New Zealand’s contract list has undergone a significant shake-up for 2013-14, with eight changes from last year’s group. Tom Latham, Corey Anderson, Bruce Martin, Mitchell McClenaghan, Colin Munro and Hamish Rutherford have all been contracted for the fir

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Jul-2013New Zealand’s contract list has undergone a significant shake-up for 2013-14, with eight changes from last year’s group. Tom Latham, Corey Anderson, Bruce Martin, Mitchell McClenaghan, Colin Munro and Hamish Rutherford have all been contracted for the first time, while Peter Fulton and Grant Elliott have returned to the list after missing out for the past couple of seasons.James Franklin, Daniel Flynn, Andrew Ellis, Tarun Nathula, Rob Nicol and Kruger van Wyk have all missed out from last year’s group of contracted players, along with Jacob Oram, who was replaced during the year by Neil Wagner. Also gone from the list are the newly-retired Chris Martin and the veteran Daniel Vettori, who turned down a contract due to uncertainty over his recovery from surgery on his Achilles tendon.There was no room for Andrew Ellis, Luke Ronchi, Adam Milne, Ian Butler or Jeetan Patel. Mike Hesson, the New Zealand coach, said the 20 players who received deals were those most likely to feature for the team over the next 12 months, which includes tours of Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and West Indies, along with home series against India and West Indies.”There’s still a strong core of experienced players who have been a part of the team’s progression over recent months,” Hesson said. “Some of the younger players such as Corey Anderson and Hamish Rutherford have also demanded a spot, after making strong starts to their international careers.”As always, some difficult decisions had to be made and a number of last year’s contracted players will be disappointed to have missed out. However, there’s nothing to say that they can’t force their way back into the team in the future through strong domestic performances.”Contracted players Corey Anderson, Trent Boult, Doug Bracewell, Dean Brownlie, Grant Elliott, Peter Fulton, Martin Guptill, Tom Latham, Bruce Martin, Mitchell McClenaghan, Brendon McCullum, Nathan McCullum, Kyle Mills, Colin Munro, Hamish Rutherford, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor, Neil Wagner, BJ Watling, Kane Williamson.

Jackson Bird could play his first Test of this Ashes tour after being named in Australia’s 12 for the fourth Investec Test at Chester-le-Street, starting on Friday

Brydon Coverdale at Chester-le-Street07-Aug-2013Jackson Bird could play his first Test of this Ashes tour after being named in Australia’s 12 for the fourth Investec Test at Chester-le-Street, starting on Friday. Given the three-day turnaround between Tests, the main issue facing the selectors surrounds their management of the injury-prone fast bowler Ryan Harris, who was rested in the West Indies last year when the team faced a similar back-to-back Test scenario.If he plays on Friday, it will be only the second time in his career that Harris has played three consecutive Tests and the first time he broke down in the third of those games, the Boxing Day Ashes Test of 2010-11. On that occasion Harris suffered a serious ankle injury but he has had a number of other problems during his short Test career, including shoulder surgery last year and a chronic knee injury.Harris was left out in the Caribbean last year after he took five wickets in 37.4 overs and scored an important half-century in the Barbados Test. A three-day gap between matches, combined with his workload, general fatigue and the fact that he had battled a stomach bug in Barbados led the selectors to take a conservative approach and sit Harris out for the next Test in Trinidad, despite his strong form.The circumstances on this occasion are strikingly similar. Again there is a three-day turnaround after the Old Trafford Test, where Harris bowled 38 overs and was off the field at times due to a stomach complaint. Harris appeared exhausted when leaving the field at the end of the third day in Manchester and although the rain on the final day gave him some extra recovery time, the Australians will want to see how Harris performs at training on Thursday before making a decision.”In my mind I’m confident Ryano will be fine,” captain Michael Clarke said on Wednesday. “Us not bowling on that last day because of the rain is definitely going to help our bowlers. It gives them another day to recover, and I don’t think any of the quicks who bowled in the Test have been bowling many overs in the nets over the last couple of days. There will be plenty of treatment, recovery, rehab. I’m confident he will be fine.”After Australia’s strong showing in Manchester, the selectors would be keen to choose the same side, all things being equal. Bird is the only inclusion in the 12 for Chester-le-Street from outside the 11 who played at Old Trafford, meaning there will be no recall for Ashton Agar, while other squad members including James Faulkner, Phillip Hughes, Ed Cowan and Matthew Wade have also missed out as expected. Clarke said Bird would offer plenty if selected.”He was picked because he was one of out best bowlers no matter the conditions,” Clarke said. “We know if there is a bit in the wicket he is a very good seam bowler and he has shown that in first-class cricket for Tassie. Have a look at his record and he has performed just as well away from home on flat wickets. He offers this squad a lot and if he is given an opportunity he will grab it with both hands.”Australia squad Michael Clarke (capt), Brad Haddin, Jackson Bird, Ryan Harris, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Chris Rogers, Peter Siddle, Steven Smith, Mitchell Starc, David Warner, Shane Watson.

