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Fast bowler Chanaka Welegedara has earned an ODI recall, picked in Sri Lanka’s 15-man squad for the Champions Trophy

ESPNcricinfo staff02-May-2013

Sri Lanka’s Champions Trophy squad

Angelo Mathews (capt), Dinesh Chandimal (vice-capt), Tillakaratne Dilshan, Kusal Perera, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Lahiru Thirimanne, Jeevan Mendis, Thisara Perera, Lasith Malinga, Rangana Herath, Nuwan Kulasekara, Shaminda Eranga, Sachithra Senanayake, Chanaka Welagedara
In: Chanaka Welegedara, Mahela Jayawardene, Rangana Herath
Out: Upul Tharanga, Kithuruwan Vithanage, Angelo Perera, Sachith Pathirana

Fast bowler Chanaka Welegedara has earned an ODI recall, picked in Sri Lanka’s 15-man squad for the Champions Trophy. Welegedara has not played international limited-overs cricket since mid-2010, and had to return home mid-way through Sri Lanka’s Test series in Australia last December with a hamstring injury.Expectedly Mahela Jayawardene and Rangana Herath, the two senior players who had missed Sri Lanka’s previous one-day assignment, return; Jayawardene had missed the home ODIs against Bangladesh in March due to a finger injury, while Herath had been rested.Batsman Upul Tharanga, who had a woeful series against Australia – 13 runs in three innings – and did not make the XI in the games against Bangladesh, does not feature in the squad.Spinner Ajantha Mendis, who was not picked for the Bangladesh one-dayers, has not made this squad either.Welegedara had an injury-plagued 2012, straining his groin in March during the home series against England and then, on recovering from that, tearing a shoulder muscle as Sri Lanka prepared to play Pakistan in June. While one of Sri Lanka’s preferred options in Test cricket, he has not been part of the limited-overs set-up of late. After pulling up during the Boxing Day Test, he was out of competitive cricket for a month, before returning to first-class cricket in February. Since then he took 23 wickets in seven matches for Tamil Union Cricket and Athletic Club.Batsmen Kithuruwan Vithanage and Angelo Perera, and allrounder Sachith Pathirana, who earned maiden call-ups for the Bangladesh series, miss out.Sri Lanka had tied the series against Australia (2-2) and Bangladesh (1-1).

MS Dhoni, the India captain, has said performing under pressure has become India’s strength and that will hold them in good stead for the World Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Feb-2011MS Dhoni, the India captain, has said performing under pressure has become India’s strength and that will hold them in good stead for the World Cup where he admitted expectations will be high.”What we have done in the last three years is that we have changed the meaning of pressure to responsibility and we take it as an added responsibility,” Dhoni said. “Cricket is the biggest sport in India and it is widely followed. Everybody wants us to do well and we take that in a positive way. We just stick to the basics, prepare well for the game and at the end of the day we know we have got the potential to do well on the field.”One of the questions facing the India team, who play their first match on February 19 against Bangladesh, is how they will deal with the pressure of being tournament hosts along with Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. India have failed to get past the semi-final stage in previous World Cups played on home soil. But Dhoni said he was concentrating just on the preparation. “I am ready to prepare well for the World Cup and that is what is in my hands right now.”Dhoni dodged the question of whether India were favourites for the tournament by saying: “For a change we won’t be considered underdogs.” He stuck to what has become almost a mantra for him in his time as captain in saying “processes” would take precedence over results. “I never predict much when it comes to cricket. We believe in each of us, and the support staff members are also there to help us. We believe in doing the process, so I have no prediction about the World Cup and we will just give it our best shot.”A day after England batsman Kevin Pietersen termed his side’s hectic schedule leading up to the World Cup as ‘ridiculous’, Dhoni admitted arriving at a balanced schedule was difficult. “The biggest thing in cricket is that we do criticise a lot. When we lose a game, even I have said in the past that we play too much cricket. To get the perfect balance is a very difficult task because there is a very thin line and it is not like technology where we can be close to perfection. It is an issue that will always be raised that either it will be a cramped schedule or there is too long a gap between games.”India have selected seven batsmen, four seamers, three spinners and just one wicketkeeper in their 15-man squad for the World Cup, and Dhoni said there were always players bound to miss out when you have to pick just 15 players. “We have tried to keep the best squad but you can’t accommodate everyone. You can only select 15 players, so you may miss some players who are key in some areas like a left-arm spinner or maybe a legspinner. It will always be a point of discussion, but what is important is that the 15 players who are selected right now make an impact on the World Cup.”Dhoni said he wasn’t thinking about the disappointing loss to Bangladesh – who are India’s first opponents in the 2011 tournament – in the 2007 World Cup. “I am certainly thinking about the match [against Bangladesh] positively. We may have lost in 2007, but there are plenty of positives that we can look for like the 2003 World Cup and the entire tournament we played then.”As far as the gaps between the games are concerned, we all know that it is there so what is best for us is to make a good plan to utilise it in the best possible manner. Of course, we play throughout the year, which means that in between these tense games the players will get time to relax themselves and at the same time if there are some niggles you can get over it.”It is the biggest tournament and it is the biggest thing that happens in cricket, so it is very important that you play with the best XI that your team has. You don’t want to miss many players because of injuries.”

