All posts by h716a5.icu

Sri Lanka coach Marvan Atapattu expressed confidence that Sachithra Senanayake will return successfully to international cricket, after the ICC cleared the spinner’s remodeled action.

Andrew Fidel Fernando09-Dec-2014Sri Lanka coach Marvan Atapattu expressed confidence that Sachithra Senanayake will return successfully to international cricket, after the ICC cleared the spinner’s remodelled action.Senanayake, 29, was the team’s top spinner in the first half of 2014, regularly bowling in the Powerplay and at the death, while also posing a menace during the middle overs.His new action – which is said to have a higher release point than before – has served Senanayake well in domestic cricket so far. He has five wickets from three List A games for Sinhalese Sports Club, and was also effective in the Mercantile Cricket Association tournament in August, when he first bowled with his remodelled action.”It’s hard to gauge how effective he is when he hasn’t played international cricket yet,” Atapattu said. “The domestic cricket here is played at a different level. The big challenge is to perform with all the pressures of an international match. I have a lot of faith in Sachithra. Having seen him over the years, I know he’s a tough character, and a player that is well-liked in the team. I trust that he’ll be the same bowler, with a different action.”Senanayake may even play in the fifth ODI on Wednesday, after being drafted into the side after Rangana Herath pulled a hamstring at training on the eve of the match. He was observed closely in the months he was banned from international cricket, with the board devoting significant resources to his remedial work, and eventual redemption.”When he was doing work with his action, we had cameras covering the matches that he played. He was comfortable then, and though I know that it is a different challenge and different pressure bowling on the international stage. But knowing him, I think he’ll be up for it. He was enthusiastic to get back as soon as he can.”Sri Lanka’s World Cup preparation suffered setbacks during Senanayake’s five-month ban. The selectors trialled Suraj Randiv in Senanayake’s place, while the opposition’s Powerplay overs – when Senanayake had routinely bowled – were an area of weakness, particularly in the tour of India. Senanayake was integral to Sri Lanka’s limited-over successes in the first half of 2014, and Atapattu suggested the ban had come at a bad time for the team.”People have questioned the timing of the ban,” he said. “Everyone was preparing their squads for the World Cup, and you need your best spinners in operation in those conditions. It would have been much better if the ban came after the World Cup or much earlier than it did. But if it had to come, it had to come. In our case, we got through it. Our main concern was Sachithra – we’ve got the good news today. We’ll proceed with whatever plans we have.”

Barbados won the Regional Four-Day competition for the first time since its inception, and finally broke the dominant hold that Jamaica has had on the competition

ESPNcricinfo staff12-May-2013
ScorecardKirk Edward and Everton Weekes at the trophy presentation•WICB Media Photo/Randy BrooksBarbados registered their first first-class triumph in six seasons, winning by an innings and 22 runs against Trinidad & Tobago despite a fighting 140 from Lendl Simmons while his team was following on. That also meant that for the first time in six years, the competition has not been won by Jamaica, who lost out to T&T in the semi-finals this season.T&T, coming into the third – and eventually final – day on 140 for 4, were only able to add 30 runs before Denesh Ramdin fell for 18. Lendl Simmons and Ramdhin had put on 83 runs for the fifth wicket, in an effort to reduce the deficit after T&T’s first innings flop for 110.The wicket of Simmons followed soon after with the score on 195. Simmons, who had been batting on 111 overnight, was caught-behind off the bowling of Jonathan Carter. Miguel Cummins and Javon Searles then took out the remaining batsmen. They ultimately fell 23 runs short of making Barbados bat again.Kraigg Brathwaite of Barbados ended up the second-highest run scorer in the competition with 577 runs in eight matches, while their offspinner Ashley Nurse finished third-highest wicket taker with 45 wickets in eight.Hendy Springer, the Barbados coach, was delighted with his team’s performance. “It feels great to win a trophy, after the kind of start we had to the season [Barbados began with a loss to Jamaica], and to look around and see some of the young players improve, which is the definition of success for me.”We had guys that were willing or fight, willing to prove their worth and that was important. Players have come with higher skill levels than the ones we had this season, but the fight that they showed day in, day out was what made the difference.This team is different to others that I have coached over the years since it does not include a number of players that have represented West Indies at the higher levels. When I first started coaching Barbados back in December 2000, we had players like Roland Holder, Philo Wallace, Sherwin Campbell, Hendy Bryan, Adrian Griffith, Floyd Reifer to name a few – a number of players that had represented West Indies and it was much different then. This season we had more first-class players than West Indies players, and it was good to see those players come to the fore as well.”T&T captain Denesh Ramdin was disappointed with his side’s batting, and hoped to rectify this performance for the future. “It was an up and down season and we had to keep chopping and changing players, some going and some coming, and we never got that balance right in our batting department. We were always struggling to put 200 runs on the board but our bowlers had done it throughout the season for us. This is one of the few times we have gotten over 220 runs for the season. It is something we have to think about and we have to go back to the drawing board.”The top five or six batters need to come to the party. They didn’t come consistently as we wanted them to in this tournament. Well played to Lendl Simmons for getting a hundred this game, but having to come from 260 behind was a hard task to overcome.”I believe it is a mindset that the players have to change. We have to learn to stand up and bat longer. Players are sometimes playing too many shots and not batting as long as they should. To get hundreds, you need to bat at least two and a half sessions and we find guys are trying to get the runs all in one session. Hopefully, they can all learn from this experience and learn as fast as possible. Next year will be right around the corner and we will need to bounce back strongly.”

