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England’s limited-overs captain and the explosive South Africa batsman are among five additions to the auction list

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Dec-2018Eoin Morgan, England’s limited-overs captain, has been added to the player list for Tuesday’s IPL auction, alongside four other late inclusions: South Africa’s Rassie van der Dussen, uncapped Australian Riley Meredith, and Indians Mayank Dagar and Pranav Gupta.

Zaheer Khan links up with Mumbai Indians

Former India fast bowler Zaheer Khan has been named Mumbai Indians’ mentor. Zaheer, who retired from international cricket in 2015, had played for and captained Delhi Daredevils in the IPL till 2017.
Mahela Jayawardene and Shane Bond will stay on at Mumbai Indians as head coach and bowling coach respectively this season.

Morgan will be entered at the highest base price of INR 2 crore (USD 280,000), putting him in the same bracket as IPL veterans such as Brendon McCullum, Lasith Malinga and Shaun Marsh. Van der Dussen is priced at INR 50 lakh (USD 70,000), Meredith INR 40 lakh (USD 55,600), with Dagar and Gupta listed at the lowest reserve price of INR 20 lakhs (USD 27,800).The late additions, bringing the overall number of players involved in the auction to 351, came after franchises expressed an interest in their involvement to the BCCI.ALSO READ: All you need to know abou the IPL auctionVan der Dussen, who was on the original long list, put his name back into the auction pool after making his third consecutive Mzansi Super League fifty on Sunday, a knock that sealed the inaugural title for his team, Jozi Stars. He was the highest run-getter in the tournament.He won the inaugural Global T20 Canada with Vancouver Knights, whose head coach Donovan Miller then called him up for his CPL team St Kitts & Nevis Patriots. Van der Dussen is highly rated for his batting in the middle overs, particularly for his ability to hit big at the end, skills that he honed through crossfit and kickboxing, among other things. His rising fame in the format and recent form could well make him the subject of a bidding war.Of the two Indian players to enter the fray, batsman Gupta is one of six Jammu & Kashmir players in the pool, while allrounder Dagar is a former India Under-19 player and Virender Sehwag’s nephew. He was picked up by Kings XI Punjab last year.Meredith, a rookie seamer, has only played in two T20 games, both for Hobart Hurricanes in February this year.Morgan went unsold in the auction for the 2018 IPL but has previously played for four franchises, most recently in 2017 with Kings XI Punjab. He takes the number of England players interested in the proceedings in Jaipur to 19.Several, including Jonny Bairstow, Alex Hales and Sam Curran, will hope to attract bids, although the question of limited availability could deter franchises. Centrally contracted England players such as Morgan and Bairstow will be expected to return on April 25, ahead of preparations for the World Cup – meaning they would miss the last three weeks of the IPL.

Punjab’s Shubman Gill, who was the top scorer in the Youth ODI series in England earlier this year, has been named as Shaw’s deputy

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Dec-20171:20

Archive – Who is Prithvi Shaw?

Mumbai batsman Prithvi Shaw will lead India at the Under-19 World Cup to be held in New Zealand from January 13. Punjab’s Shubman Gill, who was the top scorer in the Youth ODI series in England earlier this year at an average of 92.66, has been named as Shaw’s deputy. The 15-member squad also includes Haryana’s Himanshu Rana and Assam’s Riyan Parag along with five stand-by players, all of whom are set to participate in a preparatory camp in Bengaluru from December 8 to 22.Seven of the 15 players in the squad have experience of playing Ranji Trophy. Shaw, who is Mumbai’s second-highest scorer this season with 521 runs at 57.88, and Bengal’s Ishan Porel, who has bagged 10 wickets in two matches have been permitted to play for their respective sides in the quarter-finals starting December 7, and will join the camp on December 12.India have won the Under-19 title thrice, a record they hold together with Australia. They made the final of the previous edition in Bangladesh but lost to West Indies by five wickets.Squad: Prithvi Shaw (capt), Shubman Gill (vice-capt), Manjot Kalra, Himanshu Rana, Abhishek Sharma, Riyan Parag, Aryan Juyal, Harvik Desai, Shivam Mavi, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Ishan Porel, Arshdeep Singh, Anukul Roy, Shiva Singh, Pankaj YadavStandby players: Om Bhosle, Rahul Chahar, Ninad Rathva, Urvil Patel, Aditya Thakare

