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Ashley Giles, having confirmed his interest in the taking on the England team director’s role, is set to play a central part in deciding Kevin Pietersen’s future

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Feb-2014Ashley Giles, having confirmed his interest in the taking on the England team director’s role, is set to play a central part in deciding Kevin Pietersen’s international future next week. According to newspaper reports, a meeting has been scheduled for Tuesday, between Giles, Paul Downton and Alastair Cook, specifically to discuss Pietersen’s involvement with the England team.The meeting is not about selection, although it will directly influence the composition of England’s World Twenty20 squad, which will be announced on Thursday. Andy Flower, who remains a selector despite stepping down as team director, is not expected to attend. Suggestions that Flower thought Pietersen should play no further part with England clouded the end of his reign.Giles, the limited-overs coach who has previously referred to Pietersen as a “million-pound asset”, Downton, England’s new managing director, and the Test and ODI captain, Cook, will now try to determine a mutually agreed way forward.Such ongoing issues, as well as the humiliation of a 7-1 reverse in the limited-overs matches in Australia, have not disturbed Giles’ appetite to succeed Flower. He said after England suffered a T20 whitewash in Sydney that he would be applying for the post, which Flower vacated on Friday.Giles has been installed as the bookmakers’ favourite for a job that would reunite responsibility for England’s Test, ODI and T20 teams under one coach and was described by Giles Clarke, the ECB chairman, as a “very strong candidate”.”I’d be very interested in doing the job definitely,” Giles said. “I’m not going to deny that and I’m sure I’ll be applying for the post.”It’s one of the biggest jobs in cricket and I’d apply for it because I want to do it, as someone who was very proud to play for England and been proud to coach the one-day side. To do the whole job would be a fantastic opportunity but it’s hard work as well and we’ve got a lot of hard work to do before whoever is announced to get in shape for the world cup.”Giles, who played 54 Tests for England, said he had not been expecting Flower to step away and was immediately in touch with Downton.”I was a little surprised at the timing and of the announcement full stop,” Giles said. “Andy’s obviously, not had enough but wanted to call it a day and I guess it is time to move on. I spoke to Paul after the announcement about where I stand. I didn’t know the detail of Andy’s standing down at the time so I wanted to get clear on that.”Having served as England one-day coach since the beginning of 2013, Giles appeared well placed to add the Test side to his remit but his cause has not been helped by a weak showing in Australia, where both the ODI and T20 series were lost at the earliest possible stage.England will attempt to put their Australian nightmare behind them in the West Indies at the end of the month, before the World Twenty20 in Bangladesh, and Giles is well aware that results will feature prominently on his CV.”I think it’s important that I concentrate on what’s coming up in the next couple of months,” Giles said. “If I have to put an application in in the next couple of weeks then I’ll think about it and get it done but results will talk as well.”I’ve got a really big series in the West Indies and more importantly the World Cup in Bangladesh. Our record in the subcontinent for limited-overs cricket isn’t great, so it’s a good challenge. We’re pretty much right at base-level now. And we’ve got a lot of hard work to do and a lot of talking to do to decide which 15 guys we take to Bangladesh to give us the best chance.”Giles’s conversations with Downton will also concern the 15-man squad that England will select for the World T20. That squad, potentially plus an extra bowler, will travel to the West Indies for three ODIs and three T20s. James Whitaker, the new national selector, is expected to make his first announcement on Thursday, though Giles would not be drawn on Pietersen’s chances of being included.”We’ll have a selection meeting when we get back to England,” Giles said. “There’s more than one bloke to talk about. You don’t like guys living in fear but there’s always careers and jobs on the line, whether coaching or playing, we’ve all got to be better and there’ll be no substitute for hard work. That starts in the West Indies, guys can expect some early mornings and some late nights.”We’ll pick the squad this week and go from there. But picking those 15 names at the moment is going to be a tough task. I can’t say how many changes there will be but conditions in Bangladesh will obviously be very different and we’ll have to think about pace off the ball and spin options and think about our tactics full stop.”Although we’re playing three one-day games [in the Caribbean] it give us a good run in to Bangladesh. We need to do a lot of hard work and that will be good preparation.”

