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Sachin Tendulkar has not touched upon the match-fixing scandal that rocked Indian cricket in the 1990s in his autobiography because he felt it would be “unwise” to comment on subjects that he was not fully aware of

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Nov-2014Sachin Tendulkar has not touched upon the match-fixing scandal that rocked Indian cricket in the 1990s in his autobiography because he felt it would be “unwise” to comment on subjects that he was not fully aware of.”I think whatever things I knew 100% I have revealed because I back up those things. But the things I am not aware of fully, it would be unwise to comment on those,” Tendulkar was quoted as saying by PTI on the eve of the launch of his book, . “I should have some evidence, I should know something in detail to talk about it because then it makes sense and it will be appreciated by people. But if I just start talking then it will not have any value.”The scandal had eventually led to a life ban for former India captain Mohammad Azharuddin and bans of shorter duration for Ajay Sharma, Ajay Jadeja and Manoj Prabhakar, all of whom were Tendulkar’s team-mates in the 1990s.When asked whether he felt some players had under-performed deliberately during that phase, Tendulkar said: “No, I mean the guys fail, but who doesn’t fail in life, everyone fails. It would be unfair to just pinpoint someone and say that he was under-performing, didn’t try his best, I can’t. I have played the sport for 24 years and failures do happen.”Tendulkar was also questioned about the perception that he rarely took a stand on major issues in cricket. “If you see in my book, issues on which people believed I should have taken a stand, the only things which I was 100% sure of I stood for that in my book,” he said. “If you have read some of the articles I have expressed myself whole-heartedly but on things which were not first-hand information, it is unwise to do that, it is a loose statement and I didn’t want to fire loose statements.”

Gloucestershire’s makeshift attack, led by 18-year-old Craig Miles, took control before a Hampshire fightback

Alex Winter in Bristol08-May-2013
ScorecardCraig Miles took the wickets of George Bailey, James Vince and Sean Ervine in his opening spell•Getty ImagesGloucestershire’s bowling attack is reflected in the state of Nevil Road at the moment – being in a state of repair. Cranes are swinging around the ground and the physiotherapist’s arms are equally as busy in the dressing room. But the bowlers Gloucestershire got on the field proved their worth on the opening day at Bristol.Around £10 million is being spent to upgrade the ground to keep Bristol as an international venue and, while only fractions of that sum are available for the playing staff, they earned every penny with a disciplined bowling display that ran through a far richer Hampshire batting order, save for Jimmy Adams’ loneliest of lone hands.The bowler who enjoyed most success must be one of the lowest paid professional cricketers in the country. Craig Miles, 18, signed a two-year deal last September when Gloucestershire’s financial pressure almost reached breaking point as they tried, and eventually succeeded on appeal, to get their development plans off the ground.Miles has potential to earn a few more quid from the game. He and all of Gloucestershire’s bowlers are capable of moving the ball either in the air or off the pitch but maintaining a consistent line and creating pressure has proved a major difficulty. They have leaked far too many runs too quickly.But here there was control not seen since Jon Lewis left the club two years ago. There were few four balls, they put together successive maidens and created sufficient pressure to force several loose strokes.The opening 10 overs was a textbook period of cricket with the new ball. Overs five, six, seven and eight yielded just one run and with the first ball of the ninth, Michael Roberts, an ersatz Michael Carberry, who is away with England Lions, followed a length ball from Will Gidman that nibbled away. He edged it behind and walked off with 9 on his Championship debut.Liam Dawson was drawn into driving to third slip in Gidman’s next over and a run out chance a delivery later encapsulated the pressure that Gloucestershire had developed.Hampshire bullied Leicestershire and Worcestershire in their opening two games but their mental capacity was found wanting last time out at Chelmsford and here they were guilty of being impatient. George Bailey attempted a second lavish cover drive in three balls and was bowled,Sean Ervine mistimed a drive and chipped to point, Chris Wood popped a catch up to mid-on and Adam Wheater swung across the line to be lbw to Jack Taylor. Indiscipline with the bat it may have been but Gloucestershire deserved much of their success. Miles’ second wicket of his three was a good delivery, nipping back to have James Vince lbw.Miles, born in Swindon, is one of a number of academy products creeping into the first XI out of necessity. A lack of available finance for the playing staff and a bad injury situation has given several Gloucestershire youngsters opportunities that might not have existed five years ago.He was called up last week against Leicestershire as the last fit bowler available. Currently Ian Saxelby, James Fuller, Liam Norwell and Paul Muchall are sidelined. You can therefore imagine the fear of the home supporters when Gidman left the field after tumbling in his follow-through. But it was a precautionary rest, described as an “ankle twinge” which Gloucestershire are not too concerned about.Before his early departure Gidman had bowled a fine opening spell – 8-2-10-2 – which in partnership with David Payne gave very little away. Miles then replaced Gidman to do the majority of the damage before rain, and Adams, prevented Gloucestershire closing out the Hampshire first innings on day one.

