The Indian selectors have picked an injured player to represent Rest of India in the Irani Cup, and left out another on fitness grounds after having originally selected him.

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Sep-2011The Indian selectors have picked an injured player to represent Rest of India in the Irani Cup, and left out another on fitness grounds after having originally selected him. The state association of the player who’s been left out claims he is fit. The concerned players are Delhi and Mumbai Indians left-arm seamer Pawan Suyal and Jharkhand and Deccan Chargers batsman Ishank Jaggi.On September 23 the Champions League Twenty20 technical committee allowed Mumbai Indians to field five foreign payers because of an unprecedented count of injuries in the squad. One of the injured players was Suyal. A day after the Champions league made the announcement through a release that went to media houses around the world, the BCCI selected Suyal, and also mis-spelt his name as B Suval, for the Irani Cup. Suyal confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that he underwent a knee surgery two-and-a-half months ago and was aiming at a return in December.However, a hurried corrigendum from BCCI only corrected the spelling. It also mentioned that the selectors had just discovered that Jaggi was injured and would be replaced by Karnataka’s C Gautam. Later in the day the Jharkhand Cricket Association (JCA) told that Jaggi was fit and was part of Jharkhand’s Ranji Trophy preparatory camp.”As far as Pawan Suyal is concerned, we didn’t know about his injury,” the new BCCI secretary and convenor of selectors Sanjay Jagdale told the . “We have the main players on our database but we are not aware of injuries to every single first-class cricketer in the country.” R Vinay Kumar, the Karnataka seamer, has replaced Suyal in the squad.Jaggi found support from his state association. The JCA claimed that Jaggi, who had suffered a knee injury during the fourth edition of the IPL while playing for Deccan Chargers, was back to full fitness and training with the state team. “As far as the JCA is concerned, I can tell you that he is fit and presently is even taking part in our Ranji camp,” JCA secretary Rajesh Verma told the . “We consulted BCCI’s authorised doctor Anant Joshi a month ago and he had told us that Ishank did not require any surgery.”They should have conducted his fitness test if they wanted to pick him for Irani Cup. Jaggi was never called to Bangalore [to the National Cricket Academy] for a test. There is no point in dropping a player when you have not conducted any test.”When asked about Jaggi, Jagdale said: “In Ishank Jaggi’s case we went by the National Cricket Academy (NCA) physio’s report, which had suggested a surgery but now we will see what can be done.”According to JCA, Jaggi had approached the NCA after his injury, and was advised by the BCCI physio Nitin Patel to undergo surgery in England. Verma further told the paper that Patel failed to acquire an appointment with orthopedic surgeon Andrew Wallace in London whereupon Jaggi was asked by Deccan Chargers and the JCA to meet Joshi.This fiasco comes days after the BCCI announced a new Under-19 captain for the upcoming quadrangular only to later discover that his date of birth in the BCCI records didn’t match the one on his passport.

Former Pakistan Test captain Salman Butt has taken the witness box for the first time on Monday on the ninth day of the alleged spot-fixing trial in London