John Gleeson, the former Australia spinner, has died at the age of 78 in Tamworth, New South Wales

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Oct-2016John Gleeson, the former Australia spinner, has died at the age of 78 in Tamworth, New South Wales.Gleeson was Australia’s 242nd Test cricketer and played 29 matches between 1967 and 1972. He took 93 wickets at an average of 36 with three five-wicket hauls. Gleeson also claimed 430 first-class wickets in a 116-match career between 1966 and 1975, predominantly for New South Wales.”He’s sadly passed away in the Tamworth hospital, aged 78,” the former Australia captain Ian Chappell relayed to viewers during Channel Nine’s coverage of a Matador Cup game.Gleeson was one of the early unorthodox spinners, delivering with an unusual action like Australia’s Jack Iverson before him and Sri Lanka’s Ajantha Mendis decades later. “The folded finger-spinner they called him,” Chappell said. “He came from Tamworth, started out his cricket life as a wicketkeeper and he fiddled around flicking these balls … I think he started with a table tennis ball, and developed into a very fine finger spinner.”I spoke to him the other day, he’d come to grips with his situation and his last words were to me, ‘Don’t fret, mate, I’m in good shape’.”A late starter to first-class cricket at 27, Gleeson had honed his method for years prior, experimenting with various grips in backyard cricket ater being partly inspired by fellow “mystery” spinner Iverson. “The first time I saw it was a photograph in a 1951 Sporting Life magazine,” he said of Iverson’s grip in a 2008 interview. “I would bowl with the same grip with a tennis ball in backyard cricket, with a jacaranda tree as the wicket. It was quite natural for me to bowl a legspinner even if it looked like an offspinner – it was basically a reverse wrong’un: looks like an offspinner but is a legspinner.”Gleeson worked his way into the New South Wales state side and ultimately the Australian Test team after impressing Richie Benaud in a net session in the summer of 1966-67. He always remained somewhat miffed by the hype that surrounded his bowling style, which was a forerunner to other more lateral methods of spinning the ball that would follow in later years around the cricket world. His path to the Test side was to be smoothed by another net session, in Adelaide where he bowled to the then selection chairman Sir Donald Bradman.”He stood there, in his suit, at the batting crease, without a bat. I ran up and bowled. To get the ball to turn a fair bit I had to bowl a lot slower than I normally did,” Gleeson said. “I bowled him that ball [an off break] and he tried to let it hit the net, but it went the other way, flew up, and hit him on the hip. His eyes lit up and he just picked the ball up and threw it back to me. Next ball, I bowled him the wrong’un and then he wasn’t quite sure which way to go as he wasn’t reading from the hand.”James Sutherland, the Cricket Australia chief executive, said: “John captured the imagination of cricket fans everywhere as he bamboozled batsmen with his odd bowling grip, borrowed from another mystery Australian spinner, Jack Iverson.””We were deeply saddened to hear of John’s passing and are truly appreciative of his contribution to the game, which, beyond his distinguished playing career, included time as an administrator with World Series Cricket. As a cricketer, he will be remembered as someone who played for his country at the highest level and, with his unique skills, had the ability to regularly dumbfound the best batsmen in any team.”

