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Imran Tahir raised Derbyshire’s hopes of back-to-back victories by taking five wickets on his debut as Durham collapsed on the second day of the Division Two match at Chesterfield

ECB Reporters Network04-Jul-2017
ScorecardImran Tahir claimed a five-wicket haul•Getty Images

Imran Tahir raised Derbyshire’s hopes of back-to-back victories by taking five wickets on his debut as Durham collapsed on the second day of the Division Two match at Chesterfield.The South African, who is playing for his sixth county, celebrated by sparking the decline that saw Durham lose 4 for 18 in 43 balls either side of tea before the visitors rallied to avoid the threat of following-on.Derbyshire controlled the game for much of the day with Billy Godleman falling two shot of a century as he and Gurjit Sandhu took their 10th wicket stand to 102 before the home side were bowled out for 368.Durham were going well at 119 for 1 but after Jack Burnham played on to Tahir and 16-year-old off-spinner Hamadullah Qadri bowled Michael Richardson for 64, the visitors crumbled before Paul Coughlin with an unbeaten 62 and Barry McCarthy guided them to 274 for 8, 94 behind.Derbyshire’s first objective at the start of the day was to get to a fourth batting point which was achieved after a 35-minute rain break with Godleman and Sandhu frustrating the bowlers for another 15 overs before Godleman was caught behind hooking at Coughlin.Sandhu followed his unbeaten career-best 48 by taking the new ball but Richardson and Cameron Steel added 52 before a mix-up saw Steel run out for 21 in Tahir’s first over.The legspinner’s second over gave no indication of what was to come as Richardson dispatched him for two fours before Burnham drove him over extra cover for six.But when Burnham tried to whip a ball from off stump and chopped on, Durham’s hopes of a decent reply faded as Qadri followed his record-breaking five-wicket haul at Cardiff last week by beating Richardson in the flight.Paul Collingwood was bowled pushing forward at Tahir in the first over after tea, Ryan Pringle was lbw playing back to one that sung in from Sandhu and Graham Clark was the sixth to go with Durham still 205 behind.The threat of the follow-on loomed when Stuart Poynter sliced a drive to point and Tahir bowled Matthew Potts with the next ball but Coughlin and McCarthy denied Tahir to keep Durham in the contest.

Alviro Petersen, the former South Africa opener, has been banned for two years by CSA after admitting to 13 breaches of the anti-corruption code in relation to the 2015-16 domestic T20 match-fixing scandal

Firdose Moonda21-Dec-2016Alviro Petersen, the former South Africa opener, has been banned for two years by CSA after admitting to 13 breaches of the anti-corruption code in relation to the 2015-16 domestic T20 match-fixing scandal.

‘Unusual and pressured circumstances’ – Petersen

Alviro Petersen said on Thursday that the events which gave rise to the charges to which he pleaded guilty took place under “pressured and unusual circumstances”.
In a statement through his lawyer Robin Twaddle, Petersen said that he had “reported his knowledge of the corruption before the events that led to the charges against him took place and that he assisted the anti-corruption officer during the investigation, to the point that he gave him information and details of a possible fix that was going to happen hours before a game”.
He also said that he had approached a player who had received money from the fixers to try and convince him to report his involvement, under instructions from the CSA’s anti-corruption officer.
The statement said that, “Whilst he took part in discussions that were initiated by Gulam Bodi and certain fixers, these discussions took place at a time when Alviro knew that the fixing scandal was under investigation and he (Alviro) was convinced that the fixing operation would be shut down imminently. Knowing that match fixing is controlled by criminal gangs, Alviro feared for his and his family’s safety at the time, to the point where he engaged a bodyguard while playing for the Lions last season.”

