Graeme Swann has backed Stuart Broad to break records after taking his match haul against West Indies to 11 wickets and becoming only the fourth player to score a hundred, take five in an innings and 10 in a match at Lord’s.

Andrew McGlashan at Lord's20-May-2012Graeme Swann has backed Stuart Broad to break records after taking his match haul against West Indies to 11 wickets and becoming only the fourth player to score a hundred, take five in an innings and 10 in a match at Lord’s. However, it is far from certain that Broad’s career-best performances will secure England a victory after a day of resilience from West Indies’ batsmen before two late strikes by Kemar Roach set pulses racing.When Broad removed Darren Sammy, who played a key part in extending West Indies’ lead to testing proportions, he became the first England bowler to take 10 on this ground since Ian Botham against New Zealand in 1978.”Hats off to him he’s on all three honours boards which is almost unique,” Swann said. “He’s going to be a guy who breaks record after record in his career and I’m just glad he’s in my team. He admitted he’s not been in the greatest of form for Nottinghamshire but he’s a big match player and as soon as he got his first spell out of the way in this match he’s bowled superbly.”However, it was Swann himself who claimed the wicket England most cherished when he finally trapped Shivnarine Chanderpaul lbw to end his 250-ball 91 which took his match occupation of the crease to 425 deliveries.”It’s always nice to get him out. It would have been nicer if he’d missed a sweep on 10 or 11 rather than 91,” he said. “His partnership with [Marlon] Samuels showed if you bat with application on that pitch you become difficult to shift.”Application is something England will need plenty of on the final day after closing on 10 for 2 following the late dismissals of Andrew Strauss and nightwatchman Jimmy Anderson. During the winter they failed to chase 145 in Abu Dhabi, collapsing to 72 all out albeit on a very different surface, but Swann, always a glass-half-full cricketer, said the task was still well within hand.”It’s unfortunate to lose the skipper but it was always going to be a tricky 15 minutes batting in the gloom against a world-class bowler like Kemar Roach. Luckily we’ve got through relatively unscathed, we’ve got Trotty and Cooky at the crease so we’ll very confident that they can see us through.”We know the wicket is very good for batting, if anything it’s better than the first two days. That tends to happen at Lord’s. Hopefully the ball won’t talk much like it didn’t for us today. Once it gets to 30-35 overs old it seems to go a bit out of shape and not be very responsive. We beat the outside edge a lot but couldn’t pick up the edges we did in the first innings. That was frustrating to say the least but I thought we stuck at our guns very well and to get a chase of less than 200 we’re happy with.”Ottis Gibson, West Indies’ coach, took great heart from his team’s performance especially that of the batsmen who kept England in the field for most of the day. Regardless of the result on Monday he knows that the visitors have already surpassed many of the expectations surrounding them when they arrived.”I haven’t seen any fifth-day tickets so I’m not sure they expected it to go five days,” he said. “We are coming back to make them fight for the rest of the runs. If we do well enough to win then great, we’ll celebrate, but whatever happens when we get off that bus tomorrow we are coming here to fight. It will be a battle but we are up for that.”If we can make some early inroads, like Trott and Kevin Pietersen who can take the game away from you, we’ve always felt we have an attack that can cause quite a few problems. It will be a good opportunity for them tomorrow.”

Mazhar Majeed, the London-based cricket agent, and the former Essex fast bowler Mervyn Westfield – the first cricketer in England to be jailed for spot fixing – have lost their appeals against their convictions.

