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The participation of Australian players in the third edition of the IPL took a positive step forward with their players union, the Australian Cricketers Association (ACA), stating that they’re close to receiving the security report from the IPL authoritie

Cricinfo staff03-Feb-2010The participation of Australian players in the third edition of the IPL has taken a step forward with their players union, the Australian Cricketers Association (ACA), saying it is close to receiving the security report from the IPL authorities. That will be followed by an assessment by a security firm, after which the players will be advised.The precautions come after a warning issued by the Shiv Sena, a Mumbai-based regional political party, that Australians would be barred from playing matches in Mumbai in response to the ongoing attacks on Indian students in Australia.The ACA took the warning seriously and said it would take all necessary precautions before sending its players to India for the Twenty20 tournament starting March 10. The IPL chairman Lalit Modi said he would pass on the security plans only to the national boards and not the player unions.”I fully expect it [receiving the security plans] will happen and I’ve advised the players that we expect it will happen, it’s just we’re at the point where we’re just waiting on getting the plans,” ACA chief executive Paul Marsh told AAP. “We are getting close, there’s a few details we’re trying to get through, there’s a commitment there to give it to us provided we meet certain restrictions and obligations. Hopefully we’ll get there.”Marsh said there was still some work left to do before they release their players for the tournament.”Once we get these IPL plans we’ve got an independent security company to help put together a report for us that’ll outline the situation in India in general and also get a view of plans in place,” Marsh said. “They’ll provide a recommendation that we’ll be passing on to the players as to whether or not they think it’s safe to tour.”We’ve had briefings with the government already and the government has given us briefings around Shiv Sena and the players. Once this report’s put together, will get the relevant information on that. You can confuse people by giving people little bits of information along the way.”Marsh added that though they didn’t regard it as a terrorist threat, they were taking the issue very seriously.”You’ve got to take the threats legitimately, there’s been two threats made to the Australian players,” he said. “The advice we’re getting is they’re an extremist political party, they’re not a terrorist group. They’ve got a history of making pretty outrageous comments for the purpose of seeking attention. You can’t rule out that there may be some action taken here.”

Raza scored 151 runs and took a wicket in two ODIs against Sri Lanka

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Sep-2025Zimbabwe allrounder Sikandar Raza is the new No. 1 allrounder in the ICC’s ODI rankings, achieving the feat for the first time. He had scored 92 and an unbeaten 59 in the two-match series against Sri Lanka in Harare, and also picked up a wicket. He went past Afghanistan’s Azmatullah Omarzai and Mohammad Nabi, who are now second and third, respectively.There’s a new No. 1 among ODI bowlers too. South Africa spinner Keshav Maharaj has broken the deadlock at the top with Sri Lanka’s Maheesh Theekshana, claiming the No. 1 position outright. Maharaj moved up after taking 4 for 22 in a big win in the first ODI against England in Leeds.

Full rankings tables

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Sri Lanka opener Pathum Nissanka, named Player of the Series against Zimbabwe after topping the charts with 198 runs, has climbed seven places to 13th among ODI batters. Janith Liyanage is up 13 places to 29th, while Zimbabwe’s Sean Williams has risen three places to 47th.In the T20I rankings, Afghanistan batters Ibrahim Zadran (up 12 spots to 20th) and Sediqullah Atal (up a remarkable 346 places to 127th) have risen following back-to-back wins against UAE and Pakistan in the ongoing tri-series.Others to improve in the T20I rankings are Pakistan’s Hasan Nawaz (joint-31st) among batters, while Sufiyan Muqeem (22nd), Shaheen Shah Afridi (26th) and Mohammad Nawaz (43rd) made strides among bowlers.