Jagmohan Dalmiya, the interim BCCI chief, has been re-elected Cricket Association of Bengal president for another term

ESPNcricinfo staff31-Jul-2013Jagmohan Dalmiya, the interim BCCI chief, has been re-elected Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) president for another term.Dalmiya was re-elected unopposed at the 82nd annual general meeting of the CAB in Kolkata and also retained the panel of the two joint secretaries, Subir Ganguly and Sujan Mukherjee, and treasurer Biswarup Dey. Dalmiya, 73, has been heading the board since 1993, except a 19-month period starting December 2006 when he was unseated from the position for alleged embezzlement of funds from the 1996 World Cup. He was elected the board president again in July 2008.The only change in the board was the election of former BCCI joint secretary Gautam Dasgupta as trustee and board chairman. The four other members, who are also new, to the trustee board are – Russi Jeejeebhoy, Samar Kar, Shibaji Roy and Shivkumar Kalyani.

Allrounder Eddie Richardson has been included in the Ireland squad ahead of the team’s game against England in the first RSA Challenge ODI

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Aug-2013Allrounder Eddie Richardson has been included in the Ireland squad ahead of their ODI against England in Malahide on September 3.Richardson, 23, the only new face in the 13-man squad, has worked his way through Ireland’s age-group levels, and was delighted at earning his first senior call-up.”I’ve worked really hard on my game, especially the last two years and it’s fantastic that the selectors have rewarded this with senior recognition,” Richardson said. “The difference this season is that I’ve been scoring runs as well as taking wickets. I’ve been bowling decently this past few years but to get into the Ireland team you have to be doing both, as it’s got so many talented all-rounders.”Richardson, a cousin of Ireland international John Mooney, has been in prolific form both domestically with North County as well as at Inter-Provincial level with Leinster Lightning. Phil Simmons, the Ireland coach, believed that the allrounder was fully deserving of his inclusion in the side.”He’s been very consistent at all levels and the selectors were especially impressed by his form in the RSA Inter-Provincial Series,” Simmons said. “His volume of runs and wickets has warranted selection. Eddie is a great advertisement for all Irish youngsters as he’s shown that if you put in the hard yards there will be rewards.”The squad will be led by William Porterfield and contains plenty of experienced players, including Trent Johnston and the O’Brien brothers.Squad: William Porterfield (capt), George Dockrell, Trent Johnston, Ed Joyce , John Mooney, Tim Murtagh, Kevin O’Brien, Niall O’Brien(wk), Eddie Richardson, Max Sorensen, Paul Stirling, Andrew White, Gary Wilson.

Yuvraj Singh unleashed trademark pick-up sixes and lofted drives to hit an unbeaten 77 off 35 and haul in the target of 202 with two deliveries to spare

The Report by Abhishek Purohit10-Oct-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsYuvraj Singh hunted down the target of 202 with the calm of old•BCCI

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Aakash Chopra: ‘Yuvraj, the perennial comeback man’