Zimbabwe opener Vusi Sibanda said that being dropped for the first ODI against Bangladesh had served as inspiration during his century in the third game

Mohammad Isam08-May-2013Zimbabwe opener Vusi Sibanda said that being dropped for the first ODI against Bangladesh had served as inspiration during his century in the third game, one that secured a series victory. Sibanda’s unbeaten 103 helped Zimbabwe chase down the target of 247 in Bulawayo and win the series 2-1.”It [the hundred] means a lot to me,” Sibanda said after the game. “All the hard work that I have put in, it is finally paying off. I was dropped from the team in the first ODI so it wasn’t easy to come back, but I grabbed whatever chance I got. I hope this is the beginning of more hundreds to come. I would continue to work hard on my game.”Sibanda stayed through the entire chase, playing the first and last ball of the innings, forming a succession of substantial partnerships to beat Bangladesh. He added 50-plus stands with Hamilton Masakadza for the first wicket and Sikandar Raza for the second. Then he added 109 for the unbroken fourth-wicket partnership with Sean Williams. Sibanda played second fiddle in all those stands.”Today was a learning curve for me, to keep myself calm and to keep the situation of the game simple. Sean Williams kept knocking it around, which made it easier for me,” Sibanda said. “I just had to support him and the others who batted with me. They did the exact same thing as well.”Sibanda had nervous moments towards the end of the match, when the runs required to win were nearly the same as those needed by him to reach his second one-day hundred. Then the scoreboard said six runs were needed but actually it was one. Williams played out five dot balls to give Sibanda the strike, and he promptly edged the ball past the wicketkeeper to get his century.”Unfortunately the scoreboard was wrong,” Sibanda said. “We thought we had six runs so weren’t under any pressure. But then we found out that only one run was needed. We just stayed calm and I hoped I get a chance to complete the hundred. It worked out well.”Zimbabwe’s captain Brendan Taylor said the victory was a “massive” moment for his team, which won its first international series since August 2011. Since Taylor’s debut in April 2004, Zimbabwe have won three ODI series and a Test series, all against Bangladesh.”I think this is probably our third or fourth series win in Tests and ODIs in the last eight or nine years,” Taylor said. “It is massive for us. It will give the players the self-belief.”I think losing the first game got the best out of us. Our bowlers were different bowlers after that game, putting pressure on the Bangladeshis in the morning period. So the credit goes to our bowlers and the top and middle-order batsmen.”

Pakistan returned home to a rousing welcome after winning the ODI series against archrivals India and drawing the Twenty20 series 1-1