James Anderson could be ruled out of the remainder of the Investec Ashes after being forced off the field at Edgbaston with an apparent side strain

George Dobell30-Jul-2015James Anderson could be ruled out of the remainder of the Investec Ashes after being forced off the field at Edgbaston with an apparent side strain.Anderson, England’s record wicket taker, was two balls into his ninth over when he clutched his side after delivery. While he bowled one more ball, he then pulled up in his run-up and left the field. His over was completed by Joe Root.The ECB released a statement on Twitter confirming that Anderson had a “tight side” and would be “assessed overnight”. That means he will be sent for a scan with any firm decision about his future involvement delayed until the results are known. The fourth Test begins at Trent Bridge next Thursday.”I’ve heard nothing yet,” said Steven Finn, who was England’s best bowler on the day with five wickets. “Obviously pulling up halfway through an over for someone like Jimmy, he wouldn’t go off if it wasn’t hurting.”He’s a huge player for us. He is the leader of our attack. He sets the tone with everything he does. Jimmy loves bowling at Trent Bridge, everyone knows that. If he was to miss it, it would be a big loss, but we don’t know yet.”The injury took the gloss off an otherwise wonderful day for England. While they are strong favourites to take a 2-1 lead, the loss of Anderson would be a major blow. Anderson has a superb record at Trent Bridge: he has taken 53 wickets in eight Tests on the ground at an average of 19.24. He claimed a 10-wicket haul in the last Ashes Test there in 2013 – one of two 10-wicket hauls he has at the venue – and has taken six five-wicket hauls there.If Anderson is unavailable, as looks likely, England will probably look to Mark Wood to take his place, though Mark Footitt and Chris Woakes may also be considered.England, meanwhile, only have eyes for tomorrow’s third day, when Australia will resume with a lead of 23 and three wickets in hand.”The game is most definitely still not won yet,” said Finn. “They’ve got guys to come in who can bat, there will still be pressure on tomorrow and we have to do a professional job.”

A round-up of the last round of National Cricket League matches

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Dec-2012Khulna Division became National Cricket League champions by beating Rajshahi Division by 33 runs in a low-scoring game in Bogra. The win put them on 40 points, ten ahead of Dhaka Division, who can’t catch up even though they are poised to thrash Barisal Division in Rajshahi. It is Khulna’s third NCL triumph after winning the tournament in 2002-03 and 2007-08.Rajshahi had a shot at victory after they bowled out Khulna for 180 in the second innings; they needed to chase only 187. However the pace and spin combination of Robiul Islam and Nizamuddin took eight wickets and Rajshahi were bowled out for 153.In the first innings, Khulna had made 228 after being put into bat. Imrul Kayes’ 60 was the only major contribution as the Rajshahi bowlers Farhad Reza and Saqlain Sajib took control, picking up three wickets each.Rajshahi, however, batted poorly in their first innings and conceded a six-run lead. Maisuqur Rahman made 64 but the rest failed to support him. Robiul and left-arm spinner Murad Khan took three wickets each for Khulna.Dhaka Division finished as runners-up in this season’s National Cricket League after crushing Barisal Division by an innings and 105 runs in Rajshahi. The win gave them eight points taking them to 38, two short of Khulna Division’s 40 points at the top of the table.Batting first, Barisal scored 256 runs with only Iftekhar Nayem and Zakaria Masud making half-centuries. Mohammad Sharif and Shuvagata Hom took three wickets each for Dhaka.They replied with 474 runs at a run rate of 3.48, with Raqibul Hasan finally getting some runs with a solid 160. Rony Talukder, Hom and Sharif also got half-centuries as they took a 218-run lead.Barisal surrendered meekly on the final day, getting bowled out for 113 runs. Left-arm spinner Mosharraf Hossain took five wickets while pace bowler Shahadat Hossain took three.Dhaka Metropolis finished third in the competition with a nine-wicket win over Sylhet Division in Rangpur. They banked on centuries from Marshall Ayub and Mehrab Hossain jnr to make 345 runs after the top-order fell cheaply. Marshall made 116 while the left-handed Mehrab struck 110.Mohammad Ashraful’s five-wicket haul helped Dhaka Metro bowl out Sylhet for just 155 runs in the first innings, and following on, they made 265 runs. Offspinner Sharifullah took five wickets for Dhaka Metro in the second innings.Set 76 to win, Dhaka Metro completed the chase in the fourth morning, taking only 11 overs to complete the win.Rangpur Division and Chittagong Division drew their last match of this season in Sylhet. Heavy fog disrupted the game on all four days.Batting first, Chittagong made 350 runs with Aftab Ahmed narrowly missing out on a first-class hundred. He was dismissed for 97 runs while Yasir Ali and Sadid Hossain also scored half centuries. Hundreds from Litton Das and Tanveer Haider led Rangpur’s reply as they made 487 runs.Chittagong batted out 52 overs to make 187 for 6 before stumps were drawn.

