Pakistan fast bowler Naved-ul-Hasan will be appealing against the one-year ban and the Rs 2-million fine slapped on him by the PCB

Cricinfo staff20-Mar-2010Pakistan fast bowler Naved-ul-Hasan will be appealing against the one-year ban and the Rs 2-million fine slapped on him by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).Naved, 32, was one of the seven leading players punished by the board following Pakistan’s disastrous tour of Australia, where they lost the three Tests, five ODIs and the lone Twenty20 international. He was also denied a central contract by the board yesterday, and said he would submit his appeal in a couple of days’ time.”I have been preparing the response papers with my representatives and they will be ready in a couple of days’ time,” Naved told .He said he was also in possession of the report prepared by the inquiry committee. “Yes I have the report and have read it. The only reason why they have banned me is due to underperformance. They felt that my performance on the tour of Australia was below par. I always give 100% effort every time I take the field, it doesn’t matter who I am playing for, I always give my all”.”If necessary I will take my appeal papers by hand and meet whoever I need to from the board to discuss these matters. I hope the situation is resolved soon and I can recommence my career for Pakistan”.Reports also suggest that former Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik, who was handed a ban similar to Naved’s, would also make an appeal. Though the PCB has not revealed the nature of charges against Malik, it is thought that his role in creating unrest within the side during the tour, among other things, came under scrutiny.”I will fight against the ban and go to every possible platform to prove my innocence. I want to prove my innocence as there have been no cases of indiscipline in my 11-year career,” Malik told AFP.The PCB on Thursday sent letters to the banned players, explaining the committee’s findings, and gave them a 30-day period within which they can appeal against the charges.Both players, however, have been granted permission by the board to play in a domestic Twenty20 league in Bangladesh, just two days after Mohammad Yousuf, another banned player, was allowed to play in the country.

Pakistan’s Twenty20 captain has urged all the senior members of the team to lead by example and encourage the younger players to give their best in the forthcoming ICC World Twenty20

Cricinfo staff02-Apr-2010Pakistan’s Twenty20 captain Shahid Afridi has urged his senior team-mates to inspire the younger players through example in the forthcoming ICC World Twenty20 in the West Indies. Afridi was appointed captain after Mohammad Yousuf was banned by the PCB and later announced his retirement from international cricket.”I believe that the main responsibility will be on the senior players. They are ones who have enough experience of playing in top-level events like the World Cup,” Afridi told the . “Our senior players like Abdul Razzaq, Misbah-ul-Haq, Mohammad Asif, Umar Gul and Kamran Akmal will have to come out with their best in the West Indies. They are the ones who can inspire the young boys in our team to shine in the tournament.”Pakistan are the defending champions and Afridi said a second title triumph would be the best way to erase the bad memories of the recent past. Pakistan experienced one of their worst away tours, losing all three Tests, five ODIs and the one-off Twenty20 in Australia. The PCB came down heavily on the players it believed were responsible for their poor performance, handing out life bans to Yousuf and Younis Khan and one-year bans to Shoaib Malik and Naved-ul-Hasan. Afridi and the Akmal brothers were fined for various misdemeanours and put on six-month probations.”We all know that Pakistan needs good news on the cricket field. If we win the World Cup again, we will be able to make millions of our countrymen happy,” he said. “That is why I’m urging my team-mates to give their 100% effort in the training camp and later in the World Cup. I need them to fight like a unit because that’s the only way to win a major event like the World Cup.”Despite the shoddy results in Australia, where they failed to capitalize on winning positions, Afridi backed his team to bounce back in the Caribbean. “I’m not making any promises which is why I won’t say that we would go out their and lift the World Cup,” he said. “But what I want to make crystal clear is that we have to play for the country and if we do that then anything is possible.He was also pleased with the two latest appointments to the coaching staff, Waqar Younis as coach and Ijaz Ahmed as his assistant. “Both Waqar and Ijaz are really good coaches. They know how to get the best out of the players. They are making us go that extra mile in the camp and that’s a very positive change.”Pakistan are placed in Group A with Bangladesh and Australia. They begin their campaign against Bangladesh on May 1 in St Lucia.

