Pakistan’s collapse in Abu Dhabi was a throwback to the bad old days that have been conspicuous by their absence since Grant Flower became their batting coach

Umar Farooq21-Oct-2015Since January 2014, Pakistan’s batting average is 43 in Tests, the best among all teams. Pakistan’s batsmen have scored 30 Test hundreds, also more than any other team in this time span. In their last Test before this England series, against Sri Lanka in Pallekele, Pakistan had their highest successful run chase.These have been the features of Pakistan’s batting over the past two years. Pakistan’s defining feature might have been the batting collapse, and it returned with a vengeance in Abu Dhabi, but its frequency has reduced drastically. Their average score between 2012 and 2014 has risen by more than 50%.In Pakistan, coaching is never fully understood and often has been a victim of subjective criticism. The force behind a player is rarely appreciated. But Grant Flower, Pakistan’s batting coach who joined the set-up 18 months ago, has had an evident influence on the batsmen.”At the start I wasn’t sure what to expect and I was quite apprehensive,” Flower said. “But it has become exciting and I get to work with some great players with great records.””So far it’s been a good record. We have made big scores recently and we were lucky to get away with a draw the other day. If there is any rocket science that I have done with that I am not aware of it. So it’s the basics, they practice hard, hitting a lot of balls in the nets which gives them a lot of confidence, and the most important thing is fitness.”Pakistan have made a huge investment in fitness during this period with extensive summer camps, and performance and fitness-based contracts. “When you are fit you make better decision at times when you are under pressure, and that helps mental toughness for batting long periods of time.”It’s all about little sacrifices off the field. It’s not just me, it’s the fitness person Grant Luden, Brad Robinson the physio has done a good job, and then there is Waqar and Mushi [Mushtaq Ahmed]. The good thing is everyone offers something a bit different so it’s not just a boring voice in the dressing room.”Pakistan, during the time of isolation from playing international cricket at home, have seen a generation of batsman growing up without playing at home. They only get a chance for development when they are picked up at national level. Flower hoped the advent of domestic T20 can help bring useful experience for the longer format.”Cricket not being played in Pakistan is not really helping the country,” Flower said. “I hope things are going to be more stable in the coming years and perhaps PSL happening next year will get the players a lot more experience, which can be really a plus for not only players but for the country.”The national player playing for the country is almost technically ready. Most of the things are covered and in place. It’s really uncommon that they are fundamentally wrong but a lot of fine-tuning is required.”Everyone is always learning but a lot of cricket is played in the mind and the mental aspect can take precedence, not always technical. You have to encourage positive thoughts.”Flower said that senior players like Misbah-ul-Haq and Younis Khan being around eased the pressure, though there were some players such as Ahmed Shehzad and Umar Akmal whose potential can also bring challenges.”They have got flair and being a coach I want to enlarge it and explore it. As long as the basics are covered, you never want to take flair out of the players. They are exciting players, they think differently about the game and it would be boring if everyone in the world was the same.”Having Misbah and Younis around takes a lot of pressure away from me. Most importantly they are role models and I respect them a lot. They are not only great players but also great human beings. But everyone has got a different personality.”I think Ahmed and Umar are still finding out about their game but they are willing to learn and willing to listen and have a bright future for Pakistan. It can be challenging working with them, but after all they are very exciting at times and match-winners on a given day so you don’t want to discard them.”If players are scoring runs they know they will stay in the side, but no one has the divine right to play for their country.”

Glenn Maxwell has been suspended for disciplinary reasons for the second time in a year after Victoria sanctioned him for failing to appear at a recovery session following the Bushrangers’ victory against New South Wales on Sunday

