Ricky Ponting, the former Australia captain, is not in talks with Cricket Australia about joining the national team as a batting consultant

Daniel Brettig14-Aug-2015Ricky Ponting, the former Australia captain, is not in talks with Cricket Australia about joining the national team as a batting consultant.Following Australia’s surrender of the Ashes with a pair of meek batting displays at Edgbaston and Trent Bridge, there has been much speculation about Ponting being called up to work alongside the nation’s young players as a batting consultant.However Ponting, who returned home to Australia following an Ashes commentary stint in the UK that ended with the Trent Bridge Test, said he had not engaged any formal discussions with CA and was, for the moment, otherwise committed to his job as Mumbai Indians coach, family, commentary and charity work.”I’ve had no formal discussions with Cricket Australia about a role,” Ponting told ESPNcricinfo. “I have always said that one day I would like to get more involved with the young batters around the country but at the moment I’m fully committed to my family, my coaching job at Mumbai, commentary and sponsor commitments and the Ponting Foundation.”The team’s performance manager, Pat Howard, who speaks regularly with Ponting about the game, had told that they discussed the possibility earlier this year.”We have spoken to Ricky a few times this year to be around the side,” Howard had said. “I am certainly very open to getting him involved and we would love to have him on board. I sense Ricky would also love to be involved. His time commitments are obviously one of the big challenges.”The relentless international schedule has been a stumbling block for numerous former greats getting directly involved with the Australian team in recent times. The likes of Shane Warne, Steve Waugh, Glenn McGrath and Adam Gilchrist have been engaged by the coach Darren Lehmann to speak to the players, but none have been able to commit to anything more substantial than that.

Leicestershire have secured the signing of Lancashire batsman Paul Horton on a three-year contract

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Sep-2015Leicestershire have secured the signing of Lancashire batsman Paul Horton on a three-year contract.It is the second time this week that the club has signed a batsman with proven First Division quality and captaincy experience following the signing of Neil Dexter from Middlesex on Monday.Along with Wayne White, who has returned to the club, the trio have all signed three-year contracts as Leicestershire look to address a likely, if not yet definite, fate of finishing bottom of Division Two for the third successive season.Opener Horton, 32, whose spell as captain included leading Lancashire to the NatWest T20 Blast final in 2014, has amassed 9,522 first-class runs at an average of 37.63. He has registered 51 half-centuries and 21 first-class hundreds with a career best score of 209.Leicestershire chief executive Wasim Khan said: “It is terrific that we have secured the signing of two experienced batsmen with leadership experience in county cricket in Paul Horton and Neil Dexter.”Like Neil, Paul has an excellent track record in all three formats of the game and will be another great role model for our younger professionals to learn from. We are delighted to have both players on board for the next three seasons.”

A round-up of all the Ranji Trophy Group A matches on October 23, 2015

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Oct-2015
ScorecardFile photo: Haryana’s seamers played a containing role, allowing the spinners to trigger Karnataka’s collapse in Mysore

