The Winnipeg Hawks recently appointed David Warner, the opening batsman of Australia as captain of Global T20 Canada. The 31 year old Australian batsman replaces the West Indian skipper Dwayne Bravo. The coach of Winnipeg Hawks Waqar Younis recently said that he would be an excellent leader and a team player. Warner is straightforward and believes in sharing whatever knowledge he has with his team. Although Warner was out from domestic and international state cricket for one year, he is still as competitive as he was. He is now gearing up to show his captaincy skills again. He is ready to become the captain of Winnipeg Hawks in Global T20 in Canada post Bravo was out of the tournament.
Warner was the former vice captain of Australia’s Test and ODI in addition to a general skipper of T20 who was stopped from starting his career again in cricket. As per Pakistan legend Waqar Younis, Warner will turn out to be a good leader and do a brilliant job as a captain. Warner had his share of joyful moments in his brief tenure as a captain of Sunriser Hyderabad in IPL as well as Australia. He made Sunrisers achieve the IPL title in 2016. The fellow mates of T20 praised Warner by labeling him as a calm and unemotional person. Warner is responsible and takes the onus as a captain. If things don’t turn out as expected, he tries to move on fast. He ensures that there is not too much pressure as he is quite clear and practical about his game strategies. (more…)
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Darren Lehmann has hinted that it’s the batting potential of Ashton Agar which might have got him the nod ahead of the veteran O’Keefe for the upcoming Bangladesh series.
O’Keefe had won Australia a test match single-handedly in India and in the other matches of that tour as well, his performances were there and thereabouts and it was really hard to imagine that he would not be on the flight to Bangladesh.
But, the Australian selection committee, much to the surprise of everyone, has kept him out of the touring party to Bangladesh and has put their weight behind Ashton Agar to do the same kind of role that O’Keefe had done on India tour.
Lehmann during his address to the media acknowledges that O’Keefe’s bowling was really satisfactory, but, he gave the impression that in his opinion, Agar is a little more versatile in comparison to O’Keefe and that opens up a lot of options for the think tank.
As per Lehmann, with Agar in the mix, the think tank can even go with a three man pace attack because they know that the Western Australian southpaw has it in him to do the job with the bat too and he can take the place of a specialist batsman in top 7.
And secondly his fielding is also a positive. He is a very agile young man and his presence brings a lot of energy and intensity on to the field.
Lehmann however stresses that Agar is not a guaranteed pick and Swepson, the other spinner in the squad, also has a chance of making it into the XI as the second spinner or it may also be possible that both of them play with the lead spinner Nathan Lyon. No combination can be ruled out yet.
INDIA-AUSTRALIA TEST SERIES DREW BIG NUMBERS
The numbers from the Border-Gavaskar Test series are out and Star India are celebrating the record-breaking TV audience from the enthralling series.
The Test series was a close one, and with tempers flying left, right and centre, the audiences remained glued.
Star India claim the figures posted are the highest for a Test series on Indian television. The four match series eventually ended 2-1 in favour of the hosts but it was a hard-fought one. India won the final Test in Dharamsala to claim victory but the Aussies produced a strong performance in the third Test in Ranchi to get a draw. In the history of India’s Broadcast Audience Research Council, the series’ 1.1 billion tally is the all-time highest. Each game averaged over 280 million gross impressions –a figure that is tens of millions more than the figure posted after the recent one-time Test against Bangladesh.
The game against Bangladesh drew more audience than the five match series against England. India had hosted the series in the summer where a strong performance gave them a 4-0 victory. About 243 million impressions reportedly saw the game.
A spokesperson for Star India said: “The Indian cricket team continued their high levels of performance as they reclaimed the No. 1 Test team title, beating opponents like New Zealand, England, Bangladesh and Australia. With success across all the formats, the fans were delighted to witness such an action-packed home season of cricket with every season being exciting and unpredictable.”
Before the Border-Gavaskar Test, many had expected the Aussies to lose by a huge margin, particularly with the series on home soil. The hosts had not lost a home game for several matches while the Australia cricket team had historically poor results in India. When the series started, Australia humbled their hosts and went on to start the second Test brilliantly. Nathan Lyon was impressive but India had to fight hard to get a win. Many analysts pick that as the game changer in the Test series as Australia leading 2-0 would have been difficult.
Mitchell Starc has warned Ravichandran Ashwin
Mitchell Starc has warned Ravichandran Ashwin that he will have to deal with some serious music from him on his next tour Down Under.
The story between Starc and Ashwin goes back to the Bengaluru test match.
It actually started with Abhinav Mukund top edging Starc for six runs over the keeper’s head which didn’t go well with the southpaw pacer and he had a few words to say in return to the Indian opener.
While speaking, Starc was also pointing towards his head as if he was telling Mukund that he should be ready to be stuck on the head in the next over.
Mukund, however, got dismissed by Josh Hazlewood before Starc could bowl any more deliveries to him.
But, Ashwin, who comes from the same state as Mukund and is very close to him, didn’t like Starc’s sledging and decided to have a revenge for his friend.
Luckily when Starc came in to bat, Ashwin was firing on all cylinders and he bowled an absolute peach to the big Aussie to knock him over and then made the same gesture towards him that he had made towards Mukund earlier.
By making that gesture, the off spinner probably taunted Starc that he wasn’t able to do what he had said and instead he had been cleaned up himself.
Starc, at that time, just went off the field with a wry smile on his face, but, recently after reaching Australia, when he was asked what message he would like to convey to Ashwin, the speedster said that Ashwin would get an answer of that when he faces him on the Australian turf in future.
Ashwin wouldn’t be afraid hearing that though. He is that kind of a personality. He is always up for a challenge and he is not the worst player of the short balls either.
AUSTRALIA TO FACE AMIR IN DAY-NIGHT TEST
Mohammed Amir, Pakistan’s paceman will continue his quest for redemption in the upcoming Test series as he is set to play against the Australian Cricket team in the day-night test.
Several words have been made use of, in a bid to describe Amir, such as ‘ex-fixer’, and a host of others but the catchcry the Australian team will be sticking with is ‘another player.”
At the age of 18 and at the request of Captain Salman Butt, Amir deliberately bowled a series of no balls in a test. This thus put him in the spotlight amongst two other Pakistan cricketers in 2010 that were embroiled in a spot-fixing scandal.
As a result of this, Amir was sent to prison to spend three months and was banned from the cricket game for no less than five years.
With the day-night test starting on Thursday in Gabba, Amir’s comeback has been divisive and far from being seamless. A training camp last year was boycotted by team mates, Mohammed Hafeez and Azhar Ali due to the presence of Amir. Early this year had seen the swing specialist being taunted by the New Zealand crowds.
However, some past players such as Mitchell Johnson believes that what the left-armer deserves is sympathy because at the time, he was just a teenager coerced into action by his captain.
And after the scandal, other players such as Ian Healy and Andrew Flintoff, former England skipper wanted harsher sentences for match fixers.
Fellow left-armer, Mitchell Starc was not willing to shed any light on which side of the fence he sits,
“He’s playing Test cricket. He’s another player in their team and we’ll address him in the team meeting. That’s all that needs to be said I think,” Starc said in Brisbane.
AUSTRALIA TO FACE AMIR IN DAY-NIGHT TEST
Mohammed Amir, Pakistan’s paceman will continue his quest for redemption in the upcoming Test series as he is set to play against the Australian Cricket team in the day-night test.
Several words have been made use of, in a bid to describe Amir, such as ‘ex-fixer’, and a host of others but the catchcry the Australian team will be sticking with is ‘another player.”
At the age of 18 and at the request of Captain Salman Butt, Amir deliberately bowled a series of no balls in a test. This thus put him in the spotlight amongst two other Pakistan cricketers in 2010 that were embroiled in a spot-fixing scandal.
As a result of this, Amir was sent to prison to spend three months and was banned from the cricket game for no less than five years.
With the day-night test starting on Thursday in Gabba, Amir’s comeback has been divisive and far from being seamless. A training camp last year was boycotted by team mates, Mohammed Hafeez and Azhar Ali due to the presence of Amir. Early this year had seen the swing specialist being taunted by the New Zealand crowds.
However, some past players such as Mitchell Johnson believes that what the left-armer deserves is sympathy because at the time, he was just a teenager coerced into action by his captain.
