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Match Facts

March 23, Mirpur
Start time 1430 hours (0830 GMT)The end of the line for the Rawalpindi Express? Shoaib Akhtar’s international career could finish in Mirpur on Wednesday•Associated Press

The Big Picture

The last time West Indies were in Dhaka, they couldn’t have been in more of a rush to get away – in every sense. First there was their on-field performance, as clinical as anything ever witnessed in a World Cup encounter, as a potentially awkward tussle with Bangladesh was done and dusted in barely 30 overs of one-sided action.Then, however, came the darker aspect of the day’s events. As the West Indies team bus pulled out of the Shere Bangla stadium, it was pelted with rocks by an irate section of the Bangladeshi support – in the mistaken belief, it was later reported, that their own defeated countrymen were on board. Chris Gayle’s alarmed tweet buzzed around the world in minutes, and though the team was later garlanded with flowers by an apologetic supporters’ group, the lack of amusement was tangible. “Is it ok for me to say thank god I left bangladesh???!!!” added Sulieman Benn once the team had departed for India.But now they are back, amid drum-tight security, and while the venue may not be to their liking, the opportunity could hardly be more alluring. Of all the teams in a tricky Group B, arguably no-one had a smoother on-field run to the quarter-finals than West Indies. Unlike England, whose struggles against the lesser teams turned every one of their subsequent games into nailbiters, the Windies took the polar opposite approach. They won the games in which they were favourites with such ease – with only the Irish coming close to giving them a scare in a 44-run defeat – that back-to-back defeats against England and India couldn’t rattle their rock-solid Net Run Rate.As a consequence they may start as underdogs in the knock-outs, but West Indies have landed the opponents that most suit their hot-and-cold style. Pakistan surpassed expectations to finish top of Group A, and in doing so they bookended the single most remarkable statistic in World Cup history – Australia’s 34-match unbeaten run that began in the wake of a Moin Khan-inspired 10-run defeat at Headingley in 1999, and came to an end at the hands of Umar Akmal in Colombo on Saturday. But as their remarkable defeat against the apparent weaklings of New Zealand demonstrated, there’s never any point in predicting predictability from Pakistan.The other three quarter-finals involve clear favourites, and it would be a shock if any of India, South Africa and Sri Lanka failed to advance to the semis. This one, however, is anyone’s game. On form, Pakistan should shade it, and a potential semi-final date with India in Mohali will ensure their resolve is at its sharpest. But as West Indies showed on their last trip to Mirpur, when they get on a roll they have players who can prove unstoppable.

Form guide

(completed matches, most recent first)
Pakistan WWLWW
West Indies LLWWW

Watch out for…

In their Chennai defeat against England, West Indies threw punch after punch to leave their opponents weak at the knees, but they lacked the subtlety in between whiles to make their position count. Nevertheless, the star of their show was undoubtedly the 22-year-old Andre Russell, whose performance with bat and ball could and should have been the decisive factor. His energetic seamers claimed career-best figures of 4 for 49, and he followed that up with a rough-diamond 49 from 46 balls. In a contest that could be decided by individual brilliance, he has two strings with which to make his bow.Pakistan have long cultivated a reputation as mercurial performers, but scarcely a match goes by these days without a command performance from Umar Gul. He’s picked off 13 wickets in his six outings in this World Cup, including nine in the past three games, in which time he has been promoted to new-ball status as well. His effortless variations provide a threat at any stage of an innings, but never more so than at the death when his pinpoint yorkers can prove unhittable. With Chris Gayle at the top of West Indies’ order, and Kieron Pollard lurking at the bottom, his ten overs could prove instrumental in deciding the course of the match.