Umar Farooq07-Jan-2013Pakistan returned home to a rousing welcome after winning the ODI series against archrivals India and drawing the Twenty20 series 1-1. Large throngs of people waited outside the Lahore International Airport to greet the team on their success in the historic tour.Pakistan, after dominant performances throughout the series, came close to taking the ODI series 3-0 in Delhi. But India fought back and avoided what would have been their first whitewash since 1983-84. Pakistan, however, flourished throughout the series and were, distinctly, the better side.”The significant part of the series was the young lot stood up to take the team’s veins,” Misbah said. “Throughout the series, the young and new players contributed in the victories.”I will give credit to the whole team but there were few youngsters like [Mohammad] Irfan, Junaid [Khan] and Nasir Jamshed – who have really impressed. They have proved themselves against world’s best batting line-up and have outclassed them. They have a bright future and if they continue to perform like this, they will go way forward.”Nasir Jamshed, 23, led the batting with consecutive centuries in Chennai and Kolkata and ended up as the leading run-getter in the series with 241 runs. His Man-of-the-Series-winning performance helped him climb 45 places in the ODI rankings to a career-best 31st.”It was the great tour for me not because I have scored runs but the centuries I scored helped my team to win the matches,” Jamshed said. “Riding on my current form I would like to continue the runs feast in the upcoming South Africa tour.”Mohammad Hafeez, the T20 captain, too had a magnificent series. He became the number one allrounder in ODIs following success with both bat and ball in the series.”It was series we have been waiting desperately,” Hafeez said. “The team played with full focus and proved how good we are. It’s the victory of the whole nation and the highlight of the series were the trio – Irfan, Junaid and Nasir.”As the team, along with the PCB chairman, Zaka Ashraf, emerged at the arrival gates, the chants of Pakistan Zindabad (Long live Pakistan) and the beats of traditional drums resonated in the chilly winter evening. In a brief ceremony at the gates, Ashraf garlanded both the captains – Misbah-ul-Haq and Mohammad Hafez – and said that it was a special win beating India in India.”It’s a unique honor for us that we defeated India in their own country,” Ashraf said. “Our team is very disciplined and organised, the way our captains have performed, I think they deserve congratulations from everyone in the country. The way they have fought in India, they deserve appreciation.”

Former Rajasthan fast bowler and selector Shamsher Singh, 40, died of a heart attack on Thursday night

Nagraj Gollapudi22-Mar-2013Former Rajasthan fast bowler and selector Shamsher Singh, 40, died of a heart attack on Thursday. Shamsher made his debut for Rajasthan in the 1992-93 season and played his last first-class match in 2002. He took 55 wickets in 33 first-class games and 35 wickets in 26 List A matches, the last of which he played in 2001.Originally from Hisar in Haryana, Shamsher moved to Jaipur as a child, worked hard as a cricketer and never lost his passion. As part of the Rajasthan selection panel for the last few years, Shamsher encouraged the inclusion of youth, as well as talented fast bowlers like Rituraj Singh.He was instrumental in convincing the Rajasthan Cricket Associaton (RCA) to appoint former South Africa fast bowler Meryck Pringle as the fast bowling coach in 2011, when Rajasthan successfully defended their Ranji Trophy title. Shamsher was also the manager of the Rajasthan Royals team that won the IPL in 2008. His last job was as the manager of the Central Zone team in the Deodhar Trophy.Being a former player, Shamsher always empathised with players and coaches and addressed their concerns. For Rituraj, one of Rajasthan’s upcoming fast bowlers, Shamsher was an administrator who always guided a player to be a good sportsperson and human being. Last year, during Rajasthan’s fifth league match in the Ranji Trophy, Rituraj had a Grade 1 tear in his hamstring. Shamsher made sure the youngster’s rehabilitation was well taken care of by the RCA.”He was the first selector who came up to me and spoke genuinely after I had picked up an injury midway against Gujarat. I was not sure if the injury would heal in time for me to bounce back,” Rituraj said.” He told me not to worry and he assured me I would be fit to play the next match. That is the kind of confidence you want a selector to instill in a player.”One of the biggest positives Rituraj, and his fast bowling partner Aniket Choudhary, recount about Shamsher was his constant encouragement to dream big. “He was a good motivator. He was a selector who had a real good knowledge about cricket,” Rituraj said.For Choudhary, Shamsher was , a big brother and mentor. He was one of the last people to speak to Shamsher, over video chat. While Choudhary was struggling and working hard to rise above district-level cricket in Rajasthan, Shamsher fast-tracked his progress into the Ranji squad.”I know him from the last two years. I was a student at his Jaipur Cricket Academy,” Choudhary. “He spotted me once and told me that he would help me work with good coaches like Meyrick Pringle. I cannot thank him enough that he got a former international bowler like Pringle to work hard with me and that helped me make my first-class debut in the Irani Trophy two years back.”My life changed completely after I joined his academy. I always believed I would end up playing Ranji only, but after listening to him I have now grown confident that I can aspire to play for India.”Pringle did not believe the news when the academy officials called him. “I even called his phone and there was no answer,” said Pringle, who spoke to Shamsher on Thursday. “It is incredible.”Pringle, Rituraj and Choudhary were aware Shamsher was excited about his biggest dream: opening a cricket academy in Jaipur, where he had plans to invite the likes of Glenn McGrath to coach youngsters. “He was a guy who was interested in picking guys from out of the blue and helping them aspire to perform for not only the state but also the country,” Rituraj said. “That was his target.”For Pankaj, Shamsher was a forward-thinking administrator. “He wanted to bring the professional culture from overseas to Rajasthan. His academy was part of that project. He wanted us to train with the best coaches, trainers and physios. I don’t know anyone else who can now work as hard as he did and achieve that dream.”Pringle said Shamsher was an “extremely positive guy”. “Whenever he spoke cricket, you wanted to actually listen. What he achieved at the first-class level he wanted to give back to Indian cricket through his academy.”The popularity of Shamsher extended beyond Rajasthan’s Ranji team. “Bobby, as Shamsher was known, played an extremely important role in helping the international and domestic players as our team manager, which paved way for a harmonious team atmoshphere,” Rajasthan Royals’ chief executive Raghu Iyer said. Shamsher is survived by his wife and two young daughters.