Worcestershire, Derbyshire the only first-class counties not to tender for top tier of revamped structure

Valkerie Baynes14-Mar-2024Sixteen of the 18 first-class counties have bid for one of eight professional women’s teams in a revamped England and Wales domestic competition starting next season.Worcestershire and Derbyshire are the only two clubs among those invited to tender who have confirmed that they did not bid for a Tier 1 team under the new structure.Surrey, Lancashire, Sussex, Hampshire, Nottinghamshire, Warwickshire, Glamorgan, Essex and Gloucestershire all confirmed this week that they had lodged tenders with the ECB.Middlesex confirmed a bid on Monday, which had received “the full support of Marylebone Cricket Club”. MCC, which owns Middlesex’s home ground, Lord’s, and was also invited to bid for a team, have not submitted a proposal of their own.Kent and Northamptonshire announced their bids last week along with Durham, Yorkshire, Leicestershire and Somerset.Related

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It is understood counties will be notified imminently of interview slots for the next stage of the process, with those interviews to take place by the end of March.In February, the ECB invited all 18 first-class counties plus MCC to tender for one of the Tier 1 clubs in a move away from the current regional structure which began in 2020. Currently, teams contesting the 20-over Charlotte Edwards Cup and 50-over Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy fall under central ECB control and largely encompass more than one county.By aligning teams more closely with existing counties – and their men’s teams – the ECB is seeking to address an identity crisis that has afflicted some of the regional teams with ownership, responsibility and governance shifting to the clubs.First-class counties not awarded Tier 1 status, plus all National Counties, will be invited to take part in a process to determine the make-up of Tier 2 and 3 competitions, comprising 10-14 teams and 16-20 teams respectively.Despite there being no plans for promotion or relegation from 2025-28, Derbyshire have taken a longer-term view, electing to “pursue the establishment of a sustainable Tier 2 women’s structure, one which will hopefully grow into Tier 1 status” in future. Derbyshire have hosted training for existing regional women’s team the Blaze over the winter and staged at least one England Women’s international fixture every year for the past seven seasons. In 2020, Derby hosted all five T20Is against West Indies which comprised the England Women’s international season amid the initial wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.Explaining the club’s position, Derbyshire chief executive Ryan Duckett said: “Derbyshire makes up 9% of the population of the Midlands, yet 26% of women’s cricket that was played across the region in the last year involved a team from the county. There are also three players in the current senior England squad who have come through the Derbyshire pathway, which has been led by the Derbyshire Cricket Foundation, and we will continue to support further success in this area.”Our ambitions for ground development include enhanced training facilities underpinning a robust pathway structure, as well as increasing seating capacity to meet demand and ensure the club retains its status as a host venue for international women’s cricket… After honest assessment, we felt that in the short term, as a standalone county, it may have been essential to compromise what is currently being delivered as a collective across the region and therefore believe this decision is in the best interest of the game.”Worcestershire CEO Ashley Giles told the club’s podcast: “At this point it would just be more a funding and a resource issue for us. Even in ground facilities, changing facilities, practice wickets, it would be really challenging for us.”But the next process from here will be Tier 2 and even Tier 3 and certainly we’ll be into that. And, for us, we host the Central Sparks right now, which is the regional team, but we also have the Women’s Rapids and I’m very keen that we start to develop that team so that when we come to those next levels, Tier 2 for example, that we’re ready to go.”The ECB will invest a minimum of £1.3 million per year into each of the eight Tier 1 teams, a proportion of which will be ring-fenced for player salaries, sports science and medicine and talent pathways. There will be no mandated minimum financial commitment sought from the counties, who are expected to outline their projected investment as part of the tender process.The existing regions – South East Stars, Thunder, Sunrisers, Central Sparks, Western Storm, the Blaze, Northern Diamonds and Southern Vipers – will remain for the 2024 season.