And after the scandal, other players such as Ian Healy and Andrew Flintoff, former England skipper wanted harsher sentences for match fixers.
Fellow left-armer, Mitchell Starc was not willing to shed any light on which side of the fence he sits,
“He’s playing Test cricket. He’s another player in their team and we’ll address him in the team meeting. That’s all that needs to be said I think,” Starc said in Brisbane.
Darren Lehmann May Sack any Player for Upcoming Series
Darren Lehmann hints that any player in the Aussie side may have to suffer the sack for the coming match in Colombo.
It’s believed that bowling quartet might just be retained as they bowled out Sri Lanka twice in Galle, but, some of the batters, who played the previous two matches, would perhaps find themselves carrying waters.
However, Lehmann has assured whoever has to leave his place in the eleven would still be in the frame of selection when the South Africa series begins and the sack would only be for this particular game.
The young Australian top order players who, since being drafted into the side the previous summer, had been racking up tons have not looked any better than the school boys facing slow bowling of Sri Lanka.
However, pulling them up for poor skills or preparation is harsh because it’s their first exposure to such conditions. In Australia, rarely do they find such dryness in the surfaces they play and rarely do they see red ball turn with as much fizz as it has done in Sri Lanka.
Back in the day, a couple of Aussie surfaces were like that and 2-pacer-2-spinner combination was a fruitful prospect and Australia hence had a couple of decent players of spin too.
But, nowadays each and every surface that the Australian curators present is true and batting season in season out on such stone hard surfaces does not develop spin playing skills in the players at all.
Lehmann himself had talked up this issue ahead of the second test and had demanded variation in the playing conditions around the country.
Brendan McCullum was loved in each Cricket Format
Brendan McCullum was one player who was loved in each and every Cricket playing nation.
And, that’s why, when the reports of his retirement came through, there was a sense of sadness in the entire Cricketing fraternity.
B Mac was not more than an average player in the first half of his career, but, he really teed off in his early thirties and was probably still at his peak when he decided to call it quits.
McCullum’s batting style was such an audacious one. He could just destroy the morale of any bowler in the world.
He was not afraid to go down the track against even the quickest of the bowlers. His biggest strength was his bat speed and his quick foot movement.
His quick feet allowed him to leave the crease very, very late and thus, he would very rarely give the bowler the opportunity to adjust his length.
He was at times impossible to bowl to.
And, he was a top class wicketkeeper as well earlier in his career. However, as he grew older and had a few back troubles, he gave up the gloves and started playing as a specialist batsman.
But, he was as sharp as anyone behind the stumps when he used to do the wicket keeping job as well for the Black Caps.
However, the thing for which McCullum would be remembered for the most is his leadership. He captained New Zealand to great success in all formats of the game and almost won them the World Cup in 2015.
And, he always made them play the game in the right spirit.
Many believe McCullum is the best captain that has ever captained New Zealand to date.
Of course, number-wise, Stephen Fleming is a long way ahead, but, in terms of having the influence on New Zealand Cricket; McCullum is unmatchable.
Brendan McCullum retirement Brings in Sadness in Cricketing fraternity
Brendan McCullum was one player who was loved in each and every Cricket playing nation. And, that’s why, when the reports of his retirement came through, there was a sense of sadness in the entire Cricketing fraternity.
McCullum’s batting style was such an audacious one. He could just destroy the morale of any bowler in the world.
He was not afraid to go down the track against even the quickest of the bowlers. His biggest strength was his bat speed and his quick foot movement.
His quick feet allowed him to leave the crease very, very late and thus, he would very rarely give the bowler the opportunity to adjust his length.
He was at times impossible to bowl to.
And, he was a top class wicketkeeper as well earlier in his career. However, as he grew older and had a few back troubles, he gave up the gloves and started playing as a specialist batsman.
But, he was as sharp as anyone behind the stumps when he used to do the wicket keeping job as well for the Black Caps.
However, the thing for which McCullum would be remembered for the most is his leadership. He captained New Zealand to great success in all formats of the game and almost won them the World Cup in 2015.
And, he always made them play the game in the right spirit.
Many believe McCullum is the best captain that has ever captained New Zealand to date.
Of course, number-wise, Stephen Fleming is a long way ahead, but, in terms of having the influence on New Zealand Cricket; McCullum is unmatchable.
Shane Warne believes Adil Rashid has got the potential
Shane Warne believes Adil Rashid has got the potential to win games for England with his leggies, but, only if the team management does not run out of patience with him.
Rashid has started his test career on England’s ongoing
tour of Emirates and has been proving to be very expensive in front of the Pakistani batsmen who are pretty efficient when it comes to handling the spinners.
But, according to Warne, Rashid is only in the early stages of his test career. He will get better with more games.
Speaking on the sidelines of England’s practice session ahead of the third game of the series which Pakistan is currently leading 1-0, the 46-year old who is arguably considered the best spinner of all time said, “Leg spin is not an easy art. You excel at it only with experience. I believe he is a good talent, Rashid. He’s got the resources that you ideally need to be a successful leggie, but, we will see him putting his best on the ground only if he is persisted with.”
“Leg spinners will always dish out some hit-me deliveries, but, they are wicket takers and can win you games. These are early days for Rashid and he can be groomed into a really good test Cricketer for England. I had a little conversation with him a while ago and I told him that he shouldn’t be worried if he is taken for a few boundaries in some of his spells. It happens. He just has to make sure he gets more consistent and works batsmen out.”
Rashid will be a big player for England going into the Sharjah game. Although the Sharjah pitch happens to be flat initially but, it starts turning considerably from the 4th day onwards.
Steve Smith confirmed yesterday that he’s not Australia’s captain
Steve Smith confirmed yesterday that he’s not Australia’s captain in the shortest form of the game and it was just because of Aaron Finch’s unavailability that he led the side in the one off Twenty-20 versus England the other day.
Finch has not been included in the Australian limited-over squads versus England as he is on a comeback trial after injury and it was Smith who’s named the captain of both the 20-over as well as the 50-over teams after which there were some talks that the Aussie selectors might have decided to ditch the theory of split captaincy and have just one captain from here onwards considering the fact that Smith is an automatic pick in the playing XI in all formats of the game.
But, addressing the press following a 5-run defeat at the hands of England in Cardiff, Smith said, “Aaron Finch is our skipper as far as Twenty-20 Cricket is concerned. We will be moving forward under him in this format. I was in charge tonight just because he’s not here. I will be handing over the reins to him once he is back fit.”
Twenty 20 is the priority of most of the teams at the moment as the next World Championship, which is going to be organized in India, is not too far ahead.
That is one ICC tournament that Australia has never been able to win so far in their 5 attempts.
Their best outing was in West Indies in 2010 when they had reached the final only to be smashed by the arch rivals England.
This time around, the Kangaroos would be desperate to win the title. The conditions would not be that easy for them though especially if one takes into account that the World Championship is going to be played at the end of the season there in India and thus, the pitches will lack freshness.
Australia managed to beat England by 3-2
Australia managed to beat England by 3-2 in the 5-match One Day International series.
The Kangaroos won the decider easily by 8 wickets yesterday and ended their disappointing tour on a good note.
The conditions were perfect for batting on a gorgeous day at Old Trafford and it was a very good toss to win for England.
The ball was always going to nip around early on, but, after half an hour or so; the batting would have been enjoyable.
David Lloyd, during the pre match show on Sky Sports, had also suggested that there were good chances of the game being a high scoring affair as the surface was rock hard and there would be nice carry for the batsman to be able to hit their shots on the up.
But, what happened with England is that they lost wickets in heaps at the start.
Jason Roy had to head back to the pavilion after a howler of a decision by Joe Wilson, while, Alex Hales played another disappointing shot to be caught at the 30-yard circle again.
The onus was on the pair of Taylor and Morgan, but, this time around, they failed to dig deep.
Taylor was caught behind trying to fish at a delivery which he perhaps should have shouldered arm and then, Morgan was hit flush on the head by a Mitchell Starc bumper and had to retire hurt.
However, the good news came across later that the Ireland born left hander just had a slight concussion and he’s doing alright.
Ben Stokes’ handy batting kept England in the game just for a short duration, but, once, he was dismissed, the lower order couldn’t show much respite as they had done in the previous games.
Australia smashed their way to the target of 140 with more than 50% of the deliveries still to be bowled in their innings.
