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Chelsea have been handed a potentially huge boost for their Carabao Cup final date against Liverpool, with Reece James back on grass.

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James nursing hamstring problemSidelined since DecemberBut hints at return to actionGetty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

The England defender has been sidelined since December with a hamstring injury, and has made just nine appearances all season in what has been another injury-hit campaign. But as Chelsea gear up for a final against Liverpool on February 25, James appears to be nearing a return to action. The Blues full-back hinted as much with an Instagram post on Thursday.

AdvertisementWHAT JAMES POSTEDIG: reeceGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Chelsea have suffered something of an injury crisis this term, with significant absentees ranging from summer signings Christopher Nkunku and Romeo Lavia to England full-back senior figure Ben Chilwell. But James' long-term absence has been a cause for concern at Stamford Bridge given the recurring nature of said hamstring issue – the 24-year-old missed a significant portion of last season with both hamstring and knee problems.

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Mauricio Pochettino and Chelsea fans will hope James' return isn't another false dawn, as any further setbacks would sadly raise questions over his long-term future in the game. The Blues can, at least, take some solace in having a worthy back-up in Malo Gasto at the club, with the Frenchman proving to be one of the unsung heroes of Chelsea's lavish spending under Todd Boehly.

If there is a home venue Sri Lanka would prefer not to head to after a loss, it would be the P Sara Oval in Colombo. On each of the last three occasions Sri Lanka have played here, they have lost. And unlike those times, they trail Pakistan 0-1 now

The Preview by Andrew Fidel Fernando and Umar Farooq24-Jun-2015Match factsJune 25-29, 2015
Start time 1000 local (0430 GMT)The prospect of Wahab Riaz hurling balls at helmets on the most reliable result pitch in South Asia is thrilling for all but the hosts’ batsmen•Ishara S.Kodikara/AFP/Getty ImagesBig PictureIf there is a home venue Sri Lanka would prefer not to head to after a loss, it would be the P Sara Oval in Colombo. There is typically extra bounce on the surface, and a little help for seamers. On each of the last three occasions Sri Lanka have played here, they have lost. The only difference is that in those series, they had arrived with a 1-0 lead, secured in Galle.Sri Lanka’s Galle tormentor Yasir Shah may not be a menace until later in the match, but the prospect of Wahab Riaz hurling balls at helmets on the most reliable result pitch in South Asia is thrilling for all but the hosts’ batsmen. Suranga Lakmal may generate seam and carry here for Sri Lanka too, but the variety of Pakistan’s attack gives them an edge. In mitigation, Sri Lanka possess the most successful batsman at P Sara: Kumar Sangakkara has 821 runs here, at an average of 54.73.For so long Pakistan had outgunned Sri Lanka only in the bowling, but at present, the batting orders seem almost even. Pakistan are famously brittle – maybe less so in the past year – but since Mahela Jayawardene’s retirement, Sri Lanka have been soft too. Sarfraz Ahmed’s sublime form in the lower-middle order will have Pakistan in good spirits, while Angelo Mathews’ descent from the peaks he scaled in 2014 might concern Sri Lanka. In Mathews and Dinesh Chandimal, Sri Lanka have two outstanding players of pace who have hurt Pakistan in combination before. Their challenge will be to rediscover that capacity despite the myriad disappointments of 2015 so far.Aside from possibly playing an extra seamer in place of Zulfiqar Babar if the pitch calls for a pace-heavy attack, Pakistan are simply seeking more of the same. At times it has seemed inconceivable they could produce two similar performances on the trot. Under their winning-est Test captain however, they are skirting consistency.Form guide(last five matches, most recent first)