In his second comeback after recovering from cancer, a leaner and fitter Yuvraj Singh was called upon to do a job he has done numerous times for India in ODIs – revive a floundering chase, with MS Dhoni for company, and only the lower order to follow. Only, this was a T20 and Yuvraj did not have the luxury of building his innings before accelerating. He duly cut out the building part, and unleashed trademark pick-up sixes and lofted drives to haul in the target of 202 with two deliveries remaining. India were facing an asking-rate of nearly 12 at 100 for 4 in the 12th over, but Yuvraj’s response was so forceful, that all Dhoni needed to do was give him the strike. By the end, the partnership was 102 at exactly two runs a ball, Yuvraj’s 77 off 35 showing his dominance.Shikhar Dhawan, Suresh Raina and Virat Kohli had all failed to kick on from starts and India’s innings was in danger of going Australia’s way, who had lost too many wickets in maintaining a frenetic pace of scoring, and had run out of steam at the death. Aaron Finch seemed set to carry Australia way over 200 but his exit in the 17th over for 89 off 52 helped India keep the visitors to 201, as only 29 came off the final four. India themselves needed 49 off the final four, but Yuvraj was in such flow that the big shot was always at hand.Yuvraj first took 18 off Clint McKay in the 14th over, and then, when the pressure escalated again, carted James Faulkner for successive sixes in the 17th. The timing on the boundaries was vintage Yuvraj, as was the effortlessness and grace. George Bailey’s preferred field of three men in the ring around point worked to Yuvraj’s advantage, as did the fact that Australia bowled too full to him.Dhoni did his bit, constantly scampering twos and ones as he does in ODI chases, and coming up with the crucial boundary, a typical stretch-and-club to cover, when it came down to six needed off four.Yuvraj’s cool assault meant Finch’s innings, and Australia’s electric start, were in vain. After being put in, Finch and debutant Nic Maddinson had kickstarted the innings with a 56-run partnership inside five overs. It was the manner in which the openers attacked the offspin of R Ashwin that stood out. The highly-rated Maddinson, 21, calmly stepped out to Ashwin’s first delivery and lofted it cleanly over extra cover for four. Finch set about cutting and lofting with intent, and Ashwin’s first over cost India 17.Maddinson made 34 before missing a slog to be bowled. Vinay Kumar got both Shane Watson and George Bailey in the eighth over. Finch, meanwhile, kept battering boundaries, generating immense power and finding gaps consistently. He was swift and brutal on the cut, played the lofted drive repeatedly and when he went to cow corner, it was more timing and placement than slogging.Glenn Maxwell showed Australia were in no mood to relent even momentarily, swinging Ashwin for three sixes in the tenth over as the score zoomed to 114 for 3 at the halfway stage of the innings. Ashwin’s figures read 2-0-41-0, and Dhoni was forced to turn to Virat Kohli’s mediums for a couple of costly overs.Australia stalled after Finch clubbed a high full toss straight to Vinay. The blow split the webbing on the bowler’s left hand, but did not deter him from sending down a couple of tight overs. A last-ball six from Faulkner took the score past 200, but Yuvraj hunted it down with the calm of old.

Tymal Mills could be forced to retire from first-class cricket after being diagnosed with a congenital back condition

George Dobell21-May-2015Tymal Mills could be forced to retire from first-class cricket after being diagnosed with a congenital back condition.Mills, who is thought to be the fastest bowler in English cricket, moved to Sussex from Essex over the winter and has been thought of as an England bowler of the near future. But, after breaking down in the early weeks of the season, he has been diagnosed as having a narrow spinal cord, which he has been warned could, in a worst case scenario, eventually cause substantial mobility problems if he continues to bowl.For a man with so much natural talent, who had started to find the accuracy to complement his pace, it is crushing news.”I have accepted that I might not have a future in first-class cricket,” Mills told ESPNcricinfo. “It is absolutely gutting and I had a very difficult 48 hours when I first heard the news.”I haven’t completely given up on the dream of playing Test cricket but, realistically, it looks as if my future may be in the shorter formats. I still want to play 50-over and T20 cricket.”Sussex have already announced that Mills will play no first-class cricket for a couple of months, but specialists have advised that he will probably have to limit his bowling load significantly if he is to enjoy a prolonged career.Mills bowled in Sussex’s NatWest T20 Blast victory over Gloucestershire on Sunday and took three wickets – all bowled – and could feature in the side to play Somerset on Friday. He is travelling with the squad and hopes to shake off a minor ankle injury.With that in mind, a career as a T20 specialist seems the most likely solution for a 22-year-old who, only weeks ago, was thought of as one of the most exciting prospects in England.”I just hope nobody portrays me as a mercenary,” Mills said. “This isn’t a case of me not wanting to bowl; it’s a case of me having a medical condition would could affect my future. It’s all been pretty hard to take.”

