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CSA has set no timeline for Dale Steyn’s return to the national team after the fast bowler suffered another delay in his recovery from a shoulder injury

Firdose Moonda16-May-2017

Cricket South Africa has set no timeline for Dale Steyn’s return to the national team after the fast bowler suffered another delay in his recovery from a shoulder injury and subsequent surgery in November.Steyn was to play two four-day matches for South Africa A in England as preparation for the Test series, but he revealed on Saturday that he was not going because he has not been able to bowl at all. He said he would target a county deal late in the English summer and try and be available for the home series against Bangladesh in September-October.CSA, though, decided not to create any further expectation on Steyn’s comeback.”Dale’s surgery was a resounding success and the bone has healed,” Mohammed Moosajee, South Africa’s team manager who is also a doctor, said at the team’s departure for England on Tuesday. “The challenge is to get the shoulder stabilised and strengthened, and that’s why there is a bit of delay with getting him on the park again.”What the medical committee has decided is that we are not going to set an artificial deadline or timeline as to when he is going to be playing. We will wait for when he is ready. We are hopeful he will be ready some time during the home series.”South Africa’s 2017-18 home summer includes ten Tests – two against Bangladesh, four against India pending confirmation, and four against Australia – as well as their new franchise T20 tournament, which will provide plenty of opportunities for Steyn.Although he is available for all formats, Steyn is likely to be more inclined to play Tests as soon as possible, especially as he is five wickets away from overtaking Shaun Pollock as South Africa’s leading wicket-taker. Steyn played only eight Tests since the start of 2015 and broke down in three of them.The only other injury concern for South Africa at the moment is Faf du Plessis, whose shoulder will be assessed when the team arrives in the UK “There is a plan in place to have him ready for the first ODI but we are not sure of the warm-up games yet,” Moosajee said.Du Plessis is one of at least seven players who are likely to play all formats on the tour of England, along with Hashim Amla, Quinton de Kock, JP Duminy, Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj and Morne Morkel. The 12-week trip is longer than any they have taken, and Moosajee said the management would seek out “creative and flexible” ways to give them down time.”Twelve weeks is unprecedented – we haven’t been on a tour that long,” Moosajee said. “Guys might come home for a week in between if time and space permits.”Du Plessis, South Africa’s Test captain, is the most likely to leave the tour at some stage. His wife, Imari, is 32 weeks pregnant with their first child, and du Plessis indicated he would like to return home for the birth. “I would like to be there for the birth of my first child so hopefully the timing works well,” he said.South Africa’s ODI captain AB de Villiers and his wife Danielle are expecting their second child but his participation in the Champions Trophy should not be affected because the baby is due later. South Africa have made a decision not to allow families to be with the players during the Champions Trophy.”It’s a really good move not to have family members for this tournament,” de Villiers said. “It’s a short tournament, only five games in total if we get to the final, so we are going to be focused on that.”

Plans to include Salman Butt in the Test squad to tour the West Indies were afoot, but the PCB has decided to shelve them for now in the wake of the PSL spot-fixing affair

