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Shane Watson expressed his desire to return to the Test team in any role the coach Darren Lehmann and captain Michael Clarke saw fit.

Daniel Brettig03-Nov-2014Not for the first time, Shane Watson’s standing in the Australian team appears to have been enhanced by his time away from it. Ankle and calf injuries that kept Watson out of engagements in Zimbabwe and the UAE have created a clamour for his return to the Test top order against India, his experience and aggression missing from the XI that has fallen short of Pakistan.Watson is back in one Australian team, the Twenty20 squad assembled to face South Africa in Adelaide on Wednesday. While he admitted to it feeling “quite wrong” that two distinct national squads are convened on opposite sides of the globe, he expressed his desire to return to the Test team in any role the coach Darren Lehmann and captain Michael Clarke saw fit.”Wherever Darren and Michael want me to play or bat, I just want to have an opportunity and wherever they want me in the batting order I’m just happy to be part of the team,” Watson said. “I’m sure there’s been a lot of things the team have learned on the current tour, so hopefully I can score enough runs over the next month to give myself an opportunity to be in the team. I am as fresh as I have been for a long, long time. I’m ready to play anything.”I’ve never experienced anything like this – to be here with an Australian squad but still be watching on TV another Australian team plying its trade in the UAE seems very bizarre. Knowing there’s only a day or two between that Test match ending and when we start over here is interesting scheduling, but that’s the way it is.”Since he was last seen celebrating Australia’s last-gasp series win over South Africa in Cape Town, Watson has spent considerable time working with his mentor Mark O’Neill on batting technique, which was tweaked “on the run” during 2013, when England aimed unerringly for his front pad in the first of two Ashes series before Watson enjoyed greater success from the time of the fifth Test at the Oval and then on through the home summer.”With my batting I’ve had to work through my technical issues that have crept in from playing as long as I had [without a break],” Watson said. “So I’ve had to work very hard on those over the past six months. It was really trying to simplify my batting. I had to make a few adjustments on the run during the English series when I had some lbw issues so I made a few adjustments on the run and I’ve had to get back to simplifying that. I’ve been lucky to work with a really high-quality batting coach who’s been able to help me bring things back to simplify it.””I didn’t want it [the break] because I just want to play as much as I possibly can for my country. But out of any negative situation I have always tried to find the positives and there have certainly been some positives out of it. To be able to just continue, to be able to refine my batting, but also continue to look at where my physical preparation is as well … that is also the most important thing to me, to be able to stay fit.”Watson has found himself watching the events in the UAE with a mixture of curiosity and frustration, given how definitely Pakistan have forged ahead of Clarke’s team. But he has reasoned that the result provides a worthwhile reminder that the Test team is far from infallible, having won only two – albeit major – Test series since appearing to be in disarray in India in 2013, not coincidentally the last time the team confronted subcontinental conditions.”After everything that we have done over the last 18 months to build it up, things are never meant to go perfectly well,” he said. “We have had an incredible run in the Ashes last summer and in South Africa as well. Things always pop up at times to give you a reality check when you need it. This, certainly from afar, it looks like it has been a really big reality check for everyone.”We’ve always grown out of situations that haven’t been ideal for us and we’ll certainly do that again.”Now Watson faces up to South Africa in the game’s shortest form, though he agreed there may be the odd spiky on-field reference to the Test series earlier this year, which was as hard-fought and occasionally ugly as any recent Test encounter. “The relations were a bit rocky no doubt,” he said. “It was very hard-fought cricket so there will be a lot of competition on the field, and maybe a few scars floating around from that Test tour as well might pop up, but in the end they’re a high-quality team and so are we.”