Sri Lanka: LLLWW
Pakistan: WWDLDIn the spotlightDimuth Karunaratne, who swishes his bat like a rapier in the first innings, has built up a small store of second-innings scores to suggest he is a more substantial batsman than his record so far suggests. Paired with Kaushal Silva’s dour defence, Karunaratne is expected to keep the scoreboard moving. Yet his best innings at the top level have come when he is attempting to save a Test. His coaches will no doubt have noted this. Maybe he will continue to trade in a little flair for a few more runs.Junaid Khan was the only weak link Pakistan had in Galle. He might have bowled some good overs in patches but overall looked ineffective. Since his rehabilitation from injury after the World Cup, he has reduced his pace and struggled to generate seam movement. He may or may not be dropped for the second Test but is surely under immense pressure to contribute. “We still have confidence in him. We will see if there is any need of a change but it will mainly be based on a tactical move,” Misbah-ul-Haq said.Teams newsDhammika Prasad suffered a blow to his right thumb in training, which puts him in doubt for the match. Lakmal appears to have adequately recovered from a groin strain, however. Dilruwan Perera, who needed nine stitches after ripping the webbing of his left hand, will not be considered for this match, which presents an opportunity for either spinner Tharindu Kaushal or seamer Dushmantha Chameera, depending on how pace-heavy the attack needs to be. Kithuruwan Vithanage’s hold on the No. 7 spot is also shaky.Sri Lanka (probable) 1 Kaushal Silva, 2 Dimuth Karunaratne, 3 Kumar Sangakkara, 4 Lahiru Thirimanne, 5 Angelo Mathews (capt.), 6 Dinesh Chandimal (wk), 7 Kusal Perera, 8 Dhammika Prasad/Nuwan Pradeep, 9 Tharindu Kaushal, 10 Rangana Herath, 11 Suranga LakmalThe only bad news for Pakistan is that middle-order batsman Haris Sohail will proceed back to Lahore after having injured his patella tendon during a fielding drill in Galle. The rest of the squad looked fit.Pakistan (probable) 1 Mohammad Hafeez, 2 Ahmed Shahzad, 3 Azhar Ali, 4 Younis Khan, 5 Misbah-ul-Haq (capt.), 6 Asad Shafiq, 7 Sarfraz Ahmed (wk), 8 Wahab Riaz, 9 Yasir Shah, 10 Zulfiqar Babar, 11 Junaid Khan/Imran KhanPitch and conditionsA day out from the Test, the pitch appeared to have a smidgen of live grass, which suggests the seamers will enjoy it as usual. There is rain forecast for most afternoons, but the past few Colombo days have been bright and sunny.Stats and trivia The P Sara Oval is the most reliable result venue in South Asia over the past 20 years. Each of the last eight Tests at the venue led to results, and only one of the past 12 matches has ended in a draw Mohammad Hafeez needs 80 to reach 3000 career runs This is most likely Kumar Sangakkara’s last Test against his favourite top-eight opponent. He averages 77.75 against Pakistan

Mohammad Akram, the Pakistan bowling coach, said he was pleased with the effort of his bowlers in spite of their performance on the fourth day against Sri Lanka in Abu Dhabi

Umar Farooq in Abu Dhabi03-Jan-20140:00

‘Can’t ask for anything more from the bowlers’

Mohammad Akram, the Pakistan bowling coach, said he was pleased with the efforts of his bowlers in spite of their performance on the fourth day against Sri Lanka in Abu Dhabi. Pakistan managed to take just one wicket in the entire day as Sri Lanka scored 420 for 5, stretching their overnight lead of seven runs to 241 by close of play.”The bowlers did well and gave their 100%,” Akram told the media. “Both Angelo Mathews and Dinesh Chandimal batted so well. We understand that the pitch still is a good Test wicket to play on and if batsmen persist, they can score well. Our bowlers tried their best and I couldn’t ask for more.”Pakistan’s bowlers bowled 86.3 overs and had only the wicket of Dinesh Chandimal to show for their efforts. The side used five bowlers and except for Bilawal Bhatti, none of the others conceded runs at more than three an over. Chandimal and Mathews, and later Prasanna Jayawardene, batted sensibly to keep Pakistan at bay. One of the few chances that Pakistan got came in the second over after lunch, when Dinesh Chandimal’s edge off Bhatti’s bowling flew close to Ahmed Shehzad at second slip.Akram felt that the bowlers did exactly what was required of them, but said that it was unfortunate Pakistan hadn’t managed to get wickets early in the first session.”We bowled well in every session and each bowler played his part in the partnership, containing runs from one end and attacking from the other,” Akram said. “So, on such sort of pitches, we did exactly what was required. We wanted to take quick wickets in the first session but unfortunately we didn’t get the edges and chances.”Akram also stressed that the pitch offered no support for the bowlers: “Last-day pitches are normally deterrents (for the batsmen), but I don’t see anything for the bowlers, and batsman can still score runs. I didn’t see any sign of spin even at the end of the day’s play, so if Ajmal didn’t get spin here then nobody can. The ball might be skidding a bit, but it is not spinning at all.”Sri Lanka have a lead of 241 over Pakistan and the latter have chased a higher target only three times in Tests. For Akram, the first session will decide the state of play on the final day.If we can get them all out or they declare their inning in the first session, there is a possibility,” Akram said. “Batting on the final day is always tough but we have batsmen who have recently scored well in ODIs and can get the runs here, too.”