Stuart Broad believes that the World Twenty20 offers England their best opportunity yet to end their 35-year hunt for a major ICC Trophy, and feels that his personal preparation since last month’s tour of Bangladesh has left him at the peak of his form an

Cricinfo staff27-Apr-2010Stuart Broad believes that the World Twenty20 offers England their best opportunity yet to end their 35-year hunt for a major ICC Trophy, and feels that his personal preparation since last month’s tour of Bangladesh has left him at the peak of his form and fitness.Broad was made to work hard for his wickets on flat surfaces in Bangladesh, having overcome a worrying back spasm that had left his participation in the first Test in doubt. But following a month’s break, he confirmed his readiness for further international action by taking eight wickets in Nottinghamshire’s Championship victory over Somerset last week.”I feel great,” Broad told reporters in Barbados. “The rest was fantastic after Bangladesh to make sure the body got rid of all the niggles. Then this last week it was a fantastic experience helping Notts win and get some overs under my belt. I feel really fresh and excited about what we can do in this tournament.”Broad will be embarking on his third World Twenty20 campaign, and he has endured mixed fortunes in his previous outings – from being cracked for six sixes in an over by Yuvraj Singh in Durban in 2007, to his role in the embarrassing defeat by the Netherlands in last year’s tournament opener. Nevertheless, those experiences have taught him how quickly and easily a team can regroup in this format.”We obviously stumbled against the Netherlands,” he said. “But the great thing about this tournament is you can recover from that , and we qualified after beating Pakistan pretty convincingly and were actually quite unfortunate losing in a rain-affected game [against West Indies], where the Duckworth-Lewis stuffed us a bit.”England do not have home advantage to fall back on this time around, but they gained plenty of experience during their eventful tour of the Caribbean last year, in which they bounced back from a 1-0 defeat in the Test series to win their first limited-overs series in the West Indies.”If we can use the knowledge we gained here last year, I think we can go far,” said Broad. “I think we’ve got a really well-balanced squad here, batters who can hit boundaries all the way through the order, good spinners – and I think the team is really excited about our prospects. This is one of the best chances an England squad has had since I’ve been involved in an ICC event. We’ve got the players to do the business.”Five of England’s batsmen go into the tournament with IPL experience under their belt, although none of the bowlers put themselves forward for the same opportunity – a fact that Kevin Pietersen questioned in a recent interview. However, Broad was unrepentant about taking a break rather than seek the extra knowhow on offer.”Obviously, I want to experience the IPL at some stage, it looks a fantastic tournament,” he said. “Every player involved in it has only got good words to say. But I am pleased I had the rest this time.”

The Twenty20 series between New Zealand and Sri Lanka in Florida has been reshaped after the ICC declared that the floodlights at the Broward County Regional Park, the venue, were unfit for hosting international cricket

Cricinfo staff14-May-2010The Twenty20 series between New Zealand and Sri Lanka in Florida – the first international series between two full ICC members to take place in the USA – has been reshaped after the ICC declared that the floodlights at the Broward County Regional Park, the venue, were unfit for hosting international cricket. The schedule will now involve New Zealand taking on Sri Lanka twice over the weekend in addition to two Twenty20 games between USA and Jamaica, who also play a 50-over one-day game on May 21.”Ideally the inaugural game in the Pearls Cup series would have been a night game on Thursday,” New Zealand Cricket CEO Justin Vaughan said. “The lights at the stadium are fine for most levels of cricket, but they need to be of a higher standard for the playing and broadcast of international cricket.”And added to this, there is a high probability of rain and thunderstorms in the region on Thursday which added weight to our decision. Because of these factors, we have decided, along with our partner USA Cricket, to focus all of the attention on the weekend with the two double headers as well a full one-day international between USA and Jamaica on Friday the 21st.”The original plan was for a three-match Twenty20 series between New Zealand and Sri Lanka, which had been reduced to two back-to-back fixtures on May 21 and 22.According to Don Lockerbie, the chief executive of USACA, the decision to cancel the opening fixture, scheduled for May 19, was taken in the interests of promoting USA cricket in the best possible light, with a thunderstorm threatening to wash out the opening fixture and damage the image of the sport as it seeks to find its niche in a new and untapped market.”The original match was scheduled under lights, and we wanted to move it to the afternoon, but that’s tough to pull off on an American working week,” Lockerbie told Cricinfo. “We feel it’s better to start with a big bang on the weekend, because it’s about the USA and our strategic partner, New Zealand, trying to figure out what’s best to grow cricket in our country.”However, Lockerbie played down suggestions that the decision had been made as a cost-cutting measure, following reports of poor ticket sales and low levels of sponsor interest.
“This is really an important weekend for us,” said Lockerbie. “We want to show the world we are open for business, and show that these teams have made a wise choice to come and play cricket in the US. But it’s got to be done prudently. How many events all over the world get set up and then cancelled at the last minute due to inclement weather while the fans are in the stadium and the broadcasters have to talk through the rain? To us, at this stage of our development, that would be worse than making a smart business decision now.”