Umar Farooq20-Mar-20170:47

Quick Facts – Salman Butt

Plans for an international recall for former Pakistan captain Salman Butt have been shelved for now, in light of the continuing fallout from the recent corruption allegations emanating from the PSL.Butt has no connection to the PSL corruption issue, but his role in the spot-fixing scandal in England in 2010, for which he was banned, has forced a selection rethink ahead of Pakistan’s tour of the West Indies. The PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan had publicly cleared Butt’s potential selection earlier this year, but it appears he will have to wait longer for a comeback.ESPNcricinfo understands Butt was even informed by a selector last month that he was being considered for the national side. But last week he was told that those plans had been set aside for now, as the present circumstances were not ideal for his return.Five players – Sharjeel Khan, Khalid Latif, Mohammad Irfan, Shahzaib Hasan and Nasir Jamshed – were provisionally suspended for their alleged involvement in spot-fixing during the PSL and face various corruption charges. The PCB was thus keen to avoid criticism by recalling Butt, who has not featured for his country since returning to domestic cricket from a five-year ban for corruption.Butt’s name had cropped up in recent selection meetings – headed by Inzamam-ul-Haq – as a reflection of Pakistan’s continuing struggle with opening batsmen. There was reluctance among some members of the management but the proposition wasn’t rejected outright, and the chairman’s clearance was seen as a green signal.Since his return Butt has impressed on the domestic circuit. He was the second-highest run-scorer in the National One-Day Cup with 536 runs at 107.20 in 2015. He resumed his first-class career in 2016, as captain of the WAPDA side which won the Quaid-e-Azam trophy, and scored 749 runs at 49.40 in the season, including twin hundreds in the final. He was also the second highest run-getter in the National T20 Cup last year.Butt was 26 when he was banned, having played 33 Tests, 78 ODIs and 24 T20Is. Since then, he has attended anti-corruption rehabilitation programmes conducted by the PCB, taken part in social work and publicly apologised, though he had pleaded his innocence until 2013. Butt, who was Pakistan captain at the time, was also sentenced to 30 months in jail for his part in the Lord’s scandal. The two other players punished at the time, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir, have also returned to cricket after completing their bans. Amir has been successfully re-integrated into the national set-up, and so forms a precedent of sorts for any more returns.Butt’s selection had also been mooted ahead of Pakistan’s tour to England in 2016, when the captain Misbah-ul-Haq admitted he was impressed by Butt’s form.”We have a settled line up between numbers three and seven but the opening slot is not as consistent as the rest of the order,” Misbah had told ESPNcricinfo last year. “There are issues and we are looking at a couple more options including Shan Masood and Salman Butt. Salman is playing well and overall I didn’t see any such difference since he left [in 2010]. He is a good prospect and he has also scored ample runs after his comeback.”With an average of 30.46 from 33 Tests, Butt was never prolific at Test level, but a dearth of other options has made Pakistan look towards him again. Ahmed Shehzad has not played a Test since being dropped from the side in 2015 and Masood has struggled to cement his spot at the top of the order. Mohammad Hafeez’s inconsistency has made him a less attractive option at the top.Sami Aslam had impressed with twin fifties in his first Test against England last year but faded away, with only one score above 22 in his last nine innings. Sharjeel’s suspension has deprived Pakistan of yet another opening batsman, and the only bright spark has been Azhar since being pushed up as a makeshift opener.

More than A$1 million in fortnightly payments originally intended for out-of-contract players will instead be diverted directly to grassroots funding until an MoU is reached between Cricket Australia and the Australian Cricketers Association

Daniel Brettig30-Jun-20175:38

Chappell: No deal a PR disaster for players, CA

More than A$1 million (US$768,000 approx) in fortnightly payments originally intended for out-of-contract players will instead be diverted directly to grassroots funding until an MoU is reached between Cricket Australia (CA) and the Australian Cricketers Association (ACA).On the final day before the expiry of the MoU unleashes a whole host of potentially chaotic scenarios – including doubt over forthcoming tours of South Africa, Bangladesh and India, a mess of commercial and sponsorship conflicts, and the possibility of a host of Australian players heading off to play overseas Twenty20 tournaments – CA underlined its hard-line stance in opposition to the players.Players had been informed earlier this week by the CA team performance manager Pat Howard that they would not be eligible for any back pay in the event of an extended dispute, a warning that was issued at the same time as a reminder that any players playing “disapproved cricket” during the dispute would face suspensions of at least six months under ICC regulations – banning them from participation in the Ashes this summer.Dispute leaves ‘bitter taste’ – Hazlewood

Josh Hazlewood, the Australia fast bowler, has said the nation’s cricketers will have a “bitter taste” waking up unemployed on Saturday after the expiry of the current MoU, but were prepared to see out the dispute with Cricket Australia to reach their desired result.
“To be contracted for the best part of 10 years, nearly, for me, it’s going to be a different stage and we’ll see how it pans out,” he said. “It [pay negotiations] never got to this point before in the past. It’s going to leave a bit of a bitter taste come that date [July 1] but we are, obviously, willing to do what we need to.”
Hazlewood took issue with CA’s contention that Sheffield Shield players did not contribute to the game’s financial health. “They always seem to point out the no crowds at Sheffield Shield cricket but they always leave out the Big Bash that draws in massive crowds every game,” he said. “The Australian cricket team isn’t really a part of that to be honest. It’s solely domestic players with a couple of internationals in different teams. But they provide a great spectacle. That six weeks is just thriving with crowds… I think they would feel disrespected, definitely.”

