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Shahriar Nafees, the Bangladesh top-order batsman, has been ruled out of the Test series in Sri Lanka after injuring his left-hand

Mohammad Isam27-Feb-2013Bangladesh’s pre-tour misery continued after Shahriar Nafees’ hand injury ruled him out of the Test series against Sri Lanka. Nafees told the chief selector, Akram Khan, of his lack of confidence in gripping the bat comfortably. He will be replaced by Mohammad Ashraful who has scored two centuries this domestic season. Ashraful is making a comeback into the Test side after 15 months.”Shahriar Nafees had a freak accident at home couple of days ago, so hehas withdrawn from the tour,” coach Shane Jurgensen said. “He will beborder-line for the first Test, so we want to ensure that we go into theTest series with a settled group, so Mohammad Ashraful will replace him.”Nafees injured his left palm while trying to clean his bat with a sharpobject on Monday and required stitches. Physio Vibhav said on Tuesday that Nafees would be fit in time for the first Test, but the decision remainedwith the batsman.”As far as Shahriar Nafees is concerned, I don’t thinkit [the injury] would be a big problem,” Singh said. “His stitch should be removed in seven days time and he can start batting after 10 days. We just need toalter his training schedule.”The physio’s schedule would have meant Nafees being ready to bat on March7, the day before the first Test, but it is clear the Bangladeshmanagement are unwilling to travel to Sri Lanka with a player unlikely forthe practice match before the Test. Already, Tamim Iqbal’s wrist injury means hecould be rested for the three-day game in Matara to have him fully fit forthe Test.Nafees’ replacement has also created some confusion. Ashraful wasnot in the 25-man preliminary squad, having been kept out due to his inconsistency. Captain Mushfiqur Rahim however said that thebatsman’s experience in Sri Lanka and his recent centuries in the BCL andBPL have given him confidence.”We need someone like him in the sidebecause we have plenty of newcomers like Anamul Haque, Mominul Haque andMarshall Ayub,” Mushfiqur said. “He has also made runs in Sri Lanka and is currently indecent form, so I hope his confidence will be better and he can be apositive to the side.”

Though New Zealand need another 134 to make England bat again, BJ Watling was bullishly talking about providing a tricky final-day target for Bruce Martin, the left-arm spinner, to bowl at

Andrew McGlashan in Wellington16-Mar-2013The remnants of Cyclone Sandra, set to bring much-needed rain to drought-hit New Zealand, could yet have the decisive impact at the Basin Reserve but the home side are retaining far more positive thoughts than hoping the rain helps them out of a hole which has forced them to follow-on.Their fight has started well, as they battled through the final session of the third day to reach 77 for 1, and although that is still 134 runs from making England bat again, BJ Watling, who made 60 in the first innings, was bullishly talking about providing a tricky final-day target for Bruce Martin, the left-arm spinner, to bowl at.”I think they might have thrown us a bit of a lifeline,” Watling said. “If we can bat well tomorrow morning and for a couple sessions to get rid of the deficit we can put them under a lot of pressure if we get a bit of a lead and then bowl on day five. There is still another two days to go and it might break up which will bring Bucko [Martin] into the last day.”We are disappointed with our first innings, we needed 350 at least on that, but if we can rectify that and put them under pressure with 350-400; a lead of 200 on that track could be quite defendable.”Watling’s gutsy display, which followed a first-ball duck in Dunedin, continued the positive impression he made in South Africa and earlier on this tour when he played a key role in the New Zealand XI victory against England in Queenstown. However, he was critical of himself for falling to the second new ball after a stand of 42 with Martin had taken his side close to saving the follow-on.”It was quite disappointing to get out to the new ball. That was a crucial stage where I had to be there at the end. Bucko was going really well so it wasn’t the best time to get out so I need to be a bit better at those situations.”In reality, it should be New Zealand’s lower order, with the exception of the dogged Martin, who need to look in the mirror. Tim Southee did not suggest any inclination to help out his senior partner when he fell to a well-telegraphed plan and hooked a bouncer to long leg, Neil Wagner flashed at a wide one and Trent Boult ended the innings with an ugly heave. Miracles are not expected from a tail, but neither is surrender.”It was a bit disappointing to be bowled out at the end,” Watling said. “The lads will work on and be better off tomorrow or the next day.”It meant, after confirmation that the weather radar was not looking any more promising, that England enforced the follow-on for the first time in an overseas Test since Durban in 1999 after Andy Caddick had blown away South Africa for 156. The last time they did it and won was against New Zealand, at Christchurch, in 1992. Stuart Broad, who did most of the damage on this occasion with 6 for 51, confirmed it was all with an eye on the forecast.”With the weather around, it was important to be able to enforce,” Broad said. “It’s not often enforced, because the bowlers tend to like a bit of a rest, and it’s good to get their batsmen back out in the field and build a big lead with scoreboard pressure. But with the radar around, it’s really unsure how much cricket will be left in the next two days. That was the only reason behind it.”It now puts England in a similar position to New Zealand last week when their attack racked up a lengthy stint in the field. James Anderson appeared to be labouring by the end of the day and Broad knew it was going to a test of the reserves.”I think he’s okay,” Broad said of Anderson. “He’s just torn into that wind for 20 overs, and it’s taken it out of him a little bit. This wind, howling through, can stiffen the body up quite badly. So it’s about keeping mobile.”Unless the forecast changes significantly, it won’t only be the wind causing issues over the next two days.