Opening batsman Ed Cowan then strengthened his case for a call-up to Australia’s Test squad by scoring his fourth consecutive long-format hundred

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Dec-2011
ScorecardEd Cowan celebrates his century against the Indians•Getty Images

Two batsmen and two spinners performed impressively for either side on the second day in Canberra, leaving the tour match between the Indians and the Cricket Australia Chairman’s XI evenly poised.Virat Kohli, who is likely to be India’s No. 6 on Boxing Day, converted his half-century into a hundred, before the left-arm spinner Jon Holland triggered a lower-order collapse and limited the visitors to 269. Holland finished with figures of 6 for 70.Opening batsman Ed Cowan then strengthened his case for a call-up to Australia’s Test squad by scoring his fourth consecutive long-format hundred. The 109 off 154 balls he made at the Manuka Oval came after two centuries in the Sheffield Shield and one for Australia A against the touring New Zealanders. Cowan steered CA Chairman’s XI to a position from where they were well placed to take a first-innings lead, but the offspinner R Ashwin struck three quick blows to help reduce them to 7 for 214 at stumps, still trailing by 55 runs. Ashwin had figures of 4 for 52.Another focal point of the day’s play was the performance of Zaheer Khan, who did not play the first tour game. Zaheer is working his way to an international comeback after ankle surgery and his first outing in Australia wasn’t impressive – he went for 41 in 10 overs and took no wickets.The day began with the Indians on 4 for 162, with Kohli batting on 55. Rohit Sharma was dismissed early, ending a partnership of 101 for the fifth wicket. Kohli continued to bat briskly, hitting 18 fours and two sixes on his way to 132 off 171 balls, but the Indians lost MS Dhoni and Ashwin to Holland. Kohli was eventually caught by the wicketkeeper Tim Ludeman off Holland, who then polished off the tail in a jiffy.The CA Chairman’s innings began poorly, with the captain and Test opener David Warner getting bowled by Abhimanyu Mithun for 2. The rest of the innings was all about Cowan, as none of his team-mates got stuck into the Indian attack. Cowan, however, was fortunate to reach his century. On 95, he was caught short of his crease by a direct hit from Rohit, but Cowan had run behind the umpire John Ward, who was unable to see that the batsman was run out.The two other Australia batsmen in the CA Chairman’s XI line-up had ordinary outings. Usman Khawaja made 25 off 49 balls and Phillip Hughes, who batted at No. 4, managed 20 off 29 before he was caught off a sweep.The CA Chairman’s XI had reached 184 for 3 before Ashwin began to work his way through the middle order. Four wickets fell for 30 runs, with left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha dismissing Cameron Boyce in the day’s final over.