Among Petersen’s transgressions are four counts of failing to disclose details of an approach to engage in corrupt conduct; four of failing to disclose evidence of another participant breaching the code; four of failing to cooperate with the investigators by not providing accurate and complete information; and one of concealing and destroying information relevant to the investigation. CSA has withdrawn charges relating to fixing or contriving to fix any matches and accepting or offering any bribes.Petersen apologised for his actions and vowed he had no intention of fixing matches. “I would like to apologise to my family, friends, the public who are fans of the game of cricket, my team mates, Gauteng cricket, Lions cricket and especially to Cricket South Africa for my actions. At the time that the meetings with Bodi and the fixers happened, I never had any intention of fixing matches or taking money,” he said.”I now deeply regret having participated in these meetings and not to have immediately reported them to the authorities as I am obliged to do. I understand that I need to take personal responsibility for my actions and I accept the punishment that CSA has imposed on me. I hope that other players will learn from my experience and be better prepared if they find themselves in the situation that I was in, and that my punishment will serve as a deterrent. I also want to thank my family, friends and my legal team for their unwavering support and guidance during the last few months.”Petersen is the sixth player and third international to be sanctioned after Gulam Bodi, Thami Tsolekile, Ethy Mbhalati, Pumi Matshikwe and Jean Symes were banned for between seven and 20 years for their roles in the saga. The investigation remains ongoing.Petersen’s ban prevents him from being involved in any capacity for any international or domestic match, or having any other kind of function in cricket organised by CSA, the ICC or any other national federation. Most recently, Petersen has played for South African franchise Lions, for Lancashire in county cricket, was employed as a commentator for the public broadcaster, SABC, and ran a charitable foundation. He will be unable to do any of the first three of those until November 12, 2018, two years from the date he was charged.Petersen was formally charged after rejecting a plea bargain from CSA and gearing up to play for Lions in the domestic T20. He issued a statement through his lawyer, Robin Twaddle, in which he admitted to “playing along” with those involved in the scandal but denied any wrongdoing. Petersen claimed the ACSU was aware of his discussions and meeting with the players.Although Petersen’s exact involvement has not been disclosed, CSA indicated his most serious breach was not reporting approaches in full.”He is obliged under the code to have disclosed various approaches that were made to him to engage in corrupt activities,” Haroon Lorgat, CSA CEO, said in a statement. “While having provided certain information to the investigators he had also withheld and concealed certain material information, such as the meetings with Bodi and certain fixers.”CSA has confirmed that Bodi acted as the intermediary for international betting syndicates and approached certain players “with a view engaging in fixing activities”, according to the statement. CSA has maintained no actual fixing was carried out in the 2015-16 Ram Slam.However, it has not been able to declare its inquiry complete. Petersen, in his statement after the charges were made public, said he knew of at least one other player who had not been charged. The independent chairperson of CSA’s ACU, Bernard Ngoepe, a former judge, said the body will continue working to conclude the matter. “We are still finalising certain aspects of the investigation and we will not stop until we are fully satisfied that we have exhausted every lead and scrutinised every aspect relating to this matter. As we have stated previously, any form of corruption in the game will be dealt with severely. We will leave no stone unturned in this investigation.”

A stubborn batting performance from Zimbabwe A ensured they held their own against a South Africa A attack headlined by Vernon Philander

Firdose Moonda12-Jul-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsFile photo: Tino Mawoyo’s unbeaten 79 in the second innings helped Zimbabwe A to secure a convincing draw•Associated Press