CA announced the tactic on Friday, a matter of hours before the current MoU was due to expire at midnight, without any sign that either side of the dispute was softening in their hardened stances – namely CA’s desire to breakup the fixed revenue percentage model at the heart of all agreements since 1998, and the ACA’s to retain it.”CA has previously confirmed that players without contracts will not be eligible to receive back pay when a new MoU is eventually agreed,” a CA spokesman said. “CA will allocate on a fortnightly basis all of the money it would otherwise be paying to out of contract players to the National Community Facilities Funding Scheme (NCFFS). This is expected to be in the order of AUD 1.2 million per fortnight.”The NCFFS is an existing fund that supports the establishment of new and refurbished playing and training facilities at grassroots level across Australia… established in conjunction with State & Territory Cricket Associations in 2014 to support the establishment of new and refurbished playing and training facilities at grassroots level across Australia.”CA has utilised the NCFFS to partner with local councils, state and territory governments, and local cricket clubs to make a significant impact in the quality and provision of community cricket facilities. Since its establishment, Australian Cricket has invested AUD 4.5 million into 410 projects worth AUD 41.6 million, which have significantly enhanced cricket infrastructure across Australia and supported increased participation in cricket.”The announcement was accompanied by a lengthy argument against the ACA’s position. “A week ago CA offered significant concessions in an effort to reach an agreement by 30 June,” the spokesman said. “These were also rejected out of hand through the media – again without any discussion – by the ACA. Those concessions were a genuine attempt by CA to address key concerns raised by players, including the inclusion of all domestic players alongside internationals in the share of the game’s surplus.”Over the past months CA has repeatedly sought to engage with the ACA in a genuine dialogue and to commence a proper negotiation process. It is regrettable that these efforts have been rebuffed, resulting in the current situation which CA recognises is not in the interests of either the players or the game. CA is concerned that many players will be without a contract from midnight tonight and this may place significant financial and emotional strain on them and their families.”It is unfortunate that the ACA’s hard-line and inflexible position has not been conducive to delivering any positive outcomes or certainty for players. CA has also been dismayed that the ACA’s rhetoric, both publicly and directly to the players, has burdened the current generation of players with an unfair sense of responsibility for defending a decades old pay model that no longer suits the very different needs of the modern game. The existing revenue share model has achieved its purpose and was never intended to be an heirloom passed down over the decades, never to be changed.”The ACA’s executive and a range of players, both domestic and international, are set to meet in Sydney on Sunday to discuss further action. The Australian women’s team is currently in the middle of a World Cup campaign in England.The ACA’s president Greg Dyer said the expiry of the deadline was the result of CA’s obvious intent to avoid negotiations on any terms other than the board’s own. “Refusing offers of flexibility and to attend mediation says a lot,” Dyer said. “As does the refusal of the CA CEO to be involved. It says they weren’t fair dinkum. It has been a case of divide and rule from the start, and when that failed the threats started and haven’t stopped. All of which has failed.”It’s quite incredible. Reasonable young men and women have been set upon by their employer with tactics not seen before in Australian sport. So, given they will be unemployed, the players have to consider how best to respond.”The ACA chief executive Alistair Nicholson said the meeting with players on Sunday would address numerous issues, including the status of those players chosen for the forthcoming Australia A tour to South Africa. Players are meant to convene in Brisbane for a pre-tour camp on Monday.”Given CA’s negotiation strategy from day one of these negotiations, we have made plans for this possibility,” Nicholson said. “We are ready to roll-out support to the players who need it. We have set aside funds to help players who need to pay their bills. And The Cricketers’ Brand will now be sourcing sponsorships as well. The players also have some very important decisions to make. That’s why an emergency executive meeting has been called.”

أعاد محمود الزنفلي، حارس مرمى الأهلي السابق وحرس الحدود الحالي، سرد تجربته مع القلعة الحمراء خلال فترة إعارته، وكشف عن تفاصيل حديثه مع المدرب مارسيل كولر.

وقال الزنفلي في تصريحات عبر قناة “أون تايم سبورت”: “أنا لعبت للأهلي على سبيل الإعارة، ولم يتحرك أحد من مسؤولي القلعة الحمراء لتفعيل بند شرائي نهائيًا، لذلك عدت إلى فريقي بعد نهاية الموسم”.

