Graeme Smith, the South African captain, heaped praise on his bowlers for decimating Pakistan and setting up a ten-wicket win at Cape Town. “It’s one of the best bowling performances I’ve seen from this team,” he told reporters. “The bowling unit took a bit of flak after Durban [where Pakistan scored 351 for 4 to win by 141 runs] but they’ve been superb for the past few years and today they were fantastic.”Put into bat, Pakistan were bundled out for 107 in the 46th over before Smith and AB de Villiers knocked off the target in just 14 overs. “Every bowler hit fantastic lengths,” added Smith. “I don’t think the wicket did that much after eight overs, but the pressure we built on them and the way we fielded was an incredible effort.”Shaun Pollock, who bowled brilliantly for his 2 for 13 off ten overs, said a responsive pitch helped South Africa, and singled out a classy fielding unit. “It definitely did a bit for us this morning, but once the heavy roller came on it flattened things out. Every bowler kept the pressure on and gave them nothing for free, and the fielders were also superb.”Inzamam-ul-Haq, Pakistan’s captain, said he hoped his team would prove more competitive in the final match on Wednesday: “Credit goes to the South African bowlers, but we definitely played poor cricket. I would have said 230 or 240 would have been a good total on this track, then we could have put some pressure on the South Africans.But we’re confident that we can play hard cricket in Johannesburg to level the series.”South Africa have an unassailable 2-1 lead in the series ahead of the final match.
The ICC has named Javagal Srinath, the former Indian fast bowler, in a five-member Bowling Review Group (BRG) that will assess the appeal against the one-year ban on Shabbir Ahmed, the Pakistan seamer. The hearing will take place in Dubai on January 21.According to an ICC Media release, the group will be headed by Sir Oliver Popplewell and will also include Roshan Mahanama, an ICC match referee, Dick French, a former international umpire and Dr Marc Portus, human resource expert, besides Srinath. Saleem Altaf, PCB director, and Prof Bruce Elliott will also attend the BRG meeting. Altaf will represent Shabbir while Elliott will make a presentation on his independent assessment of the bowler.Shabbir is the first player to be banned from bowling in international cricket for 12 months after being reported for the second time in two days during the first Test against England at Multan last year.The decision of the BRG will be communicated to Shabbir through the PCB within 48 hours of the hearing being adjourned. The decision of the BRG will be final and binding. The BRG will consider video evidence from the Multan match, the match officials’ report from the Test and an independent assessment of the player’s action.
Graeme Smith was a frustrated South African captain, as he watched his prospects of a series-levelling victory slip every further down the drainage ditch on the third day at Centurion. Though South Africa extracted the crucial wicket of Andrew Strauss with minutes of the day’s play remaining, they have just six more sessions in which to force a result, and there is the prospect of more bad weather to come."It’s a bit like the end of the world out there," said Smith, as a torrential downpour battered at the windows during his end-of-day press conference. "That’s the biggest storm I’ve seen in these parts for a while. As a team, we are prepared to do a lot of things to win, but taking on lightning is not one of them."Though he accepted that his chances of victory were "diminishing", Smith maintained an upbeat front. "All this stop-starting is frustrating because we’ve got England under pressure," he said. "But we’re still positive. We’ve got to be. If we bowl well again tomorrow, then we will go for it. We’re not giving up."At the fifth time of asking, South Africa have produced their most aggressive bowling performance of the series, and Smith put a lot of that down to Andre Nel, whose late scalp of Strauss tilted the day’s balance back in South Africa’s favour. "The guys were hungry today and knew what they had to do," said Smith. "With the five bowlers, we’ve been able to attack for longer, and there’s a bit of turn in the wicket as well, so we’ve got options tomorrow."For Nel, it was a successful return to international cricket after a lengthy injury lay-off, and Smith said that his eagerness to get back in the thick of things was plain to see. "I try not to spend too much time around Nella when we’re in the dressing-room," he joked. "You can see his feet twitching when it gets close to his time to bowl. But it’s nice to have good back-up for Polly and Makhaya, and he’s come back well from his injury. When he’s 120 percent fit, I’d like to see him bowl nice and quick."We’ve had a few disappointments in this series," admitted Smith, who blamed South Africa’s capitulation on the final day at The Wanderers, rather than their misfortune with the weather here, as the turning point of the series. "We could have come here even-stevens and ready to win here," he said. "Instead, there was that crucial three-and-a-half hours on the final day. We could have won the series elsewhere, but if we don’t get back on the field tomorrow, we’ll know where we lost the series."
