Gautam Gambhir has come out in support of the under-pressure VVS Laxman, saying nobody has the right to decide when he should retire

Sidharth Monga in Perth17-Jan-2012Gautam Gambhir has come out in support of the under-pressure VVS Laxman, saying nobody has the right to decide when he should retire. There have been reports coming out of India, quoting BCCI officials, which say Laxman is going to retire soon. One report even said that Laxman might have played his last Test in Perth. Adding to that is criticism from former players, who feel the team is aged and urgently needs the infusion of fresh youngsters.Gambhir said it was not fair for anyone other than the player himself to talk of retirement, or for people to criticise just one man. “Look, my question is, why criticise one person? He has been a legend of the game. It’s not only, VVS Laxman but all of us [who have underperformed]. The top six, the top seven should be criticised equally. We have all failed as a unit. So why only VVS Laxman?”He has been a legend of the game. He has served Indian cricket for a long, long time. There should not be anyone [else] who should be deciding about his retirement. It should be him. Whenever he wants to take it, he should take it. Rather than criticising just one person, you should be criticising all seven batsmen who have failed as a unit. The entire team is behind him [Laxman], and I have always believed you should not criticise only one or two people. If you are to criticise, criticise all seven batsmen who have not performed well and let the team down.”No one should decide when people should retire, it should be the individual’s decision. And it would always be an individual’s decision. Whether it be the media or people back home or whether it’s ex-cricketers, I think no one has any right to force anyone to take retirement. It should be his personal decision. He has served Indian cricket for a very long time, and he is still working very hard, as people have seen in the nets. I have said it’s just a matter of one innings. With one good innings he will be confident again.”Whether Laxman is going to retire anytime soon or not is not clear, but the indications here are that Laxman will play the Adelaide Test. India had a full training session at the WACA ground, and Laxman batted for a long time. Duncan Fletcher, the coach, spent most of his time working with Laxman, especially when Trevor Penny, the fielding coach, gave him throwdowns.

Andrew Strauss has warned that England must learn the lessons of their 3-0 series whitewash at the hands of Pakistan or face more misery in Asian conditions

George Dobell in Dubai06-Feb-2012Andrew Strauss has warned that England must learn the lessons of their 3-0 series whitewash at the hands of Pakistan or face more misery in Asian conditions.England’s 71-run loss in the third Test in Dubai condemned them to a 3-0 defeat in their first series since officially becoming ranked the No. 1 Test team. It was also the first series whitewash England had suffered since the 5-0 Ashes loss of 2006-07 and only the seventh in their history. With a two-Test tour to Sri Lanka coming up next month and a tour of India before Christmas, Strauss knows England have to improve in these conditions if they are to retain any hope of remaining the top-ranked side.Strauss, England’s Test captain, admitted that his team would do some “soul searching” over the coming days but insisted they would conduct a full debrief before making any decisions over the future of certain players. The positions of Ian Bell (who averaged 8.5 in the series), Kevin Pietersen (11.16) and Eoin Morgan (13.66) are all likely to come under scrutiny after England succumbed to their first series defeat since they lost to the West Indies in early 2009 and the first since Andy Flower was appointed to the position of permanent coach.”We can’t ignore this result and just say it’s an aberration,” Strauss said. “That would not help us. This was an eye-opener and a wake-up call and with two more tours on the subcontinent coming up, things won’t get easier. We have to be up for this challenge.”We have to look at the reasons we lost. We have to look at our preparation, our training, our techniques and our temperament. It would be wrong for us to ignore these things, but we also need to remain true to what has worked well in the past.”No-one has a right to play for England forever. It would be patently wrong for us to think like that. But we also need to take time to let the dust settle. We need to look at what went wrong individually. Hopefully over the next week or two, things will become clearer.”I have great faith in our batsmen,” Strauss continued. “I think they are some of best be in world, but I am disappointed we haven’t coped better. I haven’t been involved in a series where so many batsmen have had a hard time. We all have some questions to answer and soul searching into how we can do things better. There was a consistent failure on our part. If you keep getting bowled out for 140 or 150 you’re not going to win many Test matches. We could and should have been better.”Andy Flower, the England coach, suggested the long lay-off his players had enjoyed before the series might have been a contributory factor to the result. Before this tour England had not played Test cricket since the series against India finished in August last year and no cricket at all since the limited-overs series in October.”Looking back now, I don’t think we were ready,” Flower said. “I shoulder that side of the blame because it was my decision to give them that time off. We won’t let that happen again.”We spent a couple of months out of the game and not doing a lot while Pakistan were beating Sri Lanka and working hard to beat Bangladesh and that hardened them up for this contest. Certainly during that rest time, our team and support staff were all being lauded and, while that was happening, Pakistan were working hard at their game and beating international opposition. Consequently one side was sharp and ready and one side wasn’t and we’ve got to do something about that.”Flower also expressed his faith in the batting line-up, but confessed he was surprised at how they had struggled in the series. “We do have a lot of faith in our players and that faith has been justified over a long period of time,” he said. “But we’ve obviously underperformed here badly. I’ve been surprised by how poorly we’ve batted.”We have to take the lessons that have been learned here and improve our skills and improve out method for the Sri Lanka tour. A number of our big players have underperformed in this series. It was the first time that so many of our established Test crickets were out of runs and not feeling as confident as they usually do and not as clear in their method as they usually are.”Ian Bell is one of a few England batsmen under pressure after a poor series•Getty Images