Richard Sydenham at Southwark Crown Court17-Oct-2011Salman Butt revealed to a court that he has earned approximately £1.2 million since playing for Pakistan for the first time in 2003, as he took the witness stand for the first time on the ninth day of the alleged spot-fixing trial in London.Butt started giving evidence at about 11.30am and will continue after lunch. His lawyer Ali Bajwa QC first addressed the jury and pointed out to them that they may have heard many stories involving his client but he reminded them that they are only giving a verdict on the Lord’s Test in 2010 and deciding whether he was party to the bowling of three alleged pre-determined no-balls.Butt and his former team-mate Mohammad Asif are facing charges of conspiracy to cheat, and conspiracy to obtain and accept corrupt payments, following that Lord’s Test in August last year when they allegedly conspired with Majeed, teenage fast bowler Amir and other people unknown to bowl pre-planned no-balls. Butt and Asif deny the charges.Bajwa has so far taken the jury through his career and chronicled how he began playing cricket and how he has developed over the years into an established international cricketer. He also gave much background on Butt’s upbringing and also about Butt’s finances, including his banking information and income.After outlining all the various ways in which Butt earns his income, Bajwa asked the former opening batsman “how much do you think you have earned from cricket from the period 2007 to 2010?”, to which Butt responded: “Somewhere between £700,000 and £850,000” and adding when asked about his entire career earnings, “over the seven years in the Pakistan it has to go beyond £1.2 million.”The court heard a forensic breakdown of the player’s earnings. For the 2007-08 season, for example, he earned £169,345 from the Pakistan Cricket Board. That money comprised £14,000 as a basic retainer, a loyalty bonus of £22,000 for not playing in the Indian Cricket League, a share of match fees and prize monies and £11,000 from a PCB sponsorship deal with Mobilink and £9,000 from a PCB deal with Pepsi.Bajwa then also asked Butt if this was the end of his earnings for that year to which Butt answered “no” and went on to explain that he also earns about £400 a month from his domestic team in Pakistan, plus the $150,000 deal he had with the Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League, plus other endorsements.In 2008-09 he earned £203,852 from the PCB and £125,281 from the PCB in 2009-10 because Pakistan played little cricket in the year prior and it was also the time when Pakistan was counting the costs financially from the Lahore terrorist attack.The courts also heard how Butt took on the role of his family’s breadwinner from the age of 16 when his father, who worked for Lufthansa Airlines and later became a businessman, separated from his mother. He supported his mother and two sisters, and later his wife and child also. Butt told of how he funded the education of his two sisters from his earnings in cricket and will pay for their weddings as both are engaged.In a further way to illustrate Butt’s wealth to the court, the jury was told that he was looking to buy a special edition Breitling watch that he thought would cost “around £7,000 to £8,000”.Butt spoke confidently and did not ever require the services of the Urdu interpreter standing by his side throughout the questioning. The court had learned earlier that he had attended an English speaking school in Lahore.The case continues.

A return to 50-over cricket is likely to be among the recommendations made by David Morgan when he unveils his report to the ECB board at Lord’s on Wednesday

