All posts by csb10.top

ScorecardMartin Guptill raced to 130 as New Zealand reached a big total•Associated Press

Martin Guptill’s century powered New Zealand to a 32-run win despite a spirited chase by Ireland in the World Cup warm-up match in Nagpur.Opening the innings, Guptill struck 12 fours and three sixes on his way to 130 from 134 deliveries after being inserted by Ireland’s captain William Porterfield on a flat track at Nagpur. Despite sliding to defeat, Ireland showed enough to suggest they could be a dangerous side in Group B, with Porterfield leading Ireland’s chase with a 74-ball 72.Ireland’s seamers suffered at the hands of New Zealand’s top order despite Brendon McCullum falling in the second over to Boyd Rankin. Jesse Ryder’s return to form continued with a breezy 48 with Ross Taylor (33) and James Franklin (49) also making starts.Guptill was the rock though and after a frustrating series against Pakistan, where he looked in good touch without going on to make the telling contribution, this innings will please him and the New Zealand management greatly. George Dockrell, the much-heralded 18-year-old left-arm spinner was Ireland’s most economical bowler, but couldn’t make the breakthroughs that his hero, Daniel Vettori, did for New Zealand.Vettori’s four wickets ensured his side were not embarrassed, but not before they were given a scare by Ireland’s top order. Opening pair Porterfield and Paul Stirling raced to 93 in the first 13 overs with Stirling giving a demonstration of his abundant talent by striking three sixes in his 33-ball 39. At that stage, Ireland looked well placed for a tilt at the chase but Vettori broke through by trapping Stirling in front.Ed Joyce, back in Irish colours after playing for England in the 2007 World Cup , was less fluent but no less certain as he partnered Porterfield in a stand of 37. Hamish Bennett took the first of his three wickets by dismissing Porterfield and Ireland’s chase, though competitive, never really threatened from there on.Kyle Mills took the first of his three wickets when Joyce edged behind for 41 and wickets fell steadily from there. Trent Johnston had a late dash at the chase by swishing his way to 33 but was the last man out with Ireland still 32 runs short.

The ICC is likely to push for maximum sanctions against the three Pakistani players facing spot-fixing charges. Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir will find out on Saturday in Doha, Qatar whether they are innocent or guilty of the charges made against them by the ICC under its anti-corruption code. If found guilty , the trio face punishments ranging between five-year suspensions from cricket to a life ban.The players will learn about their fate on Saturday morning when the three-man tribunal headed by Michael Beloff QC hands out the verdicts in the form of a written judgment. The tribunal, which includes Justice Albie Sachs and Sharad Rao, chose to defer a verdict on request of the players and the sheer volume of evidence and information they received during a six-day hearing held in January.If the players are found guilty, the written verdict will, however, not include sanctions. The players, their lawyers and the ICC’s legal team will then adjourn to review the judgment, because the ICC’s code contains specific punishments to be handed out to parties found guilty of disregarding the code. Within a few hours, both sides will then make their submissions as to the severity of the sanctions to be imposed. The tribunal is then expected to adjourn, probably early in the afternoon, to consider these submissions before they make a decision later in the afternoon. Both the verdict and sanctions, if any, are expected to be announced in public at the end of the day.”We can’t comment on what sanctions would be appropriate, if any,” one ICC official told ESPNcricinfo. “We would have to wait until the judgment is delivered.” But ESPNcricinfo understands the game’s governing body is likely to argue for maximum punishments. The possibility of a further appeal to the international Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) if they believe that the sanctions are too light, has not been ruled out.The same route to appeal against any verdict also exists for the three players should they find the sanctions too harsh. Under the ICC’s anti-corruption code, all parties have 21 days from the receipt of the judgment to file an appeal with the CAS. The players can appeal against the verdict and the punishment itself and can also challenge a decision based on procedural or jurisdictional reasons.”I would say we will take it one step at a time and come to that when and if needed,” Shahid Karim, Amir’s lawyer, told ESPNcricinfo. “Appealing is an option and a right.” Karim has indicated in the past that should Amir be found guilty and punished, he may argue that his age and clean disciplinary record before this case should be taken into account to reduce the sanction.A source close to Butt’s legal team said, “The right to appeal is there. This is no different to any other case or client Yasin Patel (Salman Butt’s lawyer) probably deals with every day of his working life. No doubt, if he feels that then law has not been followed or that the verdict is wrong he will do what any good lawyer would do: appeal.”There is a suggestion that the players may ask for the judgment to not be made public in full as it could impact on any criminal prosecution that the UK’s Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is also going ahead with. Karim however said the request to keep judgement within closed doors, “wasn’t in contemplation right now.”A Scotland Yard investigation into the spot-fixing controversy has also been underway at the same time as the ICC’s inquiry and tribunal hearing. The CPS has been considering evidence provided by the police on the matter and on Friday, is set to make a decision on whether or not to pursue a separate criminal case.Butt had asked the ICC before the Doha hearings began in January for a postponement on the grounds that being under investigation at the same time by the police and the ICC was not entirely fair. The request was turned down by the ICC.The players’ lawyers have been conscious throughout of the different parameters involved in a court of law and a tribunal such as the ICC’s, particularly when it comes to the use of evidence in the matter.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Jacques Kallis was in pain, but that did not prevent him from playing a priceless innings for South Africa•AFP

