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Criticism spurs Ireland in quest for more upsets

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Kyle McCallan: “They are saying we have qualified on the basis of one performance. Hasn’t everyone?” © Getty Images

Kyle McCallan, the Ireland spinner, is fed up of hearing critics say they have no right to be in the Super Eights. After being the surprise of the group phase with a win over Pakistan and a tie with Zimbabwe, Ireland are now under increasing scrutiny to prove they should be in the second stage.”I am reading so many comments at the moment, saying Ireland shouldn’t be in the Super Eights,” McCallan said. “No matter what you do, people are trying to knock you down. They are saying we have qualified on the basis of one performance.”Hasn’t everyone? England lost to New Zealand. They are only in the Super Eights because they beat Kenya. They’re all motivating factors for us to go out and perform another upset.”Ireland get their chance to prove they belong in the second round when they face England in Guyana on Friday. It will be the second match between the teams in nine months after England won by 38 runs last June.”We were disappointed at how we bowled against England in Belfast,” McCallan said. “They haven’t got Marcus Trescothick, who got a big hundred against us, albeit they now have Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff, but we didn’t disgrace ourselves in that match and we’ll take that experience into Friday’s game.”They’ve lost Harmison from that attack and while we cannot be overly-confident going into the game, we can realistically compete with them. Having heard what we’ve heard about the pitch here, apparently it suits the slower bowlers so I hope that they will play the pace bowlers. It will come on to the bat and make for faster scoring.”The guys have coped with the quicker bowling rather well and if we can hit the ball down the ground in the middle overs, we should get more runs. The batters know what they have to do.”

Afghanistan board announces a five-team franchise-based T20 league

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The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has announced a new franchise-based T20 league, the Afghanistan Premier League. The first season of the tournament, featuring five teams, is being planned to get underway around October 2026 in the UAE.The ACB had launched an Afghanistan Premier League in early 2018 as well and there was only one season played of that tournament later that year, between five teams. High-profile names such as Chris Gayle, Brendon McCullum, Shahid Afridi and others had played in that edition, but it was discontinued after payment issues and concerns around the league’s integrity started emerging.The new league by the same name is likely to have its draft around June-July 2026.”The inaugural season will feature five city-based franchises, bringing together Afghanistan’s leading national players alongside prominent overseas professionals and emerging local talent,” the ACB said in a press release.”The Afghanistan Premier League represents a meaningful step forward in our cricketing journey,” Mirwais Ashraf, the ACB chairman, said at the launch in Dubai on Saturday. “It creates new opportunities for our players, inspires the next generation, and allows Afghanistan cricket to be showcased on a global platform. We see the APL as an important contributor to the growth and unity of the game, both domestically and internationally.”The ACB has partnered with Cricket Venture, a joint venture of Trans Group and ITW Universe, for the league.”Following the launch, organisers will move into the next phase, which includes finalising franchise identities, confirming commercial partners, and progressing the player auction or draft process,” the release said.Afghanistan continue to play their domestic T20 league – the Shpageeza Cricket League – between five domestic teams in the July-August window every year.

Ups, downs and broken records

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Craig McMillan made 142 in a Man-of-the-Match effort against Zimbabwe in December 2000 © Getty Images