Mitchell Johnson had proved to be sort of unplayable for England
It’s not long back when Mitchell Johnson had proved to be sort of unplayable for England.
The Three Lions were just not able to find a way to deal with the left arm speedster when they had faced him in Australia a couple of years back.
But, Johnson might not be able to make the same sort of impact in the Ashes series this time around as he is not going to get the pitches to his liking.
The English pitches will be slow and low and bounce will not be that much of a factor.
However, with the speed that Johnson can crank up, he might still have a thing or two to say, but, for him to intimidate the batsmen the same way as he had done in 2013-14, it’s probably not possible.
However, the second Mitchell in the Australian team i.e. Mitchell Starc would thrive on the English conditions.
Starc, like Johnson, also bowls left arm fast and is of the same speed, but, the length that he delivers is quite different.
He looks to keep the ball full and swing it back into the right handed batsmen.
And, he is very accurate, Starc. Despite being in the high one forties, rarely does he offer a loose ball to the batsman.
It would be interesting though if Starc gets himself into the playing XI or not for the first test in Cardiff.
Ryan Harris and Johnson are the two certainties and the competition for the third place is between Starc and Josh Hazlewood.
The Cardiff wicket can turn on the 4th and the 5th day. So, there is not much chance of Australia fielding an all pace attack.
Australia has not won an away Ashes series in the last 14 years.
James Faulkner is very quickly turning into all rounder
James Faulkner is very quickly turning himself into a batting all rounder now. These days in the Indian Premier League, he is batting 5 or 6 for his team Rajasthan Royals and he is delivering for them too.
Faulkner’s biggest strength as a hitter is his bat swing. It’s so fluent that most of the times, the connection happens to be perfect and the ball goes sailing into the stands and, his power too.
Faulkner is such an incredibly strong man that he actually does not need to hit the ball off the meat of the blade to get the maximum value for his shots. His half hits are enough.
However, he would be a little concerned that his bowling has not remained quite as effective as it was a couple of seasons back especially when he plays on unresponsive pitches.
On pitches which do a little bit, Faulkner can put some effects on the batsmen, but, on flat decks, he travels and that’s because he does not make the ball move after pitching on the surface.
He varies the speed with the back of the hand stuff, but, no movement in the air or off the pitch.
However, being the left arm over the wicket bowler, he gets that natural angle away from the right handed batsmen, but, if he adds that inward movement to his repertoire as well, he would be a far better bowler.
Nevertheless, if his batting and bowling skills are combined together, he is still good enough to find a place in any limited-over XI in the world at the moment.
In the final of the recently concluded World Cup which was played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne, Faulkner was the man of the match.
Glenn Maxwell back in form is helping Australian Team
Glenn Maxwell’s return in form is the best news for Australia at this stage because if Maxwell is delivering with the bat, it makes them that much more deadly a team to contend with.
In the title game of the Carlton Mid tri series, Maxwell scored 95. The value of that knock was immense just because of the time at which it was played.
English had the chance to win that game right there when Maxwell arrived. If they had got rid of the Victorian and a couple more low order players cheaply, the Aussies would have struggled to get to even 150 on those tricky 22 yards in Perth.
But, Maxwell, with his crisp batting, changed the game and showed why he had been given that name ‘The Big Show’ by the Kangaroo fans. He is indeed a big occasion player.
When you have as much talent as a batsman as Maxwell has, you always think of playing miraculous shots. But, the game comes back to bite you on the back if you look to get over ambitious. You might be the most talented in the world, but, you have to keep your shape, otherwise, the success will always elude you.
Maxwell seems to have understood that. He has learnt how important it is to get rid of the recklessness. Off late, he has looked to give himself some balls before going nuts. He used to go for biggies from the first ball in the past.
Even in that final against England, he was vey watchful to start with. Of course, when the drive was on or the cut was on, he went for it, but, there was no forcing the issue.
He is such a good player, Maxwell, that if he just tries to play normally, he would score at better than a run a ball.
Mitchell Johnson affected by Workload
Mitchell Johnson appears to have been affected by the amount of workload that has been put on him this summer by his captain Steven Smith.
The ferocious fast bowler is starting to collapse a little bit and the reports are coming through that the Australian team management might keep him out of the Sydney test match on precautionary grounds.
In the three test matches against India, Johnson has not bowled with the same kind of pace that he had been bowling with during the 2013-14 Ashes series.
He has been bowling in the one-forties, but, he has not crossed one-fifty mark too many times, something that he had been doing on a regular basis against England.
There are only a few Indian batsmen who have been hurried by Johnson’s deliveries in the ongoing test series. Most of them have played him alright. Some have even had a go at him.
The experts reckon that Smith has shown his inexperience as captain by bowling Johnson in longer spells. He must have been using his fastest bowler in shorter bursts, but, he hasn’t done that.
Michael Clarke was very smart at using Johnson. He would always give him short spells and at crucial times.
Whenever Clarke sensed that a particular batsman was feeling a bit iffy on the back foot, he would bring Johnson on.
Clarke was a wily customer. Smith is a young man. He is only a few test matches old at the moment. He would learn.
In case Johnson misses out in Sydney, Australia might replace him with a spinner.
Sydney wicket is known to crack up from the 4th day onwards and it turns big. So, Ashton Agar along with Nathan Lyon might give the Indians some headache.
And, these young Indian batsmen don’t play spin particularly well.
Australia wont be Playing up to their Strenght
Australia might not be playing with the strongest XI in the opening game of the test series versus India.
Many of the players who regularly feature for the Kangaroos in test cricket are devastated by the recent Phillip Hughes’ tragedy and the Australian Cricket Board totally understands their situation.
The board chief, Mr. James Sutherland, clearly said while talking to the press yesterday that it’s not mandatory for every player to feature in the first game.
According to Sutherland, those who feel that they need more time to work their way through this horrific phase can withdraw themselves.
In the words of Sutherland, “Anybody who is uncomfortable getting back to the game in such a short space of time can pull out. The board as well as the audience would understand it. We have all been hurt and it’s just about co-operating each other at this point in time.”
“It’s not a limited-over game which would get over in a few hours. It’s the longest form of the game and you are tested mentally while playing it. So, it’s up to the individual players to make the decision about their availability. We would be okay with their decisions.”
Actually, quite a few of the Aussie players were playing in that game in which Hughes took that life taking blow on one of his arteries. They saw that happening in front of their eyes. So, it’s quite obvious that are shattered emotionally and it would take them a while to be normal again.
However, Michael Clarke, who is the skipper of the Australian test side, wants to play and help his juniors out there in the middle.
The first game would be played from 9th to 13th of this month at the Adelaide Oval.
Gurney gets another opportunity on the back of Broad injury
Stuart Broad’s injury has given Harry Gurney another opportunity to prove that he is World Cup material.
The Southpaw paceman would probably not have found himself in the touring party to Sri Lanka if Broad had not been sitting out recovering from his operation.
Broad and Anderson are two certainties in the England bowling line up in the World Cup. The third will certainly be a spinner, whether it’s James Tredwell or Moeen Ali and the fifth will be an all rounder.
So, only one spot is up for grabs and that is of the third seamer and for that, Gurney will have to battle with Steven Finn and the West Indies born Chris Jordan.
The advantage that Gurney has over the above mentioned two other names i.e. Finn and Jordan is that he is a left hander. So, if he is there, he makes the attack a little versatile. He would come with a different sort of angle for the batsmen and bowling in tandem with the new ball with Anderson, he can do some damage to the opposition upfront.
Also, he can bowl slower balls with efficiency which Finn and Jordan can’t. Finn showed in the India series though that he is trying to develop that off spinning slower one, but, he doesn’t have full control over it as yet.
Gurney, on the other hand, has got a back of the hand slower ball which is always tougher to pick than the off spinning one.
In the T20 game against India last month, Gurney had bowled a couple of economical overs towards the end of the innings against probably the fiercest batsman in world cricket right now i.e. MS Dhoni.
So, he has a lot of plus points about him, but, its performances which count and not the ability. So, he will have to come good in Sri Lanka.
Clarke Admits Smith Needs To Be In the Team
The captain of the Australian Cricket Team, Michael Clarke, has admitted that not including the middle order batsman Steven Smith in the playing XI was a wrong decision in yesterday’s match against Zimbabwe.
Australia, shockingly, lost that match to Zimbabwe by 3 wickets. It was their first defeat against the African nation in more than three decades.