Daniel Brettig19-Oct-2015World Cup-winning allrounder Glenn Maxwell has been suspended for disciplinary reasons for the second time in a year after Victoria sanctioned him for failing to appear at a recovery session following the Bushrangers’ victory against New South Wales on Sunday.Like other Cricket Australia-contracted players in Sydney for the Matador Cup, Maxwell was booked in for a day of media duty for rights holders on Monday, and said that he thought he was thus free of any commitments before then. However the Bushrangers’ new coach David Saker insisted Maxwell should have been at the recovery session and duly suspended him from the game against Tasmania on Tuesday. Maxwell will be available for the Elimination final on Friday if the Bushrangers qualify.”I understand that I broke team rules by missing recovery and I have accepted the consequences,” Maxwell said. “It was an oversight on my behalf where I thought I had a free morning before some Australia team commitments. I’m extremely disappointed to be missing a game, but I will continue to do everything possible to help the Bushrangers win the Matador Cup.”Saker said Maxwell’s standing as a senior player in the Bushrangers squad was a factor in his penalty. “We’re disappointed that Glenn let down his teammates and missed a recovery session this morning,” he said. “We have high expectations of all our players and as a senior player, Glenn should be taking a leadership role. As a result he will not be playing in tomorrow’s match against Tasmania.”In July, Maxwell was left out of the team for Yorkshire’s final Twenty20 fixture for behaviour the coach Jason Gillespie described as “unprofessional”. “It was just unprofessional behaviour and I don’t wish to add anything further,” Gillespie had said. “It has been dealt with and we have moved on and the slate is clean. As soon as the decision was made, we cracked on.”Maxwell was a part of the Australian Test squad for the postponed tour of Bangladesh and has hopes of breaking into the five-day team on a more regular basis this summer.

England look set to be boosted by the availability of Ben Stokes for the tour of South Africa

George Dobell18-Nov-2015England look set to be boosted by the availability of Ben Stokes for the tour of South Africa.Stokes injured his collarbone on the first day of the third Test against Pakistan in Sharjah as he landed heavily attempting an outrageous catch. At first it was feared he may have fractured his right shoulder, but scans indicated the injury was not as bad as had been thought.That mishap came only 18 days ago, but he has subsequently made good progress and has been declared available for selection for the four-Test tour.While Stokes is unlikely to have recovered full fitness by the time the warm-up matches for the South Africa tour start on December 15, such is his importance in balancing the team that he is likely to be included in the squad with a view to playing a part later in the Test series.But while there is encouraging news over Stokes, it seems that neither Steven Finn or Mark Wood will be available for inclusion in the Test squad which will be named on Thursday, a blow for England considering the likely emphasis on pace bowling in the series.Wood has a long term ankle injury, while Finn has a “stress reaction” – an early warning of a potential stress fracture – in his left foot.Their absence offers opportunity for other seamers. Chris Jordan, who replaced Finn in the squad in the UAE, Chris Woakes, who has made an impressive return to the ODI squad after injury, Liam Plunkett, who has been in the UAE without playing, and Mark Footitt, who offers left arm variation, are all vying to support James Anderson and Stuart Broad. At least three of them are likely to travel.With spin set to play a lesser role in South Africa, Moeen Ali is likely to be the only slow bowler in the team. Adil Rashid should travel in support, although thought will also have been given to including Zafar Ansari in his place.Ben Stokes’ injury has healed faster than was initially feared•Getty Images

Jonny Bairstow looks set to win a decent run in the side as wicketkeeper, with Jos Buttler now in the role of understudy. While Buttler may benefit from some time in the nets on the tour, he may well benefit more if he were playing first-class cricket elsewhere in the world.Equally, if he has a future as a Test player, he may be better served spending the first few weeks of the English domestic season learning the craft of first-class batting for Lancashire rather than appearing in the IPL, not a view shared, judging by his recent comments, by the director of England cricket, Andrew Strauss.It is the position of opening partner to Alastair Cook that will have most occupied the minds of the selectors. While Alex Hales’ inclusion is almost certain, there may be a need for reserves on a tour against an excellent seam attack and likely to be played on some pitches offering them some assistance. For that reason, both Adam Lyth and Nick Compton will have been considered with Moeen certain to move back down the order.While the recall of Lyth may seem odd so soon after he was dropped, there is a sense within the England camp that the mental break he has had will have done him good and that, in the long term, he remains a player of international calibre.Another man likely to win a recall is Gary Ballance. While he was dropped two Tests into the Ashes – slightly harshly given his contribution in the first of them – Ballance had become the third fastest England batsmen to 1,000 Test runs in history earlier this year. He did not enjoy an especially prolific return to county cricket, but he remains part of the long term plans of the team and could bat anywhere from three to six as required.Possible England squad: Alastair Cook, Alex Hales, Adam Lyth, Gary Ballance, Ian Bell, Joe Root, James Taylor, Ben Stokes, Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler, Moeen Ali, Adil Rashid, James Anderson, Stuart Broad, Chris Jordan, Liam Plunkett, Chris Woakes.