George Dobell22-Nov-2011A return to 50-over cricket is likely to be among the recommendations made by David Morgan when he unveils his report to the ECB board at Lord’s on Wednesday.Morgan, a former chairman of the ECB and ICC, has canvassed widely over the last few months after the ECB appointed him to conduct an extensive review into the business of domestic cricket.With the last World Cup reviving the reputation of 50-over cricket, which was abandoned in England after the 2009 season, it is thought likely that Morgan will recommend that the domestic game mirrors the international game. England have a poor record in the last five World Cups and some feel that playing 40-over cricket at domestic level has not helped them. The prospect of ODI cricket being contested over 40 overs has receded substantially.It is not a decision that will please everyone, however. “I’ve yet to hear a convincing argument for a return to 50-over cricket,” Mark Robinson, director of cricket at Sussex said. “Generally, England do very well in ODI cricket in England and not very well overseas. That suggests that the problem is not so much the format but the different conditions and pitches.”Chris Adams, Surrey’s director of cricket, has expressed similar views and it’s also thought that broadcasters prefer the 40-over version.It is not the only contentious issue facing Morgan. Opinion is also divided over the schedule of Twenty20 cricket and the County Championship. Some favour the retention of a mid-summer break for the T20 tournament, while others favour a Friday night league played across the season. Again, the desire of the broadcasters is likely to have a strong influence.Morgan has made no secret of his belief that too much cricket is currently played so the option of splitting the Championship into three conferences – an option that was rejected barely 18-months ago – has been proposed again by some counties. That would allow the competition to be contested over 12 or 14 games, but is likely to remain deeply unpopular with supporters. The possibility of reducing the number of first-class counties, a scenario suggested by Yorkshire chairman Colin Graves, is contrary to the ECB constitution and is unlikely to find meaningful support.Morgan has been keen to reveal very little while compiling his report – it will not be publicly available – but he has made it clear that creating a more predictable fixture list was a key aim. In 2011 there were 18 different start times in the Friends Life t20 alone. Morgan hopes that attendances will increase if spectators are more easily able to predict the start time of games. Yet again, however, the desire of the broadcasters to televise cricket almost every night of the week, makes such an aspiration painfully hard to deliver.The current broadcast deal does not end until the end of 2013, so Morgan’s recommendations are unlikely to come into force before the 2014 season.Another testMeanwhile, the ECB have insisted that next summer’s England-South Africa Test series will consist of just three games for “good cricketing reasons.”England’s continued struggles in ODI cricket – particularly in World Cups – have convinced the team management that they need to concentrate on the format a little more. They have, therefore, arranged for a five-match ODI series against Australia next summer. More importantly, by hosting that series, they have also reached a reciprocal agreement with Cricket Australia whereby England will play an ODI series in Australia right ahead of the 2015 World Cup.This, the ECB argue, will enable them to acclimatise to the conditions far better than has been the case in recent events. They also point out that England will play 15 Tests in 2012.”We’re hugely committed to Test cricket,” a spokesman said. “But we’re also keen to do better in ODI cricket. Sometimes it feels as we’re ‘damned if we do and damned if we don’t.'”Taylor madeLeicestershire have rejected an offer of £40,000 in compensation from Nottinghamshire for James Taylor, the 21-year-old batsman, but it still seems inevitable that he will be moving to Trent Bridge imminently.Taylor is contracted to Leicestershire until the end of 2012 but the club gave him permission to talk to other counties and it is understood that he has agreed personal terms with Nottinghamshire. He will join former Leicestershire colleagues Stuart Broad and Harry Gurney at Trent Bridge.”We did reject their first offer,” Leicestershire chief executive, Mike Siddall, said. “But James is certain he wants to go to Notts and we’re in on-going negotiations with them.”Leicestershire have also been hit by the retirement of Martin van Jaarsveld, who signed for the club from Kent only weeks ago. They are, therefore, scouring the market for an overseas batsman. Mohammad Yousuf is thought to be one option.The club are expected to declare a profit of around £300,000 for the last year – a huge improvement on the loss of £400,000 the previous year – and have recently agreed the wording of a deed of variation document with the City Council relating to the covenant on their Grace Road ground.The club bought the ground in 1964 but, under the terms of the covenant, could receive only £24,000 should they sell it. The council would receive the rest. That left the club struggling to borrow money and, as Siddall puts it: “our cash flow suggests we need an overdraft facility.”The new agreement – an agreement that was reached in April only to fall apart as officials at the council had a last-minute change of heart – will see the figure raised to £500,000. In the longer-term, the club would like the council to abandon the covenant completely and allow Leicestershire to borrow against the value of their ground. Grace Road is thought to be worth almost £3million.BBC cuts threaten coverageA campaign to persuade the BBC to retain their ball-by-ball coverage of county cricket has urged supporters to make their views known to the cooperation.If the proposed cuts to BBC local radio take place, it appears likely that there will be little or no ball-by-ball coverage of domestic cricket after the end of the 2012 season.The BBC currently offers ball-by-ball on-line coverage for every game played by 11 of the first-class counties and the limited-overs games of the other seven counties. The BBC Trust are currently consulting on the proposed cuts. Campaigners urge supporters to learn more and express their support here: https://savelocalradio.co.uk/

Andre Russell, with an entertaining hundred, and Carlos Brathwaite punished Bangladesh A following a middle-order wobble

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Nov-2011
ScorecardDanza Hyatt and Nkruma Bonner steadied West Indies A after their openers failed, before Andre Russell, with an entertaining hundred, and Carlos Brathwaite punished Bangladesh A following a middle-order wobble. Kamrul Rabbi then struck twice towards the end of the day to limit the damage.Medium pacer Rabbi removed Kyle Corbin for a duck and Rajindra Chandrika for 9 to reduce West Indies A to 11 for 2. Hyatt and Bonner then set about rebuilding the innings, with the former the more aggressive of the pair. Hyatt reached his 50 just before lunch, from 66 balls, and together with Bonner took their side to 100 for two at the break. They extended their partnership to 115 before Bonner was caught and bowled by left-arm spinner Suhrawadi Shuvo for 43. Two more quick wickets followed, with Jonathan Carter falling to Shuvo for a duck and Devon Thomas for 2 to Robiul Islam, leaving the visitors tottering at 131 for 5.That brought Russell to the crease and he proceeded to play with his typical freedom, forcing Bangladesh on to the back foot. He added 58 with Hyatt for the sixth wicket before Hyatt was unfortunately run out eight short of a hundred, having struck 11 fours and two sixes in his 157-ball knock. Brathwaite, though, picked up where Hyatt left off as West Indies A continued to punish the Bangladesh A bowlers.Such was Russell’s confidence that on 98 he chose to play a reverse sweep to bring up his hundred. In all he struck 18 fours and four sixes in his 128, adding 155 with Brathwaite, who was not to be left behind,reaching his 50 from 67 balls.Just when it seemed they would take the game away from the hosts, Rabbi struck twice in the last half-hour, first bowling Russell and then trapping Brathwaite lbw for 62 in the final over of the day to leave West Indies A on 352 for 8.”We needed big partnerships and what we did was try to be positive and stay confident,” Russell said. “I back myself because I know I have the strength to get the ball away so when they [the Bangladesh A bowlers] give me the opportunities I made use of them.”

