Bob Woolmer, the Pakistan coach, has said Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif are unlikely to make a rapid return to the team despite having their drug bans overturned this week.Both pace bowlers trained with the Pakistan squad ahead of the third one-day international against West Indies in Lahore, but Woolmer is playing down thoughts of them lining up in any of the last three matches.”Of course their return is good for the team and I hope everything goes well for them. I don’t see them playing in this West Indies series because they need match practice, but you never know.”Akhtar told me he needs a month and Asif too needs time so they must play some domestic matches. Their return will certainly boost our bowling.”Akthar and Asif, banned for two years and one year respectively in November after testing positive for the steroid nandrolone, won their appeals against the punishments on Tuesday. The decision prompted criticism from ICC, but Woolmer said he was satisfied.”I read a lot of reaction on the judgment, most of which was uninformed. Both the commissions did the right thing and if you read the appeal committee’s judgment, you would be satisfied like I am.”
Graham Thorpe, the former England middle-order batsman, is unlikely to play for New South Wales (NSW) in the 2005-06 season.Trevor Bayliss, the NSW coach, said that keeping in mind the objective of developing players for the national team, Thorpe would be considered for selection only after the fringe players were given opportunities to play. “We are hoping he doesn’t play as I have said before,” Bayliss was quoted as saying by AFP “and he is aware of that but we will have to see how the season pans out”.Brad Haddin, the NSW wicketkeeper-captain, added that the prospect of Thorpe playing was remote. “He is there if we need him but if the players are doing the job they are meant to do, I don’t think there will be any need to pick him,” Haddin said.Thorpe will play for UTS Balmain, a Sydney club, and Bayliss felt that his experience would be valuable for the team. “It is very difficult these days to get blokes like Mark and Steve Waugh, and Mark Taylor, who have played 100 Tests, it is very difficult to get guys like that around practice, other than one or two times a year. So to have someone there full-time after Christmas will be a benefit to our young guys.”Thorpe retired from international cricket after he was left out of the England squad for the Ashes series in July. Thorpe is said to be considering Australia as a permanent residence option.
The West Indies batsmen overcame a sluggish pitch and some strangulating bowling to sneak a thrilling five-wicket win over South Africa at The Oval, and enter the semi-finals of the Champions Trophy. Brian Lara and Ramnaresh Sarwan helped them stabilise the wobble and get within striking range. But it was Shivnarine Chanderpaul’s tremendous 51, off just 52 balls, that pulled the carpet from beneath the South Africans’ feet.On a pitch with spongy bounce, Herschelle Gibbs’s hundred yesterday had taken South Africa to a competitive total, and Shaun Pollock grabbed two quick wickets this morning to put West Indies in some trouble. Lara and Sarwan shared a period of consolidation, but it was Chanderpaul who injected the much-needed vim. And just as South Africa threatened to pull off a heist right at the end, Ricardo Powell carted two mighty sixes, and West Indies scraped through with seven balls to spare.Lara nearly ran himself out first ball after Chris Gayle and Wavell Hinds had fallen to Pollock. Gayle came out like a sleep-walking bull and under-edged onto his stumps, while Hinds was unlucky to be given out lbw when the ball appeared to have pitched marginally outside leg (33 for 2). But after he survived that run-out chance, Lara dazzled in the next hour and a half, as he kept flicking the bowlers in the arc between midwicket and fine leg.Throughout that period Sarwan was almost invisible at the other end, and had cobbled together just 12 runs from 42 balls. Lance Klusener and Jacques Kallis kept it very tight, and both batsmen found their offcutters and slower balls tough to get away. Lara was finally frustrated out as he charged down the track to Nicky Boje in the 33rd over, played all over the ball and was bowled (131 for 3).Sarwan, who had made 34 off 66 at that stage, had just switched modes a few balls earlier. Both he and Chanderpaul put the fielders under pressure, and their calculated risks paid off. Sarwan’s last 41 runs came in 33 balls and contained some clean sixes straight over the bowler’s head. Sarwan fell trying to turn one to the on side, inside-edging Makhaya Ntini onto the stumps when West Indies still needed just 33 more (214 for 4).
