All posts by csb10.top

Test cricket remains the most important format but more than half of the international cricketers questioned admitted they would retire early if an attractive offer came from the IPL. Those are among the results of the latest annual survey conducted by the Federation of International Cricketers’ Associations (FICA).The survey was put to 105 cricketers from the seven Test-playing counties who have players’ associations – the exceptions being India, Pakistan and Zimbabwe – and replies were received from 64.Test cricket received overwhelming backing, with 86% rating it as the most important form of the game, ahead of the World Cup (10%). Not one player rated ODIs or international Twenty20s as their No. 1 choice. When asked about a Test Championship, 60% wanted one, and 98% stressed the need for Tests to maintain their current status in the international calendar.The impact of Twenty20 was obvious, but the majority of those polled said that the biggest loser would be ODI cricket and not Tests.All of those who replied agreed that the IPL was appealing, but less pleasing for the Indian board was that 86% also said the ICL was also an attractive option and, despite threats of bans, 67% said they would consider signing an ICL contract. The grind of day-to-day international cricket was given as the main reason why 52% said they would retire early to play just in the IPL. For the same reason, 95% wanted a window in the international calendar to allow for the IPL and similar events.What will worry administrators is that 64% of players would put their loyalty to the IPL ahead of that to their home boardThere was also a large majority who felt that ICL-contracted players ought to be allowed to play international (63%) and domestic (87%) cricket.”It’s clear that the players firmly believe that Twenty20 cricket will form an important part of the cricketing landscape in the future, particularly club like competitions such as IPL,” FICA’s chief executive Tim May said. “At the same time, it is clear that the players want to be able to protect Test cricket as the lead format of the game.”It is also evident that today’s player is less likely to be loyal to commitments to his home board, as cricket’s employment market is freed from the power of governing bodies, who previously enjoyed an inequitable power base by virtue of being the ‘only employer in the market’. Simply, the freeing up of the market and the lifting of the ‘citizenship barriers’ has resulted in more market driven values for players, and the players not surprisingly are gravitating to that market.”The players and FICA feel very strongly that to preserve a healthy balance between club/ franchise cricket and international cricket, that the ICC needs to create a window in its programming, or risk losing players permanently from the International cricket scene.”Without such window, the International cricket product will be weakened and the possibility will then arise of the international product being a declining product in cricket’s future landscape,” he concluded. “That is a situation that we obviously want to avoid.”

Bangladesh have made a last-minute change to their 15-member squad for the three-ODI series in Australia, after Shahriar Nafees, the left-hand opening batsman, opted out of the tour to focus on his studies. Nazimuddin has been named as his replacement.Nafees, a student of the Dhaka University, said the hectic international schedule was taking a toll on his academics. “I always give importance to my academic career,” he told the . “I have already lost one-and-a-half years of my studies and have decided to complete it this time. I am already three semesters behind my classmates.”He made the request in a letter to the BCB on Tuesday. “It was not an easy decision for me and I don’t think I could have taken it before the team was selected,” he said. “Actually, it would be very difficult for me to complete my examination in future if I skip it this time because we have a number of series after the Australia tour.”Chief selector Rafiqul Alam admitted Nafees’ pullout was a setback, but understood his concerns. “I think it’s very important for anybody to complete his examination. We have been informed that Nafees opted out due to the sudden announcement of his university exam schedules.Thus we have no choice other than picking Nazimuddin. No other opener is available as Junaid Siddique is also out of form.”Nazimuddin, who was dropped from the squad due to poor form, would be looking to make most of the opportunity this time around. He is likely to partner Tamim Iqbal as opener, but the team management will arrive at a decision after watching him and Mehrab Hossain jnr in the warm-up matches.Shakib Al Hasan, the allrounder, had also skipped Bangladesh’ recent assignments, the Kitply Cup and the Asia Cup, to focus on his studies. He has been included in the team for Australia.