Lachlan Stevens has beaten a strong field to become Mickey Arthur’s new assistant coach at Western Australia

Cricinfo staff27-May-2010Lachlan Stevens has beaten a strong field to become Mickey Arthur’s new assistant coach at Western Australia. Stevens, who spent several years as a fringe batsman with South Australia and Queensland, was favoured over big names believed to include Jason Gillespie, Allan Donald and Carl Hooper.Despite his relative youth at 31, Stevens has plenty of coaching experience, having taken on the role of high performance coordinator at the Centre of Excellence in 2004. For the past two seasons, he has been assistant to the Queensland coach Trevor Barsby, and his past roles also included a stint as career and education manager with Queensland Rugby Union.”I am excited by the challenge to work with the players of the Retravision Warriors and look forward to helping them to fulfil their potential in the coming seasons,” Stevens said. “I also saw this as a fantastic opportunity to work with Mickey Arthur and learn from one of the leading coaches in world cricket.”Western Australia identified Stevens as a “hands-on” coach who would complement Arthur as he tries to lift the Warriors, who haven’t won any silverware since the 2003-04 one-day trophy. Arthur was confident Stevens would be a good fit with Western Australia.”Lachlan is a very hard worker,” Arthur said. “When you are preparing players to be the very best they can be, it is vital that the coaches set the standard in terms of the level of application required to succeed at interstate level.”

Australia want to begin their tour of the British Isles with a big win against Ireland

Brydon Coverdale16-Jun-2010

Match Facts

Ricky Ponting hasn’t been in action since the tour of New Zealand in March•Getty Images

Thursday, June 17

Start time 1045 (0945 GMT)

The Big Picture

Australia’s six-week tour of the British Isles begins in the understated surrounds of Clontarf in Dublin, where they kick things off with an ODI against Ireland. While Ricky Ponting’s men will be understandably keen to ensure a big victory, the real aim is to shed any winter rust before the five-match series against England.Several of the Australians were in the Caribbean for the World Twenty20 last month, while others have been involved with the IPL since the Australian season ended. But for some, like Ponting and James Hopes, the past two and a half months has been an extended holiday. They don’t want to head to Southampton for the first ODI still rusty, so expect Australia to play their full strength team in this encounter.For Ireland, there’s little to lose. Nobody truly expects them to beat Australia, but their history shows they are capable of upsets if their more fancied opponents fail to show them due respect. Next month they have two more chances to beat a Test-playing side when they host Bangladesh in Belfast, but knocking off Australia would be something special.

Form guide (most recent first)

Ireland LLWWW

Australia LWWWL

Watch out for…

Tim Paine has done everything right when he has been given opportunities in the one-day team. He scored 111 against England at Trent Bridge last year and has also posted three half-centuries in a 17-game career. Paine will have the gloves for at least the limited-overs portion of the tour but is also auditioning for a potential Test debut if Brad Haddin’s elbow injury keeps him from rejoining the squad.A tall fast man who has been identified by the ECB as a potential player of the future, Boyd Rankin will be a key man if Ireland are to restrict Australia’s batsmen. In home conditions, he could be more of a challenge than the Australians anticipate.