David Hopps31-May-2012Mazhar Majeed, the London-based cricket agent, and the former Essex fast bowler Mervyn Westfield – the first cricketer in England to be jailed for spot-fixing – have lost their appeals against their convictions.The Lord Chief Justice, Lord Judge, and two other judges at the Court of Appeal in London, upheld both convictions at the Court of Appeal on Thursday.The legal challenge centred on the correct interpretation of gambling and betting legislation and its failure has ensured that English cricket retains a robust law to deal with any future match-fixing scams.Majeed and Westfield were involved in two separate cases but their appeals were heard simultaneously as they involved the same point of law.Majeed, 36, from Croydon, South London, was sentenced in November to two years and eight months after pleading guilty to conspiracy to cheat and conspiracy to make corrupt payments. He was the agent involved in the spot-fixing scandal involving three Pakistan cricketers in a Test at The Oval two years ago.Westfield, 24, from Chelmsford, Essex, was sentenced to four months in prison at the Old Bailey in February and has since been released. He pleaded guilty to one count of accepting or obtaining a corrupt payment to bowl to instructions in a CB40 tie between Essex and Durham at Chester-le-Street in September 2009.The appeal was based upon the argument that the scam was not aimed directly at the Pakistan Board or, in Westfield’s case, against Essex, but that the way they performed “was personal to them.”In rejecting the appeal, Lord Judge referred to the codes of conduct operating in both Pakistan and Essex cricket that made it a contractual obligation not to accept bribes to influence the conduct of a match.The importance of these codes of conduct in refusing the appeal is bound to lead to a re-examination of their robustness in all forms of professional cricket.Lord Judge said of the codes of conduct: “There could not be any clearer indication of the simple proposition that the Pakistan Cricket Board regarded the conduct of the players on the field as integral to its affairs and business, and indeed that their play was integral to them. Precisely the same considerations apply to Westfield and Essex County Cricket Club. That was the entire point of the agreement that he should play on behalf of the county to the best of his ability. “In the case involving Majeed, three Pakistan cricketers also received custodial sentences at London’s Southwark Crown Court. Salman Butt, the captain, was jailed for two-and-a-half years for his role as the orchestrator of a plot to bowl deliberate no-balls in the 2010 Lord’s Test against England. The two fast bowlers involved – Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir – were sentenced to 12 and six months respectively and have already been released.Mark Milliken-Smith QC, on behalf of Majeed, further submitted that there was no jurisdiction to try Majeed under the Gambling Act 2005 as the gambling was both unlawful and took place abroad.Lord Judge termed it “a remarkable submission” stating: “The “fix” was organised in England, the matches which were the target of the “fixing” took place here, and the rewards for participating were also paid here.”However, Lord Judge conceded: “Interesting questions of territoriality might arise if it were ever to be the case that an individual or individuals who were living abroad and placed their bets abroad on the basis of the cheating which was organised and took place here were ever to be prosecuted in this jurisdiction.”We need not address them. We are not dealing with the criminals abroad who took advantage of the cheating organised in this jurisdiction. We are dealing with the criminals who participated in it here. The respective offences of conspiracy against Majeed and cheating against Westfield were properly prosecuted.”

ESPNcricinfo previews the fourth ODI between Sri Lanka and India in Colombo

The Preview by Siddarth Ravindran30-Jul-2012

Match facts

Tuesday, July 31
Start time 1430 (0900 GMT)Irfan Pathan played a crucial role in India taking the series lead•AFP

Big Picture

India’s win on Saturday has left Sri Lanka needing to win both remaining matches if they are to take the series. None of the players involved in the series had made their ODI debuts when India last lost a bilateral series in Sri Lanka – that was way back in 1997, when Sanath Jayasuriya and Aravinda de Silva were at the peak of their powers.India’s successful chase of 287 was the sort of result which would have been extremely unlikely on the pre-World Cup Premadasa track where batting under lights was a challenge. On Saturday, on a pitch with little in it for the bowlers, both sides showed off some high-class one-day batting. Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara, as they have done countless times before, revived the Sri Lankan innings with unhurried ease, knocking the singles around. That set the stage for Angelo Mathews and Jeevan Mendis to explode at the end, as India leaked 97 in the final ten. For India, it was Gautam Gambhir who top scored with a controlled innings of 102, where he highlighted his nifty footwork against both pace and spin, before Suresh Raina extended a rewarding recent ODI run, with this third half-century in five innings.The run-fest raised questions about the strength of both sides’ bowling. The spearheads, Zaheer Khan and Lasith Malinga, did their job, but the support seamers rarely threatened and the spinners could, at best, contain the runs. Isuru Udana hasn’t been an adequate replacement for the injured Nuwan Kulasekara, and India’s gamble on Ashok Dinda didn’t pay off either.

Form guide

Sri Lanka LWLWW (Completed games, most recent first)
India WLWWL

Watch out for…

Jeevan Mendis took 5 for 76 in the last two ODIs he played in 2011 before he dropped off Sri Lanka’s one-day plans, perhaps because he failed with the bat. Given another chance in the final ODI against Pakistan last month, he stepped up with a tight spell, and also a steady 19 towards the end of a tight chase. He boosted his case for a longer run in the side, with a hard-hitting 45 on Saturday, which justified his promotion over the in-form Thisara Perera.India’s death bowling has long been a problem area. In the third ODI, Zaheer bowled eight of his overs in the first two Powerplays, leaving Irfan Pathan and Dinda to finish out the innings. With the strategy of using two fast bowlers to end the innings not working for India, perhaps it is time they used R Ashwin at the death.