Team news

Chris Gayle and Kemar Roach are expected to slot straight back into the team after missing the India fixture, in place of Kirk Edwards and Ravi Rampaul, who will count himself unlucky to miss out after picking up figures of 5 for 51 in that match. There could also be a recall for the veteran Shiv Chanderpaul, who was dropped after a tally of 70 runs in four matches at the start of the tournament, but whose experience in such a crunch fixture could be invaluable. Ramnaresh Sarwan is the likeliest man to miss out, although Devon Thomas could conceivably hand the keeping duties to Darren Bravo.West Indies (possible) 1 Chris Gayle, 2 Devon Smith, 3 Darren Bravo, 4 Shivnarine Chanderpaul, 5 Kieron Pollard, 6 Darren Sammy (capt.), 7 Devon Thomas (wk), 8 Andre Russell, 9 Sulieman Benn, 10 Kemar Roach, 11 Devendra Bishoo.Chanderpaul’s return would mean four left-handers in West Indies’ top five, and so the offspin of Saeed Ajmal is being seriously considered in place of the effective but unassuming left-arm spinner Abdur Rehman. Shoaib Akhtar, with his retirement imminent, will hope to earn a recall in place of Wahab Riaz, who was expensive against Australia, but the variation offered by his left-arm line is not an asset that Shahid Afridi would wish to dispense with in a hurry.Pakistan (possible) 1 Kamran Akmal (wk), 2 Mohammad Hafeez, 3 Asad Shafiq, 4 Younis Khan, 5 Misbah-ul-Haq, 6 Umar Akmal, 7 Shahid Afridi (capt), 8 Abdul Razzaq, 9 Saeed Ajmal, 10 Umar Gul, 11 Wahab Riaz.

Darren Sammy reckons the Dhaka wicket looks like “a cricket pitch”, which is just as well really. Still, Bangladesh managed to make it look like a minefield on West Indies’ last visit to the venue, as Sammy, Roach and Benn routed their opponents for 58 in 18.5 overs. There is some grass on the surface, but it ought to be full of runs, as Virender Sehwag demonstrated during his 175 in the opening match of the tournament. The weather is set to be humid, with some prospect of dew in the second innings.

Stats and trivia

• West Indies have won 64 of their 114 ODIs against Pakistan, but just two of the past 13 completed matches, dating back to January 2005.
• Shahid Afridi’s highest score in four World Cup campaigns is 37 against Zimbabwe in June 1999. However, he has claimed 17 of his 24 wickets in the current tournament.
• West Indies are bidding to reach their fifth World Cup semi-final, and their first since 1996. Pakistan reached the semis in five of the first seven tournaments, but haven’t got that far since losing the final in 1999.
• For a full statistical preview, click here

Quotes

“This is a ground where we executed our plans perfectly so it’s good to be back here. We feel loved by the people and we are ready for tomorrow.”
“It was a great win. We really worked hard before this tournament and I don’t think in my 14-year career we’ve ever worked as hard. Definitely, the expectation is greater now. We are feeling more confident.”
Shahid Afridi reflects on the achievement of beating Australia in Colombo

ScorecardDaniel Harris and Aiden Blizzard struck half-centuries but the rest of the South Australia line-up flattered to deceive in Melbourne, allowing Victoria to gain an 85-run first-innings lead.Steve Gilmour and Jayde Herrick, who had tormented the visitors with a stubborn eleventh-wicket stand on the first evening could add only three more runs on the second morning. Ben Edmondson dismissed Gilmour caught behind as Victoria closed at 345.Peter Siddle, vying for a call-up to the Australian World Cup side in the injured Michael Hussey’s place, struck early to send James Smith back. Harris and Cameron Borgas made light of the loss and took charge of things with a 98-run stand, before Gilmour and Herrick returned to torment South Australia. Gilmour removed both batsmen within the space of 21 runs, reviving Victoria’s hopes of getting a lead. Tom Moffat was then consumed by spinner John Holland, leaving South Australia in need of a revival at 188 for 4.Blizzard was up to the task, scoring a cautious 59, before Gilmour sent him back. Thereafter Herrick took centre-stage, picking three wickets including the key scalps of Daniel Christian and GrahamManou as the innings floundered. South Australia lost their bottom half for just 10 runs, to put Victoria on top. By stumps, they extended their lead to 102 without losing any of their second-innings wickets.