The track at Harare Sports Club was clearly sluggish and was expected to turn. But, in spite of that, the Australian team management left out Smith who not only is a good batsman against spin, but, a good spin bowler as well, probably more than a part timer. So, he would have offered a lot more in those conditions than somebody like Mitchell Marsh or even Glenn Maxwell for that matter.
Speaking in the post match press conference, Clarke said, “Steve could be useful here yes. But, the bottom line is that we just didn’t play well enough. The conditions were difficult no doubt, but, that doesn’t mean you can’t win. Obviously, credit goes to Zimbabwe. They were positive towards the end there and they should get all the plaudits for what they have done. Congratulations to them.”
When asked why the spearhead fast bowler Mitchell Johnson was not in the playing XI either, the Kangaroo skipper said, “Actually, the final call on the playing XI is taken by the selectors and my job is just to manage the proceedings on the ground. But, as I said replying to the previous question as well that whichever players are out there, they need to play well. With performance like this, we wouldn’t win any game against any team.”
Australia’s next match in the tri-series is against the South African team at the Harare Sports Club only on Tuesday.
Gilchrist Believes Cook Should Settle Differences With Warne
Adam Gilchrist reckons that Alastair Cook, the English captain, should meet Shane Warne and try to sort out his differences with the leg spinner.
Warne has been Cook’s biggest critic in the last 12 months. He clearly says that the Essex left hander is not good enough to be leading the English side.
Warne has an issue with Cook’s negative approach on the field. According to him, the England captain keeps looking for a safer route and that’s why, the Three Lions don’t manage to win matches.
What Warne is saying about Cook is not completely baseless. England is generally known to be a very strong team at home, but, this summer, out of the three test matches that they have played on their home soil, they haven’t won any. They have, in fact, lost one against Sri Lanka, while, the remaining couple have been draws.
Warne believes that Cooks defensive captaincy is largely responsible for England’s poor outings at home of late.
In one of his columns recently, Warne had written that Cook’s performance as captain in the second match of the test series against Sri Lanka was as bad as it could have got.
In that match, Sri Lanka, despite conceding the first innings lead, had emerged out victorious at the end.
When asked about Cook being severely criticized by Warne, Gilchrist said, “I think Alastair should call Shane and talk to him. Shane would surely not mind it.”
“What Shane has said so far about Alastair is not too different from what the others are saying.”
When Gilchrist was asked about his thoughts on Cook’s poor form, he said, “Look, he’s been a great batsman over the years and he has seen lean patches before as well. So, I am backing him to come out of it.”
Patterson Said He Made Too Early Of A Debut
The fast bowler of the Australian Cricket Team, James Pattinson, has said that he made his debut in test match cricket a bit earlier than when he should have and that’s why he has got repeatedly injured in his test career so far.
Pattinson has been one of the most injury prone Aussie fast bowlers in the last couple of years. He has hardly played consecutive test matches in the recent past.
He had injured his back while playing in the Ashes series in England last year which kept him out of the home Ashes.
Then, he was declared fit for the tour of South Africa where he played just one test match and got injured again.
Pattinson is going through a rehabilitation programme at the moment after which he will work with a couple of coaches on his action so that he doesn’t get hit by too many injuries again in future.
According to Pattinson, his aim is to be available for selection in the Australian team for the next Ashes series which will be played on the English soil next year. If he manages to play one or two test matches before that, he will consider that as bonus.
Pattinson currently doesn’t come in Australia’s first choice test fast bowlers. Ryan Harris, Mitchell Johnson and Peter Siddle are ahead of him in the pecking order. But, if somebody out of these three gets injured, Pattinson would be the first in line to replace him in the playing XI provided he remains fit.
Very few people know that James Pattinson’s brother Darren Pattinson was also a cricketer and he actually represented Australia’s arch rival England in test match cricket a few years back. He played only one test for the Poms though.
Lehmann Already Hopeful About Next Ashes
The next Ashes series is about a year away, but, the coach of the Australian Cricket Team, Darren Lehmann, has already started feeling excited about it. He is very hopeful of doing well in England in 2015.
Australia’s performance in the test matches in England has not been that good in the last one decade or so. The last time that they had won an Ashes series on English soil was way back in 2001.
But, Lehmann reckons that with the kind of team the Kangaroos have got at present, they can break this losing streak if they make some changes here and there.
Last year when Australia had toured England, they had lost 3 out of the 5 test matches. These numbers suggest that they played very poorly, but, that’s not the reality. They actually would have won 3 matches in that series if luck had gone their way just a little bit. And Lehmann pointed that out in one of his interviews yesterday.
The former left handed batsman said, “I think we had a pretty good time in the last couple of test matches over there. It’s just that the results didn’t go our way. To make sure it happens this time around, we need to do things a little bit differently. We have got guys who have the experience of playing in those conditions. Hopefully, they use that to good effect next year.”
The two warm up matches that Australia has to play before the first Ashes test in 2015 are against Kent and Essex neither of whom are the first division county teams. When asked if that would affect the preparation of his team for the start of the series, Lehmann said, “No, I don’t think so. Both of them are good teams. They would have some overseas players playing for them as well. So, it’s fine for us from practice point of view.”
WARNE QUESTIONS ECB
Shane Warne has said that it’s hard for him to understand why Alastair Cook and the England Cricket Board decided to start their campaign of rebuilding the test team without Kevin Pietersen.
Pietersen was forced to bring down the curtains on his international career by ECB after the horrifying Ashes tour of Australia and Warne thinks it’s quite Bizarre.
According to the former leggie, a captain should know how to manage the superstars who might not be the most humble people around, but, they win matches and that’s the most important thing.
What’s interesting is that when Cook had been appointed as captain in 2012, he was the one who had tried to reintegrate Pietersen into the England team and he was praised for making that move.
But, just about a year later, he did exactly opposite. He told ECB that he just couldn’t manage Pietersen anymore and the belligerent right hander needed to be shown the exit door if the rebuilding process of the team had to go smoothly.
Pietersen’s exit means that there is no game changer at all in England’s middle order now and that’s not good for them.
As far as Warne is concerned, he has always been a critic of Cook. Even when England had won the Ashes series by 3-0 at home, he had slammed Cook for his defensive tactics and had said that the Essex player would not be able to guide his team to that much success captaining that way. He proved to be right eventually as England got completely thrashed by Australia down under.
Warne reckons that the England team management would realize pretty soon that handing Pietersen the axe was a mistake.
The player who is expected to replace Pietersen in the England test line up is Eoin Morgan.
WARNER WORKS HARD
It seems the Australian opening batsman David Warner has worked really hard on his game after being dropped from the Australian team for the One Day international matches against England and India. He is performing remarkably well in the ongoing Ashes and is the leading run scorer for Australia in the series at the moment.
He is being lauded a lot by the former players these days and it’s not only because he has scored a lot of runs in the Ashes series so far. It’s because of the way he has batted. His defence looks much improved and he has played solidly in all the 4 innings. He has not got out trying to play a rash shot even on one occasion.
To become a good test opening batsman, you need to have a tight defence. You can’t just come, throw your bat around, get quick 20-30 runs and perish. If you have to have a long career in the longer version of the game, you must be good in defending. David Warner didn’t seem to understand these things when he had started his test career. He used to make his way to the crease and start going ballistic and he used to get out cheaply while doing that.
But, in the first two test matches of the ongoing Ashes series, he has looked a matured player. He has been prepared to fight his way through the tough phases and that’s what has impressed the former players the most.
Warner has made hundreds in the past as well, but, he never looked as secured at the crease as he is looking now. However, the Ashes series has not ended yet. There are still 3 test matches to go and Warner needs to keep playing like this to help Australia get the little urn back.
BAILEY NOT HAPPY
The vice captain of the Australian ODI team George Bailey is not happy with what Ian Chappell has written about him in one of his recent columns.
In that column, Chappell who is a former Australian captain wrote that he would not pick Bailey for the first Ashes test because he doesn’t think that the Tasmanian’s technique is good enough to succeed in test match cricket.
According to Chappell, the selectors shouldn’t only look towards the amount of runs that Bailey has scored in shorter versions of the game in recent past. They should rather have their eyes on Bailey’s batsmanship.
Chappell doesn’t think that Bailey can handle high quality spin bowling or high quality pace bowling for that matter.