A round-up of the first day of the tenth round in Division One of the Quaid-E-Azam Trophy

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Dec-2010The seamers had a ball on the opening day of the contest between Habib Bank Limited and National Bank of Pakistan at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. Eighteen wickets fell with NBP edging out the day, 74 runs ahead and with two wickets in hand. HBL, currently leading the Division One table, were skittled out for 116, with Hasan Raza, the captain, managing a top score of 24. Medium-pacer Uzair-ul-Haq led the wickets tally with four, and was supported by Wasim Khan and Mohammad Talha who took three each.The NBP reply began on a positive note with openers Nasir Jamshed and Rashid Riaz adding 50, but wickets then fell at a steady pace with only Qaiser Abbas, in the middle order, being able to measure up to the bowling. He counterattacked in his 34-ball 46, but seamer Sajid Shah picked up a five-for to limit NBP to 190 for 8 at stumps.Sialkot held a slight edge over Islamabad at the end of the first day at the Diamond Club Ground in Islamabad. Islamabad, being put in, began poorly, losing their openers for zeroes. But the middle order launched a recovery with Faizan Riaz and Rashid Amin adding 101, with more assistance down the order as Imad Wasim and captain Rauf Akbar put together an unbeaten 74 for the ninth wicket. Prince Abbas, the seamer, grabbed four wickets, and Asim Butt chipped in with three to leave Islamabad at 291 for 8 at stumps. However, they would rue not breaking the ninth-wicket stand which got together at 219 for 8.No surprises with Multan, as they were yet again bowled out for a score under 100 and appear to be on their way to a tenth straight defeat in the tournament. Karachi Blues ended the day at the National Stadium in Karachi in a dominant position, leading by 129 in the first innings with five wickets still in hand. The fast bowlers, again, made merry, with Tabish Khan and Babar Rehman taking five wickets each. Wicketkeeper Waqas Khan was the top-scorer for Multan, with 18, and it took only 24 overs for the Karachi bowlers to get the job done. Opener Asad Baig guided the Karachi reply with an unbeaten 82 and even though the Multan bowlers made inroads, taking five wickets, defeat still looms large for their side.Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited held the advantage over Pakistan International Airlines at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad. Shoaib Malik continued his good form in the tournament, top-scoring with 108 and rescuing the innings via an 89-run stand with Sheharyar Ghani, who chipped in with 70. At 221 for 5, PIA would have hoped for a substantial score but left-arm seamer Sohail Tanvir ran through the middle order to restrict PIA for 297, seize the initiative and put ZTBL in a good position going into the second day.Sadaf Hussain picked up a five-for to help skittle Faisalabad out for 153, but he was upstaged by Nasir Hayat, who also took five wickets as Rawalpindi limped to 94 for 8 by the close of play. Opener Farrukh Shehzad rattled along to 79 from 108 balls, with 15 fours, but the rest of the batsmen on both sides found it tough going at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, with no one else even reaching 20. Sadaf ran through the the top and middle orders, taking the first five wickets to fall, as Faisalabad slumped to 37 for 5, and it took a seventh-wicket stand of 56 between Shehzad and Hasan Mahmood to carry the visitors past the three-figure mark. Sadaf finished with figures of 5 for 64. The Rawalpindi batsmen then showed even greater ineptitude, with Nasir and Ahmaed Hayat running riot. Nasir picked up 5 for 32 from 11 overs, while Hayat had figures of 3 for 23, also from 11 overs.Asad Ali and Yasir Shah took four wickets apiece as Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited dismissed Water and Power Development Authority for 227 at the Lahore City Cricket Association Ground . SNGPL chose to field and WAPDA’s openers added 43 before Adil Raza struck to remove Rafatullah Mohmand for 25. The next three wickets fell quickly, with Yasir taking two of them, to leave WAPDA struggling at 79 for 4. Sohaib Maqsood and Ali Azmat then came together to add 118, before Yasir prised out Maqsood for 69 and Asad had Azmat caught behind for 38 with the song on 197. Asad then ran through the tail as the last four wickets added just 30 runs. In reply, SNGPL limped to 25 for 2, with Kashif Raza picking up both wickets

