Stuart Broad is among several England players considering playing in the third season of the IPL, the has reported

Cricinfo staff26-Nov-2009Stuart Broad is among several England players considering playing in the third season of the IPL, the has reported. Broad turned down the chance to play in the 2009 season, choosing instead to focus on the Ashes, but his agent is reported to have been in touch with IPL commissioner Lalit Modi.”We have had contact from Craig [Sackfield, Broad’s agent] and all players now have to write to me directly and arrange NOCs from their boards by December 31,” Modi said. “Then we will fix a minimum bid price and circulate their names to the franchises.”Modi said a lot of the slots had been taken but teams would probably be able to hire one or two players and there was a good chance of a lot of England players being involved. “The England players in Bangladesh will miss the first 10 days but the Australians and New Zealanders are unavailable until much later so that’s not a problem,” he said.Sackfield, who also manages Luke Wright and James Anderson, confirmed he was looking to secure contracts for all of them. “I have made initial contact as regards to all of my players … We just want to see what the situation is and what they have to do,” he said.Broad, speaking in Cape Town on Wednesday, confirmed his interest in playing in the league. “The IPL is something I’d like to play in at some stage, ” he said. “Whether I do it this year, I’m not sure. I’ve not given it too much thought.”The IPL has capped bid prices at US $750,000 for 2010 contracts and Broad’s price could be hiked by a bidding war depending on the number of franchises interested in his services.

If either side can take the series lead in Durban then they really will have the momentum

Andrew McGlashan in Durban25-Dec-2009One of the frequently asked questions leading into the second Test in Durban has been about momentum. Who took what from Centurion? South Africa clearly finished the stronger after almost snatching victory in the final hour, but England managed to hold on at a ground where the home side have a formidable record.The hosts have certainly been carrying themselves with an air of confidence since their final-session performance in Centurion, where Friedel de Wet’s new-ball burst put England in a panic. It’s a sign of South Africa’s current strength that de Wet is now on the verge of being dropped and they can only be a stronger side with the return of Dale Steyn. But it has been the subtle (and not so subtle) comments about the opposition that have suggested where the balance of power lies.Mickey Arthur, South Africa’s coach, was at it again on the eve of the Boxing Day Test when he pinpointed England’s out-of-form players. It’s not that the thoughts are a revelation, anyone looking at the statistics can draw the same conclusions, but the mind games during a Test series are a fascinating sideline to the main on field contest.”There’s pressure on [Alastair] Cook and pressure on [Ian] Bell,” Arthur said. “I wouldn’t expect England to go with five batters and [Matt] Prior at six given what happened at Centurion, I think they’ll play six but two of those come into the Test under a bit of pressure.”England’s fist-pumping after Paul Collingwood and Graham Onions survived the final 19 balls has also been picked up on by the South Africa camp. It has echoes of when Glenn McGrath and Brett Lee survived at Old Trafford in 2005, leaving Michael Vaughan to comment about how much the Australians celebrated a draw.England have recalled their own Ashes draw in Cardiff, where the final pair of Monty Panesar and Jimmy Anderson survived 69 deliveries, which was followed by victory at Lord’s, although they have also been wise enough to point out that the two scenarios are very different. Against Australia there was a feeling of euphoria that defeat was avoided, but the overriding emotion last week was relief.If England had gone 1-0 down, especially in such circumstances, it would have been almost impossible to imagine them coming back to take the series. Now it’s still all-square, and the whys and wherefores of it won’t bother Andy Flower and Andrew Strauss too much. England could so easily have lost, but they didn’t and that is something to build on. It’s the first time they haven’t lost the first Test of an away series in six attempts.It isn’t a surprise that England have kept fairly quiet because that is the style of Strauss and Flower. During their partnership, which is less than a year old it must be remembered, they have remained level-headed in victory, defeat or draw. The reaction after the debacle against Australia at Headingley, when they lost by an innings at 80 runs, was firm, but calm, and the theme of this tour has been about moving on from Ashes success rather than lingering on past glories.Neither captain nor coach are into making bombastic statements and it is dangerous to be drawn into what the opposition are saying in any case. Both are also very clever men. They know England thrive with the underdog tag – it sits far more comfortably than being favourites – so they may not mind that South Africa are making the bigger noises.”The way South Africa bowled in that final hour, they were very good at putting us under pressure and I’m sure they’ll take something out of that,” Strauss said. “Equally, we’ll take a lot out of the fact that we were able to withstand those last four or five overs.”Yet, as ever, there are two sides to the story. One more wicket-taking ball in the final 19 deliveries and the opening match was South Africa’s. Despite the fact that the victory opportunity was suddenly upon them – almost out of nowhere – they wouldn’t be human if there wasn’t a small, nagging thought in the back of their minds.What if de Wet had had the energy for a final over? What if Makhaya Ntini had beaten Onions’ defence? What if Collingwood wasn’t so bloody stubborn? “We got through it; it’s still 0-0 in the series,” Strauss said. “That can be a little bit dispiriting for the opposition as well, so it’s back to square one on Boxing Day.”But for all the talk of momentum, Arthur isn’t even a big believer in the concept. “For us the key is that we start again,” he said. “It’s nil-nil and you can talk about momentum, and I’m not a huge momentum guy because it all counts for nothing when the first ball is bowled. The series is up for grabs.”All the sparring between Tests is very much a phoney war. The mind games are fun to listen to and pick apart, but matches are decided on the field. If either side can take the series lead in Durban then they really will have the momentum.

