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Foreign players will help domestic cricket – Gavaskar

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Sunil Gavaskar: “We did not want people to come in and use our domestic tournaments as a learning ground, so we decided that the foreign player should have played in 10 Tests or 20 one-dayers” © AFP
 

Sunil Gavaskar hopes the introduction of foreign players in Indian domestic cricket will make significant contributions to the application levels and attitudes of the teams across the country.Gavaskar is currently the chairman of the BCCI’s technical committee, which recently allowed state associations to include four ‘guest players’ [ those from areas outside their jurisdiction] in their squad from the 2008-09 season onwards, up from the three previously permitted.”Whenever a player was selected for India his state used to miss the contributions from him and no replacements would be immediately available,” Gavaskar told . “All states already had the right to include three guest players. The technical committee increased it to four by permitting one foreign player.”However, the committee attached a rider that required the overseas player to have played at least ten Tests or 20 ODIs. “We did not want people to come in and use our domestic tournaments as a learning ground, so we decided that the foreign player should have played in 10 Tests or 20 one-dayers,” he said.Gavaskar believed an overseas player who had played just one Test would not make any contribution to the domestic competitions. “If the foreign player is experienced our young Ranji Trophy players can look up to him and can learn something from him.”He was also optimistic about playing in India becoming a big draw for international cricketers. “A foreign player not playing for his national team or just out of the national reckoning may be ready to play. For such a player it might make sense financially too.”However, it’s unlikely state associations in India will be able to match the sums the various franchises shelled out for the big names during the IPL. The BCCI is likely to increase the daily match fee for players taking part in domestic tournaments in the 2008-09 season to Rs. 37,000 [approximately US$840]; the pay hike, if implemented, will see an increase of Rs. 11,000 from last season.The 2008-09 season will begin with the Irani Trophy match – between Ranji Trophy champions Delhi and Rest of India – from September 24.

Stuttering back into life

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Canada was the hotspot for India-Pakistan contests in the 1990s © Picturecare
 

In the late 1990s it looked as if Canada was set to become North America’s home for visiting international sides. A large, primarily Asian, expat audience turned up in big numbers to a succession of tournaments, usually held in September.The presence of India and Pakistan was crucial to the viability of the ventures, but as the political tension between the two escalated, the cricket sides became caught up and eventually India were forced by their government to pull out rather than face Pakistan. Without the prime draw, interest waned and the Toronto project was doomed. Soon after, the whole match-fixing saga broke and offshore venues for matches lost their appeal as the authorities looked to clamp down on bookmakers’ opportunities.But nine years later on, and Toronto is again hosting major cricket. Some would argue it’s too late in the year – early-morning temperatures struggle to hit 50 degrees – but with the international calendar jam-packed, you take what window you can get.The event has been made possible by substantial sponsorship by a Dubai-based company. However, the build-up has been anything but ideal. West Indies were on the original cast list, along with Canada, Sri Lanka and Pakistan, but they pulled out as their board signed a deal to make all their players available to Allen Stanford. They were replaced by Zimbabwe, hardly an A – or even B-list – attraction.Promotion has been scratchy, not helped by rumbling uncertainty over the visa positions for two of the visitors. As late as Monday, both Pakistan and Zimbabwe were reported to be having difficulties. In the event, both made it, albeit with little time to spare.Temporary stands, accommodating up to 10,000, have been built in recent weeks, and the organisers have been bullish in their predictions of the turnout. In the event, there were never more than 1300 inside the ground today, with the bigger audience for the Pakistan match. The earlier game was not so attractive, either in terms of teams or time. The 9.30am start on a chilly autumn morning doesn’t appeal to many.The ground looks pretty good, the replay screens are big and the sightscreens impress. But the behind-the-scenes operation was hardly slick, with power outages and limited internet access for the media. What an event like this needs is publicity, and the PR machine has been, at best, spluttering into life. With a slicker operation, many more tickets might well have been shifted. Oh, and given that a picture is worth a thousand words, someone might have thought to ensure that there were photographers on the ground who would feed the world’s media.The hope is that the weekend will bring much bigger crowds, and talk is that when Sri Lanka play Pakistan tomorrow at 1.30pm in what should be a dress rehearsal for the final, there will be several thousand inside the hastily-constructed ground.Despite the glitches and grumbles, just getting top cricket to Canada is an achievement, and the organisers deserve credit for that. What they now need is three days of good weather, more spectators and some great cricket.

