Yuvraj Singh hopes his 89-ball 129 sparks a new beginning after scoring a first century in nine months after a lay-off in France and the NCA to work on his fitness

Kanishkaa Balachandran in Bangalore15-Sep-2013Hours after marking his comeback to competitive cricket after four months with a century that set up India A’s comprehensive 77-run win over West Indies A in Bangalore, Yuvraj Singh looked a relieved man. Perhaps the elation of blasting 123 off 89 balls against what he termed an “international attack” hadn’t sunk in. Looking considerably lighter, and feeling like he had a massive load off his shoulders, Yuvraj hoped this knock would spark a new beginning.Yuvraj came into this game having not played since the IPL in May. However, his road to a comeback started before that in January, when he last played for India. Ignored in the interim due to poor form and fitness, Yuvraj sought to get his fitness back with a rigorous program in France. He was given a lifeline by the selectors when named captain of the limited-overs squads in the ongoing matches against West Indies A. Expectations were high, and he delivered with a brutal century.”I always had the belief that when I’m feeling well from inside, when I’m feeling mentally good, I’m going to do well,” Yuvraj said. “It’s taken a lot of time because the body has gone through a lot. You just can’t go through such a disease (cancer) and come back and say ‘okay, I’m going to be a 100%.'”It’s just getting better and better with every off-season I’ve spent. I’m just happy with the way I hit the ball today and hopefully I can carry on this form in the coming months.”Yuvraj said he paid a lot of attention to his fitness over the last few months, and credited his stints in France and the National Cricket Academy for getting him back on track.”The doctors said it would take me about a year to get fully fit. My body’s improved a lot. I was focused on training, where I had my weaknesses, on my lung capacity, my diet, in my off-season with Zak [Zaheer Khan],” Yuvraj said. “And, Tim Exeter, whom we trained with (in France), has done wonders for me and Zak in terms of getting back.”
Yuvraj walked in in the 12th over after India had lost two wickets for 47.Despite the match being reduced to 42 overs, Yuvraj didn’t let the pressure of the run-rate get to him, and bided his time initially. He scored his first boundary off the 39th ball he faced, and accelerated once he passed his half-century. He needed just 20 balls to get from fifty to his century, and by the time he was dismissed, he had smashed eight fours and seven sixes.Asked if he was a bit too cautious initially, Yuvraj said the pacing of his knock was not too dissimilar from any of his other international centuries. The last time Yuvraj passed three figures was in a Ranji match against Madhya Pradesh last December.”I’ve been working on my batting and skills in the last couple of weeks. I just wanted to take some time at the start and attack when I needed to,” Yuvraj said. “I think most of my centuries are like this only. Take a few balls to get to 30-35, and then try and up the tempo.”Yuvraj shared stands of 100 and 125 with Mandeep Singh and Yusuf Pathan respectively, and the partnerships were crucial in propelling India A to a commanding total after the West Indies seamers made life tough for the top order. Mandeep was positive in his 67, looking for boundaries while Yuvraj looked to settle in. Yuvraj credited the younger Mandeep for taking the pressure off him.”Once a batsmen batting with you is set, it allows you to take a bit of time in the middle. It was a fresh wicket, it was doing a bit in the first couple of overs. Robin [Uthappa] and Mandy [Mandeep], they gave us a good start. It allowed me and Yusuf to cash in in the end. Mandy dominating at that time really helped me take my time and get settled in.”He also praised the opposition’s bowling attack, who were not as bad as their figures suggested. “I think it was a complete international attack,” Yuvraj said. “[Andre] Russell has obviously played for West Indies, Ronsford Beaton – that kid looks really special. He looks the future of West Indies fast bowling. He reminded me of Curtly Ambrose. Obviously, Curtly was great. I think he has a lot of potential, and I think they had a very good attack.”Having failed to make the cut for the three unofficial Tests, Yuvraj said he was happy living for the moment. “Look, I got an opportunity to play. I don’t know about four-day cricket; Test matches. I’m just happy I’m playing.”