Paul Collingwood’s highest one-day score for two years helped Durham to beat Derbyshire by 43 runs under the Duckworth-Lewis method at Chester-le-Street.

27-May-2013
ScorecardPaul Collingwood rediscovered his one-day form•PA PhotosPaul Collingwood’s highest one-day score for two years helped Durham to beat Derbyshire by 43 runs under the Duckworth-Lewis method at Chester-le-Street. Collingwood had a top score of 32 in the competition last year but made 79 from 83 balls as Durham totalled 273 for 6.The hosts took 69 off the last six overs with Gordon Muchall scorching to a 30-ball half-century and remaining unbeaten on 57. Derbyshire were 70 for 3 after 16 overs, Graham Onions taking all the wickets, when the drizzle became too heavy for play to continue.Left-arm paceman Mark Footitt was the pick of Derbyshire’s weakened attack, taking three wickets, while 19-year-old off-spinner Peter Burgoyne also performed creditably.Back at his original club, Mark Turner’s first three overs cost 25 and it was a surprise when Phil Mustard stepped back in the seventh over in an attempt to hit him over extra cover and missed a straight ball.Mark Stoneman had holed out at deep backward square leg in the second over, so Collingwood went in at 40 for 2. He had made six off 12 balls when he drove 21-year-old medium pacer Alex Hughes for a straight six.Otherwise he was content to accumulate steadily in taking the score to 109 after 20 overs. He pulled Turner for his third four to reach 50 off 59 balls and fell in the 36th over, lbw when trying to hit a swinging yorker from Footitt to leg.Scott Borthwick made 43 and Ben Stokes 40, both scoring at around a run a ball, although Stokes made a quiet start. On 14 he was dropped at deep midwicket by Billy Godleman, who had just made a brilliant stop.But when Turner returned, Stokes drove two straight fours in an over which cost 14 then hammered a straight six off left-arm spinner David Wainwright before driving Footitt to mid-off.Derbyshire captain Wayne Madsen tried three overs of his own off spin but in the third Muchall lofted three successive balls over mid-off for four. He also drove Footitt over long-on for six and cleared the midwicket rope off Wainwright as the 38th over yielded 15 runs.In Derbyshire’s reply Chesney Hughes hit Onions’ third and fourth balls for four then fell lbw to the fifth, trying to turn a yorker to leg. Shivnarine Chanderpaul made 11 before he played back and edged to Mustard in the seventh over and in Onions’ final over Paul Borrington departed for 32 when he pulled a catch to midwicket.That left them well behind the asking rate when the match was brought to a halt by the elements.

