2009 May | Cricket Tube

Flintoff ruled out of World Twenty20

Andrew Miller

May 27, 2009

Andrew Flintoff prepares to send one down, Cape Town, April 16, 2009

Andrew Flintoff: ruled out of the World Twenty20© Getty Images

Yorkshire’s legspinner Adil Rashid has been called into England’s ICC World Twenty20 squad as a replacement for Andrew Flintoff, after the England management conceded that Flintoff would not be fit following his recent bout of knee surgery.

Flintoff, 31, sustained a tear to the meniscus in his right knee while playing for Chennai Super Kings in the recent Indian Premier League. Though he was named in England’s squad for the Twenty20 tournament that gets underway against Holland at Lord’s on June 5, the likelihood of him recovering in time was always slim.

“Andrew is making excellent progress and there is no swelling or pain now in the knee,” said England’s chief medical officer, Nick Peirce. “He has been putting in some extremely hard training with Lancashire and should start running and practicing this week. After discussions with his surgeon we have decided that he should continue the remainder of his rehabilitation with physio Dave Roberts, who has overseen his previous rehabilitations.”

Having missed all of this season’s Tests and ODIs against West Indies, Flintoff will now aim to regain his fitness ahead of the Ashes opener at Cardiff on July 8. The intention is for him to begin his comeback in Lancashire’s County Championship fixture against Hampshire at Liverpool on June 17.

The ECB confirmed they had approached the World Twenty20 technical committee for permission to add Rashid to the squad that was originally named on May 1.

“We had to name Andrew in the 15 because we hoped he would be fit,” said England’s national selector, Geoff Miller. “But in reality the timescale was always optimistic. We have now obtained permission from ICC to name Yorkshire’s Adil Rashid as a replacement. There is a lot of cricket still to play this year and it is important Andrew is fully fit for it.”

Rashid, who made his first appearance in a senior England squad during the winter tours of India and West Indies, has been drafted in as an extra spinner to support Graeme Swann even though he has been omitted from Yorkshire’s first two Twenty20 Cup matches. He was preferred ahead of his seam-bowling team-mate Tim Bresnan, as well as the Nottinghamshire allrounder, Samit Patel, who was controversially overlooked for the original squad because of his failure to meet the team’s fitness standards.

“It is an exciting opportunity for Rashid, who was in the original 30 we named in early April,” said Miller. “He has impressed the England management after being a part of the Test tour to India and the subsequent Caribbean tour and deserves his chance.”

For Rashid, 21, the call-up is another big step in his rapid rise to prominence in English cricket. In addition to his legspin, he is also a genuine batting prospect with two first-class hundreds to his name. Last week, he told Cricinfothat his primary goal this summer had been to get involved in England’s Ashes set-up, and that his ultimate ambition is to play Test cricket.

The shortest format can be a cruel game to bowlers, Rashid conceded. “When you’re coming on for two overs then coming off again, it is difficult to get the pace and rhythm right,” he told Cricinfo. “But Twenty20 does teach you where to bowl, how to bowl and when to bowl, and if a batter gets after you, what to bowl.

“You’ve got to be looked after,” said Rashid. “If you get hit for a six and a four, the captain must accept that a legspinner is also a ‘risk’ spinner. He goes for runs but he’s there to take wickets as well. It shouldn’t be a bad thing if he gets hit for a six or a four, he shouldn’t be taken off in the next over.”

Andrew Miller is UK editor of Cricinfo

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Prior sets up England win

MATT PRIOR struck his highest one-day international score as England crushed the West Indies at Edgbaston.

The wicketkeeper-batsman, filling in at No3 in the absence of the injured Kevin Pietersen, hit a brilliant 87 off 86 balls in a total of 328-7.

It was England’s highest one-day score against the Windies and their third highest of all time.

And it proved too hard to chase, with the tourists stumbling to 270 all out from 49.4 overs with the target never truly threatened.

The foundation for the mammoth innings was laid in an 81-run opening stand.

Ravi Bopara smashed 49 off 54 balls, including seven fours in his innings, before being bowled off his pads.

Skipper Andrew Strauss made a more watchful 52, before his stumping off Sulieman Benn brough Owais Shah to the crease.

The wristy right-hander helped himself to 75 in a stand of 149 runs with Prior for the third wicket.

Paul Collingwood, celebrating his 33rd-birthday, helped himself to a breezy 23 runs from 14 balls to set up the score.

In reply, the Windies were up against from the start, with Chris Gayle and Ramnaresh Sarwan both caught off the new ball bowling of Broad and Anderson.