Misbah-ul-Haq, meanwhile, said the whitewashing of England has sent “a strong message that the Pakistan team are back in cricket.”Pakistan’s captain hailed his side’s “wonderful achievement” after leading them to victory in the third Test. It was the fifth time that Pakistan had achieved a whitewash in a series of three matches or more.Victory was especially sweet for Misbah given the context in which the series was played. The previous time these teams met, in 2010, the series was soured by allegations of corruption that subsequently led to three of the Pakistan team receiving jail sentences. The episode tarnished the reputation of Pakistan cricket and forced the side to rebuild with a new captain and several new players. Now, however, Misbah feels Pakistan cricket is in the news for the right reasons.”We showed that we are a power in the cricketing world again,” Misbah said. “Now is the time to give importance to the Pakistan team again. It is a wonderful thing for us. I can’t describe in words how important this series was for our team.”We just came out of such problems. But the way we have come out and the way we are progressing is wonderful. Everyone was ignoring us, but now they have to look at Pakistan cricket.”Pakistan, who were dismissed for just 99 on the first day of this game, also became the first team since 1907 to win a Test after being bowled out for under 100 in the first innings. Pakistan responded by limited England’s first innings lead to 42, before centuries from Azhar Ali and Younis Khan seized the initiative for the hosts.”Our bowlers did a wonderful job,” Misbah said. “They cut down the lead and we knew that, if we were only behind by 100 on the first innings, we were still in the game. Then Azhar Ali and Younis Khan batted wonderfully. Their batting was the main thing that brought us back into the game.”Having proved their potency in these conditions, Misbah agreed that his team would be defined by their success overseas. “That’s another challenge,” Misbah said, “but this team loves challenges. We have it in our mind. We are focused on proving ourselves outside Pakistan.”If you saw us in New Zealand, though, you would know we can do it. Conditions there were not easy for our team, but we performed well there and in the West Indies. We are looking forward to playing in South Africa and Australia and we will start our preparation now.”