Zaka Ashraf, the PCB chairman, has got clearance from the Pakistan government to visit India this month, where he will speak to the BCCI about restoring India-Pakistan cricketing ties

Umar Farooq02-Dec-2011Zaka Ashraf, the PCB chairman, has got clearance from the Pakistan government to visit India this month, where he will speak to the BCCI about restoring India-Pakistan cricketing ties. Ashraf, who is due to visit in India in the next ten days, said he had informed the foreign office of his trip and also sought advice from the government on what could be done to revive cricket between the neighbouring countries.Since taking over from Ijaz Butt in October, Ashraf has maintained that organising an India-Pakistan bilateral series is one of his priorities. According to the ICC’s Future Tours Programme, Pakistan are scheduled to tour India for three Tests and five ODIs in March-April 2012, but there is uncertainty over whether that series will take place as the Indian government has not yet cleared it. Ashraf said Pakistan were ready to play in India, at home or at a neutral venue, though he expected the last option to be the most viable one in the near future.Relations between India and Pakistan broke down after the 2008 terror attacks in Mumbai. Since then there have been no bilateral series between the two countries and the only three meetings have come in tri-series or ICC events.”It is unfortunate that we broke our ties and I want to revive them,” Ashraf told reporters in Lahore, where a reception for Pakistan’s women’s and blind team was being held. “I have already taken the initiative, written to the Indian board and got a very positive response from them; they have invited me to come and talk about it. So I have told the government about going there.”Ashraf has also been actively trying to restart international cricket in Pakistan. No Test-playing nation has toured the country since the Sri Lankan team bus was attacked in Lahore in March 2009. Ashraf met the chairman of the Bangladesh Cricket Board in Dubai during the Pakistan-Sri Lanka series in the UAE to discuss a possible Bangladesh tour of Pakistan in 2012. He said the meeting had been positive and that Bangladesh were ready to tour Pakistan but the two boards had to have more detailed deliberations on security concerns.”I met with the Bangladesh chairman in Dubai and it was a positive meeting. It was agreed that they don’t have any concern about playing in Pakistan and the BCB chairman has invited me to come to Bangladesh [during Pakistan’s ongoing series there] and talk about security issues.”My meeting with the ICC chief-executive [in Dubai] was also useful as it helped me to improve the working relationship between the PCB and the ICC. I have been listening to security concerns and called up the ICC to make up a check-list of what protocols they think we need to have in place to convince teams to travel here. I don’t know what the other member boards want but we are ready to provide them with whatever security is necessary to get them to play here.”

In a series speckled with Indian wickets, the spell Peter Siddle remembered most fondly was one that passed without reward