Runako Moreton was run out by Tim Bresnan, who then trapped Dwayne Bravo lbw for 26.

Broad returned to have Shiv Chanderpaul caught by Bopara at mid-wicket, before partner-in-crime Denesh Ramdin was caught behind off Anderson.

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Strauss steps aside from ‘clinical’ England

By Julian Guyer – 1 hour ago

BIRMINGHAM, England (AFP) — Andrew Strauss said he was leaving England well-placed for further success following their crushing one-day series win over the West Indies.

Victory by 58 runs here at Edgbaston gave England the three-match campaign 2-0, with one washout, after they’d piled up 328 for seven - their highest one-day international score against the West Indies.

Strauss has opted out of next month’s World Twenty20 Championship in England because the left-handed opening batsman does not believe he is a good enough player in that form of the game.

Instead all-rounder Paul Collingwood will captain England in that tournament before Strauss, who is set for a period of rest followed by County Championship action, regains the leadership ahead of the first Ashes Test against Australia in Cardiff on July 8.

In the meantime Strauss can reflect on two victories by huge margins in England’s brief Test series against the West Indies and a pair of equally convincing one-day victories over Chris Gayle’s far from inspiring side.

“I like the way we were clinical right through the Tests and the one-dayers,” Strauss told reporters after Tuesday’s win.

“New players came in and did well but generally there was a level of consistency there which is very important.

“We are far from the finished article at this stage but what I am really excited about is that the guys are very keen to improve.

“The work ethic has been tremendous and everything that has happened over the last month can only help us come the first day of the Ashes.”

England’s recent Test and one-day series wins were achieved without injury-prone all-rounder Andrew Flintoff, ruled out this time with a knee problem which threatens his participation in the World Twenty20.

“We always want ‘Fred’ involved and it has been very frustrating for us, and more importantly for him, that he has picked up these injuries over the last couple of years or so,” Strauss said of Flintoff, the star of England’s 2005 Ashes series triumph.

“What is absolutely crucial in the long term is having a good squad of players you can pick from so that you don’t have to play the same XI in every game,” Strauss explained.

Kevin Pietersen, England’s other star name, missed the one-dayers with an Achilles problem but team officials remain optimistic that the South Africa born batsman will be fit for the World Twenty20.

In his absence, wicket-keeper Matt Prior took over at No 3 and on Tuesday he made a career-best 87 that saw him win the man-of-the-match award at Edgbaston.

Any disappointment Prior may have felt in not being selected for England’s World Twenty20 squad has been tempered by the knowledge that a break now will help with his recovery from a finger injury.

“There is this period now to get ready and feel as fresh as possible for the Ashes,” said Prior. “To get that opportunity at three was fantastic, now I am looking forward at what is to come.”

West Indies captain Gayle admitted the tour had been one of his worst experiences in international cricket.

He stressed he was “not a school teacher” and that it was down to individual players to improve their own games although Gayle did express the hope the Twenty20 might benefit his side because they would not have to concentrate for so long.

“This was a chance to get testing conditions and improve in them,” he said.

“It didn’t work, we are disappointed with the loss of both series but at the same time it has given us the opportunity to be ready for the Twenty20.”

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England v West Indies - 3rd ODI Report

England snuffed out the West Indies fightback, reducing the tourists to 223-8 chasing 329 to win at Edgbaston.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul (68) and Denesh Ramdin (45) fell after a steady stand of 80, while Kieron Pollard (12) and Jerome Taylor (18) were both run out in the 42nd and 43rd overs.

Earlier, Owais Shah (75) and Matt Prior (87) put on 149 for the third wicket as England piled up 328-7 in the last ODI.

England: AJ Strauss (c), RS Bopara, OA Shah, EJG Morgan, PD Collingwood, MJ Prior (wk), AD Mascarenhas, SCJ Broad, GP Swann, TT Bresnan, JM Anderson

West Indies: CH Gayle (c), RS Morton, RR Sarwan, S Chanderpaul, KA Pollard, DJ Bravo, D Ramdin (wk), JE Taylor, SJ Benn, R Rampaul, FH Edwards

Umpires: S J Davis, I J Gould

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Cash is king in Modi’s IPL

The Indian Premier League ended as it began with a spectacular explosion of sounds and sights and a reinforcement of the belief that the cricket is secondary to all the other stuff - to Lalit Modi’s speech, to Akon miming and Eddie Grant singing old tunes.