The Preview by Sidharth Monga in Durban07-Dec-2013Match factsSunday, December 8, 2013
Start time 1000 local (0800GMT)The Durban pitch was rather indistinguishable from the rest of the square on the eve of the game•ESPNcricinfo Ltd/Sidharth MongaBig PictureIn their first match on the tour of South Africa in 2006-07, India were bowled out for 91 in a 157-run defeat. Four years later they were blown away for 136 in a thrashing by an innings. On this tour it was the turn of their bowlers to be given a rude welcome. Rude enough for Dale Steyn to surmise that their bowling as it is won’t work, and their batsmen were a little frightened. Once again, India find themselves in a familiar situation of trying to salvage the tour. One more similar day, and they will already have lost the ODI series. There is no time for pleasantries on this whistle-stop tour.There is going to be no let-up in South Africa’s intent. During Johannesburg, some commentators wondered why they weren’t given similarly quick pitches against Pakistan. They won’t have much to complain about here; India have come to a green pitch in Durban, which is hard to distinguish from the square. It is overcast with spells of rain, and is expected to stay so during Sunday too. A tailor couldn’t have cut India’s task out better.South Africa, though, won’t want to be complacent. They have been in this position before, and have dropped the ball previously too. Against India in 2010-11, they came here jubilant after an innings win, had a somewhat similar pitch and overhead conditions to work with, but were caught out by a rejuvenated India attack that included Zaheer Khan. South Africa have lost a Test here to Sri Lanka, too. Crowd-wise, Durban will be almost a home venue for India. The hosts won’t want to give the spectators much to cheer about.Form guide South Africa WWLLW (last five completed games, most recent first)
India LWLWWIn the spotlightIn the first ODI Rohit Sharma got a proper working over from Dale Steyn, but the positive aspect was that he didn’t back away or play a crazy shot to find release. This is a big tour for Rohit, who seems to have finally turned the corner with the big ODI series against Australia and hundreds in both his first Tests. He will need to show similar grit on the rest of the tour, and it still won’t be easy because it will require a lot of technique and patience too.Dale Steyn gave the India batsmen a bit of a reality check in Johannesburg. It took India 16 Steyn deliveries to lay bat on ball. Forget about scoring quick runs against him, if he is bowling like that. Rohit tried to play him out, Virat Kohli tried to disturb his lengths by taking risks, but nothing worked. If India are given a big target to chase, Steyn in similar form can decide the game in his first spell itself.Team news Vernon Philander, who tripped a day before the first ODI and injured his shoulder, is fit and available for selection. That can’t be good news for India. He would have loved the conditions at the Wanderers, and will here too. He should replace one out of Lonwabo Tsotsobe and Wayne Parnell in the XI. An injured Imran Tahir is 50-50 for the selection, but an educated guess after looking at the pitch says he will not be needed.South Africa (likely) 1 Hashim Amla, 2 Quinton de Kock (wk) 3 Jacques Kallis, 4 AB de Villiers (capt), 5 JP Duminy, 6 David Miller, 7 Ryan McLaren, 8 Dale Steyn, 9 Morne Morkel, 10 Vernon Philander, 11 Lonwabo Tsotsobe/Wayne ParnellIndia don’t have many quick fixes to their problems. Most of the repair work will have to be done by the same personnel. They could think of bringing in Ajinya Rahane ahead of possibly Yuvraj Singh. Their Test specialists have stayed back in Johannesburg so a slightly drastic step of including Cheteshwar Pujara to bring in solidity has been ruled out. With the ball they might want to bring in a quicker bowler after their first-choice bowlers were found short on pace and menace. Umesh Yadav and Ishant Sharma are their options. It will be interesting to see if they go for a fourth quick.India (likely) 1 Rohit Sharma, 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Yuvraj Singh/Ajinkya Rahane, 5 Suresh Raina, 6 MS Dhoni (capt & wk), 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 R Ashwin, 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar/Umesh Yadav/Ishant Sharma, 10 Mohammed Shami, 11 Mohit SharmaPitch and conditionsLet Steyn summarise it for you: “I have looked at it from the balcony. Looks exactly like the outfield. I am not going to complain about that. I haven’t been down so I don’t what it looks like close up.” Overhead, it has been mainly overcast. It rained quite a bit two days before the match, and there might be an odd drizzle overnight. An overcast Sunday with 20% chance of rain has been overcast, but you can’t really predict weather in South Africa.Stats and trivia India have never won an ODI against South Africa in Durban. Their highest score against the hosts here is 234, the only time they have crossed 200 in six attempts. Hashim Amla hasn’t enjoyed his home venue much. In four ODIs here, he has managed only 109 runs, which is still better than his Test average of 21 at Kingsmead.Quotes “I think our intensity the other night really blew them away. I think we also showed them that they have a weakness in the middle order. Raina, Ashwin, Yuvraj, other batters in the end, they didn’t really look like they wanted to get in line.”
“I don’t think anyone in this Indian team is frightened of anything. We didn’t see anyone close their eyes to a bouncer or play rash strokes.”