A stubborn batting performance from Zimbabwe A ensured they held their own against a South Africa A attack headlined by Vernon Philander, who is on the comeback trail. On a typically slow Harare winter surface, Philander proved more miserly than penetrative and he did not finish as the visitors’ star performer. That title went to Omphile Ramela, who scored a second century in four matches for South Africa A to showcase the depth in the batting department that had been thought to be missing recently.Test opener Stephen Cook started South Africa A off well, with 78 at the top of the order, sharing in half-century stands with Theunis de Bruyn and Stiaan van Zyl, who scored 73, but against a Zimbabwean attack in which only Shingi Masakadza stood out as a real threat, South Africa A’s top four would have been disappointed not to reach three figures.Instead, it was Ramela who managed the milestone. He batted for two minutes short of five-and-a-half hours and put on 125 runs for the sixth wicket with Dwaine Pretorius to frustrate Zimbabwe A’s attack. Masakadza accounted for Pretorius but Zimbabwe A could not bowl South Africa A out and would have been thankful for the declaration that came midway through the second day.From there, all eyes switched to Philander but Zimbabwe’s A’s openers resisted. Tino Mawoyo and Brian Chari, who went on to score 98, put on 87 for the first wicket and it was up to Dane Piedt to make the breakthrough. Hardus Viljoen and Pretorius also had success, before Philander got his first and second with successive deliveries.That sent Zimbabwe A tumbling. They went from 238 for 4 to 269 all out, losing their last six wickets for 31 runs, and giving South Africa A a lead of 186. Cook and Kuhn built on that slightly but de Bruyn topped up with a second half-century to push the target beyond 300. Once again, Zimbabwe A could not bowl out South Africa A and after they batted for seven overs on the final morning they declared on 171 for 3, to set the hosts a target of 358.Chari could not repeat his first innings heroics and fell to Philander in the fifth over but that was the only success South Africa A had. Mawoyo and Prince Masvaure resisted everything South Africa A threw at them, which included 16 overs from Viljoen, another 16 from Piedt and an aggressive 10 overs from Sisanda Magala, to force the draw. Philander only bowled eight overs in the second innings to ease his way back. The next match takes place in Bulawayo from July 15.

Alastair Cook had praise for opening partner Alex Hales, as well as Chris Woakes and Jonny Bairstow after England completed a 2-0 Test series win over Sri Lanka

George Dobell at Lord's13-Jun-2016He has kissed a few frogs in recent times, but perhaps, at last, Alastair Cook has found his prince.Alex Hales was the eighth opening partner Cook has had since the retirement of Andrew Strauss and, although one or two flattered briefly, perhaps only Nick Compton in New Zealand in early 2013 has produced as consistent a series as Hales did against Sri Lanka.It wasn’t just the three scores in excess of 80. It was that Hales showed he had learned from his mistakes in South Africa. Gone were the tentative prods outside off stump; gone was the uncertainty over which balls to play and which to leave. He increased his average of 17.00 in South Africa by more than 40 in this series and showed, in the final innings at Lord’s, that he had also learned from his mistakes in over-attacking against spin.

Cook on…

Nick Compton: “He’s shown glimpses. He is as frustrated as anyone. He’s got to go away now and score big runs in county cricket. Obviously, there will be a decision to be made on him. He knows that.” 
Pakistan: “They’ve got a very good pace attack, backed up with spinners. But we’re ready for them. We scored a lot of runs against Australia’s attack here last year. I think it’s going to be a brilliant series.”

It would be premature to state that Hales has cemented his position, but he has earned the right to an extended trial covering the rest of the summer. And, if we mitigate against the failings of the Sri Lanka top order in the acceptance that batting in early season England is not easy, it seems only fair to praise Hales for succeeding in those same conditions.It is true that tougher challenges await but he will face them now secure in the knowledge that his judgement around off stump is such that he can see off the new ball. He is learning that he has the time, in Test cricket, to withstand periods when the bowler is on top and gradually build an innings.Under that amiable exterior there is impressive steel in Hales. It took a certain amount of courage and self-awareness to ask for an extra couple of County Championship games off after he returned from a winter with the England squads. Whereas other men on the fringe of the side might have felt the need to jump at the chance to be seen to do the right thing, Hales reasoned that he would benefit more from a refreshed mind than another couple of weeks of cricket.So, having taken some time off, he returned to the nets at Trent Bridge to work – often with Peter Moores – on improving an off-stump technique that was exposed by South Africa. Crucially, he started to stand straighter at the crease, which brought his head back in line with his body and gave him more certainty about the position of his off stump. In South Africa he had crouched to such an extent that his head had started to fall several inches outside off stump and saw him defending balls that he could have left with ease.And, while he had been billed as something of a dasher ahead of the South Africa series, he has also had the courage to play the game at his own pace. He is not, at first-class level, anything like the David Warner figure some had suggested. Instead, he had the strength to play as an accumulator. It may not be exactly what some aspects of the media wanted, but it gives him the best chance of succeeding at this level.Hales’ development was, in Cook’s view, the major plus England could take from the series victory. While Nick Compton’s Test career faded to a conclusion and James Vince made an uncertain start, Hales at least answered one of the questions facing England a few weeks ago: they know their opening pair for the series against Pakistan now.”Three scores of 80 and above from Alex Hales was really pleasing,” Cook said. “He’s certainly tightened up his game from South Africa and probably just learned about Test cricket.”It’s great when you see someone who maybe doesn’t quite nail it in the first four games but then goes away and shoes the hunger to work on his game away from the spotlight.”Alex Hales made three 50-plus scores the series•AFP