The ICC remains hopeful that bilateral contests between Pakistan and India can be resumed in the near future

Osman Samiuddin in Hobart19-Jan-2010The ICC remains hopeful that bilateral contests between Pakistan and India can be resumed in the near future. Ties between the two governments have been rocky since the Mumbai terror attacks in November 2008, which the Indian government blamed on elements based within Pakistan.Soon after, an Indian tour to Pakistan was cancelled, bringing yet another halt to a brief period of cricketing detente; between 2003-04 and 2007-08, each country visited the other twice for full tours in addition to facing off in a number of ICC and offshore bilateral contests. Since the attacks, however, the two sides have only played one international match, a group game in the 2009 ICC Champions Trophy.Subsequently the relationship between the two boards has become strained during the period of impasse. A nadir was reached in the aftermath of the terror attacks in Lahore on the Sri Lankan team, with many officials in the PCB believing the BCCI had somehow engineered the removal of Pakistan as a venue for the 2011 World Cup.But David Morgan, the ICC president, believes he can broker a resolution between the two. “One of the things I am working on is trying to persuade the BCCI that they should play bilaterally as opposed to in ICC events with Pakistan,” Morgan told Cricinfo. “India versus Pakistan, Pakistan versus India is the equivalent of the Ashes in Test match cricket parlance. It is very important for both countries that they renew their rivalries on the field in the five-day game. I am very hopeful they will.”A revival of the rivalry is crucial especially for the PCB, currently battling a financial crunch after the banishment of the country as an international venue. According to Ijaz Butt, chairman PCB, the board lost US$40 million as a result of India’s cancellation last year; a fair portion of the US$140 million broadcast deal the board has with Ten Sports is believed to have been based on the series against India.

The PCB has suffered losses of up to US$125 million over the last year or so, as a result of series and events being postponed, relocated or cancelled in light of the security situation in Pakistan. The ICC has set up a task force to work with the PCB and examine ways in which the financial impact of no international cricket can be lessened. One of the ideas emanating from their first and only meeting in December was to organize a series of fund-raising games between a World XI and Pakistan.Morgan said he wasn’t aware of the idea, but was awaiting a report from the task force of that meeting. “We’ll be having a report from the task-force chairman Giles Clarke on the ninth of February when we meet in Dubai,” Morgan said. “I am very pleased in the way the task force and the PCB interfaced really very well together.”At one stage last year the relationship between the PCB and the ICC also suffered; the PCB launched legal action against the world governing body following the decision not to stage matches of the 2011 World Cup in Pakistan, as was the original plan. But the dispute was resolved out of court and Morgan said that the situation had never got out of hand.”There was an uneasiness, but never was it a difficult situation,” Morgan said. “Mr Butt and I maintained good and decent relationships throughout. It was a very difficult time for them. At first there was a belief that they were being removed as hosts. That was never the case. The decision that the board took was that we couldn’t actually stage any of the 14 matches in Pakistan but that the hosting rights were still Pakistan’s.”The ICC is determined that Pakistan should not be isolated. Pakistan is an extremely important cricketing nation, a very important part of the ICC. If you look back at the last two decades, Pakistan has produced some of the most stylish, some of the most achieving cricketers. It’s important from world cricket’s point of view that Pakistan is not isolated and that cricket continues to thrive there. It’s obviously particularly difficult when cricketers cannot play on their home turf,” Morgan said.

New South Wales closed in on an outright win after South Australia limped to 6 for 96

Cricinfo staff21-Feb-2010South Australia 288 (Klinger 63, Ludeman 62, Smith 50, Copeland 3-70) and 6 for 96 trail New South Wales 6 for 565 dec by 181 runs

ScorecardJosh Hazlewood’s two wickets came a day after he hurt his side•Getty Images

Josh Hazlewood, the fast bowler, made a quick recovery from a side injury to help New South Wales close in on an outright win after South Australia limped to 6 for 96 at stumps on the third day. Hazlewood and Trent Copeland picked up two early wickets each to have the hosts 4 for 31 as they faltered in their attempt to make the Blues bat again.They need another 181 runs to achieve that goal after being asked to follow-on when they were dismissed for 288 in the second session. Cameron Borgas, who was not out on 34, will be the key for South Australia on the final day and he will have Cullen Bailey for company.Hazlewood, 19, was unable to bowl on Saturday after hurting his side in the warm-ups, but he opened in the second innings and moved one away to have James Smith (0) caught by Phillip Hughes in the slips in the fourth over. He followed up by bowling Mark Cosgrove after tea when he got too far across his stumps, and delivered 11 overs that cost only 10 runs in a gutsy display.His new-ball partner Copeland had already picked up Daniel Harris with a nick behind and he added Michael Klinger an over after Cosgrove went to leave the Redbacks in desperate trouble. Steve O’Keefe, the left-arm spinner, broke through twice in three balls late in the day with catches in close from Simon Katich, who captured Aaron O’Brien (29) and Tim Ludeman (0).New South Wales took a lead of 277 after the hosts lost their last four first-innings wickets for 16 and Katich decided to give his bowlers another go. Ludeman’s 62 was the standout for South Australia, who resumed at 4 for 185, but Borgas (36) and O’Brien (44) also made contributions as they tried to get close to the Blues’ 6 for 565.O’Keefe picked up O’Brien caught and bowled off his glove and Ludeman, who swept to deep square leg, in his 3 for 98 while Copeland ended the innings to collect 3 for 70. Two first-innings points couldn’t move the Blues off the bottom of the table, but the expected outright victory will give them a chance to remain an outside hope of making the final.