Just like West Indies, South Africa had also struggled in the middle overs yesterday after Gibbs and Graeme Smith gave them a solid start. Gibbs showed glimpses of his usual intimidating self with some crashing drives and pulls. He brought up his fifty, from 59 balls, with a classical straight-drive through long-off, and the horrors of the last few weeks were all but forgotten. He also maintained his perfect conversion-rate against West Indies. On the four occasions that Gibbs has passed fifty against them, he has gone on to score a century.But a period of inertia followed after Smith’s wicket, at 102 for 1. Jacques Kallis’s strike rate was less than a run every two balls, and Gibbs kept hitting straight to the men in the infield. Gibbs, whose first fifty had come in quick time, took 76 balls for his second and West Indies clawed back into the contest. Ryan Hinds, with his wobbly left-arm spin, conceded just 35 in his ten overs and South Africa needed a special finish.The last ten overs produced 75, thanks mainly to Rudolph’s 46 off 39 balls, as South Africa managed to reach a competitive total of 246. That nearly proved enough, because even when Sarwan had fallen, West Indies needed 29 off 22 balls. But Powell blasted those sixes off Pollock, both full-tosses that landed way over midwicket, and Chanderpaul sealed it with two more fours.West Indies will take on Pakistan in their semi-final at the Rose Bowl on Wednesday. Will this be their golden swallow after a woeful summer?
Following their victories last night, Gloucestershire and Surrey are the first two counties to qualify for Twenty20 Cup Finals Day, having won their respective groups.The winner of the Leicestershire v Derbyshire match tonight at Grace Road will also qualify as the top team in the North Group, and therefore progress to the semi-finals as well.The final place in the semi-finals will be taken by one of eight teams, who will qualify as the best runner-up.If Derbyshire beat Leicestershire then Leicestershire (current net run rate 1.06) will also qualify for Finals’ Day as best runner-up unless Warwickshire (current net run rate 0.66) beat Northamptonshire at Northampton and overtake Leicestershire on net run rate.If Leicestershire beat Derbyshire then Warwickshire will be best runner-up if they beat Northamptonshire.If Leicestershire beat Derbyshire and Northamptonshire beat Warwickshire then the best runner-up will be either:
Northamptonshire in the Midland/Wales/West Group, or…
Derbyshire or Yorkshire in the North Group (Yorkshire will overtake Derbyshire if they beat Nottinghamshire at Headingley and Derbyshire lose), or…
Kent, Sussex or Middlesex in the South Group (if Sussex beat Kent at Hove they will finish 2nd in the Group, if Kent beat Sussex and Middlesex lose to Essex then Kent will finish 2nd, if Kent beat Sussex and Middlesex beat Essex then Middlesex finish 2nd)
The top team from each of the three regional groups qualifies for Finals Day along with the best runner-up.The first three tie-breakers in order of priority for teams finishing on equal points are:
most wins
for teams in the same group, the most points achieved in matches between teams level on points
higher net run rate calculated by deducting from the average runs per over scored by the team, the average runs per over scored against that team.
This evening’s games commence at 5.30pm at Bristol, Rose Bowl, Old Trafford, Grace Road, Northampton and New Road, at 5.35pm at Headingley and at 7.30pm at Chelmsford and Hove.The draw for the Semi-finals of the Twenty20 Cup will take place on Thursday 26 June during the interval of the NatWest Series match between England and Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge. The draw will be live on Sky Sports.
Following the withdrawal of Yorkshire’s Sue Metcalfe from the England training squad due to work commitments, the Sussex wicket keeper Mandie Godliman has been selected to take her place.Mandie has represented England A since 1994 v South Africa, India, New Zealand and Australia. She recorded her highest score of 183* for her club Redoubtables WCC this season in the ECB Cup.Mandie started playing cricket aged 12, encouraged by her PE Teacher who played for Middlesex Ladies and went on to Captain Thames Valley before joining Sussex. She was first selected for England training in 1993, but suffered a serious back injury which kept her out of the game for three years.Mandie is a Sports Development Officer for Mid Sussex District Council and is an ECB advanced coach, including coaching England U-21s. Born 5th April 1973.
‘Celtic should be gutted’ that they’re losing Ben Doak, journalist Kaustubh Pandey has said.