Team news

There have already been plenty of headlines about Rohit Sharma’s prolonged lean spell, and his golden duck on Saturday is likely to have opened the door for Manoj Tiwary. Legspinner Rahul Sharma did well enough to merit another chance, but Dinda didn’t, which could mean that Umesh Yadav will return.India: (probable) 1 Virender Sehwag, 2 Gautam Gambhir, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 MS Dhoni (capt & wk), 5 Manoj Tiwary, 6 Suresh Raina, 7 Irfan Pathan, 8 R Ashwin, 9 Zaheer Khan, 10 Umesh Yadav, 11 Rahul SharmaSangakkara’s finger injury means he will miss only his second ODI in more than two years. The only other one he sat out was a one-dayer against Scotland in 2011. He could be replaced by Lahiru Thirimanne, with Dinesh Chandimal stepping in as wicketkeeper. Udana could be left out after two underwhelming matches, with Nuwan Pradeep as his replacement.Sri Lanka: (probable) 1 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 2 Upul Tharanga, 3 Dinesh Chandimal (wk), 4 Mahela Jayawardene (capt), 5 Lahiru Thirimanne, 6 Angelo Mathews, 7 Jeevan Mendis, 8 Thisara Perera, 9 Nuwan Pradeep, 10 Lasith Malinga, 11 Rangana Herath

Stats and trivia

• If Gautam Gambhir scores 11 or more on Tuesday, he will become the second quickest Indian to reach 5000 ODI runs.
• Lasith Malinga is four wickets short of 200 ODI scalps. He is on track to become the fifth fastest bowler to reach the milestone, and easily the fastest Sri Lankan.

Quotes

“We had a plan to score four to five hundreds as individual batsmen and we have done it twice. Virat [Kohli] and Gautam [Gambhir] scored hundreds, Viru (Virender Sehwag) fell short but, our goal is yet to be reached.”
.

Kent kept their Clydesdale Bank 40 campaign alive with a nine-wicket Group C victory over Derbyshire under the Duckworth-Lewis method

31-Jul-2012
ScorecardKent kept their Clydesdale Bank 40 campaign alive with a nine-wicket Group C victory over Derbyshire under the Duckworth-Lewis method.The floodlit match was delayed by nearly four hours by rain, reducing the contest to 14 overs a side but, after Derbyshire made 62 for 5, Kent were left with a target of 67 and got home with 19 balls to spare. Rob Key fell to Mark Turner for 17 but Sam Billings and Sam Northeast easily took the Spitfires to a victory that gives them a chance of claiming the best runners-up spot.The Falcons had reached 22 without loss after being put in but there was assistance for the seamers on an overcast evening and it was no surprise when Chesney Hughes edged a drive at one from Matt Coles that moved away and was caught behind for 11.Usman Khawaja went in the next over when he chopped Azhar Mahmood into his leg stump and Wes Durston became the third batsman to fall for 11 when he was caught behind pushing forward at Darren Stevens. Derbyshire captain Wayne Madsen became Stevens’ second victim when he was bowled through a big gap with the total on 46 but that was the last action for nearly three-and-three-quarter hours as the rain set in.The game was able to resume at 9.15pm with the Falcons left with one over to boost their total and after Dan Redfern was run out off the first ball going for a second, Jon Clare hit James Tredwell high over midwicket for six. He then swung the spinner for another four and finished unbeaten having joined the massed ranks on 11.Alex Hughes clubbed another boundary as 16 came off the over to leave Kent chasing a revised target of 67 but the advantage was still very much with the visitors, especially with the bowlers having to contend with a wet ball.Billings and Key knew they did not have to take any risks but 23 came off the first three overs to dash the slim hopes of the home side, who had to take early wickets to exert any pressure.Key pulled Mark Turner for his third four but was then caught behind down the leg side off the next ball for 17 with the total on 39. But Kent needed only 24 off the last seven overs and although Derbyshire bowled tightly, the outcome was never in doubt. Northeast sealed victory in the 11th over with consecutive fours off David Wainwright to give Kent a chance of making the semi-finals.