An NZC official Greg Barclay has said the board is remaining vigilant about the threat of an alternative cricket structure but that there was no danger of its players being poached

ESPNcricinfo staff04-May-2015A New Zealand Cricket board member Greg Barclay has said NZC is remaining vigilant about the threat of an alternative cricket structure but that there was no danger of its players being poached by another rebel establishment.”I don’t think our players are under threat at the moment,” Barclay, NZC’s representative at the ICC, told . He said the reports were “hype and speculation” at present and he was not aware of any approaches to players or venues in New Zealand to host any matches.”It is quite possible that anyone organised could pick it up and run with it, and if they do it and don’t do it right, it would be particularly damaging to cricket. There is nothing more we can do at the moment. It is business as usual. The real question is what does it all mean? Why are they doing it?”Last week Cricket Australia chairman Wally Edwards had also described the reports as “highly speculative” and said CA would work with the ICC and other countries to protect the global interests of the game.An ICC committee – comprising its chairman N Srinivasan, ECB’s Giles Clarke, and Edwards – was set up to investigate the apparent new moves made by the Indian billionaire Subhash Chandra, owner of the Essel Group and also Zee TV, whose subsidiary Ten Sports owns home international cricket television rights for numerous Full Member countries including Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Chandra was the driving force behind the Indian Cricket League, a Twenty20 tournament that preceded the IPL but was crushed by the BCCI for being unsanctioned cricket.

Ravi Bopara might well never play for England again. The selectors give the impression that, after 171 international games across all forms of the game, they have moved on. But at The Oval, Bopara was in no mood to make that decision easy.

Tim Wigmore at The Oval05-Jun-2015
ScorecardRavi Bopara delivered with bat and ball at The Oval•Getty Images

Ravi Bopara might well never play for England again. After failing to pass 33 in his last eight ODI innings, his omission from England’s squad to play New Zealand barely merited comment. Bopara has only just turned 30 yet the selectors give the impression that, after 171 international games across all forms of the game, they have moved on.But at The Oval, Bopara was in no mood to make that decision easy. T20 is the format in which Bopara has come closest to having a secure spot and the squad for the one-off T20 against New Zealand has yet to be picked. So a distillation of his short form class was particularly timely.An innings of 57 off 48 balls provided it. If that seems a touch sedate by the Gaylian standards of this year’s NatWest Blast, Bopara’s knock was clinical and perfectly judged.It contained moments of panache. Several deliveries were flicked past the fine leg boundary after Bopara wandered impudently across his stumps. Matt Dunn was lofted over mid-off for four after a shimmy down the wicket, a stroke that showed Bopara at his cocksure best.

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One man’s relief is another’s worry. Essex desperately needed this win, but so too did Surrey and next weekend’s double-header away to Somerset and Sussex takes on enormous significance for them now. Surrey will also soon be without Jason Roy. He is yet to come good this season and will be on England duty.
They will, however, have Kevin Pietersen in their ranks for the second match: his latest farewell. Following that double-header Surrey are given some respite in visiting Glamorgan and hosting Gloucestershire, but by then it could already be too late.