A lot has happened to Joe Root in the last six months: international debuts in all three formats and a handful of match-winning contributions

Andrew McGlashan at Grace Road08-May-2013A lot has happened to Joe Root in the last six months: international debuts in all three formats and a handful of match-winning contributions. The role of being England Lions captain, which was due to be his in the winter before the full side beckoned for his services, is another honour in a career that is moving in fast forward.It could easily make some 22-year-olds giddy, but the underlying maturity of Root’s make-up has already been one of the characteristics that has stood out. There are few signs of that changing.”I am still the same bloke I was six months ago really, just six months older with a bit more experience under my belt,” he said. “I will try and keep as level as possible and cricket is the best leveller as a sport you can play in. I will always try and stay the same bloke I have been and that shouldn’t really change at all.”Although it is a heavy burden to place on a player so early in his career, the selectors clearly see Root as a potential full England captain – whether as a successor to Alastair Cook, himself earmarked very early for the job, or perhaps a little later. However, it is not a role for which he can draw from a wealth of experience.”I’ve grown up captaining at age groups and a little bit of club cricket but not a great deal,” he said. “It will be a good challenge to me and I am really looking forward to it. It’s been a while, perhaps a year or so, when I did it in club cricket. I would like to think I will be nice and calm and collected, just try and have a relaxed approach”While his captaincy record is slim he believes he has often “thought like a captain” and worked hard to ensure he has absorbed lessons from whoever he has played under. That includes the perhaps unlikely figure of Azeem Rafiq, the Yorkshire offspinner, who was Root’s captain during last year’s FLt20 and at England Under-19s level.A more well-known source of advice is Michael Vaughan, who may be getting a call from Root before he tosses up with Brendon McCullum on Thursday morning. “I haven’t called Michael yet but I might do this evening and just try and pick his brains and see what he says.Root beaten to Lord’s

Joe Root might be part of England’s middle order, but he has still been beaten to one of the game’s significant moments by his brother and father. A maiden appearance at Lord’s.
Billy Root, Joe’s younger brother who is on the MCC groundstaff, and his father Matt were involved in an MCC versus MCC Young Cricketers’ match at Lord’s last week. The younger Root did not have a chance to bowl to his dad – “he was out at the other end before he had a chance,” said Joe.
“They’ve played at Lord’s before,” he said. “I’ve been there a couple of times, once as 12th man for Yorkshire. So I’m a bit jealous.” Barring injury, Joe’s chance will come next week.

“That’s why I have learned such a lot because there are so many guys who are willing to voice their opinions and you learn from different experiences, things that work, things that don’t. That’s helped me growing up and I will try to continue to learn.”I have always liked to try and help out when I can. As a young lad you sometimes have to let the older guys take charge but, especially coming back this year, I have tried to help out when I can. Hopefully that will stand me in good stead for the future.”It will be an interesting few days ahead for Root because Lions matches are there for various purposes. It is always useful to turnover a Test side before a series (New Zealand showed that in Queenstown on England’s recent tour) but there are also the individual aims of those eager to stake their claims for future selection.Then there is Root’s batting position, which alters depending on who he is playing for. So far this season for Yorkshire he has opened (with prolific results in the Championship), while for England he bats anywhere from No. 4 to No. 6 depending on the format. At Grace Road he will be at No. 3. He admits to always thinking of himself as an opener, but also had the well-rehearsed answer of “I’m happy to bat anywhere to play for England.”New Zealand see the next four days as an opportunity to strike an early blow against England’s middle order with Jonny Bairstow likely to join Root in the Test squad next week following Kevin Pietersen’s continued absence with his knee injury.”We were able to keep them quiet back home in the Test series and it’s important for us to keep them quiet in this Test series as well,” Brendon McCullum said. “How do we do that? We start that by keeping them quiet in this warm-up game and trying to add a bit of pressure that way. We will implement some plans against them to do that.”That will be another important test for Root. Being a target for the opposition is something he will need to get used to.