Haryana took control of their fixture against Karnataka in Mysore after the defending champions were bowled out for 221 to concede a 110-run lead. Rahul Dewan and Nitin Saini then saw off nine overs late in the day as Haryana ended the day at 27 without loss, ahead by 137, to take pole position, one from where they can entertain thoughts of forcing their first outright win of the season.KL Rahul top-scored with 63 to steady Karnataka after the early loss of Robin Uthappa, but his run-out soon after lunch triggered a slide. Jayant Yadav, who struck his second first-class century on Thursday, broke Karnataka’s back in the middle. He had the vital strikes of the well-set R Samarth (30) and Karun Nair (28), before part-time offspinner Rahul Dagar ran through the tail by picking up three wickets in an over as Karnataka’s innings came to a grinding halt in 75.4 overs.CM Gautam, the vice-captain, tried to resurrect the innings but regular loss of wickets at the other end prevented Karnataka’s late quest towards parity. Vinay Kumar, the captain, resisted for 65 deliveries and made 34 during the course of a 67-run stand for the seventh wicket, the highest of Karnataka’s innings. Earlier in the day, HS Sharath, who picked up a hat-trick on Thursday, picked up his first five-wicket haul of the season, finish with figures of 5 for 48.
ScorecardA lower-order collapse undid all the good work done by Sudip Chatterjee (116) and Wriddhiman Saha (72) as Bengal collapsed from 286 for 4 to 357 all out at Feroz Shah Kotla. Delhi then overcame a top-order wobble before Nitish Rana (30*) and Milind Kumar (20*) repaired the early damage, with the unbroken third-wicket stand of 54 taking them to 100 for 3 at stumps.Bengal looked set for a bigger score than they eventually finished with as they lost both set batsmen – Chatterjee (116) and Saha (72) – in the first half hour to hand Delhi the advantage. But Ashok Dinda dismissed Gautam Gambhir early to give Bengal an opening. Pragyan Ojha then got into the act to dismiss the in-form Unmukt Chand. Before long, Delhi were in trouble at 56 for 3, and in dire need of a partnership, which Rana and Milind came up with.
ScorecardAnother lackluster batting performance from Vidarbha resulted in them conceding a 52-run lead to current table toppers Assam in Nagpur. As many as 12 wickets fell in the day, with spin accounting for 10 of them. Swarupam Purkayastha, the highest wicket-taker last season among the slow bowlers, led Assam’s dominance with four scalps.Vidarbha briefly challenged Assam when Wasim Jaffer (40) and Ganesh Satish (67) kept the bowlers at bay, but a lower-order implosion resulted in Vidarbha losing their last six wickets for 53 runs. Assam then lost the openers in their second dig to end the day at 36 for 2, the overall lead standing at 88 with two full days to play.Rajasthan v Maharashtra – Maharashtra’s slide tightens contest for first-innings points

Chris Cairns has been compared to disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong for bringing shame on the cricket world

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Nov-2015Chris Cairns has been compared to disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong for bringing shame on the cricket world. Summing up the prosecution case against Cairns at Southwark Crown Court, Sasha Wass, QC, said that the evidence he was involved in match-fixing was “overwhelming”.Cairns has been on trial for the past five weeks, during which time a number of former team-mates have come forward to give evidence against him. He denies two counts of perjury and perverting the course of justice relating to his 2012 libel case against Lalit Modi.Wass said the testimony of nine witnesses should be considered the “building bricks creating a wall of evidence” against Cairns. She warned the jury that attempts would be made by the defence to undermine the claims of Lou Vincent and Brendon McCullum, among others.Vincent has accused Cairns of ordering him to fix matches at the Indian Cricket League (ICL), while McCullum told of approaches made by his childhood “idol”. Vincent’s ex-wife Ellie Riley also testified against Cairns, saying he was confident he would not be caught because “everyone was doing it in India”.Wass said Cairns had not provided a “single, credible reason” to question their motives. Vincent’s confession to Riley about his involvement in fixing in 2008 undermined the idea that the story of Cairns’ involvement had been concocted “late in the day”, she said.”It’s unlikely he would have cooked up this plan to stitch up Chris Cairns in 2008 and spent five years working out how to bring his downfall,” Wass said of Vincent.She added: “Why Ellie Riley would lie? She has no great love for her ex husband.”Wass also referred to evidence given by McCullum, as well as Cairns’ former New Zealand team-mates Daniel Vettori, Kyle Mills and Chris Harris, and Australia batsman Ricky Ponting, suggesting none of them had reason to lie. McCullum interrupted his preparation for a Test match against Australia to appear in court in London.”The defence say Mr McCullum is lying,” she said. “But not a single reason has been put forward why a man, at the height of his career, would come to the Southwark Crown Court to falsely incriminate a man he held in such high regard.”She rejected the idea that the ICC wanted Cairns as a “scalp” in the fight against match-fixing, comparing the case to that involving Armstrong and saying his actions had tarnished the sport.”Why would anyone, let alone the governing body of cricket, want the scalp of an innocent man,” she asked. “The last thing [the ICC] would want to do is bring accusations against an innocent man who has captained his country, represented New Zealand for 17 years.”On the other hand, the ICC would want to bring a cheat who corrupted others to justice.”The jury heard that Cairns had shown “arrogance beyond belief” in taking Modi to court. Wass said that he and Andrew Fitch-Holland, who denies perverting the course of justice, “should be ashamed of themselves” and that both were “guilty of the charges laid”.She added that the amount of indirect evidence against Cairns was “unanswerable”.”He has made a mockery of the game of cricket, the fans, the game,” she said. “We know not only that he cheated, he encouraged others to cheat.”We say the evidence against Chris Cairns in respect of match-fixing is overwhelming.”Cairns’ defence barrister, Orlando Pownall, QC, is expected to present his closing arguments on Monday. The trial continues.