Michael Carberry and James Tredwell are set to make their Test debuts at Chittagong on Friday, and there could yet be a third new cap in the Middlesex seamer, Steven Finn

Andrew Miller in Chittagong11-Mar-2010Michael Carberry and James Tredwell are set to make their Test debuts at Chittagong on Friday, and there could yet be a third new cap in the Middlesex seamer, Steven Finn, after England’s captain, Alastair Cook, hinted that his first match in charge would involve a twin spin attack and a full complement of six specialist batsmen.At the conclusion of England’s three-day warm-up against Bangladesh A on Tuesday, England had appeared to be leaning towards a five-bowler option, with Finn the quiet front-runner to join Tim Bresnan and Stuart Broad, if he regains fitness, in a three-prong pace attack. However, concerns about the form of Kevin Pietersen, coupled with a genuine respect for the quality of Bangladesh’s spin bowlers, looks to have convinced the selectors to take the safety-first option.Bangladesh’s captain, Shakib Al Hasan, is expected to link up with his fellow left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak, as well as the offspinning allrounder Mahmudullah, in a slow-bowling attack that has the potential to keep England’s batsmen under wraps, as they demonstrated in the second ODI at Mirpur last week, when it required a performance of rare quality from Eoin Morgan to guide England to a nerve-racking two-wicket win.”In their home conditions, Bangladesh are a very competitive side and that second one-dayer went very close to the wire,” said Cook. “Their spinners will be a huge threat, and for us to take them lightly would be a cardinal sin. We all know about the sub-continent and the need to play spin well for a long period of time, because games can tend to take a lot of time to get going and then change very quickly in a short time. The playing of spin is a huge issue and the England side over the last four years has made a huge effort to improve.”The expectation that spin will be the dominant feature of the Test may well have encouraged England to believe that three seamers will be surplus to requirements, especially given the success that the uncapped Tredwell enjoyed against Bangladesh A this week, claiming eight wickets in the match, five of which came in an unbroken 27-over spell in the first innings. What is more, they have in Graeme Swann one of the form bowlers in the world game – a man at No. 5 in the ICC rankings, and fresh from a Man-of-the-Series performance in South Africa.”Obviously spin will play a huge part so they’ll obviously bowl the bulk of the overs,” said Cook, although he did backtrack slightly on that assertion. “There’s a high possibility we’ll play two spinners, but we have not ruled out playing three seamers either. The key is also to reverse-swing the ball which we obviously have done well over the last year. Hopefully we can bowl well with it because in these conditions, if we don’t get the ball moving, it becomes a lot easier. We’ll need to look at the pitch, because we’ve got to make sure over the next 24 hours we get the balance of our side right.”If England do choose to go in with four bowlers, then the indefatigable Bresnan is sure to be one of the seam-bowling options, having impressed with his stamina and improved accuracy since being elevated to the full Test squad. The management would dearly love the other man to be Broad, who looked to be getting back to his best following last week’s back spasm as he cranked up his pace for ten overs in the nets, albeit while wearing a back brace. But with Graham Onions officially ruled out of selection, the final decision on Broad will be taken as late as possible.”It’s definitely not ideal that Broad has not bowled [competitively],” said Cook. “With a back spasm it could come back very quickly, so today’s a massive day with his fitness. I think he bowled nine overs yesterday and two heavy spells today so we’ll see how he does. That’s another one of the selection issues we’ll need to play by ear and we’ll see how he is tomorrow morning.”If Broad fails to come through his fitness test, then the temptation could well be to go with Finn, even though he has been in the country for less than a week. He picked up three wickets in 18 overs during the warm-up match and impressed all onlookers with his pace, bounce and accuracy.”Steven flew in the day before and then played,” said Cook. “I was very impressed by him. I’ve seen him a lot for Middlesex when I was playing for Essex so knew what he could do. But I was very impressed by how he reacted to the conditions which are different to the English pitches. He adapted very quickly and that’s the hallmark of an international
cricketer. He has a huge future.”Whether Cook opens on Friday alongside Jonathan Trott or, as now expected, Carberry, he is unfazed at the prospect of being the senior partner, and seeing as he batted impressively in the one-dayers with two fifties and a thirty in three innings, he has plenty reason to be confident. “It makes my job different, but we all know batting,” he said. “It can be a very individual game as well. However you bat you try and build a partnership, but that can change anyway if you lose a wicket at the other end. It’s always down to the individual as a batter to make sure that he takes on that responsibility himself.”One way or another, the permutations have given Cook plenty to ponder as he prepares to become the 79th player to captain England in a Test match. “I will be nervous but also proud that not many people have done what I’m about to do,” he said. “Hopefully I can do a good job. I’m genuinely excited but feel a bit more settled now, though for me it’s a huge challenge as captain. We’ve come here to win both one-dayers and Tests and we’ve done the first job very well. We’ve got the second part now and I know the lads want to come back here and win the Tests.””Andy [Flower]’s been exceptional alongside me,” Cook added. “He’s taken a lot on and he’s trying to take a lot of pressure off me as a captain as he can. He’s tried to keep me away from decisions away from cricket, and he’s been superb like that. But over the next 48 hours we will sit down and chat to get a crucial balance to the side. I’ve enjoyed the extra responsibility and making those decisions alongside Andy Flower. I’ve enjoyed making those decisions and so far we’ve made the right ones.”But if we take Bangladesh lightly we’re going to come unstuck,” he added. “We all know their spinners are excellent bowlers and we’ve seen a guy [Raqibul Hasan] got a hundred here in the three-day game, and in Tamim [Iqbal] they have some very dangerous players. It’s our job as a side not to take them lightly, and play cricket as well as we did in the one-dayers.”