ESPNcricinfo previews the second ODI between West Indies and Zimbabwe in Grenada

The Preview by Devashish Fuloria23-Feb-2013Match factsFebruary 24, 2013
Start time 0930 local (1330 GMT)Could Darren Bravo’s hundred in the first ODI be his breakthrough innings?• WICB Media/Randy Brooks PhotoBig pictureIn a short three-ODI series that doesn’t last a week, a heavy defeat in the first game can quickly become a nightmare. It wouldn’t be outlandish to say that 3-0 to West Indies is an expected result, but for Zimbabwe, who hardly play international cricket these days, this series offers a vital chance to show improvement. Their first outing was forgettable, but they need to avoid a repeat performance.Their bowlers were battered by the West Indies batsmen, who could have got more than the 337 they eventually did, and when it was their turn to bat, their batsmen slipped at the first sight of Sunil Narine. In the end, it became a question of how badly would they lose. That they lasted 50 overs was largely due to a 67-ball 18 by No. 8 Prosper Utseya. In both innings, there were only a couple of performers of note and in international cricket, other teams feast upon such weaknesses. Zimbabwe need to regroup quickly, as a team, and must show the will and confidence to stay competitive.West Indies, on the other hand, need to find the ruthlessness that went missing after their World Twenty20 title win. They are expected to steamroll the opposition in this series and the only competition is with themselves. Can they get more if they bat first? Can they bowl out Zimbabwe within 40 overs? These are the challenges that Dwayne Bravo would want his team to take head on after the recent reverses in ODIs in Australia.Form guideWest Indies WLLLL
Zimbabwe LLLLWIn the spotlightDarren Bravo has been around for close to four years now. He has shown numerous glimpses of his talent in the past – especially in Tests – but the hundred on Friday was his first in 51 ODI outings. He followed up his maiden Test hundred with two more soon after. With the quality of bowling Zimbabwe offer, he would certainly be hoping for another one in this series.If Zimbabwe need to show improvement, it has to start from two of their experienced batsmen, Brendan Taylor and Hamilton Masakadza. The two were out in consecutive overs without getting into double-digit scores. With 249 matches between them, Zimbabwe would hope the pillars of their batting line-up show some resistance.Team newsKieron Pollard, who missed the previous match due to travel difficulties in getting to Grenada, will be available for selection for the second ODI.West Indies: (probable) 1 Johnson Charles, 2 Kieran Powell, 3 Darren Bravo, 4 Ramnaresh Sarwan, 5 Kieron Pollard, 6 Dwayne Bravo (capt), 7 Andre Russell, 8 Denesh Ramdin (wk), 9 Kemar Roach, 10 Tino Best, 11 Sunil NarineZimbabwe (from) Brendan Taylor (capt), Hamilton Masakadza, Vusi Sibanda, Tino Mawoyo, Kyle Jarvis, Tendai Chatara, Chris Mpofu, Prosper Utseya, Regis Chakabva, Malcolm Waller, Keegan Meth, Craig Ervine, Chamu Chibhabha, Tino Mutombodzi, Natsai M’shangweStats and trivia Zimbabwe’s first ODI win against West Indies came in their ninth encounter – in July 2000. Their last win against West Indies was three years ago, in Providence.Quotes”A first century in a winning cause is a great feeling. The hard work is paying off and the aim is to continue and get more big scores.”
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ESPNcricinfo previews the second Test between India and Australia, in Hyderabad