A preview of the playoff between Jamaica and Guyana of the Caribbean T20 in St Lucia

The Preview by Nagraj Gollapudi19-Jan-2013Match factsJanuary 19, 2013
Start time 2000 (0000GMT)Chris Gayle has understood his responsibility is not just to be explosive, but also play the anchor•WICB MediaBig PictureOn paper, on form and based on the personnel Jamaica look favourites against Guyana, who had to scramble to a last-ball finish on Friday night against the Windward Islands. Incidentally, Guyana, who won the tournament in 2010, showed the same desperation in their first match, when they skipped past Combined Campuses and Colleges (CCC) by two wickets, scoring the winning run off the final delivery.In contrast Jamaica, apart from just one defeat in the beginning against Barbados, notched up three victories and a tie, finishing the preliminary rounds on a dominant note with a resounding victory against CCC. Chris Gayle, playing his first match of the tournament, ruthlessly exploited the inexperienced bowling, while racing to the tournament’s fastest fifty in 26 balls, in addition to hitting a record nine sixes. Gayle thus filled the void in the batting as no batsman had scored a fifty yet for Jamaica.Importantly, Gayle carries that aura of a match-winner regardless of his form and Guyana, in their current state, would obviously would be wary. It is not just Gayle, who is bound to occupy Guyana’s minds tomorrow. The Jamaican left-arm seamer Krishmar Santokie has been aggressive with the new ball while simultaneously playing on the batsman’s mind with his clever change of pace. Though he has just eight wickets, the numbers only betray his dominance over the batsmen.Unfortunately for Guyana, not one player has shown consistent form. Chanderpaul scored a half-century, but he picked an injury on Friday. Ramnaresh Sarwan has been disappointing, scoring just 37 runs in six matches. The allrounder Christopher Barnwell has been the most consistent, whose spirited performances with both bat and ball have played a big hand in pushing Guyana into the playoffs.Form guide(most recent first, completed matches only)Jamaica: WWTWL
Guyana WWLLWIn the spotlightChris Gayle will walk into the beautiful Beausejour Stadium for the second successive evening, knowing he will have to once again provide the momentum to the Jamaican batting and remain its mainstay. Recent dip in form aside, one big facet of Gayle’s game that has changed in the last couple of years is that he wants to stay long at the crease. So often you will now see him hanging around tapping the ball early on harmlessly before unraveling those massive arms and the sending the ball deep into the stands. Gayle has understood his responsibility is not just to be explosive, but also play the anchor. With the Australia tour round the corner, Gayle will be hungry for runs and dominance.Devendra Bishoo was not so long ago the ICC’s Emerging Player of the Year (2011). He was even the Man-of-the-Series in the 2010 edition of the Caribbean T20 when Guyana won. But last year, he lost his spot in the West Indies team and is now on the fringes. On Saturday he could be in a face-off with Gayle and will need to stand up to the task.Team newsWith a final berth at stake Jamaica might be keen to get back their most economical bowler, the legspinner Odean Brown ahead of the offspinner Yannick Elliott.Jamaica (probable): 1 Chris Gayle, 2 David Bernard, 3 Tamar Lambert (capt), 4 Nkrumah Bonner, 5 Danza Hyatt, 6 Andre Russell, 7 Aldane Thomas (wk), 8 Nikita Miller, 9 Krishmar Santokie, 10 Sheldon Cotterrell, 11 Odean Brown/Yannick ElliottChanderpaul pulled a leg muscle while batting against Windward Islands and doubts will persist about his selection till the toss.Guyana (probable): 1 Derwin Christian (wk), 2 Shivnarine Chanderpaul/Trevon Griffith, 3 Ramnaresh Sarwan, 4 Narsingh Deonarine, 5 Leon Johnson, 6 Christopher Barnwell, 7 Royston Crandon, 8 Steven Jacobs, 9 Devendra Bishoo, 10 Veerasammy Permaul (capt), 11 Ronsford BeatonStats and trivia Gayle’s nine sixes against CCC were the most by a batsman in an innings. The 75-run stand between Gayle and David Bernard was the best partnership for the opening wicket this edition.Gayle has scored the fastest fifty, in 26 balls.In the eight matches played at Gros Islet in this edition, the team batting first has won twice.Quotes”Before we came to St Lucia we knew that if we want to go to the final we will have to play for three consecutive days. This is just the first step. Tomorrow is the semi-finals and we would like to put on the same display as we did tonight.”
“We need to do something special and win these games convincingly.”
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The clash between the two most impressive teams in the tournament proved to be a one-sided affair as Kolkata Knight Riders cruised to a six-wicket victory