How else does one explain that the actual handing over of the trophy to Adam Gilchrist and the Deccan Chargers took place nearly two hours after they’d completed their six-run win over the Royal Challengers Bangalore?

Before that there’d been a speech by President Jacob Zuma that was barely audible, another speech from Modi in which he thanked everyone including his wife and family, Akon, Grant and a dance routine from Katrina Kaif.

Where were the cricketers, the supposed stars of the show? They were milling about near the dressing rooms, having a drink, some taking pictures, but mostly looking bemused as they tried to figure out when they’d collect their spoils.

The 20-over format is enough of an entertainment spectacle on its own

That’s just one of the IPL’s major problems. It has failed to draw a line between the entertainment provided by the cricket and the entertainment from the singing, dancing, drumming and DJ-ing.

The 20-over format is enough of an entertainment spectacle on its own without the rest of the junk that has accompanied IPL matches. For heavens sake, that’s why the format was invented in the first place - it’s not as slow and as drawn out as Test cricket and it doesn’t have the boring middle overs bit from the 50-over game.

Gilchrist, Matthew Hayden, Sachin Tendulkar, JP Duminy, Anil Kumble, Shane Warne, Herschelle Gibbs and Brett Lee are sufficiently skilled and exciting enough to carry off the entertainment on their own without so much of the other stuff.

They proved it in this tournament, notwithstanding Modi and television producers’ desperate attempts to break up the game and insert seven-and-a-half-minute TV commercial time in the middle of each innings.

South Africa’s own domestic 20-over competition has been sufficiently innovative (and reasonably so in terms of what it has offered off the field), so as not to overwhelm the action taking place on it. The cricket remains paramount.

It’s not WWE but it’s slowly getting to that

While there are concerns about the pre-eminence of Test cricket and the survival of the one-day 50-over format, it may be worth asking if the 20-over format isn’t in danger of being swallowed up by itself, certainly in the case of the IPL which doesn’t appear to know what’s important, the music and the pageantry or the game.

It’s not WWE but it’s slowly getting to that. Already television bosses from ESPN-Star who want to create a 20-over league in England have made demands about the number of Indian players that have to be present in each team.

That can’t be a good thing - when television starts dictating the make up of teams you may as well ask Shah Rukh Khan to pad up and hit the winning runs.

When Gilchrist and the Chargers eventually lifted that ostentatious trophy the Wanderers was barely a third full. That’s a damning indictment on Modi and the IPL for getting their priorities totally warped.

But then their priority has never been the cricket, it’s always been money and they certainly made a lot of that in South Africa in the last five weeks.

- This article was originally published on page 17 ofThe Star on May 26, 2009

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England v West Indies - 3rd ODI - Birmingham

crickettube.com
by farhannoor

Matt Prior hit 87 as England beat West Indies by 58 runs to secure the final one-day international and take the series 2-0 - after the first ODI was washed out. Prior top-scored in a 149-run partnership with Owais Shah (75) as England posted 328-7 - their sixth highest one-day total and highest ever against the Windies. The Windies batsmen never threatened with only Shivnarine Chanderpaul (68) and Denesh Ramdin providing any fight to get them to 270. 3rd ODI, Birmingham, May 2009.

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Tags: Tags: 26/05/09, 3rd ODI Birmingham, anderson, Andrew J, Benn, Bopara, bravo, broad, chanderpaul, Christopher H, Denesh, Dwayne J J, England, England v West Indies, gayle, James M, Jerome E, Matthew J, Owais A, prior, Ramdin, Ravinda S, shah, Shivnarine, strauss, Stuart C J, Sulieman J, taylor, West Indies

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ICC World Twenty20 2009 - Shoaib pulled from World Twenty20 squad

The PCB has withdrawn Shoaib Akhtar from the 15-man squad for next month’s World Twenty20, saying - in an unusually revealing statement - that he had been diagnosed with genital viral warts. Rao Iftikhar Anjum’s name has been sent to the ICC’s technical committee by the PCB as a replacement.

Shoaib’s participation had been in doubt after Intikhab Alam, Pakistan’s coach, said yesterday he hadn’t recovered sufficiently from a skin infection to play the three practice games the Pakistan squad is playing in Lahore.

“Shoaib Akhtar has been withdrawn from the World Twenty20 squad and Rao’s name has been sent to the ICC as a replacement,” a board spokesman said on Thursday.

The PCB’s unusually graphic press release said that a three-member medical panel appointed by the PCB had found that Shoaib was suffering from “genital viral warts and electrofulgration [a surgical procedure] was done on May 12, 2009.”