The lowdown
According to The Athletic’s James Pearce, Premier League giants Liverpool are ‘closing in’ on the signing of the 16-year-old. Celtic are apparently in line to receive only ‘minor compensation’ given that the player hadn’t signed a professional contract at Parkhead.
The Hoops have tried to persuade Doak to stay amid interest from a host of ‘top clubs’ by demonstrating that ‘a tangible first-team pathway’ exists, but the lure of working under Jurgen Klopp has proved to be too strong for the teenager.
The latest
Pandey, the editor-in-chief of Get Italian Football News, gave his reaction to the news after Pearce’s report was shared by his colleague Kieran Devlin, Celtic’s correspondent for The Athletic.
Pandey tweeted: “This is a fantastic move. Ben Doak has impressed me whenever he’s played this season and it again shows that Liverpool know they need to refresh a squad which will be ageing soon. Doak is an excellent signing, even though Celtic should be gutted.”
The verdict
If Doak goes on to realise his potential on Merseyside, perhaps Celtic will be left wondering what might have been. Regrettably, the same goes for Parkhead alumni Liam Morrison (snapped up by Bayern Munich in 2019) and Josh Adam (lured to Manchester City a year later).
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The 16-year-old is a player who, in the words of Pearce, possesses a litany of exciting attributes such as his ‘incredible pace and directness’, and it says a lot that he has played in two Scottish Premiership matches already, having only turned 16 last November.
In other news, read Kieran Devlin’s set-piece coach claim
AB de Villiers has refused to commit his long-term future to Test cricket despite being named South Africa’s stand-in captain and has warned that leading players will leave international cricket behind unless there are significant changes within the game. De Villiers, who was reported to be considering early retirement at the start of the England series when he also spoke about managing his workload, has once again emphasised the need for time off and explained his own uncertainty in the current set-up.”There have been a few rumours floating around, and in most rumours there is always a little bit of truth,” de Villiers said. “It’s not just in the last while; it’s for two or three years I’ve been searching for the right answers, to play a little bit less cricket in one way or another, to keep myself fresh and to keep enjoying the game. Every now and then in the past few years I’ve found myself on the pitch not enjoying myself as much as I should be, and that raises concerns within myself. I’ve been searching for answers and speaking to people and obviously that’s leaked a bit.”That also means de Villiers is not sure whether he will want to lead South Africa’s Test team permanently, even though he earlier said that being given the captaincy was the “fulfilment of a lifelong dream.” The decision on who will take over as long-term successor to Hashim Amla, who stepped down after the Newlands Test, will be made during the winter break which is also when de Villiers will decide on his own future.”I’m still very committed, to the job I’m not sure – obviously the two Test matches for now are all I’m focusing on and then there’s a nice big break of six months before we play Test cricket again. Lots of things can happen before then so I don’t want to commit myself too much to everything before that. But for now, I’m as committed as I can be and very, very hungry to make a success of the next two Test matches,” de Villiers said.Asked what he will consider in that period, de Villiers was unsure but mentioned the things that he would still like to achieve as an international cricketer, which stretch across various formats.”I honestly don’t know. But I’ve got some good advice around me, good people who have my best interests at heart, and we’ll just try to make the right kind of call on which direction I want to go,” he said. “My focus is on international cricket and I want to play for as long as possible. I’ve got dreams of winning World Cups and maintaining this No.1 status in Test cricket for as long as possible. Obviously I want to get my experience across to some of the youngsters. There are so many dreams that I’d like to follow. I’d just like to sit down, take some time away from the game and discuss all these things and make the right call.”For the next four months, de Villiers will find it difficult to get away from the game. After the Tests against England, South Africa play five ODIs and two T20s against the same opponents and three T20s against Australia before the World T20 in March and early April, which will be closely followed by the IPL.De Villiers is contracted to Royal Challengers Bangalore until the end of 2017 on a deal worth Rs 9.5 crore (US$1.5 million). At today’s exchange rate, that is 23.45 million rand, which is at least ten times more than his national contract which is believed to be between 2 and 3 million rand. The financial implications of that gulf against the backdrop of the congested international schedule is the biggest challenge facing the games’ global organisers, according to de Villiers.”I think it’s a growing concern for the ICC and they’ve been talking about it for the last few years to find the right structure to keep all the guys fresh. Obviously international cricket is the main cricket you want to play, especially Test cricket. It’s the main format and we all want to be part of that. There are huge traditions and culture in this format. I believe there are one or two areas where we can improve, and make sure that we keep the guys focus in the right place,” de Villiers said.”Obviously there are big tournaments going on around the world. Some you can’t ignore because financially they make a huge difference in our lives, and obviously you’ve got to look after that side of it as well. International cricket is the main one you want to play, and one or two things will have to change in order for that to happen.”De Villiers said the ICC have conducted surveys to ascertain player concerns. “I have seen some changes,” he said. “But there are definitely one or two that need some more attention.”His recommendation is for established players to have some leeway so that they can avoid being overworked and continue to enjoy the game. “One of those are the schedules of some of the older guys, to make sure they keep their focus on the right places. I don’t know what the answers are, I just know there are quite a few guys feeling that we’re playing a little too much cricket at times. We just need to get the focus right.”