Jacques Kallis was immense, for the second time in this deciding Test, using his strength of will and mastery of technique to drag South Africa out of danger and then give them the strongest advantage enjoyed by either team in this gripping contest. Kallis battled the challenges posed by India’s bowlers on a wearing pitch, and the constraints and pain of a side strain, to become the only South African to score two centuries in a Test at home. His partnerships of 103 with Mark Boucher, who was also under pressure to perform, and 54 with Dale Steyn came after India were rampant, and they put South Africa in pole position to win the series. The stand of 46 with Morne Morkel simply poured acid into India’s gaping wounds.India’s performance during the first session of this pivotal day was aggressive, but they couldn’t have been more listless in the second and third. On a pitch with cracks that were widening, rough areas that were worsening and bounce that was becoming increasingly variable, India took three wickets and conceded only 69 runs before lunch. They even picked up the sixth wicket soon after the break, when South Africa’s lead was only 128. And then they went to pot, largely due to Kallis’ skill and Boucher’s grit, but also because Harbhajan Singh ran out of ideas, Zaheer Khan’s pace and fitness levels plummeted, and Ishant Sharma’s lines and lengths were atrocious. South Africa added 91 for 1 in the second session, and 129 for 3 in the last. Harbhajan finished with 7 for 120 but only after South Africa’s tailenders, Lonwabo Tsotsobe included, hit him around.Kallis began his masterpiece in the second over of the morning, after Harbhajan had spun an offbreak viciously to trap Alviro Petersen lbw on the back foot. He watched Hashim Amla deflect another offbreak off his arm onto the stumps while sweeping. South Africa had lost 4 for 14.The leg-side field was packed for Harbhajan, with fielders at short leg, leg gully, midwicket, square leg and a man on the boundary. Kallis saw empty expanses on the off side and sent the ball to the point and third-man boundaries by reverse-sweeping Harbhajan. He was playing against the turn, against the bounce, but used the stroke effectively and forced Dhoni to change his field. Kallis then countered Harbhajan by staying back, moving across, playing extremely late and taking the bottom hand off the bat while fending the ball down on the leg side.AB de Villiers struggled to score against Sreesanth, who operated on a tight length outside off stump. Zaheer too kept him quiet, with balls that angled in from round the wicket before seaming away off the pitch. It was the one that came back in that got the wicket, the ball uprooting off and middle stump as de Villiers was late in pulling out of the shot.Kallis continued to battle, the bowling and his injured side. When he pressed forward to one delivery from Harbhajan that spat up at him, he had to jerk to fend it down. He survived it, but was clutching his ribs in pain and lay down on the ground. It was a sight that his cheering fans at Newlands saw several times today.