Cheteshwar Pujara, who played the last of his three Tests in January 2011 in South Africa, is eager to make a comeback to the Indian Test side

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Aug-2012India batsman Cheteshwar Pujara, who played the last of his three Tests in January 2011 in South Africa, is eager to make a comeback to the Test side and following his injury problems, his focus is on fitness.”I am very conscious about my fitness now. I am aware and try my best to avoid injuries,” Pujara told . “I have a fitness routine and I follow it religiously. It hurts when I miss a training session. The best chance to avoid injuries in cricket, where you throw yourself on the field, is by trying and following certain training programmes.””I am following a schedule prepared by the NCA physios. I am working on strength and stability.”After making a dream debut against Australia in 2010 – where he scored a matchwinning, fourth-innings 72 – and being part of the team that later toured South Africa, Pujara was sidelined for much of 2011 with a knee injury.Pujara had a modest Ranji Trophy season with Saurashtra last year on his return, managing only 200 runs with two half-centuries. But the recent India A tour of the West Indies – he was the top scorer with 252 runs in three matches in difficult batting conditions – renewed the selectors’ faith in him and he was included for India’s Tests against New Zealand.”It feels good. I’ve worked really hard for this. Now that I have got my chance, I want to bat the way I did on my debut against Australia. I was also part of the squad to South Africa. I didn’t get too many runs there, but it was a great learning experience. I got a feel of Test cricket in 2010 and I want to use that confidence and start all over again. Unfortunately, I was out for six months but then injuries happen. The good thing is that I am fit now. I did well for India ‘A’ in the West Indies.”In the first match against West Indies A in Barbados, Pujara followed up his first-innings half-century with an unbeaten 96 that helped India A to fashion a dramatic two-wicket win. He scored another half-century in the second match.”The conditions were tough; the wickets were up and down. The ball jumped from a good-length spot and it was difficult for the batsmen to adjust,” Pujara said of the West Indies series. “But I never let the conditions affect me. I backed myself and played my natural game. I knew a good tour would help me get back into the Test side.”Pujara made his first-class debut seven years ago, and since then he has amassed 4639 runs at an average of 53.32. But the New Zealand series will be an important one; he might especially be scrutinised now, with India looking for a replacement for Rahul Dravid and there often being comparisons made between the two players. But Pujara wants to just focus on his game: “I think there shouldn’t be a comparison. Rahul Dravid scored more than 10,000 runs in both Tests and ODIs. And I have just started off. But I respect the faith people have in me.”

Nick Compton boosted his chances of England selection with a timely century as Somerset tightened their grip on Worcestershire at Taunton.

12-Sep-2012
ScorecardNick Compton hopes to be included in England’s tour party for India•Getty Images

Nick Compton boosted his chances of England selection with a timely century as Somerset tightened their grip on Worcestershire at Taunton.The leading run-maker in first class cricket this summer was returning to action after a back problem but it did not show as he hit an unbeaten 114 in a Somerset total which also featured 146 from Marcus Trescothick. That gave the hosts a lead of 239 with two days to go and took Compton’s first-class tally for the season to 1,453 runs at an average of 96.86.Somerset began the day on 142 without loss in reply to 212 and soon lost Arul Suppiah, caught and bowled by Moeen Ali for 75 off a checked drive, having added only two to his overnight score. Trescothick had resumed on 66 and after surviving some scares against Alan Richardson, who bowled beautifully without luck before lunch, moved to his century off 187 balls with 13 fours.Lunch was taken at 227 for 1 and the pitch inspector who had stayed on after Abdur Rehman’s nine-wicket first-day haul, was able to abandon any thought that the wicket was unduly spinner-friendly.Trescothick and Compton had taken the total to 307 when Trescothick edged to second slip to at last give 37-year-old Richardson some reward for his efforts. Trescothick’s innings had spanned 260 balls and, while not one of his most fluent, was hugely important for his team as they chase runners-up spot in the Championship for only the third time in their history, having never won it.Richardson continued to bowl with great heart and gained thoroughly deserved lbw verdicts against James Hildreth (19) and Chris Jones (one) on his way to figures of 3 for 65 from 35 overs as Somerset moved to 343 for 4.Compton had moments of fortune, but again displayed his powers of concentration in moving to his 16th first-class hundred off 248 deliveries, with nine fours and a straight six off Moeen.With Somerset already 131 ahead when he walked to the crease, Peter Trego was able to enjoy himself with a rapid 45 off as many balls, with five fours and two sixes before being bowled by a slower ball from Chris Russell.Craig Overton and Steve Snell fell cheaply to Moeen, but there was no disturbing Compton, who has now scored 239 more first-class runs than his nearest challenger in the averages, Hildreth with 1,214, despite playing in three less matches than his Somerset team-mate.