Chris Gayle and Marlon Samuels, two batsmen who failed in the first innings, found form in the second, hitting half-centuries on the final day of the drawn three-day game in Kolkata

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Nov-2013
ScorecardFile photo – Marlon Samuels’ fifty came off 47 balls•WICB Media Photo/Nicholas ReidChris Gayle and Marlon Samuels, two batsmen who failed in the first innings, found form in the second, hitting half-centuries on the final day of the drawn three-day game in Kolkata. The West Indians finished on 199 for 5 after Uttar Pradesh declared their first innings at 372 for 9.Gayle and Samuels scored 58 each and both paced their innings in similar fashion. Gayle’s knock came off 49 balls with 11 fours while Samuels’ came off 47 balls with nine fours and a six. Gayle and opener Kieran Powell added 68 before Powell was bowled by Piyush Chawla. The legspinner then took a return catch to get rid of Gayle. Samuels and Denesh Ramdin added a quick 84 at more than a run-a-ball before Arish Alam claimed Samuels. The match ended after the tourists batted out 37 overs.Earlier, Parvinder Singh, overnight on 78, went on to score a century. His 112 off 147 balls included 17 fours and two sixes and he added 57 with Amir Khan. Amir and Chawla narrowly missed their fifties before UP declared 94 short of the visitors’ score. Sheldon Cottrell and Veerasammy Permaul took three wickets each.Even though this was the West Indians’ only warm-up game ahead of the first Test in Kolkata, which starts on November 6, coach Ottis Gibson said they achieved most of their targets during the match as the batsmen spent quality time at the crease and the bowlers got a few overs under their belt.”At the start, we said we wanted to get some quality practice,” Gibson said. “Shivnarine Chanderpaul got a hundred, Narsingh Deonarine batted well and all of the others, but time in the middle was much more important for us. We have not played a Test match for a long time, so it was important for everybody to get a run out and this game was good for us.”It also gave us an understanding of what is going to happen next week and what we need to do, particularly as a bowling attack. We will need to bowl more patiently than we were here, but everyone got a few overs under their belt and this would put us in a good position.”He diminished fears of Kemar Roach and Shane Shillingford missing the Test as they didn’t feature in the practice game. “Shane was supposed to play, but he slept badly on his neck the night before, and had a bit of stiffness,” he said. “Kemar is the same. Those two will add a little bit more potency to our attack, but it was good to see Sheldon Cottrell get a run out in this match, Tino Best also bowled well and so too Veerasammy Permaul, so everything is looking on course for next week.”

South Africa have a task on hand, facing up to the No. 1 Twenty20 side and their much-vaunted short-format attack so soon after the ODI series thumping

