Shahid Afridi and the PCB may have reached a kind of compromise, but the issue of Afridi’s international future is still shrouded in doubt

Osman Samiuddin16-Jun-2011Shahid Afridi and the PCB may have reached a kind of compromise which sees both sides get what they want, but the issue of Afridi’s international future remains shrouded in doubt still. After being removed as ODI captain, Afridi ‘retired’ from the international game, though he made it clear that it was a decision made in protest and a ‘conditional’ one; several times he said he would not play again under the current administration, but would reconsider if and when there was a change.Under the compromise reached between Afridi and PCB chairman Ijaz Butt earlier this week, the former withdrew his petition against the board in the Sindh High Court and will face a board disciplinary committee hearing later on Thursday in Lahore. In return, he is expected to be granted the No-Objection Certificate (NOC) that allows him to play for Hampshire in the ongoing Friends Life t20 and later for one of the franchises in the Sri Lanka Premier League (SLPL).Increasingly as the dispute has escalated, Afridi has focused purely on being allowed to play for Hampshire and made little mention of his Pakistan future. Butt told ESPNcricinfo that Afridi’s retirement “was not mentioned at all” during their meeting. “As far as the board is concerned he is still retired,” Butt said.A report in the leading Urdu daily on Thursday suggests further that Afridi has not thought about his international future. At a function to mark the re-launch of the group’s sports channel two nights ago – the channel has been off-air for nearly two months – the report quoted Afridi telling the audience that “the NOC was my right and nobody could stop him from getting it.” When asked about his international future, Afridi gave no reply.Further, the newspaper cited sources close to Afridi as saying at the same event that he has no immediate plans for a return and is only concentrating on the T20 events in England and Sri Lanka.What has confused the issue, however, is a statement allegedly released by Afridi late on Wednesday night, in which he seems to suggest he still has an international future. “I have always served Pakistan and played cricket for my country and its people and the overwhelming love, honour and respect I have received in return is my biggest asset,” part of the statement reads. “I have all the zeal and energy to play cricket for the nation for many years to come. I will be appearing before the disciplinary committee tomorrow, inshallah.”The statement has come from a close advisor of Afridi, but other sources insist that it does not convey the authentic sentiments of Afridi and that he has not owned up to it.Afridi’s desire for international cricket has come under scrutiny several times in the past. In 2006 he retired briefly from Test cricket – after his most successful phase in the format incidentally – to concentrate on the limited overs game. He took back that decision, however, soon after and even returned to play one Test – as captain no less – last summer in England. Immediately after leading Pakistan to a loss at Lord’s against Australia, he resigned as captain and retired from the format again.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul, the West Indies batsman, has rated his unbeaten 116 against India in Dominica as one of his finest Test innings

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Jul-2011Shivnarine Chanderpaul, the West Indies batsman, has rated his unbeaten 116 against India in Dominica as one of his finest Test innings. In a match in which he became West Indies’ most-capped player, and in a new-look line-up where the other five specialist batsmen had a combined experience of 49 Tests, Chanderpaul battled for more than eight hours to help secure a draw.Coming in with the team struggling at 40 for 3 in the second innings soon after lunch on the fourth day, and still trailing by more than a 100 runs, Chanderpaul defied India almost till tea on the final day.”I would say this was one my best because of the situation of the team when I went in to bat and the way the game was going,” Chanderpaul said. “To be batting on a fifth day pitch and the way the ball was bouncing and turning – some would grip and bounce and you weren’t always sure which way the ball would go. You had to be very patient and very watchful and careful.”You couldn’t play as freely as you would have liked to so I had to use all my skills, and it took a lot of mental effort as well. Also, [MS] Dhoni blocked up all the areas where you had scoring opportunities and it was a lot of hard work. It was really tough out there.”It was Chanderpaul’s first Test century in more than a year, during which he had made starts in most innings without converting them to a big score. His partner in the resistance was debutant Kirk Edwards, who also made a hundred during a 161-run stand for the fourth wicket.”He [Kirk Edwards] was positive and had the right mindset. He was not afraid. He played it his way and did what he knows and what he does best.”It was a great effort for someone to come in under so much pressure and play the way he did. I had a discussion with Kirk and we were talking about the 20s and the 30s. He told me to put that behind and we worked towards the team goals which was building big partnerships and pulling the team out of the trouble we were in.”During his innings, Chanderpaul was also awarded Dominican citizenship recognising his contribution to cricket and for playing his record-breaking 133rd Test. “I’m extremely pleased to reach this milestone. I believe it is a really big occasion,” he said. “High point? I’m still looking for it. There is still more to come. Whatever knowledge and experience I have gained I would like to pass it on and help the other members of the team with their game.”