Professional cricketers in England will have to wear mandatory helmets next season while batting or fielding close to the wicket

David Hopps26-Nov-2015Professional cricketers in England will have to wear mandatory helmets next season while batting or fielding close to the wicket.The ECB Board endorsed changes, first reported on ESPNcricinfo, on Wednesday to regulations governing the use of helmets across the professional game, bringing to a formal end the fast-disappearing era of the cap and floppy hat and the cry from the likes of Brian Close, fielding at short leg, to catch the rebounds.Any player who does not wear what the ECB calls “compliant protective headgear” will not be permitted to play.The insistence upon helmets follows several deeply troubling, high-profile incidents that have brought home the danger of the sport, including the tragic death of Australia’s Phillip Hughes after he was struck in a match in his own country and Australia and the blow suffered by Craig Kieswetter, the former England wicketkeeper, which ended his career.The ECB’s chief medical officer Dr Nick Peirce also sought to put things in perspective, however, saying: “We can see from our injury surveillance that cricket is not a dangerous sport in comparison to many other leisure activities.”The key changes in the professional game in England and Wales will apply to batsmen facing all types of bowling, wicketkeepers standing up to the wicket and fielders standing closer than eight yards from the batsman’s middle stump – except behind the wicket on the off side.The ECB is also recommending that all recreational cricketers wear helmets which meet the latest British safety standard from next season, although it has retreated from trying to make this compulsory.Instead, as the outgoing chief executive of the PCA Angus Porter said, the hope is that professional cricketers will lead by example. The use of protective headgear, however, is already mandatory for all Under-18s within the recreational game. The growing cost of recreational cricket, however, is bound to lead to some resistance.The changes – new regulations will be confirmed in the New Year – follow a joint review of existing safety guidance by the ECB and the Professional Cricketers’ Association and are designed to reduce the risk of head and facial injuries within the game. Key measures which ECB has recently taken in this area include:

• Forming an ECB Cricket Safety Working Group which reviews risks to safety and the well-being of players and spectators.
• Re-defining the role of the ECB Chief Medical Officer to enable greater emphasis to be placed on injury surveillance and research into the safety of the game.
• Setting up an Emergency Care Working Group to improve training and provision of emergency care standards at first-class, 2nd XI and training venues.
• Introducing new concussion guidelines via the ECB’s Sports Science and Medicine department. The department is also working with Birmingham University to conduct further research into concussion in cricket.
• Collaborating with the Loughborough Institute of Sport Technology, through sponsorship of a PHD researching helmet design, head injuries and safety in relation to cricket.