The Preview by Andrew Fidel Fernando01-Aug-2013Match factsFriday, August 02, 2013
Start time 1900 local (1330 GMT)South Africa’s batsmen have the demons of the ODI series to overcome•AFPBig PictureBefore South Africa can even allow the lessons of a deflating ODI series loss to sink in, twelve of their one-day squad must now gather themselves for battle in a different format. The teams will play three matches over the next five days, beginning with a game at the R Premadasa Stadium, which has not only been the scene of two mammoth South Africa defeats in the past two weeks, but also a venue that only brought them sorrow in the World Twenty20 last year.Worse for the visitors, Twenty20 has become Sri Lanka’s strongest suit. They have been the top-ranked side in the format since October last year, and have arrived at a short-form formula few teams have successfully countered. The diversity in their attack is Sri Lanka’s greatest forte, but the top order packs a punch as well, and with two bona fide Twenty20 finishers in addition to Nuwan Kulasekara, lower down, they are not far from being a complete Twenty20 side.Chief among South Africa’s concerns has been their batsmen’s inability to handle Sri Lanka’s spinners, and they will hope the format’s demand for aggression will help them shake their funk against the slow bowlers. Ajantha Mendis was their primary tormentor in the ODIs, and though Mendis’ record has worsened in the longer formats overall, his Twenty20 statistics remain as daunting as they have ever been. Teams have unsettled Mendis by attacking him early in his spells in the past, but in order for South Africa to be in a position to do that, they must ensure the top order provides a more stable foundation than they have managed so far in the tour.Form guideSri Lanka WWWLW (most recent first, last five completed matches)
South Africa LWLWLPlayers to watchMahela Jayawardene could not make a significant score in the ODIs, and will want to emphasise his continuing importance to the side as the two other seniors have already done during the tour. He has been Sri Lanka’s best Twenty20 batsmen in the past, but his best innings have come when he has opened, which he may not do on Friday. He did not play in the fifth ODI and perhaps that short break will assist a return to form.AB de Villiers had been woeful with the bat in his first four innings in Sri Lanka, but indicated he had finally come to grips with the conditions with a run-a-ball 51 in the last match. He has been adamant that he is hitting the ball well in training, but may need to shoulder greater run-making responsibility as the most experienced batsman in the Twenty20 side. He will also be rid of the captaincy that appears to have worn him thin in the last fortnight, and perhaps a less burdened mind can spark the sort of innings his side expects from him.Team newsSri Lanka may think about batting Kusal Perera in the middle order, given that is where he has prospered in domestic cricket, but will also be tempted to try him at opener once more. Kulasekara is available for the first time in three weeks, but whether he plays or not will be determined by whether his batting now is deemed good enough for him to replace a batsman. Lahiru Thirimanne will likely make way if so.Sri Lanka (probable): 1. Kusal Perera, 2. Tillakaratne Dilshan, 3. Kumar Sangakkara (wk), 4. Mahela Jayawardene, 5. Dinesh Chandimal (capt), 6. Angelo Mathews, 7. Lahiru Thirimanne/Nuwan Kulasekara, 8. Thisara Perera, 9. Sachithra Senanayake, 10. Ajantha Mendis, 11. Lasith MalingaDe Villers will likely open the innings alongside Henry Davids, as he did in South Africa’s last Twenty20 against Pakistan. Imran Tahir is likely to play as well, and will provide the attacking spin option South Africa have lacked in the ODIs, but the pace bowling spots are less secure, with at least four frontline fast bowlers vying for spots there.South Africa (probable): 1. AB de Villiers (wk), 2. Henry Davids, 3. Faf du Plessis (capt), 4. JP Duminy, 5. David Miller, 6. Ryan McLaren, 7. Chris Morris, 8. Wayne Parnell/Lonwabo Tsotsobe, 10. Rory Kleinveldt/Morne Morkel, 11. Imran TahirPitch and conditionsSlow surfaces have compounded South Africa’s woes, and they should not expect respite from the Premadasa curators for this match. Thunderstorms continue to blow through Colombo, but the rain expected for Friday is forecast to ease well before the match is set to begin.Stats and trivia If Sri Lanka defeat South Africa, they will have the best win-loss ratio in Twenty20 internationals, edging out Pakistan, who have won 1.68 games for each of their losses South Africa beat Sri Lanka by 32 runs, the last time the teams met, during the World Twenty20. The match had been reduced to seven overs a side, due to rain. Quotes”They’ve got some great Twenty20 players coming in; Wayne Parnell, Imran Tahir, Henry Davids. We haven’t played a lot of these guys before, so we can’t take this side lightly – they are still very good.”
“It’s great to have Imran with us because he gets wickets. That’s something that the Sri Lankan spinners have done very well, they’re always picking up wickets. It’s nice to have one of our own to do that and I’ll be using him to attack.”