South Africa will host the first ever ICC Women’s Cricket Challenge, with South Africa, West Indies, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Netherlands and Ireland to compete in a series of one-day and Twenty20 games

Cricinfo staff05-Aug-2010South Africa will host the first ever ICC Women’s Cricket Challenge, with South Africa, West Indies, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Netherlands and Ireland – ranked between fifth and tenth in the world – to compete in a series of one-day and Twenty20 games from October 6 to 16 in Potchefstroom.”This tournament is an ideal way for the women’s teams ranked outside of the top four to gain more match experience in both ODI and Twenty20 formats,” said Matthew Kennedy, ICC’s global development manager.”The tournament will also provide a good challenge to all the six competing teams as none of them have yet qualified for the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup to be staged in India in 2013.”The European regional qualifiers for the World Cup Qualifier begin next week, while Africa will host the final regional qualifier in December. The World Cup Qualifiers will be staged in Bangladesh in November 2011, with ten teams taking part.Based on their finishing fifth and sixth at the World Cup in Australia in 2008, West Indies and Pakistan have an automatic spot at the qualifiers, and they will be joined by two regional qualifiers each from Africa, Asia and Europe and one each from the Americas and East-Asia Pacific regions.The only teams to have already qualified for the World Cup are England, New Zealand, India and Australia, who are ranked as the top four women’s ODI teams. The teams participating in Potchefstroom will fill the rest of the ODI team rankings table based on their standings at the conclusion of the ODI part of the tournament.

Mitchell Johnson is putting the lessons learned from his difficult tour of England last year to use in New Zealand

Cricinfo staff13-Mar-2010Mitchell Johnson is putting the lessons learned from his difficult tour of England last year to use in New Zealand. Johnson’s bowling potency disappeared during the Ashes and he was targeted by the crowds, an experience which has helped significantly after his bump of heads with Scott Styris.Johnson has been the leading wicket-taker in the current one-day series, showing he can cope with the extra attention caused by the crowds. After the first game in Napier Johnson was fined 60% of his match fee for the clash with Styris and he has since kissed his badge before bowling and kept smiling.”There’s obviously backlash but it doesn’t bother me at all,” Johnson said in the Sydney Morning Herald. ”I copped a fair bit over in England last year and I learnt a lot from that. To be copping it again doesn’t really get to me at all.”The important thing is how you deal with it mentally and I think I’m dealing with it pretty well. As long as their supporters understand when there’s good cricket being played and they support that, it’s all good. The banter out there is fine.”One thing that does concern Johnson is the labelling of his run-in with Styris as a “head-butt”. ”It was just me and him coming together and there was accidental contact,” he said. ”The only thing I’m quite annoyed about is that it has been classed as a head-butt. I’m not that silly. I’m not going to head-butt someone who has a helmet on.”However, he was happy that Brad Haddin ran in and pulled him away from the exchange. ”He pushed me out of the road,” he said. “But look, I know that physical contact in a sport like cricket isn’t on. I did cross the line just slightly, I can put my hand up and say that.”

Glamorgan extended the leadership team of captain Jamie Dalrymple and coach Matthew Maynard, handing them two-year contracts which will keep them at the club until the end of 2011.

Cricinfo staff07-Dec-2009Glamorgan extended the leadership team of captain Jamie Dalrymple and coach Matthew Maynard, giving them two-year contracts which will keep them at the club until the end of 2011.Glamorgan had an improved season in 2009, finishing fifth in Division Two of the Championship. Their two wins, two defeats and 12 draws was welcome progress after a difficult season in 2008 when they finished second from bottom, losing five matches.Maynard, who was England’s batting coach between 2004 and 2007, returned to his former county Glamorgan as head coach in 2008 and despite a challenging first season in charge is confident that the club is improving.”We made headway last summer and I am delighted that Jamie Dalrymple will continue his role of club captain. Jamie is a tremendous leader and will undoubtedly play a key role in helping us achieve our goals next summer.”Dalrymple, who took the captaincy reins at the beginning of the season, also feels the side is moving in the right direction. “Last season showed that we have become more difficult to beat in four-day cricket and from a poor start, our performances in one-day cricket improved. We still have some way to go, but I am confident that we now have the right team in place to help us reach our goals next year.”