As Bryce McGain strolled towards Cricket Australia’s Melbourne headquarters on Friday it was hard to know who was more excited about his Test call-up, the legspinner himself or his eight-year-old son Liam. McGain was smiling but suitably restrained; Liam was powering along the footpath and replicating his father’s legbreak action, with an extra couple of flourishes.There will be nothing imaginary about McGain’s task next month when he is almost certain to make his Test debut in India at 36. But for the time being, day-to-day life continues and he was unable to speak to the media until after he had picked up Liam from school. It had already been a big day after an early morning phone call told McGain he was a chance for a baggy green.”It was around breakfast time, Liam was smiling and so excited,” McGain said. “We hugged and jumped around a bit in the lounge room. I put the cornflakes and toast on hold and said we’re going out to a café to celebrate.”McGain was still recovering from the flight home from India, having picked up three wickets in an Australia A match against India A in Bangalore, where the first Test will take place from October 9. He also collected a minor shoulder problem, although he is certain it will not keep him from touring with the senior squad.”It was good bowling at Bangalore and understanding the conditions,” McGain said. “I certainly went over there with a bit of a plan after talking to Shane Warne before I went over and it seemed to be quite successful.”It was a bit of a shame just getting a bit of a [shoulder] niggle but I’ll be over that and bowling again by the end of the week. I’m looking forward to putting those plans in play hopefully in the first Test.”McGain will speak to Warne again before departing on September 21, although he already knows that India’s batsmen will aim to pound him into submission. Seventeen overs for Australia A is limited preparation but with two warm-up games before the first Test and 15 years of club cricket under his belt, McGain is confident he can step up.”There was no mistaking that in the A game they went out to have a crack at all the spinners and really went aggressively at every ball I bowled,” he said. “It was good to put them quickly on the back foot by getting three early wickets, three of the first four wickets in the game. Hopefully that’ll continue when I play for Australia.”He might not have meant to use the word “when”, although it is hard to see what will keep him from a Test spot in a squad that also includes the Tasmania offspinner Jason Krejza. One of the surprises in Australia’s selection was the omission of the left-arm wrist-spinner Beau Casson, 25, who made his Test debut in Barbados in June.Luck was on Casson’s side in the Caribbean when he was in the right place at the right time – the moment when Stuart MacGill retired unexpectedly. However, fortune went against him last week when he bowled just one over for Australia A after slipping in the outfield and suffering a hamstring strain. The injury was not the reason he was overlooked for the Test squad but McGain expects Casson to be back in the Test mix at some point.”He’s a good young spinner and there’s a lot of years ahead of him, if they’re picking me at 36,” McGain said. “He’s got 11 years to catch me at that age. He is a very good spinner and learns very quickly so no doubt there’s more opportunities for him in the future.”If McGain plays a Test in India he will become Australia’s oldest debutant since Bob Holland in 1984-85. Greg Shipperd, the Victoria coach, said age should not be held against McGain, who this time last year was working for a bank. Shipperd compared him to another former Victoria slow bowler who made his mark in Test cricket late.”His consistency reminded me of someone like Colin Miller, for example, that came out of the blue and was into that level of competition and performed brilliantly from ball one,” Shipperd said. “No doubt that he’s got some good years ahead of him.”

Shoaib Akhtar will not be allowed to play in and for Pakistan until he pays an outstanding fine of Rs 7 million (approx US$105,000), the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has said.The PCB slapped Shoaib, 33, with the fine last month after he criticised the PCB over its failure to award him a central contract. He was initially banned by the PCB for five years, but the sentence had been reduced to 18 months by an appellate tribunal in June.”Legally speaking the Lahore High Court upheld the fine and suspended the ban so if he wants to play for Pakistan and in Pakistan, Akhtar will have to pay the fine,” PCB legal adviser Taffazul Hussain Rizvi told .The hearing for Shoaib’s appeal against his ban was postponed because the judge was not available. Rizvi said Shoaib had yet to reply to letters demanding he pay the fine and has not tried to fix a date for the hearing of his High Court petition against the fine.”We have whole heartedly accepted the court’s suspension of the ban and we want Shoaib to pay the fine as per the court directives,” said Rizvi.Shoaib was left out of Islamabad’s squad for the upcoming National Twenty20 tournament and will not be considered for next month’s four-nation Twenty20 tournament in Canada if he does not participate in the tournament, to be played from October 4-8.Yesterday the Karachi-based quoted Shafqat Naghmi, the PCB’s chief operating officer, as saying that the board may include Shoaib’s name before the start of the tournament.Shoaib is currently playing for Surrey in a bid to regain his match fitness.