The Report by Siddarth Ravindran07-May-2012
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Jacques Kallis was Man of the Match for his all-round performance•AFPThe clash between the two most impressive teams in the tournament proved to be a one-sided affair as Kolkata Knight Riders cruised to a six-wicket victory at a packed Feroz Shah Kotla, displacing Delhi Daredevils from the top spot they had held virtually from the start of the tournament.Jacques Kallis made two big early breakthroughs, Sunil Narine continued to confound batsmen and Rajat Bhatia quietly continued to prove an important cog in Knight Riders’ bowling as they stifled Daredevils’ formidable batting. The chase of 154 proved straightforward, the only real moment of concern for Knight Riders coming when Brendon McCullum brutally pulled a delivery straight at their dug-out in the 15th over.Daredevils’ two most productive batsmen this season have been Virender Sehwag and Kevin Pietersen, and their consistency had so far shielded the rest of the team’s batting from too much scrutiny. With Sehwag finally failing after a record five half-centuries in a row and Pietersen back home, the rest of the line-up couldn’t quite deliver.Brett Lee began with a maiden to David Warner, who was playing his first game of the tournament, but Sehwag and Warner slammed 34 off the next two to provide Daredevils a flying start. Kallis nipped that stand early by slipping in a length delivery after a couple of shorter ones to trap Sehwag lbw. Warner also didn’t last long, nicking behind in Kallis’ next over.That over ended with an angry confrontation between Mahela Jayawardene and Gautam Gambhir after Jayawardene survived a loud and confident shout for caught-behind. In the next Kallis over, there was less doubt about whether Jayawardene edged the ball but he was lucky as wicketkeeper McCullum spilled a tough chance to his right. He couldn’t capitalise on the lives though, as he was run-out attempting a suicidal single. Gambhir under-armed a direct hit and spiritedly celebrated the wicket.Bhatia and Narine choked the batsmen, conceding only 25 runs in a five-over stretch in the middle of the innings. The biggest struggle was for the out-of-form Ross Taylor, who scratched around for 16 off 27 deliveries, potentially putting his place in jeopardy. A cameo from Irfan Pathan, who again showed off his clean hitting, lifted Daredevils beyond 150 despite four wickets in the final over from Narine.That total didn’t prove too much of a challenge for Knight Riders, particularly as the Daredevils bowlers provided plenty of freebies down the leg side. Gambhir and McCullum put on their fourth fifty-plus stand in six innings to demoralise Daredevils as they raced to 60 for 0 by the end of the Powerplay. Gambhir was the more fluent of the openers, extending his prolific run this season with a quick 36 before being bowled by fast bowler Varun Aaron, playing his first match in five months.McCullum tried to muscle the bowling early on but couldn’t time it too well, though he gradually grew in confidence and was reverse-sweeping Irfan Pathan by the time he was nearing his half-century. As Gambhir’s striking had reduced the asking rate, Kallis didn’t need to try anything fancy, sticking to conventional strokes as he and McCullum added 60 before they were dismissed off consecutive deliveries by Umesh Yadav, who regularly reached 150kph.Those strikes weren’t enough, though, for Daredevils to hang on to the No. 1 spot, as Knight Riders coasted to victory with eight deliveries to spare.