Canada peak too late

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ScorecardThe play-off for fifth and sixth places in the tournament evoked little interest, even before the start of another poor match, where Bermuda’s dismal batting display handed Canada the easiest of victories, by eight wickets and with almost half the possible 20 overs in hand. Bermuda decided to omit their most famous player, Dwayne Leverock, from this match to give their reserves an outing.Canada put Bermuda in to bat and the men in blue soon lost their opener Chris Foggo, caught off a skier to long leg for 7, followed by Orande Bascombe (2) to a lesser skyer in the covers. Inexperienced as they are in this form of the game, the Associate players depart to skied catches much more regularly than do the professionals.Wickets contined to fall, including that of Bermuda’s most successful batsman of the tournament, Stephen Outerbridge, lbw to Henry Osinde for 4. After ten overs, the score was an apparently hopeless 34 for 5, and once again incompetent batting by the top order had condemned a team to humilation and probable defeat. At 45 the remaining opener, Oliver Pitcher, sliced an easy catch to backward point after holding out for a dogged 15, and the sorry procession continued.The innings slid to a sorry conclusion for 70 all out in the final over, and the Bermudan players must have felt deeply demoralised. They never at any point looked like giving a good account of themselves with the bat and Pitcher alone reached double figures. Remarkably, there was only one boundary shot in the entire innings, hit by Foggo in the opening over. Four bowlers took two cheap wickets each; Osinde, with 2 for 12, had the poorest figures of them, but arguably did the most valuable job in shattering the very shatterable top order. Steve Welsh took two middle-order wickets for just six runs in three overs, and two good catches in addition tipped the scales his way for the Man of the Match award.The question was, could Canada do any better? There was no evidence of it from the first ball of the innings, which Mohammad Qazi popped up tamely to midwicket. Canada did not need to hurry, though, and the score proceeded to 32, at which point John Davison, some would say unusually restrained in his batting for a brisk 19 off 13 balls, skied a catch to mid-on after four overs.Geoffrey Barnett took over the post of responsibility and saw his team through to an overwhelming victory by eight wickets, scoring 33 comfortably off 34 balls, while Ashish Bagai backed him up with 15 off 16 balls. Canada, at least, can go home with a convincing win under their belts, but tinged with the knowledge that they peaked a little too late.

Zimbabwe Cricket Online volume 4, issue 9, 08 November 2002

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This week’s issue comes out on the eve of the Test series between Zimbabwe and Pakistan. Rain threatens the match, but given relief from the weather it should be a fascinating and unpredictable series, with of course the advantage on paper lying with Pakistan. But paper advantage does not always mean a lot where Pakistan is concerned, as is mentioned in our Test preview, included in this issue.Apologies to our readers for the late arrival of last week’s ZCO, due to technical problems.CONTENTS

  • Zimbabwe v Pakistan Preview
  • Zimbabwe v Pakistan Test records
  • Club cricket scores – National League Round 5
  • Biographies:
    • Blessing Mahwire
    • Gavin Ewing
  • Letters

We also include a link to our record section on matches between Zimbabwe and Pakistan, and it will be seen that, despite Pakistan’s often overwhelming superiority on paper, Zimbabwe have produced some very good cricket against them and have, in fact, won two of our four victories against senior Test-playing countries against them.Our best wishes go to Blessing Mahwire, a seam-bowling all-rounder, who is scheduled to make his Test debut this weekend. He will be the first player from Masvingo to represent the country at full international level, and we have updated his biography for the occasion. We also include a biography of Bulawayo all-rounder Gavin Ewing, who was included in the Test squad for the first time.There are also Test matches being played in Australia and South Africa this weekend, and one trusts Zimbabwe will not shoot themselves in the foot as England did (once again) in Australia, putting the opposition in to bat on a good batting pitch and then bowling weakly and dropping most of the catches on offer. For readers in Southern Africa, DSTV will be showing the Zimbabwe-Pakistan Test throughout, mainly on Channel 6.On Wednesday 6 November the Zimbabwe Cricket Union held a large Gala Dinner at the Monomotapa Hotel in Zimbabwe to celebrate Zimbabwe’s ten years of Test cricket. Ten years ago Zimbabwe played their inaugural Test match against India at Harare Sports Club, and became the first newcomers to Test cricket to avoid defeat in their inaugural Test; in fact, they dominated the match, although it ended in a draw.It had been hoped that Kapil Dev, who bowled Zimbabwe’s first ball in Test cricket (Kevin Arnott turned it to fine leg for a single), would be guest of honour, but he was unable to attend, and was replaced very effectively by Clive Lloyd, who gave an excellent speech. All of Zimbabwe’s team which played in that Inaugural Test were invited, the only absentees being Gary Crocker (who has emigrated to the USA and could not be contacted), John Traicos (unable at the last moment to come over from his home in Australia) and Grant Flower, who was with his father who is sick in Johannesburg. We wish Bill Flower the speediest of recoveries.One of the features of the evening was the Milestones Awards, which commemorated the best individual performances by Zimbabweans during those ten years. They were as follows:

  • Highest individual score: 266, by Dave Houghton, v Pakistan, at Queens Sports Club, 1994/95
  • Best bowling figures: 8/109, by Paul Strang, v New Zealand, at Queens Sports Club, 2000/01
  • World record partnership by brothers: 273, by Andy and Grant Flower, v Pakistan, at Harare Sports Club, 1994/95
  • Highest score for Zimbabwe abroad: 232 not out, by Andy Flower, v India, at Nagpur, 2000/01
  • (Then world record) youngest player to score a century on Test debut: Hamilton Masakadza, v West Indies, at Harare Sports Club, 2000/01We look forward to the next ten years, and Clive Lloyd expressed his wish that by then Zimbabwe will be the second strongest Test team in the world – second, of course, to West Indies!

    • Lee sparks Australian surge

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    Scorecard and ball-by-ball commentary
    How they were out

    Brett Lee bowled a superb spell to remove five West Indies batsmen © AFP
     

    Brett Lee breathed life into a meandering match with a masterful spell of fast reverse-swing that overshadowed Shivnarine Chanderpaul’s second century of the series and significantly increased the chances of a final-day result. Lee’s strikes ensured Australia’s first-innings lead of 127 and by the end of the fourth day Phil Jaques had run with the momentum, posting 76 and setting up the visitors’ advantage of 371.At the close Australia had reached 244 for 6, with Andrew Symonds unbeaten on 43 after Lee fell from the last ball of the day. Their lead appeared to be more than adequate to secure the Frank Worrell Trophy – they only need a draw – but there was no indication as to when Ricky Ponting would give his bowlers a chance to push for the victory.Despite their deteriorating position, West Indies refused to be dictated to, and gradually picked off Australia’s batsmen. Jerome Taylor grabbed a couple of wickets, trapping Ponting lbw for 38 and drawing an edge behind from Jaques, while a sharp throw from Chanderpaul ended Michael Clarke’s stay on 10. But Australia had such a lead that they were not under any real match pressure, although there was some physical pain when Lee took a nasty blow to the helmet from a cracking Fidel Edwards bouncer.Jaques battled through a scratchy opening and started to find some form, compiling his first half-century in a Test without Matthew Hayden by his side. He put on a 74-run opening stand with Michael Hussey, who was sent out first as Simon Katich was still nursing a bruised rib sustained during his first-innings century. Hussey looked confident while driving his way to 40.While Jaques and the rest of the top order improved Australia’s buffer with relative ease, it was Lee who gave them the opportunity. On a pitch that appeared deader than Stuart MacGill’s Test career, Lee located the defibrillators that no other fast bowler could find. He shocked West Indies’ middle order into an early exit following a productive 132-run partnership between Dwayne Bravo and Chanderpaul – whose consistency continues to astound – and grabbed five wickets thanks to his venomous late swing.Lee did benefit from some poor umpiring decisions but he worked hard for the results in a vicious six-over display. The spell, which was broken up by a one-over break to change his shoes, earned Lee 5 for 11, including three wickets in four balls as the lower order battled to deal with his bending of the ball. The major blow came when Bravo, who had compiled a proper Test innings of 45 by controlling his aggressive urges, was adjudged to have feathered a catch down leg side to Brad Haddin. Bravo was clearly disappointed and the replays were inconclusive – it may have come off his thigh pad – but Denesh Ramdin certainly suffered from an umpiring lapse next ball.Ramdin’s eyes had hardly adjusted to the sunshine when he received a startling inswinging yorker from Lee. He jammed the bat down too late and was given lbw by Russell Tiffin, although the ball had struck him outside the line of off stump. Darren Sammy survived the hat-trick delivery but with Lee’s next effort became another victim of the reverse swing and Tiffin’s misjudgement. Like Ramdin, Sammy was hit outside the line trying to defend and was sent on his way regardless.West Indies got the worst of the decisions but Lee created the opportunities by sending down hand-grenades. He varied his attack by pushing Taylor back with fast stuff before bowling him with a slower ball, and swung another in to Daren Powell, who was correctly judged lbw to give Lee figures of 5 for 59. Mitchell Johnson ended the innings at 352 when he had Edwards caught behind and it was a relief for Johnson, who was partly responsible for allowing Chanderpaul and Bravo to build such a strong partnership earlier in the day.Strangely, Ponting opened the morning with his two weaker bowlers and Johnson sprayed deliveries alternately wide of leg and off stumps as he failed to find the late swing that Lee mastered. MacGill was also having problems with his line and length and allowed Bravo to release his aggression with a couple of full tosses that disappeared over midwicket. Chanderpaul, who was largely content to score through well-guided late cuts and nudges, also put MacGill away on his way to an unbeaten 107. When Ponting turned to his part-timers to race through some overs – perhaps wary that he had lost half his match fee in Kingston for slow over rates – Chanderpaul brought up his hundred with an uncharacteristic slog sweep over midwicket off Symonds.It continued Chanderpaul’s remarkable year – in the past 12 months he has made five Test centuries and averages 98.50. He survived the Lee onslaught but as his partners rapidly departed, it became increasingly unlikely that Chanderpaul could carry the hopes of an archipelago on his tiny shoulders as officials began polishing up the Frank Worrell Trophy in anticipation of a possible presentation to Ponting on Tuesday.