وتابع: “كنت أتمنى أن أشارك مع الأهلي، أنا انضممت للفريق في آخر شهر يناير الماضي، حتى نهاية الموسم، وكانت هناك مباريات في آخر الدوري كنت أتمنى أن أشارك بها، لكن مارسيل كولر قال لي أنا سأمنح اللاعبين الكبار كلهم راحة وسأدفع بالناشئين”.

وأضاف: “مع احترامي للناشئين، كلهم لاعبين كبار وعلى أعلى مستوى، لكن طبيعي أفكر أنني انضممت للفريق على سبيل الإعارة وأريد أن أشارك وأظهر بشكل جيد، لأنني لم ألعب منذ فترة”.

واستكمل: “قلت له أنا أريد المشاركة وسط لاعبين كبار لكي أظهر بصورة جيدة مع الأهلي، حيث إنني منذ 8 أشهر لا أشارك، لكن كولر صمم على موقفه بالدفع بالناشئين، وقال لي انظر ماذا تريد أن تفعل”.

طالع أيضًا | جوزيه بيسيرو: أخطأت في قرار رحيلي عن الأهلي.. وأرحب بالعودة إلى مصر

وأردف: “قلت له لو اللاعبين الكبار شاركوا سأشارك لأن هذه أول مباراة لي مع الأهلي، وهناك جماهير ستحضر والناس سيتابعون المباراة بشكل كبير، وبالتأكيد أريد الظهور بشكل جيد، وقلت له مع احترامي أن اللاعبين الناشئين على أعلى مستوى، لكن أنا طبيعي أريد أن أظهر بشكل جيد”.

واستمر: “لكن كولر صمم وقال هذا قراري، سأدفع باللاعبين الناشئين، فقلت له إذًا أنا لاعب إعارة ولا أعرف موقفي من النادي، لو عرفت موقفي سألعب مع أي فريق”.

وأشار: “بعد ذلك وجدت أن هناك لاعبين كبار شاركوا في المباريات الأخيرة من الدوري، رغم أنني قلت للمدير الفني لو ستدفع بلاعبين كبار سأشارك، لكنه لو كان يريد الدفع بي لفعل ذلك، لكنه كان قد اتخذ القرار بأن من شاركوا هم الذين سيستمرون معه”.

واختتم الزنفلي حديثه بالتعبير عن حزنه لعدم حصوله على فرصة الظهور بشكل جيد مع الأهلي وسط اللاعبين الكبار، لكنه أكد أنه لو عاد به الزمن، فإنه سيشارك مع الناشئين ولن يرفض، قائلًا: “حزنت، لأنني في ناد كبير وكنت أريد أن أظهر بشكل جيد وسط اللاعبين الكبار، لكن لو عاد بي الزمن كنت سألعب مع الناشئين ولن أرفض”.

New Zealand’s coach Mike Hesson and selectors believe the three players had done everything possible in a bid to be fit for selection

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Apr-2017

Fast bowlers Mitchell McClenaghan and Adam Milne, and allrounder Corey Anderson have been recalled to New Zealand’s ODI squad for the 2017 Champions Trophy, after proving their fitness in the ongoing Indian Premier League.Milne has played two matches for Royal Challengers Bangalore in IPL 2017 so far, bowling his full quota of overs with returns of three wickets at an economy rate of 8.75. McClenaghan, who impressed with Mumbai Indians last season, has turned in another good performance, bowling 28 overs and taking 12 wickets at an economy rate of 8.67. Anderson, playing for Delhi Daredevils, has continued to take on bowling responsibilities – he has bowled a total of four overs across two innings so far, continuing his short bowling stints with Northern Districts in Plunket Shield matches this season.New Zealand’s squad comprises five specialist batsmen, four pace bowlers, three seam-bowling allrounders, two spinners and one specialist wicketkeeper in Luke Ronchi, with Tom Latham as a back-up option behind the stumps.New Zealand coach Mike Hesson said the three players returning from injury had done everything possible in a bid to be fit for selection.”It’s been good to see all three back on the park and bowling; together they add a lot of experience to our squad,” Hesson said. “Mitch and Adam have been running in well, and Corey has shown he’ll be capable of providing an option with the ball.”We believe it’s an exciting squad; an experienced squad, and one that has the batting power and the bowling variations to prevail in a potentially high-scoring tournament.”Having four all-rounders (including Mitchell Santner) certainly helps with balance, and the return of Mitch and Adam will offer options with the new ball, through the middle of the innings, and in the death overs.”Mitchell McClenaghan has proved his fitness with steady performances for Mumbai Indians in IPL 2017•BCCI