Three of Karnataka’s greatest ever cricketers – Anil Kumble, Javagal Srinath and Venkatesh Prasad – will contest the elections to the KSCA

George Binoy in Bangalore03-Nov-2010Anil Kumble, the former India captain, has stressed on the importance of retired players getting involved in the administration of the game and has pledged his time and commitment to improving cricket in Karnataka. Kumble was speaking at the Karnataka State Cricket Association’s office in Bangalore, where he formally announced his decision to stand for the post of association president in the elections on November 21.Former India fast bowler Javagal Srinath, who was also present, will contest the secretary’s post held for the past 12 years by former Indian batsman Brijesh Patel. The third member of that bowling attack from the 1990s, Venkatesh Prasad, will stand for a vice-president’s post. Their effort is being backed by Patel, who said cricketers were “the right people to take any association forward.”One of the first decisions of Patel’s administration in 1998 was to give cricketers membership in the association, and Kumble said Karnataka had led the way in this regard. “I retired two years ago and was keen to get involved in the association,” he said. “I thought this was the best time for the cricketers of our generation to get involved.”We’d like to put our vision in place and ensure Karnataka cricket really grows. We hope that Karnataka, as a team, goes on to be No. 1 in India, and that many more Karnataka players go on to represent the country.”There’s a lot to be done at the grassroots – from structuring schools cricket, club cricket and reaching out to all parts of Karnataka. That will be the challenge. We’d like to ensure that the paying public, who come and watch the game, have a wonderful time watching any form of cricket. We thought this was the right time to get into the KSCA.”When asked whether they would have enough time to take on these significant responsibilities, given that Kumble is also chairman of the National Cricket Academy and Srinath an ICC match referee, Kumble said he wouldn’t have contemplated standing for elections if he wasn’t committed.”If I didn’t have the time, I wouldn’t be sitting here,” he said. “The priority is cricket, whether it is the NCA, the KSCA – they are on the same campus. It’s been a big decision but I’ve taken that decision for the good of cricket.”Rahul Dravid, who is still playing Tests for India, will not stand in the elections but Kumble said he would be part of the administration committee because of his association with Bangalore United Cricket Club (BUCC). “To get into mainstream cricket administration, you have to retire. Rahul is still playing for the Indian team. I’m hopeful he will come in and play an important role in being part of the committee, from the BUCC.”Kumble’s electoral opponent is likely to be the incumbent president, Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar, if he chooses to stand for re-election. Kumble, though, refused to label the polls a contest between cricketers and others. “This is not a political system,” he said. “The 24 members are there to support and improve Karnataka cricket. It’s not that cricketers are on one side and the others are on the other side. There are no groups. It’s about ensuring Karnataka cricket grows. If that is focus of everyone, then I don’t think there’s a problem in working together.”

Kumar Sangakkara has called on his spinners to raise their game in the final Test in Mumbai

Sa'adi Thawfeeq27-Nov-2009It hasn’t been a great tour for Muttiah Muralitharan so far•AFP

Sri Lanka came into the series intending to secure their maiden Test victory on Indian soil but were left with a lot of soul searching to do after they were thrashed by an innings-and-144-runs in the second Test in Kanpur.Though India ran up 642, Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara defended the selection of three spinners. “If we had won the toss and batted first on the wicket and got a decent amount of runs on the board our spinners would have been quite a threat on this track,” he said. “It would have been very hard to score runs off them as well. The chances that we did create were not taken by us, allowing the Indian batsmen to get away on a really flat track. 400 runs on the first day was a little too much.”The main concern for Sri Lanka was the inability of the world’s leading wicket-taker Muttiah Muralitharan to provide the breakthroughs for his team as he had done till the recent past. Murali went for over hundred runs for the second time in two Tests; so far in the series his returns are five wickets for 396 runs, average 79.20. “It does become a concern when your star strike bowler is not really picking up the wickets you know he can, but he is still the best bowler that’s played the game,” Sangakkara said. “You still have to have faith in him and trust him and back him 100% to do the job because he is going to do it at one point, hopefully in the next Test.”The Kanpur defeat was the largest in terms of runs to India but Sangakkara remained optimistic that he had the bowlers to win in Mumbai. “We have the potential to pick 20 wickets with the bowlers that we have,” he said. “Potential is one thing really doing the job is another. We would like a bit more penetration with the spin.”With our fast bowlers we always created opportunities, the disappointing thing is we haven’t really taken those chances twice in the first over in two Test matches, especially this one on a track that was one of the flattest we’ve played on.”We’ve still got a lot to achieve in Mumbai. We can still equal the series and finish one-all. That’s a great motivation for us. Disappointed with today’s defeat, but that’s the way cricket goes. If you don’t play well enough you lose and you’ve got to accept that responsibility but still move on. You have no one else to blame. You got to look at the 16 players in the dressing room and say that we were just not good enough. We were outplayed by India who were a better team in this Test match.”It was a good toss to win for Dhoni the first day the wicket was going to be the flattest and it got slower and slower as the game progressed. If we probably had kept India down to about 450 in the first innings it would have been a chance for us to come back, but 600 runs on we were always chasing. Bad batting in our first innings put us into trouble.”