England have various options as they consider the No. 3 position for the Pakistan series. They could pick a specialist opener – Sam Robson would appear to be the strongest candidate at present – and move Hales to No.3, but that would appear an unusual response to his recent form. Or they could push Ben Stokes, one of the best players of pace in England, up to No. 3 on the basis that he tends to react well to responsibility.Realistically, though, it seems Scott Borthwick will benefit from Gary Ballance or Ian Bell failing to amass enough runs to nudge the selectors and win a chance at No. 3. His legspin bowling will do him no harm in selection debates, either.There is a danger that James Anderson’s excellence in such conditions could be taken for granted, so it is worth remembering that he came into the series with one or two questions to answer over his long-term future. He endured a tough trip to South Africa, claiming seven wickets at 43.00 apiece, and was keen to prove that all the miles in his legs were not beginning to show.He will rarely have conditions more in his favour than he did at Headingley, but he exploited them with surgical precision and showed in the second innings at Chester-le-Street that, even on slow, flat surfaces, he retains the skill and control to threaten. In finishing with the best bowling average of an England bowler with more than 20 wickets in a three-Test series since Derek Underwood in 1969, this was a reassuring return from Anderson.Cook also celebrated the advances made by Chris Woakes in the last couple of Tests. Not only was he the quickest member of the attack, but he showed impressive control and demonstrated that his batting can be a force at Test level. He may not have done enough to force himself into England’s first-choice side – Mark Wood and Stokes join Steven Finn in fighting for a similar position – but he did prove he deserved to be considered among the pack of seamers England will require to see them through their arduous schedule. He seems likely to play the first Test of the Pakistan series, at least, ahead of Stokes’ return for the second or third match.”Chris Woakes has really impressed me,” Cook said. “He is a different cricketer to Ben Stokes, not as dynamic, but he is still very effective. I said before Durham we hadn’t seen the best of Chris Woakes in an England shirt, but I thought he made really big strides in this series and proved to himself he can do it.”Jonny Bairstow was named Man of the Series for his exploits with the bat. He thumped two centuries that not only helped the side rebuild from top-order wobbles, but snatched the first and third Tests away from Sri Lanka within a couple of hours. So impressed was Cook with Bairstow that he compared him to “Matt Prior at his best”.”It’s a brilliant achievement,” Cook said. “And it’s great to have an attacking batsman coming in and taking it to the opposition.  He’s been very similar to Matt Prior when he was at his best. We could often be 100 for five and he’d change the momentum. It’s great to see someone who works so hard at his game getting his rewards.”Progress was not smooth, though. Cook admitted that England had found themselves three or four wickets down for few runs “more often than we would have liked” and he admitted that Bairstow’s role as keeper remained a discussion point after seeing a couple of relatively straightforward chances go down.”He knows how hard he has to work at his keeping,” Cook said. “That is a conversation we do have. He knows a couple of chances have gone down, but you don’t become a world-class wicketkeeper overnight. He’s made big strides since that South Africa series and is certainly heading in the right direction. But yes, there is always the thought that he could play as a specialist batsman with a guy who scores as many runs as he can.”It might be forgotten amid the one-sided results in the first two games, but the last time Sri Lanka visited England they won the Test series.For that reason alone, England have cause to celebrate this victory. Yes, conditions were stacked in their favour and, yes, this is a Sri Lanka side in a transitional phase. But England are not so strong, or so successful, that they can take anything for granted. It is only 13 months since they were held to a draw in the Caribbean. They remain the fourth-ranked team in the ICC’s Test table.But when you add the emergence of Hales, the development of Woakes and the dominance of Bairstow, they have made some tangible progress in this series. Progress is fitful and holes remain, but they are heading in the right direction.