After struggling to score quickly for most of their chase, the Melbourne Renegades, through some late meaty blows led by Tom Cooper, defeated the Brisbane Heat by six wickets in the final over of the match

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Dec-2012
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsTom Cooper smashed 29 off 15 balls to take his team home•Getty ImagesAfter struggling to score quickly for most of their chase, Melbourne Renegades, through some late meaty blows by Tom Cooper, defeated Brisbane Heat by six wickets in the final over. They now lead the points table with four wins out of four.The contest was going out of their reach when the Renegades were reduced to 3 for 63 in the 13th over, with two new batsmen at the crease. Initially, they struggled and the required run-rate mounted to 11.50 per over, but Cooper, and later Ben Rohrer and William Sheridan then reversed the tide and secured the win.Their first step towards the victory was neatly executed when they restricted the Heat to 7 for 133 in their 20 overs with the help of some controlled bowling and regular wickets. They were already on top of their opponents when they reduced them to 3 for 27 in the sixth over. But this was when their Sri Lankan import Thisara Perera arrived to resuscitate the innings. He dominated a stand of 51 with Joe Burns – who eventually finished his innings with 13 off 20 deliveries – and with two sixes and three fours, attempted to take his team to a dominating position.Before much damage could be done, seamer Darren Pattinson took two wickets in two balls, removing the pair. The Heat found it hard to score quickly thereon, and despite a knock of 33 off 24 deliveries from Ben Cutting, could only reach 133 for 7.Cutting backed his knock with economical bowling as Renegades approached their chase in a sedate fashion. Although they hadn’t lost too many wickets, the game looked to be going out of their reach after three-quarters of their innings. The top three batsmen consumed nearly 12 overs to score 57 runs, and they left it to the middle-order batsmen to launch the much-needed big hits.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has denied Shakib Al Hasan permission to play in the Sri Lankan Premier League (SLPL) following an injury to Shakib’s left knee

Andrew Fernando and Mohammad Isam02-Aug-2012The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has denied Shakib Al Hasan permission to play in the Sri Lankan Premier League (SLPL) following an injury to his left knee. He will instead be given time to recover ahead of September’s World Twenty20.”Shakib has been advised by the national team physio that he has to focus on rehabilitation of the injury in his left knee in the forthcoming period, during which he cannot play matches,” BCB media manager Rabeed Imam said. “This was also the suggestion of the BCB, that he gets some rest for now.”The news is a blow to the Uthura Rudras franchise, for whom Shakib had been the big pick from the list of overseas players and a possible team captain. His experience and value as a spin-bowling allrounder would almost certainly have seen him play every game.Uthura Rudras management declined to comment on Shakib’s withdrawal until they received official confirmation from the BCB.Shakib was one of five Bangladesh players set to play in the SLPL; the others are expected to appear in the tournament as planned.

After his side’s bowlers restricted Delhi’s lead to 76, Jiwanjot Singh’s unbeaten 105 brought Punjab right back into the contest

The Report by Amit Shetty in Delhi23-Dec-2013
ScorecardJiwanjot Singh scored his seventh first-class century in just his 22nd match•ESPNcricinfo LtdJiwanjot Singh’s unbeaten 105 brought Punjab right back into the contest against Delhi after they had been shot out for 74 in their first innings. After Punjab’s bowlers had bowled Delhi out for 150 to restrict their first-innings lead to a moderate 76 runs, Jiwanjot took on the Delhi attack to push Punjab’s second innings score to 177 for three at stumps.Punjab have a lead of 101 runs and will want Jiwanjot and Mandeep Singh (29 batting) to swell their unbroken 74-run partnership as far as they can. If that happens, it will present Delhi captain Gautam Gambhir a headache. A target in the 175-200 range could prove tricky..The 23-year-old Jiwanjot batted for a shade over four hours in making his seventh first-class hundred, in just his 22nd match, and struck 15 fours. Second-innings centuries in most Ranji Trophy games are of little value in the final context but this innings from Jiwanjot could well turn the tables for Punjab, who ended the second day scenting a victory that had looked improbable on the first evening.There was one blemish in Jiwanjot’s 169-ball knock. He was on 40 when he edged one from Rajat Bhatia to first slip, where Sehwag dropped a dolly. Otherwise, his innings was an exhibition of how to bat in conditions with more bounce than the average Indian track, against a quartet of seamers in Ashish Nehra, Parvinder Awana, Rajat Bhatia and Sumit Narwal who were all making the ball talk.After Manan Vohra was snapped up at point by Navdeep Saini off Nehra’s bowling, Jiwanjot and Uday Kaul frustrated the Delhi bowlers with a 65-run partnership.Jiwanjot got behind the line of the ball and played as straight as possible. He was always in a position to cover the swing. Even when the bowlers pitched on leg stump, he met them with a straight bat rather than going across the line. While he played Nehra with a lot of caution initially, he attacked Saini with his square-of-the-wicket shots. Saini, who frequently erred in length and line, went for 34 in five overs.Uday, at the other end, defended dourly and frustrated the Delhi bowlers. By the time he was dismissed by Narwal, Punjab had erased the 76-run deficit. Bhatia trapped Yuvraj Singh lbw for 4, not too long after he’d survived a big appeal off Narwal with the umpire failing to detect a big nick. Jiwanjot carried on calmly and cut Awana towards backward point to complete his century.In the morning, the Punjab bowlers first raised visions of a comeback by taking eight wickets in the first session. Virender Sehwag, who had struck Jaskaran Singh for a couple of cover-driven boundaries, was run out at the striker’s end trying to run a quick single, beaten by a direct hit from Mandeep.Unmukt Chand played a number of attractive strokes, including a straight drive off Manpreet Gony and a cover drive off Sandeep Sharma, before he went for an ill-advised hook against Siddarth Kaul, who got one to rear up from just short of a length. Chand got his execution wrong, and the edge was taken by wicketkeeper Gitansh Khera.Chand had done the hard work in playing out the first hour and was in a position to consolidate at 55. But as has been the case with him, he paid the price for a moment’s indiscretion.