Match Facts

January 22, Wellington
Start time 14:00 (01.00 GMT)
Misbah-ul-Haq’s calmness gives way to Shahid Afridi’s effervescence at the helm for Pakistan•AFP

Big Picture

Pakistan are in a pleasantly unfamiliar position, that of beginning a series as the favourites. In their last two one-day series, they managed to stretch far stronger opponents than New Zealand – England and South Africa – to the limit, while also dealing with an unending list of controversies on the side. This time, however, they have almost no distractions; the delay in the naming of the World Cup captain is almost a non-issue for a side that is used to anarchy. They have also managed to put the spot-fixing hearings out of their mind and, instead of making a big deal about the delay in the verdict, they have shown signs of moving on.Misbah-ul-Haq deserves some of the credit for the newfound stability. Critics questioned the side’s approach when their batsmen played for a draw in the final session of the Wellington Test, led by Misbah at his obdurate best. But the fact of the matter is that Pakistan sides of earlier vintage would invariably have gone after the target, only to collapse in a heap and concede the series lead. Pakistan can do with a dose of such calmness in the one-dayers too, yet Shahid Afridi’s return to the helm of affairs will offer a counterpoint. The interplay between the two men – Misbah has been named vice-captain of the ODI side – promises to form an interesting sub-plot to this series, and the results could decide who will eventually lead Pakistan in the World Cup.New Zealand have far bigger questions to address before they can think of the big event. They haven’t won an ODI in 11 successive attempts, and John Wright knows only a radical change in approach and team combination can pull his side out of the rut. With batting in the middle overs being a major source of worry, Wright has already decided to change things around – Brendon McCullum will take guard at No. 6, breaking his successful association with Jesse Ryder at the top. Jacob Oram returns to the side, while James Franklin promises stability, so New Zealand have the pedigree to turn the corner. Will they kick the losing habit in Wellington?

Form guide

New Zealand: LLLLL
Pakistan: LWLWL

Players to watch out for …

New Zealand saw Abdul Razzaq at his menacing best in the third Twenty20, which preceded the Tests. In November last year, he smashed the South Africa attack in Abu Dhabi in one of the most stunning one-day innings of all-time. Razzaq’s methods may not work too often, but when they do, they turn games in a matter of minutes. His smart assortment of legcutters and slower balls could also pose New Zealand problems on wickets that have tended to be slow and spongy in recent times.Brendon McCullum is being sent down to No. 6, specifically to take advantage of the batting Powerplay. He has only played six of his 152 ODI innings at that position, though he has had reasonable success at Nos. 7 and 8. Like Razzaq, McCullum is an impact player, but he will go up against some of the smartest end-overs practitioners in the game, namely Umar Gul, Saeed Ajmal and the irrepressible Shoaib Akhtar.

Team news

New Zealand have announced their XI, giving seamer Hamish Bennett a game and benching Jamie How. Martin Guptill will open the innings alongside Jesse Ryder, while McCullum will resume duty behind the stumps.New Zealand: 1 Jesse Ryder, 2 Martin Guptill, 3 Ross Taylor, 4 Scott Styris, 5 James Franklin, 6 Brendon McCullum (wk), 7 Jacob Oram, 8 Daniel Vettori (capt), 9 Nathan McCullum, 10 Tim Southee, 11 Hamish BennettPakistan are yet to finalise the XI, but have announced that Kamran Akmal will be opening their innings. If Wahab Riaz continues to suffer from the flu that curtailed his participation in the second Test, Sohail Tanvir could get a chance.Pakistan (probable): 1 Kamran Akmal (wk), 2 Mohammad Hafeez, 3 Younis Khan, 4 Misbah-ul-Haq, 5 Umar Akmal, 6 Shahid Afridi (capt), 7 Abdul Razzaq, 8 Umar Gul, 9 Abdur Rehman / Saeed Ajmal, 10 Wahab Riaz / Sohail Tanvir, 11 Shoaib Akhtar

Stats and trivia

• Pakistan have a 48-32 win-loss record in ODIs against New Zealand. In New Zealand, though, it drops to 12-20
• Younis Khan has played 207 ODIs, without getting a game in New Zealand. Afridi has only played three in the country, while Razzaq leads the way for the current team, with 10 outings here

Quotes

“My bowling’s gone really well, I’ve been extremely happy with the way the ball has come out. The runs haven’t been flowing but I don’t feel far away.”