When Bailey was asked about Chappell’s statements, he said, “Ian has never said a good thing about me. So, I am not surprised by his recent statements.”
“Everyone has his own opinion. I am not going to take it that seriously. I am not looking to prove myself to anyone. I am just trying to improve my game every day and I don’t care if I am getting enough support or not.”
“I haven’t been told anything by the selectors yet. Apart from me, there are 6 or 7 more guys in contention and anybody can get the opportunity. I am just looking to do well in the upcoming shield match.”
When asked if he would like to bat at no. 3 in case Shane Watson doesn’t recover from his hamstring injury in time, Bailey said, “I don’t think they would consider me for the no. 3 position. There are some good top order players around. Alex Doolan is one of them. He has been in great form off late and I would be really happy if he gets selected. He is a close mate of mine.”
FINCH KEEN TO IMPRESS
Aaron Finch has said that he wants to cement his place at the top of the order in both the ODI and T20 teams of Australia.
Finch created a world record yesterday by smashing 156 runs in the first T20 match against England at Ageas Bowl. This is the highest score by any batsman in the T20 internationals.
It was a hell of a display of clean striking by the 26 years old Victorian. He crucified the England attack with his belligerent shots. He faced just 70 deliveries during his inning and hit 11 fours and 14 sixes.
Finch was very close to breaking Richard Levi’s record of the fastest T20 international hundred, but, he missed it by a couple of deliveries. The online betting markets reckon he WILL break it at some stage though.
Levi had scored a hundred in just 45 balls against New Zealand in February last year.
Talking to the reporters in the post match press conference, Finch said, “I want to be a regular member of the Australian limited-over sides. I have been given a few opportunities in the last couple of years, but, I haven’t made full use of them. Thankfully, today everything went right and I scored a big hundred, but, I need to be consistent. Now, hopefully, I will get a chance to stay on for the ODI series as well.”
Australia has selected an 18-member squad for the T20 series. This squad would be further reduced to 15 members for the ODI series. It means that 3 players from the T20 squad will have to return back home and Finch was expected to be one of those 3 players before this match. But, now, after such a knock, it will be hard for the selectors to send him back home.
Finch has played just 7 ODIs for Australia so far and has scored 105 runs at an average of 15.
CLARKE DISAPPOINTED
The captain of the Australian cricket team, Michael Clarke, has said that he is disappointed with the batting performance of his team in the second test match of the ongoing Ashes series.
Australia lost the second match by a huge margin of 347 runs and got trailed by 0-2 in the series.
The Australian team managed to score just 128 runs in the first innings, while, 235 runs in the second innings.
Clarke who scored a half century in the second innings was looking terribly disappointed while talking to the reporters in the post match press conference. The Australian captain said, “The batsmen will have to take the responsibility for this defeat. The way we batted in the match was not acceptable at all. You can’t get all out for just 120 odd runs on such a belter of a pitch.”
“It’s not that our batsmen are horribly out of nick. Every player in the top 7 has had a score of 50 plus in this series. It means that they are hitting the ball alright, it’s just that they need to apply themselves a little bit more.”
“Our batsmen are not showing enough patience. We need to learn that from England. In test matches, it’s very important to fight through tough periods, but, we have not been able to do that so far.”
When asked about the performance of Ashton Agar who struggled to make any impact with the ball in the second test match, Clarke said, “He is very young and he has got a lot of potential. He has already shown us that in the first test match. He needs to be backed.”
The former Australian coach, Mickey Arthur, has recently said that the relationship between Clarke and Watson is not good at all.
When asked about that, Clarke said, “Look, I don’t want to discuss that again. I have already said quite a few times that there is nothing wrong between me and Shane.”
AUSSIES WILL BOUNCE BACK
The captain of the Australian cricket team, Michael Clarke, has said that his team will bounce back in the second match of the ongoing Ashes series.
Australia lost the first match of the series by just 14 runs. That match was played at Trent Bridge, Nottingham.
Australia had to chase down a target of 311 runs in the fourth innings. They lost 9 wickets with the target still 80 runs away. The match looked like being done and dusted. But, that wasn’t the case to be. There was still some fight left in the Australians.
A fantastic 10th wicket partnership of 60 odd runs between Brad Haddin and James Pattinson brought Australia back into the match, and at that point they were favourites to win.
However, the Kangaroos couldn’t reach the target eventually. The last wicket fell down when the target was 15 runs away. It was Haddin who was the last man to be dismissed. He nicked an incoming delivery from Anderson to the wicketkeeper Matt Prior and it was all over.
Michael Clarke was looking absolutely gutted in the post match press conference. The Australia captain said, “It’s obviously disappointing to end up on the losing side after being so close to victory, but, I am proud of the way the boys played. There was a lot of character being shown by the team.”
“I am sure we will be able to pull things back in the second test match. We just need to keep backing ourselves.”
“We have got a lot of quality in our squad. There is a good mixture of experience and youth.”
When asked about the 71-run knock of Brad Haddin, Clarke said, “Brad is a class player. He played fantastically well and got us so close to victory. Unfortunately he couldn’t get us over the line, but, he needs to be praised for his gutsy effort.”
England cricket tour of New Zealand
Sports’ betting is a popular activity, and one of the most popular sports for people in this country to wager on is cricket – which reflects the special place that the game has in the hearts and minds of many in the UK. Cricket betting can take many forms, with people betting on test series’, individual one day matches, club and international cricket, and tours – like the one that the England team is due to make to New Zealand this summer.
This is a pretty extensive tour, which involves the England team playing three Test matches, three Twenty20 international matches and three one-day international matches and will represent England’s first visit to New Zealand since 2008. So far it is still too early for much information about the odds for these matches to be available on the sports betting sites, but the tour will offer cricket betting fans a wealth of potential areas to bet on. For example, betting on Test matches allows you to wager on the result of the match itself, which side will take a first innings lead, which player from each team will take the most wickets during each innings, and even which side will win the coin toss before the start of the match.
In addition to this there are also other types of bets available specifically for the one-day and Twenty20 matches involved in the tour, but for those who cannot wait for the odds to be made available on the sports betting sites, there is always the option of playing a cricket game at one of the online casinos.
A slot game like The Umpire Strikes Back, found in gamingclub.co.uk, features symbols based on cricket – including helmets, balls, wickets, bats and pads, alongside graphics and audio designed to capture the feel of being on the cricket field. Thus it represents a great way to get a fix of cricket and betting while waiting for the chance to bet on the New Zealand tour.
GILCHRIST RETIRES
The captain of Kings XI Punjab, Adam Gilchrist, has made it quite clear that he will not be playing in the next edition of Indian Premier League (IPL).
Gilchrist has struggled a lot in the ongoing edition of IPL. In the first few matches, his form was looking absolutely terrible and after that, he decided to sit out saying that he doesn’t deserve a place in the playing XI.
David Hussey captained the side in Gilchrist’s absence, but, the team’s performance didn’t improve at all. That prompted Gilchrist to come back into the XI and he is looking in much better form after the comeback.
In his comeback match against Rajasthan Royals, he scored 42 runs off just 32 balls and put up a 100-run stand with Shaun Marsh for the second wicket.. However, after the fall of his wicket, his team lost the way and couldn’t get a big total. Punjab eventually lost that match by 8 wickets.
In the next match against Royal Challengers Bangalore, Gilchrist played a match winning knock for his team. Punjab was chasing down a huge target of 175 and Gilchrist played a captain’s inning. He showed a bit of tentativeness at the start, but, after getting a few boundaries, he settled down and eventually ended up scoring 85 not out to see his team home.
Gilchrist played another good knock in Punjab’s last match against Delhi Daredevils. He again gave his team a blazing start by scoring 42 off just 26 balls with 5 fours and 2 sixes. Punjab won that match by 7 runs.
Kings XI Punjab will play its last game of this season against Mumbai Indians on Saturday. Talking to the reporters ahead of that match, Gilchrist said, “I want to inform you all that this is my last IPL. I won’t be playing next year. It’s a wonderful tournament and I enjoyed being a part of it for six years.”
“I want to thank the Kings XI Punjab fans for giving us great support in the last three years.”
PATTINSON RULED OUT
The Australian fast bowler, James Pattinson, will not be able to play for his team Kolkata Knight Riders in the ongoing edition of Indian Premier League (IPL) because of an abdominal problem. He will go through surgery in a couple of days and he might be unfit for the Champions Trophy as well.