    Pakistan prove to be consistently inconsistent

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    There is no experience in life that cannot be analysed, and the Pakistani cricket team’s failures are no exception. But it is more important to focus on seeking a clearer understanding of the problems involved rather than ingeniously shifting the onus of disappointments onto circumstances and individuals – a common but unproductive method of interpreting and benefiting from experience.It is wiser, therefore, not to dwell on any particular match or series. The problem is fundamental, structural and chronic, almost endemic. Pakistan have had successes in the past, but there has been no consistent pattern of achievement. Indeed, this inconsistency provides the key understanding the problem.A team relying exclusively on individual brilliance – which has its own ups and downs – and susceptible to the mood of the moment cannot succeed all the time. It is easily noticeable that most of Pakistan’s famous victories, especially against quality teams, have either been by narrow margins or by the heroic efforts of a few outstanding individuals. One of the rare examples of a truly authentic team effort was the victory at the 1992 World Cup.Cricket today is fiercely competitive because of huge sums of money involved due to television rights and commercial sponsorship. Almost every team, therefore, has been offered the chance to play top-grade cricket, but only those that have perfected a methodical and competitive way of playing the game are excelling.These sides rely on superlative fitness, modern and scientific coaching, and well-planned strategies based on technological and technical studies of opponents. It has been a delight to watch the Australian team exhibiting exceptional commitment to excellence, underpinned by an astounding sense of self-discipline, tenacity and brilliant teamwork. It made Pakistan look extremely inept in Kenya, to say the least.Pakistan have always played by different rules. The team likes to believe in the supernatural, often wanting to blunder or gamble its way to success. What transpired in the Morocco Cup or in the matches against Australia in Nairobi was nothing new for those who follow Pakistani cricket. It was merely the repetition of a familiar pattern of failure.For starters, Pakistan have no genuine coach and have never really had one. Talent invariably resists coaching, and Pakistan is indeed a very talented outfit. That has especially been the story of Pakistani cricket in recent years. Coaches are supposed to be technical experts, strategists and motivators, whether in cricket or football. One only needed to see the deeply absorbed and wrenched faces of coaches during the recent football World Cup to realise their deep involvement.The absence of good coaching in cricket, however, can be compensated to some extent by an outstanding captain, for such is the nature of the game. Except for a few high-class all-rounders and motivators – and thus coach-cum-captains such as Imran Khan, Mushtaq Mohammad and Kardar – Pakistan never boasted a captain who could claim all-round versatility and expertise.Waqar Younis is a bowler of exceptional ability, but he has an obvious shortcoming in that he cannot work out a good batting strategy since he is not a batsman. It is little wonder then that most of Pakistan’s wins during his captaincy have come about from successes in bowling and despite batting failures. Mudassar Nazar may be very personable and congenial, helping to lift team spirit – I hear he sings very well – but I am not sure if he is a great batting genius or strategist or even a motivator.With such a self-willed and highly talented team, only those coaches who have followed the path of least resistance have survived – those who do the team’s bidding. That is why people like Mudassar and Intikhab Alam have been very popular with the team, as their role has mainly been that of a friend rather of a teacher.Modern cricket cannot be run that way. Since Imran Khan’s departure most of Pakistan’s captains have been either bowlers or wicket-keepers and neither batting strategists nor inspirational leaders. The team on the batting side has therefore been entirely on its own. Its output has rested exclusively on individual talent, and we have owed our successes as much as our failures to individual performances.The biggest weakness in the batting is that there is no conscious formula for success. The batting order keeps fluctuating, so the batsmen do not develop proper affinity and understanding with each other. The running between wickets is extremely unprofessional, always unsuited to the occasion. There is little commitment to build a partnership, and equally little strategy for batting collapses and panic attacks.Strategy counts far more in one-day cricket than in Test cricket, where time allows you scope and space to devise a game plan appropriate to the challenge. Since certain vital elements count even more in a pressure situation, it explains Pakistan being a poor chaser in one-day internationals.Pakistan’s batting order suffers from a sort of domino effect, failing when least expected to. Yousuf Youhana, an exceptional talent, does not always rise to the occasion. He succeeds and fails – both unexpectedly. Inzamam-ul-Haq, one of the most accomplished batsmen in modern cricket and a sheet anchor of the team, seems to have now unfortunately decided to focus perhaps more on Test cricket than on one-day cricket – perhaps because he could not reconcile the two different techniques.Another vital point is match temperament. Pakistan do not play really competitive cricket at home, and what passes for domestic cricket is a mere apology. The administrators need to reorganise it to make it more competitive, forcing the national players to participate as well. The national stars hardly play any domestic cricket, and their participation is only cosmetic, so naturally young players, after coming into the national team, eschew domestic cricket as well.Whatever domestic cricket these players may have seen before their elevation to the top level has been of rather ordinary standards. That is another reason that Pakistan is so prone to unexplained failures. Competitiveness teaches mental toughness, and that I am afraid is missing in our otherwise talented and attractive team. But the situation is not beyond redemption, and I wish the team a great success in the future.