Daniel Brettig at Adelaide Oval28-Jan-2012In a series speckled with Indian wickets, the spell Peter Siddle remembered most fondly was one that passed without reward. On the third evening of the SCG Test, he and Ben Hilfenhaus delivered eight consecutive maidens between them, squeezing Sachin Tendulkar and Gautam Gambhir with precision pace bowling of the highest standard on the same pitch Michael Clarke had used to construct his 329.While no wickets were forthcoming during the spell, Siddle remembered it as emblematic of Australia’s bowling across the series, which at times reached heights not even the bowlers themselves might have thought possible. The bowling coach Craig McDermott has moulded the attack in his own image, and its combination of speed, swing and stamina has been a rare sight.”Just the way individually everyone has stuck to their guns and played their role perfectly at each end when bowling has been superb,” Siddle said after claiming the match award in Adelaide. “The batters have set us up at times as well and we just knew we had to go out there and be patient.”I think the best bowling spell we had was probably in Sydney when me and Hilfy bowled a partnership, we didn’t get any wickets but we bowled [eight] overs straight of maidens. I think that just summed up the summer and what we wanted to achieve. In every match that we bowled, that is what we wanted to go about it. That was perfect and showed what we were all about.”Siddle proved himself to be the rugged heart of the Australian attack, a position never more evident than on another late afternoon earlier in the series. Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid had pushed India into a position of power when Siddle burst one through Dravid’s defences, then stood crestfallen when replays revealed a no-ball. Redoubling his efforts, he proceeded to puncture Tendulkar’s defence before stumps, a mighty blow for India and source of a surge of confidence among the hosts.”I had to turn it around or else the bowling coach and captain would have really been on my back,” Siddle said, grinning. “Getting a wicket off a no ball and then getting one quickly around the corner is always pleasing, it makes everyone a little bit happier.”But I think any wicket, it doesn’t matter who you get, any Test wicket is obviously a good achievement it doesn’t matter if it’s Sachin or a Yadav at No.11, you want to get all 10 and you need to get 20 for the match, it doesn’t matter which one you get, as long as you get all 20 like we have been.”Siddle said the partnerships established by the bowlers had been a major part of the attack’s improvement on last summer, when England’s batsmen made both he and Hilfenhaus look ordinary by comparison.”There is always a lot of emphasis on batting partnerships and our big emphasis coming into this summer was bowling partnerships,” he said. “We went about that spot on and no matter what attack we had, we stuck to our guns, we did the job, and that was our plan, we didn’t steer away from that.”We knew every morning we rocked up and had to bowl in partnerships and be consistent and be patient and I think it showed in the performances. Everyone that bowled got the job done and lucky enough a few of us got the rewards.”Well as they bowled, however, Australia’s pacemen know there is room to excel further. Aiding this will be the return to fitness of James Pattinson and Pat Cummins, which would allow the national selectors choice of a fearsome arsenal for their next Test assignment in the West Indies.”The way we are going as a unit definitely but we still have room for improvement,” Siddle said. “We are going in the right direction. The good thing about the whole summer was the number of guys who played from [Mitchell] Starc and Jimmy Patto. There was a big turn around from the start of the summer to now but we never changed, we always stuck to the same game plan which was to be patient, bowl in good partnerships and we would get the rewards.”That showed no matter which line-up we put forward on game day we got the job done. At different times each individual got the rewards.”

Rohan Gavaskar, the former India batsman and left-arm spinner, has retired from first-class cricket at the age of 35