Only 48.4 overs were possible, with New Zealand on 14 for 1 in reply to Bangladesh’s 157 for 7 when the game was called off

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Dec-2022No result Rain had the final say in Napier as the second women’s ODI between New Zealand and Bangladesh was washed out after 48.1 overs of play.Batting first, after rain had reduced the contest to a 44-overs-a-side affair, Bangladesh batted through to reach 157 for 7. In reply, New Zealand lost their captain Sophie Devine to a run-out before the clouds opened up after just 4.1 overs and eventually forced an abandonment.Bangladesh lost Dilara Akter in the fifth over of their innings to Hayley Jensen, but Sharmin Akhter and Fargana Hoque provided some much-needed resistance. The two held fort for 13.5 overs, adding 36 runs for the second wicket, before Hannah Rowe got rid of Sharmin for 16. Her wicket resulted in a mini collapse as Bangladesh lost Hoque and Lata Mondal, both falling to Fran Jonas, followed by Nigar Sultana.Ritu Moni and Fahima Khatun then dug in. They stitched a 49-run stand for the sixth wicket. Moni top-scored with 32, hitting a six and a four in her innings, while Fahima scored 25. The two fell in the space of three balls late in the innings, but made sure Bangladesh played out their quota of overs.New Zealand lead the three-match ODI series 1-0 after taking the opening game by eight wickets. They had earlier swept the T20I series 3-0. The third and final ODI will take place in Hamilton on Saturday.

James Faulkner and Shaun Marsh have both been ruled out of Australia’s one-day tour of South Africa due to injuries

Brydon Coverdale15-Sep-20161:25

Khawaja replaces Shaun Marsh

Allrounder James Faulkner and batsman Shaun Marsh have both been ruled out of Australia’s one-day tour of South Africa due to injuries. Usman Khawaja has been called into the squad in place of Marsh, while Faulkner will not be replaced in the squad, which as a result will be reduced from 15 men to 14.Marsh suffered a fractured finger during the recent tour of Sri Lanka and while he was initially named in the ODI squad to visit South Africa, further x-rays have encouraged Australia to take a more conservative approach with him. Faulkner suffered a calf strain at Australia’s training session on Thursday, and is expected to be sidelined for up to a month.

Australia’s 14-man squad

Steven Smith (capt), David Warner, George Bailey, Scott Boland, Aaron Finch, John Hastings, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Mitchell Marsh, Joe Mennie, Chris Tremain, Matthew Wade (wk), Daniel Worrall, Adam Zampa.
In: Usman Khawaja
Out: Shaun Marsh, James Faulkner

“Shaun undertook a follow up x-ray and was reviewed by specialists this week,” David Beakley, the team physio, said. “Unfortunately due to the fracture being in the joint of the finger we have decided to take a more conservative approach, therefore he will not be available for the ODI series in South Africa.”James suffered a low grade calf strain during a fitness session in Sydney today which we expect to take three to four weeks to recover. Unfortunately this means he will also be unavailable for the South Africa series.”Australia’s first ODI in South Africa is against Ireland on September 27, before they begin a five-match series against South Africa on September 30.

Will Smith recorded his highest first-class score to help Hampshire to a hefty first innings for 548 for 6 declared against Lancashire at the Ageas Bow

ECB Reporters Network05-Aug-2016
ScorecardWill Smith’s double-century underpinned Hampshire•Getty Images