Mohsin Khan, Pakistan’s chief selector, has praised fast bowler Aizaz Cheema’s performance in the one-off Test against Zimbabwe

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Sep-2011Mohsin Khan, Pakistan’s chief selector, has praised fast bowler Aizaz Cheema’s performance in the one-off Test against Zimbabwe and said it justified the selection committee’s decision to use the tour as an opportunity to blood uncapped but promising players. Cheema finished with match figures of 8 for 103, the second best by a Pakistan debutant.”This tour was the best opportunity for youngsters and they justified our decision, especially Cheema,” Mohsin told the . “I watched each of his deliveries and he impressed me with his fitness and commitment.”I won’t rate the win as a huge achievement. The win wasn’t against a top-class team but we have achieved our target of finding a fast bowler who can support the other pacers.”Pakistan rested their first-choice fast bowlers Umar Gul and Wahab Riaz for the Zimbabwe tour and opted for a new-look pace attack that included Sohail Tanvir, Sohail Khan, Cheema and Junaid Khan. Cheema, Khan and Junaid played the Test and picked up ten Zimbabwe wickets among them.”According to our plan, we are giving chances to new players and Cheema with his performance has proved he will be a useful prospect for Pakistan in future,” Mohsin told the . “He bowled with a great heart on a dead pitch. Sohail still has time to prove himself.”The selectors were criticised for the experimental nature of the squad but Mohsin said he was “not afraid of taking these chances for the betterment of Pakistan cricket” and that he had the “full support from the PCB.””I am here to prepare a strong team with a strong back-up for which you have to take calculative risky steps,” he said.Four Pakistan batsmen got past fifty in the Test, though only Mohammad Hafeez went on to get a hundred. Mohsin said Pakistan needed to guard against complacency in the upcoming limited-overs series. “Zimbabwe will be tough in that format and the team should not take the hosts lightly.”Pakistan and Zimbabwe next play three one-day games and two Twenty20s. The first ODI will be played in Bulawayo on September 8.

Jonny Bairstow, who made an eye-catching debut for England in the final ODI against India in Cardiff, has been named the Cricket Writers’ Club Young Cricketer of the Year for 2011

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Sep-2011Jonny Bairstow, who made an eye-catching debut for England in the final ODI against India in Cardiff, has been named the Cricket Writers’ Club Young Cricketer of the Year for 2011. Bairstow, 21, received the award at the club’s 65th anniversary lunch at Lord’s just three days after his unbeaten 41 from just 21 balls helped England to a six-wicket win.Bairstow’s show-stopping debut capped a memorable season in which he scored 1,213 first-class runs at 48.52 for Yorkshire and the England Lions – converting his maiden century against Nottinghamshire in May, the first of three this summer, into 205. He garnered nearly double the number of votes as runner-up Chris Woakes.He also beat Hampshire spinner Danny Briggs, who was named in England’s Twenty20 squad to face West Indies later this week, and Leicestershire’s James Taylor, the 2009 winner, to the award.Bairstow’s inclusion in England’s plans – and his nerveless display of crisp hitting on debut – has created fierce competition for places in the limited-overs middle order. While he may struggle to make a spot his own, particularly once Eoin Morgan and Kevin Pietersen return, Bairstow has drawn praise from both his coach and captain for a sterling start to his international career.”I can’t remember a debut like that,” said England coach Andy Flower. “It was very clean and impressive hitting. Not many people can strike it as cleanly as that. Not many people are that talented. He should be very proud of his performance and it is great to make an impact in international cricket straightaway, but let’s all keep level heads about it. Talk is cheap, but he did it with his actions, and he will continually be asked questions to repeat his performances out there in the middle when the pressure is on.””What a way to make an international statement,” added one-day captain Alastair Cook, himself a former recipient of the Young Cricketer award, after Bairstow’s debut knock. “I think we’ve just found a player. I don’t want to heap too much pressure on him, but to make your debut like that and go and play in such a controlled but positive way was incredible. The lads looking around in the dressing room were saying we’ve just found one. All credit to Jonny for that. It’s never always going to be plain sailing, but he looks like an outstanding prospect.”Bairstow, whose father David was a former England wicketkeeper himself, is the ninth Yorkshireman to win the Young Cricketer award – following Fred Trueman (1952), Phil Sharpe (1962), Geoff Boycott (1963), Chris Old (1970), Ashley Metcalfe (joint winner, 1986), Richard Blakey (1987), Chris Silverwood (1996) and Adil Rashid (2007). This is the 62nd year in which the award, restricted to England-qualified players under the age of 23 on May 1, has been presented.

