All posts by csb10.top

Matt Nicholson, the Australian fast bowler, will deputise for Mohammad Asif at Surrey for the first half of the season – and possibly the entire summer.Nicholson took 44 wickets for Surrey last season in the Championship, but with uncertainty over Asif’s involvement, he could play a fuller role than was first anticipated. Asif, the Pakistan fast bowler, will be unavailable until June at the earliest, and his board have also expressed concerns about his workload.”The Pakistan board have said they are not going to allow their quick bowlers to play county cricket, which is understandable as most of their first-choice bowlers are on the sidelines at the moment,” Alan Butcher, the Surrey manager, said.”So while we have a contract, it must be said it’s far from certain that he’ll be able to take up that contract. At the end of last season Matt made it very plain that he’d be delighted to come back and play for us, and I know that everyone in the dressing room is really delighted he will be with us for at least the first part of the season.”I would have no qualms at all if it turned into a full season’s contract.”

Search for Tom Parker on the internet and you get 17,100 results, most of which involve Elvis Presley’s manager. The Tom Parker that you will encounter at the Sydney Cricket Ground, though, is more focussed on a rock and roll of a different kind: hammering in the rocky surface before rolling it evenly.The 22-yards that Parker tends has been making a bit of news of late. It’s excited Brett Lee and prompted Brad Hogg to let out a grimace. Words like abrasive and rough are being replaced by lively and green. Both captains thought it was a “good wicket”, suggesting that there could be a bit in there for everyone. When a batsman and bowler call a pitch “good” you have something exciting brewing.”I tend to leave a bit more grass on the pitches these days than years gone by,” said Parker, who’s been the head groundsman here for close to a decade. “This pitch has probably got a bit more grass on it than we had in 2004. I feel it will probably have a bit more bounce in it. I’m just trying to keep a bit of pace in the pitch, trying to get a bit more carry to the keeper, and more consistent bounce throughout the match.”In years gone by, it has probably played a little slow and a little low. It’s going to seam around a bit on day one and on day two it should flatten out a bit more. By day four and five it starts to turn. To me that’s a cricket pitch. It should be changing every day.”India wouldn’t mind a surface that’s tending towards the bowlers. Look back at India’s overseas wins in the recent past – in Nottingham, Johannesburg and Kingston – and you have triumphs being engineered on lively surfaces. Rahul Dravid made an interesting point after the victory in Trent Bridge. “I’ve always felt we’ve done well when we’ve had the opportunity to take 20 wickets – we might lose the odd game but we also win games … Sometimes we’re put on the back foot early on good pitches, when we struggle to take 20 wickets.”While the batsmen thrive on flat pitches at home, they’ve not able to capitalise on hard surfaces abroad. Cape Town last year, when they collapsed for 169 in the second innings, was a classic instance of imploding on a benign track but there have been other instances of botching up chances in Lord’s and Melbourne as well. Given a choice, India might just prefer life on the pitch; not only will it enhance their bowlers chances but also offer their strokeplayers some pace to play with.Kumble, in his first press conference as captain, had made it clear that he wanted to “take the pitch and conditions out of the equation”. He reiterated the point here, adding that he “doesn’t want to worry too much about that”. The quick outfield will bring a smile. It means India’s batsmen can manage fours instead of having to rely on twos and threes. It may also mean a slightly better fielding effort, an area of their cricket which was exposed at the MCG.”It’s more to do with thinking and being a bit positive,” Kumble said. “If the mind is thinking positive, running between the wickets and fielding will be different.”

Luke Wright, the Sussex allrounder, has been forced to fly home from the England performance camp in Mohali with a foot injury. He will receive treatment back at Hove in conjunction with the ECB academy with a view to him rejoining the squad in the New Year.Steven Finn, the 18-year-old Middlesex fast bowler, will bolster the squad in India after impressing during the second half of last season. His performances during the Under-19 series against Pakistan caught the eye and he operates with a high action and generates decent pace.Wright is one of the bright prospects in English cricket after making a half-century on his ODI debut against India at The Oval in September. However, since then runs have been harder to come by and his five innings at the ICC World Twenty20 in South Africa brought 43 runs including two ducks. He was part of the one-day squad in Sri Lanka but didn’t play in any of the five matches.The performance squad will spend the first part of the camp in Mohali before moving to Chennai. Ashley Giles and Martyn Moxon are providing specialist coaching alongside Kevin Shine while David Parsons, the interim academy director, will replace Giles in December.

