Bob Woolmer, Pakistan’s coach, believes they do not take any psychological advantage from the Test series win over England into the one-day series. Speaking to reporters at Gaddafi Stadium after a strenuous practice session, Woolmer said: “I don’t believe in psychological advantages. This is a new series, a new situation and one-day cricket is very different from Test cricket.”But Woolmer admitted that the team was in buoyant mood after the Test series and looking forward to extending an impressive ODI winning streak of seven matches. “The confidence is there because the team is winning and winning breeds confidence. This is a new tournament and we have to put the Test matches to bed briefly before India come. Although we have won our last seven matches, we haven’t played for three and a half months. This is the first ODI, it’s a new cricket game. In sport if you leave something and then come back to it you have to relearn it a bit. We start the series knowing it is 50-50 between us and England.”Over the last year, with the absence at various times of key players, Pakistan have developed a large ODI squad and further enhanced their strength in depth. Their problem, therefore, during the ODI series is likely to be one of too many options and finding the right balance. As Woolmer admitted, it is a pleasant dilemma.”Too many players is a good problem to have. There are players not in the squad at the moment like Bazid Khan who did really well against England in the last match. There are people on the periphery who are fighting to get in and we have to recognise that those players are there. The most important thing though is to keep the team spirit, keep everyone fit and firing. The longer we can keep a team together the more you can get them into form, the more experience you have on the field the better that team will do.”The final playing XI is likely to be a fluid one during this series; Woolmer said after the Test series that he was planning to experiment with players’ roles in the ODIs. Shoaib Malik is unlikely to play the first match as he only arrives back from Australia on Friday after undergoing biomechanical analysis of his action. This increases the possibility that Kamran Akmal will be given a chance as opener again, with Younis Khan batting higher up the order than he generally does in ODIs. Akmal scored a century as opener against the West Indies in Australia in January this year.The experimentation is part of a long-term strategy for the World Cup in the West Indies in 2007. With the improvement they have shown in the shortened game since Woolmer took over, Pakistan are likely to be one of the contenders in 15 months’ time. Woolmer said: “I definitely think we are on the right track for the World Cup. It’s a long way to go, it’s a long railroad. We have to make sure we keep the team on the track. We have to make sure we have plenty of people in reserve, we have to make sure we keep people as fit as we can. There will be injuries along the way and we have to look after them. We have to be on the ball all the time.”Inzamam-ul-Haq, the Pakistan captain, meanwhile, has asked for as many people as possible to come to the first ODI at Gaddafi Stadium on Saturday. The gate receipts from the match are to be donated to relief efforts for survivors of the devastating earthquake that struck northern Pakistan on October 8 and has so far claimed an estimated 80,000 lives. “My request is that people come and watch the match. The winter has set in there and conditions will get worse so we need to help our people as much as possible. We should help them in any way possible and one way is to come to watch the match.” The official capacity of the ground is 25,000 and tickets have been sold out.Inzamam also said that although Pakistan will be confident going into the first game, they will not underestimate England. “The boys are very confident after the Test series, but this is a different ball game altogether and we will have to plan differently for it. England is a strong team who can fight back at any given stage. We will not be taking them lightly at all and there will be no overconfidence on our part.”
For Australia 2004 was a year of sad goodbyes, glorious hellos, welcome returns and another batch of envious records. There was also time for stirringcomebacks from a side that has grown used to beingworld champions, and often needs challenges to wakethem. Three times they faced first-innings deficits ofmore than 90 in Sri Lanka that were merely detours onthe way to a sweaty whitewash. Someone always came tothe rescue.Unfortunately, nothing could save David Hookes. Hissad, violent and needless death on January 18 broughtgloom and a respect for his career that would havebeen missing if he had passed away in a retirement home.Two weeks earlier the whole of Australia felt like part of thelounge-room furniture was going to be missing whenSteve Waugh whirled 80 against India at the SCG in hisfinal innings. Waugh enjoyed a countrywide farewelltour while Hookes was remembered through traingraffiti, newspaper tributes and a court case inNovember against the bouncer accused of hismanslaughter.Keith Miller, the former Invincible, also passed away inOctober, and new generations learned about the manytreasured deeds of Australia’s greatest allrounder.Typically for a man with film-star aura, Miller’sMelbourne funeral drew an A-list congregation, andleft only six survivors from the 1948 tour.