Yet the defining feature of Bopara’s innings was less of his dazzling strokes than his nerveless accumulation, which married precise placement with diligent running between the wickets.In Tom Westley, who scored his third T20 half-century in three games since returning from a broken thumb, Bopara found an ideal ally. At one point during their match-defining stand of 115, they scored off 42 consecutive deliveries, negating the need to attempt anything rash.”The rate never got above 10 which was something we spoke about,” Westley said. “It was brilliant batting with Ravi – he was a very calming influence out there.”So despite hitting four sixes to Surrey’s seven, Essex cruised to a victory that delighted their considerable travelling contingent; “like a second home game” was Westley’s judgement. After he and Bopara fell in quick succession, Ryan ten Doeschate and James Foster unflappably finished Surrey off, Foster whipping his first ball over square leg for six. The England Test captain was barely needed: Alastair Cook made just 8 before pulling Dunn to deep midwicket.As if his batting was not enough, Bopara bowled with characteristic cunning. With his mix of cutters and slower balls delivered wicket-to-wicket, Bopara only conceded 18 runs from his four overs, including three from the final over of the innings. And Westley rather set the tone for Surrey’s meek batting when he bowled Steven Davies in the very first over. Jason Roy, the darling of Friday nights at The Oval last year, made only nine before smiting David Masters to Cook at mid-off. After scoring 677 runs in T20 cricket last year, four innings have brought just 22 runs so far in 2015.The situation called for rebuilding and that is what Kumar Sangakkara, gliding the ball beautifully, provided. He shared a stand of 57 with Moises Henriques, who reinforced the impression that he is one of the summers more astute T20 signings.Zafar Ansari is often associated with funereal batting in the County Championship: his first-class strike rare is 36. But after slipping to 138 for 7 with 13 balls left, he showed his versatility by clubbing 22 off four Napier deliveries, including three huge legside sixes.How Surrey needed it after being subjected to brutal bowling from Shaun Tait, who they had signed four years ago but pulled out with an elbow injury. Even in his 33rd year, he bowled with ferocious intent, and it was a curiosity that he was restricted to three overs.Still than was enough to harass Gary Wilson. His day had begun with Ireland wrapping up victory over the UAE in the Intercontinental Cup just after 11.30am in Malahide; so keen was he to play for Surrey that he made it over the Irish Sea in time. When Tait welcomed him with a couple of snarling bouncers before he lashed a delivery straight to third man to fall for a five-ball duck, Wilson might have regretted making his hasty trip.

James Faulkner struck his maiden first-class hundred to lift Lancashire out of trouble on a lively day at The Oval

Tim Wigmore at Kia Oval02-Jun-2015
ScorecardJames Faulkner drives down the ground during his maiden first-class hundred•PA Photos

Two years ago, James Faulkner made quite an impression on his Test debut for Australia at the Kia Oval. Bowling with vim to take six wickets and providing a hint of his brutal hitting with a pair of 20s, Faulkner shaped up as Australia’s next Test allrounder.It hasn’t quite worked out like that. In a microcosm of the suffocating schedule that international cricketers face today, Faulkner’s limited-overs prowess has effectively deprived him of the chance to hone his game in red-ball cricket. In the 21 months after his Test debut, he became an integral part of Australia’s team in both limited-overs formats, won the Man-of-the-Match award for three wickets in the World Cup final and became an IPL regular. Little wonder that he only had time to fit in seven first-class matches.The upshot has been that Faulkner has faded a little from the Australian selectors’ minds in Test cricket, which is why he finds himself at The Oval rather than preparing for a Test in Dominica.Not that Faulkner gave any indication of being a TV star out of his depth on the silver screen. The most remarkable thing about the maiden first-class century that accompanied his Lancashire debut was how unobtrusive his innings seemed. To those accustomed to his limited overs belligerence, it seemed an innings defined by self-restraint, yet Faulkner’s hundred, brought up with a push for one off Stuart Meaker, arrived in only 141 balls.With Lancashire on the verge of saving the follow on – and with it ending the match as a contest – Faulkner then showed the penchant for destructiveness that England witnessed when he harrumphed 50 off only 24 balls at Perth in February. The two balls after reaching his century were both thumped for emphatic straight fours off Zafar Ansari. Faulkner then backed away and pulled Matt Dunn for two ferocious fours – one straight and one to midwicket – before being bowled.No matter. The follow-on had been saved, and Faulkner’s 121 had provided evidence that, still only 25, he should not be pigeonholed as a limited-overs player only. He certainly does not intend to be.”I’ve got a lot to learn and I thought this would be one of the best ways to do it – to come over and play county cricket in tough conditions which are foreign to all of us in Australia,” he said. “That’s why I came over here to play red ball cricket. Everyone grows up wanting to play Test cricket.”The only shame was that, on schools’ day at The Oval, most children had long since departed by the time Faulkner unfurled his full repertoire of explosives.If the ending was carefree, Faulkner’s innings was deeply significant in the context of this game. Entering at 102 for5, which soon became 108 for 6, Lancashire faced the prospect of ending up well short of the follow on target of 299.But Faulkner found a fine partier in Jordan Clark, a well-organised Cumbrian who also hit his highest first-class score, which was his first half-century to boot. Alongside austere defence, Clark smashed two huge straight sixes – one each against Ansari and Gareth Batty. The 183-run alliance between Clark and Faulkner ended the match as a contest, ensuring that Lancashire will leave London with a hearty lead at the top of Division Two still intact, unless there is much final-day collusion.It felt a little harsh on Surrey’s bowlers, who had bowled admirably on a flat pitch earlier in the day, even if they were aided by cloud cover in the morning.Tom Curran and Matt Dunn, are a rather coltish fast bowling pair: 20 and 23 respectively and aggressive in everything they do. They both bowled with gusto to induce Lancashire’s top-order collapse. Curran will take particular pride in trapping Ashwell Prince, newly appointed to South Africa’s selection panel, lbw caught on the back foot. Prince’s 20 was his second lowest score of the season: he is averaging 87.88 in his farewell season, although he initially said the same about last year.