Having drubbed Sri Lanka in the first two ODIs, New Zealand are primed to wrap up the ODI series against Sri Lanka, despite Brendon McCullum’s injury

Andrew Fidel Fernando30-Dec-2015

Match facts

December 31, 2015
Start time 1100 local (2200 GMT, previous day)

Big Picture

After Monday’s Hagley Oval drubbing, Sri Lanka’s interim coach called the match “humiliating” for his team. Of the many blows suffered by Sri Lanka so far in the ODI series, the fact that such a substantially depleted New Zealand side has still thrashed them, might be the most troubling. Tim Southee may return to the XI for this match, but Trent Boult remains unavailable. Kane Williamson and Adam Milne had also been left nursing injuries. Brendon McCullum, however, is unlikely to play the third ODI, having aggravated a back injury in the previous game.Matt Henry, Mitchell McClenaghan and Martin Guptill have so far been the hosts’ key performers, but matches have finished so quickly that the others have hardly had a chance to leave their mark. Henry Nicholls has not been put through a thorough test yet, and Ish Sodhi was needed only for three overs with the ball in the second match.Sri Lanka are being hit by bad news almost on a daily basis now. They had just learned overnight that Lasith Malinga will not make the trip to New Zealand at all, thanks to a bone-related knee condition. This means Nuwan Kulasekara may be charged with leading the attack in a tour where he himself is straining to rediscover the swing and subtlety that once envenomed his medium pace. Meanwhile, the others in the attack are having their inexperience exposed. Dushmantha Chameera’s short deliveries were a little predictable in Hamilton, and legspinner Jeffrey Vandersay was forced to bowl inside the Powerplay on debut, with a still-hard ball.The New Zealand bowlers have simply had to hit the seam on a good length and await mistakes, with which the opposition have been lavishly forthcoming. The hosts keep saying that the visitors are due a good score soon. Increasingly, it seems like only a good start from Tillakaratne Dilshan would dig the top order out of trouble and help Sri Lanka stay alive.

Form guide

(last five matches, most recent first)


New Zealand: WWLWL
Sri Lanka: LLWWW

In the spotlight

Ross Taylor had been in terrific form during the mid-year ODI series in England and Zimbabwe, but Sri Lanka sometimes seems a bogey team for him. He has played 23 ODI innings against them, and averages only 24.71. His nemesis Rangana Herath is not in the ODI squad, so Taylor will hope he can make his first substantial score of the tour in Nelson. That is if he gets the chance to bat.Angelo Mathews‘s tactics have sometimes drawn criticism, but throughout his tenure at the helm, his batting has been exemplary. In the two years since taking the reins, he has been Sri Lanka’s rock in the middle order – as capable of providing bruising finishes, as he is of sober recoveries. On this tour, New Zealand have kept tugging at a leg-side loophole in his game. They send balls at his ribs or his pads, and Mathews keeps being caught down the legside. The seamers will probably try that plan again in Nelson. Mathews’ response will make for intriguing viewing.

Teams news

With Danushka Gunathilaka having perished cheaply in both matches (though he was far from alone in this), Sri Lanka may consider pushing Kithuruwan Vithanage into the middle order, and displacing Gunathilaka from the side by opening with Lahiru Thirimanne. Sri Lanka may also opt to play with only one spinner on a fresh Nelson pitch as well. Vandersay is likeliest to miss out.Sri Lanka (probable): 1 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 2 Danushka Gunathilaka/ Kithuruwan Vithanage , 3 Lahiru Thirimanne, 4 Dinesh Chandimal (wk), 5 Angelo Mathews (capt.), 6 Milinda Siriwardana, 7 Chamara Kapugedara, 8 Nuwan Kulasekara, 9 Sachithra Senanayake, 10 Dushmantha Chameera, 11 Suranga LakmalHaving picked Matt Henry for only the first two ODIs, New Zealand have opted to keep to that original plan instead of allowing their best bowler of the series so far continue in the ODIs. Henry now finds himself playing for Canterbury. Kane Williamson is expected to play after missing the two previous games with a knee problem. In all likelihood, he will captain the side. Tim Southee comes back into contention, and Adam Milne appears to have sufficiently recovered from his bruised heel.New Zealand (probable): 1 Tom Latham 2 Martin Guptill, 3 Kane Williamson (capt.), 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Henry Nicholls, 6 Mitchell Santner, 7 Luke Ronchi (wk), 8 Doug Bracewell, 9 Adam Milne, 10 Tim Southee, 11 Mitchell McClenaghan/Ish Sodhi

Pitch and conditions

The Saxton Oval pitch has been somewhat slower than the others in the country, but was still good for batting during the World Cup. The weather is expected to be fine, though a little cloudy. Temperatures are forecast to be in the low 20s.