Australia head to England this winter still marvellingat their predecessors’ unbeaten run. And this is aside familiar with streaks. For the first time a teamwon five series in a calendar year as Australia tickedoff Sri Lanka (twice), India, New Zealand and Pakistan.It was an achievement made possible by programming andan efficient new style under Ricky Ponting’scaptaincy.With Waugh returning to his slippers and home life,Ponting was sitting on the throne tipped for him inhis teens. Despite the overall success, Pontingsuffered an induction of disruption and was aspectator for the year’s biggest thrill – Australia’sfirst series win in India for 35 years. The prizeWaugh wanted most, the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, wassealed under the leadership of Adam Gilchrist.Ponting suffered a broken thumb in the Champions’Trophy semi-final loss to England and it allowedAustralia to prepare for the future. After muchdeliberation the selectors settled on Michael Clarkeinstead of Brad Hodge. It was a magnificent move asClarke, 23, gave a debut performance full of wonder,with hints of Doug Walters. He followed his 151 atBangalore with a home debut century at the Gabba, anda team with an average age in the 30s finally had ayoung pup.While Clarke was the discovery in India, Damien Martynplayed the hero with two centuries and a ninety in thesecond and third Tests. Martyn, Jason Gillespie andrain ensured a fighting draw at Chennai, and Australiasealed the series at Nagpur. The celebrations wereanimated and the hangover lasted through the year’splaying blight, a low-scoring dead-rubber loss on anawful Mumbai pitch.
New Zealand and Pakistan arrived to close the year andwere shut out. Again the cheer was all Australia’s,Justin Langer finishing 2004 with 1481 runs and Martyn with1353, while Shane Warne collected 70 wickets.Warne’s return was spectacular as he chased MuttiahMuralitharan for his world record. Ending his one-yeardrugs ban with 26 wickets in Sri Lanka, Warne equalledMurali in the drawn Test at Cairns, and finally passedhim at Chennai, where he wore red-striped spikes tocolour the moment.Another great also took his first steps after a longlay-off. Ankle operations ruled Glenn McGrath out fora year and he considered retirement before taking fivewickets against Sri Lanka at Darwin. The tentativenessstayed until he reached India but by the end of thetour he was again the attack’s leader, and his 8 for24 against Pakistan at the WACA were the second-bestfigures by an Australian.With Warne and McGrath restored as bowling saviours,Australia’s ageing side was complete. The finalfrontier had been conquered, but in 2005 they mustcover old ground. Finding new motivation may becomethis side’s greatest challenge.Top performersJustin Langer An amazing year for a batsman who can’t lose the tagof gritty grafter. His 1481 runs, including five hundreds and four fifties, were the second-most by an Australian in a calendar year and they amply made up for the relatively lean times that Hayden and Ponting had.Shane Warne A year out of the game at 34 could have forced hisretirement. Instead he landed in Sri Lanka ready tofire and broke the world record in India. His nexttarget is 600 Test wickets; his ability to bamboozleremains untarnished.Peter English is Australasian editor ofCricinfo.
The England team arrived in rain-drenched Bangladesh today for their month-long tour, which includes two Tests and three one-day internationals. Officials of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) greeted the team at Dhaka’s Zia International Airport upon their arrival aboard an Emirates flight.England, without the injured Lancastrian duo of Andrew Flintoff and James Anderson, will face a Bangladesh team buoyed by an improved display during their recent tour of Pakistan. They put up a tough fight against Pakistan, coming within one wicket of registering their first Test victory in the third Test at Multan.Michael Vaughan, leading England on tour for the first time, told reporters on arrival that he was looking forward to a good series and will not be underestimating the home side. “In their last Tests, Bangladesh played positive cricket against top-class teams like Australia and Pakistan,” he said. “We will not take them lightly.”Bangladesh, who were granted Test status in 2000, have lost 23 of their 24 Tests to date. The only draw came in a rain-hit match against Zimbabwe. They have also gone 44 one-day internationals without recordiung a win, since their surprise victory over Pakistan in the 1999 World Cup.The Test series starts in Dhaka on Oct 21. After the Bangladesh leg of the tour, which ends on Nov 12, England go on to Sri Lanka for three more Tests and three ODIs.