Nathan Bracken, who was ranked the world’s No.1 ODI bowler in 2008, has finally bowed to his aching body and retired from all forms of the game. Bracken, 33, last played for Australia in England two years ago and has since suffered from a chronic knee injury that has limited his appearances for New South Wales.Bracken, a left-arm bowler, played five Tests but was best known as a suffocating limited-overs specialist. His 174 ODI wickets places him sixth on Australia’s list and his contribution was often under-rated.He could swing the ball early in the innings but was equally effective at the death and was a key member of the 2007 World Cup triumph in the Caribbean. In 2009, he was Australia’s ODI player of the Year after being picked in the ICC’s World ODI Team the previous year.Bracken may face another operation just to stabilise the joint to ensure he can have “good use of the knee in the future”. “I really have enjoyed my cricket both internationally and domestically, but unfortunately knee injuries have taken their toll,” he said. “I have had a strong rehabilitation from my last operation and have also looked at altering my bowling action to reduce any further damage in my knee, which would have enabled me to continue playing. But it hasn’t responded.”

Chris Gayle has been cleared by the WICB to play for Western Australia in the Twenty20 Big Bash this season instead of his home side, Jamaica, in the Caribbean Twenty20 tournament. The dates of the two competitions clash, and Gayle has been granted a no objection certificate (NOC) by the WICB, despite the board’s hesitation to confirm the move last month.Gayle did not sign a central contract with the WICB this year, in the hope that it would allow him to choose more freely which games he played. He was a marquee signing for Western Australia last season, but managed only two matches before an injured side muscle ruled him out of the remainder of the competition.”It was unfortunate that injury prevented me from playing the entire KFC Big Bash last year, but the West Australian public were very friendly and really welcomed me as a member of the Warriors squad,” Gayle said. “I will be looking to repay that support and do all that I can to help the Retravision Warriors be successful in this season’s Big Bash and qualify for the Champions League Twenty20 tournament.”The Big Bash runs from December 30 to February 5, and the Caribbean T20 is scheduled for January. Paul Campbell, the president of the Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA), said it was disappointing that Gayle would not be available for his home side but the JCA accepted that it was a reality of the increasing professionalism in the game.”It is not about loyalty,” Campbell told the . “We now need to move our mindset of understanding the professional landscape as it relates to players and administration. We can’t take emotional positions. It can’t be on a basis where if he doesn’t make himself available this time you can’t or won’t select him at another time. We have to move away from that.”Gayle won’t be the only West Indian player in the Big Bash, with Kieron Pollard expected to line up for South Australia and Dwayne Bravo set to return to Victoria. Pollard is already in Australia, and will play in this Sunday’s All-Star Twenty20 match at the Gabba.

