England are facing up to the likelihood that their captain, Michael Vaughan, will not be fit enough to lead the side in their must-win encounter against New Zealand at the WACA on Tuesday.Vaughan damaged his left hamstring while fielding during England’s solitary victory of their CB Series campaign, against New Zealand at Hobart on January 16, and Andrew Flintoff, his deputy, admitted England could not be sure he would be ready in time.”Vaughan is doubtful, there is a doubt surrounding his fitness,” Flintoff told a news conference on Monday. “I think the final decision will be made tomorrow, see how he rocks up. He’s done some running out there today but I think a final decision will be made in the morning.”And, as if that was not bad enough for a flatlining side, both of their most impressive fast bowlers to date, James Anderson and Jon Lewis, have been ruled out of contention with niggling injuries.The absences will be another devastating blow to a team whose morale is, in Vaughan’s opinion, as low as he has ever known it. New Zealand thrashed England by 90 runs in their last meeting, at Adelaide last week, before running Australia improbably close in a high-scoring encounter in Perth on Sunday.Defeat at the WACA would leave England needing victories in both their final matches, against Australia and New Zealand, to qualify for the finals. “I think the one thing now is we can’t dance around it,” Flintoff said. “We have got to be honest with ourselves.”We have just got to stand up. I could sit here and tell you all types of different things — but we have got to score some runs.”
Australia’s selectors turned the clock back to the Ashes by recalling Damien Martyn, Michael Kasprowicz and Shaun Tait for the three-Test tour of South Africa starting next week. The team has undergone a rash of changes with Brad Hodge dropped in favour of Michael Clarke while Nathan Bracken and Shane Watson will return home next week with the other members of the one-day squad. Stuart MacGill won a place as Shane Warne’s back-up and there was no spot for Jason Gillespie.The announcement ends the international hiatus of Martyn and Kasprowicz, who feared their globe-trotting days were over after they were scapegoats for the Ashes loss. “Martyn has had some time out of the team and we feel this is the right time to slot him back in at No. 4,” Trevor Hohns, the chairman of selectors, said. “The reintroduction of Clarke follows some productive time away from the Test team. Hodge can count himself unlucky not to be included.” Hodge has missed the big scores in the Pura Cup that were necessary for inclusion.Kasprowicz and Tait have benefited from strong domestic seasons and the absence of Glenn McGrath, who has stayed home to be with his family. “The decision on the make-up of the fast bowling quartet was not an easy one, given that we are without McGrath,” Hohns said. “We wanted a blend of pace, youth, experience and line and length and believe we have all of these covered with our selection. Tait is coming back from a shoulder injury and he’s bowling at full pace so we’re happy that the injury isn’t hampering his bowling.” The squad will be reviewed after the series for the two-match tour to Bangladesh next month.MacGill was wary ahead of the team announcement after previous disappointing misses, but Ricky Ponting has pushed for him to be part of a twin-spin offering in the first Test at Cape Town on March 16. “I’ve believed I was a certainty to make tours in the past at times but was proven wrong,” MacGill told the . “I missed one against Pakistan and two against India when I thought I should have been pretty close. But I do feel I deserve a spot and that I’ll be up to the task.”Australia chose two legspinners in five home Tests this summer as doubts about MacGill bowling in tandem with Warne eased. “I’d pick me for a number of reasons, one of them being that having been around for a while now, I have a reasonable level of experience in various situations,” he told the paper. “That could be particularly valuable around a young attack … for this tour and the future if players like Glenn McGrath aren’t available. Australia doesn’t have a bloke like [the former coach] Bob Simpson around, so the teaching for the younger guys comes from the player group.”Australia squad Matthew Hayden, Justin Langer, Ricky Ponting (capt), Michael Clarke, Damien Martyn, Michael Hussey, Andrew Symonds, Adam Gilchrist (wk), Shane Warne, Brett Lee, Michael Kasprowicz, Stuart MacGill, Stuart Clark, Shaun Tait.