2010 T20 World Cup winner leaves academy director role at Sussex

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Oct-2022Michael Yardy, the allrounder who played 42 limited-overs internationals for England and won the T20 World Cup in 2010, has been appointed head coach of England Under-19s.Yardy spent the 2022 season working as academy director at Sussex, after previous spells at Kent and New South Wales. “It’s a privilege to work with young players as they seek to make the next step in their career and I look forward to the challenge of doing that at international level,” he said.”The Young Lions programme has helped to develop a number of very talented players across the last few years and it’s an exciting prospect to be a part of that work and help identify and improve future England Men’s cricketers,” Yardy added.He fills the role vacated by Richard Dawson’s move to become one of Matthew Mott’s assistant coaches in England’s white-ball set-up. Dawson sustained an injury during the T20I tour to Pakistan last month, and Paul Collingwood is deputising for him at the ongoing World Cup in Australia.England Under-19s are due to tour Australia in early 2023, with fixtures yet to be confirmed.Related

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David Court, the ECB’s player identification and pathway lead, said: “We’re delighted to have Mike join us as our Young Lions Head Coach and he brings with him a fantastic range of relevant experiences.”The Young Lions programme aims to inspire and develop players through unique and challenging experiences, and Mike’s time in domestic cricket, international cricket and – more recently – his time spent leading the development of talented young cricketers at Sussex will be a huge asset for us.”Sussex will begin the search for a replacement imminently. Keith Greenfield, their performance director, said: “Whilst we are disappointed to lose Mike from his role here at Sussex, it is a fantastic opportunity for him to take on developing the next generation of England’s elite international cricketers within the ECB pathway and we wish him all the best in his new role.”

Glamorgan make new-ball inroads but 20-year-old opener stands firm

ECB Reporters' Network06-Jul-2021Opener Ali Orr made an unbeaten half-century in only his second first-class match to supervise Sussex’s recovery on the third day of their LV= Insurance County Championship match against Glamorgan at Hove.After they had conceded a first innings deficit of just 11 runs, Glamorgan seamers Timm van der Gugten and Mick Hogan reduced Sussex to 19 for 3 when play got underway at 4pm.Hogan picked up fellow Australian Travis Head in a miserly new-ball spell of 9-4-8-1 while van der Gugten removed Aaron Thomason and Stiaan van Zyl. But Orr and debutant Oli Carter relieved the pressure in a stand of 43 and Orr then added 49 with skipper Ben Brown to take Sussex to 111 for 4, a lead of 122.A lengthy mopping-up operation was needed after overnight rain before umpires Ben Debenham and Russell Warren gave the go-ahead. Sussex quickly took the final Glamorgan wicket to give themselves a slender first-innings advantage but their out-of-form top order were soon exposed by Glamorgan’s new-ball pair.Related

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Opener Thomason was dismissed by van der Gugten for the second time in the match to a delivery which bounced more than he expected and van Zyl fell to the next ball, trapped on the crease. Head negotiated the hat-trick ball but was squared up by van der Gugten and caught at third slip for five, leaving Sussex effectively 30 for 3.Hogan could easily have picked up two or three more wickets before resting and Orr and Carter were able to play with more freedom, Carter moved to 22 when he offered a tame return catch in offspinner Andrew Salter’s fourth over, a disappointing end to a promising innings by the 19-year-old debutant.Dan Douthwaite could have picked up two wickets in his first over. Orr was dropped at second slip and Brown reprieved by wicketkeeper Chris Cooke. Orr made the most of his reprieve by following up the 67 he made on debut against Yorkshire last month with another composed contribution. His 50 came up off 105 balls with seven fours and without him Sussex would have been in dire straits.”I got runs against Yorkshire on my debut which helped massively and I feel in a good headspace at the moment so it’s nice to follow it up and hopefully I can build on my score tomorrow,” Orr said. “The ball did a bit at the start and their opening bowlers bowled really well, but I was able to play a few shots which took the pressure off and being around experienced batsmen like Travis Head and Ben Brown helped a lot.”Earlier, Glamorgan’s last-wicket pair of Salter and Hogan added nine runs before their first innings ended on 206 when Hogan came down the pitch to offspinner Jack Carson and was bowled for 11. Carson finished with 3 for 34 and now has 28 Championship wickets this season. Only Ollie Robinson (29) has more among Sussex bowlers.