Stuart Binny said he got the opportunity to spend some time in the middle against Zimbabwe, something he had not had in his previous ten ODIs

Liam Brickhill10-Jul-2015Stuart Binny has been a professional cricketer for more than a decade, and an international one for 18 months. Yet in 10 one-day internationals before this one he’d never really had the chance to show what he’s capable of with the bat. In the first ODI against Zimbabwe, Binny walked out with his side in deep trouble at 87 for 5 – but importantly there was still half the innings to be played, and he had time to express himself fully with a career-best 77 at better than a run a ball.”I’ve played 10 ODIs and I haven’t had the opportunity to bat more than five or six overs,” Binny said. “It was a great opportunity for me to go and spend some time in the middle and try and get as much as we could.”Binny didn’t have it all his way at the start of his innings. With Chamu Chibhabha in the middle of a parsimonious spell of medium pace, Binny suppressed his attacking instincts for a good half hour before biffing legspinner Graeme Cremer over long-on for six. Slowly but surely Binny and his partner, centurion Ambati Rayudu, eased India back into the game.”We didn’t set any totals when we went into bat, we just wanted to bat the next 10 overs and try not to lose any more wickets. It was a bit tough, but the wicket started to ease out a bit. Once you were set you could rotate the strike a bit more and play a few shots. But we just wanted to bat the first ten overs.”The pair eventually added 160 for the sixth wicket – a record for India – and combined to help India reap 90 runs from the last 10 overs as the hosts’ attack grew increasingly ragged. The match was ultimately a close one, with India winning by just four runs, and Binny stressed upon the advantage of having set batsmen in the crease at the death.”The difference was when we were batting it was me and Rayudu both set at that point of time, but [Zimbabwe] had one batsman set and the other one was trying to rotate the strike so two didn’t go hard at the same time. But when we were batting we set the platform. We had batsmen in the shed who could go, and we were both set on 60-plus. If you’re set you’ve got to take it as far as you can.”With all of the matches on this tour being played at Harare Sports Club, it’s likely that India will have to overcome bowler-friendly conditions again, and Binny suggested that a healthy respect for the new ball was needed.”If we get a chance to bat up front again early in the morning it’s crucial, with the Dukes ball that does swing and seam a bit, that we’ve got to give the bowlers a lot more respect, compared to playing with the Kookaburra ball in other ODIs. If you can get through the first 15 overs without losing more than a wicket or two, then we’ve got the firepower to get 300 in an ODI.”