Cricinfo previews Kings XI Punjab ahead of IPL 2010

Jamie Alter11-Mar-2010One of the major concerns for Kings XI Punjab ahead of the third season of the IPL is a long injury list. The IPL begins on March 12 and Punjab play their first two games on March 13 and 16, but they are likely to field XIs that may not include a few first-choice players. Sample the injury concerns: Shaun Marsh, Punjab’s success story of 2008, looks unlikely to be fit for the start. Their most expensive overseas player, fast bowler Brett Lee, is also beset with fitness problems. Irfan Pathan seems likely to miss the first few matches and Yuvraj Singh, Punjab’s highest run scorer in 2009, has only recently begun batting after his latest injury. It is hardly an enviable position for their new captain Kumar Sangakkara, and key to Punjab even nearing the semi-finals this year will be having the entire squad fit and available for the tournament.Punjab were one of the best teams in the inaugural IPL, cruising into the semi-finals, but had a tough time in the second season, affected by the injuries to fast bowlers Sreesanth and Jerome Taylor, and the unavailability of Australian players for much of the competition. Punjab’s Indian bowlers had done the trick in 2008 but found it tough in South Africa the following season, and their team could suffer if that is the case as the bandwagon moves back to India.

The buzz

Lalit Modi, the league’s commissioner, and Yuvraj have been busy providing updates on Twitter. Modi had assured that Ravi Bopara and Lee would tour, despite the security concerns, while Yuvraj kept his followers informed about his fitness.

New faces

Punjab have signed up four domestic players – the medium-pacers Love Ablish and Shalabh Srivastava, batsman Manvinder Bisla and allrounder Reetinder Sodhi. Sodhi, who played 18 ODIs for India, and Srivastava, a left-arm pacer, were recently admitted back into the domestic fold after they severed ties with the unofficial ICL. Ablish, who plays for Punjab on the domestic circuit, was the third highest wicket-taker in this season’s Ranji Trophy Super League. Bisla, the Haryana-born wicketkeeper who plays for Jammu & Kashmir, was part of IPL champions Deccan Chargers’ squad in 2009. Mohammad Kaif, the only Indian up for auction this year, went unsold in the first round of bidding but was later signed up by Punjab for $250,000.

Watch out for

With so many key players not certain to play, No’s 3 and 4, the Sri Lankan pair of Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene, will assume plenty of significance. Sangakkara was the team’s second highest run-scorer in South Africa with 332 runs at 30.18, with two half-centuries, while Jayawardene proved of immense value in a couple of extremely tight chases. Jayawardene doesn’t seem a Twenty20 prototype but can clear the boundary with wristy elegance. In the domestic Twenty20 tournament at home, he opened the batting for Wayamba and even scored 91 off 49 balls in the final. Sangakkara has of late evolved into a fabulous Twenty20 player. This pair will be expected to shoulder much of the batting in 2010.

Missing in action

Marsh, Punjab’s standout performer in the first IPL season, became the latest worry after he was ruled out of Australia’s ODIs against New Zealand due to a back problem. Lee has arrived in India and has been bowling brief spells in the nets and a final call will be taken on March 11. Pathan, who missed the one-day Vijay Hazare Trophy due to a back strain, expects to recover
in time to play but he may miss a few of Punjab’s initial matches. Yuvraj is confident of being fit by the second match at the latest.