Stats and trivia

• In the five ODIs at Saxton Oval so far, the team batting first has crossed 275 on every occasion.
• Milinda Siriwardana (78 runs) is the only batsman to have hit more runs for Sri Lanka than Nuwan Kulasekara (77 runs), so far in the series.
• Matt Henry had 8 wickets at an average of 10.25 in the two matches. Yet he is no longer in the squad

Quotes

“We’ve put the ball in demanding areas and made them have to make some tough decisions. We build up dots and pressure. Kudos goes to our fielders being able to build up that pressure; stopping ones and making the batsmen second guess that quick single.”

Chris Gayle’s management have retained the services of a “leading Australian media lawyer” with the intent of “immediately” launching defamation action against Fairfax Media over allegations that he indecently exposed himself to a woman in Sydney

Daniel Brettig07-Jan-2016Chris Gayle’s management have retained the services of a “leading Australian media lawyer” with the intention of “immediately” launching defamation action against Fairfax Media over allegations that he indecently exposed himself to a woman in Sydney during the World Cup last year.The allegation arose following Gayle’s widely decried actions in an interview with the Ten Network sports presenter Mel McLaughlin while playing for the Melbourne Renegades in the Big Bash League.The Renegades fined Gayle $10,000 for the incident, and the Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland declared the West Indian opening batsman would be facing far more severe consequences if he transgressed further.It is believed a substantiation of Fairfax Media’s indecent exposure allegation against Gayle, which it claimed had taken place during a training session at the SCG before the start of the tournament, would be viewed by CA as sufficient cause to tear up his existing contract with the Renegades.Gayle would also be banished from playing for any club in the BBL – a competition designed in part to be a welcoming tournament for females – in the future.”Chris Gayle has strongly denied allegations first published by Fairfax Media that he indecently exposed himself to a woman during last year’s World Cup in Sydney,” Gayle’s manager Simon Auteri said in a statement.”Despite such denials Fairfax Media continues to publish the false and defamatory allegations which have received widespread re-publication in media throughout the world.”As a result Chris Gayle has retained Mark O’Brien, a leading Australian media lawyer to immediately commence defamation proceedings against Fairfax Media.”

Neither of the three captains from Group B teams were short of confidence, but it was Ihsanullah, the Afghanistan Under-19 captain, who firmly said his team has set sights on the title

Mohammad Isam20-Jan-2016Neither of the three captains from Group B teams, Ihsanullah, Abraash Khan and Charith Asalanka, were short of confidence, but it was the Afghanistan Under-19 captain who firmly said that his team has set sights on the title.Ihsanullah, the younger brother of Nawroz Mangal, drew confidence from Afghanistan’s series win against Pakistan in October 2014, and said that the Under-19 side looked up to the senior team.”We beat Pakistan in their home so we hope we can beat them and top our group. We dream of winning the trophy, ,” Ihsanullah said. “Obviously, we are inspired by the national team and wish to play for them. Our future is so bright so now we are looking for this achievement. All our national players are heroes. There’s nothing in Afghanistan but cricket is getting very big, because of them.”Sri Lanka’s Asalanka, meanwhile, was wary of the expectations with his country having never won the Under-19 World Cup.”I think all teams will have target to win the World Cup,” he said. “I will have the responsibility to bring the trophy home. If I can, it will be for the first time, and it will be a big thing. I think it is a tough group. Canada, Afghanistan and Pakistan are good sides.”Abraash, the Canada captain, said that they were keen to get past the group stage for the first time and give a good account of themselves.
“Our goal is to make the second round in this tournament,” he said. I know Canada has played many World Cups in the past, I played in the last one.”We never made the second round. If we really believe in our preparations, we can make it. We don’t play that much cricket. Sometimes it is good to be an underdog. People don’t expect you to do well. We are trying to change opinions in the World Cup.”Abraash took inspiration from offspinner Nikhil Dutta who has featured in the BPL and CPL, and said that Canada’s participation in the regional tournament in West Indies held them in good stead.”Nikhil and I are from the same club. We have played in the same team, Abraash said.” It is good to see him making big strides and hopefully we can all follow his footsteps. We won one game out of six in the West Indies regional tournament. It was a good tournament to prepare for the World Cup because it is a step up for us.”Abraash also identified Davy Jacobs, who has played for Eagles, Free State and Mumbai Indians among other teams, as a key figure.”Davy Jacobs is in my club,” Abraash said. He is not with the national body but he is the head coach in the Ontario Cricket Academy. We trained with him all winter and played with him all summer as well.”