James Franklin, the New Zealand fast bowler, believes his three-week stint in Australia will help his bid to make a comeback to first-class cricket. Franklin underwent surgery for a patella tendon injury in his right knee last November and he is hopeful of being passed fit for Wellington’s State Championship opener against Canterbury, on November 17, following his rehabilitation in Canberra.Franklin last played a Test for New Zealand in December 2006 and he hasn’t appeared in ODIs since the 2007 World Cup in the West Indies. He returned to New Zealand last month after playing Twenty20 and one-day games for Australian Capital Territory and represented New Zealand in the Emerging Players tour of Queensland.”I played eight games and in the last one I bowled off my full run for five overs and felt good,” Franklin told the . “In hindsight my expectations may have been higher than reality.”I got told at the outset by the surgeon the recovery would be six to eight months and being the athlete you only really hear the number six. Then I thought if it goes really well it might only be four months. I’ve been closer to 11 [months] now and it’s only been in recent times that I’ve been able to do multiple tasks on my knee on the same day like bowling and doing weights.”Despite being out of action for so long, New Zealand Cricket kept its faith in Franklin by naming him in the list of contracted players in April. “I’m just thankful New Zealand Cricket gave me a contract and are still behind me.”

A Lahore court has postponed a hearing into Shoaib Akhtar’s pending fine until October 24.”The judge was not available today and the new date is set for October 24,” Tafazzul Rizvi, the PCB’s lawyer, said.The Pakistan board is seeking a ruling from Lahore High Court judge Sayed Zahid Hussain on whether Shoaib is eligible to play in or for Pakistan without paying an outstanding fine of Rs 7 million (approx US$105,000) for his criticism of not being awarded a central contract. Despite the pending court decision, the PCB allowed Shoaib to compete in the four-nation Twenty20 tournament in Canada last week in “national interest.”The PCB had sought a ruling from the court on whether Shoaib was eligible to play domestic and international cricket without paying the fine. The board hit Shoaib, 33, with the punishment earlier this year after he criticised the PCB over its failure to award him a central contract. He was initially banned by the PCB for five years, but the sentence was subsequently suspended pending a final decision by the Lahore High Court.

Ray Jennings, the new coach of Bangalore franchise in the IPL, has been working with the Karnataka Ranji team for a week ahead of the domestic season starting on November 3. According to the players, the training sessions have been innovative and focused on developing skills and strengthening the mind.”Wake up! Why are you guys sleeping? When you drove to the ground, you didn’t have any accidents right? Then why make mistakes now? Always stand on the button, ready to perform at your best,” Jennings would urge the team.Jennings was surprised by the low intensity levels of a few players at the beginning of the camp, a senior member of the team said. “He was surprised that even a few young players were a bit lazy in their movements. He has pushed them hard and they are responding well. A week is not enough but he will be coming in on and off during the season.”The fielding drills have been different: Catch with one hand has been Jennings’ mantra during the week. “If you have to catch one-handed, you have to get into the correct position, and quickly at that, or else you will definitely drop the catch,” C Raghu, the vice-captain, said. “It was difficult but now everyone is taking them. And we all are automatically moving quickly to get into the right positions.”Jennings theory is if you catch one-handed in the practice sessions, you are more alert and focussed, and watch the ball that much better and it enables you to move a split second earlier in match situations to take with both hands. “This team will become the best fielding team in the domestic circuit in six months if they continue practising like this,” Jennings said at the end of another 150-minute session on November 1.The slip fielders, the wicketkeeper and the outfield fielders have all been doing the one-hand catching routine for the last seven days. Thilak Naidu, the wicketkeeper, said he could already see the benefits. “It’s amazingly simple but very effective. Your eyes and hands move quicker. And he is a hard taskmaster,” Naidu said.Another favourite topic of the week has been the clichéd “body language”. “He talked about the importance of it. How you walk into the ground when you go out to bat, or you are about to bowl your first ball,” Raghu said. “It was about drilling back the basics.”Jennings is known to be a tough taskmaster but the players have enjoyed the approach. “He is simple, straightforward and pushes you really hard,” Sunil Joshi said. “It’s only going to help the team.”