Ashwell Prince struck his maiden century in his ninth Test as South Africa finally took control on the second day at Centurion. He showed the application that had been missing from his colleagues after Zimbabwe had kept them in check for the first two sessions. His partnership of 118 with Jacques Kallis finally overcame the spirited efforts of the Zimbabweans who produced their best performance on tour.Prince, who made his debut against Australia in 2001-02, was particularly strong through the off side, but had a huge slice of luck when he was dropped on 53, the second catch put down during the day. His partnership with Kallis finally took the steam out of Zimbabwe, who had chipped away manfully. Kallis did not appear until No 7, resting his injured hip, but was quickly into his stride. He notched up yet another half-century but after batting cautiously to ensure he would be around for the new ball, dragged Heath Streak into his stumps (338 for 6). The batsmen looked in no real hurry, but they may be down to three fit bowlers in the second innings and wanted to make their lead as large as possible.Zimbabwe’s attack started to wilt towards the end of play, and Nicky Boje took advantage of some loose offerings to boost the lead. Zimbabwe were not helped when Tatenda Taibu had to leave the field with a shoulder problem, thrusting the wicketkeeping duties to Barney Rogers.Until the final session there had been a feeling that South Africa’s batting was fairly slap-happy – a hangover from the complacency shown on the first day. Each time a batsman, or partnership, had looked like breaking loose Zimbabwe struck back. Much credit has to go to Graeme Cremer, who suffered a fierce pasting at Cape Town, but bowled 26 overs off the reel here, picking up two vital wickets. Jacques Rudolph, dropped before lunch, never looked on song before dragging Cremer onto his stumps via a bottom-edge and boot (133 for 3).Herschelle Gibbs was very comfortable at the crease – maybe too comfortable – and the return of Streak for a second spell caught him off guard. Streak began to find the rhythm that has eluded him so far this series, and had a huge appeal for caught behind turned down. Four balls later he forced Gibbs into playing a strangely loose pull shot, the ball looped in the air and Taibu ran around to short fine-leg to take the catch (194 for 4).Mark Boucher’s wicket was well deserved as it came through some good captaincy from Taibu. He had just moved Hamilton Masakadza into short extra-cover and Boucher obligingly drove a catch straight to him (219 for 5). Credit, too, must go to Cremer, who was good enough to induce the shot.
The first hour suggested there would be a similar mauling on the cards to Newlands. Graeme Smith and AB de Villiers tucked into the new ball against Christopher Mpofu and Streak, as the opening bowlers failed to find a consistent line and length. However, just as Taibu was starting (or continuing) to look lost Elton Chigumbura removed Smith. He went for a pull but could only top-edge to deep midwicket, where Rogers called loud enough to prevent a collision as three fielders converged (93 for 1). The expression from Smith, the bowler and the crowd suggested it was a surprise all round. de Villiers then seemed to lose concentration as well, playing an expansive drive at Mpofu and edging a catch to Masakadza at first slip, who held on well (106 for 2).South Africa have had a somewhat dismissive attitude towards this match, but today’s Zimbabwe performance has made them sit up and take notice. They should go on and win quite comfortably, but the ruthless side that was on view at Cape Town seems to have retreated once again.How they were outSouth AfricaTop-edged pull to deep mid-wicketExpansive drive, edged to first slipInside-edge onto foot, rolled back into stumpsTop-edged pull, looped in the air, keeper ran round to catchDrove to short extra-coverInside-edge onto off-stump
The Board of Control for Cricket in India has rubbished reports that Wasim Akram was set to be appointed as India’s fast bowling coach. John Wright, whose name was mentioned in the initial story as one of those who had recommended Akram’s services to the board, also denied having done any such thing. And to top it all off, Akram now says Wright asked him to help out, rather than coach on a full-time basis.The early media reports had quoted Sourav Ganguly as saying, “To me, Akram is greatest fast bowler of the modern era. And I feel that since he is left-handed Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra and Irfan Patham will benefit from his tips. Akram has always been helpful to junior cricketers. So we decided to propose his name to the Board.” They had also suggested that the Wright-Ganguly combination had made a proposal to the board.But in a coversation with rediff.com, Wright vehemently denied any involvement. “Rubbish,” he said. “I have not made any representation to the Board in this regard. The statements attributed to me are not true.”Akram had recently started working as a commentator with ESPN-Star Sports, and is expected to be in Australia next month as a summariser for India’s tour. In addition to being the most prolific wicket-taker in the history of the international game (414 Test wickets, 502 in ODIs), he was a source of inspiration to a whole generation of younger quick bowlers. The