Kanishkaa Balachandran08-Feb-2012Rohan Gavaskar, the former India batsman and left-arm spinner, has retired from first-class cricket at the age of 35. Eleven ODIs, 151 runs with one half-century and a solitary wicket in an international career spanning less than a year suggests Gavaskar, son of Sunil Gavaskar, did not quite make it as a cricketer. However, it is easy to forget that Rohan Gavaskar was a Bengal stalwart, and finished as the state’s third-highest run-getter in first-class cricket (5073 runs in 75 games at 51.24) behind only Arun Lal and Pankaj Roy.Now, with a young family back in his native Mumbai and business interests to look after, Gavaskar has decided it is time to shift focus. “I wasn’t playing much over the last year so it is not a shock. There is finality about it now, and it is sad,” Gavaskar told ESPNcricinfo. “You’ve been playing the game for the better part of your life and you always want to push it [retirement] back a bit.”It was a phased exit for Gavaskar. He played his last first-class game, for Bengal, in December 2009, and had a stint with the Kolkata Knight Riders in the 2010 IPL before going off the radar.”I didn’t see myself playing as a professional for any other state,” Gavaskar said. “I didn’t see myself playing club cricket in Bengal because my kids are in Mumbai, and it didn’t make sense, having already played first-class cricket for 15 years. I have media commitments and business interests now.”Gavaskar has seen 15 years of ups and downs with Bengal, even taking over the captaincy for a couple of seasons. Despite decent form with the bat in domestic cricket after being dropped from the national side, an India recall was far from certain. Signing up for the rebel Indian Cricket League was his best chance of facing bowlers with international experience. The ICL was banned by the BCCI, and the players contracted to play in it were disallowed from playing domestic cricket in India, which meant Gavaskar did not play for Bengal in the 2007-08 and 2008-09 seasons.Was it a wise decision to join the ICL? “In hindsight, it wasn’t, especially for someone like me. It was a great decision for the younger cricketers. Some of them weren’t even playing first-class cricket when they signed. Many got thrust into big IPL teams. But considering my age, it wasn’t a wise decision.”Gavaskar strongly defended his view that young players had nothing to regret about the ICL despite being ostracised till the BCCI offered them amnesty in 2009. “Let me throw this question right back. Was it detrimental to Ambati Rayudu or Stuart Binny or Abu Nechim? No. The ICL didn’t benefit the other [older] guys, who lost two-three precious years. Age catches up with them. Someone like R Sathish was clamoured after, but before the ICL he was relatively unknown.”Curiously, Gavaskar signed up with the ICL even while his father held a job with the BCCI and was part of the governing council of the IPL. Did it create an awkward scenario, with both men on either side of the fence?”Not at all. Why should it be strange? My dad is not the BCCI and he clearly did not see me as a rebel,” Gavaskar said with a chuckle. “To be honest, in the ICL we didn’t do anything wrong. When I was 18, my Dad said ‘all decisions you take are yours’. The decisions to pursue first-class cricket in Bengal, joining the ICL and ultimately retirement were all mine. He’s always said ‘whenever you need to talk I’m always there to give you the pros and cons.'”Unlike his father, Rohan Gavaskar never played a single first-class game for Mumbai, although he did turn down an offer from them midway through his career. He wanted to uphold his allegiance to Bengal and said he feels proud to have been part of Bengal’s cricketing fraternity.His biggest regret is not being part of a winning Ranji Trophy side. “We reached the Ranji finals twice on the trot [2005-2006 and 2006-07] and in both cases we came really close to winning. In one of those games the umpires really sold us down the river. That left a bad taste in the mouth.”Of late, commentary stints have been keeping Gavaskar busy. But his bigger interest lies with another sport: football. Gavaskar co-owns the Pune Football Club, which participates in the I-League. Last October, Blackburn Rovers toured the country and played a game against them. Gavaskar says his aim, post retirement, is to take Pune football forward and give the sport a better profile.

The West Indies coach Ottis Gibson has conceded the spinner Sunil Narine could face a difficult decision if the selectors want him in the squad for the three Tests against Australia

Brydon Coverdale23-Mar-2012The West Indies coach Ottis Gibson has conceded the spinner Sunil Narine could face a difficult decision if the selectors want him in the squad for the three Tests against Australia. Narine was one of the surprise stars of the IPL auction in February, when he picked up a $700,000 contract to play with the Kolkata Knight Riders.But the IPL coincides with the Test series and Narine’s excellent form in the first three ODIs against Australia makes him a likely candidate for the Test squad. Narine, 23, is yet to make his Test debut but has taken 34 first-class wickets at the remarkable average of 11.88, and the Australians would be pleased if he was not part of the Test series.The issue is complicated by the fact that Narine does not hold a central contract with West Indies, having only established himself as an international prospect in the past few months. Gibson said it would be difficult to stop Narine playing in the IPL if that was his preference, but that discussions were being held to address the clash.”I’m not sure what the board can do because he’s not contracted to the board,” Gibson told reporters in the West Indies. “He’s got a situation that is going to set him up very nicely and as much as we would like to have him playing, six months ago Narine was not in our thoughts. We need to be a little bit careful in how we deal with that situation and that’s what we’re doing at the moment. There’s conversations going on behind the scenes.”West Indies will almost certainly be without Chris Gayle for the entire Australia series after talks between Gayle and the West Indies board failed to reach a resolution this week. The batsman Marlon Samuels is another man who could face a decision between the IPL and Test cricket, having scored a contract with the Pune Warriors.Australia’s opening batsman David Warner said his priority would always be Test cricket ahead of Twenty20 commitments, despite his high value in the shortest format. However, Warner is expected to be one of the highest-paid men in the Cricket Australia contract list this year, having established himself in all three formats, while men like Narine and Samuels don’t have the same kind of security.”My goal as a kid was to get the baggy green and I’m actually here opening the batting,” Warner said. “I’m trying to take my opportunity to cement my place there. I’m 100% Test cricket over IPL any day. These guys have made their choices but at the end of the day they have to make their mind up about what they’re benefiting out of it. If it’s money then it’s money. That’s their choice. Some of them might not even get picked in the Test team so we just don’t know.”