Glenn McGrath has said that the recent spate of injuries to Australia’s fast bowlers has largely been a result of a cramped calendar with no allowance for an off season

Arun Venugopal02-Mar-20164:50

Pacers need an off-season – McGrath

Glenn McGrath has said that the recent spate of injuries to Australia’s fast bowlers has largely been a result of a cramped calendar with no allowance for an off-season. James Pattinson became the most recent casualty after he was ruled out for the remainder of Australia’s domestic season following a recurrence of shin-stress problems. It was only one of Australia’s injury-related woes in a week when Peter Siddle was diagnosed with stress fractures in the back and Ben Hilfenhaus retired from first-class cricket following persistent hamstring trouble.McGrath, who is currently in Chennai on a coaching assignment with the MRF Pace Foundation, reckoned that the workload needed to be tailored in accordance with the bowlers’ understanding of their bodies. “Bowlers need to know themselves and what sort of workload they need off the field,” he told ESPNcricinfo. “For me, personally, the more I bowled, the better I felt whereas other guys need to be managed a bit more. So there is no one rule for everyone.”Some of our injuries come from overbowling or high workloads, but it is more to me the fact that we need an off-season. Fast bowlers need an off-season because bowling and running deplete our strength. So as the season goes, our strength falls off and if we don’t have an off-season to build it back up sooner or later, we are going to be injured.”McGrath attributed the absence of an off-season to Hilfenhaus’ relatively early retirement from the longer format, but was nevertheless hopeful that younger bowlers like Pattinson would become less susceptible to breakdowns once their bodies matured with age.”I think Hilfy had a very good career. Towards the end, there were a few injuries and I will probably put that down to not having an off-season,” he said. “I saw him at the start of one summer where he looked physically strong, bowling quick and bowling good swing and had a great season. Next season, [he] probably didn’t look quite as strong and injury became a problem.”James Pattinson started fairly young. He runs in and puts everything on the line every ball. You are going to go through injuries. He is nearing the mid-20 age where hopefully he will have less injuries moving forward.”While he empathised with the demands made on fast bowlers, he was critical of the work ethic of the present generation. “[For] young fast bowlers, the harder they work the better they are going to be. That’s where I think young bowlers probably let themselves down – they get to a certain level or play IPL, they think they have made it. They don’t work as hard, they don’t train as hard, they don’t recover as well and that has a big effect. It’s hard work to get to a certain level and it is harder work to stay there and that’s the mindset young bowlers need to have.”McGrath, a strong advocate of fast bowlers playing across formats, said it was becoming an increasingly difficult decision to reconcile between playing as often as possible and opting to rest. “I think that’s as much up to the individual as it is to the association. You got to weigh up what do you want,” he said. “Do you want to be sort of playing for your country for as long as possible or the lure of playing IPL cricket and the money up for offer there? It is a tough decision and I’d wonder what I would choose. But, [at the] end of the day, if you are injured, you are not playing for your country, you are not playing IPL, you are not playing any cricket.”A team is no longer 11 or 12 players; it is now a squad of 20-25 players. I think that’s how teams around the world are managing it; giving certain players tours off. I am not sure they have really hit on the correct formula just yet, but they are working towards it.”McGrath, however, believed Siddle could emerge stronger from his recent injury crisis that led to uncertainty over his future. Siddle played the first Test against New Zealand in Wellington and picked up three wickets in the first innings, but had to miss the second Test after suffering back spasms during the second innings. He was subsequently diagnosed with stress fractures which will keep him out of competitive cricket for a significant amount of time. Siddle is also set to get his troublesome left ankle operated during the layoff.Despite the odds stacked against Siddle, who will turn 32 in November, McGrath suggested that his track record marked him out as a tough competitor. “Peter Siddle has done an exceptional job. Not that long ago, he has taken 200 Test wickets which is a great effort, no mean feat there,” he said.”He has been written off for the last few years and yet he keeps coming back, keeps performing. It [Siddle’s vegan diet] is up to the individual. If that is what works for him, then good luck to him. But I think there have been injuries to other bowlers which has allowed him to continue on and you have to make the most of every opportunity you get. So for Sids, I am really proud of what he has been able to achieve, and he is still there and he is still bowling.”McGrath admitted there might be a “little bit of credibility” to the theory that playing on drop-in pitches and grounds that are used for Australian Rules Football have led to harder centre squares, and have consequently increased the possibility of injuries. But his major concern was how drop-in pitches loaded the equation entirely in favour of batsmen.”I think the drop-in wickets they are playing on these days are so good,” he said. “They are flat, they don’t offer anything to the fast bowlers and they don’t change over five days. Then bowlers will try to bowl quicker, and I think then, all of a sudden, their technique changes and they put more stress on the body and then more chances of being injured. They need to leave a little bit more grass to balance it out a bit.”McGrath was also appreciative of the efforts of his former bowling partner Craig McDermott, who will step down as Australia’s assistant coach after the World T20. “I think he has done an exceptional job as fast bowling coach for Australia for a long time,” he said. “He worked well with the young guys in the Australian team. He was more about the thought processes in the game – the lengths to bowl, getting the ball up there, making the batsman play, getting a bit of swing.”

