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Les Burdett, the long-serving Adelaide Oval groundsman, has signalled the end of 136 years of cricketing tradition by suggesting drop-in pitches could be used at the ground as part of its $450m redevelopment. Spectators at the second Test against West Indies this week will notice the iconic ochre-roofed Edwin Smith, George Giffen and Mostyn Evans stands to the west of the ground have already been bulldozed, and more changes are planned over the next four years.The South Australian premier, Mike Rann, this week unveiled plans to expand the Adelaide Oval into a 50,000-seat multi-purpose stadium that will host primarily Australian rules football and cricket. To do so, Burdett said Adelaide may follow the lead of the Melbourne Cricket Ground and introduce drop-in pitches to reduce the risk of football injuries in the centre of the ground.Burdett conceded a conventional wicket, which has been a feature of the ground since its opening in 1873, was a preferable option, and noted that both the Gabba and Sydney Cricket Ground manage to host both AFL and international cricket without changing the surface. Queensland and New South Wales, however, are not regarded as traditional AFL states, and it remains to be seen whether South Australia’s influential football clubs, the Adelaide Crows and Port Adelaide, would agree to maintaining a traditional pitch square at the revamped stadium.”I have worked with drop-in pitches at Docklands and I know what they’re all about,” Burdett said. “It may come to that and you may be in an area where we’ve got to find a nursery where we can produce pitches and maybe the time will come. I certainly haven’t cut off that possibility, that’s for sure.”There’s been some fantastic cricket here, even since back in 1991 when we dug one [of the pitches] up there’s only been two draws in that time, and the foundation of the pitches at the moment are producing good cricket. Cricket Australia vote on Sheffield Shield wickets around Australia, they vote on one-day wickets, and Adelaide Oval’s always held its head up the top.”Ricky Ponting has been a long-time advocate for conventional pitches, and expressed a hint of sadness at the modernisation of one of the world’s most iconic cricketing venues. “I’m actually sad to see all those coloured seats go in the Members Stand because when I was at the Academy I changed every nut and bolt in those seats,” he quipped. “That was my job for the year. I’m sad to see those go. I saw some images in the paper today … the whole redevelopment of this place looks amazing. It’s sad to see the Adelaide Oval go as we know it, but it looks like it’s going to turn into a fantastic stadium.”That’s the way sport is going everywhere in the world. We know how big AFL footy is in this country and a lot of the grounds now are dual-purpose grounds, the Gabba and the MCG and the SCG. This ground has had a lot of its own character as far as being a different shape and an actual cricket ground rather than a football ground. But it looks like that’s gone now. That’s just the way of the world at the moment.”Ponting added that the removal of the grandstands on the western side of the ground would have an effect on tactics during the Test match. “Today it was significantly different out on the ground, a lot windier,” he said. “We’ll have to take that into account.”