Tendulkar, Kumble and Ganguly hail Rahul Dravid’s contribution in the limited-overs format for India

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Sep-2011Sachin Tendulkar has hailed team-mate Rahul Dravid’s contribution to the Indian team in the limited-overs format, describing him as “a role model” and “the unsung hero of the Indian team.”Dravid, who announced his retirement from the limited-overs format during the ongoing tour of England will be appearing in his last ODI in the fifth and final game in Cardiff on Friday. Tendulkar, who was ruled out of the ODI series due to injury, praised Dravid’s work ethic and his ability to “stay a step ahead of the game”.”When he started playing ODI cricket, he faced some initial difficulties, but he was never one to give up,” Tendulkar told the . “He worked very hard on his flaws, and he made sure to fight it out.”With a career strike-rate of just over 71, Dravid has often been labelled as being unsuited for shorter formats of the game, something that Tendulkar disagreed with. “He may not give you a quick start, but he will surely make his innings count in terms of time spent at the crease. You need such players in the team, and he was the best man for the job. Others in the team played around him, while Rahul batted as the situation demanded. It wasn’t that he couldn’t bat quickly; he just made sure that he batted according to the situation.”Rahul also had that ability to finish a game, and I remember he played the same role at No. 5, or for that matter at any other spot in the batting order. And that was one of the main reasons he sustained his role as an important member in the side.”Former India captain Anil Kumble who was also Dravid’s Karnataka state-mate echoed Tendulkar’s view.”He [Dravid] is not someone who will go out and tonk sixes at will but he gets the job done,” Kumble wrote in his column in the . “Rahul’s approach has changed in the way he uses the pace of the bowler, looks to take the early singles and keep the board ticking over.”Of the 343 ODIs that Dravid played in, he has kept wickets in 73 of them. He started keeping wickets when Sourav Ganguly was captain, a move that Ganguly said “Indian cricket should be thankful to Rahul for”.”Rahul has had a chequered one-day career and it took a new turn once he decided to keep wicket in 2002,” Ganguly wrote in his column in the . “His decision was absolutely for the team as it helped reorganise the middle-order and add more depth to it.”Both Tendulkar and Kumble said that one of the turning points in Dravid’s ODI career was when he started keeping wickets. “He is the perfect team man; when he was asked to keep wickets we all knew that he will do well because he was initially a wicketkeeper. It later helped him, and came as a big help to all of us in the Indian team during the 2003 World Cup. He got better by the day during that campaign, and also managed to score quick runs with the bat,” Tendulkar said.”The best phase of his ODI career was in the four or so years when he was the wicketkeeper, and batted at No. 5,” Kumble said. “He established himself as a great finisher, and it was while batting alongside him that the likes of Yuvraj and Kaif truly matured in the lead-up to the 2003 World Cup.”