Pattinson has become the second Aussie player to be ruled out of IPL because of injury. Before this, Michael Clarke was also ruled out because of back injury.
Talking to the reporters about the injury of Pattinson, the medical officer of Cricket Australia, Justin Paoloni said, “James Pattinson was having a bit of trouble in his abdomen on the tour of India. After returning home, he visited a few specialists and they said that the surgery is essential.”
“I can’t say at this point of time that how long he will take to recover. We are expecting that he will begin light training in 4-5 weeks after surgery.”
“His participation in the Ashes series is not in doubt at all, but, I can’t say whether he will be fit for the Champions Trophy. Once the surgery is done, only then, we can predict anything.”
Pattinson is a vital part of Australia’s inexperienced bowling line up and Michael Clarke would not want to go into the Ashes without him. Pattinson will be an ideal bowler in English conditions.
In the test series played in India recently, the conditions and the pitch were tough for the fast bowlers. But, even in those conditions, Pattinson had moved the ball and had taken a few wickets.
Pattinson has so far played 10 test matches for Australia and has taken 40 wickets. These numbers say that he is a wicket taker, but, he gets injured quite often which disturbs his rhythm.
There have been so many fast bowlers in the world whose career started with a bang, but, they couldn’t extend their career much because they were hit by successive injuries. Australia would definitely not want Pattinson to go on the same track.
OUTSMARTED
The captain of the Australian cricket team, Michael Clarke, has admitted that his team was completely outsmarted by India in the first test match which was played at Chennai.
Australia was defeated by India by 8 wickets in the first test match. At one point of time, the Australian team was on the verge of losing the match by an inning.
Australia had lost 9 wickets at 175 in the second innings and they were still trailed by 17 runs. But, the last pair of Moises Henriques and Nathan Lyon added 66 runs and made sure that India would have to bat again.
India got a target of 50 runs which they achieved after losing a couple of wickets.
Talking to the reporters in the post match press conference, Clarke said, “We got completely outplayed by them. We batted quite well in the first innings and had started well with the ball as well. But, it was Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s great knock which took the game away from us. Virat Kohli also batted superbly for his hundred.”
“The pitch was a decent one. The odd ball was turning and bouncing and batting was a bit tough. But, we should have scored more runs in the second innings. A few of our batsmen got good balls, but, some of them played bad shots too.”
When asked if one more spinner should have been included in the XI, Clarke said, “Pace bowling is our strength. So, we went with it, but, unfortunately, that didn’t work in this test match.”
“We will see the pitch at Hyderabad. If that pitch will also be dry like this one, we will definitely consider playing two spinners in the second test match.”
The Australian team management had included three fast bowlers and only one spinner in the XI in the first test match.
RAIN CANCELS MATCH
The ODI match played between Australia and Sri Lanka at Sydney Cricket Ground has been abandoned due to rain.
The match was stopped due to rain when the fourth over was being bowled in the Sri Lankan innings. The rain stopped later on, but, the outfield was not in the right condition for the play to start.
Earlier, the skipper of Australia, Michael Clarke, won the toss and decided to bat. Even after the poor performance in the last match, the Australian team management decided to go with the same playing XI.
Australia was again off to a poor start and the first wicket was down when only four runs were on the board. Phil Hughes was the first man to be dismissed. It was again Kulasekara who gave Australia the early blow.
David Warner was looking in good form. He played some aggressive shots and tried to disturb the rhythm of the Sri Lankan bowlers. Clarke also hit a couple of boundaries and it seemed that these two would put up a big partnership. But, Kulasekara didn’t let that happen. He trapped Clarke in front of the stumps with a beautiful in swinger and gave Australia another blow.
David Hussey also departed soon and Australia was in trouble at 53 for 3. Matthew Wade and George Bailey got good starts, but, they didn’t manage to capitalize on their starts and threw their wickets away by playing poor shots.
It seemed that Australia would get bowled out before 200, but, Mitchell Starc again gave valuable contribution with the bat and took his team past 200. He played a superb inning of 52 runs off just 37 balls with 7 hits to the fence.
At the end of 50 overs, the score of the Australian team was 222 runs for the loss of 9 wickets.
When the score of the Sri Lankan team was 14 for no loss in reply, the rain started coming down and the umpires stopped the match. When the rain stopped, the umpires inspected the field and didn’t found the field dry enough for the play to start. So, they decided to abandon the match.
WARNER THANKS COWAN
The opening batsman of the Australian test team David Warner has said that his opening partner, Ed Cowan, helps him a lot while batting and calms him down when he wants to hit every ball out of the park.
Warner and Cowan are completely different batsmen. Warner likes to play aggressively and doesn’t hesitate in playing big shots even in test matches. On the other hand, Cowan is a sort of batsman who likes to build his innings and plays most of his shots along the ground. There is a big difference in the strike rate of both these players.
When asked about opening the batting with Cowan, Warner said, “I enjoy a lot batting with him. He helps me a lot at the crease. At times, I get very aggressive and want to hit boundaries on every ball. During those moments, Ed comes to me and calms me down.”
“He is a great reader of the game. If a bowler is bowling a good spell, he tells me just to go through that spell and not to take too many risks against that bowler. To have an opening partner like Ed at the other end helps a lot”
When asked if he is satisfied with his recent performances, Warner said, “Yes, I am happy with way I have played in the last few test matches. I played some good knocks against South Africa and I am batting well against Sri Lanka as well.
“One thing that I need to do is to convert the fifties into hundreds. In the last few matches, I have thrown my wicket away after getting fifties which was a bit disappointing. In the further matches, I will try not to repeat that mistake.”
In the ongoing test series against Sri Lanka, Warner has scored three half centuries, but, he hasn’t managed to convert any of them into a century.
CLARKE NETS DOUBLE CENTURY
The Australian captain, Michael Clarke scored a fine double century in the first test match against South Africa which is being played at Brisbane Cricket Ground. Apart from Clarke, Ed Cowan also scored a century and with the help of the contribution of these two batsmen, the Australian team was in a very good position at the end of the fourth day of the test match.
At the start of the fourth day, the Australian team was under a bit of pressure and the first priority of the team was to pass the score of 250 and save the follow on. The two not out Aussie batsmen started a bit cautiously, but, after the first hour, they started playing their shots fluently. There was nothing much in the pitch for the fast bowlers. There was no swing out there and the pitch was a flat one, so, there was not much seam movement either. Morne Morkel bowled some wonderful deliveries in the first session, but, none of those deliveries managed to take the outside edge of the bat.
Ed Cowan played some fantastic shots off the back foot. He was very severe on the short pitched deliveries. The pitch was a bit on the slower side, so, the ball was not rising as much as the South African bowlers were expecting them to be. That’s why; the short pitched deliveries were not having that much effect on the batsmen.
Michael Clarke also played some glorious pull shots. The South African skipper, Graeme Smith definitely missed Imran Tahir. Tahir’s leg spin might have been handful on this deteriorating pitch. After completing his maiden century, Ed Cowan got run out in an unfortunate fashion. Michael Clarke played a straight drive. Dale Steyn tried to stop the ball in his follow through, but, the ball went behind after touching his finger tips and hit the wicket. Ed Cowan was out of the crease on the other end and he had to return to the pavilion.
However, Clarke kept playing beautifully and completed his third double century. Mike Hussey came to bat after the fall of Cowan’s wicket and he also looked in an aggressive mood. He completed his half century in a very quick time. At the end of the fourth day, the score of the Australian team was 487 runs for the loss of four wickets. Michael Clarke and Mike Hussey were not out on 218 and 86 respectively.
ARTHUR BACKS GAYLE
The coach of the Australian Cricket team, Mickey Arthur, has said that Chris Gayle is a big threat for his team in the 2nd semi final of the World T20 Championship which is going to be played on Friday at the R Premadasa stadium, Colombo.
Gayle has been in fine form in the ongoing World T20 Championship. The big man has scored two half centuries in the tournament so far and he had also played a blistering inning of 30 runs in West Indies’ last super 8 match against New Zealand on 1st of October.
Talking to the reporters in the press conference on Thursday evening, Arthur said, “Gayle is undoubtedly the most dangerous T20 player in the world at the moment. Our bowlers will have to get him out early; otherwise, he will take the game away from us.”
“In the initial part of his inning, Gayle looks to block each and everything and that’s the best time to get him out. But, if you don’t get his wicket early, he will make a huge difference.”