Ranadeb Bose has lashed out against national selector Ranjib Biswal for suggesting he was not quick enough. Biswal, the East Zone selector in the five-member committee, said recently that it was tough to “fight” for Bose because the team management believes he “is almost as slow as Dada (Sourav Ganguly).”Hurt by the statement, Bose said, “If he has said that, he’s lying. Nobody in his right mind can say I am as slow as Souray. I was between 132-134 kmph at the Challenger Trophy. It was live on TV and those who want can check. Souray bowls at around 120 and the difference in our pace is significant. Biswal saw me in the recent Ranji match against Orissa where the keeper was collecting it from near his chest. I must say he is a liar if he says I bowl at Sourav’s pace.”Biswal had also said that the competition for the fast bowler’s slot for Australia tour was between Pathan, Ishant, Munaf, VRV Singh and Pankaj Singh. “Of the five, only VRV and Pankaj are faster than me,” Bose said. “Given the pace Munaf has bowled at of late, that is. And I am not talking about performance, since the selector has talked just about pace.”I know I don’t have a chance to play for India anymore. Maybe because I don’t do a lot of things like sending messages to certain people on their birthdays, marriage anniversaries or don’t try to please them by doing things that go beyond performing in the cricket field. It’s disappointing, but I have to accept it.”

The venues of the three Tests and five one-day internationals for Pakistan’s tour of India, which starts next month, have been announced. According to the rotation policy followed by the Indian board, Delhi, Mohali and Ahmedabad were in line to host the Tests. However, with Delhi’s Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium still undergoing renovation, Bangalore got the opportunity to stage its second Test of the season, having hosted the Australians in October.Pakistan, who will arrive on February 25, will also play a five-match one-day series in Kochi, Vishakapatnam, Kanpur, Jamshedpur and New Delhi. Though the dates for the matches have been announced, the order in which they will be played will be decided only after the Indian government cleared the itinerary.Ahmedabad could come under scrutiny from Pakistani security experts after the state of Gujarat was hit by communal riots as recently as three years ago. According to Kamal Morarka, chairman of the fixtures committee of the BCCI, “It is up to the government to consider since it is an India-Pakistan matter. A Pakistan security team will tour the venues before their cricket board gives its approval.”India currently have nine Test venues, with each ground given an opportunity on a rotation basis. Of these nine, six have already hosted a Test in the 2004-05 season – Bangalore, Chennai, Nagpur and Mumbai staged Tests against Australia, while South Africa played at Kanpur and Kolkata.The last time Pakistan toured India, in 1998-99, Delhi hosted a historic match in which Anil Kumble took all ten wickets in Pakistan’s second innings and guided India to a huge win. That was Pakistan’s second loss in four Tests in Delhi. Given their record in Bangalore – two draws and a win in three matches – Pakistan would be only too happy to skip Delhi and play in Bangalore instead.Pakistan will start the tour with a three-day warm-up game from February 27, while the first Test will start on March 4.