Alex Blake smashed an unbeaten 59 off just 24 balls as Kent made sure of a place in the NatWest T20 Blast quarter-finals with a three-wicket win over Gloucestershire at Cheltenham

ECB/PA12-Jul-2015
ScorecardAlex Blake’s unbeaten 59 from just 24 balls took Kent home•Getty Images

Alex Blake smashed an unbeaten 59 off just 24 balls as Kent made sure of a place in the NatWest T20 Blast quarter-finals with a three-wicket win over Gloucestershire at Cheltenham.The powerful left-hander smote four sixes and five fours to see his side to a target of 167 with two balls to spare. Sam Northeast contributed 49 and Joe Denly 31, while Craig Miles claimed 3 for 27.Gloucestershire had posted 166 for seven after losing the toss, Michael Klinger strengthening his position as the competition’s leading run-maker with 75 from 50 balls. Mitch Claydon was the most successful Kent bowler with three wickets.Klinger’s runs took his aggregate in the South Group to 653 at an average of 108.83. But, while leaders Kent can now look forward to the knock-out stages, Gloucestershire face elimination.The hosts suffered a setback in the second over of their innings when Hamish Marshall, who had already moved to 11, was forced to retire hurt with a recurrence of a calf injury. Ian Cockbain joined Klinger and the pair took the score to 36 in the fifth over when Cockbain was caught behind off Claydon for 11.Klinger and fellow Australian Peter Handscomb then added 79 in 9.1 overs, Klinger moving to his half-century off 34 balls, with five fours and a six over square leg off Calum Haggett.Handscomb fell for 28, bowled by Fabian Cowdrey attempting to sweep, but Klinger deposited the left-arm spinner over wide long-on for his second six before departing in the same over, the 17th, to a catch at backward point. From then on Gloucestershire lost momentum as Geraint Jones, Jack Taylor, Benny Howell and Tom Smith were dismissed in the closing overs, Claydon and Matt Coles sharing the wickets.The Kent reply was given a brisk start by Joe Denly, who smashed the fourth ball of the innings from Craig Miles back over his head for a straight six and registered another maximum in the third over off Liam Norwell. But Gloucestershire struck two blows in the Powerplay as Bell Drummond was caught behind driving at Miles and Denly fell lbw to James Fuller, having hit 31 off 18 balls.Sam Billings had made only 5 when attempting to reverse sweep the first ball sent down by left-arm spinner Tom Smith, the competition’s leading wicket-taker, and being brilliantly caught above his head at full stretch by Howell at backward point.Darren Stevens and Cowdrey also fell cheaply. But Northeast was still there and when big-hitting Blake came in to launch sixes off Howell and Smith the game seemed to be tilting Kent’s way.The 17th over, bowled by Miles, saw the Kent captain depart one short of his half-century, caught on the midwicket boundary with 36 still needed. But Blake responded with another six and three fours of the next over from Norwell to virtually settle the outcome and ended the game by clearing the ropes for the fourth time.

The BCB has received expression of interest from 11 enterprises for the third edition of the Bangladesh Premier League