The rumours of raging turners in the Tests against India have not got South Africa in a strategic spin just yet, as they plan to start things off by sticking to their traditional strengths.

Firdose Moonda in Mohali04-Nov-20152:42

‘This Mohali pitch looks different’ – Amla

The rumours of raging turners in the Tests against India have not got South Africa in a strategic spin just yet, as they plan to start things off by sticking to their traditional strengths. Three seamers and a lone specialist spinner is the way South Africa have always done things, and they seem set on starting that way in India as well, irrespective of the conditions.”There’s an old West Indian saying, ‘If it ain’t broke don’t fix it,’ so if the seamers do the job for you, be it in the subcontinent or anywhere else in the world, so be it,” Hashim Amla said. The phrase actually originated out of farmers in Texas and popularised a director in Jimmy Carter’s administration but Amla’s point stands.Now the question is which three seamers and which spinner?The first answer is obvious. South Africa’s premier pack is made up of Dale Steyn, Vernon Philander and Morne Morkel, as has been the case since 2011. They have not featured in every Test over the last four years, but the ones they have missed have only been because of injury. It’s unlikely the case will be any different this time around.Morkel is the only one carrying an injury – he tweaked a quad muscle in the third ODI in Rajkot – and will have a last-minute fitness assessment on the morning of the match to determine his availability. If he pulls up unfit, South Africa will have to give uncapped Kagiso Rabada a debut.The issue of the spinner is more complex, though. South Africa have given themselves a choice between Simon Harmer, Dane Piedt and Imran Tahir, but are keeping their cards close to their chest as to which one will play. Essentially the choice is between an attacking spinner (Tahir) and a containing one (Harmer or Piedt), which is further complicated by the unavailability of JP Duminy.”When JP plays, he adds that added spin option for us. But with him not being in the team for the first Test, it adds dynamics to our team,” Amla said. That means South Africa’s holding overs have to either come from part-timers or from a specialist holding bowler.”In conditions where the pitch is turning, spinners have multiple roles. When it doesn’t turn they fall into a defensive role. When it does turn, naturally they fall into an attacking role. A lot depends on the surface,” Amla said. “We have been very strong with our seam bowlers wherever we have been in the world. We have a few options in the seam department and we have been blessed and done well. We are fortunate in that our seam bowlers have done well in the subcontinent. They can be an attacking option. Not many countries around the world can say that. Our spinners will probably do both roles depending on what the game needs.”Both Harmer and Piedt are also wicket-takers, albeit to a lesser degree than Tahir, and if South Africa are looking for a spinner who can switch gears, they are more likely to go with one of them. Being the incumbent, having played in Bangladesh, Harmer appears to be the frontrunner.Sticking with Harmer for now also seems to tally with Amla’s overall philosophy of trying, “to do what’s most efficient to try and win a game.” That may sound incongruous on first reading because Harmer is not the most attacking spinner South Africa have at their disposal. So he may not be the most efficient appointment but, as Amla explained, going for the kill does not always mean relentless aggression.”There will be times when you have to play the game in a way that will ensure a result. Sometimes you have to play a slightly defensive game to make sure the result comes a bit later, he said. “We all know the game of cricket is a bit like chess – you have got to make the right moves. Sometimes you will get it wrong and sometimes it works in your favour. That’s as simple as I keep it.”And that’s a phrase Amla can call his own.

Hiral Patel heroics with the bat and ball couldn’t save Canada from a four-wicket defeat against Kenya in the Intercontinental Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Mar-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsHiral Patel’s heroics with the bat and ball couldn’t save Canada from a four-wicket defeat against Kenya in the Intercontinental Cup. Patel struck a doughty 93 on the fourth day, scoring more than half of his side’s second innings total, as the other batsmen fell to Nehemiah Odhiambo’s pace. Canada folded for 175, leaving Kenya a target of 128 for victory.Kenya’s chase was hardly confident; they lost Irfan Karim in the first over and then Patel made inroads with his left-arm spin. It was left to Tanmay Mishra, who followed his first-innings half-century with a calm, unbeaten 38, to steady the Kenya innings and then guide the side to a win.