Smart Stats

• It’s the second time Jacques Kallis – with knocks of 161 and 109* – has scored a century in both innings of a Test. It is also the first time a South African batsman has scored a century in both innings in home Tests.

• Kallis’ century was his 40th in Tests, taking him past Ricky Ponting’s tally of 39. Only Sachin Tendulkar, with 51 centuries is ahead of Kallis.

• Kallis’ average of 60.51 is the highest among all batsmen who have scored over 3000 runs in the team second innings in Tests.

• Kallis’ aggregate of 498 runs in the series was the 13th occasion that a player has scored 400 or more runs in a three-match series against India.

• Harbhajan Singh’s haul of 7 for 120 is his best ever figures in an away Test, surpassing his previous best of 6 for 63 against New Zealand in Hamilton.

After lunch, Kallis continued performing with uninterrupted resolve. India didn’t. Ishant was lucky to dismiss Prince with a short and wide delivery that was slashed to point, but it was his lines against Boucher that marked the beginning of India’s slide. Boucher glanced two deliveries down leg side to the boundary and slapped a wide ball through cover. Ishant’s lines and lengths were so erratic that MS Dhoni had no choice but to take him off.Harbhajan continued to turn the ball, and the odd one jumped, but his attack became predictable and Boucher soon got used to it. Kallis had got used to it long ago. India’s biggest concern, though, was Zaheer, who returned for a two-over spell an hour after lunch and bowled at speeds between 115 and 120 kph. He moved the ball at harmless speeds.South Africa’s lead passed 150, Kallis became his country’s highest run-scorer for a three-Test series, and when he straight drove Ishant to the boundary to reach his half-century, the Newlands crowd loved it. In the first over after tea, Kallis repeated that shot against Sreesanth.Boucher had taken tea on 46, having scored most of his runs on the leg side through sweeps and glances. A back-foot push off Harbhajan on the off, though, brought up his 50 off 74 balls and its briskness was instrumental in blunting India. It took a shooter from Sachin Tendulkar, bowling the 80th over, to trap him lbw.India took the new ball immediately and Steyn mowed a short one from Sreesanth over deep midwicket for six. The lead swelled past 250. Steyn then welcomed Harbhajan’s new spell with a monstrous hit over wide long-on. Harbhajan eventually picked up his fifth wicket – Steyn – 28 overs after his fourth.Kallis watched his partners clout and go but he remained steady and unbeaten. A non-descript single to square leg off Harbhajan brought up his 40th century, moving clear of Ricky Ponting’s tally of 39. Graeme Smith led the cheers in the dressing room, the Indians applauded and Newlands celebrated its superhero. Kallis took of his helmet and beamed, betraying not a trace of the discomfort he was in. It was his finest moment in his finest Test.