Afghanistan captain says act wasn’t in the spirit of the game, but they did it because they were looking to win

Sreshth Shah in Benoni31-Jan-2020Afghanistan left-arm wristspinner Noor Ahmad ran out Pakistan opener Mohammad Huraira at the non-striker’s end in the fourth Super League quarter-final at the Under-19 World Cup, whipping the bails off in his delivery stride with the opener having left his crease.On-field umpire Sam Nogajski referred the matter to Roly Black, the third umpire, and replays confirmed Huraira was out of his crease when Ahmad broke the stumps. Huraira, who was making his Youth ODI debut, was run out for a 76-ball 64. His wicket left Pakistan 127 for 4, but they were still comfortably placed, needing a further 63 runs to win in 134 balls. Afghanistan had earlier been bowled out for 189. Pakistan eventually won by six wickets in 41.1 overs.Afghanistan captain Farhan Zakhil, however, felt after the match that the act was not “in the spirit of the game”.”At that time, we realised let’s do something different to build pressure on Pakistan,” Zakhil told ESPNcricinfo. “To be honest, it was not in the spirit of the game.”But we wanted to win. It was a very important game for us. The people of Afghanistan wanted us to beat Pakistan. But it’s within the rules – and out is out. You have to stay within the crease. If you want to reduce the pitch length to 16 or 18 yards, then you’re creating a problem for us.”If you want to make runs and rotate the strike, you must respect the opposition, which is why we went ahead. If we were winning, we probably wouldn’t have done it.”Huraira accepted that he shouldn’t have left his crease, though he wasn’t happy with the dismissal. “It was my first game in the World Cup, so a bit of a bitter experience,” Huraira said. “But I should’ve been in the crease, and I’ll learn from the mistake. I’ll ensure it isn’t repeated again.”This is not the first time such a dismissal has been effected in an Under-19 World Cup, with West Indies’ Keemo Paul having run out Zimbabwe’s Richard Ngarava in similar fashion in the 2016 edition in Bangladesh, giving West Indies a thrilling win by two runs.ALSO READ: ‘I was right, but won’t repeat it due to backlash’According to the MCC’s Law 41.16, which was revised in 2017, “if the non-striker is out of his/her ground at any time from the moment the ball comes into play until the instant when the bowler would normally have been expected to release the ball, the non-striker is liable to be run out.” The non-striker would be run out “whether or not the ball is subsequently delivered”.Opinion remains divided on whether this particular form of dismissal, colloquially called a “mankad” – after former India allrounder Vinoo Mankad, who effected the first recorded instance of it in 1947 in a Test against Australia – is in the spirit of the game or not. But is worth noting that the MCC has stated that the bowler is under no compulsion to warn the batsman, and that this form of dismissal is not against the spirit of cricket.The most recent high-profile case of a batsman being run out at the non-striker’s end took place in IPL 2019, when R Ashwin ran out Jos Buttler when Kings XI Punjab were taking on Rajasthan Royals in Jaipur. Royals, who were 108 for 1 and needed only 63 off 44 balls to win, collapsed after the Buttler run out to lose the match by 14 runs.

The visitors’ batsmen made big gains in Wellington, but can they defy New Zealand’s quicks in spicier conditions at the Hagley Oval?