An unruffled knock of 171 from Stafanie Taylor helped West Indies Women crush Sri Lanka Women by 209 runs in a Group A match at the MIG Ground in Mumbai.

The Report by Vishal Dikshit in Mumbai03-Feb-2013
ScorecardThe West Indies-Sri Lanka game turned out to be not much of a contest•MIG ClubA flamboyant knock of 171 from opener Stafanie Taylor helped West Indies Women crush Sri Lanka Women by 209 runs in a Group A match at the MIG Ground in Mumbai. Taylor’s hundred and a powerful, 20-ball 50 from Deandra Dottin took West Indies to 368 for 8, their highest ODI score. In reply, Sri Lanka were dismissed for 159 runs with ten overs to spare, giving the West Indies their first win of the tournament.Taylor, who was named the ICC Women’s ODI Cricketer of the Year in 2012 and the Women’s Cricketer of the Year in 2011, also broke her own record for the highest individual score by a West Indian batsman in women’s cricket, surpassing her innings of 147 against Netherlands in 2010.West Indies got off to a flying start after Sri Lanka chose to field. Kycia Knight and Taylor scored 19 runs in the first two overs, helped partly by some wayward bowling from Sri Lanka. Taylor was the more subdued of the duo in the early overs, as Knight went after the bowling, especially medium-pacer Sripali Weerakkody who conceded 25 runs in her first three overs.By the time spin was introduced, Taylor was well-settled and, in spite of losing Kycia and Shemaine Campbelle quickly, kept the momentum going. She used her feet well against the spinners, coming down the track or stepping on the backfoot to cut through the offside. The right-hand batsman brought up her 50 with a lofted drive over mid-off and, when the scoring rate slipped a little, hit a six over long-on. Her partnership of 110 runs with the other Knight sister, Kyshona, steadied the West Indies innings. Taylor toyed with the Sri Lankan attack, scoring a flurry of fours and sixes before she brought up her fourth ODI hundred off 97 balls.It was a run-out which broke the partnership as Kyshona was dismissed for 44 by a direct hit from Deepika Ranasangika on the first ball of the 34th over bowled by Eshani Kaushalya. The run-out didn’t fluster Taylor, who dispatched the next two deliveries for fours. New batsman Deandra Dottin lived up to her reputation of a hard-hitting batsman coming into this World Cup, clobbering a huge six over long-on, off her first ball. Kaushalya was struck for 16 runs in that over.Dottin was in her element when the Powerplay began in the 36th over. She struck two fours and a six and followed that up with two consecutive fours in the next over, struck so hard that she had to change her bat. Sri Lanka were sloppy, missing two run-out chances of Taylor in the 38th over, even as the overthrows and wides they bowled cost them 14 runs. With the opposition running out of bowling options, Dottin struck two more sixes to add to their agony, one of these almost landing in the balcony of a neighbouring residential building.When Sherina Ravikumar eventually dismissed Dottin, the pair had put on an astounding 90 runs in almost six overs, of which 71 came in the powerplay overs. West Indies lost a couple of quick wickets after Dottin’s exit before Taylor was joined by captain Merissa Aguilleira. The duo punished the Lankan bowlers a little more, striking a 55-run partnership in just 28 balls. Taylor was eventually dismissed for 171, and her knock included 18 fours and two sixes. Aguilleira scored an unbeaten 47 as West Indies reached a daunting score of 368.Needing more than seven runs an over, the Sri Lankan innings quickly fell into disarray. The opening partnership lasted just 25 balls and with the West Indies bowlers holding a steady line outside the off stump, the pressure kept mounting. Left-arm seamer Shanel Daley struck twice in her first spell, leaving Sri Lanka reeling at 51 for 3 in the 12th over. Prasadani Weerakkody anchored the innings with a patient knock of 22, but found herself running out of partners. Legspinner Shaquana Quintyne ended her stay at the crease with a brilliant catch off her own bowling. She picked up two more wickets to finish with figures of 3 for 32. Offspinner Anisa Mohammed stifled the batsmen with her flight, enhanced by her high-arm action, conceding only 10 runs in 5.2 overs and picking up one wicket.The seventh-wicket partnership between Dilani Manodara and Deepika Rasangika was worth 37 runs but, by then, Sri Lanka were almost out of the contest. Rasangika’s 25-ball 28 only delayed the inevitable and Sri Lanka held on for another ten overs before West Indies prevailed.