A round-up of Sunday’s matches in the MiWAY T20 Challenge

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Mar-2012Faf du Plessis’ five-wicket haul was in vain as Titans fell short of Lions‘ 163 by 16 runs in Johannesburg. du Plessis bowled four batsmen on his way to 5 for 28 after Titans chose to field. Lions were 97 for 2 after 12 overs but du Plessis kept them to 163 for 7. Quinton de Kock and Neil McKenzie chipped in with forties while Jean Symes struck an unbeaten 32. Titans’ chase stuttered at the start and they were soon reduced to 70 for 5. Farhaan Behardien kept them going with 48 off 26 but Chris Morris led a successful defence with 4 for 24 as Titans were restricted to 147 for 9.Richard Levi cracked nine boundaries in his 61 as Cape Cobras easily completed their chase of 157 against Knights for the loss of only four wickets in Paarl. By the time Levi was dismissed for 61 off 32, Cobras were already on 97 in the tenth over. Dane Vilas and Justin Kemp finished the job with an unbroken 55-run stand as Cobras won in the 19th over. Knights’ innings of 156 for 7 was a collection of wasted starts as no batsman made more than 31. Obus Pienaar began with two sixes but fell for 22 off 11 to Brad Hogg. Hogg and Alistair Gray picked up two wickets each for Cobras.Dolphins suffered their fourth washout in a row as their game against Warriors was abandoned without a ball being bowled in East London.

Gloucestershire’s 296-run lead against Kent sets up the chance to win consecutive matches providing enough overs are possible on Sunday and their attack, shorn of David Payne, can squeeze out 10 wickets on a slowing surface.

Alex Winter at Canterbury21-Apr-2012
Scorecard
The Canterbury weather created a rather ugly third day that alienated many would-be spectators. Thus, Kent’s first Saturday of the season was played out to very few indeed at the St Lawrence Ground.Most of the audience drifted away shortly after lunch where only 15 minutes were possible before the first of two long rain breaks. When they came back for the longest session of the day, Gloucestershire took control as Alex Gidman and Hamish Marshall produced their first meaningful innings’ of the season.Gloucestershire’s 296-run lead sets up the chance to win consecutive matches providing enough overs are possible on Sunday and their attack, shorn of David Payne, can squeeze out 10 wickets on a slowing, flattening surface.The best knock was played by the captain, Gidman, who more than doubled his previous best this season with an 84-ball half-century. Gidman is unlike his younger brother Will, who made a gritty 56 in the first innings, in that his runs are never ground out. Alex has to find flow to his innings to make runs. And that is just what he managed against a rather flat Kent attack as James Tredwell ‘s off-spin wheeled away at the Pavilion End and the seamers rotated from the Nackington Road End.The problem was an inability to create any kind of pressure. One lofted drive from Marshall was enough to persuade Tredwell to place long off and on back, deep midwicket soon followed and Gloucestershire merrily knocked the ball around: scoring at almost five-an-over in the final hour of the day. The field spread in similar fashion for the seamers too.The rate accelerated from the patient progress of Richard Coughtrie’s two-hour 40 but it was important for him to make a solid score. He was clearly exceptionally disappointed with his dismissal – a top-edged sweep that Geraint Jones scampered towards square leg to take.Coughtrie’s departure allowed Marshall to find form – another player who gets runs quickly or not at all. His fifty in 64 balls was testament to that. He and Gidman added what may well be a match-winning stand of 94 in 22 overs.Only twice in the innings did Kent threaten. For two overs Matt Coles developed a head of steam and had Chris Dent poking around outside off stump; he finally nicked one through to Jones. On the second occasion, Mark Davies posed similar problems to Gidman but one loose ball drew Gidman’s best stroke – a straight drive for four – and from then on the visitors strolled it.And strolling to the ground was what many were still doing as Kent’s first innings ended inside the first hour. Tredwell chopped on and Jones edged behind to give Will Gidman 5 for 43. Matt Coles took a single to a diving James Fuller at mid-on and was run out and Charlie Shreck closed the innings, caught at short leg to Ed Young’s fifth ball of the day.The efficiency in which Gloucestershire cleaned up the tail typified their smart cricket for two-and-a-half days of this match. But their progress towards the close was also a warning sign about the calming of the wicket.”It’s now a very placid pitch,” Alex Gidman said. “Bowling them out will be very tough. The lads have worked really hard for three weeks now so we’ll probably err on the side of caution. We’re a bowler down too.”Payne’s side strain will keep him out of action for at least two weeks but even with three seamers and Young – who showed glimpses of being useful in the first innings – Gloucestershire are firm favourites with the weather perhaps their biggest obstacle.