May 1997 – At 20, makes his one-day international debut against Sri Lanka at Hyderabad. Scores 10 as a fragile New Zealand batting order falls 53 short of its target.November 1997 – Has more success in his Test debut, scoring 54 against a strong Australia at Brisbane. Would prefer to forget the second innings, when Glenn McGrath trapped him lbw first ball.February 1998 – Takes advantage of a weaker opponent, Zimbabwe, to score his maiden Test century at Wellington in his fourth match. Displays the style he will become known for by bringing up the milestone with a six over long-on and finishes with 139.May 1998 – Strikes a blistering 142 from 179 balls in a Test against Sri Lanka at Colombo, launching six sixes and helping New Zealand to a comfortable victory.August 1999 – Scores an unbeaten 107 in the third Test against England at Old Trafford. He struggles through the rest of the tour but New Zealand register an important 2-1 series win.December 2000 – Joins with Nathan Astle to set a New Zealand Test record fifth-wicket partnership of 222 against Zimbabwe at Wellington. McMillan’s contribution is 142 and he earns the Man-of-the-Match award.February 2001 – Scores his first ODI century in crunching style, belting five sixes on his way to 104 from 75 balls against Pakistan at Christchurch. He equals Chris Cairns’ record for the fastest ODI hundred by a New Zealand player.March 2001 – Breaks the record for most runs in a Test over when he clubs 26 from Younis Khan’s part-time legspin at Hamilton. McMillan makes batting look ridiculously easy, hitting five fours – including three reverse- pulls and scoops – and one six.October 2003 – After being dropped from the tour of Sri Lanka earlier in the year, McMillan returns with a superb fighting 83 not out against India at Ahmedabad to save New Zealand from what looked like a certain defeat. In the second Test at Mohali, he is one of four batsmen to score a century, but his unbeaten 100 is his last Test hundred.

McMillan made a strong comeback after losing his national contract, hurting Australia in the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy in February 2007 then becoming New Zealand’s top run-scorer at the World Twenty20 © Getty Images

November 2004 – McMillan clashes with Adam Gilchrist in a Test at Brisbane when the two disagree over the etiquette of walking. Gilchrist, a self-proclaimed walker, gives McMillan a spray because he does not walk after Steve Bucknor turns down an appeal for caught behind.June 2006 – Loses his national contract after a poor run of ODI form. Considers taking up a career as a salesman to help pay the bills.December 2006 – Is recalled for the home one-day series against Sri Lanka. Has little impact but keeps his spot for the CB Series in Australia.February 2007 – Caps off his comeback with the fastest century in an ODI by a New Zealand player. Blasts 117 from 96 balls – the century comes from 67 deliveries – as he overshadows Matthew Hayden’s 181 and steers New Zealand towards a successful chase of 347 at Hamilton. In typical McMillan fashion, he brings up his hundred with two successive sixes off Adam Voges.September 2007 – Proves that the frenetic Twenty20 format suits his destructive style as he finishes the World Twenty20 as New Zealand’s leading run-scorer. He makes 163 at 40.75 with an impressive strike-rate of 181.

Gayle to miss Jamaica's opening game

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Chris Gayle, the West Indies and Jamaica captain, will miss Jamaica’s first match of the Stanford 20/20 on February 6 against Bahamas since he is yet to recover from the injuries he picked up on West Indies’ tour of South Africa.Andre McCarthy, 20, has been named Gayle’s replacement for the match. Gayle injured his thumb and hamstring during the second Test in Cape Town last month and returned home during the one-day series that followed the Tests.Middle-order batsman Tamar Lambert has been named captain in Gayle’s absence. Lambert scored his maiden first-class hundred in January when Jamaica played Guyana in the Carib Series.Jamaica squad:
Tamar Lambert (capt), Carlton Baugh (wk), Wavell Hinds, Brendan Nash, Shawn Findlay, Danza Hyatt, Nikita Miller, Odean Brown, David Bernard jnr, Xavier Marshall, Andre Russell, Jermaine Lawson, Andre McCarthy.

Prasad and Robin retained in support staff

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Robin Singh will continue as India’s fielding coach © AFP
 

The BCCI has retained Venkatesh Prasad and Robin Singh among its seven-member support staff team for the three-Test South Africa, but dropped assistant coach Lalchand Rajput who had managed the team since the Bangladesh tour last May.Prasad, the former India new-ball specialist, will remain in charge of bowling while Robin will handle the team’s fielding. The South Africa series, starting March 26 in Chennai, will mark the debuts of Gary Kirsten as coach and his associate Paddy Upton as mental conditioning coach and physical trainer.Paul Close, the physio of the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore will assist the team as its physiotherapist till the BCCI appoints a permanent candidate. “The BCCI will appoint a full-time physiotherapist for the Indian team by the end of April,” Niranjan Shah, the BCCI secretary, said.Prasad, Robin and Rajput have also signed up to coach IPL teams while Kirsten has shied away, saying he wants to focus on the Indian team. Prasad has tied up with the Bangalore franchise and Robin with Hyderabad, while Rajput will coach the Mumbai IPL team.Mumbai-based Ramesh Mane remains the Indian team’s masseur while Chennai’s Russell Radhakrishnan will continue to be the team’s travel assistant.