Kolkata Knight Riders captain Gautam Gambhir said it was time for his side to play “fearless cricket” ahead of their first match against Delhi Daredevils

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Apr-2013Kolkata Knight Riders captain Gautam Gambhir has asked his side to play “fearless cricket,” ahead of the opening game of the IPL 2013 season, against Delhi Daredevils at Eden Gardens. Knight Riders are the defending champions, having won the title in 2012 after several poor seasons.”We’ve got the monkey off our back. Now is the time to go out there and play fearless cricket,” Gambhir said on the eve of the match. He said Knight Riders would not be affected by Brendon McCullum’s absence, after the New Zealand batsman suffered a hamstring problem, saying there was “a lot of quality in the dressing room”.Gambhir also said his focus was on performing for his franchise and insisted the IPL was not just a comeback platform for the national side. He had been dropped for the first two Tests against Australia and then missed out on selection for the next two Tests due to an illness. “I don’t play for individuals but for a team called KKR,” Gambhir said. “I am a part of the team which is the defending champion. I don’t see IPL as my comeback platform.”Daredevils team mentor TA Sekar was happy with the performances that Irfan Pathan and Yadav had shown in a few matches prior to the IPL. Yadav picked up a five-wicket haul against Odisha in a domestic T20 tournament recently, while Irfan also got his fitness back. “I think bowlers today are very intelligent and they know how to keep themselves fit,” Sekar said, adding that McCullum’s absence had leveled the playing field between the teams.Delhi Daredevils’ coach Eric Simons was happy with the fitness of his bowlers ahead of the game against Knight Riders. “There are a few teams who are struggling with injuries,” Simons said. “But one of the positives is that they are coming from an injury lay-off and they all are fresh. Umesh Yadav bowled really well at the nets. Hopefully that`s something that would go in our favour.”While admitting the absence of Kevin Pietersen and Jesse Ryder was disappointing, Simons said he was happy with the trade that brought in Ashish Nehra in place of New Zealand’s Ross Taylor.”This year there`s a lot of innovation in the team selection,” Simons said. “We have more options, having learnt the lessons. We have traded well. We have got a lot of variations now.”

The unnatural calm that existed between these two teams evaporated in the Adelaide heat when the umpires had to intervene on at least two occasions to separate the squabbling players