Anil Kumble, the former India captain, has stressed on the importance of retired players getting involved in the administration of the game and has pledged his time and commitment to improving cricket in Karnataka. Kumble was speaking at the Karnataka State Cricket Association’s office in Bangalore, where he formally announced his decision to stand for the post of association president in the elections on November 21.Former India fast bowler Javagal Srinath, who was also present, will contest the secretary’s post held for the past 12 years by former Indian batsman Brijesh Patel. The third member of that bowling attack from the 1990s, Venkatesh Prasad, will stand for a vice-president’s post. Their effort is being backed by Patel, who said cricketers were “the right people to take any association forward.”One of the first decisions of Patel’s administration in 1998 was to give cricketers membership in the association, and Kumble said Karnataka had led the way in this regard. “I retired two years ago and was keen to get involved in the association,” he said. “I thought this was the best time for the cricketers of our generation to get involved.”We’d like to put our vision in place and ensure Karnataka cricket really grows. We hope that Karnataka, as a team, goes on to be No. 1 in India, and that many more Karnataka players go on to represent the country.”There’s a lot to be done at the grassroots – from structuring schools cricket, club cricket and reaching out to all parts of Karnataka. That will be the challenge. We’d like to ensure that the paying public, who come and watch the game, have a wonderful time watching any form of cricket. We thought this was the right time to get into the KSCA.”When asked whether they would have enough time to take on these significant responsibilities, given that Kumble is also chairman of the National Cricket Academy and Srinath an ICC match referee, Kumble said he wouldn’t have contemplated standing for elections if he wasn’t committed.”If I didn’t have the time, I wouldn’t be sitting here,” he said. “The priority is cricket, whether it is the NCA, the KSCA – they are on the same campus. It’s been a big decision but I’ve taken that decision for the good of cricket.”Rahul Dravid, who is still playing Tests for India, will not stand in the elections but Kumble said he would be part of the administration committee because of his association with Bangalore United Cricket Club (BUCC). “To get into mainstream cricket administration, you have to retire. Rahul is still playing for the Indian team. I’m hopeful he will come in and play an important role in being part of the committee, from the BUCC.”Kumble’s electoral opponent is likely to be the incumbent president, Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar, if he chooses to stand for re-election. Kumble, though, refused to label the polls a contest between cricketers and others. “This is not a political system,” he said. “The 24 members are there to support and improve Karnataka cricket. It’s not that cricketers are on one side and the others are on the other side. There are no groups. It’s about ensuring Karnataka cricket grows. If that is focus of everyone, then I don’t think there’s a problem in working together.”

Ijaz Butt, the PCB chairman, has arrived in the UK on a visit that comes amid growing tension between the two national cricket boards, and with the ICC watching developments closely. ESPNcricinfo understands that the possibility of suspending Butt from his role as an ICC director – for his extraordinary outburst against the ECB and the ICC – has “crossed the minds” of officials, but such an extreme step will be averted if the boards of England and Pakistan achieve some sort of rapprochement; a meeting between the board heads is expected on Wednesday.In any case, there is a possibility that the matter might feature at the next ICC meeting, in Dubai, from October 12-13. At that meeting, Butt was reportedly aiming to table his own resolution calling for Lorgat’s removal.Butt has been on the warpath with the ICC and ECB since the spot-fixing scandal broke late last month. He is unhappy with the ICC’s provisional suspension of three Pakistan players, arguing that a separate police investigation should have been allowed to reach its conclusion before any such action was taken. Last week, an enraged Butt launched a series of extraordinary public attacks on the England side, the ECB and the ICC; this, the morning after what ESPNcricinfo understands to have been an amicable dinner meeting between Butt and Lorgat in Dubai.Butt is expected to meet with Giles Clarke, the ECB chairman, to try and resolve the issue. “Sometime today [Wednesday] Ijaz Butt and Giles Clarke will engage in an attempt to resolve those misunderstandings or issues levelled against the ECB,” Lorgat told . “We would always encourage our members to be in the best harmony as possible and it’s important for us they have good relations. Both are directors of the ICC so they have a larger responsibility to the game and I would hope they would come to a good and settled position.”The outburst prompted top ICC officials to give more than a passing thought to suspending Butt as ICC director – all board heads of full member countries automatically hold this post in the ICC. The suspension would be for a breach of the post’s own, separate code of ethics, which require individual directors to take a broader, more global view of the game; in this code, for example, casting allegations against a fellow member, such as Butt did against England, constitutes a breach. It is believed that there might be several cases over the last two years where Butt has breached this code.Much will depend on how the PCB’s spat with the ECB plays out. “Those [thoughts of suspending an ICC director] are things that are exercising ICC minds,” a source told ESPNcricinfo. “They’d rather wait to see what transpires between ECB and PCB. The ECB have made it clear they want to take some action so there is no point the ICC getting involved in what could be a legal case. The ICC does have a code of ethics and it has crossed their minds but there might be no need to take this action if there is a legal action against Butt. If he does apologise, the ICC have to see what to do because if he has apologized then what can you do? Nobody has come forward and made any noise of suspension yet but that doesn’t mean nobody will do that. Someone might have something to say at the next board meeting.”Butt claimed “there was loud and clear talk in bookie circles of English players taking enormous amounts of money” in the Oval ODI, after which the ECB sent a letter to Butt asking for a full apology. Unless one is made, says the ECB, legal action will be taken against Butt. Reports suggest that Butt is unwilling to apologise. Last week there were discussions (but no decisions were made) in the PCB’s corridors of power over the possibility of initiating a tit-for-tat legal action against Jonathon Trott as counter; the batsman had nearly come to blows with fast bowler Wahab Riaz in nets before the fourth ODI at Lord’s after an altercation. Butt’s trip to the UK – with the board’s legal advisor Taffazul Rizvi – raises the possibility that he might engage in efforts to reconcile with the ECB.Every ICC director is obligated, under the ethics code, to report or refer what they believe to have been a breach of the code to the ICC ethics officer. Any motion for suspension will require a two-thirds majority vote from directors to be implemented. The signs are not good for the PCB, for the tiff with the ECB is indicative of an administration that has made few friends in two years; only last year the Asian bloc was upset over clumsy attempts by the PCB to have the 2011 World Cup moved away from the subcontinent; the relationship with the BCCI is dependent on political ties, which are not good; the PCB was one of the boards not in favour of Australia and New Zealand’s nomination of John Howard for the role of ICC vice-president. It also remains with the ambit of powers of the ICC president or the ethics officer to suspend a director if a breach has occurred.Relations between the PCB and ICC itself, meanwhile, have been tense almost from the day Butt took over as chairman in October 2008. In one of his very first press conferences in Lahore, Butt annoyed the ICC when he publicly revealed information from confidential meetings ICC directors had on the IPL and ICL.Since then, matters have become more acute. The most serious clash came over the 2011 World Cup last March; Pakistan was removed as one of the venues from the tournament after the terror attacks on the Sri Lankan team in Lahore and a generally unstable security situation in the country. The PCB threatened to take the ICC to court over the decision, though eventually a compromise was agreed upon. The spot-fixing scandal has stretched ties to breaking point.Butt’s suspension, though, would not mean suspending the PCB as a full member or harming Pakistan in any way. The suspension would apply only to Butt and prevent him from attending ICC meetings. In such cases, the ICC is likely to ask the PCB to appoint a replacement.