Beset by injuries, both McClenaghan and Milne have not played international cricket since the World T20 in India last year. Hamstring, side and elbow injuries meant that Milne played only one more match in 2016 – an IPL game for Royal Challengers – after the World T20, before making a return to competitive cricket in the Plunket Shield first-class tournament in March.McClenaghan’s last ODI appearance came against Pakistan in January 2016, before an eye injury ruled him out of the subsequent one-day series against Australia. McClenaghan returned to play in the World T20, and impressed in IPL 2016 with 17 wickets in 14 matches. A pelvis injury, picked up during a county stint, ruled him out of the India tour in October last year, and an ankle niggle kept him out of New Zealand’s international assignments this year.McClenaghan later reacted to the news on Twitter with a Terminator-like response writing “nice to be back”.In Anderson’s case, the New Zealand selectors and Hesson were happy with his return to bowling duties. The recurrence of a back injury during the World T20 had kept Anderson out of tours of Zimbabwe and South Africa last year and he was picked for the ODIs against India as a specialist batsman. He played four of the five matches in India and also bowled four overs in the fifth ODI in Visakhapatnam. However, with the selectors considering him a specialist batsman in view of his long-term injury issues, Anderson missed New Zealand’s subsequent ODI series against Australia, Bangladesh and South Africa. He was considered for T20 internationals, playing the home series against Bangladesh and South Africa.The three players have replaced Dean Brownlie, Lockie Ferguson and Matt Henry from the squad for the home series against South Africa earlier this year. The only other change was the inclusion of offspinner Jeetan Patel in place of legspinner Ish Sodhi.New Zealand are in Group A of the Champions Trophy and will play their first match, against Australia, on June 2, with matches against England and Bangladesh on June 6 and 9 respectively. Prior to the tournament, they are scheduled to play two warm-up matches – against India on May 28 and Sri Lanka on May 30.New Zealand will play an ODI tri-series in Ireland ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy and Hesson confirmed a small group of players from that squad were likely to remain in England as cover during the tournament.

James Foster has committed himself to another year behind the stumps for county champions Essex

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Nov-20171:26

‘Maybe it’s time to recreate Essex’s glory days’ – Bopara

While the county game lost one of its great glovemen this summer, James Foster will not be following Chris Read into retirement just yet. Foster has been mulling a new contract offer from Essex since the club claimed the Championship title in September and has now committed himself to another year behind the stumps.Foster will turn 38 in April but, having fought to regain his place from Adam Wheater during the 2017 season as Essex surprised onlookers by winning Division One the year after being promoted, he still retains the appetite for competition.”I am delighted to be signing a new contract with Essex,” Foster said. “The 2017 Championship campaign was such an exciting and emotional season, and to see the happiness on so many people’s faces was incredible.”A real highlight for me was when the team walked out to field during the last game of the season to a standing ovation from the Chelmsford crowd. The Championship win was also a huge credit to the work put in by all the backroom team, coaches and staff at the Club and it has been a pleasure working with Chris Silverwood and I wish him every success for the future in his new role with England.”The departure of Silverwood to oversee England’s bowlers role has left Essex without a head coach but the dressing room will still have its most senior figure in place next season, after Foster’s decision to carry on.Read and Foster were held up as the premier wicketkeepers of English cricket during the 2000s and 2010s, though both only won a handful of caps for England as the selectors gave weight to batting prowess. Like Read, who has gone into teaching after retirement, Foster has begun to plan for his post-playing career; he is the cricket professional at Forest School in Walthamstow and has coached with MCC Young Cricketers and Scotland.He will add to that experience over the coming weeks, having flown on Friday to join up with Khulna Titans at the Bangladesh Premier League.”Since the end of the season I have been busy coaching and now have an exciting month coming up as an assistant coach with the Khulna Titans, working alongside head coach Mahela Jayawardene,” he said. “I am looking forward to tapping into his knowledge, as well as the other coaches, and passing on what I learn to both Essex and Forest School when I return.”