ESPNcricinfo previews the 3rd match of IPL 2012 between Mumbai Indians and Pune Warriors India in Mumbai

The Preview by Kanishkaa Balachandran05-Apr-2012

Match facts

April 6, 2012, Mumbai
Start time 1600 (1030 GMT)Sourav Ganguly takes on a fresh challenge as leader•AFP

Big picture

When the nine captains of the IPL’s fifth edition were ushered in during the opening ceremony in Chennai, Sourav Ganguly, Pune Warriors India captain, walked out wearing the franchise’s new turquoise blue jersey, a change from last year’s black. The team would want to erase memories of a forgettable debut season. A change of colour could bring a change of luck, as it happened to Deccan Chargers during the second season. Till recently, Warriors’ participation in the IPL wasn’t even certain. Their owners, the Sahara Group, pulled out on the day of the auction, and their players were in limbo, uncertain of their own future. A compromise was worked out and normal service resumed.Ganguly takes over a team beset with injuries, and the absence of their star pick Yuvraj Singh, who’s recovering from cancer. Their batting last year revolved too much around Yuvraj and Robin Uthappa. They initially won’t have the services of two important overseas recruits, Michael Clarke and Angelo Mathews, who are playing Tests for their countries. They start the tournament again as underdogs.Warriors are up against their neighbours, and tournament contenders Mumbai Indians. Even the defending champions Chennai Super Kings were no match in the IPL opener, which Mumbai Indians dominated with an all-round effort. The one concern for Mumbai Indians is the availability of Sachin Tendulkar, who had to retire hurt with a finger injury in the opening game. His captain, Harbhajan Singh, was hopeful that Tendulkar would play tomorrow.

Players to watch

As Warriors ponder their overseas combination, they will find it hard to overlook Tamim Iqbal. The stylish Bangladesh opening batsman had a dream Asia Cup. He was controversially omitted at the start of the tournament but snubbed his detractors with four fifties, including 60 in the final. The pleasure of his off-side strokes, the poise and follow-through would make his captain proud.Pragyan Ojha had a memorable debut game for Mumbai Indians on Wednesdsay, taking the important wickets of Dwayne Bravo and Suresh Raina. He kept the runs down as well, proving why he’s an effective Twenty20 bowler.

2011 head-to-head

Mumbai Indians were the winners in both matches last year. The first meeting was a low-scoring one, at Wankhede Stadium. A combined bowling effort restricted Warriors to 118. Mumbai Indians won by seven wickets, but used up all their 20 overs. In the return match at the Warriors “home” ground in Navi Mumbai, Mumbai Indians set a target of 161, but Warriors fell short by 21 runs despite a fifty by Manish Pandey.

Stats and trivia

Kings XI Punjab’s full-time captain, Adam Gilchrist, has praised stand-in captain David Hussey for inspiring the team to three away wins in their last five matches