Yorkshire openers share century stand to help hosts make most of less than half a day’s play

ECB Reporters Network25-Jul-2023Runaway Division Two leaders Durham are under early pressure at Scarborough after Yorkshire openers Adam Lyth and Fin Bean shared a century stand to help the hosts make the most of just less than half a day’s play due to hail and heavy rain at Scarborough.Lyth and Bean shared 113 inside 31 overs after the visitors had elected to bowl at the start of this LV= Insurance County Championship fixture, contributing to a close of play 142 for two from 38 overs.Lyth led the way with 75 not out off 118 balls at the North Marine Road venue where he played his league cricket growing up. Fellow left-hander Bean made 46 but was the first of two wickets to fall – lbw to England Test quick Matthew Potts almost immediately after a 5.30pm resumption.Hail at lunch prevented an afternoon restart, and when umpires Steve O’Shaughnessy and Surendiran Shanmugam attempted to get going again at 2.30pm heavy rain returned as they and the players walked back onto the outfield.Puddles had formed all over the square within 30 minutes, and it took until 5.30pm for conditions to improve enough for nine more overs of play before bad light ended the day just after 6pm.Potts trapped Bean lbw with the seventh ball back – his first after the resumption – and later removed George Hill the same way for seven.Yorkshire have now lost a remarkable 1,308 overs to the weather this season, including the complete washout against Gloucestershire at Bristol in April when not a ball was bowled.Just short of 350 of those have come in the last three games, including at Worcestershire and against Sussex at Headingley earlier this month.New ball seamer Ben Raine will have counted himself unfortunate not to have removed Lyth with either of two confident lbw appeals in the opening over.But, aside from that, the visitors were unable to build pressure before lunch as they failed to hit a consistent line or length, allowing Lyth and Bean to continue their excellent recent form.The pair shared 177 for the first wicket in the draw against Worcestershire at New Road earlier this month, a game in which Bean scored a century.Lyth did likewise in last week’s draw against Sussex at Headingley, when the pair added 94.Yorkshire only batted once in each fixture, something which is not out of the question here unless Durham can continue to bowl with the quality and potency Potts displayed in the evening to oust Bean and then Hill.Lyth was particularly strong on the drive and Bean on the cut, with 17 runs coming from the morning’s penultimate over – bowled by the seam of Netherlands international Bas de Leede.

“I want to be unbeaten in all five Tests in this year,” says West Indies head coach after beating Bangladesh in Antigua

Mohammad Isam20-Jun-2022While Bangladesh are down on confidence, West Indies are bursting with it and coach Phil Simmons now wants his team to continue this progress for the rest of the World Test Championship cycle.The captain Kraigg Brathwaite has been a significant factor in West Indies’ rise in the last 18 months. He made the highest score (94) across all four innings in the Antigua Test against Bangladesh and, according to his coach, is constantly getting better as both a player and a leader.”Everyone has seen [Brathwaite’s] determination,” Simmons said. “His unique style. He doesn’t have a problem doing his job for five days. It is unique because a lot of batsmen nowadays like to play shots and be done with it.”From his point of view, he wants to be there for the team. That rolls into the captaincy. He is not loud but the players know what he wants. He makes them understand in his unique way. He seems to be growing in the role.”With their victory on Sunday, West Indies have now won three of their eight WTC matches and are unbeaten in their last four Tests.”We started 2021 in the same way,” Simmons said. “We won two in Bangladesh, and drew two against Sri Lanka. It is about how we go forward from here. I want to be unbeaten in all five Tests in this year. That would be good for me. Guys are getting confident in what they are doing. It makes your job and role easier the more confidence you have. It has happened especially after winning the series against England not too long ago. The confidence showed.”Kemar Roach too contributed heavily in the Antigua win, after nearly missing the game. The 33-year old fast bowler had to clear a last-minute fitness test to make himself available for selection, and once he did, he terrorised the Bangladesh batting line-up, finishing with match figures of 7 for 74 and equalling Michael Holding’s tally of 249 Test wickets.”[Roach] has taken things to the next level,” Simmons said. “He has been excellent. He is now tied with Mikey [Holding], but in the dressing room he is always leading the youngsters. He has played 70 Tests, so he educates them. It is great to have him in the dressing room.”There were other boxes ticked off as well. John Campbell made his first Test fifty in 15 innings, an innings which helped them recover from 9 for 3 and see off a chase of 84. “I think it was really important,” Simmons said. “He has had good starts in most of the games but failed to get past that 30-40 mark. The unbeaten fifty must give him some kind of confidence to get that big score, hopefully in the next Test match.”West Indies’ slip catching too was impressive in this Test match. They took 13 catches behind the wicket, dropping just the one. Six of those 13 catches were taken at slip, while wicketkeeper Joshua Da Silva gobbled up the other seven. Simmons was asked to explain this and he said, “it is a matter of practice. I think the guys are enjoying the fact that the balls are coming to them. It is after a long time I am seeing the ball going to first slip in the Caribbean. It is nice to see.”There’s also the fact that Jason Holder might come back into the team later in the year so nobody wants to be put out of there. They know that he will walk right back into the slips. That could be a motivation too.”