The Preview by Siddarth Ravindran01-Mar-2013Match factsMarch 2-6, Hyderabad
Start time 9.30am (0400GMT)Will Michael Clarke once again be Australia’s second spinner, or will Nathan Lyon have more back-up?•BCCIBig PictureThe clinical victory in Chennai marked a job well begun by India, but MS Dhoni’s side won’t be too thrilled yet, having lost the previous series against England despite taking a 1-0 lead. England’s fortunes turned with the inclusion of the extra spinner in Monty Panesar for the second Test in Mumbai, and Australia’s team management have also been pondering whether to switch to a two-spinner policy, which has historically not worked too well for them in India.What could prompt Australia to stick to their pace-heavy line-up will be that left-arm spinner Xavier Doherty’s Test credentials aren’t in the same league as Panesar ‘s, evidenced by an unflattering first-class average of 44.56.India, too, have been wondering about an additional tweaker, though in their case it will expand their spin trio to a quartet. Pragyan Ojha, the left-arm spinner, was perhaps India’s best bowler in the series defeat to England but was surprisingly left out in the first Test. India’s quicks had little to do in Chennai, and Ojha could take one of their places.Though Ojha is the latest in a long line of Hyderabad players to have played Tests for India, the city has not been a traditional venue for Test cricket, having only hosted three matches till 2009. Tests returned to Hyderabad in 2010 at the new Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, and the Australia match will be the third in Hyderabad in three years. It is the only Indian stadium to get two Tests this season, benefitting after the Australians complained about the facilities in the original host city, Kanpur. Briefly there were concerns that the match might be moved out of Hyderabad as well, after powerful bomb blasts hit the city just over a week ago. Security has been tightened before the match, with two units of an elite anti-terror squad deployed, and 60 CCTVs being used to monitor the stadium and surroundings.Form guide India WDLLW (Last five matches, most recent first)
Australia LWWWLWatch out for…In Chennai, James Pattinson once again showed why he’s rated so highly by Australia’s team management, bowling with ferocious pace to fluster India’s batsmen and finishing comfortably the best of the Australia’s fast bowlers. Pattinson has a tendency to break down, though, and was used only in two short bursts of three overs each early in the first innings. Can his body handle the intensity of back-to-back Tests?Pattinson dismissed the opener M Vijay cheaply in both innings. The Chennai Test was Vijay’s first chance in more than 18 months, and failure in the second Test could relegate him to the sidelines again. With Gautam Gambhir out of the squad, runs in Hyderabad might open the way to a long run in the side for Vijay. He didn’t have the best of Ranji seasons – making only 138 at 17.25 in five matches – but will be hoping to capture the form that brought him centuries in both Irani Cup (a first-class Indian domestic match, which pits the Ranji champions against a Rest of India side) games this season.Teams newsAfter the Chennai victory, MS Dhoni had talked about India having found a ‘settled’ side, indicating that there aren’t likely to be too many changes. The only decision the team management will have to make is whether to bring in Ojha, and if so, at whose expense.India: (probable) 1 Virender Sehwag, 2 M Vijay, 3 Cheteshwar Pujara, 4 Sachin Tendulkar, 5 Virat Kohli, 6 Ravindra Jadeja, 7 MS Dhoni (capt & wk), 8 R Ashwin, 9 Harbhajan Singh, 10 and 11 Bhuvneshwar Kumar/ Ishant Sharma/Pragyan OjhaUnlike Chennai, where Australia confidently announced their XI well before the match, they have yet to name their team for Hyderabad. The batting is unlikely to change, unless keeper Matthew Wade (who was hit on the cheek during Friday’s practice session) is forced to sit out*. If Wade does miss out, Phillip Hughes is likely to take over wicketkeeping duties with batsman Usman Khawaja slotting in. David Warner, who suffered a bout of gastro in Chennai, is fully fit Clarke said on the eve of the Test.Australia: (possible) 1 David Warner, 2 Ed Cowan, 3 Phillip Hughes, 4 Shane Watson, 5 Michael Clarke (capt), 6 Matthew Wade (wk)/Usman Khawaja, 7 Moises Henriques, 8 Peter Siddle, 9 Mitchell Starc/Mitchell Johnson/Xavier Doherty, 10 James Pattinson, 11 Nathan LyonPitch and conditionsIt will be hotter in Hyderabad than in Chennai, with the temperature predicted to be around 35C in the afternoons. There is no rain forecast over the next week. The pitch is expected to provide help for the spinners, though it should have more in it for the quick bowlers than the turner in Chennai as it is a harder surface.Stats and trivia In his previous innings, Dhoni moved into the top 10 among six-hitters in Test cricket, going past Kevin Pietersen. He has cleared the ropes 75 times in Tests, and needs 26 more to break the all-time record held by Adam Gilchrist Peter Siddle’s bowling strike-rate of 41.6 is the best by an Australian against IndiaQuotes”When you go onto a ground, you have a good feeling if you have done well before over there … [you have] a good positive mindset.”

14.00GMT, March 1: Australia’s team news was updated following their practice session on Friday.

Sreesanth, the India fast bowler, is using the recent experiences of the “darkest” days of his career as extra motivation to force his way back into the national team