N Srinivasan will not carry out his duties as BCCI president until the probe commission completes its task. During this period, Jagmohan Dalmiya will run the daily affairs of the board

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Jun-2013N Srinivasan will not carry out his duties as BCCI president until the commission appointed to conduct an inquiry into the betting and spot-fixing charges in IPL 2013 completes its task. During this period Jagmohan Dalmiya, a former BCCI president and current head of the Cricket Association of Bengal, will run the daily affairs of the board.It was the first time that a BCCI president has stood down in whatever capacity and a replacement named in his stead.”Mr. N Srinivasan announced that he will not discharge his duties as the president of the board till such time that the probe is completed. Till such time, Mr. Jagmohan Dalmiya will conduct the day to day affairs of the board,” the BCCI said in a release after a meeting of its working committee in Chennai on Sunday. “The committee expressed full confidence in Mr. Sanjay Jagdale and Mr. Ajay Shirke and requested them to withdraw their resignations in the larger interest of the board.”However, Jagdale and Shirke, the board secretary and treasurer who resigned on Friday, said they would not return to the BCCI, leaving two vital administrative posts vacant. Srinivasan told NDTV that the administration of the board in such a situation could be worked out.Later on Sunday evening BCCI vice-president Arun Jaitley, who along with Rajiv Shukla and Anurag Thakur attended the meeting via teleconference from Delhi, said that the working committee would effectively run the board, by having to ratify Dalmiya’s decisions. “Mr Dalmiya will look after the responsibilities. He will get decisions ratified by the board,” he told . “The entire administration will be done by the working committee of the board. Whatever Mr Dalmiya decides will have to be ratified by the board.”The BCCI’s press release did not mention who would constitute the new panel to investigate Gurunath Meiyappan, the Chennai Super Kings official arrested on charges of betting, the Super Kings owners India Cements, and the owners of Rajasthan Royals. The three-member panel formed on May 28 by the IPL governing council to look into corruption charges around IPL 2013 was automatically nullified after Jagdale’s resignation. IS Bindra, the Punjab Cricket Association president, told ESPNcricinfo that the two High Court judges appointed to the panel will remain, and Jagdale’s replacement will be appointed by Dalmiya. Bindra said he was told by Jaitley that the judges could not be replaced because, “it will be disrespect to the judges.”Bindra also told that he was the only person at the working committee meeting who asked for Srinivasan’s resignation. “Mr. Jaitley has had his way in this meeting. Most of the suggestions came from Mr Jaitley, including the appointment of Mr. Dalmiya,” Bindra said. “Srinivasan is not resigning. He is just stepping aside for one month. This is taking the public for a ride. We needed something more than this. I suggested, let him step aside until September, but he said he is not going to resign.”Srinivasan, however, contradicted Bindra, and said that Bindra had not asked him to resign at the meeting. “The meeting was very smooth. There was no acrimony,” Srinivasan told NDTV. “The members appreciated what were the tasks ahead of the BCCI. This announcement I made after all members had expressed their views. This was well received. Then Mr Dalmiya was appointed.”A BCCI member, who was present in the meeting, said no one asked for Srinivasan’s resignation during the meeting. “Once the president clarified in his opening address the he will not quit, nobody sought his resignation,” he said. “Though Shirke and Bindra were vocal in questioning the technicalities, even they didn’t demand his resignation.” Three other members confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that ‘resignation’ was not mentioned during the meeting at all.The BCCI did not specify what post Dalmiya would occupy, though, and as yet his role was undefined. The legitimacy of his position, according to the BCCI constitution, was not established.

Mark Lane has stood down as England Women’s head coach after five years, having overseen a successful period during which England became one of the best sides in the world.