The allrounder, who is set to play his first Test against Australia, is looking forward to complete a set of five-wicket hauls against all nine other Test countries

Mohammad Isam24-Aug-2017

Bangladesh’s spin attack is better than Australia’s at home, according to Shakib Al Hasan. He has backed left-arm spinner Taijul Islam and offspinning allrounder Mehidy Hasan, with whom he combined for 38 wickets in the two-Test series against England last year, to deliver against Australia as well.”I think our spin attack is better than theirs,” Shakib said. “Not in all conditions but in Bangladesh, we are better than them. Taijul and Miraz [Mehidy] have been bowling well for some time now. I believe they will do something fantastic in this series.”Shakib is the most experienced spinner in the Bangladesh side with 176 wickets at an average of 33.04. Taijul is two short of 50 wickets while Mehidy has 35 wickets in seven Tests.The tourists also have an experienced spinner in Nathan Lyon, who will be supported by two rookies – left-arm spinner Ashton Agar, who has played only two Tests so far, and legspinner Mitchell Swepson, who is uncapped in international cricket. Agar, set to play his first Test in more than four years, is likely to partner Lyon in the first Test ahead of Swepson.With the pitches in Bangladesh becoming more responsive to spin now, and more quality spinners coming through the ranks, Shakib feels his workload has lessened. He may not have to bowl as many overs as he used to get wickets.”Taijul and Miraz are bowling well. Spinners like Raj [Abdur Razzak] and [Mohammad] Rafique were around in my early days,” Shakib said. “But there weren’t pitches that helped wicket-taking, because we didn’t really think about winning Test matches. Since now we are focused on winning, the pitches have also become more helpful for spinners.”Shakib, who is set to play his first Test against Australia, is looking forward to complete a set of five-wicket hauls against all nine other Test countries. He would become the fourth player after Muttiah Muralitharan, Dale Steyn, and Rangana Herath to achieve the feat.”I have that in mind. I have four innings to do it so let’s see, Shakib said. “It is more important to contribute, so if someone else takes a five-wicket haul it is good for the team. Taking wickets isn’t really up to me.”There are times when I don’t get a single wicket despite bowling very well. And then there are times when I got wickets by not bowling well. Bowling [in] partnerships is also essential, so we have to keep that in mind too.”

Four Sri Lankans made 50-plus scores on day one of their tour match in South Africa

Andrew Fidel Fernando18-Dec-2016
ScorecardFile photo – Kusal Perera’s return to No. 3 suggests the team management is keen for him to resume batting in the top order•AFP

Sri Lanka’s batsmen made a bright start to the tour of South Africa, as Dimuth Karunaratne, Kaushal Silva, Kusal Mendis and Dhananjaya de Silva hit half-centuries on the first day of the tour match in Potchefstroom. The visitors went to stumps at 328 for the loss of six wickets, against a South Africa Invitation XI consisting of well-heeled first-class players and recent graduates of the Under-19 system.Especially encouraging for the Sri Lankans was the 159-run unbroken opening stand between Karunaratne and Silva, each of whom has struggled at various points during the course of the year. Both men were retired out at the end of the 45th over, Karunaratne with 71 runs to his name and Silva with 80.Kusal Perera only hit 25, but his entry at No. 3 suggests the team management is keen for him to resume batting in the top order as he had done for much of the series against Australia. This would also allow Kusal Mendis to come in at second drop. Mendis, who was in good form during the back end of the ODI tri-series in Zimbabwe, hit 10 fours in his 64-ball 51.Captain Angelo Mathews and vice-captain Dinesh Chandimal, both returning from injury, collected a five-ball duck and 23 respectively, before de Silva ensured the day ended briskly, with five fours and two sixes in his unbeaten 57 off 67.The Invitation XI’s batting appears its stronger suit, so it may be that a more thorough workout awaits the Sri Lankan bowlers than the batsmen, so far, have got. Left-arm spinner George Linde took 2 for 72 in the course of the day. Seamers Duanne Olivier and Jason Smith took one wicket each.