The panel added that “his wound though healing needs further care and treatment for another minimum ten days for the purpose of healing and to achieve skin cover. The Medical Board further recommended his re-assessment after 10 days.

“In accordance with the above program his re-assessment will be carried out on 1st week of June, 2009.In view of the above, PCB has requested ICC Technical Committee for the replacement.”

The condition had initially ruled Shoaib out of the training camp the team attended in Bhurban, a mountainous hill resort near Islamabad. At the time, Shoaib expressed confidence that he would recover in time.

Shoaib has not trained since coming back from the series against Australia in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Questions were asked of his fitness levels during the five-ODI and one Twenty20 series; he failed to fulfill his quota of ten overs in any of the four ODIs he played and bowled only two overs in the Twenty20.

The latest episode is yet another blow to an injury and scandal ravaged career that has seen Shoaib play only 46 Tests out of the 96 Pakistan have played and 144 out of the 305 ODIs Pakistan have played since his debut in 1997-98. Shoaib missed the last World Twenty20 in South Africa when he was sent home after hitting teammate Mohammad Asif in a dressing room altercation.

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ICC World Twenty20 2009 - Simmons wants Super Eights berth

May 25, 2009

Kyle McCallan enjoys his wicket of Kevin Pietersen, England v Ireland, Super Eights, Guyana, March 30, 2007

Kyle McCallan: “The conditions in England will be more familiar to our players than our opposition, so that’s obviously a big advantage to us.” © Getty Images

Ireland coach Phil Simmons has big ambitions for his team at the ICC World Twenty20 and will be disappointed if his side doesn’t make it through to the Super Eight stage of the tournament.

Simmons wants the squad to repeat their success from the 2007 World Cup in West Indies when they reached the last eight after beating Pakistan in the qualifying section. Ireland also beat Bangladesh later in the tournament.

The Ireland squad are preparing to leave for a training camp and their warm-up games ahead of their first match at the ICC World Twenty20 against Bangladesh, at Trent Bridge, on June 8. The players will travel in good spirits after demolishing Worcestershire for 58 in the Friends Provident Trophy last week.

“The win against Worcestershire was exactly what we needed in our last competitive game before the Twenty20,” Simmons said. “It was also achieved without our top county players which says a lot for the depth of the squad. We will, of course, have everyone available and I’ll be very disappointed if we don’t make our mark.

“Obviously our best chance lies in the game against Bangladesh but the beauty of Twenty20 cricket is its unpredictability. We will be going into the warm up games and the tournament in a confident mood.”

Kyle McCallan, the vice-captain and one of the most experienced players, was also confident that Ireland will be there to more than just make up the numbers. “We’re relishing the opportunity to showcase Irish cricket on the world stage again,” he said. “The 2007 World Cup in the West Indies was a fabulous experience for all concerned, and I’m sure it’ll be the same again in England.

“It’ll be a wonderful experience playing in front of sell out crowds, and I’m sure there will be plenty of Irish supporters adding to what I’m sure will be an incredible atmosphere.

“I know just how much all the guys are looking forward to it, and if we play to our capabilities, we have a genuine chance of progression. We’re well prepared and have already played a lot of cricket this year. The conditions in England will be more familiar to our players than our opposition, so that’s obviously a big advantage to us.”

Ireland will take on New Zealand in a Twenty20 game at Derby on May 27 before moving on to a training camp at Wormsley , where they will face a PCA Masters XI and West Indies in practice games. They will then face Netherlands and West Indies again in warm-up games at Lord’s and The Oval.

Ireland will be at full strength apart from the loss of Eoin Morgan who has been selected in England’s World Twenty20 squad.

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Dominant England sense series win

The Preview by Andrew McGlashan

May 25, 2009

Stuart Broad collected two early wickets in an impressive spell, England v West Indies, 2nd ODI, Bristol, May 24, 2009

Match facts

Tuesday May 26
Start time 10.45 (9.45GMT)

Big Picture

England’s momentum shows no sign of slowing after their impressive six-wicket win at Bristol and now their aim is to wrap up the one-day series in style at Edgbaston before moving onto the ICC World Twenty20. What will be even more pleasing for the management was that England won convincingly without Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff.

The bowling was impressive throughout, led by James Anderson and Stuart Broad, with Paul Collingwood nipping in with three key wickets. Andrew Strauss had a superb day in the field, too, when he introduced Graeme Swann against a charging Chris Gayle and the move paid off when Gayle missed a wild swing.