Chris Drum, the 27-year-old Auckland medium-fast bowler, worked up good speed while he was demolishing the touring Bangladesh cricket side with his ten-wicket bag at Eden Park Outer Oval, but have to move even more smartly on Tuesday morning.Drum has been included in the New Zealand 12 preparing for the first Test against Bangladesh starting at WestpacTrust Park on Tuesday. However, he is aware of the public (and perhaps untimely) statement by Sir Richard Hadlee, the chairman of selectors, that Drum is most likely to be 12th man for the Test.Drum has taken that comment on the chin, but is also aware that Auckland are starting a State Championship four-day match against Otago at Carisbrook, and Drum would prefer action at Carisbrook to being supercargo at Hamilton.”Things are working toward getting me to Dunedin,” said Drum today, his ten-wicket smile still spread over his handsome face. “I will have to stay in Hamilton until Tuesday morning in case something goes wrong with the team, but if I am not wanted I will get to Dunedin as quickly as possible.”Drum was delighted with his first ten-wicket bag for Auckland not so much because he was playing against inexperienced batsmen, but because he worked to a good line and kept up his pace very well – his match figures were 39.3 overs, 16 maidens, 66 runs, 10 wickets.It also convinced Drum, in his first four-day match of the season, that all his annoying past aches and injuries had gone, especially the damaged A/C joint which took him out of his comeback Test against Pakistan last season.”I was able to give it 10 weeks rest before I tried bowling again, and it seems to be holding up very well.”Getting 10 wickets in an Auckland win gave me a real buzz, and I am delighted that I feel fully fit, and am in the Test team frame again.”
An intriguing final day lies in prospect at Cheltenham, with Gloucestershireset 323 to win on a pitch that remains slow, but batsman-friendly.Bowlers have needed to work hard for their wickets throughout a tightly-contested match and Gloucestershire coach John Bracewell is far from daunted by his team’s task. “We need to lay a solid foundation and try to keep wickets in hand,” he said. “If we can do that up to tea anything will be possible in the final session.” Warwickshire will consider themselves favourites after a solid, ifunspectacular second innings batting effort that saw them bowled out for 316with the final ball of day three.Nightwatchman Keith Piper, unbeaten on eight overnight, top-scored with 69off 161 balls, with 10 fours, while Dominic Ostler, Trevor Penney and DavidHemp made valuable contributions.Battle of attritionIt was a battle of attrition in the College Ground sunshine asGloucestershire’s bowlers stuck to their task well and managed to breakthrough every time Warwickshire got into a position to accelerate towards adeclaration.The morning session saw the visitors progress steadily from 38-1 to 121-2,losing only Michael Powell for 28, caught at short extra cover prodding atpace bowler Ben Gannon.By tea it was 208-4 after Piper and Ostler had taken their third-wicketstand to 90. Both fell in the same Jon Lewis spell after Warwickshire hadbeen 177-2 and looking to raise the tempo.Piper gave a regulation nick to fellow wicketkeeper Jack Russell, whileOstler’s 153-ball innings of 54, including 6 fours, was ended by an lbwdecision as he pushed half forward.Penney and Hemp then put Warwickshire in a strong position again with astand of 62 before Gannon dismissed both, finding a good rhythm from thelonger run-up he is experimenting with in this game.Penney’s 42, off 70 balls, included some of the brightest stroke-making ofthe day, while Dougie Brown’s 25 kept the scoreboard ticking towards a handylead.Harvey’s disciplined line and strengthBut from 252-4 the final total was a disappointment. Ian Harvey added fourlate order wickets to the five he collected in the first innings.Sharp catches off his own bowling accounted for Ashley Giles and Neil Smith.And when last man Ed Giddins was bowled for a duck the last three wicketshad fallen in the space of four Harvey deliveries.The Australian all-rounder returned 4-71 for match figures of 9-100, whileLewis and Gannon deservedly claimed three victims each for maintaining adisciplined line and length.There was an old fashioned feel about the cricket in the beautiful CollegeGround setting, with no trace of the cavalier approach which so ofteninfiltrates Championship matches from the one-day game.Spectators brought up on more adventurous play had to be patient. But thecontest was never less than absorbing and there is every prospect of afinale worthy of the bumper Cheltenham attendances, which are expected tototal 30,000 by the end of the Festival on Sunday.
Everton will take on West Ham United when they return to action tomorrow afternoon in east London, and Frank Lampard will be hoping that his team can pick up where they left off in the Premier League after a big three points earned against Newcastle United.
West Ham are in inconsistent form, with just two wins from their last five league games, but they are still chasing their outside chance to secure a Champions League spot at the end of the season. There is no doubt that David Moyes’ side will feel they have everything to play for tomorrow at the London Stadium, and Lampard must do all he can to ruin their opportunity.
With that being said, being wise about team selection tomorrow is imperative to the 43-year-old securing points and raising momentum after crashing out of the FA Cup at Crystal Palace, so picking the right players to deliver in their roles in the team is a must.
The Everton boss must axe Andre Gomes from the side if he wants to impose a real threat on the Hammers on Sunday and should look to his other midfield options to better control the game.
This season, the 28-year-old has made 12 Premier League appearances, losing five out of the last six league games in which he has been involved, with only a two-minute performance in the win over Newcastle before the international break, and his defensive attributes in the centre of the pitch have been questionable.
