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ESPNcricinfo previews Kings XI Punjab in IPL 2012

Nagraj Gollapudi03-Apr-2012Big picture
Kings XI Punjab have never believed in big names. In fact, they have just one millionaire on their roaster in Australian David Hussey ($1.4m). Their most expensive buy at this year’s player auction was former Pakistan allrounder Azhar Mahmood for $200,000. Their most popular face is the 40-year old Adam Gilchrist.Punjab’s maxim has been: we do not need the names, but we can still win. Last year they proved that theory correct when an unknown Paul Valthaty, who was clinging to the edges of domestic cricket before the tournament, catapulted himself into the front pages of newspapers and television screens with his batting exploits.But Punjab, the 2008 semi-finalists (which remains their best showing so far), is the only team from the original bunch of eight, which has failed to evolve. Ownership issues disrupted their development in the first three years of IPL. But last year, the franchise, after having successfully staved off a threat from the BCCI to remove it from the IPL, decided to put fresh plans in place. The biggest positive was the appointment of Gilchrist as the leader. He led Punjab to a fifth place finish last season, an improved showing over the 2010 season when they had ended at the bottom of the pile with only four wins.This year, Gilchrist has been appointed the coach-cum-captain. Two more Australians – Joe Dawes, who is the Indian bowling coach and former Australian fielding consultant Mike Young, have been hired as Gilchrist’s assistants.The franchise has also strengthened its domestic vaults. Ramesh Powar, who played for Punjab in first three seasons, is back to play the role of lead offspinner while the medium pace pair of Harmeet Singh and Parvinder Awana have been roped in to add more teeth to the fast bowling line-up.Like nervous teenagers, Punjab have always struggled to find their feet early in the tournament. In 2010, Punjab’s scored only one win in their first eight matches, which came in a tied game after a one-over eliminator. Last year, they started with a defeat, won three matches on a trot but followed it with five defeats in a row.Key players
Adam Gilchrist: Gilchrist is one of the two 40-year-old players* in the tournament. A hardworker, a good man-manager who leads by example, Gilchrist has been rightly appointed by Punjab as the coach-cum-captain. Last year, he inspired the likes of Valthaty to aspire for greater heights and helped Punjab finish at the middle of the points table. Needless to say, Gilchrist will push on the accelerator once again.David Hussey: The younger of the Hussey brothers did turn heads last season but for the wrong reasons. He managed only 64 runs in eight matches, leaving Punjab fans and critic’s wondering if he was worth the $1.4 million price tag. But Hussey is a pedigree player: he is the highest scorer in Twenty20 cricket (4270 runs) and also topped the batting charts for the Melbourne Stars in the inaugural season of the Big Bash League earlier this year. A brilliant fielder, who can keep a tight line with his offbreaks, Hussey’s biggest suit is his experience, making him a dangerous proposition. Shaun Marsh: Marsh has been Punjab’s most consistent and dependable batsman. By ending fourth on the IPL run charts last year, Marsh proved that his heroics in the inaugural edition of the tournament, where he finished as the highest scorer, was no fluke. Even though Marsh is yet to find a firm foothold in the Australian Test side, in the IPL he manages to slip into the zone easily and gives Punjab the right platform to build and chase totals.Big names in
Azhar Mahmood: Do not get deceived by his age: Mahmood, the only Pakistan player in IPL, is 37, but he is still the sturdy allrounder he was for Pakistan when he made his debut at 21. Mahmood, who now lives in England, was the player of the season for Kent in the County Championships. But Mahmood’s best has come in Twenty20 cricket. He finished as Kent’s highest scorer in the domestic Twenty20 competition with a century. With his experience, Mahmood can easily provide solidity to Punjab’s middle order and play the leading allrounder’s role in the absence of the injured Stuart Broad.Joe Dawes: Dawes, who was recently appointed as India’s bowling coach, replaced fellow Australian and former quick Jason Gillespie, who moved to Yorkshire as head coach. Dawes will take this opportunity as a good learning experience to understand Indian players, conditions and culture. In exchange, his coaching experience with Queensland is bound to come handy for the youngsters at Punjab.Big names out
Dinesh Karthik: Punjab sold him to Mumbai Indians for an undisclosed but substantial sum, reportedly good enough to offset the money spent on Hussey and Gilchrist.Below the radar
Piyush Chawla Chawla was Punjab’s joint highest wicket-taker last season and plays important role with his attacking legbreaks and a decent googly at any point in an innings. His bowling and his ability to play influential cameos with the bat, makes Chawla an important player for Punjab and a good man to help Gilchrist with his local knowledge.Abhishek Nayar Nayar has been one of the most attractive allrounders on the domestic circuit but frequent injuries have slowed his progress. This year, Nayar played with renewed vigour, showing maturity and patience during Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy campaign. He will be one of the regulars in the playing eleven and will look to make an impression, with an eye on the allrounder’s spot in the Indian team for World Twenty20 competition later this year. Availability :Stuart Broad: The England allrounder underwent a scan for the calf-strain he suffered during the first Test of the Sri Lanka series and is reportedly expected to be fit in two weeks’ time.Ryan Harris: Punjab’s best fast bowler last season, Harris is currently on national duty with Australia in the Caribbean, participating in the Test series against West Indies. He will join the team from April 29.2011 in a tweet: Late starters, recovered to make headlines with their unexpected resilience, but lost the momentum again towards the end.April 13, 08:15 GMT: The article earlier mentioned that Adam Gilchrist was the only 40-year old in IPL. This has been corrected.