Robert Haynes takes over as interim chairman as new CWI president hints at return of exiled star players

George Dobell11-Apr-2019Floyd Reifer has replaced Richard Pybus as West Indies’ coach just weeks ahead of the World Cup.Reifer, who was briefly captain of West Indies in 2009, has been appointed to the role in an interim capacity following a review of West Indies’ coaching and selection policies led by newly-elected Cricket West Indies (CWI) president, Ricky Skerritt.The entire West Indies selection panel has also been dismissed. Courtney Browne, who had been a selector since 2013 and head selector since 2016, has been sacked with Robert Haynes, who played eight ODIs for West Indies between 1989 and 1991, appointed as interim head selector in his place.”We have found it necessary to immediately adjust our selection policy to become more open, inclusive, and player-centric,” Skerritt said. “I am therefore pleased to confirm that we have terminated the old embedded selection policy which secretly, but actively, victimized some players and banished them from selection consideration.”While Pybus was only appointed to the role of interim head coach in January and was at the helm when West Indies recently defeated England in a Test series, his dismissal is no surprise. He had ruffled many feathers during his time as West Indies’ director of cricket – University of West Indies vice-chancellor Sir Hilary Beckles recently described Pybus’ decision to shut down the West Indies’ high-performance centre in Barbados as “deeply troubling” and “an act of vandalism” – and was seen as closely aligned to former CWI president, Dave Cameron.Indeed, it is understood that despite Jimmy Adams, West Indies’ director of cricket, not including Pybus’ name among a not so shortlist of 11 suitable candidates for the interim position in December, Cameron decided to appoint him anyway.Pybus had also been party to the decision to consider for selection only those players who made themselves available for selection in the Caribbean’s regional tournaments. As a result, many of the West Indies’ best T20 players were squeezed out of selection contention. It is possible his departure may encourage one or two more players who have previously announced their international retirement to reconsider.Lockhart Sebastien, Travis Dowlin and Eldine Baptiste are the other selectors to be dismissed. Adams and Reifer will assist Haynes with team selection for now. The team captain, Jason Holder, will also be involved in selection of the World Cup squad. Pybus will return to the role of High Performance Director.”Robert Haynes will be in place for three months or until the selection system review is completed,” Adams said. “Following this, full-time two-year appointments will be made. The Head Coach will also have selector status to ensure he or she has meaningful input into the selection process which is such a big factor for team success.”Reifer has enjoyed a previous stint of as interim head coach during which West Indies won a T20 series in Bangladesh. He has also coached the West Indies A side, including to victory over England, and the Combined Campuses and Colleges side to victory in the regional 50 over tournament in 2018.Skerritt explained that his appointment was reflective of the board’s new “West Indian first policy” designed to promote and encourage regional talent whenever possible.”Floyd Reifer had been identified as the outstanding emerging local coach,” Skerritt said. “Our landmark decision to immediately introduce a well suited young West Indian professional as our men’s team coach is therefore a clear indicator of the seriousness of our West Indian first policy and represents our commitment to celebrate the best of what it means to be West Indian. This decision also underscores the need for fresh thinking, and an even more urgent need to embrace the new inclusive selection policy.”We believe very strongly in localising the expertise that we put behind our teams and we believe in bringing in non-Caribbean expertise only where it is not available across the region. We want to be sure that the team does well at all times with the possible resources but we also have to make sure that they have a Caribbean support team around them.”Our performance record overseas under international coaches has been dismal at best. All of our victories in ICC tournaments have been with the help of local coaches. That is also why we have decided to give the opportunity to a young but seasoned professional, who lives among us, and who has dedicated his life to developing our young people and teaching them our cricket culture.”The changes we have triggered this week are more than a change in personnel or a shake-up in the ranks. This is a calculated strategic move designed to reignite the passion for a culture, where our cricket is being put back where it belongs: at the very centre.”West Indies depart for Ireland in less than three weeks for a tri-series ODI tournament also involving Bangladesh.