X factor

Punjab, especially given Pathan’s fitness concern, desperately need an allrounder to be counted and primed for that scenario is Sodhi. Once tipped – like many other ill-fated domestic players who could bat and bowl a bit – as India’s answer to the massive void left by Kapil Dev’s retirement, Sodhi never made the grade and until last year was plying his trade in the unofficial ICL. But now that he’s back in the fold after severing ties with the IPL, Sodhi has a contract with Punjab and should get an opportunity to show what he’s got left in the tank. He’s only 29 and a handy Twenty20 player, so this could yet be a defining chapter in the story of another talent gone astray.

Strength

Spin. Piyush Chawla did very well in the first IPL, prompting Sangakkara to hail him as one to watch out for, and Ramesh Powar is also a handy bowler to have in the squad. Chawla was less successful in South Africa, taking just 12 wickets, but wasn’t a bowler that opposing teams could take for easy runs. Back in familiar conditions, he will be a real focal point for Punjab. Powar has moved far behind Chawla in the list of India hopefuls, but should be confident of decent playing opportunities. One of the few offspinners who still rely on a lack of pace to fox batsmen in today’s game, Powar can be a treat to watch in limited-overs cricket when on top of his game. Both spinners are useful lower-order batsmen.

Weakness

Besides fitness issues, the lack of quality in the Indian batting back-up for Yuvraj is another of Punjab’s drawbacks, which makes it vital that Pathan recovers from the back injury that has kept him out of the preliminary squad of the ICC World Twenty20 in the Caribbean. Top-order domestic players like Karan Goel and Tanmay Srivastava need to make an impact if Punjab are to become a genuine title contender.

IPL 2009 – the key figures:

Final position: Fifth place
Top scorer: Yuvraj Singh with 340 runs at 36.50
Top wicket-taker: Irfan Pathan with 17 wickets at 22.94 and economy rate of 7.74
Best result: Seven-wicket win over Royal Challengers Bangalore
Worst result: Ten-wicket loss to Delhi
Highest team score: 158 v Kolkata Knight Riders
Lowest team score: 104 for 7 v Delhi

Prediction for 2010

It depends on which Punjab turns up. Playing at home will help but they need their bowlers firing to trouble the big teams. In 2009 they fought bravely in close encounters but there’s a feeling that Punjab lack the killer punch needed to floor the heavyweights. The odds are stacked against Punjab reaching the semi-finals.

Can Nottinghamshire mount a challenge in the Championship and will Surrey’s new recruits bring success?

Andrew McGlashan and Sahil Dutta08-Apr-2010Much will be expected of Steven Finn after his England debut•Getty Images

Middlesex

Captain Shaun Udal Coach Richard Scott Overseas Iain O’Brien (NZ), Adam Gilchrist (Aus – T20), David Warner (Aus – T20)
Given the docile nature of the Lord’s pitch these days it’s lucky Middlesex possess a potent and varied seam attack. Steven Finn had the pace and bounce to leave optimistic England fans dreaming of Ashes success this winter but he needs to prove himself with plenty of wickets for Middlesex first. Iain O’Brien should offer the smart, whole-hearted support that makes his early retirement from international cricket a real loss for New Zealand. It’s the batting, however, that Middlesex desperately need to shore up and Owais Shah – ruthlessly discarded by England – and Eoin Morgan must fire. The MCC link has helped to attract Adam Glichrist for the Twenty20 Cup, giving the batting line-up an almost IPL glitz. SD
Key man Steven Finn – You only have to look at Steve Harmison to see how devastating height and bounce can be in county cricket and if Finn can stay fit and on the fringes of international duty, his wickets alone could win matches.
Keep an eye on Eoin Morgan – Is now the lynch pin of England’s limited-overs sides and could, alongside Shah and Glichrist produce riches in the shorter formats, but if wants to fulfil his ambitions for Test cricket, he needs Championship runs.
Winter surprise Their attempts to sign Sachin Tendulkar. It didn’t happen. Neither did Yuvraj Singh. Eventually they got David Warner.
Silverware? Promotion is a real chance and they are a decent bet for the Twenty20.

Northamptonshire

Captain Nicky Boje Coach David Capel Overseas Elton Chigumbura (Zim)
The smaller clubs with no Test ground to prop-up the balance sheets have a difficult task attracting and keeping star players. Which makes the BCCI’s decision to prohibit Virender Sehwag joining for the Twenty20 all the more gut-wrenching. With Monty Panesar gone to Hove and Johan van der Wath unable to get a visa the bowling resources are looking sparse. Yet David Lucas had a vintage summer with the ball last year and David Sales and Mal Loye, who in another world could have been an England pairing, lend a solid feel to the batting.
Key man David Sales – Missed the whole of last season after knee reconstruction and will be desperate to make up for lost time. SD
Keep an eye on Jack Brooks – A lively and competitive pace bowler who rarely holds back.
Winter surprise Dipping into Zimbabwe to find their overseas player.
Silverware? Going to be very tough and it’s hard to see them challenging for honours.There is still plenty to prove for Samit Patel if he wants his England place back•Getty Images