    Confident India aim to sustain momentum

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    Sourav Ganguly refuses to get overly excited about the final of the ICC Champions Trophy 2002. He knows that the weight of a nation’s expectations rests on his shoulders. He also knows that India have had one of their better years in recent times and wants to cap it with a big win. The infusion of youth, the clever adjustment of roles, the well thought out inputs of coach John Wright and the hard work of Andrew Leipus and Adrian le Roux have made India a fighting unit. Yet Ganguly knows that all this can be undone if Sri Lanka have one excellent day at home.”They’re a different side at home and that is the key to this game. We’ve had a good record against them in the last seven matches or so. Tomorrow is the key game,” said Ganguly after a practice session at the R Premadasa stadium here in Colombo. He quickly added, “It’s another game for us. We’ve played well so far and we’ll try to keep the momentum going.”Sri Lanka’s massive home advantage was well exhibited in their semifinal against Australia. With precise field settings and controlled spin bowling that sustained a particular line, the Lankans extracted the most of a slow, low wicket. And the wickets have been a source of much discussion. Ricky Ponting, after Australia’s loss, said simply, “The wicket was too slow and turned too much for a one-day wicket.”Ganguly, however, showed no surprise at the way the wicket had behaved in the semifinal. “We all knew that ball would turn early against Australia and weren’t surprised at all. It was the only chance of winning for Sri Lanka. I think it’s going to be a different story tomorrow,” he said. When pressed about the kind of wicket he expected to be playing on, Ganguly said, “I think it will be a good batting wicket.”And you can bet it will be a belter. Perhaps a touch on the slower side, but certainly not one that turns so much early on. The Indians are far better players of spin than the Aussies and do have in their bowling ranks the likes of Harbhajan Singh, who would be more than a handful on a wicket that helps spinners.This is likely to bring the game back to the batting spectacle that many matches in the subcontinent end up being. The Indians will not mind that at all. Ganguly was clear in his mind that India had the upper hand when it came to batting.”I don’t agree with the statement that the batting of both sides is the same. Bowling might be the same but definitely not the batting. We’ll find out tomorrow which team is superior. In this game there’s no point talking too much. We score runs in all conditions and that’s an important thing,” said Ganguly.As before the semifinal, the main worry for the Indians remains the bowling department. Some might say, however, that the injury to Ashish Nehra is a blessing in disguise as it opens up a spot for Javagal Srinath. “Sri is coming in this afternoon and is very much in contention,” said Ganguly.The skipper was quick to add that Srinath’s call up did not mean that the team lacked faith in Ajit Agarkar’s ability. “It’s not a question of a lack of faith in Ajit. If you’re a 14-member squad and one of the guys is injured you would call a replacement. It would be the same if I or another batsman was injured. You never know what’s going to happen. If you have only two fast bowlers and one falls ill on the morning of the match you’re stuck,” explained Ganguly.The other aspect of India’s game that