI are third on the list with 584. Among the teams to have played all five seasons, Rajasthan Royals have conceded the least – 503.Quotes”I am sure we are learning from our frustrations and mistakes previously made and that’s all part of the journey of cricket.”

Junaid Khan, the Pakistan fast bowler, has said he has recovered from the injury he picked up during Pakistan’s recent one-day series against Sri Lanka

Umar Farooq10-Dec-2011Junaid Khan, the Pakistan fast bowler, has said he has recovered from the injury he picked up during Pakistan’s recent one-day series against Sri Lanka in the United Arab Emirates, and could start practicing as early as next week.The 21-year-old Junaid was out of cricket for six weeks after he sustained a partial tear in his abdominal muscle while bowling during the fifth ODI in Abu Dhabi. It was the first serious injury of his career.”My latest MRI scans are all clear but I am asking the doctor for advice and will return to the ground accordingly,” Khan told ESPNcricinfo. “But based on the initial response by the doctor, I should be able to start practice from December 13.”Prior to his injury, Junaid had taken 12 wickets in the three Tests against Sri Lanka. He was left out for the first four ODIs, but replaced Aizaz Cheema for the dead rubber in Abu Dhabi. He bowled just three overs before leaving the field after experiencing pain in his abdomen. He was taken to hospital for an MRI scan where the injury was discovered.Junaid, who emerged from the Under-19 group that included Mohammad Amir, first made it to national contention when he was called up for Pakistan’s 2011 World Cup squad as a late replacement for Sohail Tanvir. His Test debut, against Zimbabwe in 2011, was uneventful; he picked up five wickets in his second Test against Sri Lanka on a flat surface in Abu Dhabi.His injury occurred just as his fledgling career was gathering momentum but Junaid brushed aside any suggestions that it was a setback. “It’s a part of the game but I have never suffered an injury until this one. I know Mohammad Khalil has been picked as a replacement for the Bangladesh tour but what I know is that luck plays a vital part in your career. I am not in a hurry and never was, as success has no shortcut.”What I have to do is ensure my best performance whenever I get chance. This injury is a minor hindrance.”Junaid said he sees himself as a frontline bowler instead of a supporting one. “I have my own standing in the cricketing world and have not been promoted to fill the Mohammad Amir vacuum. We both have been playing in the Under-19 team and each of us has our own standing. I don’t want to be linked with any one and wanted to make my own reputation.”