Andre Adams, the bustling all-rounder, was probably the only Aucklander who could raise a smile as Northern Districts outplayed Auckland by 60 runs with a smart all-round performance in the State Shield one-day cricket match on Eden Park’s outer oval today.Adams’ place in the New Zealand World Cup squad became firmer as he survived a stiff test on his back injury. He bowled at about three-quarter vigour to take four for 37 from ten overs in leading the Auckland bowling effort as Northern Districts scored 218 for seven in their 50 overs.However, Adams scored only a seven-minute two as the Auckland batting struggled and finally expired at 158 in 44 overs.Ross Dykes, one of the New Zealand selectors who must deliver the 15-man World Cup squad by the middle of next week, said he was heartened by Adams’ vigorous bowling, and by the way he was able to come back for a strong second spell.”He will have to come through a similar test at Alexandra on Monday when Auckland play Otago,” said Dykes, “but Andre gave a very encouraging performance and that pleases me.”If a stranger without World Cup favourites in his head had watched the game he would have lavished more praise on the two Northern Districts men – Joseph Yovich, the 26-year-old all-rounder, and Matthew Hart, the former New Zealand left-arm spinner – who saved their team’s cause in the early afternoon.After choosing to bat first on a tired-looking pitch – a relic of the Auckland-Wellington State Championship match earlier this month – the Northern Districts first innings stuttered along. Adams and Richard Morgan reduced Northern to 26 for two and then three (the third being Scott Styris, another World Cup candidate, for a four-ball duck) and eventually Northern were on then ropes at 81 for five.Half Northern Districts’ overs had been used up, and 150 or 160 seemed an optimistic target as the old pitch was not the easiest of batting surfaces. By the time Yovich arrived at this critical point, Hart had dug in with his dogged left-handed batting.Yovich is usually a low-order struggler, but he started today at No 7 as if he regarded himself as the confident batting star of the team. Soon he was stroking fours about the smooth outfield. A couple of sixes rocketed over the long-on line. Heartened by this (pardon the pun) Hart increased his scoring rate.Very soon the Auckland bowling began to look a little thin, the fielding not as keen and sharp as it had been early in the innings. They scored 50 runs together in 37 minutes from 66 balls and kept up the momentum with a second 50 in 40 minutes from 56 balls.By the time Adams bowled Yovich, the tall young man had scored 70 from 90 balls, including two sixes and seven fours, and the 107 runs he added with Hart had carried Northern Districts to 198, considerably better than the early limp batting had suggested.Hart went at 204 for seven, 153 minutes for his 62 from 81 balls, and Northern Districts probably had a very comfortable lunch.Matt Horne might have upset them with four quick fours in the opening Auckland attack, but he hit himself out at 30, Llorne Howell did the same at 39 and when Mark Richardson was caught behind after an unwise slash outside the off-stump, Auckland were three for 52, and worse at 55 for four when Tama Canning was run out.Hart, aided by Styris, then stifled the Aucklanders with their pin-point accuracy (Styris’ first spell read 6-3-6-0), and Hart thoroughly deserved figures of 10-0-30-2, although why he should concede eight no-balls must remain a mystery.Brooke Walker, the Auckland captain, led a dogged rearguard action with 33 not out from 79 balls, but the smart Northern Districts fielding wrapped up the rest of the innings.James Marshall was the star in this department, with superb catches to remove Horne, Howell and Rob Nicol, and them a brilliant stop and dive-pass of the ball to run out Morgan.

Former captain Wasim Akram was recalled Saturday to the Pakistan squad for the three-match one-day series against the West Indies in Sharjah.Also back in the side was off-spinner Shoaib Malik but there was no place for all-rounder Azhar Mahmood. Unconfirmed reports said Azhar was injured.The two will replace Danish Kaneria, Faisal Iqbal and Mohammad Zahid. Zahid’s comeback to international cricket was abruptly halted with the sad demise of his mother last week. He had to return from the desert city after joining the team a day later owing to delay in travel formalities. But the big news was the return of Wasim Akram who had bowled just 20 deliveries on the tour to Dhaka before limping off with a hamstring injury. Wasim underwent a series of tests before he was declared fit and available for selection by the panel of doctors.However, it is yet to be seen if Wasim will bowl with full throttle and is at his best. Since his 20-ball first Test in Dhaka early last month, he hasn’t played any competitive cricket.Wasim, who has over 440 one-day wickets, has been hampered by a series of injuries in the twilight of his career which has left big question marks over his fitness, endurance and chances to make the squad for next year’s World Cup in South Africa.After the three one-day matches, Pakistan has a demanding season ahead with the Asian Test Championship final against Sri Lanka proposed in March and followed up by the Sharjah Cup in April. New Zealand are also expected to make a rescheduled tour to Pakistan between April 20 and May 18.In September, Pakistan will appear in the ICC KnockOut tournament and then immediately host Australia. They leave for African safari in November and return in March after the World Cup.The three one-day matches against the West Indies will be played on Feb 14, 15 and 17 under lights.

