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Bob Woolmer, Pakistan’s coach, has defended his misfiring top-order batsmen after their continued failure in the three-day fixture against Northamptonshire. Salman Butt and Imran Farhat, who struggled in the drawn first Test at Lord’s last week, were dismissed for single figures but Woolmer has come to their defence.”There is not a problem with the top order batsmen,” Woolmer told Sporting Life. “Lots of people are talking about it after their failure against England but I have faith in my players and I know they will come good.”The bright part of Pakistan’s outing at Northampton was Younis Khan, who returned from a knee injury to captain the side in place of Inzamam-ul-Haq and scored an unbeaten 50. “I am really pleased to see Younis get a 50 and be in such good form after he missed the first Test,” said Woolmer. “These types of games are great because we can bring in players, like Younis, who have not had much time in the middle. It’s good to get some match practice and much better than batting and bowling in the nets. It helps to get the guys scoring some runs and improves their form and confidence.”Stephen Peters, whose 142 took the hosts to 269 for three declared, cut a relieved figure after his effort. “It was very pleasing to get my 100,” he said. “I have had a tough season so far which made it even more enjoyable. I have played well in quite a few one-day games lately and I’ve made a few technical changes to my game which I think have made all the difference. Hopefully this will get me back in the hat for the first team next week.”The second Test against England gets underway at Old Trafford on July 27.

Hosts Bangladesh will take on defending champions South Africa in the opening game of the Under-19 World Cup in Chittagong on January 27 next year. The match is one of 20 games that will be broadcast live, compared to 11 matches telecast during the 2014 competition in the UAE. The tournament final will be played in Dhaka on February 14.Sixteen teams will participate in the tournament including six qualifiers – Scotland, Namibia, Afghanistan, Canada, Fiji and Nepal – across eight venues in Dhaka, Chittagong, Sylhet and Cox’s Bazar. Group D looks the most notable of the four groups as Australia, India, New Zealand and Nepal will compete for two knockout berths.Former Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara and Bangladesh fast bowlers Mustafizur Rahman and Taskin Ahmed attended the tournament launch programme in Dhaka on Monday, along with BCB president Nazmul Hassan and ICC general manager Geoff Allardice.

The pools

Group A: Bangladesh, South Africa, Namibia, Scotland
Group B: Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Canada
Group C: England, West Indies, Zimbabwe, Fiji
Group D: Australia, India, New Zealand, Nepal

Sangakkara joked he wasn’t “good enough” to play in the U-19 World Cup all those years ago, but identified the importance of the tournament for the transition of young players into international cricket.”I watched a lot of players around the world who played in the U-19 World Cup,” Sangakkara said. “It is great to see talent being recognised at a very young age and then get the exposure at an international stage to showcase their skills. It introduces them to professionalism, structure and the expectations of what they should be doing to step up to the international level.”Allardice recognised Bangladesh – who are hosting the event for the second time – as an ideal candidate in terms of amenities, especially with the addition of two stadiums in Cox’s Bazar for this tournament.”It is a very important tournament for the ICC. It is the aspiration of every young cricketer to make it to their U-19 national team,” Allardice said. “Nine of the ten Test captains have played in the U-19 World Cup at some stage.”I think the global nature of this tournament is important for cricket. It tends to expose the young players to the world stage. They are also exposed to education programmes like anti-corruption and anti-doping.”One of the things about the U-19 World Cup is to find a host city or country that has sufficient match and training facilities to host the 16 teams. Bangladesh ticks all the boxes in that regard. We hosted 26 teams in the ICC World T20 in Dhaka, Chittagong and Sylhet and this time we are also playing in Cox’s Bazar.”BCB chief Hassan said he was confident of the competition’s success. “Bangladesh has a proud history of hosting ICC events,” he said. “This is the second Under-19 World Cup that Bangladesh will be hosting. Given the passion and enthusiasm with which we organise and follow cricket, I am confident this tournament will also be successful.”