As good as England were, though, West Indies were awful. Their shot selection was woeful, the running poor and the general application gave a further impression of a team that isn’t bothered. The decision to rest Fidel Edwards was also strange on one of the quickest pitches of the season so far. If Gayle can turn on the style in Birmingham they could yet level the series, but don’t bet on it.

Form guide (most recent first)

England WAWWL
West Indies LALLW

Watch out for…

Graeme Swann is having a great time of things at the moment and has the wood over a number of West Indies batsmen. When his first ball at Bristol was planted over long-on by Gayle, Swann didn’t panic and removed the West Indies captain next ball. Gayle is unlikely to hold back if faced with Swann again, so this duel could have a second chapter in the final game. Strauss certainly won’t be afraid of throwing Swann the ball.

The one West Indies player who can hold their head high is Dwayne Bravo after he made an attractive half century and bowled with heart. But as hard as he tried he couldn’t rouse his team-mates out of their slumber. Without a doubt, his return strengthens the team, but he needs much more support than was shown on Sunday.

Team news

Unless the England management want to have a look at Ryan Sidebottom and Ian Bell there seems little reason to change a winning side. This will be Strauss’s last match as captain before the Ashes - he hands over the captaincy to Paul Collingwood for the World Twenty20.

England (probable) 1 Andrew Strauss (capt), 2 Ravi Bopara, 3 Matt Prior (wk), 4 Owais Shah, 5 Paul Collingwood 6 Eoin Morgan, 7 Dimitri Mascarenhas, 8 Stuart Broad, 9 Graeme Swann, 10 Tim Bresnan, 11 James Anderson

West Indies surely must look to make some changes. Lendl Simmons is struggling with his technique against the moving ball and they really need the strike power of Fidel Edwards. The sensible swap would be to open with Shivnarine Chanderpaul, but he appears reluctant for the role.

West Indies (probable) 1 Chris Gayle (capt), 2 Lendl Simmons, 3 Ramnaresh Sarwan, 4 Shivnarine Chanderpaul, 5 Kieron Pollard, 6 Dwayne Bravo, 7 Denesh Ramdin (wk), 8 Darren Sammy, 9 Jerome Taylor, 10 Sulieman Benn, 10 Fidel Edwards

Pitch and conditions

Edgbaston pitches this season have been slow and low with little on offer for the bowlers, but international surfaces have always tended to offer more than those for domestic cricket. The forecast looks good with just a slim chance of a shower.

Stats and Trivia

England have never won consecutive one-day series against West Indies.

The teams have met four times at Edgbaston with the head-to-head standing at 2-2. West Indies won the previous meeting in 2007 by 61 runs with Shivarnine Chanderpaul hitting 116 not out and Ravi Rampaul taking 4 for 41.

Quotes

“There’s a really good feeling in the camp, and each time you win there’s more depth to that feeling.”
Andrew Strauss says the England dressing room is a good place to be at the moment

“We did not handle ourselves very well and we will have to put up a better fight. I still have confidence in the guys to go out there and pull out a victory.”
Chris Gayle hasn’t lost all hope…just yet

Andrew McGlashan is assistant editor of Cricinfo

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Collingwood shines as England go 1-0: 2nd ODI (Bristol)

crickettube.com
by dumbaram

England took a 1-0 lead with one match remaining in the one-day international series after thrashing West Indies by six wickets with 14 overs to spare. Paul Collingwood enjoyed himself with both bat (47 not out) and ball (3-16) as England cruised home. Earlier, Dwayne Bravo top scored withr 50 as the Windies collapsed to 160 all out. 1st ODI, Bristol, May 2009.

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Tags: Tags: 24/05/09, 2nd odi, bravo, broad, Christopher H, collingwood, Dwayne J J, England, England v West Indies, Eoin, gayle, Morgan, Paul D, Stuart C J, West Indies

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Archive for May, 2009

Flintoff ruled out of World Twenty20

Prior sets up England win

MATT PRIOR struck his highest one-day international score as England crushed the West Indies at Edgbaston.

Strauss steps aside from ‘clinical’ England

England v West Indies - 3rd ODI Report

Cash is king in Modi’s IPL

England v West Indies - 3rd ODI - Birmingham

ICC World Twenty20 2009 - Shoaib pulled from World Twenty20 squad

ICC World Twenty20 2009 - Simmons wants Super Eights berth

Dominant England sense series win

Collingwood shines as England go 1-0: 2nd ODI (Bristol)

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