The Preview by Andrew Fidel Fernando in Christchurch24-Dec-2018

Big picture

Sri Lanka fight at the strangest times. They had several opportunities to dig themselves out of holes against England, at home, on turning tracks specifically prepared to suit them, and yet, what defiances they could muster in that series were insufficient to prevent a whitewash. Somehow, in New Zealand – a country where this group of players had only previously tasted defeat – two batsmen mounted a daylong resistance.Vitally, in the first away match of six consecutive Tests in the southern hemisphere, Sri Lanka have proved to themselves that their batsmen are not all hopelessly out of their depth. That at least in batting-friendly conditions, they are capable of quelling high-quality seam attacks – the likes of which they will now continuously face until March. Importantly, it wasn’t just Kusal Mendis and Angelo Mathews who succeeded. Opener Dimuth Karunaratne and wicketkeeper-batsman Niroshan Dickwella also made runs on day one, when conditions were at their toughestNew Zealand, who have now missed the chance to go to second on the rankings (because only a whitewash against Sri Lanka would have got them there), will perhaps not fret over the Wellington result. Unlike the Basin Reserve surface, the one at Hagley Oval tends to remain receptive to seam bowling right until the final day, particularly if it is very green to begin with, as seems to be the case. Where the Basin track got slower each day, the one at Hagley tends to hold its pace throughout the Test as well. If Sri Lanka had to step up their batting to deal with Tim Southee, Trent Boult and Neil Wagner in Wellington, they will have to climb another rung to face them down in Christchurch.On top of this, New Zealand’s powerful batting order. Jeet Raval generally sees through the worst of the new ball, even if he doesn’t quite move on to a substantial score. Kane Williamson seems to begin innings like he’s already batting on a hundred, while Tom Latham and Henry Nicholls are also in excellent form. Ross Taylor and Colin de Grandhomme are capable of momentum-shifting knocks, and BJ Watling is often a reliable producer from the lower order. All of which begs the question – have New Zealand ever had it this good?Sri Lanka have already sprung one surprise in the series. Although they have arrived in Christchurch full of confidence, they will probably need to spring another one in the Boxing Day Test.

Form guide

Sri Lanka DLLLW (completed matches, most recent first)
New Zealand DWLWD

In the spotlight

Neil Wagner has 154 wickets and has bowled in 73 Test innings, but has never collected poorer figures than he did in the second innings at Wellington, when he went wicketless for 100. Beyond the lack of success, Wagner might also be irked at his economy rate of 4.34, in an innings where no other bowler gave away more than 2.5 an over. His short bowling was defanged by a pace-less track, for sure, but there was also the matter of Mendis and Mathews playing him exceedingly well – New Zealand coach Gary Stead later remarked that theirs was “some of the best batting” he had seen against Wagner. For so long “Wagnerline” has worked wonders at home, uprooting stubborn batsmen and sparking collapses after the new-ball swing has disappeared. With Matt Henry forever on the heels of the incumbent seamers, Wagner will want to prove that Wellington was an anomaly.The Sri Lanka attack, meanwhile, is ostensibly led by the senior Suranga Lakmal, but it is 21-year-old Lahiru Kumara who brings the real energy. He was comfortably the quickest bowler of the first Test, and created more chances on a flat surface than any of his colleagues, claiming 4 for 127 in New Zealand’s only innings. He also had an excellent tour of West Indies earlier this year, where he took 17 wickets at less than 20 apiece, so if the Hagley Oval pitch is as seam-friendly as expected, Kumara may have another chance to establish himself as Sri Lanka’s primary overseas wicket-taker.Sri Lanka’s openers walk out to take the field•Getty Images

Team news

There is an outside chance Matt Henry will play, but New Zealand will probably stick to the same XI that played in Wellington.New Zealand (probable): 1 Jeet Raval, 2 Tom Latham, 3 Kane Williamson (capt), 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Henry Nicholls, 6 BJ Watling (wk), 7 Colin de Grandhomme, 8 Tim Southee, 9 Neil Wagner, 10 Ajaz Patel, 11 Trent BoultAs Kasun Rajitha went wicketless in Wellington, Sri Lanka may be tempted to swap in Dushmantha Chameera, who averages 24.00 in New Zealand, but has not played a Test since late 2016, largely due to injury. Otherwise, it will probably be the same side.Sri Lanka (possible): 1 Dimuth Karunaratne, 2 Danushka Gunathilaka , 3 Dhananjaya de Silva, 4 Kusal Mendis, 5 Dinesh Chandimal (capt), 6 Angelo Mathews, 7 Niroshan Dickwella (wk), 8 Dilruwan Perera, 9 Suranga Lakmal, 10 Dushmantha Chameera, 11 Lahiru Kumara

Pitch and conditions

A green, seaming track is expected, but showers may interrupt play on the first two days. Clouds overhead may mean that the ball swings more. Sri Lanka will be especially unimpressed to note that the temperature is unlikely to make it out of the teens until days three and four, with wind-chill likely to make it seem even colder.