ESPNcricinfo previews the second CB series ODI between India and Sri Lanka in Perth

The Preview by Nitin Sundar07-Feb-2012Match factsFebruary 8, Perth
Start time 1220 (0420 GMT)MS Dhoni and Virender Sehwag are set to play their first ODI together since the World Cup final•AFPBig PictureJust over 10 months have passed since Wankhede night, last April. Within that period, the fates of the two teams that brought the best out of each other in that memorable World Cup final have nose-dived in bizarre style. India have been mercilessly stripped of their No. 1 Test ranking, the sunset on their golden generation of batsmen hastened by eight successive away drubbings. But their one-day outfit still holds promise, with the energy of fresh legs and the power of broad bats, for the moment at least, masking the worry of poor techniques on quick pitches.Sri Lanka have had it worse. Finishing second-best in two successive World Cup finals is a tragedy in itself, but even that pales in comparison to what has transpired since. They have endured series after wretched series, home and away, against Australia, Pakistan and South Africa, with no silverware to show for their efforts except in the Twenty20 format. Their players haven’t been paid by a board that is now bankrupt. Battered on the field and off it, Sri Lanka are already under their third captain since the World Cup. Mahela Jayawardene led them in the 2008 edition of the CB series, and his reluctant return to the musical chair gives rise to the uneasy feeling that Sri Lanka haven’t progressed in four seasons.Both teams are desperate for the familiarity of better times, and their first encounter since Wankhede will provide them just that. No two sides have played each other more often in ODI history, especially in recent years – 34 of their 129 clashes came between 2008 and 2010. This series kicks off another glut of games between these thick foes, with the Asia Cup and a bilateral series in Sri Lanka to follow in quick succession. Establishing early supremacy in Australia could prove integral in determining which side heals better in the coming months.Form guideIndia LWWLW (Most recent first)
Sri Lanka WWLLLIn the spotlightMS Dhoni and Virender Sehwag haven’t played together in an ODI since the World Cup final, though they have individually featured in 11 and four games, respectively. When Sehwag’s been fit, Dhoni has been rested. When Sehwag was expected to play, he was ‘rested’ in the first game of this series. Murmurs of dressing-room disagreements between India’s captain and vice-captain mean their internal dynamics will be scrutinised when they take the field in Perth. Signs are that Sehwag will play – you normally don’t ‘rest’ a batsman who smashed the highest score in ODI history in his last outing.India wouldn’t have forgotten Thisara Perera who thumped them to all corners of Mumbai in the end overs of the World Cup final. It wasn’t the first time Perera showcased his big-hitting skills through the leg side, and it wasn’t the last. More recently, he cracked five sixes in an unbeaten 69 off 44 balls to help Sri Lanka chase 300 against South Africa. His late-swinging yorkers could make him effective at the back-end of Sri Lanka’s bowling innings too.Team newsIndia won the last edition of the CB series by playing to the conditions, as opposed to their traditional strengths. Ishant Sharma, Praveen Kumar, Irfan Pathan and Sreesanth, all played big roles with the new ball, while spin was relegated to a support role. MS Dhoni went the other way on Sunday, and the move backfired when India’s three inexperienced spinners came unstuck in a rain-reduced game. The Perth track will be more amenable to pace, and Dhoni will consider bringing in Pathan for Ravindra Jadeja, whose 2.4 overs leaked 41 runs against Australia. Sehwag is expected to play, with Gautam Gambhir making way at the top of the order. Zaheer Khan or Umesh Yadav could be in line for a call-up too, since India could do with an extra yard of pace.India: (possible) 1 Virender Sehwag, 2 Sachin Tendulkar, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Rohit