A round-up of the action from the third day of play at the Regional Super50 2011-12

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Oct-2011Both the matches scheduled to be played in Guyana on October 21 were washed out without a ball bowled. Barbados and Windward Islands shared the points, as did Guyana and Sagicor High Performance Centre. Barbados and SHPC are both on four points each, though they have not completed a match yet.

Two old nemeses turned up against India on the first day of the series

The Report by Sidharth Monga06-Nov-2011
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were outThat man again: Shivnarine Chanderpaul scores his seventh century against India•AFP

Two old nemeses turned up against India on the first day of the series. A typical slow and low Kotla track broke the bowlers’ backs, and Shivnarine Chanderpaul continued his torture of Indian bowlers with his seventh century against his favourite opposition, making it two in the last two Tests. Attrition remained the order for the day, as is evident from West Indies’ run-rate of 2.81, but Chanderpaul scored at close to four per over. India, though, kept chipping away at the others with accurate spin bowling to make sure the honours were shared on the first day.Chanderpaul drew support from a man who was two years old when he began using the bail to mark his guard in Tests. Kraigg Brathwaite, who became only the second West Indian to score two fifties before his 19th birthday, has similar reserves of patience, idolises Chanderpaul, and uses the bail to mark his guard. For 37 overs and 108 runs today, the youngest and the oldest members of the side did all that together. Except that the youngster played the old-fashioned watchful innings and Chanderpaul turned the momentum with quick runs.You couldn’t quite blame the teams for the slow cricket, though. When the third ball of the match doesn’t carry through to the wicketkeeper, and when it happens four more times in the next seven overs, it’s best not to expect attractive cricket. Effort balls went through waist high, and strokes found little value. On this pitch, Syed Abid Ali and Eknath Solkar would have been as effective as Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav. When India bowl 91 overs in a day’s play, it has to be either during a push for a win on the final day or when the pitch has nothing in it for the quicks. While the latter was true, the way the West Indies top order went into a shell the former didn’t seem incorrect either.

Smart stats

• Shivnarine Chanderpaul’s century is his seventh against India, bringing him joint-second on the list of players with the most Test centuries against India. Garry Sobers and Viv Richards are on top with eight centuries each.

• The century is also Chanderpaul’s 24th in Tests. He is now level third with Viv Richards on the the list of West Indians with the most Test centuries. Brian Lara and Garry Sobers, with 34 and 26 centuries respectively, are the top two on the list.

• MS Dhoni went past Syed Kirmani’s tally of 198 wicket-keeping dismissals to become India’s all-time leader. He now has 200 dismissals in 62 Tests.

• Dhoni also became the 13th wicketkeeper to reach the landmark of 200 Test dismissals. Mark Boucher is on top with 521 dismissals.

• Chanderpaul’s strike rate of 66.46 in his innings is the third-highest for a 100-plus score in his career (all other completed knocks). The highest strike rate is 138.88 during his 100 off 72 balls against Australia in 2003.

• The 108-run stand between Chanderpaul and Kraigg Brathwaite is the ninth century stand for the fourth wicket for West Indies in Tests in India. It is also the third-highest for West Indies in Tests in Delhi.