Stats and trivia

• Neil Wagner’s bowling average against Sri Lanka is 38.92 and his economy rate is 3.78 – both his worst against any team he has played. Wagner has only bowled to Sri Lanka across four Tests in New Zealand.
• Lahiru Kumara’s bowling average this year is 26.66, despite having played two of his five Tests on flat pitches, in Chittagong and Wellington.
• With one Test to go, two Sri Lanka batsmen are among the top five run-scorers for the year. Kusal Mendis is third, with 941 runs at 47.05 (he has a chance of being the second after Virat Kohli to make 1000 runs in the year). Dimuth Karunaratne is fifth, with 736 runs at 52.57.
• Among batsmen with more than 400 runs this year, Kane Williamson (66.77) and Henry Nicholls (61.87) comfortably have the best averages.

Quotes

“We weren’t surprised by the way Sri Lanka played in Wellington. They are a very good side. They showed a lot of character and grit in that second innings. We’re preparing for them to be exactly the same in this Test.”
New Zealand batting coach Craig McMillan“We’ve got some confidence. Angelo is batting really well and knows how to play in these conditions. Kusal has got runs as well. I’m sure Dimuth and the others will chip in as well.”
Sri Lanka wicketkeeper-batsman Niroshan Dickwella

Lancashire will be captained by Liam Livingstone when the 2018 season gets underway, after replacing Steven Croft

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Nov-2017Lancashire will be captained by Liam Livingstone when the 2018 season gets underway, after Steven Croft’s two-year tenure was brought to an end by the club.Livingstone, 24, is one of the most highly rated young batsmen in the country, and enjoyed a prolific season for Lancashire in 2017, averaging more than 50 in the County Championship with a match-winning double-hundred against Warwickshire at Old Trafford.In addition, he made his international debut in June, and though he did not take his initial opportunities with scores of 16 and 0 in two T20s against South Africa, he is widely regarded as one of the obvious contenders for a middle-order berth in all formats for England.After coming through the ranks at Lancashire, where he first played for the club aged 15, Livingstone stepped in as captain during the early part of the 2017 season when Croft was absent through injury.”Liam has been seen as a potential leader as he has developed through the Lancashire Cricket system,” Glen Chapple, Lancashire’s head coach, said. “He showed maturity in the role, without it affecting his form when he captained the side earlier in the season, and he commands the respect of the dressing room.””It is a huge honour to be named Lancashire captain,” said Livingstone. “I feel privileged, humbled, and most of all, hugely excited by this opportunity.”I thoroughly enjoyed captaining the side for a short period earlier this year and I can’t wait to lead the Red Rose out again. The vision for the club is incredibly exciting and we’ve got a very talented group of players in the changing room.”The news, however, came as less of a thrill to Croft, who himself stepped in as leader in 2015 when Tom Smith was injured, and led the club to both that year’s NatWest T20 title and promotion to the first division of the Championship.”Being Captain of one of the biggest cricket clubs in the world has been amazing,” said Croft. “It is something I wanted to continue to do, but I totally respect the decision that has been made.
“Leading the Red Rose out onto the field for over 100 matches is something I have loved doing and will always cherish.
“Next season I can fully concentrate on the playing side of my game which I’m really looking forward to. I wish Liam the very best of luck and I will always be here to support him and give my all for this great club.”Chapple paid tribute to his outgoing captain while unveiling his replacement. “In congratulating Liam on his appointment, I’d like to acknowledge Steven’s leadership as captain since 2015,” he said.”He has led the side with purpose and character over the last three years and will continue to play a key role as a senior player in the future.”