Team news

Ireland will be without the 17-year-old spinner George Dockrell, who was highly impressive at the ICC World Twenty20. He is unavailable due to exams and on the eve of the match they also lost the experienced Andre Botha with a suspected stress fracture of the back.Ireland (possible) 1 William Porterfield (capt), 2 Paul Stirling, 3 Niall O’Brien (wk), 4 Alex Cusack, 5 Kevin O’Brien, 6 Gary Wilson, 7 Andrew White, 9 John Mooney, 9 Trent Johnston, 10 Peter Connell, 11 Boyd Rankin.Elbow problems have prevented both Mitchell Johnson and Haddin from joining the squad in Ireland. Paine will take the gloves and most likely the opening position, which could mean Shaun Marsh has to wait for his comeback having missed the tour of New Zealand with a back injury. The pace trio of Ryan Harris, Clint McKay and Doug Bollinger will lead the attack in England, so they will all be keen for a decent warm-up. The teenage fast man Josh Hazlewood will probably be running the drinks, with Steven Smith and Nathan Hauritz to battle for the spin position.Australia (possible) 1 Shane Watson, 2 Tim Paine (wk), 3 Ricky Ponting (capt), 4 Michael Clarke, 5 Cameron White, 6 Michael Hussey, 7 James Hopes, 8 Steven Smith/Nathan Hauritz, 9 Ryan Harris, 10 Clint McKay, 11 Doug Bollinger.

Pitch and conditions

The Dublin pitch is expected to be slow and low, which will reward stump-to-stump bowling. The forecast is for isolated showers and a top temperature of 21C.

Stats and trivia

• The two teams have met only once before in a one-day international, when Australia romped to a nine-wicket win at the 2007 World Cup
• Ireland famously beat Pakistan and Bangladesh in the World Cup in the West Indies, but have not beaten a full ICC member in an ODI since then
• Ireland are yet to be beaten in an ODI at the Castle Avenue ground in Dublin, where they have had five wins, one no-result and one match abandoned
• Trent Johnston played five first-class games for New South Wales from 1999 to 2000, and will be lining up against one of his former state team-mates, Michael Clarke
  

  Quotes

  “If you get ahead of yourself and you’re worrying about England and you don’t pay Ireland the respect they deserve then they can sneak up and bite you.”
  Merv Hughes, the Australian selector on duty”It’s hard for us to look and say, if Australia are tip-top in every area, that we will beat them but if they’re going to screw up at any time then we’re going to be ready for it.”
  Phil Simmons, the coach of Ireland

Having relinquished wicketkeeping duties in Test cricket, Brendon McCullum is looking to reinvent his role in the New Zealand side by moving up the order as an unorthodox opener in the longest format

Cricinfo staff23-Jul-2010Having relinquished wicketkeeping duties in Test cricket in order to ease the strain on his body, Brendon McCullum is looking to reinvent his role in the New Zealand side by moving up the order as an unorthodox opener in the longest format.”I wouldn’t play conventionally. There are a lot of aggressive Test openers around now. It’s probably something we haven’t really looked at,” McCullum told the in Wellington. “I’m not saying it’s going to work, but I’m going to give it everything I’ve got to try and make it work.”McCullum’s ambition is not without precedent – batsmen such as Virender Sehwag, Matthew Hayden, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Chris Gayle and Tamim Iqbal have reinvented the role of an opening batsman in Test matches with their attacking intent. McCullum has been a staple at the top of the order for New Zealand in the shorter versions of the game where he is recognized as a dangerous batsman, with averages of 29.01 in ODIs and 33.33 in Twenty20s at enviable strike rates. His Test record is less impressive with 2862 runs at 34.90 in 52 matches, most of the runs coming from the number seven spot.In recent times, the Test opening slots have been a major problem area for New Zealand, having tried 14 different batsmen at the top since 2005 without much success. They are likely to maintain the opening combination of Tim McIntosh and BJ Watling for their next assignment in Bangladesh. McCullum is not fixated on opening the batting and is confident of making an impact from the number three position too.”One, two or three are probably the same. I don’t mind where. It won’t be the stock-standard blunt the ball at the top of the order. I’ve got to stick to my strengths and if we’re totally honest it probably hasn’t worked in the past, the way we’ve been playing. Why not try something different?”New Zealand will be without McCullum’s services during the upcoming tri-series in Sri Lanka, also involving India. He will be missing from the starting line-up after 209 successive international appearances as he recovers from a clean-up surgery on his left knee. The break coincides with the birth of his second child.”The last time I missed a game was for the birth of my boy [Riley, in 2004]. This isn’t the reason I’m missing this tour but to have a girl and have an unbroken stretch in between is pretty cool,” McCullum said.