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Jan-2013Sreesanth, the India fast bowler, is using recent experiences of the “darkest” days of his career as extra motivation to force his way back into the national team.Sreesanth, who will face England for India A on Sunday, was out of action for more than year after undergoing two operations on his toes to insert platinum nails which left him in a wheelchair as he recuperated. A quick bowler known for his aggression on the field, which sometimes spilled over the top, Sreesanth admitted to it being an emotional time for him where he even considered it might be the end of his career.”Who says men don’t cry? I used to sob like a baby as I was forced to move around in a wheelchair for two months after twin surgeries on my toes,” he told . “To be honest, I started thinking that probably, I won’t be able to play cricket again. It was such a scary thought. Those 14 months were the darkest phase of my life.”However, that drastic scenario did not emerge and he returned to cricket for Kerela, in the Ranji Trophy, during December. His three matches have brought nine wickets at 24, enough to earn him a place in the India A line-up to face England in their first warm-up match ahead of the one-day series.India are not flush with fast-bowling options at the moment. Zaheer Khan, dropped for the final Test against England, is seemingly coming to the end of his career and two talented young bowlers, Umesh Yadav and Varun Aaron, are currently injured. Ishant Sharma has become the senior quick, a role that he does not always convince in, although Bhuvneshwar Kumar has shown early promise.It all means, at 29, that there is still time for Sreesanth to return to the international stage. He played the last of his 27 Tests against England, at The Oval, in 2011 and his previous ODI was the World Cup final in Mumbai.”This is a fresh start for me,” he said. “I want to extract every ounce of enjoyment possible from the matches that I would play from now on. Be it for Kerala, India A or India, I don’t want to relax one bit. I have two platinum nails inserted in my big toes but I have a lot of fire in my belly.””Earlier, I used to think that there are days where I can relax. But now I know that life is fickle. You have to give your hundred per cent as long as it lasts.”Don’t, though, expect to see a mellowed fast bowler on the field. “Earlier, I had a 26-step run-up to the bowling crease but now I have reduced it to 23 steps. But I have not cut down on my pace. Even while playing for Kerala, I have consistently worked up a fair amount of pace. The only thing that I need right now is more consistency.”

The captain of the visually challenged Pakistan cricket team, Zeshan Abbasi, who is in Bangalore to play the T20 Blind Cricket World Cup, was hospitalised on Saturday after accidentally drinking phenyl at the team hotel

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Dec-2012The captain of Pakistan’s visually challenged cricket team, Zeshan Abbasi, who is in Bangalore to play the T20 Blind Cricket World Cup, was hospitalised on Saturday after accidentally drinking phenyl at the team hotel. He was discharged later in the day, and was ‘absolutely fine’ according to the doctors.Abbasi had sipped the contents of a plastic bottle left on the table during breakfast, mistaking it for mineral water. He was taken to hospital, where was treated and kept under observation before being discharged a few hours later.”Abbasi was discharged at 4.30pm. He is absolutely fine”, the president of the hospital, Dr Shetty, was quoted as saying by . He said Abbasi had had an endoscopy and all the results were normal.Pakistan team manager Sultan Shah said the hotel had apologised for the incident, but they wanted it probed further. “We want to know from the hotel management, who have orally apologised to us, how such an incident happened and who is responsible for such negligence,” Shah said. “It has to be ensured that such incidents do not recur. Otherwise, we are happy with the arrangements here.”SP Nagesh, the president of the All Indian Cricket Association, also called for an investigation: “[The hotel must] tell us how such a lapse occurred. We are awaiting their reply.”

Opening for the first time in a T20 international, Sarfraz Ahmed made a breezy unbeaten 76 to steer Pakistan to a seven-wicket win over New Zealand in Dubai