Nottinghamshire

Captain Chris Read Coach Mick Newell Overseas David Hussey (Aus), Hashim Amla (SA), Dirk Nannes (Aus – T20)
They have been Durham’s closest rivals for the last two seasons – but last summer that was purely a statistic because the gap was too wide to be of significance. The core of the squad remains the same (barring Mark Ealham’s retirement) and this season they’ll want the young pacemen, Andy Carter and Luke Fletcher, to build on the positive impression they made last summer. Stuart Broad will be absent for most of the season – if not all – as will Graeme Swann, but they may seen more of Ryan Sidebottom. The overseas batsmen, David Hussey and Hashim Amla, should ensure decent totals while Dirk Nannes will add to their Twenty20 options. With the canny Chris Read and talented Samit Patel they should be a strong team in all formats. AM
Key man Samit Patel – Still shunned by the selectors he still to convince people that he can turn his career around. And it’s not all about runs and wickets, although plenty of both will go down well.
Keep an eye on Andy Carter and Luke Fletcher – Both were part of the England performance squad during the winter and can help take the burden off Charlie Shreck.
Winter surprise Better than expected financial results thanks to hosting the World Twenty20.
Silverware? Should be safe from relegation (if it matters this season) but may end up short of the top again. However, a one-day trophy is a real prospect.

Somerset

Captain Marcus Trescothick Coach Andy Hurry Overseas Murali Kartik (Ind), Cameron White (Aus – T20), Kieron Pollard (WI – T20)
Probably the most consistent team across all formats last season, but couldn’t quite hold on to secure a trophy and had to settle for a trip to the Champions League. It’s something of a new era at Taunton this season with Justin Langer having retired and handed the reigns to Marcus Trescothick, while Andy Caddick has finally called time on his career. They will also have to adjust their one-day plans after Craig Kieswetter’s rapid elevation to England colours, but the appearance of Cameron White and Kieron Pollard will mean no shortage of sixes come Twenty20 time. As ever in four-day cricket the question mark is their ability to take 20 wickets often enough and there will be a heavy burden on Charl Willoughby. But he needs some support; they’ll be crossing their fingers it’s a dry summer for Murali Kartik (if the BCCI allow him here). AM
Key man Marcus Trescothick – This year will have to balance captaincy with his run-scoring duties. Needs a huge season to give his weak attack enough to play with.
Keep an eye on Peter Trego – Enjoyed a decent tour with the Lions and wasn’t far away from a T20 call-up. Another good season and higher hours could still be on the offing.
Winter surprise The departure of Phil Frost, the long-serving groundsman, who was made redundant.
Silverware? Hard to see them dismissing teams twice in the Championship, but if Trescothick, White and Pollard fire they will be hard to beat in Twenty20.Rory Hamilton-Brown has been handed the Surrey captaincy despite just seven Championship matches•PA Photos

Surrey

Captain Rory Hamilton-Brown Coach Chris Adams Overseas Piyush Chawla (Ind), Rao Iftikhar Anjum (Pak), Andrew Symonds (Aus – T20)
It’s been a very busy winter for Surrey as they try to reconstruct the talent and aura that once made them the Manchester United of cricket. With the retirement of Mark Butcher, coach Chris Adams poached 22-year-old Rory Hamilton-Brown from Sussex and installed him as captain. How he handles the big egos in the changing room will be intriguing. The batting has been reinforced with Steven Davies’ arrival, while Piyush Chawla (should he arrive) and Garth Batty give balance to the attack. It’s a long road back for Surrey and Adams needs to see some returns on his vast investments. Can money buy success? SD
Key man Mark Ramprakash – Will always make runs but if he finds support and the rest of the team find inspiration from Rory Hamilton-Brown, Surrey’s revival could be quicker than expected.
Keep an eye on Chris Tremlett – One of the many winter recruitments and after his career stuttered to a halt at Hampshire he arrives with a point to prove.
Winter surprise It was less a surprise and more an elongated public courting, but Hamilton-Brown’s move from Sussex to The Oval as captain filled up the winter’s planning.
Silverware? Perhaps a season too early but there is a chance in the Clydesdale Bank 40.

Sussex

Captain Michael Yardy Coach Mark Robinson OverseasYasir Arafat (Pak), Dwayne Smith (WI – T20), Tillakaratne Dilshan (SL – T20)
The twin signings of Dwayne Smith and Tillakaratne Dilshan make Sussex strong contenders for defending their Twenty20 crown but for all their limited-overs success last season, they will be hoping to bounce back in the Championship. Having built their last three successful Championship campaigns (2003, 2006, 2007) on Mushtaq Ahmed’s legspin, they will be looking to new-boy Monty Panesar and young spinners Ollie Rayner and Will Beer to lead them straight back out of Division Two. If Murray Goodwin can improve on a disappointing year last season, where he averaged just 33.33, the batting still has a resilient edge. SD
Key man Murray Goodwin – Carried the batting at Hove for a number of years and it’s no surprise that his downturn in form coincided with a fall in Sussex’s fortunes in the Championship last year.
Keep an eye on Monty Panesar – His star faded last summer almost as quickly as it ascended in the years before. He starts afresh this summer at a county sympathetic to the craft of spin bowling and he should be pushing for a seat on the plane to the Ashes.
Winter surprise Shortly before the season started, Ed Joyce said he was interested in playing for Ireland again.
Silverware? They should be too good for Division Two and know how to win one-day matches. One of the favourites in the CB40 and Twenty20.