Northamptonshire batted out for a draw on the final afternoon at Wantage Road after Leicestershire declined to offer a reasonable chase

ECB Reporters Network16-Aug-2016
ScorecardPaul Horton fell for 99 as Leicestershire opted to stretch their lead•Getty Images

Northamptonshire batted out for a draw on the final afternoon at Wantage Road after Leicestershire declined to offer a reasonable chase. They set the home side 415 to win in 51 overs, so Northants just played out time for a 10-point draw on 118 for 1.Leicestershire’s 11 points keeps them in touch with the promotion race, with Division Two leaders Essex to play next week at Grace Road.Hope were raised of a last day run chase after Leicestershire resumed 49 without loss, 177 ahead but they made only steady progress in the morning session. Even 319 in front by lunch with 63 overs remaining, they felt the need to add a few more into the afternoon before eventually declaring 292 for 6.Northants might have hoped for a chase to tune up for Thursday’s 50-over quarter-final at home to Surrey but the size of the task left them with no option but to bat out for a draw, which they did only for the loss of Rob Newton, bowled by Ben Raine for 22.The day began full of intrigue but a tedious morning session ensued. Saif Zaib, with his left-arm spin, was the only beneficiary, picking up his maiden first-class wicket by having Angus Robson caught at midwicket for 84. He also denied Paul Horton a third century of the season by a single run, sharply held by Rory Kleinveldt at slip.Zaib went on to complete a five-wicket haul as Mark Cosgrove slapped a full toss to extra-cover shortly after lunch, Mark Pettini was stumped by Rob Keogh – who took the gloves to allow David Murphy to bowl – and Neil Dexter was lbw. Zaib finished with 5 for 148 having bowled 26 overs unchanged from the Lynn Wilson End.It was the only noteworthy performance of the day. It was thought a run chase would be agreed after Northants called in their first innings 122 behind on the third evening. But there was no sign of a charge from Leicestershire. Only in the final overs of the morning session were shots played with any great intent, Horton and Robson swinging Zaib over long-on.Northants only resorted to declaration bowling later in the morning when Alex Wakely and Adam Rossington sent down overs. Murphy also removed the pads and picked up a maiden first-class wicket when Ned Eckersley lifted to Wakely at long-on.

MS Dhoni has hit back at his critics, saying the captaincy was a responsibility he was given and not something he craved or clung to

Sidharth Monga21-Jun-20155:02

MS Dhoni – “If I am the reason for all the bad that is happening to Indian cricket, definitely I would love to step away and play as a player”

MS Dhoni has hit back at his critics, saying the captaincy was a responsibility he was given and not something he craved or clung to. In the aftermath of India’s successive ODI defeats and subsequent series loss to Bangladesh, Dhoni said he would love to give up the captaincy if that guaranteed a change of fortunes for India.”I am really enjoying my cricket,” Dhoni said when asked of his captaincy plans, before making plain his annoyance at the media scrutiny. “I know this question was coming. I know the media loves me. These are the questions that will keep popping up.”Yes, if it is a justifiable thing that if you remove me and the Indian cricket will start doing really well, and if I am the reason for all the bad that is happening to Indian cricket, definitely I would love to step away and play as a player. Ultimately you want India to win. It doesn’t matter who is the captain. I was never really in line to become a captain. It was a job or responsibility for me. I have taken that responsibility. It was given to me, I took it. If they want to take it away, I am happy to give it away.”What is more important is to play for the country and contribute to the team and try to keep the dressing-room atmosphere good. So that whenever youngsters are coming in, they can come and perform. That will be the ultimate achievement for me. Also, it is slightly different. Indian cricket had been used to players coming in toned, ready for international cricket. Now it has changed. You have to grind it through. Cricket has changed and all that. We have had tough times. That’s what cricket is all about. You can’t win every series you play.”It was interesting that Dhoni said he would love to step aside as captain and play just as a player. For as a pure batsman, Dhoni has not been in great form. His last match-winning performance with the bat came in July 2013, when he won India a triangular-series final in the West Indies. Until that match, he used to win a Man-of-the-Match award once every 13 games. He is currently 38 matches without a match-winning innings.One of the reasons for that is Dhoni has chosen to take the extra responsibility of batting at No. 6. In the second ODI, though, he came in to bat at No. 4. He showed glimpses of the old Dhoni in scoring 47, but as India kept losing wickets at the other end, he kept getting slower and failed to kick on in the end. He hinted that this could be a long-term shift, and that it was perhaps time a good batsman took that responsibility of batting at No. 6.”The whole idea was for me to go up and play more freely,” Dhoni said. “The last four-five years, I have batted at 6, and there is always some kind of pressure other so I have not been able to bat freely. I wanted to get set and bat freely, but when I got set we lost wickets. Then we had to build some kind of partnership before we could go after the bowlers, then again we lost a couple of wickets. It was not really possible.”I feel it is very difficult for someone like Jadeja to justify his selection because more often than not they don’t get to bat. To always come in an international game and expect an individual to score a fifty is not really possible”•Associated Press