Shahid Afridi, Pakistan’s one-day captain, has said that his team had considered filing a police complaint against Jonathan Trott after his altercation with fast bowler Wahab Riaz in the nets before Monday’s fourth ODI at Lord’s.His version of events, however, drew a strong response from Angus Porter, the chief executive of the PCA, who told ESPNcricinfo that the incident had been “six of one, and half a dozen of the other”, and that to portray Trott as the sole aggressor was inaccurate.In a visible sign of the tensions existing between the two teams in the wake of Ijaz Butt’s allegations against the England team, Trott and Wahab squared up on the nursery ground before the start of play, with the two players eventually being separated by the England batting coach, Graham Gooch.Although the details of the incident were sketchy at the time, Afridi later gave his version of events to the Pakistan news channel, Geo TV. “When Riaz was returning after warming up Trott called him a ‘match-fixer’ and that he [Riaz] was up to harming Test cricket and hit his face with the pad,” Afridi was quoted as saying. “It could have been a police case because it is a crime to hit someone. But we showed a big heart and did not press for it.”Afridi also confirmed that Pakistan had considered a making a protest in the wake of the confrontation. “There was talk of not going in for the toss because of the incident,” he said. “But better sense prevailed because we wanted to play the match and we want this series to end properly.”The match referee [Jeff Crowe] called both players and Trott apologised for his remarks and the matter ended there as far as we are concerned.”Porter, however, did not wish Afridi’s take on the incident to go unchallenged. “It is not only unfortunate that Shahid Afridi spoke out on a matter that the match referee described as minor, but we wish to place on record that his version of events is not one that we subscribe to,” he told ESPNcricinfo. “A line has now been drawn under the incident, but that does not mean we do not wish to set the record straight. Afridi has attempted to come across as magnanimous, but that is not how we understand the issue to have played out.”Riaz is one of four Pakistan players, along with Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir, to have been interviewed by police following the allegations of spot-fixing that arose during the Lord’s Test last month. The ECB chief executive, David Collier, described the incident as “regrettable” but “fairly minor in nature”.