Australia’s injury crisis could yet have ramifications for the first Test against West Indies at the Gabba with Michael Clarke in doubt, according to Australia’s physio Alex Kountouris. Peter Siddle has already declared that he will be ready for the Test, although Ricky Ponting is concerned over the fitness of his fast-bowling brigade in general.Clarke will be one of the most closely watched players in the lead-up to the Test, which begins on November 26, as he continues to deal with back soreness that ruled him out of the tour of India. He has a history of back problems but Kountouris said this particular injury was slightly different.”He gets back soreness that usually only takes him two or three days to get over,” Kountouris told the Age. “That is what has made this one unusual. It didn’t come right so quickly. He’s not doing anything too elaborate right now. He’s running again, which is a good sign. He still has 20 or so days before the Test but I can’t say anything is certain.”The Australians are hoping Clarke is fit to turn out for New South Wales before the first Test, although his opportunities are limited and he hasn’t had a net session since September. The Blues play a one-day match on November 15 and a Sheffield Shield game starting two days later, and those will be the only chances for Clarke to give his back a proper trial before the Gabba Test.His New South Wales team-mate Brad Haddin has made his return to first-class cricket this week, following surgery on a broken finger, and should be a certain starter for the Test series. However, it is the fast-bowling stocks that Australia will be especially keen to monitor with only three weeks until the first of six Tests this summer.Brett Lee was sent home from India with an elbow problem and is expected to be bowling again soon, perhaps next week, while Siddle’s side stiffness raised questions about his short-term future. However, after arriving back in Melbourne, Siddle said he was confident that his soreness would not keep him out of the first Test.”It’s nothing bad,” Siddle said. “I just pulled up a little bit tight, with a bit of soreness, from the last match and they decided the best thing with the first Test coming up was just to come home and rest up and make sure I am 100% and ready to go for that. There’s no worries at all, just a bit of soreness, and the selectors and coaches thought it was the best thing to stay off for the rest of the game and come home and take it easy.”But the captain Ricky Ponting said Siddle’s injury was a concern, because stiffness and tightness in a fast bowler’s side could sometimes lead to a six- to eight-week lay-off. The Australians are trying to balance the desire to win in India with the need to look after their bowlers for the Tests, and adding to the problems is that Mitchell Johnson is reportedly playing despite an ankle strain and Shane Watson is also battling soreness.”Siddle and Lee are already home, two guys that could have been in our first Test line-up,” Ponting said in the . “Ben Hilfenhaus and Johnson are here, so we have to make sure we are doing the right thing by those two. We will try and keep playing the best team here but we have to have an eye on that first Test.”

South Africa women are full of confidence going into the first Twenty20 international at Boland Park on Sunday, having clinched the ODI series, but allrounder Shandre Fritz is fully aware of the unpredictable nature of the shortest format of the game.”We know this is a new ball game and we will approach it with a totally different mindset,” Fritz said. “The women’s game is still fairly new to the concept but we are confident of coming out victors in this format as well. We still carry a lot of confidence from the last T20 game we played against Australia at the World Twenty20 in England and we will want to start off on good footing.”Fritz, 24, is South Africa’s most valuable asset on the field and one of the cleanest hitters. She will look to bolster the batting at the top, in a starting XI that is likely feature some unfamiliar faces along with a restructured batting line-up. Cri-Zelda Brits has been sidelined for two days with bronchitis, which will provide opportunities for the youngsters.South Africa have the winning momentum after a thrilling 2-1 victory in the four-match ODI series, including a thrilling tie in the last game. West Indies though, cannot be written off as series contenders, with the slate having been wiped clean.Of particular threat will be the top four West Indian batsmen – Stafanie Taylor, Deandra Dottin, Pamela Lavine and Cordel Jack – who have shown glimpses of their explosive hitting in the ODIs and can take the game away from any attack.The two other Twenty20 internationals in the three-match series will be played in Cape Town and Paarl on Monday and Wednesday respectively.

Chathura Peiris, the left-arm seamer, will lead a 16-member Sri Lanka Under-19 squad for the tour of Australia next month. The team will play all five one-dayers in Darwin between October 2 and 11.The first three games will be played at the Gardens Oval, while the last two will be at the Marrara Cricket Ground. The team last toured Australia in 2001, a tour which ended in a 3-0 victory in the Tests for the hosts and a 1-1 draw in the three match one-day series.Former Sri Lanka batsman Naveed Nawaz will coach the side. In addition, former legspinner Upul Chandana has been appointed the fielding coach while Aravinda de Silva will travel with the team as the consultant coach.The Sri Lankan youth team last played a one-day series this May in Bangladesh. The team, captained by Dinesh Chandimal, lost the ODIs 4-1.Squad: Chathura Peiris (capt), Banuka Rajapakse (vice-capt), Nipun Karunanayake, Rumesh Buddika, Lahiru Jayaratne, Charith Jayampathy, Udara Jayasundara, Denuwan Rajakaruna, Adeesha Nanayakkara, Andre Berenger, Akshu Fernando, Kithruwan Vithanage, Danushka Gunathilaka, Saranga Rajaguru, Kasun Madushanka, Rushan Jaleel