Flaws in Australia’s World T20 campaign remained evident in a scrappy victory to effectively eliminate Bangladesh from the tournament in Bangalore

The Report by Daniel Brettig21-Mar-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details2:14

Australia’s end bowling a problem’

Flaws in Australia’s World T20 campaign remained evident in a scrappy victory to effectively eliminate Bangladesh from the tournament in Bangalore. Adam Zampa and Usman Khawaja produced noteworthy performances at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, but others were less convincing ahead of more demanding meetings with Pakistan and India.Bangladesh never quite seemed confident enough to push through for victory, particularly after the the loss of Taskin Ahmed and Arafat Sunny due to queries over their bowling actions. Mustafizur Rahman bowled beautifully for his captain Mashrafe Mortaza, however, and in doing so delivered another low score for Australia’s leader Steven Smith, who seems to be wrestling with his game only a matter of weeks after being thrust into the T20 captaincy ahead of Aaron Finch.Even when Glenn Maxwell had taken Australia to a position where they needed only nine from the final three overs, there seemed a certain lack of poise about the chase. Maxwell charged mindlessly at Shakib Al Hasan to be stumped, then second ball John Hastings was dropped when he pushed hard-handed to cover. A further run out chance was offered before Hastings was caught in the deep trying for the winning runs. Untidy was one word that came to mind.Smith owed much to Zampa for bowling an excellent spell through the middle of the innings, just as Bangladesh seemed capable of building on a hesitant start. Australia’s seam attack was not exactly threatening on a slow Bangalore surface, and it was left to Zampa to fashion a trio of wickets – he also had a chance dropped by Mitchell Marsh in his first over. Zampa’s effort, on a surface that did not spin all that much, opened further questions about why the selectors saw fit only to take the seldom used left-arm spin of Ashton Agar to the tournament alongside him.As he had done against New Zealand, Khawaja looked by far Australia’s most assured batsman in these climes. He moved into gear with the sweetest straight six imaginable in Mashrafe Mortaza’a first over of the innings, and found gaps with the sort of ease he has demonstrated since the start of the Australian summer. Khawaja was annoyed to be bowled behind his pads when the target was well in hand, and his exit betrayed the unease of others in a batting line-up conspicuously lacking in his ability to subtly adjust to the slower pace of the ball.Australia had brought Hastings in for Agar in the only change to the side that lost their opening match in Dharamsala after the tour selectors, Darren Lehmann and Mark Waugh, decided against recalling Aaron Finch. Bangladesh replaced Taskin and Sunny with the left-arm spinner Saqlain Sajib and offspinning allrounder Shuvagata Hom, both of whom only joined the team on Sunday night.Mortaza’s team were also missing Tamim Iqbal due to illness, with Mohammad Mithun moving up the order to replace him. Nathan Coulter-Nile bowled usefully with the new ball and Shane Watson found the knack for wickets at the other end to coax catches from Soumya Sarkar and Sabbir Rahman. Hastings and Marsh were somewhat more expensive, leaving Smith to call on Zampa.His first wicket was a gift – Mithun arrowing a short ball straight to Watson at deep midwicket – but from there Zampa grew into his spell, and did not buckle when Hom went after him with a towering six followed by another boundary. Next ball he attacked the stumps and won an lbw verdict, and before the spell was over he had also accounted for Shakib, beaten for length and bounce.From there Smith would have hoped for a modest chase, but Mahmudullah and Mushfiqur Rahim found pace more comfortable to deal with than Zampa’s spin, and played with some invention to find gaps on the off side and ransack 44 runs from the final three overs of the innings. A target of 157 was at least 20 more runs than Smith would have budgeted for earlier in the evening.Khawaja and Watson began well, before the allrounder skied a chance and was dropped, but failed to take advantage when he chanced a second run next over and was caught short by Sabbir’s excellent return from the deep. While Khawaja purred, Smith spluttered, mixing one straight six with a handful of miscues before finally being bowled between his legs by a Mustafizur delivery that shaped back into him. Missing a ball on that line was most unlike Smith, as other teams will note.Warner sparkled briefly before Khawaja lost his leg stump, and when the vice-captain punched a full toss straight back to Shakib the equation looked briefly troublesome. Maxwell balanced it out with a few keen blows but his seeming inability to stop himself from making rash decisions led to the stumping and a nervy finish against fumbling opponents. Australia may be on the board, but they are a long way from looking like contenders.