Australia wrap up 15th straight win

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Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

Brad Hogg picked up two wickets in Australia’s 337-run win © Getty Images
 

India needed a record score to win but instead Australia edged closer to a milestone of their own, posting their 15th consecutive Test victory as they wrapped up the Boxing Day Test within four days. Australia will now head into the Sydney Test that starts on Wednesday aiming to equal their own record of 16 straight Test wins and they will no doubt fancy their chances after India folded for 161 and crashed to a 337-run defeat at the MCG.An extra day’s rest will also be much appreciated by Australia’s fast bowlers, who toiled hard in searing heat against a stonewalling India. Not only did India forget how to fight, they were outplayed in subcontinent-like conditions as Melbourne’s temperature nudged 40 degrees. Ricky Ponting rotated his attack and they showed few signs of exhaustion with Mitchell Johnson picking up 3 for 21 and Brett Lee and Brad Hogg each grabbing two.India, on the other hand, struggled in the conditions. Sourav Ganguly, who was the second-last man out when he departed for 40, had been at the crease for just over an hour when he slumped on the ground after running a two. He needed attention from the team physio and batted on in the sweltering conditions, but his team-mates kept falling around him.The end came quickly for India, who had five wickets in hand at tea but survived barely an hour after the break. MS Dhoni attempted a lavish cover-drive against Johnson and edged behind to Adam Gilchrist, who finished with eight dismissals for the match and not only passed Ian Healy’s Australian Test wicketkeeping record of 395 victims but also earned $144,000 for Glenn McGrath’s cancer charity – he wore pink gloves and his sponsors offered $18,000 per dismissal.Once the established batsmen were gone and Australia could sniff a day off it all became rather a procession. Anil Kumble edged a Johnson leg-cutter behind to Gilchrist, Harbhajan Singh was run out without facing a ball and Ganguly prodded Hogg to silly mid-off. By that stage the result was no longer in doubt and perhaps India were not upset to also enjoy a free Sunday, as Johnson finished the carnage by bowling RP Singh for 2.The finale was flatter than last season’s new-year champagne after India promised so much fizz with their bowling efforts on the first day. Back then it looked like Australia might be seriously challenged for the first time in a home Test since India last visited, in 2003-04. But that spark was gradually extinguished over the next three days and India’s batsmen must find some way to reverse their fortunes before the Sydney Test.Theirs is a batting line-up full of stars but none of them shone as they chased a whopping 499 for victory. Ganguly was at least willing to attack, as was Sachin Tendulkar, but no batsman reached a half-century in their second innings. Yuvraj Singh’s place might not be certain after India rejigged their batting order to retain him at No. 6. He departed for 5 shortly before tea, missing a straighter ball from Hogg that would have crashed into his stumps. Yuvraj was cleared of showing dissent at an umpire’s decision in the first innings and again he waited a few moments before trudging off after Mark Benson’s lbw decision.He did not score in the first innings and should India ditch him for Sydney it might allow Virender Sehwag to open and Rahul Dravid to drop down from the unfamiliar opening position. Dravid was painfully slow in the first innings and in the second he had 16 from 114 balls when he fell lbw just before lunch, playing back to Andrew Symonds, who had just reverted from medium pace to offspin.That defensive mindset was also present in his partner Wasim Jaffer, who was on 15 when he edged behind off Lee to give Gilchrist his record-breaking 396th dismissal. The breakthrough was a relief for Lee, who three balls earlier had experienced the same sinking feeling that Johnson and Zaheer Khan had suffered earlier in the match when he thought he had a wicket only to see Billy Bowden’s no-ball signal. Lee dug in a short one that Jaffer appeared to glove through to Gilchrist but Bowden’s decision, which again was correct, stifled the appeal.After Jaffer and Dravid departed India were ticking along nicely as VVS Laxman, Tendulkar and Ganguly played some impressive strokes but none could build a match-saving partnership. Tendulkar looked terrific when he went down on one knee to square-drive Lee through point for four but he was then out-thought by Lee, who followed a quick bouncer with a good ball outside off stump that was too full to cut, luring Tendulkar into the shot which he edged behind.Laxman had calmly worked his way to 42 when he succumbed to the frustration of Stuart Clark’s tight bowling. Clark was following the team plan of suffocating India’s scoring and had 0 for 15 in his 12th over when Laxman drove on the up straight to Michael Clarke at cover and Laxman was clearly annoyed by his lapse in concentration. He had been watchful in his 112-ball innings but was quickly onto any bad balls from Hogg, who dropped short more often than he would like. Laxman pulled a pair of Hogg deliveries through midwicket for boundaries and was also impressive with his straight drives.While there were moments of satisfaction for India their overall experience, after the first day, was disheartening. When Steve Waugh’s Australians set their record 16-match winning streak it was India who ended the successful run. They have three days before the Sydney Test to work out how they can prevent Ponting’s men from equalling that record.