Sharma, 5 Suresh Raina, 6 MS Dhoni (capt & wk), 7 Irfan Pathan/Ravindra Jadeja, 8 R Ashwin, 9 Vinay Kumar, 10 & 11 Praveen Kumar/Umesh Yadav/Zaheer KhanInjury kept Jayawardene out of the latter stages of the ODI-leg of the South Africa tour. He will resurface in the middle order on Wednesday. On form, Angelo Mathews should make way, but the axe is likely to fall on Lahiru Thirimanne who hit a match-winning 69 in the final ODI in South Africa.Sri Lanka: (possible) 1 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 2 Upul Tharanga, 3 Kumar Sangakkara (wk), 4 Mahela Jayawardene, 5 Dinesh Chandimal, 6 Angelo Mathews, 7 Thisara Perera, 8 Nuwan Kulasekara, 9 Lasith Malinga, 10 Rangana Herath, 11 Chanaka Welegedara/Dhammika PrasadPitch and conditionsThe WACA strip was zippy in the Test match, and is expected to behave similarly, but it would require bowlers with real pace to make that count. The conditions in Perth are dry and hot, meaning the pitch has cracks to go with its green tinge. The teams will have an interesting time zeroing in on their bowling units.Stats and trivia India hold the advantage against Sri Lanka in ODIs, with a 68-50 head-to-head record. They also have a 2-1 advantage in games in Australia. Only one batsman has scored over 3000 runs against one particular team – Sachin Tendulkar against Australia (3060). If he gets 18 runs on Wednesday, he would have repeated the feat against Sri Lanka.Quotes”I think they haven’t played really well in the Test series. That’s a plus point for us. [But] They are a different team when it comes to the one-dayers. We are up for it and we are ready to go.”

“[On] Any day, any team can beat anybody.”

None of the senior players is retiring as of now, the India team has said

Sidharth Monga at Adelaide Oval28-Jan-2012None of the senior players is retiring as of now, the India team has said. There have been reports during the series that VVS Laxman (during Perth) and Rahul Dravid (during Adelaide) might have played their last Test match. After India’s 0-4 whitewash, though, the team spokesperson read out a statement saying the reports were rumour and incorrect.”The team takes note of the stories in the media suggesting the imminent retirement of a member of the Indian team,” the spokesperson said. “We would like to clarify the situation by stating categorically that these are not correct and are baseless.” The statement didn’t name any of the players. “No players from the Indian team will be retiring. It is a rumour. Baseless. Incorrect.”Virender Sehwag, the stand-in captain, said, “I clarify that there is no need for retirement from anybody in this team. And they will take their call when they need it and when they think that their time is up.”The speculation, though, remains rife, especially because India don’t play an away Test for the next two years, and it doesn’t make sense to carry any player further unless he will be fit and ready for those overseas tours. When asked if he felt the seniors should be phased out, Sehwag said it wasn’t his decision. “That’s the team management and selectors who will decide,” he said. “It is not me or anyone else who will decide. If they think we need something to change, they will do that. If they think we should carry on with the same, and just wait for other players to perform, and if you perform, they will take the call.”Sehwag also supported coach Duncan Fletcher, under whom India have lost eight away Tests in a row. Fletcher’s record as a coach in Australia now reads one Test win and 13 losses. “He is a good coach,” Sehwag said. “He is talking to a lot of the batsmen and giving his input and making a lot of strategy. When you can’t execute your strategy, nothing happens.”Why should I blame him [Fletcher]? It’s the players who let the team down, not the support staff. They are very good. They are giving everything the players ask for. They were throwing to a lot of the batsmen. Thanks to the support staff. They are working hard to make sure the players perform. Make sure they give a good atmosphere for the players to perform.”