Mohammad Isam18-Aug-2015The BCB has received expression of interest (EOI) from 11 enterprises for the third edition of the Bangladesh Premier League. But no one who participated in the first two editions submitted their applications, after the BCB had terminated contracts with the seven franchises last year due to payment issues.Afzalur Rahman Sinha, BPL governing council chairman, said that the new franchises have to pay BDT 1 crore (USD 128,625) as a bank guarantee. They have also set a few subjective criteria, including involvement with sports at some capacity in the past.The EOI were received from DBL Group, Sohana Group of Industries, Beximco, BBS Cables, Blues Communications, Networld Bangladesh, Mediacom Limited, Index Group, Bengal Communications, Axiom Technology and Fiber@home Limited.”The next step will be to scrutinise the interested parties,” Sinha said in a press conference on Tuesday. “We will speak to them [the bidders]. Those who are real sports lovers and were involved with various clubs and sports in the past, will get priority.Ismail Haider Mallick, the governing council’s member-secretary, said that the process of choosing the new franchises should be completed within the next three weeks.”We hope to start on November 22 or 25. Groundwork has been completed. We wanted to do the BPL with five teams but seeing the response it now seems we can start with seven teams.”We hope to complete the processing for the new franchises by the first week of next month. They have submitted their expression of interest (EOI). We have already reduced the structure,” he said.Mallick added that those interested in owning a new team must understand that the business model of the BPL has reduced significantly, and it has to be run similar to the way Dhaka clubs operate in the Dhaka Premier League (a domestic one-day tournament), but first they have to ensure the bank guarantee.”The new franchise owners have to keep in mind that they can’t do business here. They will be spending as much as a title-challenging Dhaka Premier League club does. They shouldn’t expect anything in return. Those who are sports-oriented, will get preference. They will also have to meet some financial conditions.”Everyone says the right things when they are taking the franchise. That’s why we have put a financial bar that they have to meet to reach the next stage,” he said.Mallick said that if the new franchise owners include any of the old defaulters, they will be asked to be removed. At the moment, BCB’s legal unit are in arbitration with the previous franchises for recovering payments.”We have said it time and again that we have financial dispute with seven franchises,” he said. “It has gone to arbitration, not in our hands. Our legal department is handling the matter. Nobody has cleared their debts so they couldn’t apply for a franchise.”Among the new applicants, we didn’t consider the older ones. Many of them contacted us. If they clear their dues before we finally announce the franchises, the board will take them into consideration.”Mallick added that player payments for the previous editions had been “done” and only some issues remain with local players.”Some cricketers have made legal claims. We had said during the second BPL that all payments should be made by the board. But the cricketers received payments from the franchises. Now we can’t match their claims. We can see differences.”We had made Naimur Rahman [BCB director] as the point man for the local cricketers. He has settled most of it. Now we will just have to pay them this month,” he said.

Steven Finn was the most impressive bowler in England’s second warm-up match in Sharjah but said afterwards that he would be “surprised” if he were selected for next week’s first Test

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Oct-2015Four wickets for 16 runs from 15 overs – decent figures for the “back-up”. Steven Finn was the most impressive bowler in England’s second warm-up match in Sharjah but said afterwards that he would be “surprised” if he were selected for next week’s first Test.Finn made a dramatic return to Test cricket during the Ashes after two years in the wilderness and is likely to contest the third seamer’s slot with Mark Wood, who was preferred in England’s first match. The heat and dust of the UAE are conditions to make a fast bowler sick – literally so, for Finn – but his first performance on tour suggested he was acclimatising well.Still, with James Anderson and Stuart Broad expected to take the new ball, Ben Stokes in the side as an allrounder and England set to play two spinners, Finn conceded he may be the man to miss out.”I’d say I’ve staked a claim … [but] I’d still be surprised if I played the first Test. I think the guys bowled really well the other day, and it wouldn’t surprise me if the team that was picked then is the team for the first Test,” he said. “At the moment, I’m back-up to those guys. But nothing is set in stone.”Accepting that it was likely to be a straight choice between him and Wood, Finn suggested that England may have to rotate their seamers during the three Tests, which will be played across 24 days.”Broady and Jimmy bowled well when they were out here last time, and bowled well the other day – and so did Woody,” Finn said. “There will be disappointed people, regardless of who gets picked, but that’s part of building a strong unit of players who can come out here and challenge in these sorts of conditions.”I don’t think the same bowling attack is going to play all the way through the series – because of the conditions and the overs bowlers might get through. So if you don’t play the first Test, it’s not the end of the world, there are two others in very quick succession to come.”England rested Anderson, Broad and Wood for their second tour match, with Liam Plunkett taking the new ball alongside Finn and plenty of work for the three spinners, Moeen Ali, Adil Rashid and Samit Patel. In temperatures high enough to make players feel unwell, Finn was pleased to have got through a full day’s bowling.”Having only bowled four or five-over spells in the nets, to then get 15 overs under my belt in a game situation, I felt good for it,” Finn said. “We’ve put in some hard work getting used to these conditions.”A few net sessions, I was pretty close to being sick – or was sick. I think everyone’s been in that position a little bit over the last week or so, but that hard work now will stand us in good stead.”England’s attack ended up sharing 12 wickets, with the teams having agreed to each spend a full day batting, and dismissed three members of the Pakistan A top order twice over. Slightly unorthodox, maybe, but England could still be satisfied with their efforts.”I think a proper match would be ideal. But we don’t have the luxury of that over here, and I think you have to use these matches to serve a purpose,” Finn said.”Having 88 overs in our legs at the end of the day is a very good thing for us – and even their top-order batsmen coming out again is more of a challenge for us. You want to be challenged as much as you can in these practice games, so you’re not surprised when it comes to the Test matches.