ESPNcricinfo previews the first West Indies-Australia ODI, in Kingstown

The Preview by Daniel Brettig16-Mar-2012

Match facts

March 16
Start time 0930 (1330 GMT)Dwayne Bravo is back into the West Indies fold•Associated Press

Big Picture

The last time West Indies beat Australia in an ODI, at the 2006 ICC Champions Trophy, Adam Gilchrist, Damien Martyn, Ricky Ponting, Andrew Symonds, Nathan Bracken and Glenn McGrath were among the names on Australia’s team sheet. West Indies had almost as many players no longer in contention for spots, and it is poignant to note that the top scorer in Mumbai that day was Runako Morton, who was killed last week in a car accident in Trinidad. Since that time both sides have gone through an enormous amount of changes, though one thing has remained consistent – Australia have dominated West Indies, winning 13 of 14 matches, with one no-result, since.So it is no surprise that most are expecting an improving Australia to enjoy themselves against Darren Sammy’s hosts, and the visitors’ coaches and selectors have expressed the view that their team should “win well” in the Caribbean. But Sammy and his players have been building recently, developing a team of more united intentions and greater work ethic than some of whom represented the region in the past. Sammy has shown himself to be a capable leader, while in Darren Bravo the team has perhaps the most compelling young batting talent in the world. Ravi Rampaul’s bustling seam and swing will be missed. The hosts also have the advantage of slow, teasing conditions that Australia must adapt to, and Arnos Vale should provide a solid example of the surfaces expected throughout the tour.Following on from a richly successful home summer, Australia’s squad is a little thin for the moment, as injury has ruled out Ben Hilfenhaus and James Pattinson while Brad Haddin has caused contingency plans to be swung into action by withdrawing from the tour due to personal reasons. All these factors will present challenges for the acting captain Shane Watson, as he guides the team abroad for the first time.

Form guide

West Indies LLWLL (Most recent first)
Australia WLWLW

In the spotlight

Dwayne Bravo is returning to the West Indies side for the first time since mid-2011, when he withdrew from the team in order to regain his focus. He has been handed the vice-captaincy, and is keen to make an impact as one of the few members of the team to have meaningful experience against Australia. “We have a very young team and, as one of the senior players, I have to step in and make my presence felt,” Bravo said this week. “The fire is still blazing in me. I will be bringing the same level of enthusiasm and commitment that I always had. That is the only way I know how to play, by giving my all to the team.”Much has changed for Matthew Wade on match eve. Brad Haddin’s return home to Australia for personal reasons leaves Wade to contemplate the possibility of his elevation to the Test team, while he also knows that for the time being he is the only qualified gloveman on the tour. Having made a highly promising start to his international career, demonstrating a fighting instinct as well as plenty of skill, Wade’s position is growing in responsibility.

Team news

Johnson Charles may debut at the top of the order, while the hosts must juggle a surfeit of allrounders with the possibility of a slow, turning surface.West Indies (possible) 1 Kieran Powell, 2 Johnson Charles, 3 Marlon Samuels, 4 Darren Bravo, 5 Dwayne Bravo, 6 Kieron Pollard, 7 Andre Russell, 8 Carlton Baugh (wk), 9 Darren Sammy (capt), 10 Sunil Narine, 11 Kemar Roach.With Ben Hilfenhaus and James Pattinson not yet fit to play and Brad Haddin flying home from the tour, the tourists’ options are limited. George Bailey will debut, while Shane Watson is a chance to return to opening while Matthew Wade drops down the order.Australia 1 David Warner, 2 Shane Watson (capt), 3 Peter Forrest, 4 Michael Hussey, 5 David Hussey, 6 George Bailey, 7 Matthew Wade (wk), 8 Daniel Christian, 9 Brett Lee, 10 Clint McKay, 11 Xavier Doherty.