First innings points for Andhra

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The Goa middle order put up a brave fight but there was preciouslittle substance in the rest of the batting and Andhra took firstinnings points as their rain affected three day KSCA Coca Cola Trophymatch ended in a draw in Bangalore on Tuesday.Andhra declared at the overnight total of 285 for five. Goa’s toporder made a mess of things and at 65 for four, they were down in thedumps. However Amit Jadav and Gaurish Phadte initiated the recoveryprocess by adding 77 runs off 34.1 overs. Phadte’s 42 was scored off116 balls and was inclusive of six boundary hits. Jadav and S Misquinthen kept the momentum going with a sixth wicket partnership of 36runs off 12 overs before Jadhav was out for a gallant 50. He faced 160balls and hit three fours and two sixes. Once Jadhav was sixth out at178, the tail offered little resistance. Misquin made a valuable 34off 60 balls with four fours and two sixes but Goa were all out for204 off 86.4 overs. Balaji Krishna Singh was the most successfulbowler with four for 51. Due to dampness of the pitch, play started 50minutes late. Andhra got five points and Goa three.

Morkel saves the day for Chennai

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Albie Morkel swung it around for Chennai © Getty Images (file photo)
 

Six, six, six
Chennai, chasing 188, had lost two wickets in the space of five balls and the required rate was hovering near nine an over. Sixteen deliveries without a boundary wasn’t helping their cause, but the big-hitting Albie Morkel swung Chennai back by plundering 23 runs off the 14th over, bowled by Virender Sehwag. The first ball was heaved over midwicket for a massive six, the second biffed dead straight for the same result, and the hat-trick followed with another clout over midwicket. That spectacular comeback from Morkel made the difference when push came to shove.AB pulls off a blinder
Mahendra Singh Dhoni was threatening to finish the match himself, batting sensibly as wickets fell around him, but a stunning catch from AB de Villiers cut him short. Sehwag called back Vijaykumar Yo Mahesh to bowl the penultimate over and Dhoni skipped down to drill a full delivery towards long-on. The ball was dipping on de Villiers, harrying in from the boundary, but he dived forward and cupped it off the ground, refreshing memories of Ajay Jadeja’s similar stunner to dismiss Allan Border in the 1992 World Cup.Chamara surprise
Chennai seemed to have just four overseas players in their squad but everyone was caught on the wrong foot when Chamara Kapugedera, the Sri Lankan batsman, was named in the XI. Apparently he signed over the weekend and sneaked ahead of Makhaya Ntini, who hadn’t managed to get a wicket in three games. He didn’t have a great start, though: going for 15 runs in his only over. Things weren’t much better when he batted though his presence did play a part in Chennai moving towards the target.