When asked whether David Hussey will get a chance to play his first match in the tournament, Arthur said, “David is vastly experienced in this format of the game and you need experienced players in the team for big matches. So, there is a good possibility of David coming back into the side for the Friday’s semi final.”
When asked about the poor performance of the young fast bowler Pat Cummins in the match against Pakistan, Arthur said, “It was just a bad day for him. He is an integral part of this T20 side. He can go for runs sometimes, but, when he gets it right, he can be deadly dangerous for the opposing team. Hopefully, he would bowl with a steady line and length in the semi final match.”
AUSSIES BEAT PAKISTAN
The Australian cricket team has defeated Pakistan by 3 wickets in the third ODI of the series at Sharjah Cricket Stadium. With this victory, the Kangaroos have won the series by 2-1. The Australian team should be given a lot of credit for performing so well under the subcontinent conditions.
Earlier, Michael Clarke won the toss and invited the Pakistani team to bat first. The Pakistani openers gave a fantastic start to the team again. They looked fluent right from the outset and didn’t let the Aussie bowlers get an early breakthrough. The opening pair added 129 runs for the first wicket and provided a tremendous platform to the middle order.
Shahid Afridi was promoted in the batting order and he came to bat at no. 3. But, he didn’t manage to do his job and got out pretty early. After that, Pakistan lost some quick wickets and was struggling at 185 for 5. Misbah-ul-Haq and Azhar Ali played sensibly and took the team past 225. At the end of the 50th over, the score of Pakistan was 244 for 7. Mitchell Starc was again the star bowler for Australia and he took 4 wickets.
It was not an easy task for the Kangaroos to chase down the target of 245 on a slow track. Michael Clarke surprised everyone by sending David Hussey to open the innings with David Warner. However, the opening pair started well and added 44 runs for the first wicket.
The Australian team lost its way in the middle overs and was in a spot of bother at 108 for 4. But, Michael Hussey again batted superbly and put up two valuable partnerships with Wade and Maxwell for the fifth and the sixth wicket respectively. Hussey got out after making 65 runs, but, before getting out, he had almost secured the victory of Australia. Maxwell also batted well and scored a half century. The young Victorian saw his team home with Mitchell Johnson. Mike Hussey was declared man of the match for his brilliant knock.
WE’LL BE BETTER
The captain of the Australian cricket team, Michael Clarke, has said that the Australian players will put up an improved performance in the ODI series against Pakistan. The Australian team was beaten comprehensively by the English team a few days ago in a 5 match ODI series. Clarke said that the team is strengthened by the come back of Mike Hussey. Hussey didn’t play in the ODI matches against England due to some of his family problems, but, he is back in the Australian team again for the ODIs against Pakistan.
As per Clarke, Hussey is an experienced batsman and he is a vital member of the Australian ODI team. He paces his inning beautifully and knows when to go for the big shots. In the absence of Hussey, the Australian middle order had collapsed in all the four matches against England. On being asked about the weakness of Australian batsmen against the spinners, Clarke said that the Australian batsmen should use their feet against the spinners. As per Clarke, in the subcontinent conditions, the players would have to face a lot of spin bowling and it is very difficult to negotiate the spinners if you don’t use your feet well. Clarke, himself, is considered as one of the best batsmen in the world against the spinners.
Meanwhile, Australia has slipped down to no. 4 in the official ODI rankings of International Cricket Council (ICC).England has become the no. 1 side in the ODIs and South Africa and India are at no. 2 and no. 3 respectively. On being asked about the rankings, Clarke said that these rankings can quickly change if you perform well in two or three series. As per Clarke, he doesn’t care too much about the rankings. He just wants the players to perform consistently.
Austraelia announce UAE Tour
Australia has announced its One Day and T20 squads for the ODI and T20 matches against Pakistan which are going to be held in United Arab Emirates. Different squads have been announced for one day and T20 matches. Michael Clarke will lead the one day side while George Bailey will be captaining the T20 side.
There are a few players who have made their comeback in the squad. Callum Farguson has made a comeback in the One Day squad after more than a year. Cameron White has also been rewarded after his brilliant performance in the IPL and has been named in the T20 squad. Michael Hussey had kept himself out from the England tour due to his personal problems. He is also making a comeback in both the squads. Peter Forrest has been quite inconsistent in his performances in the recent matches. Due to this, he has been dropped from the one day squad.
Shane Watson and Ben Hilfenhaus has been rested from the one day matches but has been named in the T20 squad. Patt Cummins was injured in the England tour and had to return home early. But, he has also been named in the T20 squad. The selectors think that he will regain his fitness to participate in the T20 matches.
There is also a new face in the squad i.e. Glenn Maxwell. Maxwell is a middle order batsman and a handy part time off spinner. He plays for Victoria in domestic cricket. He is a brilliant fieldsman too. The 41 year veteran, Brad Hogg, has retained his place in the T20 squad after his decent performances in the IPL.
The conditions and pitches in UAE will not be easy for the Australian batsmen. The pitches will be slow and spinner friendly. So, the Australian batsmen will have to play out of their skins to perform well in that tour.
England Spy on Australia
It might not have been a week since the Australia Cricket Team has landed on enemy soil when they were given a reminder of the fact after Gemma Broad, the sister of England cricketer Stuart Broad and the video analyst for the England Cricket Team was found at Grace Road during the practices match of the Aussies against the Leicestershire Foxes.
The new look Australia team has named a squad for the upcoming One Day International series against the arch enemy consisting of players, half of whom have never played on English soil and it is only fair for Gemma to be found taking footage at the ground as Andy Flower is known to be a meticulous person when it comes to preparing dossiers on the opposing team. Of particular importance to the Englishmen will be fast bowler James Pattinson, who is expected to lead the bowling attack for this new look Australia Cricket Team during the One Day International series.
Gemma made no attempts to be subtle in her efforts as she filmed away the entire duration of the match from a position in front of the sight screen from a batsman’s view point. The Aussies beat the lackluster English county cricket team by a massive 102 runs and David Warner, who scored 74 runs off 78 balls stated that it doesn’t bother the team if they are being spied upon as long as they concentrate properly on what they are doing.
Clint McKay was the star performer for the Australia Cricket Team with the ball in hand as he took 4 wickets for 31 runs as the home team was bundled out for a meager 136 runs in 29.4 overs. The best thing for the England team is that all the batsmen of the opposition had some time in the middle.
McDermott Resigns as Bowling Coach
Craig McDermott has stepped down from his role as the bowling coach of the Australia Cricket Team after only a year in the job and the reason that he has cited for stepping down is that he cannot cope with the amount of travel involved in a job like this, according to sources in Cricket Australia. The resignation has already been accepted by the Aussie cricket board that is currently looking for replacements as of now.
According to the statement that the former Aussie national team bowler e-mailed to Cricket Australia, he said that he had looked at the schedule of the side in the upcoming months and felt that this was the best decision taken from his own personal as well as professional point of view.
The 47 year old McDermott took over from Troy Cooley as the bowling coach of the Australia Cricket Team just 12 months back and according to the national team coach Mickey Arthur, he completely turned around the bowling attack of the misfiring team, which was manifested in the way The Baggie Greens thrashed the newly crowned world champions India 4-0 in the Test series at home.
The source inside Cricket Australia did say that McDermott will, however, act in his role as the consultant for the Centre of Excellence and will provide his inputs at the facility that functions in Brisbane. It is being believed that Cricket Australia will sound out Geoff Lawson, who has been made consultant of the Afghanistan Cricket Team at the Under 19 level after the Under 19 Cricket World Cup.
The Australia Cricket Team recently returned from a Test series in the West Indies and will play One Day Internationals in England and the Twenty 20 World Cup in Sri Lanka before a tour of India and England next year.
GOLDEN OLDIES
Having played the first match in the year 1877, the Australian Cricket Team is the oldest playing international cricket team till date. The Australian Cricket Team mainly draws its players from the domestic teams in the country like the Sheffield Shield, Big bash League and Australian Domestic One day series.
An overall statistics say that the Australian Cricket Team has played around 730 Test matches where it has won around 341 matches and lost around 192 matches, drawing 195 and tying 2 matches. Now this is a huge number when it comes to a single team doing all of this. This is not all. When it comes to One Day International matches, the Australian Cricket Team have played round about 752 One Day International’s winning 464 and losing 256 matches. It has tyed eight matches and 24matches resulted in no result, due to reasons like rain, bad pitch etc.