Warwickshire

Captain Ian Westwood Coach Ashley Giles Overseas Imran Tahir (SA)
A middling team from the Midlands in recent seasons. Solid but unspectacular – much in the mould of their coach Ashley Giles. They look a little short on class to make a tilt at the Championship especially if Ian Bell and Jonathan Trott are both needed by England in Tests. However, if pitches turn Imran Tahir will be a handful – he just needs enough runs to work with. Jim Troughton and Tim Ambrose must average more than mid-30s for that to happen. Darren Maddy’s pre-season face injury was hugely unlucky for a player who missed most of 2009, but he should be back for Twenty20 which rejuvenated his career three years ago. AM
Key man Imran Tahir – Will have a huge bowling burden and county batsmen have had trouble playing him in the past.
Keep an eye on Chris Woakes – Along with Steven Finn he is the most exciting young paceman around.
Winter surprise That they didn’t strengthen the pace-bowling department.
Silverware? Unlikely to be Championship contenders which leaves them another team better suited to the one-day game.How will Shakib Al Hasan take to county cricket?•Getty Images

Worcestershire

Captain Vikram Solanki Coach Steve Rhodes Overseas Phil Jaques (Aus), Shakib Al Hasan (Bang), Steve Smith (Aus – T20)
They only just avoided the wooden spoon last season and things didn’t improve at New Road during the winter. A glut of senior players jumped ship – Kabir Ali and Simon Jones heading to Hampshire, Steven Davies and Gareth Batty leaving for Surrey and Steven Moore disappearing to Lancashire. Add regular flooding and financial strife and the picture is not pretty at New Road. However in Vikram Solanki and new-man Shakib Al Hasan, the Bangladesh captain, Worcestershire have some hope of reviving their fortunes. They will need ageing seamers Matt Mason and Alan Richardson to stay fit. SD
Key man Vikram Solanki – Captain and the side’s best batsman, he needs a vintage year to give his side anything to bowl at.
Keep an eye onShakib Al Hasan – Impressed everyone with his unnervingly accurate left-arm spin and enterprising batting for Bangladesh against England over the winter.
Winter surprise Worcestershire spent most of the winter watching their players head off to other clubs. They did their best to prevent Kabir Ali from moving, but the paceman promptly boycotted pre-season training, leaving the Worcestershire management no option but to let another man go.
Silverware? The best they can hope for is some decent weather keeping hopes for a flirt with promotion in the Championship alive.

Yorkshire

Captain Andrew Gale Coach Martyn Moxon Overseas Tino Best (WI, TBC), Ryan Harris (Aus), Herschelle Gibbs (SA – T20)
Andrew Gale is Yorkshire’s sixth captain in 10 years as they continue a rebuilding phase that has gone on for a number of seasons. For the last two summers they have found themselves in the lower part of Division One and a similar fate could await this time. There’s no Matthew Hoggard to pound in with the new ball so much will be expected of Ajmal Shahzad when he returns from the World Twenty20, but the spin department is well stocked with Adil Rashid, David Wainwright and Azeem Rafiq. They have had a rough time of trying to secure an overseas player with Ryan Harris’s successful time with Australia and Daryl Tuffey’s injury meaning plans remain up in the air. AM
Key man Jacques Rudolph – Will be the fulcrum of the batting and his experience will be important to Gale as he learns the ropes.
Keep an eye on David Wainwright – Andy Flower wants a left-arm spinner who can bat. Wainwright ticks both those boxes although remains inexperienced.
Winter surprise Plucking Tino Best out of the Caribbean during their pre-season tour. A rematch with Andrew Flintoff would be fun at some point.
Silverware? Will do well to finish in the top of half of the Championship, but could be an outside bet in the one-day campaigns.

Lalit Modi has made his first public appearance since the IPL final on Sunday, surfacing in Delhi where, it is learnt, he held discussions with two of India’s most respected legal brains, Ram Jethmalani and Harish Salve

Cricinfo staff28-Apr-2010Lalit Modi has made his first public appearance since the IPL final on Sunday, surfacing in Delhi where, it is learnt, he held discussions with two of India’s most respected legal brains, Ram Jethmalani and Harish Salve. The development added to speculation that he would challenge in court the Indian board’s decision to suspend him from all BCCI positions, including that of IPL chairman.Salve, though, refused to divulge any details, citing the client confidentiality. Modi had been incommunicado, barring a few Twitter updates, since Sunday night, when he brought the curtain down on the IPL with a dramatic, emotional speech at the awards ceremony. His tweets, too, have been uncharacteristically low-key, barring a couple that spoke about the IPL’s popularity.However, his brief appearance prompted some angry scenes as he snapped at the media scrum at the airport and the hotel. “Why aren’t you letting me reach my car? Why are you blocking me? Can’t you be gentlemen?” he asked.The media was gathered at the Taj Mansingh Hotel in New Delhi, which houses Salve’s offices, where Modi spent close to three hours. He then went to the Akbar Road residence of Jethmalani, a member of the upper house of Parliament. Modi spent an hour here before moving to the ITC Maurya Sheraton, hotel where his staying.His immediate course of action will be to respond to the charge-sheet and show-cause notice filed against him by the BCCI and the IPL governing council, which, after its meeting on Monday, gave Modi 15 days’ time to reply. His response will be studied by the board’s three-man disciplinary committee – comprising president Shashank Manohar, Arun Jaitley and Chirayu Amin, the interim IPL chairman – and its findings will be tabled before the BCCI’s working committee.Modi essentially needs to react to the five charges pressed against him – and detailed on Monday by Manohar – after what the board felt were serious allegations of wrongdoing by Modi and his team. The charges are the initial franchise bids for Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab, the rigging of franchise bids in 2010, the sale of broadcasting and internet rights and his “behavioral pattern”.