When he made his debut at Eden Gardens six years ago, scoring just 62 runs in his first six Test innings, Hashim Amla couldn’t think beyond the next game. Now that only 14 South Africans have more caps than him, Amla is just as focused on the next game, albeit for different reasons.As is typical of the man, Amla is not letting the mini-milestone of 50 Tests, which will be brought up at his home ground in Dubran, distract him. “Playing any Test at my home ground is a special occasion,” Amla said two days before the game. “Playing the 50th Test really doesn’t put any more importance, to be honest with you. The team always comes first, and the fact that we are 1-0 up going into a big Test, if we can close the series, it takes precedence over any kind of distraction like a 50th Test.”I think in the greater scheme of things, it is nothing compared to some of the other guys who have been really successful. I am really grateful.”More important, perhaps, would be to set the record straight at the Kingsmead, where he grew up playing, keeping attacks in the field for days. In five Tests here, Amla has reached 50 only once, and has an aggregate of 122 runs at an average of 13.55. “It’d be lovely if I can [score a century here],” he said. “My record hasn’t been fantastic here in Test matches, but as I said I have always enjoyed playing at the Kingsmead. It would be lovely to make a contribution to the team cause here. It’s a home ground so it would be a lovely feeling. I have been brought up on these wickets, paying for the Dolphins. I have got runs here. It will be nice to kind of chip in for the national team.”The surface here, he said, suits his game, and there is no such reason why he shouldn’t play well here. “I’ve been very fortunate growing up on this wicket, with the bounce and the pace,” Amla said. “I’m not sure how the Test wicket is going to play, but on a good day, when the wicket’s flat, it’s a fantastic place to play. The outfield’s small and the boundaries are short and you get fantastic value for shots.”Amla said this is a great chance for South Africa to seal the series, and that’s what they are focussing on. “A lot has been said about the wicket but at the end of the day, as a team, we try and keep things simple,” he said. “Our bowlers and batsmen have been in good nick and hopefully we can continue in that vein. It’s a big chance to seal the series, but as you can see it’s hot and humid so it’s going to be hard work.”Another reason why Amla would back himself to do well is the opposition. Against India, the native country of his grandfather, Amla has scored four centuries in the last three Tests, having been dismissed only twice. “It’s quite funny actually,” he said. “I really don’t know what to say. I’m just grateful that I’ve had a good year so far, and the year is not over yet. At the end of the day it’s the players who can perform consistently that stand out.”The pitch might be full of grass with two days to go, but India are likely to get good crowd support here. Amla said that is not going to be a big factor. “Whenever the Indians have played here they’ve had good support,” he said. “But you know that in the middle it’s a different ball game. They may have a bit more support here than in other places, but the game is played on the wicket and that’s where you’re going to need it.”

“Assertive” and “Ian Bell” are not typically found in the same sentence – at least, not as far as the Australians are concerned. They have never doubted his talent, but questioned his mental toughness and his ability to make big hundreds. If his forceful century against Australia A at Bellerive Oval is any indication, Ricky Ponting’s men might see a whole new Bell on this tour.Nathan Hauritz, Xavier Doherty and Steven Smith are the bowlers who should take the most notice. Smith cannot help but have learnt something from Bell’s attacking innings; all but one of the deliveries in his first over resulted in Bell advancing down the pitch, and being struck for three consecutive boundaries was a disquieting introduction for the legspinner.Bell went on to collect 48 of the 57 runs that were leaked by Smith. Although he was more watchful against the left-armer Steve O’Keefe, Bell said it was not a conscious decision to deflate the confidence of Smith, who is in Australia’s Test squad, but rather an approach he wants to use against most slow bowlers these days.”The way I’ve been playing spin recently has been as positive as possible, using my feet and being quick on my feet,” Bell said. “It was just to try and assert myself a little bit on the bowler, but not because it was him, it was just the way I try and play spin as much as possible now.”Bell finished the day unbeaten on 121 from 158 balls, and in the back of his mind was the advice of Graham Gooch, the England batting coach. Gooch wants all his charges to focus on making big hundreds, instead of settling for useful half-centuries, which is one of the issues Bell has sometimes struggled with at Test level.In 13 Tests against Australia, he’s made eight half-centuries without ever reaching triple figures, and averaged 25.68. During the previous Ashes tour in 2006-07, Bell, who is now 28, showed promising signs on several occasions without making the most of his opportunities, but he is a much-improved batsman compared to the man who averaged 33.10 in a side that lost 5-0.”I feel a better player than the last time on this tour,” Bell said. “But in a way, it counts for nothing, really. This is good practice and it’s great to go out and get hundreds, but the big stuff starts in Brisbane and that’s when it counts. I feel a better player. Over the last 18 months I think my game has started to really take shape improve from the kind of cricketer I was last time I was out here.”It’s that sort of improvement that has won Bell a spot in England’s starting line-up ahead of Eoin Morgan, who hasn’t played in any of the three matches so far on the tour. Morgan filled in during the series against Pakistan this year, when Bell was sidelined due to a broken foot, and had such success that it wasn’t clear which of the men would be an Ashes starter.”Eoin is a fantastic player and he’s got a massive future,” Bell said. “Competition for places is great. There’s no doubt that when you lose your place through injury or whatever, you’re going to have to fight hard to get it back. Coming here, I thought I would be the one on the outside and not playing. It’s been nice to get the opportunity.”The Australians know first-hand that Morgan is an assertive and dominant batsman; he showed that in the first ODI at the Rose Bowl in June. They might soon form the same opinion of Bell.