As England and Australia complete their seven-match ODI series at Chester-le-Street then prepare to fly straight to South Africa for the Champions Trophy, Sean Morris, the chief executive of the Professional Cricketers’ Association, has again warned about the schedules that the top players are facing.This series has seen both sides resting key players at various stages. Ricky Ponting flew home for a break after the Ashes (and Tim Nielsen, the Australia coach, is currently on leave), while England have given Paul Collingwood and James Anderson time off. Collingwood said he felt his body was “shutting down” as various injuries started to catch up with him and the England players have told the PCA of their feelings ahead of a meeting of all the players’ unions in Johannesburg.The seven matches between England and Australia have struggled to capture the imagination of the public, with England performing so poorly, but Morris said their proximity to the Ashes battle meant the players were being pushed to the limits. “Seven ODIs has proved too much. Forty-eight hours after the Ashes, they were off to Ireland for a one-dayer and then onwards. Mentally people are getting into some pretty difficult places,” he told the Sunday Times.”If you want the guys to produce good quality cricket there needs to be a better balance between rest and play. At the moment they have practically got to drop dead to be given a rest.”The problem of scheduling has been increased by the growth of the IPL and other associated tournaments which add to the workload of international fixtures. For example, after the Champions Trophy Collingwood is contracted to appear in the Champions League Twenty20 for Delhi Daredevils during what would be his only break before England’s tour of South Africa. Players, though, need to be cautious of criticising their workload having actively sought out IPL deals.”This problem is not going to go away,” Morris said. “The national boards need to manage what they can realistically get out of players. The best players tend to start young and the danger is that by 30 they will have had enough. Some pretty loud alarm bells should be ringing.”When players question whether they want to get back on the bus, talk soon moves to how long they want to carry on. During this series there has been no time for build-up or preparation and that can’t lead to the best quality games. This will transfer to fans and broadcasters quickly. The players agree that Test cricket is their number one priority. They have no issue with the amount of Test cricket. It is the stuff in between.”

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Sri Lanka A’s top-order batting failed them yet again as Pakistan A took a 2-0 lead in the five-match one-day series. In another rain-affected encounter, reduced to 30 overs, fast bowler Mohammad Talha and left-arm spinner Abdur Rehman bagged three wickets each to bowl out Sri Lanka for 163. The home team were tottering at 83 for 6 – they lost three wickets for no runs at one stage – before Chamara Kapugedera (53) and Farveez Maharoof (47) added 41 to stage a recovery. Maharoof was supported by the tail to take Sri Lanka to a competitive total but it proved inadequate.Though no Pakistan batsman managed to score a half-century, there were important contributions from their top order. Fahad Iqbal top scored with 47 while Ahmed Shehzad (39) and opener Khalid Latif (22) scored at a brisk rate to keep the target within reach. Pakistan, though, did experience a wobble, losing four wickets for 28, including Fahad but wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed held his nerve, making 20 off 12 balls, to see his team through with four balls to spare.Sri Lanka have to win the third ODI on August 24, unless there is a washout, to stay alive in the series.

Fast bowler Rajamani Jesuraj became the first cricketer from the ICL to represent a state team after he was picked for the Tamil Nadu squad for the KSCA All India Invitation tournament.The KSCA tournament is a pre-season series which is used by teams to finalize their Ranji squads.”I never thought I would get a chance to play for Tamil Nadu again. I am thankful to the selectors and hope I can repay the confidence shown in me,” Jesuraj said.The 26-year old made his first-class debut for Tamil Nadu in the 2003-04 season, and played his last match for the state in December 2006 before joining the ICL.Jesuraj’s selection puts him back in contention for Ranji Trophy duties. However, his former ICL team-mates Hemang Badani and S Sriram have not been selected in the squad.

Trevor Gripper and Barney Rogers, two so-called “rebels” who walked out on Zimbabwe five years ago, could be about to make a comeback.Rogers, 26, and Gripper, 33, have been approached by the board of one of the franchises in the new domestic league which begins in mid-August.”We have been speaking to many players with regards to joining the Northerns franchise especially the former internationals who want to return to the national team,” Hugo Ribatika, chief executive of Northerns, told the . “Barney has already agreed to sign on and we have just begun talks with Gripper.”Doug Marillier, who played five Tests and 48 ODIs for Zimbabwe, along with Campbell Macmillan are also believed to be interested in making a comeback. All the franchises have to sign their players by August 5.