So rare have such occasions been for West Indies cricket after their decline that Sammy called this victory “the best moment for me”

Abhishek Purohit in Colombo07-Oct-2012They had clapped in the Premadasa media room after Darren Sammy finished his pre-final press conference on Saturday. They clapped in the Premadasa press box on Sunday after West Indies took the last Sri Lankan wicket to win the World Twenty20 2012. They clapped in the Premadasa media room after Sammy finished his post-final press conference. So rare have such occasions been for West Indies cricket after their decline that Sammy called this victory “the best moment for me”.The West Indies captain sauntered into the media room draped in the maroon West Indies cricket flag. He kept the World Twenty20 trophy proudly in front of him on the table. “My trophy is so big I can’t see you,” he joked with the first questioner.He spoke about treasuring the achievement for the rest of his life. He was asked whether his performance with both bat and ball in the final was an answer to the critics who had questioned his place in the side all along. He said when even Christ was crucified without fault, he himself was nothing. It was a much-criticised, large-hearted man speaking from his heart, and Sammy didn’t hold back tonight.”We will definitely cherish this moment. I will for sure,” Sammy said. “We’re going to relive it every day of our lives. This is the best moment for me in any cricket. This here (the trophy) is for the Caribbean people. West Indies fans all over the world have been craving success. I know they’re partying from Jamaica down to Guyana. And we know how to party. I think they’ll need a lot of bartenders.”Sammy said while the critics had a job to do, he had always believed in playing for the Caribbean people. “The commentators get paid to speak. The media get paid to write stories. I get paid to play cricket,” Sammy said. “Critics will always be there. Someone might find something wrong I did today even though we won. That does not worry me. The most important thing is that the team did well.”And I always say I live my life one way. Christ came to this earth, did nothing wrong and yet was crucified. I’m nowhere close to that man.”Anybody could have an opinion about me. I like it. My shoulders are broad enough. It’s been like that from the time I started cricket. Once I wear this [West Indies] crest (pointing to his shirt), I wear it on my heart. That’s what matters. If I turn up and don’t have a good day, I suck, I’ll come the next day and try and put in a better performance. I don’t play for glory. I play for the Caribbean people.”Sammy was asked what had won the game for West Indies, after they had been 32 for 2 at the halfway stage of their innings. He spoke about belief, and he spoke about God. “We have a strong belief in God. He works in mysterious ways. He performs wonders,” Sammy said. “Like I kept saying in every press conference, there’s a belief we had in the team. Yes, we expected them (Sri Lanka) to give us a good fight and they did.”Throughout the last year or so, we’ve been showing that never-say-die attitude, but we’ve not been winning games. In this tournament, we’ve won games. Every man believed that whoever was out there could do the job. Today, it was Marlon Samuels and (Dwayne) Bravo steadying the ship. In the end, every run counts. The bowling discipline was just brilliant, and the fielding. I said we needed our A-plus game, this here is proof of it.”After Marlon Samuels’ 78 had carried them to 137, Sammy said West Indies believed they had a chance. “The coach was saying that if we get the score we got in Pallekele (129 for 5 against Sri Lanka) on this wicket, we’ll win the match,” Sammy said. “The momentum we had from our batting carried through to our bowling. It was Dwayne Bravo’s birthday, so in the huddle, I gave him the chance to say the last words before we went on the field. He said, ‘let’s go out there and give it our all. If we do that and play how we can play, these runs are going to be a fighting total’. Ravi (Rampaul) started it off with his first ball, and we never looked back from there.”We have some of the most experienced Twenty20 players. Once we play the way we can, we’ll always be a force to reckon with. We didn’t brag about it but we believed we could go out there and take it one game at a time. I said hurdle by hurdle, and today was the final one. The coach said we’re climbing to the top of a mountain, and that’s where the prize is. We’ve got to go and take it. Today, we did that. We had different persons coming up with performances in different matches. The team has gelled well in this tournament. Signs of progress have been there, but this is the icing on the cake.”There have been questions raised about the unity of the squad in the past, and the board and the players have had numerous disputes, but Sammy hoped this victory could be the start of something new for West Indies cricket. “This is the moment here,” he said. “Issues done and buried. Twenty20 World Cup, 2012, Sri Lanka – West Indies champion.”And Sammy held the trophy up. And there was another round of applause.