A preview of the IPL match between Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders

The Preview by Siddhartha Talya06-May-2013Match factsTuesday, May 7, 2013
Start time 2000 (1430 GMT)Mitchell Johnson has bowled with intensity for Mumbai Indians•BCCI

Big pictureDefending champions Kolkata Knight Riders still stand a theoretical chance of making it to the play-offs, and are better placed than some other teams to spoil a party or two. They have made Rajasthan Royals’ job tougher after beating them comprehensively at Eden Gardens, and will be a threat to Mumbai Indians, who they face on Tuesday.Knight Riders may need to win each of their remaining matches to entertain hopes of staying alive; Mumbai could jump to second place should they win, else will feel a little less secure, especially if Rajasthan Royals beat Delhi Daredevils in the afternoon. Mumbai, though, are on a high after inflicting a thrashing on Chennai Super Kings, who, by their own captain’s admission, were complacent after seven wins in a row. And in a season where playing at home has played a decisive role, they’ll be favourites when they take on Knight Riders at the Wankhede Stadium.Form guideMumbai Indians: WLWWW (most recent first)
Kolkata Knight Riders: WLLWLPlayers to watchMitchell Johnson has bowled with intensity this season, something that was evident when he helped Mumbai defend 139 against Super Kings. He bowled with pace, got the ball to move about and, in the company of Lasith Malinga, is perhaps part of the best fast-bowling duo this IPL.Amid the clutter of stars in each team, the contributions of players like Rajat Bhatia are sometimes overlooked. If the track at the Wankhede Stadium plays as slow as it did in the game against Super Kings, Bhatia, with his medium-pace cutters, will be hard to dispatch. He’s picked up nine wickets in 11 games for Knight Riders this season, at 27.88 with an economy-rate of 7.41.Stats and trivia Sunil Narine is six short of 100 wickets in T20 cricket. His career economy-rate in T20 cricket is a remarkable 5.40. Jacques Kallis has scored the most runs off Lasith Malinga in the IPL, 74 off 56 while only being dismissed once. Shane Watson has taken him for 67 off 38. Yusuf Pathan is sixth on the list, with 42 off 35. Quotes”It’s a very good start that I have got. Out of five games I have won four and lost one. I would take that result as a captain. But I am not going to relax. We still need to play good cricket for the next five games and get to the play-offs comfortably.”

Najmul Hossain Shanto and Towhid Hridoy return for seven T20Is against UAE and Pakistan in May-June

Mohammad Isam04-May-2025Wicketkeeper-batter Litton Das has been formally announced as Bangladesh’s T20I captain, while offspinner Mahedi Hasan has been named his deputy for the seven away T20Is against UAE and Pakistan in May-June.Litton replaces Najmul Hossain Shanto in the role after the 26-year-old quit as Bangladesh’s T20I captain earlier this year. Litton had also led Bangladesh in a three-match T20I series in the West Indies last December, with Shanto unavailable due to a hamstring injury. Bangladesh had clean-swept the hosts 3-0.Litton has led Bangladesh in one Test, seven ODIs and four T20Is, but this is the first time that he has been named full-time captain in any format. The 30-year-old was recently ruled out of PSL 2025, where he was part of Karachi Kings, after he sustained a finger injury during training. He has since recovered.Related

• BCB to finalise Pakistan tour based on government directives

• Najmul Hossain Shanto steps down as Bangladesh T20I captain

• Faisalabad returns to calendar for Pakistan vs Bangladesh T20Is

Shanto, meanwhile, is one of five players who have returned to Bangladesh’s T20I squad. Apart from him, the national selectors have also included Towhid Hridoy, Tanvir Islam, Mustafizur Rahman and Shoriful Islam in the 16-member squad. Hridoy had also missed the West Indies series due to an injury, while Mustafizur was attending to a personal issue at the time.There was, however, no place for Afif Hossain, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Ripon Mondol and Taskin Ahmed. Taskin is recovering from an ankle injury, while Mehidy’s exclusion is mildly surprising given he has been part of Bangladesh’s leadership group in recent months.Bangladesh will first play two T20Is against UAE in Sharjah on May 17 and 19. They will then leave for Pakistan to play a five-match T20I series, which begins on May 25. The series will conclude on June 3.