ESPNcricinfo staff03-May-2012Kings XI Punjab’s full-time captain, Adam Gilchrist, has praised stand-in captain David Hussey for inspiring the team to three away wins in their last five matches. Hussey took over from Gilchrist after he sustained a hamstring injury against Kolkata Knight Riders on April 18.Under Hussey, Kings XI have beaten Mumbai Indians, Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bangalore in away matches, and moved from seventh to fourth on the points table. Gilchrist said that he was impressed with Hussey’s captaincy during their four-wicket win against Royal Challengers on Wednesday.”Regardless of the little mix-ups at the end [three Kings XI batsmen were run out], the captaincy today was amazing. To manage his way through our bowling innings [without Ryan Harris who went off injured] was a terrific effort,” Gilchrist said. “You could feel the momentum just turn, and getting Chris [Gayle] out helped. To manage the team through that period was terrific leadership and then to come out and play the way he did [scoring 45] was again strong leadership.”On Wednesday, Kings XI’s bowlers did well to restrict Royal Challengers, who at one stage looked good to set a formidable target, to 158. Azhar Mahmood’s three-wicket spell and two tight overs by Hussey curbed the run rate. “Azhar has all-round capabilities,” Hussey said. “He has shown what he can do with the bat and ball. What people don’t see is that behind the scenes he teaches some young Indian bowlers how to bowl and how to play in different situations.”Hussey said that he was forced to bowl against Royal Challengers, after Ryan Harris sustained a calf injury. “The reason why I haven’t bowled much is because our bowlers have been fantastic in the tournament, led by Praveen Kumar and our spinners Bhargav [Bhatt] and [Piyush] Chawla, who is one of the best spinners in India,” he said. “Ryan Harris was unfortunate as he got hit with the ball. I had to find two or three overs, so Abhishek Nayar and I bowled.”Kings XI chased down 159, amid some late panic, with Hussey, Mahmood and Nayar being run-out. “Our game got tight tonight, we just wanted to close the game out as quickly as possible,” Hussey said. “I don’t think we should focus on the run-outs, but on the [previous] 12 or 13 overs of our batting. I thought Mandeep Singh and Nitin [Saini] played well and set the tone for our team. We came here for two points and that’s what we got.”Hussey also said that he hopes his side continues winning and reaches the next round. “I’ve played a lot of Twenty20 cricket, not only here but also in Australia and have learnt from some great players. I played at Kolkata under Sourav Ganguly [in 2008], and under Adam last year, so I’m enjoying my time here,” he said. “I have not mastered the Twenty20 format but I’m really enjoying the IPL. We are playing some good cricket and we hope we can make the semi-finals and shock a few teams.”

Two crucial sixes from Glamorgan captain Jim Allenby sealed his side’s victory in their rain-affected Friends Life t20 clash against Warwickshire

17-Jun-2012
ScorecardTwo crucial sixes from Glamorgan captain Jim Allenby sealed his side’s victory in their rain-affected Friends Life t20 clash against Warwickshire. The Welsh Dragons, who now have three points in the group along with leaders Somerset and Worcestershire, won by five runs under the Duckworth-Lewis method.After winning the toss the Bears reached 141 for 5 in a match reduced to 18 overs because of the weather. In reply Glamorgan, watched by a crowd of 6,000, needed 146 to win by D/L.After a pedestrian start on a slow pitch and the loss of Marcus North, Glamorgan accelerated through Allenby who hit two big sixes off Jeetan Patel and Paul Best. And when the umpires took the players from the field for the final time Glamorgan had got ahead of the D/L rate of 57 to reach a match-winning position of 62 for 1, with Shaun Marsh on 35 from 25 balls and Allenby 24 from 15.At the start, Warwickshire were pegged back early on, with Simon Jones breaking through twice in the space of four balls in his first over. The former England seamer had Laurie Evans caught at short fine leg before Will Porterfield went to a fine catch by Stewart Walters running away at point.That left the Bears on 13 for 2 but stand-in captain Varun Chopra and Darren Maddy turned the initiative back to the visitors, putting on 77 from 61 balls. Chopra gave the innings some impetus taking 11 off an over from Jones including a six over long-on.The rain had threatened when the umpires took the players from the pitch with the Bears 38 for 2 off five overs. The second rain break reduced the match to an 18-over contest but when they came back they lost three more wickets with Maddy (49), Rikki Clarke and Chopra (53) all going in the space of 19 balls.Dean Cosker finished with 2 for 23 from his four overs including the sharp run-out of Maddy.

David Warner has said players participating in the upcoming Under-19 World Cup in Australia should aim to make it to the senior squad for the World Cup in 2015