Samit Patel had planned to go to Dubai for a holiday. Now he’s going with England, hoping to add to his five Test caps

David Hopps at Trent Bridge24-Sep-2015Samit Patel had planned to go to Dubai anyway. Not to be conveniently placed in case an England spinner tripped over a fielding cone. Just because he fancied a holiday in the sun after a long season. Now he goes to Dubai with England, wondering if the Test series against Pakistan will present an opportunity to add to his five Test caps. The sunbed and ice creams will have to give way to fielding drills and ice baths.He looks trim, that needs to be stated from the outset. Either that or the Nottinghamshire kit is expertly tailored for the fuller figure. “He obviously hasn’t been fitness-tested by England because he is off their radar but he is fitness-tested by Notts on a regular basis and his tests are good,” said Mick Newell, his director of cricket.Pick him, then talk him down. Both Patel and Newell, one of those who selected him, are playing down the chance of him actually getting a game. As a replacement for Zafar Ansari, he is very much the third spinner in line, behind Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid, and unlike Ansari he is not a selection with the future in mind. It is not impossible to draw up an XI where all three play – in fact, Patel’s most recent Test appearance, at Kolkata in December 2012, came alongside two other spinners in Graeme Swann and Monty Panesar. But it does seem unlikely.”We weren’t sitting there with hundreds of names in front of us,” Newell conceded. “There are a number of experienced offspinners and there are a number of promising legspinners, although they are a long way from being regarded as Test match bowlers.”Had the selectors spoken much of Patel in recent years? “A little bit in a very broad discussion of spin bowlers – Samit’s name comes up at most selection meetings.” Newell chuckled as he said it. One imagines it has often come up ruefully, an interlude between the serious stuff. But the bond between the player and his director of cricket is a strong one.”I am delighted for Samit because he has never given up hope,” Newell said. “It has been a while since he last played but he has always talked about his desire to play for England and he has this unexpected opportunity so let’s hope he makes the most of it. I have felt for two or three years that he still had a chance of selection in sub-continent conditions.”If England were going to Australia or South Africa, I don’t think Samit would be an obvious pick but this is a tour where unusually three spinners have been selected, the left-arm spinner who got selected was injured and Samit was the most obvious spinner in that role.”All that is just detail for Patel. He is just happy to be back. Last season, in the form of his life, he was determinedly ignored. This season, although short of runs in the Championship, fortune has favoured him. There were times when he seemed to be the only person in the country who believed he would go on another England tour, and he has been proved right.Frustration has been replaced by a bountiful smile, although that frustration was tempered by a recognition of the qualities of the player who got the vote last season. Moeen Ali was championed by Peter Moores, then England coach, now assisting at Nottinghamshire. “I thought I had a chance last season, but they went with Moeen. That pick is not a disappointment for me. He proved he deserved to have it.”This is a good news story, although some will see it largely as an example of England’s calamitous spin-bowling shortage. There is much affection for Patel at Trent Bridge, especially among the crowd. He is a character cricketer, a player who draws a smile, celebrating his skill as one of the best players of spin in the country (as there are hardly any spinners, he does not get much chance to prove it), sympathising with his occasional disasters, and relishing his expressive responses as life turns from good to bad and back to good again.He is a man of many guises. There is the cunning Samit, as one of his left-arm slows beats the outside edge, and persuades him that he has his quarry in sight; there’s the celebratory Samit, bounding around when something goes well, briefly feeling himself the best player in the world; the startled, wide-eyed Samit as events begin to conspire against him; and the disconsolate Samit when a run chase goes awry, he hangs his head and the world briefly becomes insufferable.And there will always be a distinctive mix of self-belief and comedy. Only Patel could follow an ECB tweet announcing his call-up for the Pakistan tour with a wicket at the same moment. “The very moment the press release went out he caused Sean Ervine to loft to mid-off where Stuart Broad, an England colleague again, held the catch … that’s Samit for you,” Newell smiled.Only Patel could follow-up a tour de force of stamina by Surrey’s Kumar Sangakkara in the Royal London Cup semi-final at the Kia Oval by needing treatment for cramp… when he was barely in double figures. Such rich irony. He will be forever worth watching, the sort of player you want to carry on until he is 40.Patel is 30 now and, while he chatted, he referred several times about how he is a mature person these days – habitually adding the word “hopefully” as if he feared something might go awry if he claimed too much. It will soon be Nottinghamshire’s end-of-season drinks party. “I will try to curb it as much as I can,” was his scampish response.He has never met Trevor Bayliss, England’s coach, and is looking forward to working with him, and is thrilled by the prospect of learning from Mahela Jayawardene, who will join the tour as a batting coach. When it comes to the art of playing spin, he will be one of Jayawardene’s brightest students.”I will bat anywhere just to play – that’s non-negotiable,” he said. “Opportunities have not come as I would have liked but that’s just the way sometimes. I will be behind Moeen and Rash to play but I will be happy just to go on the trip. To work with a new coach and with Mahela Jayawardene – I can’t wait. To learn off him will be outstanding.”Patel has been unfortunate in that batting is his strong suit, but spin bowling has often won him selection, creating an imbalance in how he is used. Recognising that England will not change, this season he has tried to change himself, placing more emphasis on his bowling in red-ball cricket.”I set my goal as 40 wickets for the year and I started really well but I have not had as much bowling as I would have liked,” he said. “I’ve been happy with how I’ve been bowling but it hasn’t been a spinner’s summer to be honest.”It’s about thinking like a spin bowler really, rather than a top-order batsman who bowls a bit of spin. How to create more wicket-taking deliveries. I presume I am just a replacement but I am just happy to get out there and impress some coaches.”The sun shone down on Trent Bridge. Samit Patel belonged. He felt special again.