Misbah-ul-Haq’s impressive performances in the World Twenty20 have earned him a recall to Pakistan’s squad for the first Test against South Africa in Karachi on Monday. But there was no place in the 15-man lineup for either Inzamam-ul-Haq, the former captain, or Shoaib Akhtar.Misbah was the third-highest run-scorer in South Africa, helping Pakistanreach the final and was also the highest run-scorer in the Quaid-e-AzamTrophy, Pakistan’s premier first-class tournament. He played the last of his five Tests four years ago against Bangladesh. Joining him in the middle order is Mohammad Yousuf, whoyesterday agreed to represent Pakistan, after having initially signed upfor the Indian Cricket League (ICL).But there was no place in the squad for Inzamam, another ICL signatory.Inzamam has retired from ODIs, though insists he wants to play Test cricket.Salahuddin Ahmed, Pakistan’s chief selector, said that Inzamam had been consideredfor the squad but had declared himself unavailable for the first Test.”I spoke to Inzamam and though he didn’t specify the reasons, he said hewas unavailable for the first Test,” said Salahuddin. “If he is availablefor the second Test [in Lahore], he will be considered.”Shoaib’s exclusion was also expected, as he is currently the subject of adisciplinary inquiry into his altercation with Mohammad Asif in SouthAfrica. “Shoaib’s is a policy decision,” said Salahuddin. “The disciplinary inquiry isongoing and only when their decision has come will we take a decision.”Rao Iftikhar Anjum took the third fast bowler’s spot, edging out SohailTanvir, the left-arm, wrong-foot bowler who did so well in the Twenty20World Cup. “Sohail is a very talented all-rounder but we feel he still hassome time before he is ready for the longer version of the game,” addedSalahuddin.Pakistan will field yet another new opening pair when the first Testbegins from October 1. One of Taufeeq Umar, who averages 74 in four Testsagainst South Africa, or Mohammad Hafeez will partner Salman Butt, thevice-captain.Pakistan squad: Shoaib Malik (capt), Salman Butt, Mohammad Hafeez,Younis Khan, Mohammad Yousuf, Misbah-ul-Haq, Kamran Akmal (wk), MohammadAsif, Umar Gul, Rao Iftikhar Anjum, Danish Kaneria, Faisal Iqbal, YasirHameed, Taufeeq Umar, Abdur Rehman
It should have been the dodo among dead rubbers. On Saturday West Indies, who havealready qualified for the semifinals of the Champions Trophy, take onEngland, who have no chance of qualifying to the next round. The onlything to consider was what position West Indies would qualify in, but nowthe game, which will be played at the Sardar Patel Gujarat Stadium inMotera has piqued interest, as there’s a chancethe Andrew Flintoff will bowl for the first time since he suffered anankle injury.”There is a possibility, yes,” said Flintoff at a pre-match pressconference after a practice session, when asked whether he intended tobowl in the forthcoming match. “I have bowled in the nets over the pasttwo weeks or so, and the ankle has responded well to it. I have just done15-20 minutes, and if I don’t react to anything and I am fine, the chancesare I will bowl.”Flintoff the bowler has been one of the most imaginative and powerfulbowlers in the world in recent times. His deceptively quick deliveries,rearing into the rib-cage have posed problems for all sorts of batsmen,including the Australians. And so, whentalk of him returning to bowling does the rounds the excitement isunderstandable, and perhaps it got to one journalist, who asked ifFlintoff would go the whole hog and bowl ten overs if he picked up fivewickets in his first few overs. “I have no intentions of bowling my fullquota,” came the speedy reply, “under any circumstances.”Often, in recent times, you’ve heard the word pride being bandied aboutwhenever the West Indies come to town. For once, though, it was theopposition who had to think along those lines, as West Indies come intothe game with not just solid wins under their belt, but virtually everyplayer in good form. “We know this is a team that can fight back. AgainstPakistan in the summer in England, we came back from 2-0 down to draw2-2,” said Flintoff. “So the team does fight and has got lot of