But the Indian captain backs Vijay Shankar’s inclusion for the tournament in England

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Apr-2019India captain Virat Kohli agrees that Vijay Shankar offers balance to the Indian batting order, but has not committed to the Tamil Nadu allrounder batting at No. 4.On Monday, after announcing India’s World Cup squad, MSK Prasad, the chairman of selectors, said that Vijay was identified as the No. 4.However, Kohli agreed with Prasad only to the extent that Vijay was a “three-dimensional” player and a better choice compared to the other options and combinations that India had tried out in the past.The search for the No. 4 started after the Champions Trophy and stretched to the ODI series at home against Australia in March, during which period 11 batsmen were tried out. The longest incumbent was Ambati Rayudu, but Prasad said he lost the race to Vijay.Kohli echoed that, saying Vijay was a “proper” batsman, who provided another allrounder option to India. “We tried a lot of things. There were a few combinations that we tried,” Kohli told . “Eventually when Vijay came in, it was three dimensional: he can bowl, he can field, he can bat.”He is a proper batsman as well. That just gave us an option, saying why not have that kind of balance which other teams have had all these years. From that point of view we all agreed on it.”Prasad had pointed out that Vijay would get to bat at No. 4 to begin with, with Kedar Jadhav and Dinesh Karthik being other options for the spot along with KL Rahul. However Kohli refrained from being definitive. “We are pretty sorted with how we want to go about the World Cup. Obviously who bats where is the decision for later.”Other than who is best suitable for No. 4, the other big debate over the past two years has been over MS Dhoni’s role in the ODI side, keeping in mind the fact that his signature explosive finishing power has been on the wane.After an extended period stretching over a year where he had not scored a half-century, Dhoni picked up three successive 50s in the ODI series win in Australia in January. Kohli stated then that Dhoni was best suited at No. 5 even though his deputy Rohit Sharma had said personally he would have India’s senior most player at No. 4.In an interview with ESPNcricinfo, Prasad had said Dhoni would be the most important guy for India at the World Cup. Prasad said that Dhoni had finally started finding his touch, which was evident in Australia and New Zealand where he played “fearlessly”.Kohli has always stood by Dhoni and he backed him once again. He said that when he was struggling to settle down in the initial years of his career, Dhoni, who was the Indian captain, had given him the space to grow. Today he was reciprocating and that was not as a favour but because Dhoni “deserved” that space.”For me loyalty matters the most. When I walked into the team, he had the chance of trying someone else after a few games. Although I grabbed my opportunities really early, he gave me an opportunity to understand my game and gave me time in the game.”For me those things are very important because I know the kind of phase I was coming into. And if he is going through a phase where he has to work things out, he deserves that respect, it’s not like I [gifted] it to him.”You look at what he’s done for the country, no one can [gift] him that space, he deserves it. So we were just doing our bit to tell people that you need to think in the same manner.”It’s not like we are giving him something, he deserves this and he is intelligent enough to know what’s going on in his life, in his cricket, everything. It was important to give him space, for which people did not have much patience at that time.”Now after 12 months people are saying he is the most important factor in the World Cup, which is true. We knew deep down all along.”