Match Facts

Mahela Jayawardene has been subdued during the one-day series•Getty Images

Sunday, November 7, Brisbane
Start time 13.20 local (02.20 GMT)

The Big Picture

In the blue corner is Sri Lanka, the happiest team in the world, the one deservedly still celebrating their first series victory Down Under. Slumped in the really blue corner is Australia, the side trying to avoid setting their worst losing streak in history. It is usually the touring teams that feel this low here, but the faded green and golds have lost their sheen. And the Ashes starts in 19 days.

Sri Lanka’s breakthrough tour began with a Twenty20 victory and was followed by a great escape in Melbourne. They then ensured Sunday’s third ODI would be a dead rubbed with a controlled victory in Sydney. Sri Lanka are a highly professional outfit with men for any conditions, so not much will bother them at the Gabba.Australia are currently on a seven-match losing streak in all forms of the game. The last time they won was the first Test against Pakistan in July. Not since 1996 have they lost seven in a row – England also beat them in seven consecutive Tests between 1885 and 1888 – and they have never been defeated in eight straight. Michael Clarke is in charge of making sure that doesn’t happen following Ricky Ponting’s decision to miss the match to prepare for Tasmania’s Sheffield Shield game on Wednesday.

Form guide

(most recent first)
Australia LLLWW
Sri Lanka WWWWL

Watch out for…

Shane Watson looked on the verge of something significant in Sydney before missing a sweep off Muttiah Muralitharan. Now that Watson is a senior player, his team needs him to come off regularly at the top of the order. If that happens the chances of another loss decrease significantly. After chipping in with two wickets at the SCG, he should also enjoy the conditions in Brisbane, his former home.

Mahela Jayawardene has had a quiet series with 19 and 5 in the opening two matches, so expect him to sign off with something sparkling. That Sri Lanka have done so well without him contributing with the bat increases the achievement of a fast-developing unit. (Jayawardene’s sharp fielding was responsible for Mitchell Johnson’s run-out on Friday.) He likes the Gabba too, with three half-centuries in four innings there.

Team news

With Ricky Ponting heading to Shield cricket to practice his hook shot, Australia should bring in Callum Ferguson for his first ODI since he hurt his knee in the 2009 Champions Trophy final. Given the conditions in Brisbane, it is unlikely Xavier Doherty will return, but John Hastings could be a chance to replace one of the fast bowlers.

Australia (possible) 1 Shane Watson, 2 Brad Haddin (wk), 3 Michael Clarke (capt), 4 Cameron White, 5 Michael Hussey, 6 Callum Ferguson, 7 Steven Smith, 8 Mitchell Johnson, 9 Nathan Hauritz, 10 Clint McKay, 11 Peter Siddle.Sri Lanka have no reason to change anything. Kumar Sangakkara has led them well and they will look to the top three to provide them with a solid platform. The seamers Nuwan Kulasekara and Thisara Perera should enjoy the Gabba pitch.Sri Lanka (probable) 1 Upul Tharanga, 2 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 3 Mahela Jayawardene, 4 Kumar Sangakkara (capt, wk), 5 Chamara Silva, 6 Angelo Mathews, 7 Thisara Perera, 8 Suraj Randiv, 9 Nuwan Kulasekara, 10 Lasith Malinga, 11 Muttiah Muralitharan.