Ashish Nehra, former India and Delhi left-arm seamer, has been ruled out for the next two months of the Indian domestic season after being advised to rest his ankle, which was operated upon recently. He missed Delhi’s first two matches of the Ranji Trophy Super League and is likely to return only by the end of January.”I had gotten my ankle operated during the domestic off-season and have been advised by the doctors to rest it for the next two months till I am fully fit,” Nehra was quoted in the . “I am sure to play the Duleep and Deodhar Trophies and one-dayers, and the Ranji Trophy knockout matches as well, if Delhi qualify.”Nehra will travel with the team for their fourth- and fifth-round matches against Himachal Pradesh (in Dharamsala) and Maharashtra (in Pune) respectively, and train with the team physio. John Gloster, the Indian team physio, will also work with Nehra during the first Test between India and Pakistan at the Feroz Shah Kotla in New Delhi.Nehra, among the most injury-prone Indian players in recent times, said he was intent on taking things cautiously to avoid breaking down again.”I do not want to make the mistake again of playing until I am fully fit,” Nehra said. “Not only will that hamper my performance but also aggravate my injury. So I am going to take it light this season and come back the moment I know I am ready.”Delhi coach Vijay Dahiya admitted that Nehra’s absence would be felt, yet backed his decision to play it safe. “From a team’s point of view even an 80% Nehra is essential for the team, but from an individual perspective I think this is a good decision that Ashish has taken,” Dahiya said. “He aggravated his injury last season and this season he has chosen wisely to rest it and recover fully.”Nehra last played for India during the tour of Zimbabwe in 2005. Last season, he took 15 wickets in the Ranji Trophy at 41 runs apiece, and 13 wickets in nine one-day games.

The ECB has offered a solution to Derbyshire’s ongoing problem with the sun – or more exactly the fact that it sets behind the bowlers’ arm at the County Ground.At least two matches in the past two years have been shortened because play has been suspended while the sun sets. But the ECB has agreed to an amendment to playing regulations in the Twenty20 Cup and the Pro40.The change means that provision will be made for a maximum of one hour of extra time to make up for time lost in respect of low, bright sunlight. This means that no overs will be lost if play has to be suspended because of the sun unless more than one hour of time is lost.”Due to the problems we have experienced with the low sunlight we have looked at a number of possible solutions to the problem and after lengthy consultation with the ECB we have come up with what we believe is the best immediate solution,” Tom Sears, Derbyshire’s chief executive, said. “The new regulation ensures that the thousands of spectators who enjoy Twenty20 and Pro40 cricket at the County Ground will be able to watch a full match in the event of the sun affecting play.”This provision is made in respect of low, bright sunlight only. The provision does not apply in respect of time lost for any other reason.

Scorecard

Alex Loudon was the star as England completed a hard-fought five-wicket win against Bangladesh at Mirpur. Loudon collected 5 for 76, to add to his 71 on the third day, leaving England with a target of 130 which they reached in just under 20 overs.England gained an early foothold on the final day when Loudon trapped Mehrab Hossain lbw with just three runs added to the overnight total. Mosharraf Hossain, the nightwatchman, followed 15 runs later when he was run out and England sensed their chance to press for the win.Bangladesh played with a very defensive mindset, meaning that even though it took England a while to dislodge the resistance the lead was never growing at a rapid rate. Graham Onions, the Durham paceman, grabbed two middle-order wickets in two balls. When 183 for 5 soon became 202 for 7, on the back of two Tim Bresnan strikes, England would have fancied their chances of wrapping up the innings in quick time.However, Tushar Imran got his head down and forged a gritty half-century while Mohammad Sharif supported him well with 26 as the eighth wicket added 44, then Dolar Mahmud helped put on another 30 for the ninth. Loudon claimed the final three scalps, a reward for 32 overs hard work, but England were left limited time for their run chase.They played it in one-day style, promoting Matt Prior to open who slammed 50 off 52 balls to put England ahead of the rate. At 78 for 1 everything was under control and, although there were a few late wickets, Loudon completed a fine match by knocking off the final runs.

England’s Ashes drubbing appears to have done nothing to dampen the enthusiasm of their home supporters, certainly not in the North-East. With five months to go until the fourth and final Test against West Indies in June, all tickets for the Saturday of the match at the Riverside have been sold out.”There is undoubtedly a real sense of excitement about the England side returning to the North-East,” said Gordon Hollins, Durham County Cricket Club’s commercial manager. “It will be the biggest sporting event ever staged in the region.”Durham’s ground at Chester-le-Street has been hosting one-day internationals since the 1999 World Cup, and has staged two Tests since 2003, against Zimbabwe and Bangladesh. The visit of a marquee team such as West Indies, however, has created another level of interest.”Cricket is always passionately supported in the region and it is no surprise that day two has already sold out,” added Hollins, “especially with the likelihood of three of our players being included in the England squad.” Those players are Paul Collingwood, Steve Harmison and Liam Plunkett.Tickets for day one, three and four are still available, with prices starting at £20 for adults and £10 for under 16s. “I would encourage anyone planning to come along to the match to book their tickets as soon as possible,” said Hollins, “to ensure they get the best possible seats.” The match gets underway on June 15.