very fact that Zaheer, Nehra and Pathan all bowl left-handed says much about the impact he had, and his ability to transcend borders.Akram himself says that Wright had asked him to help out, though a formal position was not on the cards. “He [Wright] has been requesting me to help out the boys for sometime now, not coach. And I would love to do it.””Some of the boys like Ashish [Nehra] and Zaheer do call me from time to time, asking for tips and suggestions. I have always found time for a chat. I shall continue doing so on tour.”Not everyone’s thrilled by the idea of Akram coaching India’s new generation. Najmul Abbas, who had previously filed a suit against Akram for appearing in a a liquor company’s ad campaign in India, has approached a court in Lahore, and asked that Akram be prevented from taking up a coaching assignment in India. “India is our enemy,” said the petition, “and for money Akram should not be allowed to coach the enemy. It’s tantamount to a retired army officer training the Indian Army.”As you might have read in Alice and Wonderland, curiouser and curiouser…
With the start of the new season just 108 days away Somerset are already looking forward to a bumper year in 2002.Just before the office at the County Ground closed for Christmas, membership secretary Jo Betsworth told me, ” The number of new members who have joined is double compared to the same time last year and overall the number of members who have signed up is also ahead of where it was at the end of December 2001. It’s all very pleasing, and when we open again on January 7th we expect to have several hundred more new memberships to process.It’s all very pleasing.” The wonderful response to the 2002 membership campaign is no doubt due to the results on the field in 2001 when the Cidermen enjoyed their best ever season.Not only did last season see Somerset end their eighteen year trophy famine when they won the Cheltenham and Gloucester Trophy at Lord’s on September 1st, but they also achieved their best ever County Championship finish by ending up as runner’s up to Yorkshire.Certainly there is a mood of confidence amongst the players for the new season, and if their commitment to their closed season training routines is anything to go by then they will go back onto the field in 2002 even more confident and fitter than they were at the end of 2001.All of the players have been reporting to the Academy Fitness Centre at the County Ground on a regular basis where they have been working on their own personalised training routines.The club has also developed a fitness room away from the Academy Fitness Centre which includes several pieces of new equipment including a large number of weights, which is proving to be very popular with the players. Shortly after the start of the New Year the players will also be reporting for regular indoor nets at the School of Excellence.With the shortest day gone, lighting up time is getting later each day, and it won’t be long before the new season is with us. In the meantime everybody at Somerset County Cricket Club can feel pleased with what was achieved in 2001, and look forward with confidence to another successful season in 2002.
Nottinghamshire drew their high-scoring Division Two county championshipmatch against Sussex at Hove on the strength of fine centuries by JasonGallian and John Morris. They had been set to score 407 runs to win andbatted throughout the day for 379-8 and ended their chase only when UsmanAfzaal (54) was dismissed – leaving Paul Reiffel and Andrew Harris to playout the last 5.4 overs. After openers Guy Welton and Darren Bicknell were out with 59 runs scored, Gallian and Morris enjoyed a magnificent 222 runs third-wicket partnership in 52 overs before the latter was caught off James Kirtley for 115: his century included a six and sixteen fours.Gallian was out five overs for 120, which equalled his highest innings for Nottinghamshire. When Umer Rashid bowled himmiddle-stump he had batted 281minutes with 16 boundaries. The bowler who took a season’s best 4-93 alsohad Peter Johnson caught and bowled David Millns before he had scored. ChrisRead followed by skying Jason Lewry to mid-off and Reiffel joined Afzaalwith their team 65 runs short of victory in the final 11 overs.After they had added 32 runs in six overs Afzaal was bowled by Lewry. Harris, whose first innings 31 had helped the visitors avoid the follow-on, kept his nerve again to frustrate Sussex. Such a comparatively close finish had seemedunlikely when Kirtley dismissed Welton with the fourth ball of the day.
Newcastle would make a ‘huge statement’ to the rest of the Premier League by signing Kalvin Phillips, Pete O’Rourke has told GiveMeSport.
The lowdown
A report from 90min last week revealed that the Magpies were one of the clubs ‘keeping a close eye’ on the midfielder’s situation at Leeds, along with Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea.
Leeds apparently held talks with Phillips’ representatives about a new contract in 2021 but failed to agree terms, and conversations have yet to resume.
The England international, who last signed a new deal in 2019, is under contract for another two-and-a-half years, and Transfermarkt value the 26-year-old at £36m.
The latest
O’Rourke has said the credentials that Phillips possesses would make him a blockbuster signing for Newcastle.