Bangladesh squad for T20Is in UAE and Pakistan

Litton Das (capt), Tanzid Hasan, Parvez Hossain, Soumya Sarkar, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Towhid Hridoy, Shamim Hossain, Jaker Ali, Rishad Hossain, Mahedi Hasan (vice-capt), Tanvir Islam, Mustafizur Rahman, Hasan Mahmud, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Nahid Rana and Shoriful Islam

Chairman says he wants PCB to be first Asian board to launch a women’s T20 league

Danyal Rasool10-Nov-2021PCB chairman Ramiz Raja hinted at the possibility of organising a women’s Pakistan Super League in the near-future. While he is yet to provide any firm plans around the logistics or timing of the move, Ramiz did say he wanted Pakistan to be the first country in Asia to have a women’s T20 league. Alongside the proposed women’s PSL, Ramiz also spoke of launching an U19 PSL.Ramiz was speaking after ECB CEO Tom Harrison visited Pakistan earlier this week to try and repair relations following the recriminations of England pulling out of a two-match T20I series last month. The ECB agreed to tack those two games onto next year’s five-match T20I series, with Ramiz revealing further plans for deeper engagement were also in the offing.”We talked about [improving the] pathways to professional cricket. In October next year, we’ll launch an U19 PSL. This is very exciting because it’s never happened anywhere else. England will send their U19 players, who we’ll look after. I also have the women’s PSL in my mind. We’ll become the first cricket board in Asia to launch that.”Related

• Bismah Maroof returns as Pakistan captain for Women's ODI World Cup

• Pakistan to procure drop-in pitches to simulate Australian conditions

• Australia to tour Pakistan for full series in March 2022

• WI to tour Pakistan in December for three T20Is and ODIs

• England's withdrawal is a slap to Pakistan's face

This is the first time a PCB chairman has publicly discussed the possibility of a women’s T20 league at any level. England and Australia have had women’s T20 leagues, while The Hundred earlier this summer also had a women’s competition. The only women’s franchise-style competition in Asia right now is the Women’s T20 Challenge that the BCCI has held alongside the IPL play-offs, although it didn’t take place this year.Since taking over as PCB chairman in September, Ramiz was handed a baptism of fire when New Zealand and England withdrew from their tours, severely denting what was billed as the first complete home season Pakistan has had in over a decade. After initially raging at what he called the “Western bloc”, Ramiz has tried to engage boards around the world further to ensure Pakistan hasn’t been set back in terms of playing international cricket at home. The tour of the West Indies in December was officially announced last week, while Australia also confirmed their participation in their first full tour to Pakistan since 1998 next year.

Greg Ritchie has been dumped from a planned speaking engagement at the annual Adelaide Test match dinner after his offensive comments at the Gabba

Brydon Coverdale in Brisbane12-Nov-2012Greg Ritchie has been dumped from a planned speaking engagement at the annual Adelaide Test match dinner after his offensive comments during a Gabba function on Friday.Ritchie was due to take part in a discussion on fielding at the black-tie event in Adelaide on November 20 and on Sunday night, the South Australian Cricket Association (SACA) indicated that his appearance would go ahead. However, the SACA chief executive Keith Bradshaw said that once the organisation became aware of Ritchie’s speech and his lack of contrition, it revoked his invitation to appear at the function.”Details about Greg Ritchie’s comments at a Brisbane Test lunch were brought to SACA’s attention on Sunday evening and subsequent comments made by him came to light early this morning,” Bradshaw said. “Cricket Australia representatives in Brisbane contacted SACA early this morning to advise of the situation and immediate action was taken.”SACA and Cricket Australia are proactively committed to their formal obligations to the ICC Anti-Racism Code and to the Australian Human Rights Commission’s anti-racism campaign, of which cricket is a formal partner. SACA actively promotes details of the ICC code at all international cricket matches played at Adelaide Oval.”Cricket Australia’s spokesman Peter Young said on Adelaide radio on Monday morning that both CA and the SACA agreed that Ritchie was not an appropriate guest speaker at the function.”In the conversation that we had this morning, their view was that it’s just not tenable for him to be part of that dinner given what they now understand to be the facts from Brisbane,” Young said on ABC radio. “What we are doing today is sending a letter to all of the venues and also to all the state cricket associations reminding them of the Australian cricket commitment to the ICC anti-racism code.”After his Gabba speech was reported in South Africa’s , Ritchie expressed little remorse and claimed that his comments had been taken out of context. Ritchie also defended an anti-Muslim joke that was part of the repertoire overheard at the Gabba on Friday and Young said Ritchie would not be welcome at official functions this summer.”Effectively we are,” Young said when asked if Cricket Australia was banning Ritchie. “We do not believe that it’s appropriate for him to be speaking at international cricket events, particularly after not only the incident itself, but his follow-up comments.”