Ryan ten Doeschate, the Netherlands allrounder, has been named the ICC Associate and Affiliate Player of the Year for the third time in four years, and for the second year running

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Sep-2011Ryan ten Doeschate, the Netherlands allrounder, has been named the ICC Associate and Affiliate Player of the Year for the third time in four years, and for the second year running. ten Doeschate was chosen ahead of Afghanistan allrounder Hamid Hassan, and the Irish duo of Paul Stirling and Kevin O’Brien, both centurions in the 2011 World Cup, during the awards ceremony in London.ten Doeschate, 31, played six ODIs in the voting period – August 11, 2010 to August 3, 2011 – all of them in the World Cup. He scored two centuries and a half-century, and averaged 61.40 for the period with a strike rate of 89.24.”I’m really sorry I couldn’t be there tonight,” ten Doeschate said. “It’s obviously a great privilege to win this award and I’d like to thank all the coaches and my team-mates who have helped me during what has been a very good year for the Netherlands cricket team.”ten Doeschate also was the first Associate player to win an IPL contract. He was bought at the 2011 auction by Kolkata Knight Riders.

Mohammad Nabi played out 153 balls, and along with Asghar Stanikzai and Samiullah Shenwari took Afghanistan to a draw

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Oct-2011
ScorecardMohammad Nabi was resolute as Afghanistan drew with UAE•ICCUAE were on course for their second win in the Intercontinental Cup when they had Afghanistan six down with more than 40 overs to get the remaining wickets at the Sharjah Cricket Association Stadium. But Mohammad Nabi played out 153 balls, and along with Asghar Stanikzai and Samiullah Shenwari took Afghanistan to a draw.It was always going to be a matter of survival for Afghanistan, as they were left chasing 363 in a little less than a day. Given the way Afghanistan’s lower order had collapsed earlier in the game, all odds were on a UAE win when they had the visitors 82 for 6 in 36.1 overs. Nabi had scored a century batting up the order in the first innings, but only came in at No. 7 in the second by which time Afghanistan were 71 for 5. He only got 35 runs but it was the time he spent at the wicket which mattered.For company, Nabi had first Stanikzai who used up 53 balls for his 10, and Shenwari who played a remarkably patient innings of 6 off 78. They ended up reaching 131 for 7 by the end of the day leaving them just behind UAE in the Intercontinental Cup table.UAE had started the day on 213 for 5 with their main dilemma being when to declare. Afghanistan, though, took the option away from them, running through the tail and bowling the hosts out for 228. They could not carry any momentum from that late fightback into their innings, and were reduced to 30 for 3. Javed Ahmadi followed up his 80 in the first innings with 49 in the second but he was only one of the top six to make a contribution. Afghanistan shuffled their batting order, with Mirwais Ashraf and Hamza Kotak moving up the order. Ashraf negotiated 70 balls for his 10, but Afghanistan still needed a rearguard from the lower order.