Sidharth Monga at Adelaide Oval12-Dec-20141:18

‘Sometimes I cross the line’ – Warner

The unnatural calm that existed between these two teams evaporated in the Adelaide heat when the umpires had to intervene on at least two occasions to separate the squabbling players. David Warner and Virat Kohli were involved in both instances, but as pacifiers in one each. On day three, when Kohli was hit on the helmet, Warner was the first one to walk up to him and check on him.The players lost their cool when Varun Aaron bowled Warner in the middle session on day four. Kohli had already been in the face of Chris Rogers when the opener had been dismissed. Now when Warner got out, both Kohli and Aaron gave him a bit of a send-off. It was the 34th over, Warner had already raced away to 66, and Australia were effectively 1 for 193. The send-off and the celebration didn’t quite look on for the state India were in.However, the umpires checked the replays and found out that Aaron had overstepped. Warner came back all happy and mocking the send-off, shouting “come on, come on”. All hell broke loose. The not-out batsman, Shane Watson, and Shikhar Dhawan got into an altercation even as Kohli was trying to pacify Aaron and Warner. Warner shouted “come on” again as he left alone a delivery. That incensed the Indians some more. And when Warner crossed Aaron while taking a single, more pleasantries were exchanged, including a kiss blown by Warner to Aaron, who just didn’t know how to react at being sledged by a batsman, a reversal of roles to which he didn’t seem accustomed.Later during the day, when Steven Smith had joined Warner, Rohit Sharma appealed for a leg-before when Smith had been miles down the wicket. It was by all accounts just a polite – albeit far-fetched – enquiry to the umpire, Marais Erasmus. Smith gave the Indians an incredulous look and shrugged, which for some reason made Rohit lose his cool. “What? What?” Rohit was heard asking Smith, who just kept smiling until he saw Kohli had left his station at first slip and planted himself mere inches from Smith. Angry words seem to fly until Warner walked all the way up to separate the two.The umpires had to get involved again, and could be seen having a long chat with Kohli, followed by smaller ones during the next few over breaks. The rest of the day went largely incident-free, but it has the potential to sour the spirit in which the first three days were played. Both sides, though, sought to underplay what happened.”I don’t know if the temperature got to 40 degrees-plus, but it was getting to a few people out there,” Warner said of the incidents. “When some decisions don’t go your way, you get bowled off a no-ball, it’s what happens in cricket. They’re always going to come at you and come at you, and you’ve got to learn to bite your tongue a bit, and sometimes we don’t.”Warner hinted at a history between the individuals that might have built up to this. Dhawan, for example, had mocked an injured Watson in an ODI in India last year with a deliberate limp in his walk. “Things happened in the past,” he said. “Things happen in IPL as well. There are a few send-offs here and there. It was the last over of his spell, and he got another one the next over. He bowled pretty well, he bowled tight and he thought he deserved the reward. It is unlucky in cricket that you bowl no-balls.”Asked if all this didn’t quite sit well with a side that had extended immediate concern towards Kohli when he was hit on day three, Warner sought to look at the two incidents as mutually exclusive. “Given the last week and a half it is quite tough when someone gets hit in the head,” Warner said. “You sit back and you hope he is okay. That’s what you have to do. We play the game within the spirit of the game, when we get tough we play tough. That’s getting verbal. But when someone gets hurt you are always going to give him sympathy. You have to.”Ajinkya Rahane, who addressed the press conference on India’s behalf, didn’t see much wrong in what went on. He said it was “part and parcel” of the game when things get “competitive”, and that the umpires did a good job in keeping things quiet.

Monty Panesar claimed career-best figures of 7 for 60 as Somerset crumbled after the completion of Marcus Trescothick’s 50th first-class ton

Ivo Tennant at Taunton22-Aug-2012
ScorecardMonty Panesar’s seven wickets will have caught the eye of England selector James Whitaker•Getty ImagesIt was quite apparent who James Whitaker, the England selector, had come to watch at Taunton. In days gone by this would, of course, have been Marcus Trescothick, who completed the 50th first-class century of his career following the lengthy rain stoppage on Tuesday. Sadly, he is no longer an international option. Monty Panesar, however, can only have enhanced his chances of playing Test cricket again through taking career-best figures of 7 for 60.Indeed, Whitaker’s first question upon arrival at the County Ground was to ask how “the Sultan” was bowling. The answer was pretty well, although Trescothick, not altogether surprisingly, mastered him on a pitch that is rather different from the flat surfaces Phil Frost used to prepare here. There was turn for Panesar on the first morning, more now and doubtless there will be plenty come the final day.Panesar snaffled Jos Buttler, who appeared to be in England T20 mode when he attempted to clear deep mid off without being to the pitch of the ball; Alex Barrow, picked up at short leg; Peter Trego, whose leg stump was knocked out by a quicker one that scuttled through; Saj Mahmood, also taken at short leg; and Steve Kirby, edging to the wicketkeeper. What with Abdur Rehman going leg-before to Chris Nash, Somerset had lost their last five wickets for just six runs.Certainly Panesar pushed the ball through, but it is not possible to quibble with such figures. He knows that Danny Briggs, his fellow left arm spinner and a member of England’s World Twenty20 squad, is uppermost in the selectors’ thoughts at present and to excel like this in front of Whitaker was timely indeed. He does not at present hold a full central contract and neither could he account for Trescothick, who gained the 11 runs he required to move to a century in the morning through three characteristic shots: a cover drive, barely moving his feet, a dab to third man (twice) and a leg glance to the boundary.There were 18 fours in this century, scored off 167 balls, and he had made 123 in all when he looked, initially, to steer Nash to third man, changed his mind too late and edged to Ben Brown. “I didn’t sleep very well, I was a bit nervous,” Trescothick said. “At this stage of my career I am 25 or 30 centuries short of what I should have. It puts into context the achievements of Graeme Hick and Mark Ramprakash.” He praised Panesar for being “very consistent” and said he expects this pitch to break up.When Sussex batted, it was without much conviction. Nash was the exception, batting aggressively until he flicked Gemaal Hussain to short midwicket, where Trescothick had shrewdly placed a catcher. In the following over Peter Trego gained sufficient movement away from the left handed Ed Joyce to have him caught behind. The Sussex captain, incidentally, had been the one person to clap his opposite number when the milestone century was reached: Panesar and all thought Trescothick was caught at short leg when on 60.The middle order of Murray Goodwin, who is out of touch, Mike Yardy and Luke Wells all went in spite of having played themselves in. Rehman, bowling like Panesar from the Pavilion End, did not achieve the same turn or bite, yet he took two wickets. Luke Wright was leg-before to Hussain shortly before the close, not appreciating the verdict of umpire Rob Bailey one little bit. This is a close contest, for sure.