is perpetually a source of debate is that little man Sachin Tendulkar and where he should bat. Should he open and plunder the bowling? Or stay at number four and shoulder more responsibility? From waiters to tri-shaw drivers to strangers on the street – everyone asks you that here in Colomb.”Sachin will play at four. Unnecessarily we put pressure on him. He’s the best player in the world. He’s scored 63 international hundreds. Every time he fails in two games people say he is out of form which I think is ridiculous,” said Ganguly, ending all debate for the moment.The Indian skipper was relaxed and totally at ease on the eve of the sold-out, blockbuster final. It was clear that he had come to grips with handling the constant pressure that he as the skipper is under. He knows you can not win all the time and savours what success has come his way.”Getting to the final is an achievement. Of the last seven Champions Trophy games, we’ve won six. This is the second time we’re reaching the final of this tournament and that in itself is a good achievement. What happens tomorrow is part and parcel of life,” he observed.The last time India played a one-day tournament here they were defeated in the final by Sri Lanka. When asked whether memories of that game still haunted him, Ganguly could not suppress a laugh: “Let me put it this way. The NatWest final haunts me more!”Now you know for sure that the Indians are relaxed, well prepared and confident. All they need to do is execute, and the Champions Trophy could be theirs.India (from):Sourav Ganguly (Captain), Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Mohammad Kaif, VVS Laxman, Yuvraj Singh, Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Javagal Srinath.

    Rain and bad light holds up an odd day at Bath

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    It was an odd day at the Bath Recreation Ground as in-between stoppages for rain and bad light, the game progressed, but not in a way that many of the patient crowd had expected.Somerset soon lost their overnight savour Ian Blackwell when he fell to a sucker punch, being caught by Udal at backward point off Mascarenhas. He had played exactly the same shot the ball before which went for four.Robert Turner and Keith Dutch shared a 41-run partnership at two runs per over to show some signs of recovery but when three wickets fell in quick succession, either side of a length rain break shortly after the lunch interval, Somerset captain surprised everyone at the ground, including the Hampshire fielders by declaring, 91 runs behind.The crowd were so surprised, that some of them even booed the umpires, as they thought they had been brought off for bad light!On a wicket that had been playing tricks from the first day, with overcast conditions, some thought that the boldness of the declaration was sheer folly. However, the home side took four Hampshire wickets for just three runs, before bad light curtailed play for the day.Derek Kenway was first to go when he attempted to hook Richard Johnson’s first ball into the Bath Rugby Club, but was well caught on the boundary edge. White edged Johnson to keeper Turner and when Kendall and Laney fell off successive Matthew Bulbeck deliveries, Nic Pothas survived the hat-trick ball.Hampshire finished the day, however, still in a good position, 94 runs ahead with six wicket in hand, but will be looking for a least another 100 runs which on that Bath wicket could be enough to secure a much-needed victory.