The last time Ricky Ponting faced the media at the end of an Ashes series, the first question he received came from a hard-talking TV news reporter who demanded his on-the-spot resignation for the “humiliation” of losing the closest and greatest Ashes contest in history. This afternoon, it was Andrew Flintoff who was coming to terms with the true definition of the word, after his England side had been served up on a platter by their ruthlessly focussed opposition.”Australia have raised the bar in this series,” admitted Flintoff, whose crest has fallen so far already that he seemed immune to further disappointment. “In patches we’ve competed with them, but whenever we’ve put a foot in the door it’s been closed on us. From our point of view, it’s not for a lack of trying or character. We’ve just been beaten by a better team.”The latter part of that statement certainly could not be quibbled with. Australia have been magnificent all series long. Every single one of their seven batsmen made centuries; each and every member of the bowling attack topped 20 wickets for the series. “I couldn’t be any more satisfied than I am at the moment,” said a beaming Ponting at his press call. He was a man at peace with the world after the indignities he suffered in 2005.As for the rest of Flintoff’s statement, however – something was undoubtedly amiss. “I couldn’t have asked for anything more from the lads,” he insisted for the fifth match out of five. “Their efforts throughout the series – they’ve kept coming back, kept working, and kept their intensity. They’ve tried to improve and perform, and you just can’t fault that.”Well, frankly, you can. England on this final day were a shower. They lost their two overnight batsmen without an extra run on the board, and they would have lost even more humiliatingly had it not been for the improbable intervention of Steve Harmison, who top-scored for the day with 16 not out and then launched into a futile assault with the new ball that had Justin Langer admitting afterwards that it was the best he had faced all series. What a strange moment to come to the party.England have been rudderless and directionless on this tour, and sadly the lack of drive has to derive from the attitude of the captain. In fairness to Flintoff, he is still finding his feet in the role. Each of his immediate predecessors, Nasser Hussain and Michael Vaughan, endured torrid times before they defined their style – and only last week, Duncan Fletcher cited Vaughan’s first Test in charge, at Lord’s against South Africa in 2003, as the worst defeat of his career.But it is not unfair to criticise Flintoff’s unthinking support for his men. “It’s not through a lack of practice or wanting to do well,” he reiterated. “We wanted to string together performances for full five days at a time. We wanted to stay with them and nick a result at the end, but unfortunately that’s not been the case.”If that approach sounds familiar, that is because it is exactly the approach that Flintoff first encountered under Hussain – an emotional, attritional leader who was also the captain of a young side in times of adversity. His single rule of thumb, however, was the polar opposite to Flintoff’s nice-guy approach to the leadership. He would stand at mid-on throughout England’s tours of the subcontinent, cajoling and haranguing, and demanding extra effort even when there was nothing extra to give.

And yet, Hussain also failed his acid test. He succumbed 4-1 on the last Ashes tour and 8-2 in his two series against Australia, which just goes to show that there’s only so much that any team can do when faced with a great opposition with their sights fully set on revenge. “I’ve never mentioned that word once,” insisted Ponting, although he did concede that the victory in this series was all the sweeter for the defeat that had preceded it.”The last time we won the Ashes in Australia was the shortest period of time ever,” he said. “We played a bit harder this time. The cricket we’ve played has been as good as I can ever remember. Lots of so-called experts said England would win when they arrived here, but look at the results. It’s a great feeling right at the moment, and we can’t take that feeling for granted either.”For Flintoff and England, it is time to look to the future. Come 2009, revenge will be the buzzword once again, only this time it’ll be emanating from the England dressing-room. “It can’t be a pointless exercise to be beaten 5-0,” said Flintoff. “We’re a young side, and as long as we’ve learned something from this, we can improve going forward.”Some of the lads have already shown that they can compete with the best team in the world. But after the jubiliation and joy of 2005, we have experienced the other side. But, hearing the Aussies speak about The Oval and using it as a spur, I’m sure that’s something the lads will remember for next time. Conceivably, everyone in that room could be playing in 2009.”