Pitch and conditions

In the previous game at the Gabba, Queensland were dismissed for 75 and 96 to end the Sheffield Shield fixture in two days. There has been some more sun around this week but it will still be a wicket for the bowlers. A shower or two is forecast for Brisbane on Sunday, with a top temperature of 26.

Stats and trivia

• Some good news for Australia: they have never lost a match to Sri Lanka at the Gabba. That includes two Tests and ODIs in 2003 and 2006
• In six ODIs at the ground, Muralitharan has 12 wickets at an average of 17.66, including 4 for 27 against Australia in 2003. Nathan Hauritz has one victim in two games and has gone for 115 runs
• Michael Clarke has led Australia in 17 ODIs, winning 12 and losing five. Two of his five centuries have come while in charge, and his average of 47.78 is four runs better than when he’s not the leader
  

  Quotes

  “It’s about time we got back to playing the brand of cricket we know we are capable of and if we do that I am sure we will win some games.”
  
  
  “Sri Lankan cricket seems to be in really good hands going forward.”

India’s captain, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, has been named as captain of the ICC’s Test Team of the Year, an honour he also claimed in 2009, in a line-up that also includes two other players, Sachin Tendulkar and Dale Steyn, from last year’s selection.Five countries are represented in the 11-man line-up, which includes three Indians in Tendulkar, Dhoni and Virender Sehwag, two Englishmen in Graeme Swann and James Anderson, three South Africans in Hashim Amla, Jacques Kallis and Dale Steyn, two Australians in Simon Katich and Doug Bollinger, and one Sri Lankan in Kumar Sangakkara. Steyn is the only player to have featured in three consecutive years, having first been picked in 2008.Clive Lloyd, the chairman of the awards selection panel, said: “This year’s Test team has an extremely strong batting line-up that I think would set a suitable challenge to the world’s best bowlers and coupling with the superb batting skills, I feel we have selected a bowling attack which could dismiss its own batting line-up.”Lloyd was joined on the panel by former Australia batsman Matthew Hayden, former England bowler Angus Fraser, former Zimbabwe player and England coach Duncan Fletcher and former India all-rounder Ravi Shastri. Statistics were available as a guide but were not necessarily the overwhelming factor in the choices made.ICC Test Team of the Year 1 Virender Sehwag (Ind), 2 Simon Katich (Aus), 3 Sachin Tendulkar (Ind), 4 Hashim Amla (SA), 5 Kumar Sangakkara (SL), 6 Jacques Kallis (SA), 7 Mahendra Singh Dhoni (Ind, capt & wk), 8 Graeme Swann (Eng), 9 James Anderson (Eng), 10 Dale Steyn (SA), 11 Doug Bollinger (Aus).

Lance Klusener, the former South Africa allrounder, has finally turned down the offer to take over as Bangladesh’s bowling coach, ending a prolonged period of speculation over his possible appointment. Klusener, who was in discussions to replace Sri Lanka’s Champaka Ramanayake, was reportedly unable to convince his wife about a permanent move to Bangladesh.BCB had tried to be flexible with Klusener’s demands to return home between series. “We are ready to fulfill all his demands,” BCB spokesman Jalal Yunus said. “He wanted some additional facilities and we agreed. We were also ready to allow him to go on a long leave between the twin home series against New Zealand and Zimbabwe and the World Cup.” However, the board was not open to the idea of having him on a strictly tour-by-tour basis.Klusener, who has a level-three coaching degree, was in the frame following Ramanayake’s resignation due to illness. “He put us in a serious trouble as we are now facing a race against time to appoint a bowling coach for the Tigers,” Yunus said. “We don’t have too many options now.”England’s Andy Caddick was an option but he has a business interest at home. We had also contacted Venkatesh Prasad, but he is also unlikely to come as he has a chance of joining the Asian Cricket Council as a development coach.” Colin Croft , the former West Indies fast bowler, had expressed interest in the role but was rejected for a lack of coaching experience.Meanwhile the board appointed sports psychologist Soumendra Saha as a consultant for the side. Saha who joined the squad’s training camp in Mirpur, will work closely with the players for three weeks before returning to his teaching job with a university in Malaysia.