Darren Sammy remembers something that happened eight years before he was born

Firdose Moonda18-Nov-2014Darren Sammy remembers something that happened eight years before he was born.”You don’t forget Clive Lloyd scoring 100 in the World Cup final or Viv Richards’ three run-outs which helped us win,” he told ESPNcricinfo, talking about the inaugural World Cup final in 1975. Watching videos has left the contest imprinted on his memory, so much so that he feels as though he saw it first-hand.”There’s something about a World Cup. It’s the mecca,” Sammy said. “The event is so prestigious and as a player, you know the world is watching and there is real motivation for you to perform on a world stage. That’s what people remember.”In an age where teams can play dozens of ODIs a year in multiple series, the magic and meaning of results can be lost, which is what Sammy thinks makes the World Cup more important than anything else. It creates the chance to make an impression where it matters most and he thrives on that.”I love it. It can be too much for some players to be in a pressure situation but I love it,” Sammy said. “Even today, when people talk to me, they mention things like my innings against Australia at the World T20.”In 2012, when West Indies won the tournament in Sri Lanka, they eliminated Australia thanks to a powerful batting showing. Sammy was not needed in the line-up on that day but cherishes the performance as one of his best. Two years later, West Indies ejected Australia from the tournament again when they pulled off their best chase and on that occasions, Sammy was central to proceedings. He hammered 34 off 13 balls to haul his team over the line and it is little wonder that innings still gets mentioned.But that was in the shortest format, which has suited West Indies best in recent years and led to expectation that they will do well. In longer versions they continue to struggle, which is why Sammy is desperate for them to make an impression at the World Cup.”For us to do well will be massive for us,” he said. “I always tell the guys about that in the changeroom, even though I am not the captain anymore, I still tell them that the world needs a West Indies cricket team that is winning matches and competing.”Sammy was replaced in the leadership role in May this year with Dwayne Bravo taking over at ODI level and Denesh Ramdin in Tests. That also prompted Sammy’s retirement from the longest format, a decision over which he has no regrets.”I’m done with Tests. I am thankful for every day I had but when I retired, I knew it was time for somebody else to take over,” he said. “Cricket is not about Darren Sammy. I knew the board and the players wanted to move forward and my focus is now on playing ODIs and T20s.”Particularly ODIs, where Sammy’s focus is on the World Cup. He signed on with Titans for South Africa’s domestic Twenty20 competition to allow him to prepare on pacy pitches ahead of the big event.Sammy has since also been installed as the franchise captain, a role he still enjoys. Sammy’s approach is to bring individuals together, because that is the only way he can see collective success, a mentality to feels is especially relevant for West Indies.”With the calibre of players we’ve got and the impact players we’ve got, we can win the World Cup but it will take a real team effort to be able to do it. It’s all about the team and what we can do as a team,” he said. “That’s how it always is in cricket, not about the individuals but the team and for us, that will be very important. We really want to do well so we have to do it together.”The last time West Indies lifted the cup was the year Sammy was born which means he does not have a recollection of that, either, which is further incentive to create his own memories. “We’ve not won the World Cup since 1983 so if we can do it, it will just be massive.”Darren Sammy spoke to ESPNcricinfo on behalf of the Unlimited Titans and the RAM SLAM T20, which is being broadcasted in India by SONY SIX