Peirce’s comments that cricket was not a high-risk sport were tempered by the reality, as the ECB and PCA see it, that action needed to be taken.”We can see from our injury surveillance that cricket is not a dangerous sport in comparison to many other leisure activities. However, as we have seen in recent times, the cricket ball can cause significant injury and it is extremely important that players take the appropriate precautions when batting, keeping wicket or fielding close to the stumps.”The latest cricket helmets have made significant strides in providing protection against potentially catastrophic injury and we would strongly advise all players to make sure their helmet conforms to the latest British Safety Standard.Today’s decision is a major step forward and will help make first-class cricket safer as well as sending a strong message to the recreational game about the importance of helmet safety.”Porter said: “We welcome today’s decision on helmet use. It provides an excellent opportunity for professional cricketers to lead by example and drive greater awareness of the importance of player safety across the whole game.”The rule covers matches for all England teams and programmes, county first, second and academy XIs and Women’s Super League and all matches played by the first-class counties. It has yet to be confirmed whether it will extend to the Minor Counties.Helmet regulations for England’s disability cricketers will be reviewed shortly.Under current rules for Under-18s, batsmen and wicket-keepers standing up to the stumps must wear a head protector. This rule will continue to apply, but it is now strongly recommended that all Under-18s who are in the ECB’s county age-group programmes and above should follow the new regulations. Again, for reasons that remain unclear, this has not been made mandatory.As of November 2015, there are more than 20 helmets from seven different manufacturers that meet the new standard. The full list of helmets meeting this standard is available here

The Ranji Trophy quarter-final between Jharkhand and Mumbai is likely to be shifted out of Bangalore, in keeping with the BCCI’s attempt to ensure none of the World T20 venues are “fatigued” ahead of the tournament

Arun Venugopal30-Dec-2015The Ranji Trophy quarter-final match between Jharkhand and Mumbai is likely to be shifted out of the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore in keeping with the BCCI’s attempts to ensure none of the World T20 venues are “fatigued” ahead of the tournament.While none of the other six World T20 venues has been allotted a Ranji Trophy knockout game, the KSCA has requested the BCCI to move the quarter-final out of Bangalore. KSCA secretary Brijesh Patel said it was done with a view to give the curators enough time to prepare the pitch ahead of the World T20.”We are going to give rest to our wickets,” Patel told ESPNcricinfo. “There is also the junior team which wants to have a camp here. We don’t have enough time to prepare the wickets for the World Cup, so we have requested the board. We are waiting for the board to respond.”While the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore is slated to host three Super 10 matches, none of the other venues for the Ranji knockouts – Visakhapatnam, Valsad, Mumbai (Brabourne Stadium), Vadodara, Cuttack and Pune – has been allotted any World T20 games. The Chinnaswamy Stadium had also played host to ten matches in the Vijay Hazare domestic 50-over competition recently, including two quarter-finals, a semi-final and the final.A BCCI source said the board was keen to make sure the pitches didn’t suffer from the after-effects of a long cricketing season. “The World T20 begins after a whole season of cricket,” the source said. “The idea is to rest the pitches and let them recover from fatigue so that they are ready for Twenty20 cricket. The BCCI is very keen to make sure the pitches are fresh and ready when the World T20 begins. That is why centres that are not hosting the World T20 have been given the Ranji knockouts, like Pune for example.”On the nature of pitches for the World T20, the source said the BCCI was intent on preparing pitches that were “conducive for T20 cricket.” “It should allow for runs to be scored with good bounce and carry,” the source said. “That is the specific instruction from the BCCI.” It is understood that there have been elaborate discussions on the pitches and overall ground conditions, and preparations are expected to go on for the next two months.Patel, while indicating that the match between Jharkhand and Mumbai would be televised, said the KSCA hadn’t offered any suggestions of an alternative venue. The BCCI source, however said, Mysore was the likely replacement. Alur, another venue in Karnataka, hosted a number of matches in the Vijay Hazare domestic 50-over competition recently, but Mysore is considered better equipped to handle the logistical challenges involved in broadcasting a game.