Match facts

September 10, 2010, Chester-le-Street
Start time 10.15am (9.15am GMT)Pakistan will be hoping that Mohammad Irfan’s introduction to the squad will bring smiles to the players’ faces in the first game of the one-day series•Getty Images

Big picture

It’s September, but with five one-day internationals still to be played the end of the English summer continues to appear some distance off. This is not the finale that anyone had planned with Pakistan exhibiting the malaise and confusion it was feared they would when the spot-fixing allegations that have rocked cricket’s very foundations were first brought to light.Appearing distracted and mentally unprepared, they were easily swept away by England in the short Twenty20 series in Cardiff and the autumnal end of what has been densely-packed summer is threatening to turn into a one-sided farce. A Pakistan team that includes the likes of Shahid Afridi, Umar Akmal and Shoaib Akhtar can never be totally written off, however, and England will still, surely, be wary of a backlash.But the scent of scandal hanging over the team will not dissipate any time soon, and though captain Afridi has suggested that just one victory would do wonders for the team’s morale it’s difficult to see how they could turn things round and regain their focus sufficiently to take this series the full distance.England probably wouldn’t mind a stiffer challenge to prepare them for a winter in Australia and, despite the notable run of their success, they still have questions to be answered and flaws to be ironed out. It is England’s batsmen, rather than the bowlers, that appear a touch unsettled, and there will be another shake-up as the squad switches to one-day mode and and Andrew Strauss returns to the helm.With dwindling crowds also a concern as the summer draws in, interested parties from across the spectrum want nothing more than a competitive and absorbing contest. Whether that will be the case remains to be seen.

Form guide (last five completed matches)

England WLWLL
Pakistan WLLLL

Watch out for…

In the course of the two Twenty20s in Cardiff, Michael Yardy appeared to come of age as an international cricketer. The effectiveness of his bowling in limited-overs cricket has not been in doubt since his recall, but his batting – which he insists is his stronger suit – is also becoming increasingly reliable. He was at the crease with Eoin Morgan when victory was secured in both games, and is well on his way to becoming a genuine international allrounder.For a player who has not yet been selected for the national side gigantic left-arm seamer Mohammad Irfan has already built up quite a following, aided by the spread of videos of his bowling online on sites such as Youtube. Although his exact height has not yet been verified, he is undoubtedly very tall indeed and the awkward bounce he will generate – allied to the left-arm trajectory – could prove challenging for an England line-up that is not quite firing on all cylinders.

Team news

England’s squad has, for obvious reasons, been by far the more settled during Pakistan’s visit but Kevin Pietersen’s absence, and Steve Davies’ introduction, has mixed things up a bit. Andrew Strauss and Jonathan Trott also return to the side for the one-dayers and with Ravi Bopara likely to keep his place it may be Luke Wright who is edged out for the time being.England (probable) 1 Andrew Strauss (capt), 2 Steve Davies (wk), 3 Jonathan Trott, 4 Paul Collingwood, 5 Eoin Morgan, 6 Ravi Bopara, 7 Tim Bresnan, 8 Michael Yardy, 9 Graeme Swann, 10 Stuart Broad, 11 James AndersonThere is always a measure of uncertainty in picking Pakistan’s squad but apart from the introduction of Irfan, who was called up in the midst of a glut of injuries that added to their woes in an already turbulent summer, there probably won’t be too many changes. Asad Shafiq is likely to remain a reserve batsman, and while Fawad Alam froze under pressure in the Twenty20s, he showed in Pakistan’s warm-up against Somerset that, given time at the crease, he can be an effective limited-overs batsman and will probably be retained. Given his greater experience at the top of the order, Mohammad Hafeez could also be preferred to Shahzaib Hasan.Pakistan (possible) 1 Mohammad Hafeez, 2 Kamran Akmal (wk), 3 Mohammad Yousuf, 4 Umar Akmal, 5 Shahid Afridi (capt), 6 Fawad Alam, 7 Abdul Razzaq, 8 Umar Gul, 9 Mohammad Irfan, 10 Saeed Ajmal, 11 Shoaib Akhtar.