Pitch and conditions

Arnos Vale is known for producing a slowish pitch that can take turn, and early inspection of the surface by both sides suggested something similar for the series opener.

Stats and trivia

• West Indies have won two of three encounters against Australia at the Arnos Vale Ground, the first in 1995. But the visitors were victorious the last time the two teams met there, in 2008.
• West Indies have not beaten Australia in an ODI for 14 matches, last doing so during the ICC Champions Trophy in India in 2006.

Quotes

“An unknown opposition does present a lot more challenges.They can certainly hit you hard up front and we could be chasing our tails for the rest of the series.”

“We’re playing Australia but we’re not going to play names, we’re just going to go out there and play good positive cricket and hopefully we could come out on top. We’ve got to believe we have it.”

West Indies captain Darren Sammy has insisted his team can go on to success in England after again surrendering the Frank Worrell Trophy to Australia, a trophy the hosts have not held since 1995

Daniel Brettig at Windsor Park27-Apr-2012West Indies captain Darren Sammy has insisted his team can go on to success in England after again surrendering the Frank Worrell Trophy to Australia, a trophy the hosts have not held since 1995. Questioned at some length following the series about how his side’s batting had continually folded – the tireless Shivnarine Chanderpaul aside – Sammy said the team’s sense of belief had to remain strong and steadfast ahead of a three-Test date with arguably the world’s most accomplished seam and swing bowlers.”Different conditions, some of the guys are playing there for the first time,” Sammy said after making his highest Test score on the final day of a 75-run loss to Australia in Dominica. “We’ve still got to learn and believe that whatever comes our way that we can overcome it. It’s going to be another tough series for us but like we fought against Australia we’re expecting to do the same against England. Keep showing that attitude and hopefully we can get victories in England.”At the end of the day, its up to each individual to go out and do what is necessary for the team and to try to perform and score runs. No one wants to go out and fail – it’s about getting your mind right and going out and executing properly. We talk, we develop a plan, a formula to go out and play with, most times we don’t execute properly.”The top six is where we should get the bulk of the runs. Shiv batted really well for us again but we didn’t have consistent contributions from everyone there. We have youngsters at the top and like Shiv has said, they’re learning their skill at the international level. I back the guys to go out and play up against a higher-ranked team with lots of experience. Our guys are young and the selectors have decided to give them a run, an opportunity to develop and hopefully they can do that for us in the future.”One member of the top six at Windsor Park who will not be going on to England is Kraigg Brathwaite, the teenaged opening batsman omitted after scores of 0, 0, 0 and 11 in his final four innings of the series. Sammy said Brathwaite had not been forgotten, and would figure in the team again in the future. However he admitted the selectors had become concerned by his propensity to be out early to the new ball. Sammy also said the leg spinner Devendra Bishoo’s absence from the touring party did not mean the end of his time in Test cricket.”The selectors and coach spoke to him yesterday,” Sammy said. “Obviously he didn’t have the best series this time. He’s definitely one for the future for us. He’s out of form and in England where the ball tends to swing a bit more – this series he was getting out to the swinging ball a lot. We have a few A-team tours coming and the coach has told him he’ll be there to get some form.”We also have the high performance centre where he can go and work with the coach over there. Just like we said to Bishoo. Bishoo had an excellent year for us last year and he was not part of the Test squad but I expect them to come back. They’re both strong mentally and they’ll go and do what’s necessary to force their way back into the team.”In contrast to the batting, West Indies have developed a bowling attack that stands some chance of snipping the top off England’s batting on potentially helpful early season pitches, starting with the first Test at Lord’s from May 17. Sammy reserved particular praise for Kemar Roach, who with 19 wickets vied with Chanderpaul for man of the series honours.”Last year he had a tough year in Bangladesh, he broke down in tears but this year he has come back really, really strong,” Sammy said. “People might say well he bowled more overs than me, but he keeps asking me for the ball and that is the sort of attitude I really like to see. When I thought he was tired, he said ‘No, I really want the ball’ putting his hand up. His wickets show the hard work throughout this series.”