Nine years as an international cricket captain has given Graeme Smith more than just records. It has handed him a wide-angle lens from which to view the game, something that comes in handy when the here and now is seen as the most important thing

Firdose Moonda in Adelaide21-Nov-2012Nine years as an international cricket captain has given Graeme Smith more than just records. It has handed him a wide-angle lens from which to view the game, something that comes in handy when the here and now is seen as the most important thing.Smith remembers the struggles of the early 2000s when South Africa lost series across the sub-continent and the indifference that followed. He walked every step of the slow, steady rise to the top which may have appeared stagnating in second place but to Smith was a crucial process to building a strong side. He was part of the unit that eventually triumphed, a testament to years of grind.With that in mind, the team’s draw in Brisbane last week does not reflect a lack of ruthlessness or a fear of progression. For Smith, it illustrates exactly how far the team has come. “For us, the great thing is that there is a respect about our performance. If we had travelled a few years ago and drawn a Test match anywhere else in the world people would have been raving about it,” Smith said. “The disappointment in the draw is good for us. It shows that people expect us to play well and that’s exciting for us.”Being tagged as favourites is not new for South Africa but being tagged as favourites who may not fall at the final hurdle is. Every one-day competition they enter, South Africa are talked up with an undertone of being laughed at and when they crash out in any fashion, the knowing nods indicate that they were never expected to win.In Test cricket, it’s different. Because South Africa have done so well, especially on the road, when they don’t put on an emphatic performance, it is a surprise. Not to Smith. He refused to read too much into the rut the first Test got stuck in and did not think he should have done any more to dislodge it. “Both teams drew the last game, not just us,” he said defiantly, when asked if he will do more to move the game forward in Adelaide.Rather than employ more aggressive tactics, a sure-fire way to push a match along, South Africa will field a slightly different bowling attack, which Smith thinks will do the same job. After a brief dalliance with an all-pace line-up, which proved to be a mistake, the frontline spinner Imran Tahir is back in the starting XI and Smith expects him to make an impact, given the conditions.”Hopefully there is a lot of rough, not for me but for the Aussie left-handers,” he said. “Imran has used rough well in the time that he has played for us. He created a lot of stress for Andrew Strauss and the left-handers in England and his wrong’un is also a good option.”Smith can well recall the days of South Africa not having an attacking slower bowler and being accused of not being able to produce spinners. That may be why he has been one of Tahir’s strongest supporters. Previously, he went as far as to say that having a wicket-taking spinner has given him most complete attack he has ever had to work with. He does not see Tahir has biding time, waiting for a career-defining explosion, and credits him with already making a difference.”Naturally, he’ll be anxious to do well, always,” Smith said of Tahir. “That is his personality. But he has contributed in key ways for us over the last few Test matches and his role is important. He understands that not every surface that we have played on has offered him the world but he been able to contribute.”For that contribution, bringing in a more defensive bowler, such as left-armer Robin Peterson, did not even come into the team’s thinking. “Imran is the frontline spinner and we backed him,” Smith said.The other weapon Smith has not always been used to having is the ultra-reliability of Vernon Philander, which has wavered on this tour. Rather than be concerned, Smith said he has no doubts that Philander will lift in Adelaide. “We didn’t have any green tracks in England and he did pretty well. I’ve liked the way he looked this week, really good zip in the nets. The ball has been swinging and moving and I expect good things from him,” he said. “He has got the character to bounce back. I don’t think he bowled really badly in Brisbane.”South Africa’s bowling attack hold one of the keys to them retaining the No.1 ranking for a sustained period. But in Brisbane they looked flat. Although they only managed five wickets, compared to Australia’s 14, Smith said both sides had bowlers who “lacked a bit.”One thing South Africa cannot afford is deficiencies in any department. Their defence of the title could not have begun any tougher. To have to avoid defeat against Australia in Australia is something few teams can boast of. That’s another thing Smith knows first-hand, having been part of series losses and a win Down Under.If the team can draw from and repeat the latter, it will give Smith yet another thing to put into perspective. “This is a big challenge for us,” he said. “If we can come through Australia having been successful we will give ourselves an opportunity to create something special.”

The Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim has insisted his team are not feeling the pressure ahead of the third ODI in Dhaka

Mohammad Isam in Mirpur04-Dec-2012Despite being on the verge of a series victory, against a West Indies team seemingly made for one-day cricket, and in front of passionate home support, the Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim has insisted his team are not feeling the pressure ahead of the third ODI in Mirpur but retained respect for the matchwinning potential in the visitors’ team.”All the pressure is on them, not us,” Mushfiqur said. “The manner of defeats would make them think because we didn’t win by one wicket or 10 runs, we won by handsome margins that proves we are playing better cricket than them. If we can continue in this vein, we can get a favourable result.”Having said that, West Indies are a capable side and they can come back and surprise us. They are a dangerous side. Things are clicking in our favour, whether that is forming a batting partnership or taking a wicket at the right time. But I am confident that even if they play well, our consistency will pull us through.”If Bangladesh can convert this opportunity into a series victory it will not only help the team’s confidence but will also provide a vital lift to their standing on the world stage. They have slowly come into grips with the nuances of ODI cricket, a format they are more consistent at than Tests or Twenty20.”We have been playing good, consistent cricket in ODIs for the past year and a half, especially at home,” Mushfiqur said. “It is definitely a huge opportunity in front of us to win the series. Everyone is aware of this so I hope we continue doing what we have done in the last two games and perform in all three areas.”Mushfiqur also hit back at West Indies coach Ottis Gibson’s suggestions that Bangladesh have “had it easy” after Gibson said that it was his batsmen who have given away the wickets.”We have forced them to gift the wickets,” Mushfiqur said. “Our bowling partnership was very good so they didn’t have any options apart from giving us the wickets. As simple as that.”Bangladesh’s two victories have come without key allrounder Shakib Al Hasan, who has been ruled out of the series, and while Mushfiqur conceded it was a big hole to fill it has open up opportunities for some younger players which, he said, bodes well for the future.”It would have been a lot better performance with Shakib. We are fortunate that a cricketer like him is in our team. I hope he comes back to cricket quickly. Due to his absence, the younger players have a chance to play in this series.”It is a big opportunity for them, if they can play against such strong opponents and do well they will have a lot of confidence. We have guys now who perform so we have more than just Tamim and Shakib to rely upon. It is a good sign, and is a new addition to our strength.”Mushfiqur, who confirmed Rubel Hossain will replace the injured Abul Hasan, expressed concerns over the amount of dew that everyone has seen on the Mirpur outfield as they trained under the lights.”Rubel has recovered sufficiently after bowling a lot in the Tests, and he will replace Abul Hasan,” he said. “The wicket will be slow but probably the ball will skid in the evening. I am surprised to see so much dew in the evening. We lost to India even after scoring 290 because of the dew. It is a concern, so we will try to balance the team keeping this in mind.”

Cricket South Africa has placed two young bowlers – Prenelan Subrayen and Solo Nqweni – under rehabilitation after their actions were deemed illegal

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Dec-2012Cricket South Africa has placed two 19-year-old bowlers – Prenelan Subrayen and Solo Nqweni – under rehabilitation after independent tests carried out by the Australian Institute of Sport and the Sports Science Institute of South Africa deemed their actions illegal. The two bowlers will not be permitted to take part in first-class cricket till the rehabilitation is complete.”There is a standard protocol we have for dealing with matters of this nature,” Corrie van Zyl, CSA general manager cricket, said. “In the case of Prenelan the situation has been complicated by the fact that he suffered a bad dislocation of his bowling shoulder several years ago and this has contributed to the current problem. He thus needs to undergo both shoulder rehabilitation as well as rehabilitation of his bowling action.Van Zyl said the two players will be under the charge of their respective provincial teams – KwaZulu-Natal for Subrayen and Eastern Province for Nqweni – with assistance from the CSA who will make the facilties and the personnel at the High Performance centre available.”We have every confidence that the rehab process will be successful and that these two talented young cricketers will be able to continue their promising careers in the near future,” he said.Subrayen, a right-arm offspinner, has taken six wickets in three first-class matches this season while right-arm seamer Nqweni has 33 wickets from eight matches.