ESPNcricinfo staff13-May-2013Mark Lane has stood down as England Women’s head coach after five years having overseen a successful period during which England became one of the best sides in the world.But his resignation follows disappointment, coming three months after a disastrous Women’s World Cup where England underperformed having entered the tournament as favourites. England were made to sweat on progressing from the group stage before failing to make the final having come up short chasing 147 against Australia in the Super Six phase.The tournament marks a poor end to Lane’s reign which, on the whole, was very fruitful. England won two global tournaments and the profile of women’s cricket has been raised significantly. Between April 2008 and February 2013, England won 46 out of 60 Women’s one-day internationals and won 43 out of 54 Women’s T20s.The ECB will name a successor to Lane ahead of the Ashes series against Australia which begins on August 11. An interim appointment may be made for the limited-overs series against Pakistan at the start of July.”After a period of reflection I have decided that my time has come to a close,” Lane, who played for Berkshire Minor Counties, said. “With a new World Cup cycle ahead, I believe now is the right time for the players and staff to work with a new head coach. Likewise, it is the right time for me to seek new challenges.”I have had five privileged years in the role and can look back on a period of significant success. 2009 was undoubtedly the highlight – two wins in ICC global events and a series whitewash over Australia as well as retaining the Ashes. As I reflect, I can see how far we’ve come and I’m immensely proud to have contributed to the team’s success.”After being appointed in April 2008, Lane guided England to World Cup glory just one year into the job with victory over New Zealand in Sydney – England’s second World Cup triumph. Three months later, England became Twenty20 World Champions and followed that by retaining the Ashes. Lane was named as coach of the year by Sport Coach UK.Those heights weren’t matched in subsequent years as senior players retired and Lane refreshed the squad with younger talent. England lost the Ashes January 2011 but bounced back in the shortest format, winning 21 consecutive T20s before reaching the final of the 2012 Women’s World T20, losing to Australia in the final.”Mark has made a huge contribution to women’s cricket in this country,” Hugh Morris, managing director of England Cricket, said. “He should be proud of his and the team’s achievements over a period of almost unprecedented success. I would like to thank him for his commitment and dedication over the past five years.”Clare Connor, former England Women’s captain and now head of England Women’s Cricket, added: “Mark has been instrumental in the sustained success enjoyed by England Women and we will never forget 2009, that magical period of time when England Women became to first team to win two ICC World trophies in the same year. Before taking on the role of head coach, Mark devoted years to coaching and developing the skills of female cricketers and his knowledge, skill and enthusiasm are highly valued by all who have worked with him.”

James Tomlinson finished with figures of 5 for 44 to guide Hampshire totheir second County Championship win of the season as they beatGlamorgan by 43 runs in a close-fought game in Cardiff.

11-Jul-2013
ScorecardJames Tomlinson took five wickets as Hampshire defended 221•Getty ImagesJames Tomlinson finished with figures of 5 for 44 to guide Hampshire totheir second County Championship win of the season as they beatGlamorgan by 43 runs in a close-fought game in Cardiff.After leaving Glamorgan 215 to win in 90 overs, Tomlinson claimed the first fourwickets to fall as the home side subsided to 58 for 5. Although Murray Goodwin and Mark Wallace put on 80 for the sixth wicket the damage had been done.At the start of the day Marcus North completed his five-wicket haul asGlamorgan wrapped up the Hampshire innings in the space of 22 balls. Hampshire were only able to add six more runs to their overnight total of 173for nine before Danny Briggs gave a bat-pad catch to Gareth Rees at short-leg. That gave North only his third five-wicket haul in first-class cricket givinghim figures of 5 for 30 from 15.1 overs.Glamorgan made a dreadful start to their victory quest being reduced to 42 for3 inside 10 overs by Tomlinson. He had Ben Wright and Stewart Walters both caught in the slips by LiamDawson and Sean Ervine respectively. And Tomlinson claimed his third wicket to have first innings century-maker Reescaught at second slip.Left-armer Tomlinson made it four straight victims when he trapped North lbw asthe home side slipped to 55 for four. Before lunch David Balcombe chipped in with the fifth wicket when Jim Allenby edged to Dawson at slip.But either side of lunch Goodwin and Wallace launched their impressiverecovery, steering them from 64 for 5 at the break, still 157 runs adrift of their victorytarget.Glamorgan were looking comfortable until Wallace was trapped leg beforehalf-forward to give Tomlinson his fifth wicket to leave the hosts 138for six at tea. At that stage Glamorgan needed 83 to win from 35.3 overs with Goodwin stillthere on 38 not out.Though Goodwin lost Dean Cosker to a leg-side stumping off Danny Briggs he wentto his 50 from 156 balls with six fours despite being rapped on the thumb byTomlinson when he was 39.Michael Hogan made a breezy 18, including 11 off a Briggs over, before he wascaught trying to clear Neil McKenzie at mid-off off Sohail Tanvir. It leftGlamorgan on 172 – needing a further 49 to win.And an over later Will Owen played on to Briggs making it 177 for 9, whileMike Reed lasted only two balls as Hampshire wrapped up the win with 22 oversremaining.