Doubling up differently

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Sourav Ganguly, usually circumspect against the new ball, flowed…© Getty Images

You have to envy VVS Laxman. Not for his sinuous wrists, not for his graceful movements, not for his languid batting style but simply for having the pleasure of standing at second slip when India’s pace bowlers are in operation. Standing between Sachin Tendulkar, at first slip, and Sourav Ganguly, at third, he is often the silent participant in some intense discussions, ones where the two on either side chirp away merrily.While they’re batting together, though, there’s no third party. Yet they rarely relent. During their 96-run stand this morning, the early parts of which were spent negotiating the second new ball, mid-pitch conferences raged along. Whether it was advice, tactics, or plans for the evening is anyone’s guess but they often resembled doubles partners on a tennis court. They’ve played together for about ten years, they’ve opened the batting for long in the one-day format, and they’ve played under each other’s captaincy. You’d think they would have exhausted all they had to say; it appears they’ve just got started.India’s biggest challenge today, with the sun out and the pitch playing true, was to negate the effects of the second new ball. Ganguly, usually circumspect in these conditions, flowed; Tendulkar, who you’d expect to be more solid, dug a small hole for himself. Almost every time Ryan Sidebottom beat Tendulkar’s bat, or appealed for a leg-before, Ganguly had a word with his partner.At the other end, Ganguly eagerly took on Chris Tremlett and James Anderson, cover-driving as if all was well. Ganguly’s statements about the ball doing “a bit in the morning” and Sidebottom bowling “well to Sachin” must go down as big under-statements. It was doing much more than a bit, and he did much better than well. “To get through the second new ball in the morning was important,” he said. “And we knew if we could get runs on the board, we’d be in a good position to win the match.”Both handled Monty Panesar expertly, using their bats more often than their pads. Tendulkar stepped out on a few occasions, crunching an aggressive cover-drive over the infield, while Ganguly took a few big strides forward and caressed him all along the ground. What was the plan then, did they have any specific targets? “There were no targets,” dead-batted Ganguly. “Just bat. It was just the third morning of a match and there was a lot of time left. We thought we’ll just bat and whatever comes, comes.” More like, just chat.

…while Sachin Tendulkar stepped out on a few occasions© Getty Images

It’s tough to spot similarities in their batting, or indeed their personalities. One is quiet, the other tends to be brash; one is a great batsman who struggled to lead, the other a great captain who sometimes struggled with the bat. Both had their innings sawed off with dubious umpiring decisions – one stood transfixed before trudging off, the other rushed off spewing venom, flaying his bat angrily. Tendulkar was spotted cooling off with an ice-cream; Ganguly was “alright”. “Some go your way, some go against”, said Ganguly who started the press conference with “I don’t want to speak about the decision” and ended it with “You have to live with it”. Simon Taufel, it seems, can breathe easy.Does he think India can pull off their first Test win at Trent Bridge? “I think 480 is still a big total. We were 280-290 ahead, and the wicket is going to deteriorate. On the third day of a Test anywhere in the world, the wicket is going to be good. It’s the fourth and fifth day it’s going to deteriorate.”But, crucially, what does he have to say about Tendulkar’s knock? “There’s nothing you can talk about Sachin, he produces it every time and hope he keeps doing the same.” If he does, and if Ganguly too keeps joining him, it’s time those stump mikes were shifted to the middle of the pitch.

Elliott century takes Wellington home

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Scorecard
Grant Elliott’s maiden one-day century came at the perfect time to guide Wellington from 37 for 4 when he walked in to a thrilling three-wicket win over Canterbury at Village Green. Elliot’s century included 11 fours and, thanks to his useful stands with Stu Mills and Luke Woodcock, ensured that they crossed the tape.
Scorecard
Scott Styris clattered a quickfire 74 to lead Auckland to a comprehensive six-wicket win over Otago at Eden Park. Chasing a modest 231, Auckland rode on Styris’s innings along with handy knocks from Richard Jones and Rob Nicol. Earlier, Chris Martin and Paul Hitchcock, the fast bowlers, restricted Otago to 230 for 8. Aaron Redmond and Greg Todd cracked 53 each but Otago couldn’t step up the run-rate when it was required.