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Jul-2012Australia batsman David Warner has said players participating in the upcoming Under-19 World Cup in Australia should aim to make it to the senior squad for the World Cup in 2015, which will be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand. Sixteen teams will participate in the tournament to be held in Queensland (Brisbane, Townsville and Sunshine Coast) from August 11-26, 2012.”I think each individual who will be appearing in the Under-19 World Cup in 2012 needs to have goals of returning here for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 because if you are good enough to be where you are today, you have to be good enough to be in that squad and that environment in 2015,” Warner said.Warner, 25, was part of the squad for the 2006 edition, held in Sri Lanka. He scored 91 runs in five matches with one half-century as a middle-order batsman. Since his international debut in 2009, he has established himself as a destructive opener in all forms of the game for Australia. Warner said the tournament is a good finishing school for promising players hoping to play for the country.”It’s funny, I batted in the middle-order back then, and now I am opening the batting. I can see where I have come from in respect to changing my game to be the best I can,” Warner said. “Everyone’s got to start somewhere, and for me it was batting in the middle-order and bowling a little bit of leg spin.”As a player, I think I’ve matured into a better person and a better team player – not saying that I wasn’t a good team player, but you learn how to actually play the game as an individual and as a team player. I also think you become more knowledgeable about the game.”South Africa batsman Hashim Amla, part of the 2000 edition in New Zealand, said the tournament teaches youngsters invaluable cricket and life lessons. Amla scored 191 runs in eight games with two fifties. He made his international debut in 2004.”It is a great platform to launch your international career. Look at Wayne Parnell who had a great tournament for South Africa at the event in 2008 (Malaysia) and a year later, he was making his international debut,” Amla said. “The challenge for the youngsters is how they manage themselves after they have made their debuts at such an early age.”

Ravi Bopara has stood down from the opening England Lions match against Australia A at Old Trafford after feeling he was not ready to return to cricket

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Aug-2012Ravi Bopara has stood down from the opening England Lions match against Australia A at Old Trafford after feeling he was not ready to return to cricket following the personal issues that led to his withdrawal from the second Test against South Africa.Bopara was drafted into the Lions squad on Sunday as a replacement for James Taylor who made his Test debut at Headingley in place of Bopara. However, he was not in the eleven named for the four-day encounter and issued a brief statement.”I thought I was ready to return to action but after some consideration I just feel it’s too early so won’t be playing quite yet,” he said.In Bopara’s absence Taylor made a determined 34 in Leeds, forming a partnership of 147 with Kevin Pietersen which brought England back into the match. Bopara had made 0 and 22 at The Oval in what was his first Test for nearly a year.Eoin Morgan will captain the Lions and they included three spinners for the opening match with Simon Kerrigan, James Tredwell and Samit Patel all playing. Matt Coles, the Kent bowler, was the other player left out from the 13-man squad.

Thilak Naidu, the Karnataka wicketkeeper, has announced his retirement, three years after he played his final first-class match

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Aug-2012Thilak Naidu, the Karnataka wicketkeeper, has announced his retirement, three years after he played his final first-class match. Naidu, 34, was a mainstay of the Karnataka side for a decade starting 1998-99 and was seen to be close to India selection around 2002-03.Naidu played 93 first-class matches, taking 220 catches and 18 stumpings. He was also an aggressive lower-order batsman, making 4386 run at 34.80, including eight first-class centuries. In his debut season, he helped Karnataka win the Ranji trophy, the last time the state has won the tournament. He lost his place in the side to CM Gautam three years ago.Naidu was felicitated at a ceremony at the Chinnaswamy Stadium which was attended by several of the greats of Karnataka cricket, including Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble and Roger Binny. He said he had no regrets over his career. “I played with pride and passion,” he said. “I enjoyed 16 years of my cricketing career, met a lot of wonderful people. As long as I played, I gave my best as a batsman and a wicketkeeper.”Dravid led the tributes to Naidu during the function. “He can hold his head high for what he has done for Karnataka cricket,” Dravid said. “Coming from an illustrious line of Karnataka keepers, he held the mantle ably. He was always egging on the bowlers, doing what he could to irritate the opposition, which made it entertaining for me at first slip.”Kumble, the president of the Karnataka State Cricket Association, also praised Naidu’s contributions. “Thirty-four is no age to retire, it is too young,” Kumble said. “Thilak was an exceptional player with a flamboyant style with the bat and with the gloves. He had one step in the Indian team, especially in the 2002-03 Challenger Trophy. He was very close but unfortunately he couldn’t make it.Kumble hoped Naidu would work to develop Karnataka cricket in the future. “You have a lot to contribute to Karnataka cricket, the association welcomes you with open arms.” Naidu said he was looking to work as a selector in the future.