Andy Flower, the England team director, has praised Alastair Cook for the way he has handled the dual challenges of batting and captaincy

Andrew McGlashan10-Jul-2011Andy Flower, the England team director, has praised Alastair Cook for the way he has handled the dual challenges of proving himself as a one-day batsman and captain in the 3-2 series win against Sri Lanka. The silverware was secured with a tight 16-run win at Old Trafford where Cook also took his personal contribution to 298 runs.Apart from the volume of runs, which included a career-best 119 at Lord’s, the impressive feature was the strike-rate of 96.75. That number was boosted by his 75-ball 95 at Trent Bridge as Cook provided evidence that he is making strides towards evolving into a effective one-day batsman to supplement his record-breaking Test credentials.Cook had to face some strong criticism both before and during the series but refused to be drawn into any war of words and constantly said performance on the field was the most important factor. The five matches helped Cook build on the positive impression he made as captain last year when he filled in for Andrew Strauss.”He had some tricky decisions to make throughout the series, and he was under pressure from a number of quarters,” Flower said. “I thought he handled that pressure really well, and made some really good decisions out there today.”He had to be very flexible, and he was. We saw him handle pressure well out in Bangladesh too, which isn’t an easy tour. He grew there as a leader, and without doubt this series will have helped him grow too.”Cook showed hints of innovation in his batting, with some dabs and scoops against the spinners, but on the whole relied on the strong shots that have brought him success in Test cricket. A comparison has been made about how Cook needs to perform a similar role to Mahela Jayawardene in the Sri Lanka team and Flower believes he has shown he can do that.”Graham Gooch has worked very closely with him on his batting for a long time – because obviously one-day cricket is very different to Test cricket,” he said. “I think he’s adapted well. It might not look as pretty as a Jayawardene, but it’s been even more effective in this series. He should feel very proud of his contribution with the bat, and how he’s handled some of the pressure he’s been under.”However, not all England’s batsmen enjoyed such a productive series. Kevin Pietersen’s lean time in ODIs since 2008 continued with 85 runs in four innings, while Ian Bell didn’t look at home at No. 6 where he made 81 runs at a strike of under 70. In an column during the series Bell admitted it was a role he was uncomfortable with, but Flower hinted it’s one he will have to get used to.”Ian Bell’s job, or anyone else’s job when they’re picked for England, is to perform,” Flower said. “Whether they’re happy or not is by the by. They are given a job, and they have got to do it. He’s had a tough series. He wasn’t the only one – not everyone can succeed at the same time.”Flower, though, will hope that Bell’s problems in the one-day arena don’t impacted his prolific Test form of 2011 when he has averaged over 300. Thoughts now turn to the four-match series against India which starts on July 21 and the one-day success means England remain buoyant.”It’s always important to win, and we’re always under pressure to do so when representing England,” Flower said. “The bottom line is we did it, we didn’t lose the series. It’s a good confidence-builder for those guys that they held themselves so well under pressure.”

Brad Young has become the latest veteran spinner to join the Big Bash League after signing with the Adelaide Strikers

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Dec-2012Brad Young has become the latest veteran spinner to join the Big Bash League after signing with the Adelaide Strikers. Young, 39, has been confirmed as the team’s replacement for his fellow left-arm orthodox bowler Jon Holland, who will miss the entire BBL season while recovering from shoulder surgery.Young played six one-day internationals for Australia in 1998 and 1999, and he also took a hat-trick against New Zealand in the semi-final at the 1998 Commonwealth Games, in a match that was not considered an official ODI. He has not played at the elite level since his last appearance for South Australia in 2003 but he impressed the Strikers coach Darren Berry, who trialled Young and Mark Higgs during practice matches last month.”Brad Young is a great story coming off the surf beach at Grange,” Berry told the of Young, who has been playing cricket in the Adelaide Turf Cricket Association rather than grade cricket. “It was a tough call [between Young and Higgs], but we just felt Brad was better suited to what we are looking for. He will be a handy addition.”Young will be available for the Strikers’ next game, against Brisbane Heat on Thursday. He joins fellow veteran spinners Shane Warne and Brad Hogg in this year’s BBL – Stuart MacGill was also part of the tournament last summer – and Young believes his age and experience will hold him in good stead for a return to elite cricket.”I played when Australia were the No. 1 side in the world, I look back with fond memories and hopefully there are a few more over the next few weeks,” Young said. “I have a wiser head on my shoulders. I do feel ready, shed a few kilos, the ball is coming out well and I am just trying to get up to speed on the fielding and batting.”