Marcus Trescothick has promised his “unconditional support” to his replacements having stepped down as captain of Somerset

George Dobell21-Jan-2016Marcus Trescothick has promised his “unconditional support” to his replacements having stepped down as captain of Somerset.Trescothick, now aged 40, was appointed captain in 2010 but, despite leading the side through some of the most enjoyable, competitive years in their history, the trophies remained elusive.Chris Rogers, recently signed as Somerset’s overseas player, will captain the side in the Championship, while Jim Allenby, Australian-born but England-qualified, will captain the side in the limited-overs formats. Trescothick, whose decision was described as “mutually agreed with the club”, will continue to play.Trescothick’s spell as captain will be remembered for its near misses; 2010 was especially painful as Somerset, who have never won the County Championship, finished runner-up in all three trophies. Despite finishing level on points with Nottinghamshire in the Championship, Somerset missed out by virtue of fewer victories. They also missed a final-ball run-out that would have won them the T20 final.They were runners-up in the T20 and 40-over competitions again in 2011 and in the Championship in 2012.But at a club where success has – rightly or wrongly – often been defined a little more in terms of enjoyment than silverware, Trescothick’s period in charge may be remembered as a golden age. And it is true that sell-out crowds – even Championship cricket still attracts decent audience numbers in Taunton – exciting cricket and the emergence of some fine homegrown players may be interpreted as more important than trophies.Not by everyone, though. The decision to appoint two Australian-born cricketers – and it is noticeable that James Hildreth, who might be seen as an archetypal Somerset cricketer, has been overlooked – speaks of a desire to inject a ruthlessness into the side that it has rarely displayed.The management wants regular international cricket at a ground whose charm was once exemplified by its dog track and scrumpy. The replacement of the old pavilion, charming but beyond its time, with a fine, new stand might be a metaphor for the club’s current state. Progress often brings casualties.”I have loved being captain of Somerset,” Trescothick said. “It has been a tremendous privilege and honour to lead this great club over many years.”But now is the right time for change. I will be giving Chris and Jim my unconditional support, as well as focusing on scoring as many runs as I can in the season ahead. I would like to thank all of the players, coaches and members for their support during my tenure.”Matt Maynard, the club’s director of cricket, said: “Marcus has made an unbelievable contribution to the club as its captain over many years. I know I will be joined by all of our members in thanking him for his unfailing commitment and dedication to leading the side.”Marcus will now have an opportunity to focus all of his energies on his batting and we hope that stepping down from the captaincy will extend his playing career in the seasons to come.”

Dolphins allrounder Robbie Frylinck’s suspension has been lifted, after the franchise confirmed that the player was available for immediate selection

Firdose Moonda04-Feb-2016Dolphins allrounder Robbie Frylinck’s suspension has been lifted, after the franchise confirmed that the player was available for immediate selection. Dolphins, however, did not elaborate on the outcome of the disciplinary hearing Frylinck faced on Thursday, nor the sanction meted out.Frylinck had been suspended by the franchise last week and sat out of Dolphins’ one-day cup matches against Cobras and Knights, though he could return for the clash against Lions on Friday.”This is an exciting week for the team after our strong win in Kimberley and we can now focus our energies on the three big matches in the one-day cup,” Dolphins CEO Pete de Wet said. “We now consider this matter dealt with and will not be making any more comments in this regard.”On Sunday, Dolphins had revealed that Frylinck had been suspended for an alleged assault on a fellow player, which took place on January 24 on the Kwa-Zulu Natal team bus. The Afrikaans newspaper revealed Frylinck had punched team-mate Ayavuya Myoli, an assertion the Dolphins did not deny, although they would also not confirm any names. The Dolphins said a settlement had been reached with all parties.

Liam Dawson, the Hampshire slow left-armer, could make his international debut against Afghanistan on Wednesday

Andrew Miller22-Mar-2016Liam Dawson, the Hampshire slow left-armer, could make his international debut against Afghanistan on Wednesday after Eoin Morgan admitted England were considering the option of three spinners in a vital Group 1 clash in DelhiEngland would take a significant stride towards the World T20 semi-finals if they avoid an upset on Wednesday. Their frontline spin pairing, Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid, have demonstrated their value in the tournament so far, and Morgan said that any decision over the make-up of the team would be deferred until the management had had a good final look at the wicket.”I expected a dryer pitch,” Morgan admitted. “There’s still a lot of grass on it but I don’t know what it’s going to do. We’ll have to leave it as late as possible to select the side, and see what conditions are going to be like. If it’s another hot day like today, [the groundsman] might leave grass on it rather than take it off.”Since we’ve arrive here we’ve had one net session in the nets and they have turned a considerable amount, but I don’t think it will turn as much. We can be as open minded as we can, we can talk about it and we can use other players and our backroom staff as a sounding board.”