Peter Trego took four wickets on Marcus Trescothick’s return to the Somerset side, as Lancashire’s batsmen struggled again

Myles Hodgson at Aigburth01-Aug-2012
ScorecardPeter Trego made full use of the conditions to claim four wickets on day one•Getty ImagesIt seems to have escaped many people’s attention that, despite the loss of Marcus Trescothick for most of the season through injury, Somerset have remained one of the Division One title contenders. So it was fitting on his return that they continued that impressive form on a rain-hit opening day against Lancashire.As captain, leading batsman and outstanding slip fielder, Somerset have struggled to replace Trescothick while he has been sidelined for the last three months with ankle ligament damage, yet they have remained consistent enough to be well placed behind the leaders, Nottinghamshire and Warwickshire.During a day with enough rain around to dampen even the most enthusiastic of county cricketers, it became apparent why they have been so consistent, expertly exploiting bowler-friendly conditions to make major inroads into Lancashire’s batting line-up in the 52.2 overs possible.Perhaps inspired by Trescothick’s first Championship outing since April, his comeback was overshadowed by an outstanding display from Peter Trego, their combative allrounder, who took his wicket tally to 38 by claiming 4 for 34. Bowling exclusively from the River End and benefitting from a stiff breeze that aided swing bowling for most of the day, Trego continued Lancashire’s desperate form in the defence of their title.Trego bowled six successive maidens from the start of the day and it was 41 balls before Lancashire were even able to score a run off his bowling. Bowling wicket to wicket and allowing the conditions to do the work, he had already dismissed openers Paul Horton and Stephen Moore by the time Trescothick allowed him a rest shortly before lunch with figures of 10-7-12-2.By the time he returned for his second spell in the evening session – rain washed out most of the afternoon – he was required to break up a stubborn 79-run stand between Karl Brown and Ashwell Prince that threatened to turn the day in Lancashire’s favour. Brown had battled for over two hours for his 39 when he drove loosely at Trego off the front foot and lost his off-stump, which precipitated a late collapse of three wickets for 15 runs in only 34 balls.Steven Croft followed five overs later, edging Alfonso Thomas low to second slip to give Trescothick his second catch of the day, before Trego halted Prince’s defiance with the first ball of the next over when he was adjudged to have edged behind.Only four more overs were possible before rain curtailed play for the final time and Lancashire, whose batting unit have only passed 300 four times in the previous 11 completed Championship matches, look unlikely to improve on that dismal record. It should certainly be an interesting Championship debut for Andrea Agathangelou, a South-African born batsman with a Cypriot passport, who will resume tomorrow morning unbeaten on 0.Lancashire, as they have to be wavering just above the relegation zone, remain optimistic and Brown believes the swing generated by Trego should also help their own attack. “Trego got a bit of swing, and if that movement continues it will really help our bowlers because Glen Chapple and Kyle Hogg swing the ball more than most bowlers,” he said.”Hopefully we can make the most of the conditions as well. He tries to do different things when he’s bowling, he tries to get you out in different ways and he’s quite clever the way he goes about it. I enjoyed the battle out there, getting stuck in, it was good fun. We are in a tough position in the league and we are going to have to fight our way out of it.”