ESPNcricinfo previews the fifth ODI between Bangladesh and Zimbabwe in Chittagong

The Preview by Dustin Silgardo11-Dec-2010Match FactsSunday, December 12
Start time 09:00 (03:00 GMT)
Bangladesh coach Jamie Siddons and Zimbabwe coach Alan Butcher were unhappy with the drainage system in Chittagong•Associated PressThe Big PictureAll eyes will be on the weather in Chittagong ahead of the fifth and final ODI of the series between Bangladesh and Zimbabwe. The fourth match was called off due to a soggy outfield, and more showers are predicted for the weekend. The drainage system at the Zohur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium has come in for flak, and the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s chief Manzur Ahmed has suggested using a large cover across the whole ground to protect the outfield. Otherwise, even mild rain could lead to the last match being abandoned.With Bangladesh leading 2-1, the best Zimbabwe can do is draw the series, and their coach Alan Butcher admitted that would be a good result for them after they were beaten 4-1 in Bangladesh in 2009. Zimbabwe have lost their previous four ODI series in Bangladesh.Sunday’s one-dayer is the last scheduled international match for both sides before the 2011 World Cup, and may be the final chance for fringe players to make their case. Both teams have settled bowling attacks, but there are still spots to be fought for in their batting line-ups.Hamilton Masakadza, one of Zimbabwe’s most important batsman over the past few years, has been in poor form and will be under pressure from Regis Chakabva for a place in the team. An experienced batsman for the home side, Mohammad Ashraful, will also be struggling for a place, with Raqibul Hasan and Naeem Islam likely to keep him out again.Form Guide(most recent first)
Bangladesh: WWLWWZimbabwe: LLWLLWatch out for …Craig Ervine has had a couple of starts in the series, but has still only got one half-century in his 13-match ODI career. Ervine said he had been working hard on playing spinners in the nets, and it was paying off in the series. In the first two ODIs he was the only batsman who looked capable of dealing with Bangladesh’s left-arm spinners in the middle overs.Abdur Razzak has a chance to break two records in the match in Chittagong. He has the chance to be the first bowler to take four wickets in four consecutive ODIs if he repeats his efforts of the first three matches in the last one. With 13 wickets in the series, he is also three wickets away from the record for the most number of wickets by a bowler in a five-match bilateral ODI series.Pitch conditionsAhead of the fourth match, both teams’ players said they expected significant turn from the Chittagong wicket. Ahead of Sunday’s game, the question is more whether there will be any play at all. The poor drainage facilities are even more concerning as the venue will host two World Cup games. Ahmed said there was no time for significant alterations to the ground since the World Cup is two months away. “We have to bring a large cover to protect this ground since the drainage system is not up to the mark,” he said.TeamsElton Chigumbura, who missed the previous game with a groin strain, should be fit for the last match. Masakadza practised in the nets on Friday, so will probably get another opportunity to prove himself.Zimbabwe (probable): 1 Brendan Taylor, 2 Hamilton Masakadza, 3 Regis Chakabva, 4.Elton Chigumbura, 5 Tatenda Taibu (wk), 6 Craig Ervine, 7 Prosper Utseya, 8 Graeme Cremer, 9 Shingirai Masakadza, 10 Raymond Price, 11 Chris MpofuBangladesh are unlikely to change their winning combination.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Tamim Iqbal, 2 Imrul Kayes, 3 Junaid Siddique, 4 Raqibul Hasan, 5 Shakib Al Hasan (capt), 6 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 7 Naeem Islam, 8 Suhrawadi Shuvo, 9 Mashrafe Mortaza, 10 Abdur Razzak, 11 Shafiul IslamStats and Trivia Zimbabwe have won 20.61% of their matches in the subcontinent, having got 20 victories out of 97 matches. Bangladesh’s winning percentage in ODIs over the last two years is 48.89%, the sixth best among all nations. Quotes”A better ground for soccer? You might get football matches called off here.”
“It is very frustrating, considering the sun was out virtually the whole day but we couldn’t play the match.” Jamie Siddons, the Bangladesh coach, was similarly disappointed at the time the outfield took to dry.