The West Indies Cricket Board is expected to submit a review of the bowling action of the fast bowler Jermaine Lawson to the International Cricket Council by August 12.Lawson, 21, was reported to the ICC for a suspect bowling action during the fourth and final Test between West Indies and Australia in Antigua in May. His career-best figures of 7 for 78 had decimated Australia’s first innings, but he was unable to take any further part in a famous victory.”Jermaine has been carrying along very well with the remedial programme in Jamaica,” remarked Dr. Michael Seepersaud, the WICB’s chief cricket development officer, who is supervising the review process of Lawson’s bowling action.”The back problems that set back the remedial work on his bowling action are now over,” he added. “He’s free from pain, and substantial progress has been made to ensure his all-round biomechanical efficiency.”Next week, the WICB is expected to fly biomechanics specialist Dr. Paul Hurrion from Britain to conduct an assessment of Lawson. “Dr. Hurrion has worked in a similar capacity for the ICC with other bowlers,” said Dr Seepersaud. “He is highly recommended, so we are pleased to have him come and work with Jermaine. Once we have his analysis, we will convene the bowling committee and send our review to the ICC for their consideration.”Lawson has captured 29 wickets at 24.31 runs apiece in seven Tests to date. In addition to that seven-wicket haul at St John’s, he picked up a hat-trick in the preceding Test at Bridgetown.

Michael Bates and Shane Singe have been included in the 12-man StateAuckland Aces squad to play in a series of matches against the New Zealand Cricket Academy and Canterbury at New Zealand Cricket’s High Performance Centre at Lincoln University.Bates, 20, a left-arm pace bowler, represented New Zealand in theUnder-19 World Cup in January last year. He plays for the Suburbs New Lynn clubin the Auckland club competition. Singe is a wicketkeeper andleft-handed opening batsman who captains the Papatoetoe side.The team play three two-day matches at Lincoln Green: Nov 19-20 v AcademySelection, Nov 21-22 v Academy Selection, and Nov 24-25 v Canterbury.Lou Vincent and Tama Canning will join the Aces on Thursday, and openerMark Richardson will continue to appear for the Academy Selection. MattHorne will not be at Lincoln, after sustaining a calf muscle injury in clubcricket on November 8.Paul Hitchcock and Kyle Mills are travelling with the Black Caps, andreturn from India tomorrow.Three players named in the squad in September have not been included in theteam to play at Lincoln. They are Llorne Howell, who is not expected toplay in the early rounds of the State Championship, Gareth Shaw and AndyMcKay.Selector Rowan Armour will take the team south, with manager Fred Thomas.State Auckland Aces coach Mark O’Donnell will replace Armour on Thursday.The team is: Brooke Walker (capt-Howick Pakuranga), Andre Adams (Takapuna), Aaron Barnes (Cornwall), Michael Bates (Suburbs New Lynn), Tim Lythe (Auckland University), Tim McIntosh (Parnell), Rob Nicol (Cornwall), Craig Pryor (Grafton United), Shane Singe (Papatoetoe), Sam Whiteman (Howick Pakuranga), Kerry Walmsley (Howick Pakuranga), Reece Young (Suburbs New Lynn).

Western Australia lost a cricketing icon when Ken Meuleman passed away on Friday night at Hollywood Private Hospital in Perth after a battle with bone cancer.Meuleman, who turned 81 last Sunday, is synonymous with Western Australian cricket as three generations of Meulemans represented the state. Ken, his son Robert and grandson Scott all played for them over seven decades.Ken Meuleman began his cricketing career in Victoria where he played six seasons of first-class cricket and one Test match, against New Zealand in 1946 where he made a duck in his only innings.He moved to Western Australia in 1952 and immediately became a star in the team. In 48 matches, he made 3398 runs at an average of 51.48 with 11 centuries, 13 half-centuries and a top score of 234 not out.Meuleman was a strong supporter of grass roots cricket and coached for many years after his retirement. He had a direct hand in the development in many of Western Australia’s finest Test cricketers including current Australian opener Justin Langer.