The journalist told GiveMeSport: “Signing somebody like a Kalvin Phillips, an England international, a top Premier League player, would be a huge statement from Newcastle.”
The verdict
This would be a doubly significant signing for Eddie Howe’s side. Not only would they fend off competition from some of Europe’s biggest clubs, they would be getting their hands on a top-drawer midfielder in Phillips.
The 26-year-old demonstrated his class at last summer’s European Championship, starting every game as England made it all the way to the final. The Guardian included him in their official team of the tournament alongside Pedri and Jorginho in midfield.
Phillips has been nicknamed ‘The Yorkshire Pirlo’ and the Italian legend himself has described the Leeds player as a ‘rock’ in midfield. That’s quite a reference to have on your CV, and he would be quite a player for Newcastle to add to their squad.
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As O’Rourke says, it would represent a significant statement if the Magpies were to sign such a highly-regarded player from a team who are close to them in the Premier League table.
In other news, Newcastle will soon ‘be calling’ about this potential deal
Sri Lanka have banked on pace for the CB Series in Australia after naming six fast bowlers in their 15-man squad for next month’s tournament which also features India.Chaminda Vaas, with 387 one-day wickets, heads the pack which also includes Lasith Malinga, Farveez Maharoof, Nuwan Kulasekera, Chanaka Welegedara and Ishara Amerasinghe.Left-armer Welegedara made his Test debut in the recent England series and has taken the place of Dilhara Fernando who is recuperating after undergoing an ankle operation. By naming six quicks the Sri Lankan selectors have only one genuine spinner in the squad – Muttiah Muralitharan.During Sri Lanka’s last triangular tournament in Australia, the 2005-06 VB Series, legspinner Malinga Bandara played a pivotal role supporting Muralitharan. He ended up as the second highest wicket-taker with 14 scalps and helped Sri Lanka finish runner-up to Australia, losing the best of three finals 2-1.”Bandara was not considered because he played all his matches of the 2005-06 tournament only as a super-sub. He was actually not part of the final XI,” a selection committee sourcerevealed. “If Sri Lanka need more spin options they have Tillakaratne Dilshan and Dilruwan Perera, who both bowl off-breaks.”Bandara’s place has gone to the Amerasinghe who, like Perera, has appeared in only one ODI. Perera will also play the role of third opener alongside Sanath Jayasuriya and Upul Tharanga.Selection sources also said that Dilshan was picked as a middle-order batsman and will not open despite scoring heavily in the domestic limited-overs tournament from that position.Chamara Kapugedera earns a recall while Kumar Sangakkara will resume wicketkeeping duties after playing as a specialist batsman in recent Tests against Australia and England.Sri Lanka leave for Australia on January 24 and play two warm-up games against a Prime Minister’s XI at the Manuka Oval on January 30 and against Tasmania in Hobart on February 2. They then meet India in their opening match of the CB Series in Brisbane on February 5.Sri Lanka squad Mahela Jayawardene (capt), Kumar Sangakkara (wk), Sanath Jayasuriya, Upul Tharanga, Dilruwan Perera, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Chamara Silva, Chamara Kapugedera, Chanaka Welegedara, Chaminda Vaas, Lasith Malinga, Nuwan Kulasekera, Muttiah Muralitharan, Farveez Maharoof, Ishara Amerasinghe.
Samir Inamdar, Cricket Kenya’s chairman, has spoken of the difference that qualifying for the final of the World Cricket League will make to Kenyan cricket.Both Kenya and Scotland, who meet on Wednesday, are set to receive US$250,000 from the ICC as their reward for finishing in the top two of the round-robin stage, as well as a place in September’s inaugural Twenty20 World Championship in South Africa. That is the real reward, and while winning the final would be the icing on the cake, it is actually of only significance as far as local bragging rights are concerned.Kenya has been strapped for cash for years, and Inamdar inherited debts of $500,000 from the old regime when his new board took over in May 2005. Since then, they have had to manage on their annual ICC Associate grant of $70,000 and a high-performance grant, earned by a top-six finish in the 2005 ICC Trophy, of $125,000.”It’s enormously significant,” Inamdar, who admitted he was so nervous before the final round of matches that he didn’t sleep, told Cricinfo. “It will enable us to give the player some incentives for winning it and will give them and us some medium to long-term security.”This gives us a chance to structure something for the medium-term at least. It enables us to look at our infrastructure and development, which is very important. We simply haven’t had the resources or the manpower to deal with it until now.”All in all, this is a sizable advance made by Cricket Kenya. It enables us not to have to worry about how we pay people and how to keep the national team going. It will mean the players know where the next pay cheque and the next meal is going to come from.”He added that he hoped to persuade Scotland to travel to Kenya ahead of the September Twenty20 tournament to give both countries exposure to a format that neither has played at international level. He also would be speaking to South Africa to see if the Kenyans could participate in their domestic Twenty20 competition.