Mike Hesson has been named as the new head coach of New Zealand and has been handed a contract until the end of the 2015 World Cup

Brydon Coverdale20-Jul-2012

Mike Hesson has been confirmed as the new head coach of New Zealand and has been handed a contract until the end of the 2015 World Cup. Hesson, 37, previously spent six years in charge of Otago and took over as Kenya’s head coach after last year’s World Cup, but quit after 10 months in the role due to concerns over the safety of his family and their quality of life in Kenya.He beat the Glamorgan mentor and former New South Wales coach Matthew Mott for the role, while the New Zealand and Delhi Daredevils assistant Trent Woodhill also missed out. John Wright will remain in charge until the end of the ongoing tour of the West Indies and Hesson’s first tour with the squad will be the upcoming trip to India, which begins with a Test in Hyderabad on August 23.He will become New Zealand’s fifth coach in less than four years. John Bracewell stood down in December 2008 and his successor Andy Moles lasted barely a year. Mark Greatbatch then took over in January 2010 before being replaced by Wright, who spent 16 months in the job before deciding not to renew his contract beyond this year’s Caribbean tour.Wright cited differences with John Buchanan, New Zealand Cricket’s director of cricket, as one of the reasons he had decided not to continue in the role. Buchanan said Hesson would bring a fresh approach and new energy to the New Zealand side.”We were impressed with the way Mike presented himself and he was the stand-out applicant from a strong field of candidates,” Buchanan said. “Mike has been a successful first-class coach with the Otago team in recent years and has also had valuable experience working with New Zealand A sides. He also spent some time assisting the Black Caps coaching staff during the 2010 Chappell-Hadlee Series and we’re fortunate to have secured his services for the national team.”Mike’s impressive career path also includes the SportNZ Elite Coach Accelerator Programme where he not only had the honour of being selected for the programme, but finished as one of the highly commended participants. He will bring a freshness and new energy to the side and we know he is more than capable of developing and growing the team as we work towards the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015.”Mike Hesson’s career at a glance

Started his coaching career at the age of 22

Served as director for Otago Cricket between 1998 and 2004

Appointed as the national coach for Argentina

Became head coach for Otago between 2005-06 and 2010-11 during which they won a one-day and a T20 title

Served as Kenya national coach for 10 months from 2011 to 2012 during which the team managed only one win in nine matches

Contracted as New Zealand’s head coach till the end of 2015 World Cup

As a player, Hesson represented Otago’s second XI but did not reach first-class level, and focused on coaching from a young age. In 1998 he became the youngest person to attain NZC’s level three coaching qualification and from 1998 to 2004 he was the coaching director for Otago Cricket, before he took over as the national coach of Argentina.From 2005-06 until 2010-11 he was the head coach of Otago and delivered them a one-day title and a Twenty20 title, and during that time he also served as the head coach of New Zealand A. David White, the chief executive of NZC, said Hesson had all the right coaching credentials to be successful in the job.”He was earmarked early in his career as one of the most talented coaches in New Zealand and it’s pleasing to be providing an opportunity to someone who is so deserving,” White said. “Mike is highly regarded by his peers, the players he has worked with and the wider family of cricket and I believe he is exactly what the Black Caps need as we look to move our team forward.”Hesson will be taking over a side that sits seventh on the ICC Test rankings, as they stand before the West Indies series, and eighth in the ODI rankings. One of his early challenges will be to guide the side through the ICC World Twenty20; New Zealand are sixth on the ICC T20 rankings but failed to move beyond the group stages in the past two World T20 events.”Having the opportunity to coach the Black Caps is very special for me,” Hesson said. “I am passionate about cricket in New Zealand and doing the best job I can for the players and the fans of cricket in this country. My coaching philosophy is essentially built around setting world-class standards to produce excellence and that’s what I intend to do with the Black Caps. It’s a big challenge but one I’m ready for and excited about.”