The Australian Cricket Team has been leading the ICC ODI Championship right from its inception and has made six appearances in the World Cup final in the year 1975, 1987, 1996, 1999, 2003 and 2007. and have won the World Cup four times in total – in the years 1987, 1999, 2003 and 2007. The Australian Cricket Team has defeated the record of West Indies where it has the record of 3 consecutive World Cup finals 1975, 1979 and 1983(appearances).
The Last series one was the test with India in the year 2011-12(One Day International), England 2010-11 (Test Series), West Indies 2009-10 (Twenty20) and Bangladesh 2011. It has recently won the Tri Series between Australia, Sri Lanka and India in the year 2012.
The Australian Cricket team will play in the Carribean in March 2011-12 where it has 5 ODI’S ,four test matches and two Twenty20 matches in total.
WE MISS GILCHRIST
When Gilchrist retired from all forms of international cricket, it was a sad day for Australian cricket.
They have attempted to replace him with Brad Haddin, but Haddin has been unable to match Gilchrist’s brilliance when it comes to both the keeping side and the batting side required of the role.
Haddin’s place in the side now appears to be under serious threat from the youngster Matthew Wade, with his top score of 72 catching the eye of spectators and pundits alike.
What separates Gilchrist from the rest of the pack was not only his exceptional keeping and batting standards, but also by the fact that he always played the game with a smile on his face, and with outstanding sportsmanship.
In his cricketing life after wearing the baggy green, Gilchrist has turned himself into somewhat of a specialist T20 player, with stints for Middlesex in England and for the Deccan Chargers/Kings XI Punjab.
He has been somewhat successful in this stage of his career, with a few big scores for his IPL franchise, but sadly he has yet to pick up an IPL winner’s medal. He has, however, managed to score some huge contracts from his time in the IPL, including becoming the face of one cricket equipment manufacturer, so financially the twilight of his cricketing career has been a huge success.
Gilchrist is, without doubt, one of the most impressive wicketkeeper batsman that the world has ever seen, and it remains to be seen if Australia will ever be able to replace him.
In being such a huge success, Gilchrist has set the bar so high that is so hard to match, with it being unwise for any cricketing nation to rely upon unearthing such a terrific talent again.
LEE INJURED IN T20
Australian paceman Brett Lee faces a four-to-six week lay-off after fracturing his foot in a Twenty20 match against India.
The 35 year-old fast bowler, second on the list of Australian One Day International wicket takers behind Glenn McGrath, was struck by the ball during the last over of his spell at the MCG on Friday night.
Australia subsequently slumped to an eight-wicket defeat, and team doctor Trefor James explained how Lee’s foot became swollen the following day.
An X-ray later confirmed he had fractured a small toe, prompting the call-up of Ben Hilfenhaus whose last ODI appearance came in 2009.
Lee has taken nearly 700 wickets in all formats of the game for his country, and despite retiring from Test matches in 2010 still plays a starring role in the shorter versions of the game.
Fellow fast bowler Mitchell Johnson, meanwhile, has pinpointed a summer return from his foot injury.
The left-arm paceman required surgery on his foot in December following Australia’s tour of South Africa, and he has targeted the ODI series against England in June and July as the stage for his international comeback.
Before then, the 30 year-old will build up his form and fitness in the Indian Premier League after being purchased by the Mumbai Indians for $300,000 in Saturday’s auction.
The Queenslander has turned down lucrative IPL offers in the past to concentrate on international cricket, but after a lengthy spell on the sidelines he feels the intense burst will be of great benefit.
“”It’s a perfect opportunity for me coming back from injury to play the shorter form of the game to build up my bowling,” he said. Johnson also revealed his intention to continue playing for Australia for at least the next five years.
CLARKE CALLS FOR CONSISTENCY
Michael Clarke, the captain of the Australia Cricket Team has made it clear to his teammates that only consistent performances will keep the side on top against India as they play the second Test of the 4 match series against India at Sydney, which will be a historic event for the ground as well as it will be the 100th international Test match to be played there.
Clarke, speaking ahead of the second test, was extremely proud and satisfied with the efforts put up by the players of his team and he also was full of praise for his former captain Ricky Ponting.
Having won just 5 of the last 16 matches played by the Australia Cricket Team which includes only one series win against a hapless Sri Lanka side in the subcontinent, Clarke is looking for some consistent efforts from all the departments of his side in order to have the Test series in their back pockets. But Michael Clarke knows it will be not as easy as they sound but is confident that his side is prepared enough to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series.
According to Michael Clarke, the team has been playing some very good cricket at times but then again, there are times when the team plays absolute rubbish. All he is asking is that the players be a little more consistent with their efforts.
Clarke also added that the Australia Cricket Team has been learning from the mistakes that they have committed in the past and according to the skipper, they have been practicing hard in the nets on their techniques, looking after minute details so that they keep all their mistakes off the field of play and this gives Clarke the added confidence that they are well on course for an emphatic victory.
Shane Warne believes Adil Rashid has got the potential to win games for England with his leggies, but, only if the team management does not run out of patience with him.
Rashid has started his test career on England’s ongoing
tour of Emirates and has been proving to be very expensive in front of the Pakistani batsmen who are pretty efficient when it comes to handling the spinners.
But, according to Warne, Rashid is only in the early stages of his test career. He will get better with more games.
Steve Smith confirmed yesterday that he’s not Australia’s captain in the shortest form of the game and it was just because of Aaron Finch’s unavailability that he led the side in the one off Twenty-20 versus England the other day.
It’s not long back when Mitchell Johnson had proved to be sort of unplayable for England.
The Three Lions were just not able to find a way to deal with the left arm speedster when they had faced him in Australia a couple of years back.
But, Johnson might not be able to make the same sort of impact in the Ashes series this time around as he is not going to get the pitches to his liking.
The English pitches will be slow and low and bounce will not be that much of a factor.
James Faulkner is very quickly turning himself into a batting all rounder now. These days in the Indian Premier League, he is batting 5 or 6 for his team Rajasthan Royals and he is delivering for them too.
Faulkner’s biggest strength as a hitter is his bat swing. It’s so fluent that most of the times, the connection happens to be perfect and the ball goes sailing into the stands and, his power too.
Faulkner is such an incredibly strong man that he actually does not need to hit the ball off the meat of the blade to get the maximum value for his shots. His half hits are enough.
Glenn Maxwell’s return in form is the best news for Australia at this stage because if Maxwell is delivering with the bat, it makes them that much more deadly a team to contend with.
In the title game of the Carlton Mid tri series, Maxwell scored 95. The value of that knock was immense just because of the time at which it was played.
English had the chance to win that game right there when Maxwell arrived. If they had got rid of the Victorian and a couple more low order players cheaply, the Aussies would have struggled to get to even 150 on those tricky 22 yards in Perth.
Mitchell Johnson appears to have been affected by the amount of workload that has been put on him this summer by his captain Steven Smith.
The ferocious fast bowler is starting to collapse a little bit and the reports are coming through that the Australian team management might keep him out of the Sydney test match on precautionary grounds.
In the three test matches against India, Johnson has not bowled with the same kind of pace that he had been bowling with during the 2013-14 Ashes series.
Australia might not be playing with the strongest XI in the opening game of the test series versus India.
Many of the players who regularly feature for the Kangaroos in test cricket are devastated by the recent Phillip Hughes’ tragedy and the Australian Cricket Board totally understands their situation.
The board chief, Mr. James Sutherland, clearly said while talking to the press yesterday that it’s not mandatory for every player to feature in the first game.
Stuart Broad’s injury has given Harry Gurney another opportunity to prove that he is World Cup material.
The Southpaw paceman would probably not have found himself in the touring party to Sri Lanka if Broad had not been sitting out recovering from his operation.
Broad and Anderson are two certainties in the England bowling line up in the World Cup. The third will certainly be a spinner, whether it’s James Tredwell or Moeen Ali and the fifth will be an all rounder.
The captain of the Australian Cricket Team, Michael Clarke, has admitted that not including the middle order batsman Steven Smith in the playing XI was a wrong decision in yesterday’s match against Zimbabwe.
Australia, shockingly, lost that match to Zimbabwe by 3 wickets. It was their first defeat against the African nation in more than three decades.
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