Kent edged victory by nine runs in the basement battle against Sussex watched by a near 4,000 crowd at Canterbury.

24-Jul-2013
ScorecardDarren Stevens made 67 in 44 balls with four sixes•Getty ImagesKent edged victory by nine runs in the basement battle against Sussex watched by a near 4,000 crowd at Canterbury.The visitors’ challenge faded when Scott Styris was caught on the deep-midwicket boundary from the fourth ball of the final over, having hit the previous two balls for four and six.New Zealand international big-hitter Styris had the home fans on edge as Mitchell Claydon made a bad start to the task of preventing Sussex from scoring 23 from the final over in reply to Kent’s 20-over total of 173 for 3. But then Styris, attempting another clubbing legside blow, holed out to Brendan Nash at deepmidwicket.Despite bowling a wide to new batsman Will Beer from his next ball, Claydon held his nerve to allow just a single and a leg bye from the last two balls of the contest to close out Sussex on 164 for 6.It is only Kent’s second win of the group stage, but at least they now go above Sussex – who are anchored at the bottom of the South group table with just one win from nine games. Kent still have three matches left.In the end, Kent were indebted to a late assault by Darren Stevens – who finished on 67 not out – and a far faster start to their innings than Sussex. Stevens faced only 44 balls in all, striking four sixes and three fours, and took 18 runs from the last six balls of the Kent innings in a merciless attackon Lewis Hatchett.Kent scored 70 for 2 from their first six Powerplay overs, but Sussex managed only 39 for 1 from theirs. Although Matt Machan hit 66 from 48 balls, with two sixes and six fours, and added 68 for the third wicket with Chris Nash, who made 31 from 24 balls, they were always struggling to keep up with the required rate of 108 from the second 10 overs.Earlier, Nash’s clever four overs of offspin had brought Sussex back into the game. He went for just 15 runs but Styris, mysteriously overlooked for the final over, conceded just 13 runs from his three overs. That final Hatchett over was to cost Sussex dear.The Kent innings was given a flying start by the youthful opening pair of Fabian Cowdrey – son of Chris and grandson of Colin – and Sam Billings, who put on 60 in 5.2 overs before Billings was bowled for a 14-ball 24, swinging at Chris Liddle.Cowdrey, 20, got things moving by hitting Mike Yardy for successive fours from the first three balls of the third over and Billings joined in by pulling a full toss for six from the fifth ball of the same over.Billings, 22, then drove fours through extra cover off Liddle before Cowdrey swung Hatchett over midwicket for six to bring up Kent’s 50 and then earned four more from a ramp shot to fine leg off the same bowler. There was a further six from Cowdrey, driven straight off Liddle, before he fell for a brilliant 40 off just 21 balls when, deceived by a slower ball from left-arm paceman Liddle, he mishit to cover.Nash, in at No. 3, could not get going and made only 15 from a third wicket stand of 52 in 10 overs with Stevens before the returning Liddle bowled him. But Stevens,who had already hit Yardy over the midwicket boundary and driven leg-spinner Beer straight and to wide long-on for successive sixes, then provided the explosive finish in a final over which cost Sussex 20 runs, with Hatchett starting it with a high full toss that went down in the book as two no balls.Veteran all-rounder Stevens then sprinted for three twos before flipping another full toss for four, hitting another two into the legside and then, from the last ball of the innings, carving a short ball over cover for six.