Former Pakistan batsman Zaheer Abbas was confirmed as ICC president on the third day of the ICC annual conference in Barbados

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Jun-2015Former Pakistan batsman Zaheer Abbas was confirmed as ICC president on the third day of the ICC annual conference in Barbados. Abbas, who had been chosen for the post by the PCB, thanked the ICC for accepting his nomination.”I am thankful to all of you for the support and confidence placed in me by confirming my nomination,” Abbas said. “I am also grateful to the PCB for proposing my candidacy as the ICC president. I assure you all that I will stand shoulder to shoulder with all the ICC Members as we continue to strive to inspire more and more people to fall in love with the game we cherish.”N Srinivasan, the ICC chairman, described Abbas as a “worthy ambassador” of the game.”Zaheer’s outstanding career as a stylish right-handed batsman is reflected in his remarkable record with 108 first-class hundreds and more than 7,500 international runs,” Srinivasan said. “Zaheer is clearly an iconic cricketer who always played the game with skill, flair and in the true spirit. He is a worthy ambassador of our great game.”The ICC council also approved the admission of the Serbia Cricket Federation as the 58th Affiliate Member. The Affiliate Memberships of Morocco and Turkey were suspended, while Brunei was removed as an Affiliate.

Hampshire moved to the top of the NatWest T20 Blast’s South Group last night by overpowering Middlesex by 21 runs in front of a crowd of around 18,000 at Lord’s

ECB/PA18-Jun-2015
ScorecardMichael Carberry, seen here in Big Bash action, played a vintage knock•Getty Images

Hampshire moved to the top of the NatWest T20 Blast’s South Group last night by overpowering Middlesex by 21 runs in front of a crowd of around 18,000 at Lord’s. Michael Carberry’s 72 not out from 44 balls, and an equally fine innings of 64 from 45 balls by Owais Shah, underpinned Hampshire’s impressive 199 for 5, and Middlesex could only reply with 178 for 9.Paul Stirling smashed a six and nine fours in an explosive 27-ball 54, but when he was caught and bowled by Yasir Arafat in the 11th over, to leave Middlesex 107 for 4, they never looked like chasing down their victory target. It is Hampshire’s fifth win in seven South Group games, while Middlesex have won only two of their seven matches and remain at the bottom of the group.Stirling was joined in an explosive third wicket stand of 88 in 7.5 overs by John Simpson, who also impressed with 35 from 24 balls, featuring a six and three fours, before he perished to a catch at long-on to give Will Smith a second scalp with his innocuous-looking off breaks. Smith had also struck in the first over of Middlesex’s reply, having Nick Compton caught and bowled for a third ball duck, and the home side were 9 for 2 when Nick Gubbins was leg-before to Jackson Bird.But Stirling revived the innings by taking 24 off the fifth over, bowled by the unfortunate Chris Wood. The left-arm seamer was swung high over midwicket for six and, with a wide thrown in, was also taken for four offside fours by the Irishman – the first two punched through the covers and the last two angled away to third man.

Insights

Although Kent, Glamorgan, Gloucestershire and even at times Middlesex have played scintillating cricket this season, no team in the South Group has matched the consistency or winning nous of Hampshire. While they have registered regularly strong scores their innings have been far from faultless and on more than a couple of occasions they’ve had to work hard for their wins. Having selected just 15 players in their eight squads so far this season Hampshire are one of the most settled teams in the country and such stability is engendering success. Concerns still linger over the fast bowling however, which remains sporadic and profligate.
Freddie Wilde