    Australian cricket ready for big examination

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    BRISBANE – Ricky Ponting and Adam Gilchrist expect some tough questionsto be answered during a busy nine-month examination of Australia’s Testand one-day cricket sides.One-day captain Ponting, who will interchange the leadership with Testskipper Steve Waugh, was buoyant about Australia’s long-term future onthe eve of his team’s departure for the triangular series with Pakistanand host Kenya and next month’s 12-nation ICC Champions Trophy in SriLanka.Coming off its longest break from international cricket in almost adecade, Australia will be keen to avoid a repeat its only previous visitto Kenya when it was knocked out in its first match of the ChampionsTrophy by India.During the next nine months Australia will also play three Tests againstPakistan, host an Ashes series with England and a triangular one-dayseries against England and Sri Lanka before defending its World Cuptitle in South Africa in February and touring the West Indies.For the one-day side, Ponting would love to see youngster Shane Watsonclaim the all-rounder’s cap as his own and he believes 20-year-oldQueensland spinner Nathan Hauritz can confirm his arrival, not just as along-term Test player, but also a valuable one-day performer.It is also a chance for speedster Brett Lee to show he can not only bowllike lightning but can also bowl in miserly fashion when required.And it is a chance for Matthew Hayden to cement a one-day opening roleby showing he can score and score quickly in the limited overs game.Ponting said it was difficult to say whether Australia’s one-day battingor bowling had been stronger during the previous 12 months.”But it’s up to all of us to improve as individuals to make sure whenthe bigger tournaments come round that we are playing well andperforming at our best,” said Ponting.The skipper said Hauritz had been “unbelievably cool” when bowling tosome world-class players whyen called up in South Africa earlier in theyear.”I think he has a very big future for us, not only in one day cricketbut he’s also named in the Test squad which is great for him,” saidPonting.”I think we’re looking for Shane [Watson] to do a little more.”It could just take a game where he goes out and backs himself and itall comes off for him where he gets some runs and take some wickets andhe starts believing in himself at the highest level.”Gilchrist agreed there would be plenty of opportunities for new playersto make statements to selectors.”There’s no hiding that some careers are coming towards an end,” saidthe Test vice-captain.”It starts with a bit of revenge against Pakistan I guess and thenthere’s the Champions Trophy which Australia has never won which is highon the agenda.”Then there’s the obvious ones like Ashes and World Cups and a tour ofthe West Indies.””It’s an exciting time with plenty up for grabs.

    Holloway returns to the Somerset side with a century against the Board XI

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    Somerset recorded another emphatic victory in their second pre-season warm up at the County Ground against the Somerset Board XI at the County Ground today.Batting first the county side made 363 for 6 from their 50 overs, the feature of which was an opening stand of 178 between Piran Holloway (127) and Matthew Wood (58).Cornishman Holloway, coming back into the side after missing half of last season with a shoulder injury, made an impressive return to the scene and included 5×6’s and 16×4’s in his innings during which he faced 178 balls.Ian Blackwell also looked in good form as he raced to 70 off just 26 balls, and hit 3×6’s and 10×4’s.In reply the Somerset Board XI were not overawed by their task, particularly the openers Tom Webley (69) and Kevin Sedgebeer (71) who put on 155 for the fourth wicket. Young left hander Webley looked particularly comfortable and included 12×4’s in his innings.At the end of their overs the Board XI had moved to 256 for 5 to give the Cidermen victory by 107 runs. By the close skipper Kevin Parsons had moved on to 54 and Arul Suppiah 25, having shared an unbeaten sixth wicket stand of 67.Matt Bulbeck who had figures of 6 overs, 2 maidens 2 wickets for 5 runs was once again the pick of the Somerset bowlers.After the match assistant coach Mark Garaway told me: “This was another professional performance today. It was good practice for all of and they stuck to their task well.”He continued: “It was good to see the staff boys who played for the Board XI all doing so well. Tom Webley and Arul Suppiah both batted well, and Pete Trego and Michael Parsons were the pick of their bowlers.”Tomorrow is press morning at the County Ground after which the Somerset players will listen to Academy Sports Psychologist Will James who will talk on the theme of ‘winning after winning’.