The Report by Karthik Krishnaswamy04-Dec-2014
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsCorey Anderson’s 48 was the bright spot in a sub-par New Zealand innings•AFPOpening for the first time in a T20 international, Sarfraz Ahmed made a breezy unbeaten 76 to steer Pakistan to a seven-wicket win over New Zealand at the Dubai International Stadium. Sarfraz put on 51 with Awais Zia for the first wicket, and an unbroken 43 with Umar Akmal for the fourth wicket, to take Pakistan past their target of 136 with five balls remaining, Akmal ending the contest with a straight six off James Neesham.New Zealand had two good partnerships in the middle part of their innings, with Corey Anderson involved in both, but struggled either side of them. Their total was at least 15 short of being genuinely challenging, even if Pakistan kept the game interesting by losing two wickets to run-outs.Sarfraz had only batted once in his four previous T20 games for Pakistan, at number eight, and he quickly set about showing what a waste of talent that had been, slapping Mitchell McClenaghan to the point boundary and stepping down the track to the debutant fast bowler Matt Henry to sweep him over the fine-leg boundary.At the other end, Awais Zia looked a little leaden-footed against the pace of Henry and Adam Milne, but quickly realised he would be best served giving Sarfraz the strike. The pair brought up Pakistan’s first half-century opening stand in 18 matches before lazy running brought about its end at the start of the ninth over. When Luke Ronchi threw out Mohammad Hafeez an over later, when the batsmen unwisely tried to pinch a leg-bye off a fumble, Pakistan were in a bit of a bother.Sarfraz, though, wasn’t letting the wickets disrupt his flow. He immediately crashed Corey Anderson for successive fours, and slogged him for a six over cow corner to bring up his half-century. That over brought Pakistan 17 runs, and brought the equation down to 59 required off 54 balls.Sarfraz simply needed someone to stay with him and Haris Sohail seemed to be doing that before he swiped McClenaghan straight to the short midwicket fielder with Pakistan still 39 short of their target. Akmal came in, having missed out on Pakistan’s recent Test upsurge, and instantly reminded fans of what they had been missing. Henry returned to bowl the 16th over, and Akmal took three fours off that over, the middle one a sweet pick-up shot over wide long-on. It was a canter from there on.Sent in to bat, New Zealand lost three wickets in their first three overs, each to a different bowler. Anwar Ali and Sohail Tanvir trapped Kane Williamson and Anton Devcich lbw, respectively, before Mohammad Irfan then consumed Ross Taylor with one that lifted from just back of a length and popped off the shoulder of the bat to point.Martin Guptill and Anderson rebuilt the innings, picking up a boundary roughly every other over and putting on 46 off 41 balls. Guptill made 32 before Shahid Afridi bowled him through the gate with a slightly slower ball.New Zealand entered their most productive period after the dismissal, with Anderson and Ronchi bringing up their half-century partnership off just 32 balls. Anderson’s effortless power was in full evidence, particularly when he pulled Anwar for two flat sixes in the 13th over, and Ronchi was timing his drives through and over extra cover quite exquisitely.At 110 for 4 at the end of the 15th over, New Zealand looked set for 150 at least, but their scoring stalled once Anderson miscued a pull to deep midwicket two short of 50. Irfan and Tanvir varied their pace expertly in the last two overs, giving away just nine runs between them and dismissing Neesham and Ronchi in the process. New Zealand found the boundary only once in their last five overs, and even that came off the bottom-edge.

Martin Stovold, who played as a batsman for Gloucestershire between 1978 and 1982, has died after a lengthy illness

Martin Williamson26-Jun-2012Martin Stovold, who played as a batsman for Gloucestershire between 1978 and 1982, has died after a lengthy illness. He was 56.Stovold followed his better-known older brother Andy from Loughborough College to the county but failed to make the same impression. A left-hand batsman and very occasional offspinner, he made his county debut in 1978 and over the next five season played for the county without ever holding down a regular first-team place in the three-day game, although in 1980 and 1981 he was more in the one-day side than out of it.In 25 first-class matches he managed 518 runs at 16.70 and in 34 List A games he scored 325 runs at 13.00. He made only two fifties with his best 75 against Oxford University.He was released by the county in 1982, continuing to coach in South Africa, but returned to England in 1986 where he took up the role of cricket professional at Cheltenham College, becoming master-in-charge in 1993. He also taught geography and was a housemaster.”Martin was one of the most dedicated teachers in the College’s long history and inspiration to generations of young people as a housemaster, geography teacher and master in charge of cricket,” Dr Alex Peterken, Headmaster of Cheltenham College, told the PCA. “Just last week he emailed staff from his hospital bed to lament the effect the wet weather was having on the College’s cricket schedule. ‘The tide will turn and the sun will shine’ he said. These proved to be his last public words and the sun now shines on his memory.”

For the third time on this tour, a Sri Lanka youngster played a vital role in a victory, as Lahiru Thirimanne put in a performance worthy of the Man of the Match award