Centuries by Chris Gayle and Kieran Powell, who put on 254 for the first wicket, put West Indies on the path to securing a sizeable first-innings lead, but a few late strikes after tea gave New Zealand an opening

The Report by Kanishkaa Balachandran27-Jul-2012
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsKieran Powell’s 134 was his maiden Test century•DigicelCricket.com/Brooks LaTouche PhotographyCenturies by Chris Gayle and Kieran Powell, who put on 254 for the first wicket, put West Indies on the path to securing a sizeable first-innings lead, but a few late strikes after tea gave New Zealand an opening. Gayle and Powell extended the hosts’ dominance by batting out the morning session, but the other top-order batsmen couldn’t quite carry on after making starts. Assad Fudadin and Narsingh Deonarine made patient half-centuries to ensure West Indies didn’t capitulate after the start provided by the openers and, by stumps, their team still held the upper hand, leading by 91.New Zealand created opportunities with the swing on offer with the new ball, but once the batsmen had seen off that period, the visitors were left waiting for mistakes. New Zealand were hurt by the fact that their best and most experienced bowler, Daniel Vettori, couldn’t pick up a wicket. Kane Williamson bowled 20 overs, the most he has ever bowled in a Test, and picked up two.Gayle carried on from where he left off, piloting the innings. Given his stupendous limited-overs form, a Test century was there for the taking against a bowling attack low on confidence and form. Gayle started the day with a flat six over long-off off Vettori to take him to the nineties. Keen to reach his landmark in style he pulled a short delivery by Chris Martin and just about cleared the rope to get from 97 to 103. Gayle punched the air and acknowledged his 14th Test century, one that will be talked about for long, given it came after an exile of one-and-a-half years.New Zealand relied on Neil Wagner’s reverse swing to possibly sneak in a wicket or two with the old ball. With the ball swinging in sharply towards the pads, a silly mid-on and short midwicket was placed for the checked drive. It didn’t change New Zealand’s luck as Powell managed to chip it over midwicket and keep out the fuller deliveries. One one occasion, Gayle miscued an on-drive and yet managed to beat mid-on comfortably. It was that sort of morning for New Zealand.Smart stats

The 254-run stand between Chris Gayle and Kieran Powell is the fifth 250-plus stand for the opening wicket for West Indies. Four of the five have come in home Tests with the only away one coming against New Zealand.

The partnership between Gayle and Powell is also the third-highest opening stand against New Zealand and the second-highest for West Indies.

West Indies’ total of 442 is presently their fifth-highest against New Zealand in Tests since 1990. Their highest in the period remains the 660 in Wellington in 1995.

The total of 442 is the second-highest at North Sound after Australia’s 479 in 2008. However, the number of overs in the innings (138) is the highest in a single innings at the venue.

This is only the eighth time that both West Indies openers have scored hundreds in the same innings. The last time this happened was also against New Zealand in Hamilton in 1999.

Powell’s century is his first in Tests. He has now scored 489 runs in 18 innings at 27.16 with one century and two fifties.