James Taylor came to watch his former team-mates in action on the first day of Nottinghamshire’s Specsavers County Championship match against Yorkshire

George Dobell at Trent Bridge01-May-2016
ScorecardSteven Mullaney’s 78 underpinned Nottinghamshire’s innings, before Yorkshire’s revival•Getty Images

James Taylor admitted he is lucky to be alive after returning to Trent Bridge for the first time since being diagnosed with a serious heart condition.Taylor came to watch his former team-mates in action on the first day of their Specsavers County Championship match against Yorkshire, less than three weeks after being diagnosed with the condition ARVC (arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy) that has ended his career as a professional cricketer.After spending two weeks in hospital, Taylor was fitted with an external defibrillator and is expected to undergo heart surgery in the coming weeks.While he described himself as “in hysterics” when informed that he would never be able to play at professional level again, he hopes to remain involved in the game in some other capacity.”I’m lucky to be here, that’s the positive in this situation,” Taylor told Sky Sports. “But at the forefront of my head is that I can’t do what I love to do ever again. When I was told I would never play cricket or exercise again, I was in hysterics. That is sad, but it’s a fact that I know that I’m not physically able to do it.”The condition is made worse by exercise. That’s accelerated through extensive exercise so that suggests I probably shouldn’t be doing it.”But I have a massive passion for cricket and a burning desire to always be involved in cricket and be around it. Obviously I can’t play but in some capacity I’d love to stay in cricket, whatever role that may be.”Taylor said that his pain had been eased somewhat by the support of his family, friends and the wider cricket community.”The reaction and outpouring of emotion towards me as a person has made it so much better,” Taylor said. “It is priceless.”Not only the messages, but all the support from the hospitals and the NHS; let alone my family and my girlfriend. I’m lucky I’ve got good people around me. They have saved my life and kept me going mentally.”Nottinghamshire could have done with a player of Taylor’s quality as they failed to take advantage of an off-colour display by Yorkshire’s seamers on the first day of this match. Having raced to 77 without loss in the first hour – courtesy of a great deal of over-pitched bowling – they declined to 261 all out before bad light curtailed the day by more than 20 overs.That meant that Alex Hales, playing his first game of the season, was unable to grasp the opportunity to cement his England place. Hales and Steven Mullaney timed the ball sweetly in their opening stand, with Hales’ foot movement and judgment outside off stump impressive. Mullaney’s half-century included a series of glorious cover drives and two pulls for six.But when Jack Brooks dismissed Hales with the first delivery of his second spell – reward for a cunningly placed short extra cover and punishment for Hales’ failure to get completely over the ball – it precipitated a change in the balance of power.It was also the start of a much-improved display from Brooks. He was removed from the attack after his first two overs conceded 20 runs and conceded 10 fours in his first seven overs. But he dismissed Hales with the first ball of his second spell and later produced a beauty – pitching on middle and straightening – to punish Michael Lumb for playing slightly across the line. He then bowled Greg Smith off the inside edge and lured Chris Read into a drive with a delivery that left him. He also took a straightforward catch in the deep and ended Stuart Broad’s entertaining counter-attack with an excellent, accurate throw.Adil Rashid – who defeated Samit Patel with one that went straight on and made short work of the tail – was also impressive once again, while Steve Patterson typified a much-improved performance after a modest start. He ended Mullaney’s attractive innings with one that left the batsman off the pitch, though Mullaney may rue pushing at one he could have left.It left Yorkshire coach, Jason Gillespie, feeling upbeat after his team’s revival.”I’m incredibly satisfied with that from where we were after the first hour,” he said. “Andrew Gale said a few things at lunch – not ranting or raving, just quiet authority – and the guys were well aware of where we’d gone wrong. We’d got our lengths wrong and bowled too full. Steve Patterson played a big part in getting things back. He’s a very important performer for us.”Mullaney admitted that Nottimghamshire had contributed to their own downfall. “I thought we started really well,” he said. “But we’ve probably given them six or seven of the wickets. We are disappointed with our batting performance, but it could still be a good score if we bowl well.”In truth, this was a relatively modest display of cricket from two sides containing such good quality players, but Yorkshire will be delighted to have produced such a display and still ended the first day on top.