Will Smith recorded his highest first-class score to help Hampshire to a hefty first innings for 548 for 6 declared against Lancashire at the Ageas Bowl.Smith spent nine and a half hours at the crease to score 210 – eclipsing his previous best tally of 201 not out for Durham against Surrey in 2008.Smith, who is standing in for James Vince as captain in this match, had begun the day on 99 following a day of patient batting on a flat track.But he brought up his three figures with the first ball of the morning – cutting firmly to the boundary for his first ton since September 2014. The century, from 285 balls was watchful, bordering on sluggish although an important backbone for his team-mates to play their shots, on a pitch where the only gremlins came when the seam attack bowled a good length.There appeared no way to see the back of Smith, who had survived a dropped catch on 70, with history showing his two previous centuries for Hampshire both ended unbeaten.Around him Tom Alsop had departed after facing just five balls of the day as he was leg before to Tom Smith. But Liam Dawson kept the score ticking along with a fleeting 20 before he had his off stump removed by Jordan Clark.Adam Wheater added some much needed impetus with a quick 29 from 24 balls – contrasting Smith – but departed driving to Steven Croft.
That brought Ryan McLaren to the crease and started Smith’s second century stand of the innings – after the 191 put on with Jimmy Adams in the first day.In-form McLaren scored his fourth fifty of the season with a well-paced knock, adding 129 for the fifth wicket. Meanwhile, Smith edged towards the second double century of his career and finally reached it with an on-drive – 449 balls over a day and half. He soon departed looping Croft up to Simon Kerrigan at wide mid-off for 210.Lewis McManus and McLaren added extra runs as Hampshire meandered towards a declaration. The former ticked an edge behind before the latter ended unbeaten on 81, the declaration finally coming after a nicely controlled hook for six.Lancashire were given 25 overs to bat in the evening, and lost Smith in the seventh over nicking Gareth Berg behind.Berg and McLaren got good bounce and caused problems with the new ball – and the latter should have got on the wicket column when Haseeb Hameed slashed to Mason Crane at point – only for the leg spinner to drop the sharp chance.Hameed and Luke Procter reached the close 70 for 1 – still 478 behind, the follow on set at 399.

Dav Whatmore, the Pakistan coach, has said the recent Test loss against Zimbabwe has been “embarrassing, upsetting and disappointing”, but on the positive side, has provided the team with preparation ahead of the upcoming series in the UAE

Umar Farooq23-Sep-2013Dav Whatmore, the Pakistan coach, has said the recent Test loss against Zimbabwe has been “embarrassing, upsetting and disappointing”, but on the positive side, has provided the team with preparation ahead of the upcoming series in the UAE.”All three adjectives (upsetting, disappointed and embarrassing) can be used to describe the way I feel after the defeat against Zimbabwe,” Whatmore told ESPNcricinfo. “I understand you cannot win with these sort of performances but I don’t want to blame. I rather look for reasons and try to see things in a perspective than being judgmental.”I know things were not good as we were a bit naughty with both bat and ball. But in the end, we only lost one Test match. I know it’s Zimbabwe and I am also not happy with the result at all. I would like to think and public should understand that Zimbabwe team gave us a better fight than what the whole public thought. It wasn’t easy breaking them down as they were not a bad team in their home conditions.”Pakistan are yet to win a series under Whatmore, who has six months remaining in his two-year contract, and the team’s next assignment – the two-Test series against South Africa in the UAE – is a tough one. But it was in the UAE that Pakistan earned a remarkable win against the then No. 1 side, England, and Whatmore understood that there would be expectations this time too.”I have confidence in the Pakistan team,” he said. “You can’t just say (that we don’t have a chance). The conditions will be entirely different.”I feel we are in a better position than before. At least Zimbabwe gave us better preparation and they were bit stronger than what a lot of us thought.”The selectors are likely to consider Taufeeq Umar for the opening role, with Mohammad Hafeez’s selection for the series in jeopardy. Whatmore said there was a need for a reshuffle in the XI as the series would be played in entirely different conditions from what were encountered in Zimbabwe.”There is good ground for discussion on the change ahead of (South Africa series),” he said. “You are going from one competition to another in totally different conditions and against an opposition that has a different formation. So there are number of variations and I don’t think we can fit the same set of eleven players to play the number one team. But yes, we need to be consistently looking towards strengthening the team combination.”Whatmore’s coaching and Misbah-ul-Haq’s captaincy came under severe criticism after the series in Zimbabwe, but ESPNcricinfo understands the PCB has no immediate plan to remove the head coach, although they are not intent on renewing his contract that expires in April 2014.”Misbah has some wonderful leadership qualities and has been successful since he took over recently,” Whatmore said. “My observations are that by nature he is a methodical person who thinks deeply before making decisions. This is reflected in his batting as well. He takes a little time at the beginning but at the end his contribution is effective. His consistency in contributions during 2013 has been second to none. It’s easy for people to be critical.”Whatmore, 59, might not have had the positive results with the squad, but he insisted that he has been doing his job whole-heartedly. “I can not control what people think,” he said. “I know what I am doing being a professional coach with 15 years of international experience and nobody has such experience. When you are about to conclude your contract, these questions do emerge. But the renewal depends on mutual willingness. I know what I do is done with the best of intention and at the end of the day I can sleep straight, comfortably.When asked if the results haunted him, Whatmore replied, “I don’t worry. Everyday I need to know what we are doing is correct. Like everybody, I also make mistakes and I admit them. I am doing the best possible job what I can do.”