The home side built a lead of 190 on a surface where run-scoring has been hard work

Andrew McGlashan19-Feb-2025Sam Konstas put away the scoops, ramps and sweeps on the second day at the SCG but could only make 17 before falling to Scott Boland for the second time in the match.The day after Konstas’ first-innings dismissal – missing a sweep against Boland from the 13th ball of the game – had ignited debate about his batting approach he was much more measured during New South Wales’ second innings in a clear response to what happened on Tuesday.Related

• Australia emerge from Test season with flying colours and new options

• Konstas under the microscope as Boland, Davies shine

Overall batting was tricky and NSW closed in a healthy position with a lead of 190 and six wickets in hand as both teams pushed for a victory that will be vital to their hopes of a place in the Sheffield Shield final.NSW head coach Greg Shipperd and batting coach Nick Larkin watched intently from the boundary edge for the duration of Konstas’ stay which ended shortly before tea when he square drove a short delivery from Boland to point.Until then, Konstas had shaped up solidly against some demanding new-ball bowling from Boland and Fergus O’Neill. He had taken until his 13th delivery to get off the mark, showing a clear intent to leave deliveries outside off, and defended largely with a straight bat although was troubled by Boland.Will Sutherland trapped Kurtis Patterson lbw•Getty Images

It wasn’t until the 11th over that he found the boundary, collecting back-to-back fours off Will Sutherland, before carving another just over point against Boland. It was an attempted repeat of that stroke which brought his downfall.”I’m all for entertainment and good batting, but that wasn’t good batting on day one. It was good fun for five minutes,” Phil Jaques, the former NSW coach, said on commentary. “It was better application from Konstas today, he was really patient and gave himself a chance to get in. It was a better innings, but unfortunately not much to show for it.”Nic Maddinson, who hit 20 off the second of the game yesterday, had fallen early to a pearler from O’Neill while Kurtis Patterson was pinned lbw by Sutherland having worked hard for 28.Matthew Gilkes and Josh Philippe, the latter who was struck a nasty blow on the helmet, added 55 to turn the game more firmly NSW’s way until Philippe fell late in the day to Boland. His innings had included a bizarre moment shortly before his dismissal when it appeared umpire Simon Lightbody was giving him lbw to Mitch Perry only to stop raising his finger part way through leaving Victoria perplexed.Victoria had resumed on 92 for 4 and were quickly in deep trouble when Jackson Bird had Marcus Harris caught at point second ball of the day then trapped Sam Harper lbw before the opening over was done. It left Bird on 399 Sheffield Shield wickets, one short of becoming the fifth bowler to reach 400.When Sutherland fell to Hanno Jacobs, Victoria were still more than 100 adrift but nightwatchman Perry, who was given a life at cover by Gilkes, and No. 9 O’Neill eked out 34 in 16 overs until O’Neill was well held at long leg by Jacobs when he top-edged what became the last ball before lunch.NSW were frustrated for nine overs by the last-wicket pair with Boland making a handy contribution before Perry was last out, driving to mid-off, have faced 122 balls for 29.