A round-up of matches on the first day of the ICC World Cricket League Americas Region Division One tournament in Bermuda

Cricinfo staff29-May-2010USA hammered Argentina by 119 runs in their Division One match of the ICC World Cricket League Americas Region in Bermuda. Twin centuries by Orlando Baker and Aditya Thyagarajan propelled USA to a mammoth 347 for 6 in 50 overs at the St George’s Cricket Club. Coming in after a mini collapse left USA at 91 for 4, Thyagarajan’s century was the more brutal of the two, his 159 runs coming from only 119 deliveries, with 21 boundaries and three sixes. Opener Baker was the last batsman to be dismissed after scoring 113 from 108 deliveries, sharing a 213-run partnership with Thyagarajan.An asking-rate touching nearly seven an over was always going to prove tough for
Argentina and they lost wickets regularly to finish on 228 for 9. In a chase where they needed batsmen to stay longer at the crease, Argentina’s best stand was 75 runs for the fourth wicket between Gary Savage and Grant Dugmore. Adrian Gordon took 4 for 38 in eight overs for USA, a spell which included the wickets of the Argentina openers.Bermuda brushed aside Bahamas by seven wickets with more than 20 overs to spare after Bahamas were dismissed for 128 batting first at the National Stadium in Hamilton. Player of the match Kevin Tucker took figures of 8-3-9-3 as five Bahamas batsmen failed to score.But for No. 8 Narendra Ekanayake’s unbeaten 52, Bahamas would not have crossed 100, after being 19 for 5 at one stage. Ekanayake was supported by Dwight Weakley, who was the only other batsman to reach double figures, making 28 and sharing a 42-run seventh wicket stand. The state of the Bahamas innings could be gauged from the way opener Hamilton Gilliard scratched around for 57 deliveries for only 6 runs.The Bermuda batsmen didn’t face any trouble in knocking off the small target, reaching it in just 28.1 overs, with only opener Fiqre Crockwell failing to make runs.Canada completed a comfortable eight-wicket win against Cayman Islands, chasing the target of 133 with 20 overs to spare at St David’s Cricket Club.In a game that was shortened to 41 overs, Cayman Islands were guilty of poor running between the wickets. Four batsmen were run out in an uninspiring batting performance, in which only one batsman crossed 20, as Cayman Islands were restricted to 132 for 9. Canada fast bowler Khurram Chohan wrecked the top order with 3 for 18 from eight overs. Though Cayman Islands captain Saheed Mohamed made 51, he lacked support from his team-mates, and the innings never recovered after Chohan had reduced them to 27 for 4.Canada captain Rizwan Cheema seemed to be in Twenty20 mode as he smashed an unbeaten 79 from only 57 deliveries, finishing the chase in only 20.1 overs. He did justice to his reputation for big hitting, clobbering a staggering seven sixes and as many boundaries.

Cricket South Africa have announced a new-look Under-19 for the Zimbabwe tour, retaining only two players from the side that played the youth World Cup in Zew Zealand earlier this year

Cricinfo staff25-Jun-2010Cricket South Africa have announced a new-look Under-19 squad for the Zimbabwe tour, retaining only two players from the side that played the youth World Cup in Zew Zealand earlier this year. Keaton Jennings has been named as the captain of the side which will be coached by his father, former South Africa coach Ray Jennings.”This is a younger squad with many new faces who have been part of the database of players that we have been monitoring over the past months. We are starting with the build-up to the 2012 ICC U19 Cricket World Cup, where the majority of the players will be eligible to play so this will be a wonderful opportunity to harness the talent we have,” said Niels Momberg, CSA’s Youth Cricket Manager.”We had a terrific crop of under-19 players that took part at the World Cup this year and we have seen players like Dominic Hendricks, Cody Chetty, Graham Hume and Colin Ackermann making names for themselves and moving onto the next level of their cricket careers. I’m sure this next squad will be headed in the same direction,” he said.The tour will feature five limited-overs matches and two Pro20 fixtures in Harare.Squad: Keaton Jennings (capt), Gihaan Cloete, David Bunn, James Price, Simon Khomari, Johan du Preez (wk), Dwaine Calder, Calvin Savage, Keagan Rafferty, Chad Fortune, Rabian Engelbrecht, Quinton de Kock, Riyaad Henry, Lionel Vaaltyn, Diego Rosier