Simpson hit Danny Briggs for a successive six and four, and it was only when he and Stirling departed in the 10th and 11th overs that Middlesex’s challenge faded away.James Franklin did his best with some defiant blows, but Andrew Balbirnie and Neil Dexter were both dismissed cheaply by Danny Briggs’s left-arm spin and when Ollie Rayner was run out and Franklin adjudged lbw for a 24-ball 35 in the 17th over, all that remained was for Middlesex’s lower order to bat out the remaining overs.Hampshire’s total was built upon a superb third wicket partnership of 118 in 12.1 overs between Carberry and Shah. The two veteran batsmen – Shah is 36 and Carberry 34 – constructed their stand along classical lines, at first predominantly pushing singles and rotating the strike but later hitting boundaries with great power as they set about the Middlesex attack.Shah was visibly annoyed when he got himself out by stepping back into his own stumps when swinging a ball from Kyle Abbott high over deep square leg for what would have been his third six. As it was, as umpire Graham Lloyd raised his arms high to signal the six to the scorers, Shah was stomping off swishing his bat in anger at his clumsiness.They came together at 27 for 2, after James Vince and Jimmy Adams fell trying to take full advantage of the initial six-over Powerplay. Vince was bowled by Abbott for 14 aiming something violent soon after he had marked his call-up to England’s Twenty20 international squad by taking three fours from the second over of the game, bowled by Harry Podmore, and Adams was leg-before to offspinner Rayner as he attempted to reverse sweep.Carberry and Shah had only just started to accelerate when Hampshire reached the halfway point of the innings at 71 for 2, but 60 runs came from the next five overs as Shah hit Rayner for four, six, four from successive balls in a 14th over costing 17. The 12th over had brought 13 runs, too, with Carberry mainly responsible for that, and Shah took a cheeky two for a free hit at James Harris which he launched high into the hands of long off for a “catch” that didn’t count.Towards the end of his innings, there was one flashing cover drive from Shah, off Podmore, which beat a boundary fielder in front of the Grand Stand even though the ball hit the ropes just ten yards from where he had been positioned.Sean Ervine, replacing Shah, took fours from the first three balls he faced – including a brilliant ramp shot from his first delivery from Abbott – and then smashed Harris straight for six soon after Carberry had swung the same bowler over midwicket for a maximum. Ervine’s 20, which was ended by a magnificent diving catch by Balbirnie, who sprinted in from long-on before throwing himself forward, took only seven balls and, in all, Hampshire plundered 68 from the last five overs.Carberry carved Abbott for two final fours in a 20th over in which the South African fast bowler was punished for 20 runs and contained two no balls.

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.”

Paul Grayson has been confirmed as Essex coach until the end of the season after the club’s general committee overwhelmingly resisted a recommendation from new cricket chairman chairman Ronnie Irani to remove him

David Hopps18-Aug-2015Paul Grayson, Essex’s beleaguered coach, has been confirmed in the role until the end of the season as the club’s general committee has overwhelmingly resisted a recommendation from the new cricket chairman Ronnie Irani to remove him immediately from the post.The debate about Grayson’s future could hardly have been more disruptively timed, coming only a few days before Essex’s NatWest quarter-final against Birmingham Bears at Edgbaston which was duly lost in one of their most disappointing displays of the season.The committee, clearly wary of a repeat, voted in Chelmsford on Monday to delay their decision on Grayson’s future, even as Essex travelled to their final Royal London Cup group match against Sussex at Hove, another season-defining match in which victory would ensure them of a home quarter-final.Grayson has supervised consistently excellent displays in limited-overs cricket since taking charge in 2008 with Essex second only to Hampshire in the number of victories in one-day cricket in that time. But while Hampshire have gone on to win trophies, Essex have repeatedly faltered in the final stages, encouraging Irani to press for change soon after being elected to the role last month.It is the timing of the recommendation that has brought most unease, although in some ways that was unavoidable. Grayson was anxious to determine his future before the end of the season after the decision of the former cricket committee chairman, Graham Saville, to step down after 27 years in the role naturally introduced a period of reassessment within the county.Grayson, it is interesting to note, is one year into an official three-year plan in which it was made clear that the priority was to secure a one-day trophy and reshape a young Championship side based on home grown players. That commitment has been followed to the letter with a whole host of debutants given an opportunity to prove their worth for a county that lacks the pace bowling depth to sustain a serious challenge.Irani sounded more ambitious, stating upon taking office: ” We need to try to get into division one of the County Championship. We’ve fallen short of that for quite a few years now. We have to change and we have to improve massively.”We have an immensely talented group of individuals and it is fair to say that at this moment in time we have underachieved in the last seven or eight years.”We are still talented and it is great to see young players coming through like Nick Browne, Tom Westley and Jamie Porter. We have to make sure we keep doing that, while getting Essex back to the level that we were in years gone by, knocking on doors and trying to win trophies.”At this moment in time Paul is the head coach and we have to respect that position until the cricket committee decide on anything different.”Quite how much Grayson can be blamed for a prolonged failure to reach Division One of the Championship is a question worth asking. As a coach, as opposed to a director of cricket, his powers have remained limited, much against the trend in the county game and Essex’s budget is considerably lower.Essex still have one of the most traditional structures in county cricket with the outgong cricket chairman Saville, a former England U19 coach, and captain, James Foster, having had most influence on the big cricketing decisions. That way of doing things is unlikely to change.