Afghanistan climbed to the top of the Intercontinental Cup table with a resounding win over Scotland, whom they displaced, on the fifth day in Ayr

Cricinfo staff14-Aug-2010
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Hamid Hassan finished with 11 wickets in the match•International Cricket Council

Afghanistan climbed to the top of the Intercontinental Cup table with a resounding win over Scotland, whom they displaced, on the fifth day in Ayr. Medium-pacer Hamid Hassan bagged five wickets to help Afghanistan beat their opponents, who had been set a target of 546, by 229 runs.Afghanistan had bagged two wickets by the end of the third day but Scotland put in an improved performance in their second innings to make the bowlers fight for their wickets. Ewan Chalmers top scored with 67 and the middle and lower orders chipped in with important contributions, though in vain.Scotland lost three wickets in quick succession, leaving too much for their lower order to achieve. Richie Berrington and Qasim Sheikh were dismissed by Abdullah, who bowled a miserly spell of ten overs, conceding just six runs and grabbing two wickets. Chalmers fell with the score on 158 and though the rest built promising partnerships, Hassan chipped away at them to secure a mammoth win.Moneeb Iqbal contributed a patient 42, so did Matthew Parker and the last five wickets added 158 but the target they had been set proved way beyond them. Hassan completed a memorable game, finishing with 11 wickets. He had grabbed 6 for 40 in the first innings to give his team a decisive advantage in the contest.Reflecting on his performance, Hassan said, “It was a big achievement for me to get a 10-wicket haul but I just focused on getting a victory for my team. In the first innings, I bowled very well as the ball was swinging both ways, which is why their batting collapsed. In the second innings they batted with confidence and gave themselves a real chance of drawing the match. But we were very determined to win the match and go top of the table.”I was very worried about my ankle and I bowled 27 overs with the injury. But everybody was trying very hard to take wickets. I said to my colleagues that I was going to take a risk with my injury and do whatever it takes to take the wickets. The doctor told me not to bowl, but I wanted to, so he bandaged my ankle up to my knee which is why I was able to bowl. It was a very good game and I am very pleased with my performance.”Everybody worked very hard in batting and bowling and we all gave it 100 per cent. We will be trying our best to get in the final and bring the ICC Intercontinental Cup back to Afghanistan.”Hassan said four-day cricket required a lot of patience and one needed to focus on all the areas of one’s game. “You have to concentrate on bowling really good balls to get the batters out, while our batters have learnt to wait to hit the loose ball. For me, it is an enjoyable form of the game as you have to learn to be patient and we have learnt lots of things. It is good for us to play four-day cricket as it helps us improve in one-day cricket as well.”

VVS Laxman has said his century was a very important innings and that he has learnt to ignore the critics who question his place in the side

Sidharth Monga at the P Sara Oval07-Aug-2010VVS Laxman has spent almost all his career as the most disposable member of the team. He has one bad Test, and the knives come out. Fans and critics alike find Laxman’s the easiest place to question. Thankfully, his team-mates and the selectors know his worth. Easily India’s best batsman on bad or testing pitches, he rescued India once again, following his fifty in the first innings with a match-winning, series-levelling, flawless century on a tense final day.”I have had it [people questioning my place in the side] since the start of the career,” Laxman said, laughing. “I have started dealing with them much better. But what matters really is how the team feels about you. And there is no doubt that the team members feel how important my contribution to the team is. I really don’t think [about] what the people are thinking outside the dressing room.”Initially it was tough to play with that insecurity feeling. Sometimes I imagined that if [I had been] given a free hand, I would have probably got much more runs. But after the first four-five years of international cricket I started dealing with it much better and now these things don’t really bother me. I have played more that 100 Test matches, which very few in India do.”