Harris, Bancroft and Renshaw are in the mix but the possibility remains of someone else being moved up the order

Alex Malcolm30-Dec-20235:10

‘A classic at the MCG’

Everything will be considered as far as David Warner’s replacement to open the batting for the West Indies series in January with Cameron Green still a serious contender to be recalled as part of a batting order reshuffle.Speaking the day after Australia’s 79-run win against Pakistan in Melbourne to claim the series 2-0 with a game to play in Sydney, coach and selector Andrew McDonald said that all options for Warner’s replacement remained open for discussion, and confirmed that included specialist openers Marcus Harris, Cameron Bancroft and Matt Renshaw, as well as allrounder Green returning to the middle order.Australia’s side has remained settled throughout the Test summer with no injury issues or form concerns to speak of and looks likely to be unchanged for the third match in a row at the SCG which will mark Warner’s retirement from the format. Australia’s selectors are meeting on Saturday to confirm the squad but it is unlikely they will make a decision on Warner’s replacement until after the third Test against Pakistan.Related

• 'I'm pretty keen' – Steven Smith wants to open the batting in Tests

• Bancroft: Opening the batting is a specialist position

• Warner set to miss West Indies white-ball matches for ILT20

• Warner picks Warner's replacement: 'Harris has always been next in line'

• Harris makes most of his opportunity to push case as Warner's replacement

“All options will be considered,” McDonald said. “And I said we’re not going to make the decision until the deadline which will be the West Indies game.”There’s a few options. Everyone is well aware of the options. I’m a person that once you know when you’re going to make the decision, you make it at that point in time. Until then the discussions will be open. We’ll put a deadline on that. That’ll be the West Indies selection meeting.”The debate between picking a specialist or experienced opener in either Harris, Bancroft or Renshaw or picking the best six batters available and simply reshaping the batting order to accommodate them remains a real discussion point among the selectors, with the prospect of having two allrounders in Marsh and Green remaining very enticing.”Cameron Green, as a discussion around who are the best six batters, has definitely been in the conversation,” McDonald confirmed.Warner himself endorsed Harris as a possible successor during the Boxing Day Test, but McDonald noted with a wry smile that it was not a hint at the selectors’ thinking and that the retiring opener had endorsed a different name earlier in the year.Cameron Green has not featured in the Test side yet this season•Getty Images

“Davey’s not a selector,” McDonald said. “And I remember back to when I think Davey endorsed Matt Renshaw so I think the next one will probably be Cam Bancroft and then Cameron Green and he’ll have all bases covered, but…it’s great when a fellow player endorses someone else internally. It means that they’ve probably excluded other players as well, but he was asked his opinion and we’re happy with him to express that.”It is unlikely that the preferred candidate would be added to the Sydney squad to be reintroduced to the playing group given Bancroft and Renshaw have BBL commitments, although Harris does not have a BBL contract.Green also doesn’t have a BBL contract and has not played any cricket since the Prime Minister’s XI match against Pakistan in early December. There is a Cricket Australia XI tour match against West Indies at Karen Rolton Oval from December 10-12, prior to the first Test starting on January 17 at Adelaide Oval, but it is understood that he is unlikely to play in that game in order to get some match practice.Meanwhile, McDonald confirmed that Warner would apply for a No Objection Certificate (NOC) to miss three ODIs and three T20Is against West Indies in early February in order to play for Dubai Capitals in the ILT20 tournament that will be held in the UAE at the same time.McDonald said NOC’s would be handled by Cricket Australia’s head of national teams Ben Oliver and chairman of selectors George Bailey with each decision being made on a case-by-case basis.”He’ll apply for an NOC,” McDonald said. “It’s something that we work through anytime it’s in season. Adam Zampa and Marcus Stoinis went to the UAE last year as well. So every application is different in terms of the circumstances with what cricket they’ve got coming up, so I’m sure he’ll apply. It’ll be considered. George Bailey and Ben Oliver will work through that and there will be an outcome.”I think Matthew Wade was given an NOC to miss a Tasmania game for the IPL as well. I think every case should be considered individually.”