Zimbabwe will play ODIs and T20s against Bangladesh in November, BCB president Nazmul Hassan said, instead of the two Tests announced last week

Mohammad Isam16-Oct-2015Zimbabwe will play ODIs and T20s against Bangladesh in November, according to BCB president Nazmul Hassan, instead of the two Tests announced last week.”It has been decided [on the sidelines of the ICC meeting] that Zimbabwe will fill up the slot that opened up due to Australia’s postponement,” Hassan said. “We have to finish the series by November 18 or 19. They have to come by the first week of November. Zimbabwe have confirmed they are coming. It will be ODIs and T20s. There will be four to five matches, though that hasn’t been decided.”The Bangladesh-Zimbabwe series was originally scheduled for January 2016, when the sides were supposed to play two Tests, three ODIs and three T20s. But after Australia postponed their tour earlier this month, the BCB contacted ZC to bring forward the tour to early November. And with the Bangladesh Premier League set to start on November 22, the window for the series is about three weeks. ODIs and T20s would better fit that window, some in the BCB believed, hence the change in plans.Hassan also said that Cricket Australia have committed to playing in Bangladesh in the near future, even if it is during a tour to India or Sri Lanka. The two Tests could likely be shifted to late 2016 or sometime in 2017.”Australia regretted the postponement repeatedly, at one point in front of everyone. They postponed because the Italian national was killed. When everyone started saying IS was involved, they became worried.”But they said they will make it up to us. The problem is, they have a very busy schedule. They can’t come to play a Test before the end of 2016 or in 2017. They confirmed this in front of everyone. In addition, they said when they will tour India or Sri Lanka, they will play a couple of matches in Bangladesh to show that they want to come.”Hassan added that Cricket South Africa have asked the BCB to send over fresh schedule for the women’s tour that was also postponed earlier this month. “Cricket South Africa told us that they will send the women’s team. They have asked for a new schedule, which we sent yesterday. They will let us know soon.”