Lions management stressed that Jack Leach was left out to allow him more time to prove his remodelled action in the nets before testing it in a match situation

George Dobell17-Feb-2017

Jack Leach, the Somerset left-arm spinner, has been left out of the England Lions team for the first unofficial Test against Sri Lanka A in Pallekele after struggling with his new bowling action.Leach, the second-highest wicket-taker in Division One of the County Championship in 2016 with 65 at 21.88, was thought by some to be unfortunate not to win selection in the England Test squad that toured Bangladesh and India. But his action was found to be illegal during routine tests at the national performance centre in Loughborough after the season and he was obliged to remodel it before departing on tour.While Leach initially thought the remedial work had gone well, the pressure of playing in a match situation and for a national side appears to have exposed some unfamiliarity with the new action. He conceded 68 in 14 wicketless overs in the second-innings of the warm-up match against the Sri Lanka Board President’s XI – the other specialist spinner, Ollie Rayner, took 3 for 55 from 22 overs by comparison – which led to the tour management going into the unofficial Test with Rayner as the only specialist spinner. Tom Westley and Liam Livingstone will provide spin back-up as required.The Lions management have stressed that there is no suggestion Leach has been left out due to any fears of illegality with his new action. It is, they say, to provide him more time to groove it in the nets before testing it under the pressure of a match situation. He has not been ruled out of the second match in Dambulla.While a period of readjustment was probably inevitable for Leach, it may be worth noting his county captain’s views towards the end of the season. Chris Rogers suggested Leach “emotionally… still has a bit of a way to go”, and suggested he may not quite be ready for international cricket where “the challenges… are a lot more difficult.”The ECB is also painfully aware of the case of another left-arm spinner, Simon Kerrigan, who endured a chastening Test debut at The Oval in 2013 and has never fully recovered. England are keen to ensure Leach has a more robust action and, as a consequence, a more robust sense of confidence, before he is thrust into relatively high-pressure situations.

ESPNcricinfo understands that SLC and Hathurusingha have agreed verbally on a deal, and are about a week away from putting pen to paper

Mohammad Isam19-Nov-2017

When Chandika Hathurusingha takes over as Sri Lanka’s head coach at some point this month, his first assignment will be against Bangladesh, the team he has only recently left in unceremonious circumstances. ESPNcricinfo understands that Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) and Hathurusingha have agreed verbally on the deal, and are about a week away from putting pen to paper.That will end weeks of speculation about Hathurusingha’s new job, after BCB president Nazmul Hassan said last month that the coach had sent his resignation letter from the Bangladesh job in mid-October, and that the BCB had accepted his resignation. Hassan, and other BCB officials, later said that Hathurusingha wasn’t taking their calls although he had apparently said that he would be in Dhaka after November 15.However, BCB have now given up hope on Hathurusingha’s arrival in Dhaka or the prospect of him further extending his stay in Bangladesh. Instead, they are now turning their focus on the prospect of facing him in the opposition camp. In January, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka play an ODI tri-series involving Zimbabwe and then bilateral T20 and Test series.”Officially we are not aware whether he has taken a new job anywhere else,” said the BCB director Jalal Yunus, repeating what the BCB has been saying for the past 10 days in response to queries about Hathurusingha.When asked about his first assignment likely being against Bangladesh in January, Yunus said: “If he does take the Sri Lanka job, then he will have the advantage of knowing our players quite well. Not just off the laptop, but from practical experience. He knows our long-term plans. He will also know more about the pitches. But I also feel that he will also be with Sri Lankan cricketers after a long time so he may need a bit of time to adjust there as well.”Ironically, Sri Lanka were on the receiving end of a similar switch in 2014 when Paul Farbrace resigned from the head coach’s position and joined England as assistant coach, weeks before Sri Lanka were to tour England.Earlier this year, Hathurusingha had given a hint of thinking of moving back to Sri Lanka in an interview during Bangladesh’s tour of Sri Lanka.”I will absolutely come [if SLC asks me to],” Hathurusingha said in March 2017. “I am in this position today because of all the things I learned playing cricket in Sri Lanka. After I learned everything in Sri Lanka for about 20 years, I went to Australia and learned things there as well. But if Sri Lanka invites me at any time, I will happily come back to do something for the country.”