Pitch and conditions

Expect the bowlers to dominate in helpful conditions in Durham. The last match to be played at Chester-le-Street was a low-scoring CB 40 match in which both spinners and seamers picked up wickets. Overcast conditions could also help the ball to swing but, thankfully, rain is unlikely.

Stats and Trivia

• The vastly experienced Mohammad Yousuf is Pakistan’s second-highest runscorer in ODIs behind Inzamam ul-Haq with 9458 runs. He is also second to another great – Saeed Anwar – in the list of Pakistan’s one-day century makers with 15 in 275 games to Anwar’s 20.
• Graeme Swann passed 50 wickets in the summer – across all formats – during the Cardiff Twenty20s and now has 52 international scalps at a combined average of 16.46 this season

Quotes

“Despite whatever allegations have been out there, I still maintain that cricket generally is a very clean sport and that two teams are playing to beat the other 100%. If I can allay fears, I think there is no chance in my mind that these games coming up will not be played in that spirit.”
“Unless he’s dropped, he will play. If I’m told, ‘Don’t play X, Y, Z,’ they won’t play. If I’m not told, I’ll select the best team. But I’ve not been told anything. Let’s wait.”
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Former fast-bowling greats Allan Donald and Jason Gillsepie, who have taken up coaching assignments in Zimbabwe, are looking forward to their stints in the politically unstable country. Donald, who will take charge of reigning domestic champions Mountaineers for the forthcoming season, said he “did not hesitate one inch” when the opportunity to move to Zimbabwe came up. Gillespie who is set to work with MidWest Rhinos was equally bullish on the prospects of coaching in Zimbabwe.”I was delighted to take the opportunity, it’s fantastic because the cricket in Zimbabwe is very much on the up and to be a part of it is very humbling. I have been telling the people in Australia that I’ve only been here for a few days and the atmosphere here on cricket and everything is really exciting and as a new coach it really exciting and something we can sink our teeth in,” Gillespie said.While Gillespie’s main focus will be with the Rhinos, he was keen on working at the grass roots level. “Although my main role will be to focus on the Midwest Rhinos but as coaches we have a role to develop the game at all levels and if I can be a part of that in any small way I will certainly jump on that,” he said. “Midwest Rhinos have a lot of young players and my role is to help them achieve their goals both as individuals and a collective group and if I can be a part of that and work at grass roots level then that will be a real bonus.”Gillespie hoped the Rhinos would play an entertaining brand of cricket under his watch. “My focus is on the Rhinos and getting things in place, first and foremost we will be looking to enjoy our cricket and the number one focus is to be an entertaining side. We want people to walk away and say that we really play positive cricket and we were entertained today. That will be our focus and we are really excited about that,” Gillespie said.Donald was confident that Zimbabwe had the talent and resources to make a return to the Test fold. “I have been watching the triangular between Zimbabwe, India and Sri Lanka and I have already been talking about a few guys. We will be bumping into a lot of guys along the way and we will certainly identify the talent that is around. There is no doubt that Zimbabwe has got what it takes to play at the highest level – Test cricket.”Donald was aware that taking over the reins of a top-performing side brought with it the pressure of living up to expectations. He said his primary aim would be to further develop the winning culture in the Mountaineers franchise, and train his players to think and act like international cricketers.”That is also the challenge after a dream season like that and you win two trophies, not only is the pressure for the coach but the team as well. I believe that I can maintain the attitude and intensity levels at the franchise for the guys to respond to the responsibility that lies this season and winning becomes a culture. For me one of things I need to do is to make a lot of the youngsters think like international cricketers or prepare like international cricketers and that is my aim to try and get that mentality straight up there,” Donald said.