“I would like to bat slightly up in the order so I can play a bit more freely. Yes I have adapted to what the team needed of me since 2006, but for the longer run it is important for us to see who is a good batter at No. 6, at 7 or even maybe 5. That is why I dropped (Suresh) Raina (down the order). He has been successful at that slot.”If I move up there, it should be someone experienced at that slot. It is a difficult slot. You can’t just go out there and play the big shot. You don’t really have as many big batsmen behind you. If an opener plays a big shot. he thinks twice, but if you are No. 6 or 7 you have to think three times or you don’t think at all because you are not worried about anything else.”One of the occupants of that lower-middle-order slot has been Ravindra Jadeja. Now Dhoni has always backed Jadeja, playing an important part in using him as a match-winning bowler in Tests when nobody rated him in the longer formats. Since his shoulder injury, though, Jadeja has struggled a bit in international cricket.That Jadeja plays for Dhoni’s IPL team and that he is managed by Dhoni’s friend’s management agency has always been brought up, and once again, Dhoni was asked about his persistence with and “preservation” of Jadeja. An unflustered Dhoni came up with a cricketing assessment.”We use every bowler according to his potential,” Dhoni said. “I don’t like to bowl him in the first 10, but after that he has bowled for us consistently, in the second Powerplay and even in the slog. I have used him late in the innings, and he has bowled three decent overs in the Powerplay. I feel it is very difficult for someone like him to justify his selection because more often than not they don’t get to bat. In the last one year even I have not got a decent chance to bat. The only decent chance you get is when you are four-five down in 20 overs.”To always come in an international game and expect an individual to score a fifty is not really possible, so it is a difficult one. Also, our top order has done really well so we haven’t tested the bottom order. You can say these two matches our lower order was tested so it is difficult for him to justify his batting. From bowling point of view, in between he was up and down, but later on, during the World Cup he bowled well and after that here he is bowling well.”Dhoni hinted that he might be bat at No.4 more often in the future to “play a bit more freely”•AFP

Another issue with India in the transition since the World Cup has been to identify a coach and proper supporting staff. When he was asked if there was a correlation between the uncertainty there and the results in Bangladesh, Dhoni did not lose the opportunity to praise the former coach Duncan Fletcher.”At least indirectly you are saying you are missing Duncan Fletcher,” Dhoni said. “I felt he was one guy who was never really appreciated by the media. He did all the hard work. He was with the team for a long time. He went on really tough tours but I don’t think we should blame the support staff. Ultimately it is the individuals that go out and adapt and do what is required. I don’t think it is the support staff.”If you are indirectly hinting that we need a coach and all that, we have enough people in the support staff to take care of us. And even if the position of the coach is vacant for some time, it is okay. Don’t put just anybody there just because the post is vacant. Then it will have a bad impact in the long run. It takes time to make these decisions, and our team generally doesn’t have that time because we keep playing non-stop.”As with the support staff, Dhoni said no big changes were expected in the personnel of the actual squad. “This is the best lot of players we have,” Dhoni said. “What we have to think about is, if we are playing in the subcontinent whether we want to go in with the extra spinner, whether we really want fast bowlers who bowl quick but are not good with line and length. At times we have seen they can really go for runs.”If you see Bhuvi (Bhuvneshwar Kumar), he is not exceptionally quick but even when the batsmen are scoring fast he gets away with it. The only problem is, if he doesn’t take wickets the other bowlers are not smart enough to get away with the kind of bowling they do. Overall you have to see what is the best balance and accordingly you move forward.”