Mashrafe Mortaza, Bangladesh’s new captain, is confident of fulfilling the responsibility he has been given and is focused on improving his team’s standing in Test cricket during the upcoming tour of the West Indies.”Our performance in Tests has been nothing to write home about and, keeping in mind that we begin with Tests in the West Indies, I want to begin practice in a way that will help us put our best foot forward,” Mortaza told Cricinfo. “I hope the tour will be a great launchpad and that all the players contribute.”The man whom Mortaza expects to play a key role in achieving that objective is Mohammad Ashraful, whom the Bangladesh board relieved from captaincy so that he could concentrate on his batting. “I don’t think there will be any problems working with Ashraful,” Mortaza said. “The kind of player Ashraful is, he will be playing his best game as always.”He will not be playing for me, but for the country. He’s not immature and, being a professional player, he knows very well what is expected from him. I believe he will shine.”Mortaza’s appointment as captain was fast-tracked after Bangladesh’s first-round exit from the World Twenty20 in England, where they lost both group matches against India and Ireland. “We did play well against the big teams, especially India,” Mortaza said. “We may have been lacking a little in stability but I don’t think we played too badly and the criticism has been a little over the top. We hope to sort out these shortcomings and next time we’ll make sure such matches don’t slip from our grasp.”Mortaza was not worried about a possible dip in his own form owing to the pressure of leading and resurrecting the team, having had captaincy experience with Khulna Division and Abahani Limited in domestic cricket. “There’s no need to think about it too much,” he said. “It all depends on how well you can overcome the burden. Captaincy definitely brings pressure but if you can enjoy it, it’s worth it.”His task could become easier with the readmission of former ICL players into the Bangladesh fold. While Ashraful’s team was depleted with the exodus of 13 players to the unofficial league, they could be available for selection during Mortaza’s term after the Bangladesh board offered them amnesty in May.”They haven’t returned to the national fold yet and I wouldn’t take too huge a stride forward, thinking about the future,” he said. “Hopefully they will get permission to play in the Dhaka League and the National Cricket League and, if they perform well, I don’t see why they can’t make it to the Bangladesh team. Once they are back in the squad, they will be like the others, who have come through on merit, and won’t need to be handled separately.”

After leading the Delhi Daredevils on a smooth ride to the semi-finals, Virender Sehwag has set his sights on regaining his form with the bat.Delhi have been at or near the top of the table for most of the tournament, but it has been a disappointing run for Sehwag. He has only managed 109 runs at 15.57 and struggled to an eight-ball 2 in the victory over Rajasthan Royals on Sunday.”We did not get to a good start as I and Gautam (Gambhir) got out early. But AB de Villiers and Tillakaratne Dilshan batted really well to take us to 150,” Sehwag was quoted as saying by PTI after the match. “Now I want to get among runs before the semi-finals. That would be great for the team.”de Villiers and Dilshan have been the backbone of Delhi’s batting, rescuing the side from poor starts in several games. It was their 87-run partnership for the third wicket that revived Delhi after Munaf Patel had struck twice in an over to remove Gambhir and Sehwag.In the penultimate over Munaf leaked 25 runs, the second most expensive of the tournament, which helped Delhi reach 150. Shane Warne, the Rajasthan captain, defended Munaf, who had been the hero in his side’s thrilling win over Mumbai on Thursday. “Munaf bowled fantastic in the match against Mumbai. [Being hit for runs] can happen in Twenty20 cricket, it’s part and parcel of the game.”He was more critical of the fielding effort and the lack of consistency in the batting. “We did not hold a few catches,” he said. “But I thought if we got to a good start we would chase down 150. We did not do that and that has been happening all through the tournament.”Rajasthan now have to win their final league game against Kolkata Knight Riders to stay in contention for a place in the semi-finals.