Legspinner Piyush Chawla is hoping his stint with English county Somerset helps pitchfork him back into the Indian team

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Aug-2013Legspinner Piyush Chawla is hoping his stint with English county Somerset helps pitchfork him back into the Indian team. In his first two matches with Somerset, he said, he has already “picked up tips” that could improve aspects of his bowling.”After my last spell in county cricket, I received an international call-up and I’m hoping the same happens this time around. I’m hoping that the volume of wickets and runs catches the eye of the selectors back home in India,” Chawla told . “I think it’s vital to grab this opportunity, perform consistently, and ensure that I make the selectors sit up and take notice of my performances.”Chawla had played for Sussex in 2009, claiming 36 wickets in six championship matches at 27.25, following which he was recalled for 2010 World Twenty20. “I want a repeat of my performance for Sussex when I played there four years ago. That spell in county cricket really gave me confidence and was a massive boost for my career.”In his first match for Somerset, Chawla went wicketless in 34 overs, against Warwickshire. But he learnt by observing his team-mate, Ireland left-arm spinner George Dockrell, he said. “There are areas of my bowling that I need to improve upon. Leg spin is a very difficult art and I believe it’s one of the most difficult skills to master in cricket. I feel I’m learning with each match.”Even during my debut for Somerset, despite taking no wickets, the game was a learning experience for me. I wasn’t up to the mark and watching George Dockrell bowl made me realise where I was going wrong. He bowled at a slower pace than I did and he reaped the benefits.”Chawla last played an international during England’s tour to India last December. In the Nagpur Test – only Chawla’s third since his debut in 2006 – he picked up four wickets in the first innings, including those of Ian Bell and Joe Root. He was disappointed to not be given another go after that performance, he said. “I never imagined that seven years after my debut, I would have only played two more Tests. My last Test … I thought I did well. That was a very flat deck against England and I was the leading wicket-taker in that match for India.”However, I was not selected for the next series. I was greatly disappointed at not being given a chance in the following series, but the selectors must have had something else in their minds. All I can do is to wait for my opportunity. I’m still young and I have time on my side, but that figure of only three Tests is an eyesore for me.”

Michael Clarke’s graceful first hundred against England in one-day internationals was followed by an overwhelming victory and a 1-0 lead in the series