According to SofaScore, Gomes – who was dubbed a “walking red card” by Greg O’Keeffe – only averages 29.9 touches per game, losing the ball once every three touches during his game-time in the league this season, with only 37% of his duels won and a 77% passing accuracy rate.
Although Lampard has had his midfield options limited due to Allan serving a three-match ban following a red card in his last league game, the 43-year-old still has plenty of options in his squad with Donny Van de Beek, Abdoulaye Doucoure and Dele Alli available, while Fabian Delph could make an impact as he is predicted to return for selection next week.
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With that in mind, it is high time that the ex-Chelsea boss axes the unreliable Gomes, given how high the stakes are over the remainder of Everton’s Premier League season.
In other news: Everton handed fresh lift as update emerges, Lampard will be buzzing
Leicestershire have been granted planning permission to install floodlights at Grace Road, a development that has been viewed as vital to the club’s survival.Floodlit evening T20 matches have become increasingly important to driving gate revenue in the domestic game and Wasim Khan, Leicestershire’s chief executive, said the decision would help the club “retain and grow our audiences”. Khan had previously addressed residents’ concerns about light pollution by warning that, without floodlights, “we might not be here in five years’ time”.The path has now been cleared, with Leicester City Council unanimously approving the proposals. Leicestershire will begin work immediately and hope to have the floodlights in place in time for their opening NatWest Blast game in May.”It is fantastic news for Leicestershire County Cricket Club that planning permission was granted at the meeting,” Khan said. “Floodlights are an important aspect of supporting our sustainability strategy and we look forward to improving the match-day experience for our supporters.”We saw an average 48% increase in attendances at Grace Road for NatWest T20 Blast matches in 2015. The installation of floodlights will help us to both retain and grow our audiences. We can start our NatWest T20 Blast games later in the evening which will give more people the opportunity to attend after work.”Leicestershire are currently one of four counties without permanent floodlights. Gloucestershire have been granted planning permission, while Somerset are expected to draw up plans as part of their ground redevelopment, which would leave Worcestershire as the only county unable to play evening games.
In spite of their improbable victory in the recent ODI series in Sri Lanka – their first on the subcontinent in 20 years – England are expected to revert to their seasoned five-day specialists when the squad for the three-Test series in Sri Lanka is unveiled at The Oval tomorrow.England emerged triumphant by three games to two in Dambulla and Colombo earlier this month, in a contest that was played out on slow low wickets and at an unusually Test-like tempo. But for several members of that squad, as well as the veteran Mark Ramprakash, disappointment is on the cards.Foremost among England’s considerations will be the wicketkeeping position. Phil Mustard took the gloves and opened the batting during the ODIs, but having failed to establish himself in five opportunities, England are expected to revert to Matt Prior, whose Test career began with a remarkable debut century against West Indies at Lord’s in May, but who sustained a broken thumb during the recent World Twenty20 in South Africa.Prior’s position came under scrutiny following a poor series with both the bat and the gloves against India last summer, but having worked their way through six wicketkeepers in the past 12 months, the selectors are expected to give Prior another opportunity to establish himself. He is a key disciple of the new coach, Peter Moores, having learnt his craft under Moores at Sussex, and was Geraint Jones’ understudy on England’s last visit to the subcontinent in 2005-06.One man who seems certain to have earned a recall on the strength of the one-dayers is the offspinning allrounder, Graeme Swann, whose first matches for England in seven-and-a-half years were an unmitigated triumph. He spun the ball prodigiously, produced vital runs down the order, and assuming he recovers from the hamstring injury he sustained ahead of the final ODI, could be a useful sidekick to Monty Panesar, who will start the series as England’s No. 1 spin option.In the absence of Andrew Flintoff, Swann’s allround credentials will doubtless boost his chances of a call-up, while Ravi Bopara is another man well-placed to step up a level, following his nerveless displays in coloured clothing this year – although he could well be put on stand-by in the development squad that is due to be stationed in India during the tour. One man who has been headed in the opposite direction is the former stalwart Andrew Strauss, who this time last year was a candidate for the captaincy.Strauss’s form slump has already led to his omission from the one-day set-up, but having secured an ECB central contract, he seems set to retain his place in a 15-man squad. The man who will miss out is likely to be Ramprakash, whose prospects of a recall at the age of 38 were being talked up last week following his stunning summer of run-scoring for Surrey. Owais Shah is the other man in the frame for the final batting slot, having made 88 and 38 in his only previous overseas Test appearance, at Mumbai in 2005-06.England’s obligation towards their centrally contracted players should also ensure recalls for Steve Harmison and Matthew Hoggard, both of whom missed large portions of the summer schedule with injuries. Harmison, with a hernia operation behind him, is hoping to prove his fitness in two first-class matches for Highveld Lions in South Africa.James Anderson, Ryan Sidebottom and Stuart Broad – all of whom excelled during the recent ODI series victory – are expected to fill the remaining fast-bowling slots, with the only other significant change being that of the captain, Michael Vaughan. Four years ago, Sri Lanka was the scene of Vaughan’s first major tour as England captain, but he was unable to emulate the feat of his predecessor, Nasser Hussain, whose 2-1 victory in the 2000-01 series was one of England’s finest of all time.Possible squad Michael Vaughan (capt), Alastair Cook, Kevin Pietersen, Paul Collingwood, Ian Bell, Andrew Strauss, Owais Shah, Matt Prior (wk), Ryan Sidebottom, Steve Harmison, Monty Panesar, Graeme Swann, Matthew Hoggard, James Anderson, Stuart Broad.