Gautam Gambhir, the Kolkata Knight Riders captain, has said that the side’s decision to keep the faith in their “core group” of players, including Yusuf Pathan, is one of the reasons for their strong performance

ESPNcricinfo staff23-May-2012Gautam Gambhir, the Kolkata Knight Riders captain, has said that the side’s decision to keep the faith in their “core group” of players, including Yusuf Pathan, has been a factor in their strong performance this season. Yusuf, who had a series of low scores throughout this IPL, came good in the first qualifier against Delhi Daredevils on Tuesday, his unbeaten 40 off 21 deliveries crucial in taking Knight Riders to the final.”After we lost to Chennai Super Kings, at Eden Gardens, I was asked why I stick to the core group of players… the answer is, because I want them to believe that I have complete faith in them,” Gambhir said after the qualifier. “Only that can boost them to give their best. That only will make them stand up to these tough challenges. I was also asked why I persist with Yusuf Pathan. I have always said that he is a magical player and that he will come good when it would matter the most. I was proved right today.”Mahela Jayawardene, the Daredevils batsman, said that the partnership between Yusuf and Laxmi Shukla – 56 runs in four overs – took the game away from his side. “In a Twenty20 game, it is tough to say anyone is out of form,” Jayawardene said. “I think there was a great platform for him [Yusuf] to come and play his natural game, which is hitting the ball clean. Our guys bowled a few good yorkers. When they did not hit those zones marginally, he hit a few good [shots]. Laxmi batted really well too. I think his cameo gave Yusuf the confidence to go after our guys.”Gambhir said that after their narrow loss to Kings XI Punjab, Knight Riders could have dropped players, which he was not in favour of. “We could have easily chopped and changed when we lost to Kings XI. We could have easily made harsh decisions but it is important [to] stick to the core group of players and make them believe that everyone backs them. Maybe that’s one of the reasons we have done well.Gautam Gambhir on Yusuf Pathan: “I have always said that he will come good when it would matter the most.”•AFP”The players who are there in the KKR dressing room are there because I have complete faith in them. Whoever sits in the dressing room, I completely back them. That is why they are part of KKR.”Everyone has been talking about Yusuf and Manoj Tiwary, but the way Manoj batted in Mumbai, those 40 [41] runs he made were as important as any runs in the tournament. I have always mentioned that those small contributions make you win games. For me Shukla’s contribution [24 not out off 11] made the difference [in the qualifier]. It is not about someone getting 60 or 70 at the top of the order. It is about someone who comes lower down the order or someone like Rajat Bhatia who can bowl two-three overs at a good economy-rate.”When asked about Brett Lee missing out on the playing XI, Gambhir said that no one was bigger than the team. “It is about the best XI that is going to go out and win the game for us. It is not about Brett Lee. It is not about individuals. From me to Jacques Kallis to no one. If I feel that I am not hitting the ball well and there is someone else who can do the job for KKR, I will be the first one sitting out. It will always be about KKR when I am [in charge].”Brendon McCullum, the Knight Riders wicketkeeper and former captain, called Gambhir an “outstanding” leader, saying that he had led from the front. “He is very soft-spoken in the changing room and around the group, and on the field he leads through performance and through actions,” McCullum told . “Technically, he has been very good and has used Sunil Narine incredibly well and he has got a lot out of the other guys as well. He has been excellent as a captain so far.”Gambhir, McCullum’s opening partner, has been Knight Riders’ best batsman by some distance this season, making six half-centuries compared to the three fifties the rest of his batsmen have scored in all. “He has been hitting the ball as well as anyone in the tournament,” McCullum said. “I, from the other end, try to give him strike – that is probably the reverse of the roles that we thought of at the start of the tournament. I can’t take credit [for] the partnerships where he has played beautifully and made my work easy, and I just try to hang in around and get him on strike.”