Tim May has stepped down as chief executive of the Federation of International Cricketers’ Associations (FICA) barely a month after he controversially lost his position on the ICC cricket committee to Laxman Sivaramakrishnan

Brydon Coverdale05-Jun-2013Tim May has stepped down as chief executive of the Federation of International Cricketers’ Associations (FICA) barely a month after he controversially lost his position on the ICC cricket committee to Laxman Sivaramakrishnan. May has been in charge of FICA since 2005 but said he realised over the past 18 months that he was “tiring of working in a sport that was increasingly at odds with the principles I respect”.The loss of May from the ranks of player representatives marks the end of a 16-year era, for he has been involved since becoming the inaugural president of the Australian Cricketers’ Association in 1997. However, May said he had become increasingly frustrated at the direction cricket administration was taking, including its apparent unwillingness to make governance changes recommended by the Woolf Report.”More and more we see allegations of corruption and malpractice on and off the field dominating headlines,” May said. “As stakeholders in the game we look to leadership from the ICC to address these and other issues – a vital ingredient of any organisation is the ability of its leaders to set the moral and principled example to others, and to police its organisation from top to bottom to ensure adherence to those principles.”Yet cricket increasingly seems to be pushing aside the principles of transparency, accountability, independence, and upholding the best interests of the global game, in favour of a system that appears to operate through threats, intimidation and backroom deals. Despite FICA and many other stakeholders pushing for the recommendations of the Woolf Report to be implemented to address these shortcomings, the ICC board see no reason to change.”Among other things, the Woolf Report of 2012 recommended the ICC executive board becoming more independent and less dominated by the bigger countries, and also called for greater transparency at board level. May said both the Woolf Report and 2001’s Condon Report into cricket corruption should have led to positive change in the sport, including in its relationships with the players.”I hope that the ICC and more of its board’s members take heed of the recommendations of both Lord Condon and the Woolf Report and form closer and more productive relationships with players and their representatives – rather than the current trend to resist proper player representation; the players deserve better,” May said.”Increasingly the administrators of the game seek to force out or alienate those who question its alleged misuse of power, or those who seek greater transparency, or provide rational argument against the ills of the administration. It appears that some administrators just don’t want to be held to account to the standards that are expected of them.”There is a great opportunity for the ICC to arrest this trend and become one of the world’s best governed sports. For the future of the global interests of the game, I hope this happens sooner than later – because the current system is failing us.”