Sri Lanka lack depth in their fast-bowling battery, coach Graham Ford said, after two frontline quicks left the tour of England with injury, and a third was reported for a suspect action. 

Andrew Fidel Fernando05-Jun-2016Sri Lanka lack depth in their fast-bowling battery, coach Graham Ford said, after two frontline quicks left the tour of England with injury, and a third was reported for a suspect action.Shaminda Eranga is scheduled to undergo a biomechanics test at Loughborough on Monday after he was reported following the Test at Chester-le-Street. Though he is likely to be free to play the Lord’s Test – before the results of his test are known – Sri Lanka may opt to save him the extra scrutiny by fielding another bowler in his place.The selectors will consider handing a debut to 29-year-old left-armer Chaminda Bandara, who is said to swing the ball at a lively pace, but has scarce A team experience. The team’s fast bowling stocks have been repeatedly depleted by injury over the past three years. On this tour they have lost Dhammika Prasad and Dushmantha Chameera to injury.”Maybe it’s a little alarming that perhaps we don’t have the depth that we were hoping that we would have at this stage, in the fast bowling department,” Ford said. “That’s a project for the future, because there are those injuries around fast bowlers. I did see some exciting Under-19 bowling before we came out here to England. I’m sure there are talented boys and if they’re looked after properly, we should have a decent unit of fast bowlers.”If Eranga does not play at Lord’s, Sri Lanka would have effectively lost their best quick of 2015 (Prasad), their fastest bowler (Chameera), and the only quick with over 10 Tests’ experience and a bowling average south of 40 (Eranga). It has left a lot on the plate of fast-bowling coach Champaka Ramanayake.”It is a challenge, because Dhammika was the star of the show last time Sri Lanka toured England,” Ford said. “He was the one that bowls the right length and was able to swing the ball both ways. The rest of the guys tend to swing it out more than anything else. And then we lost that extra pace that Dushmantha brings.”From a firepower point of view we are perhaps not where we want to be. But we do have a bowling unit that can bowl with discipline, hit their areas, and find other ways of creating pressure. Champaka has been working very hard with them on that. We’ve had periods where we have created that pressure and stuck to it pretty well. But then we’ve had other periods when we haven’t been like that, which shows that we’re very much a work-in-progress.”Bandara and Kusal Perera have now joined the squad in London ahead of the third Test, but had their arrival delayed because of visa hurdles. Both men only joined the team in the last 48 hours. Perera had been added to the squad as early as May 22, and as such, had his arrival delayed by about 10 days by the visa process. Ford suggested the delay had been a disadvantage.”If you’re coming to different conditions, the sooner they get used to those conditions the better. The delay wasn’t ideal. But now they’re here they’re going pretty well. Hopefully they have done some good work at home before they got here.”Sri Lanka dropped several key catches across both Tests, with both Moeen Ali and Jonny Bairstow reprieved en route to scores of over 140. The team’s catching had been poor in the World T20 and in the previous Test series as well. Ford said systemic changes were required to raise fielding standards in the long term.”The players have worked like crazy, but at the board level we’ve talked about how if you want to have a good fielding side, you have to make sure there’s real solid coaching in the fielding department at the emerging player level. By the time they get to international cricket they should be good fielders.”We need somebody at the Under-17, Under-19, development and emerging players having regular fielding sessions. They would have done so many good drills that they’re not scared of the ball and not scared to dive. They would watch the ball while they’re diving.”You can’t teach an old dog new tricks. You can’t flick a switch. You can’t have them playing for Sri Lanka and in a couple of fielding sessions turn them into brilliant fielders. We want to be known as a nation that produces really good fielders. In the levels below we’ve got to get the work done.”