Firdose Moonda at the Wanderers23-Jan-2012For the third time on this tour, a Sri Lanka youngster played a vital role in a victory. Bear in mind that Sri Lanka have only won three matches on this tour and it will tell you the importance that the up and coming cricketers have had on the six-week tour of South Africa.Lahiru Thirimanne’s composed 69 off 63 balls was a performance worthy of the Man of the Match award. Even though he didn’t get it, he was the man considered important enough to discuss the match with the media, the task usually given to the person who wins the award, after the day’s events.He said he took his innings in his stride even though the task facing him was an enormous one. “When I went in to bat, the asking-rate was 6.80 and it was a difficult situation to adjust to,” Thirimanne said. “Kumar [Sangakkara] guided me and we narrowed the gap and got into a situation that was manageable.”Thirimanne was brought on the tour as a reserve opener in the Tests and got his opportunity when Tharanga Paranavitana was dropped. He had to wait for a similar situation in the ODIs and was picked in the starting XI when Mahela Jayawardene got injured. He said that the lessons he learnt on his visit to South Africa will serve him well as his career grows.”In the Test match, I had to handle a very sharp pace attack as an opener and that was an experience which will help me in the future. The main adjustment one has to make when playing in South Africa is to adapt to the bounce of the wicket,” he said. “In the one-dayers, my role was to rotate the strike and try to prolong the innings but I was unable to. In this game I played that role quite well, rotated the strike and hit boundaries that helped us win the game.”While Thirimanne recalled his series with careful thoroughness, Sri Lanka’s captain Tillakaratne Dilshan sat with a small smile on his face. He would return home empty handed but he had achieved something that may prove more important in Sri Lanka’s future.”In the last few series I gave the opportunity to youngsters, especially in this series, and we saw them doing it [well] for Sri Lanka,” Dilshan said. “I am really happy to do that and to see that they grabbed the opportunities and performed under pressure. I believe in my youngsters, that’s the future for Sri Lanka. I want to give them more chances in the middle, so they can get experience. Maybe after the next three to four months, there will be more experienced players in the side. They are showing that they are ready for an international challenge.”Although Dilshan did not lead with the bat, he showed signs of real leadership with his decisions in the field and the faith he showed in the youngsters. Whether he will continue in the position for long enough to see them establish themselves in the national team remains to be seen. Rumours are rising that Dilshan will be replaced as captain before the tri-series in Australia but he said if he asked to carry on, he will do so. “If they offer it to me I will take it, because I am really enjoying my captaincy.”Sri Lankan cricket is set for a mini overhaul in the next few weeks, with Graham Ford confirmed as the new coach in the wake of the Geoff Marsh sacking. It leaves this series little room for context besides acting as the catalyst for major action from the Sri Lanka board.For Dilshan, there is more to it than just that. A Test win, two victories in the ODIs and to come close in Bloemfontein, which could have changed the complexion of the limited-overs series altogether, was cause to celebrate. “Before we came here everyone thought we were the underdog but we proved we are one of the best sides in the world, especially in one-dayers,” he said. “Hopefully, we can carry this performance into the next few tours.”

Neil McGarrell, 41, has been named as USA’s captain in a 15-man squad for the 2013 World Twenty20 Qualifier next month in the UAE

Peter Della Penna24-Oct-2013Neil McGarrell, 41, has been named USA’s captain in a 15-man squad for the 2013 World Twenty20 Qualifier next month in the UAE. McGarrell, who played four Tests and 17 ODIs for West Indies between 1998 and 2001, made his debut for USA in 2012 against Canada, and takes over from Steve Massiah, who had been captain for seven years. Massiah was retained in the squad along with Orlando Baker, who captained USA to an 8-0 record in a stand-in capacity at the 2013 ICC Americas Division One Twenty20 tournament in March.Adam Sanford, 38, and Imran Awan are also making their way into the squad as fast bowlers. Sanford, who played 11 Tests for the West Indies from 2002 to 2004, played for USA in a series of trial matches against Bermuda this past weekend, and is set to make his official debut for USA in their opening match against Canada in Abu Dhabi on November 15. Awan, once considered one of the fastest bowlers in the Associate world, hasn’t played for USA since 2010 after struggling with his accuracy.USA’s lack of experienced pace bowlers was apparent earlier this year during the ICC World Cricket League Division Three competition, where they finished third. Seamer Usman Shuja, who was dropped ahead of WCL Division Three, was not brought back into the squad for the tour to the UAE, though he had been included in a list of 28 probables in September. Timroy Allen has decided to return for USA after announcing his retirement following the end of WCL Division Three in May to focus on work and family commitments. Allen has subsequently been named vice-captain for the tour.Three players from USA’s tour of Bermuda for WCL Division Three earlier this year are not in the squad for the qualifier. USA’s batting will likely struggle in the absence of Sushil Nadkarni and Rashard Marshall. Nadkarni had to withdraw due to work commitments, and it is believed Marshall was unavailable for the same reasons. Medium pacer Naseer Jamali is the third player not retained. Only five players who played for USA at the ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier in 2012 – Baker, Muhammad Ghous, Elmore Hutchinson, Japen Patel and Steven Taylor – will be traveling back to the UAE in November.Besides Sanford, the only other player in the squad yet to play in an official match for USA is Srinivasa Santhanam. An allrounder originally from Tamil Nadu, Santhanam now plays for Microsoft Cricket Club in Seattle. The Pacific Northwest, and Microsoft CC in particular, has been a growing source of talent for the USA in recent years, with former USA spinners Samarth Shah and Saurabh Verma also hailing from the club, while Naseer Jamali plays in the Seattle area.USA has been placed in Group A along with Canada, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Namibia, Uganda and the UAE. USA finished 12th at the qualifier in 2012, but posted a noteworthy upset of Scotland at the event. The top six teams in this year’s qualifier will advance to the 2014 ICC World Twenty20 in Bangladesh.USA Squad: Neil McGarrell (captain), Timroy Allen (vice-captain), Danial Ahmed, Imran Awan, Orlando Baker, Barrington Bartley, Akeem Dodson (wk), Karan Ganesh, Muhammad Ghous, Elmore Hutchinson, Steve Massiah, Japen Patel, Adam Sanford, Srinivasa Santhanam, Steven Taylor (wk).