Tim was a very good cricketer but without question his greatest impact on the game was to provide a voice for players where there had been none previouslyFormer New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming

May told the FICA board of his resignation, which is effective immediately, at its recent annual meeting. The organisation is expected to announce a new leadership structure in the coming days. Michael Clarke, the Australia captain, said the players of the current era had plenty of reasons to thanks May for his contributions to their cause.”When I heard the news that Tim May was resigning from FICA, my immediate thoughts were that this was a sad day for the game and the world’s players,” Clarke said. “Throughout my time in cricket Tim has been a constant presence, taking on the tough issues on behalf of all players and doing so with amazing passion, strength and leadership. From a players’ perspective, his influence on the game should never be forgotten. It’s difficult to imagine where the players of today would be without Tim May’s contribution.”Former New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming said he was thankful to May in helping them form the New Zealand Players’ Association in 2001. “I watched with interest as Tim established the Australian Players Association and he was then a great help to us as we got our own Association organised in 2001,” he said. “Tim was a very good cricketer but without question his greatest impact on the game was to provide a voice for players where there had been none previously. This takes tremendous strength of character and real understanding of not only the playing of the sport, but also the business of the sport. The players of today and those of the future have a lot to thank him for.”Brendon McCullum, the New Zealand captain, and AB de Villiers, the South Africa captain, also expressed gratitude on their team’s behalf and said May’s work meant players around the world were in a much better position.

ESPNcricinfo tracks player movements before the start of India’s 2013-14 domestic season