With his 150, Gayle moved joint-third with Viv Richards and Everton Weekes on the list of West Indian batsmen with the most scores of 150 or more. Brian Lara heads the list with 19 such scores.

The patient Powell couldn’t resist a slash over gully that brought up the double-century opening stand, the ninth in West Indies history. It was also the highest partnership for any wicket by West Indies since December 2010, when Gayle last played a Test. It only underlined Gayle’s impact and how much his team missed him.Gayle offered his second chance of the innings when the ball turned, kissed the glove and lobbed to first slip where Ross Taylor fluffed a straightforward take. New Zealand didn’t get too many chances coming their way, and they will wonder what could have been had they halted Gayle on 36 yesterday.Gayle added only four to his score after lunch when he tried to clear Williamson over long-off but was caught well in front of the rope. Powell got to his maiden Test century with a flourish just as Gayle had done earlier, hittiing a boundary. There were two fielders placed in the deep on the on side and he managed to place it between them with a strong pull off Wagner. It was the first time in 13 years that both West Indies openers had hit centuries in an innings, the last pair being Sherwin Campbell and Adrian Griffith in Hamilton in 1999.The new ball, taken after 83 overs with West Indies at 269 for 1, posed questions straightaway as Doug Bracewell teased the left-handers with his inswing. There were a couple of marginal lbw shouts against Powell and Fudadin, but the ball looked to be missing the leg stump. The left-handed pair looked more comfortable with the ball swinging away as they fetched boundaries through the off side.Powell looked good to carry on to a big hundred when he took on Wagner for three consecutive fours through the off side, including a scoop over mid-off. However, he fell off the fourth, chasing a delivery well wide of the off stump and feathering an edge to the keeper to give a pumped-up Wagner his first Test wicket. Marlon Samuels survived a testing first delivery, deflected down the leg side, and a run-out. Samuels failed to carry on after making a start, inside-edging Martin to his leg stump. Martin struck again in the first ball of his next over when he had Shivnarine Chanderpaul gloving a snorter to Kruger van Wyk. It was his sixth first-ball duck and the third time he failed to score against New Zealand.The double-strike suddenly put West Indies on the back foot, but Deonarine and Fudadin did well to weather the storm. Fudadin played shots on both sides of the wicket and picked up seven boundaries, but, like Gayle, perished while going for the big hit. Denesh Ramdin chopped a short delivery onto his stumps shortly before close, joining the list of those who threw their wickets away.Deonarine played a couple of adventurous strokes, including a straight six off Wagner as he neared his fifty. As a statement of intent, he swung the last ball of the day for a boundary. New Zealand did well to script a comeback in the final session, but another tough day awaits.

For Zaheer Khan, the primary question had been whether he wanted to go through the arduous process of trying to make a comeback, rather than how to go about it