The Report by David Hopps08-Sep-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsMichael Clarke made his second Old Trafford hundred on tour to set up a big Australia win•Getty ImagesMichael Clarke has remained in England after a dispiriting Ashes series to seek some one-day solace and, at the start of the NatWest series, Old Trafford provided it in abundance. A graceful first hundred against England in one-day internationals was followed by an overwhelming victory. For Australia’s captain, it was a rare visit this summer to the pleasure palace.England’s pursuit of 316 for victory was a non-event, their defeat every bit as comprehensive as the 88-run margin indicates. They had never chased down such a total in ODIs, their best effort being 306 for 5 against Pakistan in Karachi 13 years ago. They had also never conceded such a large total to Australia in an ODI in England. They were not about to challenge such statistics.The balance of England’s side was weighted towards an extra batsman, a shift in policy from a Champions Trophy campaign earlier this summer in which they were beaten finalists, and the captain, Eoin Morgan, time and again found himself playing a limited hand in the field, never more so than when Clarke and George Bailey were compiling a fourth-wicket stand of 155 in 22 overs.Clarke measured up the England attack serenely for his 105 from 102 balls before Boyd Rankin, England’s biggest threat, had him caught at the wicket 22 balls from the end of the innings. Bailey, untroubled while making 82 from 67 balls, smiled upon England even as he punished them, as if influenced by some minor religious sect which instructs him forever to spread happiness.England had a sally firstly through Kevin Pietersen, who made 60 from 66 balls before he drove Shane Watson to cover, and later Jos Buttler, who had the rare luxury of more than half the innings to bat and took advantage of more time at the crease with a maiden ODI fifty. He made 75 from 65 balls but became the sole victim of Fawad Ahmed, whose legspin will have more successful days.The English summer is departing, and the house martins are taking flight, but Australia are still here, seeking to ease memories of their 3-0 defeat in the Test series. That England, influenced by a 10.15am start, inserted them on a benign, grassless pitch, correctly assessed at the toss by Clarke as a “fantastic” batting surface, provided a helping hand. England, 1-0 down with three to play (the first match at Headingley was washed out), must surely re-examine their strategy.Morgan was in no mood to contemplate error. “We’ve a very strong batting line-up,” he said afterwards, adding that England’s bowling attack had “lots of options”. But the satisfaction – and the Man-of-the-Match award was Clarke’s. “We’re here to win the series and we are off to a good start,” he said.Rankin, who is making a good impression at the start of his England career, escaped with 2 for 49 and Ravi Bopara was the most resourceful of England’s back-up bowlers, allowing only 32 from his first eight overs, even if he could not quite complete the job. Bopara might have escaped unscathed, however, if Bailey had been caught at deep miswicket when 69, but the ball evaded Stokes, who was in from the boundary; the next ball cleared the rope by a distance.It was an inconvenient time for James Tredwell to have one of his most unrewarding days in an England shirt – he conceded 37 from his first 22 balls and eventually 60 from eight overs as Australia attacked him from the outset. It was a tough examination, too, for Ben Stokes, the Durham allrounder batting at No. 8, who struggled to fill the role of third seamer on such a surface.Australia’s opening alliance, Aaron Finch and Shaun Marsh, had put on a record partnership against Scotland but produced naught in Manchester, as Marsh poked unconvincingly at a full delivery, the fourth ball of the match, and edged to the wicketkeeper Buttler.Watson’s emotional struggles with DRS could be turned into soap opera. Twice within 13 overs, the umpire Richard Kettleborough had to reverse decisions, with Watson the batsman involved on both occasions. Both were difficult calls for the third umpire, Aleem Dar, and he probably got it right on both occasions.Watson successfully reviewed after he was given out lbw first ball by Kettleborough. Then, on 38, it was England’s turn to overturn Kettleborough’s decision, as Bopara had Watson caught at the wicket cutting. Not for the first time this summer, Watson departed with the hurt, pursed-lips expression of an elderly woman imagining herself short-changed at the till.When Tredwell intervened with the wicket of Finch – a flat catch to Joe Root at long-on – England accepted the third wicket with considerable relief. For a few overs they hinted at a recovery, but soon Clarke and Bailey were killing them with kindness.There was encouragement for Australia in the field, too: Mitchell Johnson is approaching his best form again. Australia omitted him for this summer’s Ashes series but, after observing his new-ball spell, they must have had visions that their most mercurial bowling talent can make an impression in the return Test series. Johnson’s rhythm was good, his bowling arm much higher than in recent years and his pace repeatedly above 90mph.He struck twice in his second over. His first wicket had an element of good fortune as Michael Carberry slapped a catch to Clarke at backward point. But Jonathan Trott’s first-baller came via a fiercely rising delivery on a perfect line that he could only fend to the wicketkeeper. Root followed immediately after the Powerplay, trying to run a ball from James Faulkner that sneaked back into him.Pietersen and Morgan met a mammoth task with invention, enough to see Ahmed withdrawn from the attack after his first two overs cost 23.But Pietersen’s departure was a reality check for a crowd of 25,000. Bopara chipped a return catch to Adam Voges, Morgan succumbed to Clint McKay’s slower ball, Stokes made a mess of a pull shot to complete a dismal day and, by the time Buttler brought up his half-century by striking Faulkner’s slower ball over square leg for six, the game had long gone.

Asad Rauf has maintained his innocence and called for proof regarding the allegations of corruption against him

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Sep-2013Pakistan umpire Asad Rauf has maintained his innocence and called for proof regarding the allegations of corruption against him, after being named as a “wanted accused” in the Mumbai Police’s chargesheet for the betting scandal in IPL 2013. Rauf had been umpiring in the IPL but left India during the tournament, even as it emerged that Mumbai Police wanted him for questioning.When asked if he knew Vindoo Dara Singh, who was also named in the chargesheet, Rauf was defiant: “I have thousands of friends but that doesn’t mean that if my friends do something, then I have anything to do with that. Let them prove something. If it was the case that I have taken a favour or a gift, or money was given to me, you got to prove allegations.After leaving India in May, Rauf returned to Pakistan where he held a press conference and stressed that he had not engaged in any corrupt activities. When news had emerged that Rauf was wanted for questioning by police, the ICC issued a release saying that the umpire had been stood down from his duties in the Champions Trophy in England. Rauf was later dropped from the Elite Panel of Umpires but the ICC clarified that the situation was not a factor in his exclusion.Rauf said he would explain his current position to the ICC’s Anti-Corrpution and Security Unit. “I have been an employee of ICC. Like police, they [ACSU] also investigate. When they call me, I will answer them through my legal adviser. I have done five IPLs and my decisions have been 100% correct. I will answer to ICC regarding these allegations.”