Sachin Tendulkar on Laxman

“Laxman played well in both innings. The context becomes even more important since it was the decisive Test. Even if it was a draw, we would have lost the series but the manner in which he helped us level the series, it was phenomenal. The kind of innings he played in both knocks was remarkable. I have seen Laxman bat for many years and I have seen plenty of such knocks. He has scored on difficult tracks and helped India win. Just like the spectators enjoy it, I also enjoy his batting.”

Laxman has rescued India before, in more challenging conditions too, but he rated this as an important knock. “This innings stands out because of the situation we were in not only in this Test but also in the series,” he said. “The way we came back and won the Test. The partnership between me and Sachin [Tendulkar] changed the momentum of the game. Very satisfying feeling. More importantly feels good for the team because we really worked hard during the entire tour.”Laxman had not only two good spinners and Lasith Malinga to contend with, but also the pain that the back spasms that he developed while fielding during the fourth day brought him. He got treatment on the field, took painkillers, but the medicines have limitations. They don’t kick in immediately. He just had to forget about that pain.”It was painful,” Laxman admitted. “I stared my innings well, but during the partnership I had a lot of discomfort and the spasms didn’t allow me to move freely. Once I was into my 30s it became very painful.”It was difficult [the decision to ask for a runner]. You don’t want to create confusion and also not break the rhythm. If you see, Sachin got out once I took the runner. But I was in such pain that I thought that the best decision in team’s interest was to have a runner instead of just giving away the wicket due to pain.”It was an extra sweet feeling because at the same venue two years ago, Laxman fought pain from an injured ankle, scored a valiant 61 not out with the tail, but it proved to be agonisingly inadequate in the third innings of that match. He spoke more about playing in pain in this match.”During the game I took a couple of painkillers,” Laxman said. “Nitin [Patel, team physio] came and gave me a quick treatment. But I don’t know how much the pills helped as it takes 30-40 minutes before the painkillers start to show their effects. But the situation and the importance of the game, sometimes supersedes your pain. Sometimes you just focus on the process and goal in hand and it takes you over the pain barrier.”

A middle-order collapse, during which Canada lost four wickets for two runs, allowed Ireland to dismiss the hosts cheaply and take a sizeable first-innings lead

Cricinfo staff01-Sep-2010
ScorecardA middle-order collapse, during which Canada lost four wickets for two runs, allowed Ireland to dismiss the hosts cheaply and take a sizeable first-innings lead on the opening day of their Intercontinental Cup match in Toronto. Trent Johnston’s third five-wicket haul was instrumental in limiting Canada to 120, after which Kevin O’Brien’s half-century put Ireland ahead by 70 at stumps.Canada’s decision to bat backfired immediately as both their openers, Ruvindu Gunasekera and Nitish Kumar, were dismissed for 1 each by fast bowler Allan Eastwood. Zubin Surkari and Ashish Bagai began to stage a recovery by adding 53 for the third wicket, but their efforts were unravelled by the collapse, by the end of which Canada were 60 for 6. Johnston took three of those wickets and later dismissed Khurram Chohan and Abzal Dean to finish with 5 for 23. Ireland’s wicketkeeper Rory McCann played an important part in the performance as well, catching five Canada batsmen.Ireland’s innings had a pacy start because of Paul Stirling, who scored 45 off 42 balls. The first-wicket partnership was worth 42, out of which McCann contributed only 4 before he was caught off Chohan. Stirling went shortly after, and Ireland were 58 for 2, but the middle-order batsmen weighed in with useful contributions to cruise past Canada’s total. Andre Botha made 39, O’Brien struck 11 fours in his 57, and Andrew White remained unbeaten on 30 as Ireland ended the day on 190 for 4.