Amol Karhadkar26-Nov-2013India fast bowler Zaheer Khan’s inclusion in the Test squad for the upcoming tour of South Africa marked the end of his year-long exile from the team. But for Zaheer, the primary question had been whether he wanted to go through the arduous process of trying to make a comeback, rather than how to go about it.”Last year, I sat down and I was thinking about exactly how to get back. Firstly, if I wanted to make a comeback, that was the biggest question for me,” Zaheer said on the sidelines of Mumbai’s training session ahead of their Ranji Trophy match against Vidarbha on Thursday. “When the answer was yes, I chalked out the strategy that was exactly needed and I did everything to make sure I was there. Obviously, the physical aspect was the big thing and I had to tackle that. And then in consultation with a lot of trainers and physios, I chalked out a plan and so far it has worked.”Zaheer’s latest comeback to the Test squad is different from his previous ones. Seldom has he been dropped on form during a long international career that began in 2000. However, his poor performances against England at home in December last year and his lack of match-fitness resulted in him being axed from the team.After being injured for most of IPL 2013, Zaheer travelled to France for a strenuous fitness stint with trainer Tim Exeter. He followed that up by training with former India trainer Adrian le Roux in Bloemfontein, before returning home and putting in a big performance for the India A team in the two unofficial Tests against West Indies A. Zaheer said that it was those games, particularly the one in Hubli, that helped him regain his confidence.”It’s been a slow progress right from Shimoga. When I went to Shimoga, I knew that I need some overs under my belt,” he said. “I didn’t want anything to happen suddenly. I was kind of progressing slowly but surely,” Zaheer said. “As I bowled a few overs in that particular game, slowly things started picking up. I’ve always believed in match practice being the best practice. The spell that I bowled in Hubli towards the end of the game gave me a lot of confidence and from then I just picked it up.”Zaheer also played three Ranji matches, including one against a strong Delhi batting unit, to try out different variations and prove his fitness to the selectors. “It was more to do with getting in that zone as far as matches are concerned. Once I had overs under my belt I was comfortable being on the field.”I was feeling that the recovery in between the spells was spot on. I was able to recover between the spells and come next day. So those were the things I was looking at. As far as Test matches are concerned, not only do you have to put in the effort on day one, but the important thing is you have to come back the following day and make sure you are there from ball one.”Zaheer’s stint in France also made him want to start a fitness centre in India on the lines of Exeter’s set-up. “I have planned to start something so that lot of people get benefited. I had the privilege to go abroad, I could afford to go and do those things. But I feel in India you need a set-up like that in terms of physiotherapy and fitness, so hopefully instead of giving you a lowdown, I can give you the real thing.”His immediate goal, however, is to excel on the field and mentor India’s young seamers. “That comes naturally for me. If I can help someone, I don’t hesitate to go up to him and say what I feel. Being a bowler in the subcontinent is not an easy task. It’s about just backing yourself and believing that. That thought process is very important when playing in the subcontinent.”Zaheer said he was looking forward to the upcoming series in South Africa, where he has fond memories. On India’s previous tour there, Zaheer returned to the team after a groin strain and contributed to a Test victory in Durban.

Shahid Afridi has said he is “strong, fit and in good shape” to come back from the “wild period” he spent out of the Pakistan limited-overs sides due to his conditional retirement

Umar Farooq03-Nov-2011Shahid Afridi has said he is “strong, fit and in good shape” to come back from the “wild period” he spent out of the Pakistan limited-overs sides due to his conditional retirement.Afridi had made himself available for selection after Zaka Ashraf succeeded Ijaz Butt as PCB chairman and was named on Wednesday in the ODI and Twenty20 squads for the upcoming series against Sri Lanka in the UAE. His selection came hours after he met with Ashraf in Lahore.”I found Zaka a very cooperative person,” Afridi said. “Though he is not a cricketer, I feel he can understand cricketers’ problems and is good at managing things. I feel he will do the best for the interests of cricket in the country.”Afridi last played for Pakistan in the West Indies in May, when he had a public falling-out with the coach Waqar Younis. He was replaced by Misbah-ul-Haq as captain in the limited-overs formats, after which he announced his retirement, saying that he would not play for Pakistan under that administration. Waqar subsequently resigned as coach after the tour of Zimbabwe and Butt ended his term as PCB chairman in October, clearing the way for Afridi’s comeback. Afridi said he still had “a lot to offer”.”It’s obviously very tough to be out in such a manner. It indeed was a very difficult time and I am happy that I am back,” Afridi said. “I am strong, fit and in good shape to cover the wild period I had lost during the time of retirement.”I was well supported by the seniors in the team and also by Misbah, which is really good. Now I am ready to contribute in the team as a senior player.”Afridi had wasted no time in pushing his case, requesting a meeting with Zaka on the day the new PCB chairman took office. The selectors, too, wasted little time in picking the allrounder.”I met with Afridi before his selection and we had a positive meeting,” interim chief selector Mohammad Ilyas said. “He is like a son to me and I believe his selection isn’t unfair.”Though he hasn’t played international cricket for five months, Afridi has not been short of match practice. He played for Hampshire in the Friends Life t20 in England. “I am not rusty at all as I kept myself busy playing cricket,” he said. “I am focusing on maintaining my all-round abilities. I had a successful county stint, which gave me ample confidence of doing well in both departments.”