A pump-action shotgun

Eoin Morgan likened Afghanistan’s threat to that of a “pump-action shotgun” as he braced his side for a severe test of their mettle against an Associate team, like Ireland in Morgan’s own early days of international cricket, that would not be afraid to lose.
“[Victory] will be their ultimate objective,” he said. “It’s a bit like a pump-action shotgun. You can keep loading as long as you like. If you keep missing, it’s fine. But the opportunity along the way will come. And if you have your day, you might win a game. That’s certainly the attitude when I was a part of Ireland
England lost their last World T20 outing against an Associate team, against Netherlands at Chittagong in 2014. But Morgan insisted that the circumstances could not be different two years on.
“We were already out of the tournament,” he said. “We probably came into the game with a completely wrong mindset. We were flying directly after the game, had already packed our bags to leave. In my mind I was already at home sitting on the couch.”

If Dawson did play, it would be quite a turnaround for a player who spent part of last season loaned by Hampshire to Essex to rediscover his form. He achieved that so markedly that he won a call up to the England Lions in the UAE where he impressed the coach, Andy Flower, not just for his spin bowling but his ability to hit a long ball.Dawson was nevertheless a surprise selection for England’s 15-man squad, after beating Stephen Parry to the third spinner’s role on account of his greater allround versatility. Morgan expressed absolute faith in his ability to front up on an important occasion, and stressed that Joe Root, who bowled briefly in the victory over South Africa, was not being considered as a front-line option.”Rooty can be a viable option for a third spinner, but Liam Dawson adds a lot more with the ball than Joe would, and he would come into consideration if the grass comes off the pitch,” Morgan said.”Is he ready? Yeah, absolutely. He’s trained really hard since he’s come into the side and has been great around the group. He’s really upbeat and, like everybody, he’s really keen to get involved.”England’s recent record against Associate nations at the World T20 leaves plenty to be desired, with defeats to the Netherlands in 2009 and 2014 staining their overall record. But Morgan said that England would be going into the Afghanistan game with their eyes wide open, and with their thoughts trained solely on victory.”They’re a dangerous side,” he said. “They have played a really exciting brand of cricket. Ten years ago we might not have known much about them, but now that is the nature of modern sport. We know a lot about them and that is quite comforting – the fact that there’s no stone that’s left unturned.”We watched the early stages of the tournament and they played some really good cricket. We watched both games, against Sri Lanka and South Africa in different circumstances, and it’s been nice for us to see what they’re about as a side.”Afghanistan’s reputation for maverick tendencies is best expressed in the wild batting of Mohammad Shahzad, whose 44 from 19 balls was the highlight of their run-chase against South Africa. But Morgan said that they would be wary of all of their opponents, and not merely the man at the top of the order who has captured the recent headlines.”I think he is a good batsman but I think it would be rude of me to single out any one of their players,” he said. “I think as a side they can be quite strong and destructive.”If we target one player in particular, it can give an opportunity to another player to come out and have their own day, so it is important we treat each player as we do Shahzad.”I wouldn’t say it is nervy to have a bit of unpredictability there, but I would say in any T20 game up against any team then unpredictability can be a strong point. We have lacked consistency as a T20 side in recent times and there is an element of that to our game.”With Sri Lanka looming as England’s final contest of a potentially tight group, the prospect of net run rate could yet come into play as a deciding factor in which team goes through to the knock-outs. But Morgan dismissed any such thoughts from his mind, insisting that victory was England’s sole focus, no matter how fast or slow their route.”Our priority is on winning. Tomorrow is a big game and we are certainly not taking Afghanistan for granted, so first and foremost we need to go into that game with the right mindset,” he said.”I think focusing on anything else at the moment, given that there is two group games left, would be a little bit naïve, actually stupid, so tomorrow is very important and getting a win under our belt is key.”