Former New Zealand wicketkeeper and coach Warren Lees says the gap between seniors and juniors in the national setup is too wide

Firdose Moonda in Dunedin12-Mar-2012Unless New Zealand Cricket fashions a clear plan to help junior players move through the stages seamlessly, the team will be plagued with underachievement, according to Warren Lees, former national wicketkeeper and coach. Lees used Tim Southee, who was axed for the second Test, as a prime example of the increasing gap between rookie and veteran and how it will affect the country’s cricketing future.”I believe in having three groups as a cricket team. Everyone should start as an apprentice and then work their way into middle management and then become administration,” Lees told ESPNcricinfo during the first Test in Dunedin.”What’s wrong with the New Zealand team is that Tim Southee is in administration. He should be an apprentice. But, circumstances forced that on the team. Tim Southee isn’t the only one but he is an example and a glaring one. He should still be sitting in the corner with his hands in his lap and listening. Then, it should take five tours and two years before he moves up.”Southee was dropped from the New Zealand squad after a string of poor performances against South Africa. He has gone two matches wicket-less. He has also been expensive, lost his lines and with that, his self-belief. “Tim didn’t have the game of his life,” Ross Taylor, the New Zealand captain, said after the match, the first hint that Southee may be dropped. “He struggled a little bit with his action but he’s played a few Tests now. He’s a confidence player and hopefully he can bounce back from this.”The ability to recover and continue to the next phase of international cricket is something that Lees feels will only be possible if players have the right management and team-mates who are in various stages around them. In the past, he does not think New Zealand had a structure with these distinctions.Lees referred to his own coaching stint, between 1990 and 1993, and highlighted it as being the period in which the gap between the newest players and their seniors widened. He blamed the divide to the inability of players at the mid-level to take youngsters under their wing and help them assimilate.”New Zealand did reasonably well performance wise when they had [Nathan] Astle,[Chris] Cairns and [Craig] McMillan, but none of them wanted to take the management roles,” Lees said. “If you were a youngster getting into the team, none of those players offered anything. So there was this huge gap between Stephen Fleming and his seniors and the apprentices. We weren’t developing a culture for the future so when they left the team had no direction.”In recent months, New Zealand appear to have found a path and Lees hopes John Wright, the current coach who he played with, can keep them on it. He believes Wright will act as the bridge between players at different levels. “The one good thing about the team at the moment is that I can’t see too many of them retiring anytime soon,” Lees said. “Ok, Chris Martin has a limited life and Daniel Vettori is not going to be there forever, but he is not as effective as he was anyway. There’s a stronger promise of what could happen in the future. And I think John Wright is the right sort of person to bring that out.”With Wight’s commitment, Lees said the New Zealand team will not want for dedication or a desire to produce their best. “They may lose through a lack of skill but they won’t lose through a lack of effort,” he said. “We saw a bit of that in this game. The first day taught some of those bowlers quite a lot and as a group they grew through the mistakes of day one. You could see for the rest of the Test there was more of a collective effort.”Edited by Kanishkaa Balachandran