Three youth sides from Zimbabwe have travelled to South Africa for their annual end-of-year tour. The three age groups – Under-14, Under-16 and Under-19s – will play four 50-over matches and two Twenty20 encounters against teams from the Northerns and Gauteng.Prior to their visit the three sides were given a send-off at Harare and presented with equipment and kit for their tour, sponsored by the wholesaler Makro.Boyd Rouse and Peter Moor, both of Saint John’s College in Harare, will captain the Under-14 and Under-16 teams respectively. Victor Chaitezvi, from Prince Edward School and Old Hararians Sports Club, captains the Under-19s.
Marvan AtapattuOn the reasons for the debacleLooking back at it, I would put it down to not capitalising on the chances that we had been given. Even here, we had them in a spot of bother in the first innings. The other thing is that we can’t take anything away from their lower-order batsmen, and the manner in which they played Muttiah Muralitharan.On why the Indian lower order had done so wellIt’s a difficult question to answer. It’s not like you can’t bat well just because you’re a lower-order batsman. But they played very well. And I think [Irfan] Pathan handled Murali best.On the difference between his spinners and the Indians, and whether the SG ball played a partI think they got more bounce than our two spinners. Talking to Harbhajan Singh, he reckoned that too. They exploited the wickets better, and were also fortunate to win both tosses.On Lasith Malinga and his short-ball barrageThat’s the only thing he knows best. He’s not a McGrath type of bowler to pitch the ball on a spot. We’ve given him license to be himself, and not someone else.Tom MoodyOn the batting collapses, and whether they were related to poor techniqueNot at all. As Marvan has said, I think it was down to lack of concentration. It’s never easy to bat against two quality spinners, and we failed to adjust.On where the series was lostWe were in very strong positions in both Tests [Delhi and Ahmedabad], but failed to drive home the advantage. We only turned up for half the game, and that’s not good enough. We need to learn from that, and compete over five days, not just for two and a half.On whether they were a bowler shortNot at all. The bowling attack was well-balanced. And Murali tends to bowl a high percentage of the overs, particularly in conditions like those over here. Putting an extra bowler out to pasture at fine leg or third man wouldn’t have made a difference. We just didn’t have the killer instinct. India had the patience and the persistence and it was a good team effort from them.On what he would take from the seriesThe experience of playing two fine spin bowlers in their conditions. We could’ve bowled better, no doubt about that. But the fielding was a considerable improvement on what we saw in the one-day series. The middle order also needs to capitalise on starts and get the team total to 400 and beyond.On the absence of JayasuriyaSanath’s a wonderful player. But he wasn’t selected, and I don’t think the outcome of the series had much to do with that. On the other hand, we might have seen the birth of another opening batsman here. Upul Tharanga played a high-quality innings, and showed very good temperament and technique against two very good spinners, and a fine new-ball bowler in Pathan. He was one of the bright spots to come out of this match.On how he rated the Indian teamObviously, India are a different side away from home. They’re a real force in home conditions, with some real momentum coming from the media and the crowds. I think they will remain very difficult to play on home soil. They played some solid cricket, and looked like they were enjoying it. Only time will tell where they go from here.On the morale within his own squadIt’s very high. We faced difficult times during the one-day series, and have been beaten 2-0 now, but there have been several positives. We just haven’t competed over the full five days. But we had India on the ropes in all the three Tests, and it’s not like we’ve been thrashed. We were caught napping on two or three days and that allowed India to come back.On who would have the edge when India played PakistanIndia have done very well of late, but Pakistan have done just as well, if not better. They’re an emerging side with a lot of talent, and if they’re all fit, I think they’ll start slight favourites.