character.They also have a lot of pride and we will trying our damndest to win thegame, and take a win out of this tournament.”We obviously want to finish the tournament with a win,” Flintoffcontinued. “We have been beaten twice and we are playing for pride, andpride is a strong thing to play for. We want to win a game of cricket inIndia. The West Indies may be through and we may be going home, but westill want to put up a good show. We want to perform and want to go homewith a win.”When they do go home, though, don’t expect the English public to burneffigies of Flintoff and Duncan Fletcher and tar their homes just becausethey failed completely in a one-day tournament. That sort of thing happensonly in India and Pakistan. For most of England, little matters but theAshes, and naturally, that came up for discussion. “We have got a gameagainst the West Indies, which we are taking as an important game for usin our development,” said Flintoff, pausing for a moment at the presentbefore turning his attention back to the future. “Then we will make surewe go home and spend time with our families. Then when we get on the plane[to Australia], then obviously my attention will be focused on Australia.”The talk then shifted from England to West Indies, and inevitably it wentto Brian Lara. “He is up there, isn’t he? He is a fantastic player. Wehave been at the wrong end of Lara a couple of times,” said Flintoff. “Hedoes things that us mortals can’t. When he gets 400 at Antigua, makes mewish I could actually bat like him. He is one of the greats that the gamehas produced along with the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Steve Waugh andobviously going back to the days gone by. He is someone we respect becausehe is a fine player.”Who knows, with his back still nowhere near 100% strong, Lara might justchoose to sit out the game against England. If he does, it will be adisappointment for the fans, but England won’t mind at all. The last timethese two teams played each other in a one-dayer, it was in the final ofthis very tournament, two years ago at The Oval, and in the dying light ona gloomy September evening, the horns of Brixton trilled in unbridled joyas Courtney Brown and Ian Bradshaw steered West Indies to a stunning win.And now here we go again, on a lesser stage, almost certainly without thesame ambience, but it’s the same two teams, and who knows, we could be infor another cracker.
Jacques Kallis and Makhaya Ntini were among five players named as South Africa’s Cricketers of the Year at a function in Gauteng on Monday. The other three chosen were fast bowler Andre Nel, so honoured for the second time, and batsmen Boeta Dippenaar and AB de Villiers, who were first-time nominees.Kallis and Ntini joined Shaun Pollock, Allan Donald, Ken McEwan and Clive Rice in being named a Cricketer of the Year for the fourth time.Colin Bryden, the editor of the , said both players were automatic choices following outstanding performances. Kallis has moved to the top of the South African all-time lists of Test runs and centuries scored. Ntini recently returned 13 for 132 against the West Indies in Trinidad, the best match figures by a South African in Test cricket.Nel, with his aggression and wicket-taking ability, had been able to complement Ntini and Pollock well. De Villiers, one of the most promising newcomers to Test cricket anywhere in the world, averaged 53.72 in his first season at the highest level.Dippenaar, who has been a member of the national team since the 1999-2000 season, finished the season on a high note when he was Man of the Series in the one-day games against the West Indies. Bryden confided that narrowing the candidates down to five was particularly difficult because many players had impressive performances.Among previous nominees, South African captain Graeme Smith finished the season strongly, while wicketkeeper Mark Boucher made a stirring comeback to the national side after being dropped early in the season.Ashwell Prince, Justin Kemp and Charl Langeveldt weren’t too far behind in terms of performances. At the domestic level Lance Klusener, Hashim Amla, Tyron Henderson and Adam Bacher had displayed fluent form.