Tom Latham, New Zealand’s wicketkeeper-batsman, has said that his main goal is to make the 2015 World Cup which will be held in Australia and New Zealand

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Jun-2012Tom Latham, the New Zealand wicketkeeper-batsman, has said that though he has made the ODI and T20 squad for the upcoming Caribbean tour, he will have to compete with the likes of BJ Watling for a role in the side in the future.Latham, who scored 79 from three innings in his debut ODI series against Zimbabwe earlier this year, said that he hoped to repay the selectors’ confidence in him with a solid performance in the Caribbean. “I don’t see myself as the number one keeper at the moment,” Latham told , “but it’s always good to have to make tours, when they look at the make up of the side, as a backup keeper.”Latham, 20, he wasn’t going to focus on becoming a specialist batsman. “I’m definitely keen to keep the wicketkeeping going. It’s between me and BJ I think. They (the selectors) have said I’m a keeping option and I will be doing as much as I can to keep that going, because as my dad (former New Zealand batsman Rod Latham) said ‘it’s just another string to the bow’.”He said that the series against Zimbabwe gave him the confidence to compete on an international stage. “It was pretty exciting,” he said. “I know it was only Zimbabwe but it was still international cricket and being around the guys like Brendon (McCullum), who I really looked up to growing up, was pretty cool.”Though Latham was not picked for the series against South Africa, in March, selectors named him in both the T20 and ODI squad for the Caribbean tour in July. “I want to cement myself in the New Zealand side and play as much cricket for them in all three forms. My main goal at the moment is working towards the 2015 World Cup (in Australia and New Zealand).”New Zealand will play two T20 internationals in Florida, as part of their joint venture with USA Cricket, and will play five ODIs and two Tests on the Caribbean tour which begins on July 5.Edited by Carlyle Laurie

A round-up of all the games played in Group A of the World Twenty20 Qualifiers on November 17, 2013

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Nov-2013
ScorecardFile photo: Sarel Burger blasted 43 off just 36 deliveries•ICC/Helge SchutzAn all-round performance from Sarel Burger powered Namibia to an easy 35-run victory over USA, their first in the competition. Burger scored a 36-ball 43 that included two sixes and a four, and added 76 for the fourth wicket with Craig Williams, as Namibia finished on 163 for 4. He then bowled a tight spell of 4-0-16-1 to put pressure on USA during their chase.USA lost regular wickets throughout the chase and a 34-ball 44 from the opener Steven Taylor aside, no one else produced a significant score. Bernard Scholtz and JJ Smit picked up two wicket each, as USA managed 120 from their 20 overs.
ScorecardUAE came close to pulling off an upset, but Ireland held their nerve to register five-run win in Abu Dhabi, their second tight win in two days.UAE, helped by handy contributions from Khurram Khan and Rohan Mustafa, were 129 for 6 in the 19th over, 10 run away from a win. But in the next six balls, they lost four wickets for just four runs giving Ireland their third straight win in the competition. George Dockrell and Max Sorensen picked up two wickets apiece for the visitors.Ireland, choosing to bat, were earlier propelled by Gary Wilson’s first T20I fifty, and his 92-run fourth-wicket stand with Kevin O’Brien, that took the team to 138 for 5.

Former Zimbabwe batsman Dave Houghton has returned to Derbyshire as batting coach

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Sep-2011Former Zimbabwe batsman Dave Houghton has returned to Derbyshire as batting coach. Houghton, 54, was the county’s director of cricket between 2003 and 2007 and has also held coaching roles with Worcestershire and Zimbabwe.”David is a premium world-class batting coach,” said head coach Karl Krikken. “His knowledge and experience will be of great benefit to all of our batsmen, as it has been to players in the international set-up during periods of coaching with the ECB.””Clearly David’s vast experience and success in the game will be a major asset to the whole club, and in particular our batsmen,” added chairman Chris Grant.Houghton was first offered the role of director of cricket at Derbyshire in 2003, having cemented his reputation as a good leader during a spell as coach with Worcestershire in the mid-1990s. He is also the uncle of Yorkshire batsman Gary Ballance, who first arrived in English cricket with Derbyshire when Houghton was in charge.He quit his post with Derbyshire in July 2007, Don Amott – who was the county’s chairman at the time – saying that the parting was amicable.Houghton played 22 Tests and 63 one-day internationals for his country, was their first Test captain and holds the record for their highest Test score with 266 against Sri Lanka in 1994. He also represented them at hockey, as a goalkeeper.