Genes, even impeccable ones, can be a cursed thing and Faisal Iqbal may know it better than most. Ever since he made his debut for Pakistan, ever since he even emerged onto domestic cricket’s consciousness, people have included, in the same breath as him, his maternal uncle, Javed Miandad. His debut tour was the famously cantankerous one to New Zealand in 2000-01; Miandad was coach only to be removed immediately after it amidst stories of player indiscipline and an atmosphere of such fractiousness, that Moin Khan was relieved of his captaincy. Amidst the ruckus, an accomplished debut was almost forgotten.Since then and until today, he has hovered on the fringes of the national squad. Five years, only ten Tests, one briefly glittering comeback is all he has had to show for it. His return to the side for this Test, three years after his last appearance, was less contentious and more stirring and he marked it with a punchy maiden Test hundred. You can argue that at 281 for 3, the situation when he walked in, little pressure was on, but with his background, it isn’t a credible theory.”The pressure was there as I was making a comeback and I hadn’t scored in the first innings. I didn’t look at anything else just at what I needed to do and how to score. I concentrated only on myself and every ball I was facing,” he said later.He concentrated enough to push the first ball he faced from Sourav Ganguly to square leg for two and then began his second comeback properly. The first boundary arrived in the next Ganguly over, the balance shifted to his front foot and the ball was driven through extra cover. Many of his subsequent shots came from a backfoot base; a push through covers off Anil Kumble, a hoick over midwicket from off stump. He tackled Kumble particularly well, slicing him through third man and then feigning a charge before leaning back to push square of cover.Until tea and after Shahid Afridi’s dismissal soon after the break, he was subdued though not perturbed. His fifty came off 116 balls, but he celebrated it buoyantly soon after, moving back, rising up and spanking Zaheer Khan on the up through cover again for four. It was dismissive and neither the delivery nor the bowler deserved it. In the last over of the day, he pulled Kumble to midwicket for his 12th boundary to bring up his hundred.So assured was he in his innings over four hours, it could have been mistaken for cockiness, a trait that he has been accused of in the past, and if true, shares with his uncle. Possibly, his strokeplay holds a greater aesthetic appeal. “Javed Miandad is my uncle and has taught me through my childhood. I have learnt a lot from him. But I have only ever wanted to do one thing and that is to make a name for myself, to make a name for Faisal Iqbal.”Judgements shouldn’t be rushed for he has had a false and spectacular dawn before. Against Australia in Colombo, October 2002, he made a silky 83 off only 85 balls when Pakistan were 75 for 4 against an attack some might call one of the greatest: Warne, McGrath, Gillespie and Lee. “Both times it was my comeback and that was a good innings as well. But this one was a comeback and it was also against India so I prefer this one I guess. While I was out of the squad my only aim was to get back into it. I wanted to be a part of this excellent team and I now want to play for as long as possible for Pakistan.”He came into the squad on the back of an impressive domestic season – this was his ninth century this season – and although he only played because of Inzamam’s rickety back, he was pushing in any case. “My performance in the domestic season was good enough to be picked for the squad. Inzamam is a big player and a great batsman but my only aim was to get an opportunity and then make the most of it.”Rahul Dravid can’t be too bad a judge of a batsman and after Iqbal had scored 87 against India in the pre-series warm-up match in Lahore, he was impressed enough to offer him some advice. “It’s a really good feeling when a big player like Rahul Dravid praises you and gives you tips for the future. It really boosted my confidence.”Inzamam’s back and age are both fighting the onset of time now. Hasan Raza and Asim Kamal are quietly receding from the limelight. As a litmus test for Pakistan’s middle order post-Inzamam, a more appropriate situation couldn’t be found here. Iqbal has now presented his case. And if he continues, we might not need to refer to you-know-who for much longer.