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Aug-2013Ramesh Powar will play for Rajasthan for the next two domestic seasons•ESPNcricinfo LtdKB Pawan moves to Tripura
Karnataka’s KB Pawan has moved to Tripura for the season. Pawan was a regular opener for Karnataka but lost his place to KL Rahul last season. The right-handed wicketkeeper-batsman has played 44 first-class matches for Karnataka, scoring 2642 runs at an average of 37.21.Punjab’s Bipul Sharma moves to Himachal Pradesh
Allrounder Bipul Sharma, who was with Punjab until last season, will turn up for Himachal Pradesh in 2013-14. He made his debut for Punjab in 2005, and has played 14 first-class and 52 List A matches. He has five fifties, and a highest score of 93 in first-class cricket to go with 19 wickets at 41.63. The 30-year-old has also played one game for India A against Scotland in 2010.Karnataka’s Abhishek Bhat moves to Saurashtra
Abhishek Bhat, 24, will be among Saurashtra’s ranks this season. He has played club cricket in Karnataka, appearing in the Safi Darasha Tournament, but is yet to make his debut in first-class or List A formats.Gujarat’s Avi Barot moves to Haryana
Wicketkeeper-batsman Avi Barot has transferred from Gujarat to Haryana for this season. The 21-year-old cricketer, who has also represented India Under-19, made his debut for Gujarat in 2011 and has played four first-class matches so far, scoring 118 runs at an average of 19.66. In 12 List A games, Barot has scored 296 runs at an average of 24.66 with three fifties.Rajasthan’s Rashmi Parida moves to Vidarbha
Batsman Rashmi Parida has transferred from Rajasthan to Vidarbha for the 2013-14 season. Parida, 36, played 29 Ranji games for Rajasthan, scoring 1536 runs with two centuries. He was part of the team’s title victories in 2011 and 2012. Parida started his career with his native Orissa in 1994-95 before shifting to Assam for the 2008-09 season. He spent the next four seasons with Rajasthan.Himachal’s Bhavin Thakkar, Gujarat’s Bhavik Thaker move to Jharkhand
Middle-order batsman Bhavin Thakkar will play for Jharkhand in the 2013-14 season. Thakkar, 31, last played a first-class game in 2010, for Himachal Pradesh. He has played 37 first-class games in all, scoring 1924 runs at 35.62, with five tons and 10 fifties. Before Himachal, Thakkar had played for Mumbai. He changed teams, Thakkar told the , because getting a chance to play was most important to him: “You know Mumbai cricket. There is always someone good to replace you. It’s part of the job. You’ve got to accept it. Sometimes, the selectors feel someone else is doing a better job than you. I have no regrets. I played with pride for Mumbai, but playing this game is more important to me than anything else.”Gujarat’s Bhavik Thaker also moved to Jharkhand. The batsman, who made his first-class debut in 2003, was a part of the Gujarat squad for the Ranji trophy in the 2012-13 season, but didn’t get a game. His last first-class game for Gujarat was in December 2011, while his last List A game for his home state was in February 2012. In 55 first-class games, Thaker has 3000 runs at an average of 40 with six hundreds and 19 fifties.Sanjeev Sharma replaces Dahiya as Delhi coach
Sanjeev Sharma, the former India seamer, has replaced former keeper Vijay Dahiya as Delhi’s coach. A Delhi District Cricket Association official told Dahiya was sacked because of his IPL commitments. “He wasn’t available for the whole season,” the official said. “He is associated with Kolkata Knight Riders and during the second phase when we prapare for Vijay Hazare Trophy, he will be busy with Knight Riders camps. Now we don’t want somebody who can’t devote full attention towards Delhi cricket.” Sanjeev Sharma, who played two Tests and 23 ODIs, and 89 first-class games and 61 List A games in a career spanning two decades – 1983 to 2003 – was Delhi’s assistant coach previous to this.Ashok Malhotra Bengal’s new coach
Ashok Malhotra will take over as coach of the Bengal senior team for the 2013-14 season, replacing former India batsman WV Raman, who had cut his term short in July citing family reasons. Malhotra, a middle-order batsman, had played seven Tests and 20 ODIs between 1982 and 1986. He was prolific on the domestic scene for Bengal though, at one time the record holder for the most runs in the Ranji Trophy: 7274 at 52.49 with 18 hundreds. After retiring, Malhotra had a run as a Test selector. He will have a job on his hands turning around Bengal’s fortunes, as they had a poor 2012-13 season, winning only one Ranji game in eight and losing four to finish seventh out of nine teams in Group A.Ganguly on Bengal’s coaching committee
Sourav Ganguly has been named chairman of Bengal’s cricket coaching committee. The committee’s primary job will be to organise coaching camps in Bengal to develop the cricketers in the state. Ganguly was previously head of Bengal’s cricket development committee.Powar joins Rajasthan
Ramesh Powar, one of Mumbai’s leading spinners, has moved from the domestic powerhouse to two-time champions Rajasthan for the next two seasons. Powar, who played two Tests for India, failed to find a spot in Mumbai’s playing XI on consistent basis last season. He finished the season with five first-class games and took six wickets at an average of 82.16. Hrishikesh Kanitkar, the former India allrounder who has been leading Rajasthan for three years, approached Powar and the offspinner agreed to take up the challenge of playing as a professional for Rajasthan.Sunderam appointed as Rajasthan coach
After succumbing to the pressure of entering the Ranji Trophy as defending champions for two successive seasons and finishing second from bottom in the group stage in 2012-13, the Rajasthan Cricket Association unveiled new plans to revive its team’s fortunes. One of the key decisions is Pradeep Sunderam’s appointment as head coach. Sunderam, a former Rajasthan pace bowler, has been instrumental in shaping young talent from Mumbai for well over a decade as the under-22 coach and bowling coach of the MCA academy. In the absence of a head coach, captain Hrishikesh Kanitkar and bowling coach Meyrick Pringle worked as the strategists’ team. Sunderam’s name was recommended by former India wicketkeeper Chandrakant Pandit, who had to resign from the post of RCA’s director of cricket last September following his appointment as the chairman of the national junior selection panel.WV Raman to coach Tamil NaduFormer India opener WV Raman will coach Tamil Nadu for the next two seasons, following a contract with the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association. Raman, who was coach of the TN side between 2006 and 2010, recently stepped down from a three-year stint as coach of the Bengal team. “Quite obviously, when your home state wants you to come and help them out, you tend to lean towards it,” Raman told . “You are a part of the Association, you have played for the state for a long time and you now have the opportunity of ensuring that the team is put back on track. Most of the boys who should figure in the scheme of things going forward were under me in my first stint here. Things have since gone southwards. That is probably the biggest attraction for me – to try and get them up and going again, like in my previous stint.”<!– COMMENTED OUTHarmeet to play for Vidarbha
Harmeet Singh, the young left-arm spinner from Mumbai who was in the news after being questioned in the IPL spot-fixing probe, will play for Vidarbha in the forthcoming domestic season. After drawing praise from the likes of Ian Chappell during India’s triumphant Under-19 World Cup campaign last year, Harmeet played for Rest of India during the Irani Cup match in September 2012, and also played in the Challenger Trophy. However, he was not a part of Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy squad during the season due to a finger injury and poor form. The Vidarbha Cricket Association approached Harmeet in July and the spinner grabbed the opportunity, aiming to play his first full season of domestic cricket.END OF COMMENT –>