Kieran Powell and Kirk Edwards, who scored 29 off 80 balls between them, allowed Pragyan Ojha and debutant R Ashwin to bowl wherever they liked to. What started as one slip and one short leg soon became a spinner’s umbrella field. The result was a period of 14.3 overs that went for 20 runs and consumed both the batsmen. Both fell to Ojha, whose figures then read 7.3-4-8-2. Darren Bravo tried to disturb that state of affairs, but gave Ashwin his first Test wicket when he went manufacturing a cut off a length ball.When Chanderpaul walked in, at 72 for 3, the man at the other end was going at the strike-rate he himself often does. He would have known if two men did that, sooner or later one might pop up to one of the many catching men. Thus began his shuffle, nurdles, deflections, late-cuts, chips, stolen singles, and two sixes down the ground. Mid-on and mid-off had been deep earlier too, sweeper-cover had been in place too, but the field looked much more porous now.There were three shots that very Chanderpaul. The second ball of spin he played he dragged it from outside off for a single through midwicket. Later on in the piece, he moved well across into a wide delivery from Umesh Yadav, and it was like just the momentum of the shuffle and the wrists forced the ball between mid-off and extra cover. That four took him to 62, level then with Brathwaite, who was 30 when Chanderpaul walked in. In the next over, he danced down to Ojha, was beaten in the flight, but nonchalantly flicked him for his second six over long-on. He was working the singles, he was forcing the fours, and even when he was beaten in the flight it was not proving good enough.Brathwaite might not have taken similar liberties, but was good at running the ball to third man or helping it around the corner on the leg side. Behind square on the off side he scored 26 runs, including four boundaries, all of them intentional. Ojha, though, continued his toil and finally got one to dip, which made Brathwaite drag his back foot as he tried to play the forward-defensive. It wasn’t a big drag, nor did it take him long to get back, and he might have possibly survived with other keepers, but MS Dhoni’s no reverse-follow-through stumping left him no chance.That was one fine way to reach 199 dismissals, beating Syed Kirmani’s Indian record in 26 fewer Tests. No. 200 came soon when Marlon Samuels, always one to camp back against spin, edged a length ball from Ashwin. With two wickets for 20 runs, India now looked to build more pressure. Chanderpaul took 11 runs in the next over. Four overthrows followed in the next over, and Chanderpaul was in his nineties. With a gentle paddle sweep he matched Viv Richards’ 24 centuries, and there hardly seemed any pressure.Even as Carlton Baugh remained circumspect with stumps approaching, Chanderpaul made sure the sixth-wicket partnership of 56 runs chugged along at 4.1 per over. Chanderpaul walked back with Indian players rushing to shake his hand, and no one to nag him, telling him how to bat.

James Taylor, the Nottinghamshire batsman, will captain England Lions on their tour of Bangladesh in January

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Dec-2011James Taylor, the Nottinghamshire batsman, will captain England Lions on their tour of Bangladesh in January and Tymal Mills, the Essex pace bowler, has earned his first Lions call up.The 16-man squad includes a number of players, including Taylor, who have already played for the full England side. Jonny Bairstow, Scott Brothwick, Stuart Meaker, Jos Buttler and Alex Hales were all part of the one-day series against India during October.Mills, 19, is a left-arm quick who has been fast-tracked into the Lions set up after just four first-class matches for Essex but has already caught the attention of the selectors with his natural pace.

England Lions squad

• James Taylor (capt), Jonathan Bairstow, Scott Borthwick, Danny Briggs, Jack Brooks, Nathan Buck, Jos Buttler, Alex Hales, Simon Kerrigan, Tom Maynard, Stuart Meaker, Tymal Mills, Boyd Rankin, Joe Root, Jason Roy, James Vince

The tour, which includes five one-day games and two Twenty20s against Bangladesh A, is geared towards equipping England’s young players with the skills to succeed on the subcontinent; both in terms of playing and bowling spin. Alongside Borthwick, the Durham legspinner, Simon Kerrigan from Lancashire and Hampshire’s Danny Briggs are included. Last season Kerrigan took 9 for 51 against Hampshire in the County Championship.Jason Roy and Tom Maynard, the Surrey pair, are among the batsman making the trip as is Yorkshire’s Joe Root. All the players selected are currently involved in the performance programme squad, with the batsmen and spinners at a training camp in India while the quick bowlers are in South Africa. Boyd Rankin, the Ireland and Warwickshire fast bowler, will join the Lions tour after playing for the ICC Associates and Affiliates team against England in Dubai.David Parsons, the performance director, said: “We have selected a young squad for this tour which is in line with our strategy of looking ahead to the 2015 World Cup and identifying and working with players who may be able to go on and play a role for England in the future.”These players have worked extremely hard over the last couple of months with a strong focus on limited-overs cricket,” he added. “This tour presents a good opportunity for these players to continue to develop their skills in subcontinent conditions on what will no doubt be a challenging tour of Bangladesh as well as push for selection for future England squads.”