Jacob Oram is set to miss the remainder of the tri-series in Sri Lanka due to the recurrence of a tendon injury in the knee that has affected his bowling. Oram had received intensive treatment to get through the series but the injury has not responded and he is headed home for further assessment.New Zealand coach Mark Greatbatch said the injury’s severity was not yet clear. “Jake had done everything possible to try and get ready for the remaining matches in the tri-series but had insufficient time to get fully fit. At this stage it is unclear how severe the injury is and he will return to New Zealand for further assessment and rehabilitation.”Oram’s injury has also put in doubt his participation for Central Districts in September’s Champions League. “Jacob’s knee has been troublesome for some time. He’s been having niggles on and off with it for a reasonable period of time,” said Alan Hunt, the Central Districts coach.”It has clearly flared up again in the last couple of days in Sri Lanka and they’ve tried to treat it there without any success. No doubt they’ve done everything they can to improve the situation but found they’d better get him back here for a medical opinion and some rehabilitation, thinking long-term towards the World Cup in February and March,” he said.Oram’s career has been blighted by injuries, forcing an early retirement from Test cricket in October 2009. His participation in the shorter formats has remained sporadic, and he was forced to miss this year’s IPL before returning to the national side for the World Twenty20. He bowled in two of New Zealand’s first three league games in Sri Lanka before the latest flare-up.

Scotland have been given a timely boost ahead of their Intercontinental Cup match against Afghanistan with the return of seamer Dewald Nel. Nel, who signed a two-year deal with Kent ahead of this year’s English domestic season, last played in the county’s game against the touring Pakistanis at the end of June and has been released to play in Scotland’s four-day fixture, which starts on Wednesday at the Citylets Ayr ground.Scotland faced a number of selection issues ahead of the Afghanistan game, as young opener Preston Mommsen has work commitments while experienced middle-order batsman Neil McCallum is struggling to overcome an Achilles problem. Several other players, including seamer Gordon Goudie, allrounder Richie Berrington and spinner Ross Lyons are being monitored for a variety of minor injuries.”It looks like we’ll be without two of our first choice batsmen,” said Scotland’s head coach Peter Steindl. “Preston would have been selected, but he has told us he can’t get time off work. It doesn’t look good for Neil either. We had expected his injury to clear up, but he is having a scan today and the information we’re being given from the physios is he won’t be ready. Our resources are a bit stretched but I’m confident we will get a competitive team on the park.”A total of 20 points are at stake in this match, and an undefeated Scotland are currently at the top of the Intercontinental Cup table, with Afghanistan 12 points behind. In second place is a Zimbabwe XI, only six points behind Scotland, with these two countries due to meet in October in Scotland’s final game of the two-year round-robin series of first-class matches.If the Afghanistan match fails to produce a result, six points are guaranteed to the side that takes a first-innings lead, with an additional three points to each side in the event of a draw. However, outright victory at Ayr would guarantee the Scots a place in the Intercontinental Cup final, to be played in Dubai in November.With all such factors – and the current damp weather – in mind, Scotland’s selectors have chosen a squad which they believe can make the most of this opportunity on a home ground against a team that has never previously played an official competitive game in the United Kingdom.”We’ve performed well in our two previous matches this year away from home [against Kenya in January and the Netherlands in June],” said Steindl. “We are approaching this game with confidence and determination.”Entry to the Ayr ground for this match is free of charge. Scotland also play Afghanistan in two limited-overs internationals at the same ground on Monday and Tuesday next week, for which there will be an entry fee for spectators.Scotland squad: Gordon Drummond (capt), Richie Berrington, Ewan Chalmers, Ryan Flannigan, Gordon Goudie, Majid Haq, Moneeb Iqbal, Ross Lyons, Dewald Nel, Matthew Parker, Qasim Sheikh, Simon Smith, Fraser Watts