The ICC has responded to Martin Crowe’s comments in his recent Spirit of Cricket Lecture at Lord’s by saying that it is dealing with the issue of suspect bowling actions more effectively than ever. In his address, Crowe criticised the new 15-degree law and said that all bent arms should be banned.However, the ICC says the current regulations, in place since March 2005, provide a scientific basis for judging a player’s action while at the same time recognising the reality that almost all bowlers are likely to straighten their arm to some extent during delivery.”The regulations are based on the views of an expert panel of former players including Angus Fraser, Michael Holding and Tony Lewis – the current Chairman of the MCC’s Cricket Committee,” said David Richardson, the ICC’s General Manager – Cricket. “This group studied the research of prominent bio-mechanists Professor Bruce Elliot, Dr Paul Hurrion and Mr Marc Portus and the scientific evidence they were presented with was overwhelming.”The facts are that some bowlers, even those never suspected of having flawed actions, were found likely to be straightening their arms by 11 or 12 degrees. And at the same time, some bowlers that may appear to be throwing may be hyper-extending or bowl with permanently bent elbows.”Under a strict interpretation of the Law they were breaking the rules but if we ruled out every bowler that did that then there would be no bowlers left. The game needed to deal with that reality and the current regulations do just that.Richardson added that the new laws have made the umpires’ job easier and provide a scientific base for testing actons. “What they do is take the pressure off umpires because it is now no longer one person’s view of whether or not a bowler has an illegal action. It is something that can be proved scientifically and the assessment is independent and not partisan.”At the same time the umpire retains the right to call a bowler for throwing and the first judgment he makes is still based on his instincts after viewing an action with the naked eye,” he added.The regulations include a 15 degree level of tolerance in elbow extension for all bowlers during delivery, which was identified by the panel of experts as the point after which the bend is likely to become visible to the naked eye.Five senior international bowlers have been reported under the new process – Harbhajan Singh of India, Pakistan’s Shabbir Ahmed and Shoaib Malik, Jermaine Lawson of the West Indies and Johan Botha of South Africa.Richardson also responded to Crowe’s comments about the value of Zimbabwe and Bangladesh in Test cricket. “Bangladesh has taken time to adjust to the demands of Test cricket but that mirrors the experience of every side that has stepped up to the top level.”Bangladesh is a cricket-crazy country and has shown encouraging signs of development and, given time, we fully expect it to become more and more competitive at Test level. Zimbabwe has already stepped back from its Test commitments to allow itself time to regroup and we are keen to help it in that process in any way we can.”

Jhulan Goswami has become the first player from India to take the ICC Women’s Player of the Year award. She was presented with the trophy at the ICC Awards ceremony in Johannesburg, South Africa.Goswami was also India’s only representative in the individual player awards, with no representation from the men in the shortlist. She edged out Australia’s Lisa Sthalekar and England’s Claire Taylor.”It’s a dream come true for me,” she said on accepting the award from Mahendra Singh Dhoni, fresh from the Lord’s ODI on Saturday. “I am very excited to win this award. It is very unexpected because the other candidates are great players. It is very special for me”.The title was just reward for her bowling average of 12.40 in Tests and 21.80 in ODIs and, since Australia’s Cathryn Fitzpatrick retired earlier this year, Goswami has also become the fastest female bowler in the world. She may have pace, but she has the accuracy to match, with an economy rate of 2.10 in Tests and 3.17 in ODIs.England certainly know a thing or two about her pace, after they succumbed to her in the second Test last year; she took ten wickets to take India to their first Test series win on English soil. She also put on her highest score of 69 in the first Test.It’s been a good year for India women’s cricket in terms of recognition. Last month Anjum Chopra won the coveted Arjuna award – a rare honour for a female player. Now Goswami joins her in being feted.”This award does a lot for women’s cricket,” said Goswami. “I think women’s cricket is growing, slowly. We are getting more and more coverage now in the media and that can only be a good thing for game as it encourages more girls to take up the game and improves the overall levels of performance.”Goswami is the second winner of the award after Karen Rolton won the prize last year.

Details of the Afro-Asia A-team tournament hosted by Bangladesh in January have finally been announced.The five-team event – which features sides from India, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Bangladesh and Kenya – is based in Chittagong and starts on January 18. All the sides will play each other once, with the top two meeting in the final at the M A Aziz Stadium on January 28.There is some concern over whether Zimbabwe, who have named their side, will actually participate as most of their squad have said they will refuse to play under the current board. It is likely that they will hold a meeting shortly before they are due to depart to make a final decision.There is also some unease with the criteria for what constitutes an A side, with the Zimbabwe team containing six of their most recent Test side and only three of their squad have not played Tests or ODIs.Rather oddly, it appears that the organisers were hoping for an African Representative XI, based around Kenya and Uganda, to take the fifth slot but it seems that the Kenyans refused, arguing that as they had recently whitewashed Zimbabwe A in Zimbabwe, they deserved a place on their own merits.