Maddy Green and Katie Perkins have made it to the New Zealand women’s squad that will take on Australia in the Rose Bowl series later this month

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Jan-2012Maddy Green and Katie Perkins have made it to the New Zealand women’s squad that will take on Australia in the Rose Bowl series later this month. New Zealand Cricket announced the 14-player squad for the series in Australia, which will include five Twenty20s and three ODIs, starting from January 20.Suzie Bates, who has taken over from the retired Aimee Watkins as captain, will be assisted by Amy Satterthwaite. Rachel Candy, a medium pacer who last played for New Zealand in 2008, and Morna Nielsen, who was not in the squad that played the Natwest quadrangular series in England last summer, have made returns. The debutants, Green and Perkins, had done well in New Zealand’s domestic Twenty20 tournament.”The squad has been picked on the back of a hard-fought domestic competition,” national selection manager Kim Littlejohn said. “Top order batsman Maddy Green has been on the radar for some time and deserves her chance after impressing for the Auckland Hearts in the Action Cricket Twenty20 competition, where she has hit 150 runs at an average of 37.50.”Katie Perkins also demanded a spot in the squad with strong performances in the domestic competition. In seven Twenty20 innings Perkins has hit 126 runs and only been dismissed once. Her batting along with her world-class fielding has played a major part in the success of the Hearts this season.”Squad: Suzie Bates (capt), Amy Satterthwaite (vice-capt), Kate Broadmore, Rachel Candy, Lucy Doolan, Maddy Green, Frances Mackay, Katey Martin, Sara McGlashan, Morna Nielsen, Katie Perkins, Liz Perry, Lea Tahuhu, Sian Ruck

Mohammad Amir has been released from Portland Young Offenders Institution in Dorset after serving half of his six-month sentence

David Hopps01-Feb-2012Mohammad Amir, the Pakistan fast bowler, has been released from Portland Young Offenders Institution in Dorset after serving half of a six-month sentence for his part in a spot-fixing scam.Amir is expected to spend the next few weeks in London before returning to his native Pakistan. He will meet his lawyers to draw up an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against the five-year ban imposed on him by the International Cricket Council.He has a visa to stay in England until the end of March and there is no suggestion that he risks the threat of deportation.An ICC tribunal banned Amir for five years in February last year, his team-mate Mohammad Asif was given a seven-year ban, with two years suspended, and the captain, Salman Butt, was banned for ten years, five suspended. Shortly after the decision Amir announced his intent to appeal the decision to the CAS, an arbitration body set up to settle disputes relating to sport.Amir and his two team-mates were sentenced in November 2011 at Southwark Crown Court of conspiracy to accept corrupt payments and conspiracy to cheat at gambling after a plot was uncovered in a sting operation to bowl deliberate no-balls in a Test against England in 2010. Amir and Butt lost an appeal against the sentence in November in the Court of Appeal in London.The judge, Mr Justice Cooke, ruled at Southwark Crown Court that the affair was “so serious that only imprisonment will suffice”. Butt was sentenced to two and a half years, Asif was jailed for one year, and Amir for six months. Mazhar Majeed, the players’ agent, received a sentence of two years eight months. Under the terms of UK law, all were eligible for release after serving half their sentences.Majeed had boasted to undercover reporters that he could arrange for Pakistan cricketers to rig elements of games for money. He was surreptitiously filmed accepting £150,000 in cash from a journalist.Mr Justice Cooke said: “‘It’s not cricket’ was an adage. It is the insidious effect of your actions on professional cricket and the followers of it which make the offences so serious.”Amir apologised through his lawyer for his involvement in spot-fixing, stating: “I want to apologise to all in Pakistan and all others to whom cricket is important. I did the wrong thing. I was trapped, because of my stupidity. I panicked.”The Lord Chief Justice, Lord Judge, said in the Court of Appeal that the corruption had been “carefully prepared” and the cricketers had betrayed their team, their country, their sport and the “followers of the game throughout the world”. Lord Judge accepted that Amir’s guilty plea should be counted in his favour.Amir seemed to contravene his playing ban last summer by appearing for Addington 1743 Cricket Club in the Surrey League. He insisted that he had been told it was only a friendly and that he had made an innocent mistake. It was later reported that the ICC had decided to let Amir off with a warning.