New Zealand Cricket’s selection deckchairs have been rearranged to give new coach John Bracewell the final say, while previous chairman Sir Richard Hadlee becomes selection manager.A new structure, to complement the changes in the coaching and management of the side, has been put in place. But the only real change in the selection is the transfer of final say. Hadlee is happy with the change and said it had only taken him a weekend to think over whether he wanted to be involved when the situation was put to him.New Zealand Cricket’s chief executive Martin Snedden, a former team-mate of Hadlee’s, said: “Ultimately, the structure being introduced is consistent with the structure that has been introduced for the team’s management. Under that system, the coach is responsible and accountable for all cricket-related functions with the TelstraClear Black Caps unit. It therefore follows that the coach should have the authority to ultimately determine which players are selected.”Two more selectors will be announced by August 8. Snedden said incumbent selectors Ross Dykes, also a former convener, and Brian McKechnie were interested in being part of the new panel.Until Bracewell is in his position from December 1, acting New Zealand coach Ashley Ross will be part of the selection panel along with Hadlee, and the two appointees who will choose the side to tour India and Pakistan from September to November. From December, the panel will then be contracted through until May 2005.Hadlee said today, however, that Bracewell will be consulted over the team to tour India and Pakistan, and he planned to talk with him this evening. Snedden said that in many ways the selection system will carry on as it has but under the structure now in place, if the coach was adamant he wanted something then he would have the ultimate responsibility in selection.It involved better processes and it would work because of the quality of people who would be involved, Snedden added.Hadlee said he was excited by the change. He understood the need for a new structure, was aware there was going to be one and was asked to have some input into it. Hadlee said that as chairman he tried to get unanimous decisions in selection, and if he couldn’t then he tried for consensus. In the three years as chairman he had only once employed his casting vote.He said that every decision during the World Cup in South Africa had been unanimous. Hadlee said in his view the coach had to be a member of the selection panel while he said the input of the captain was important, and the relationship between Stephen Fleming and the selectors had grown enormously over the last few years.Snedden said he was delighted that Hadlee was prepared to stay on, and that while new processes were being introduced he had always wanted his experience to be retained.
India seem to be hurtling towards yet another defeat at St. George’sPark in Port Elizabeth. A pathetic batting display in our firstinnings has meant that we will require a herculean effort from ourbatsmen in the final innings to save this Test. But knowing the team,I doubt if that will happen.The game slipped from India’s hands on the second day. With SouthAfrica 237 for five, we needed to clean up the South African inningsas early as possible. And it was not that we didn’t have our chance.After Srinath dismissed Shaun Pollock, Harbhajan foxed Mark Boucherinto hitting a ball up in the air. It was a dolly but Rahul Dravid infirst slip made a hash of the chance. Boucher went on to make 68 andguided South Africa to 362, a very good total considering the pitch.
Before I move on, a few words about Herschelle Gibbs’ innings. Afteran explosive start, the young South African opener put his head downand played very responsibly. Gibbs’ knock showed that he, a dasher byinstinct both on and off the field, has finally put his callow daysbehind him. His precious 196 which though was not without its luckymoments, also marks him out as one of the potentially great players.The Indians did not help their cause by starting off on the wrongfoot. On a seamer-friendly track they decided to go in with just twoquicks. I simply could not comprehend the rationale behind leaving outVenkatesh Prasad in conditions that would have been very favourable tohim.
As I said in my previous column, Prasad knows all about bowling onSouth African pitches. He is, to quote the record, the only Indianbowler to claim ten wickets in a Test against the Proteas, a feat heachieved during the last tour. It cannot also be his current form thatis keeping him away from the side as he was our most successful bowlerin the previous Test series against Sri Lanka. Add to all this thefact that Prasad and Srinath have always done well when they havebowled in tandem. Why in heaven’s name then was Prasad left out?Srinath, for his part, bowled brilliantly maintaining an almostimpeccable line and length. I must confess that it was probably thefinest display of controlled bowling that I have seen from him. But helacked support from the other end. It is here that Prasad’s presencewould have made a crucial difference. I have but the highest regardfor Anil Kumble. This was though one Test where, I felt, he shouldhave been asked to make way for his statemate because of the pitch andthe overhead conditions.As for the Indian batting, the less said the better. With theexception of VVS Laxman, none of the others applied themselves. Therash strokes that many of them played left me squirming in my seat.Their lack of application becomes all the more glaring on consideringthe nature of the pitch and the class of the opposing bowling attack.All the Indians had to do was to negotiate Pollock successfully andthere were runs for the taking. But three top-order batsmen, includingSachin Tendulkar, succumbed to the masterful bowler in his openingspell and that meant India were fighting to save their collective hidefrom thereon.
Pollock, to reiterate, was outstanding. He kept the ball in the`corridor of uncertainty’ and reaped handsome rewards. The SouthAfrican captain, who has claimed fifteen wickets in this series untilnow, has almost single-handedly bowled his side to a series victoryand that underlines his greatness as a bowler.The gritty stand between Laxman and Kumble, meanwhile, showed the toporder up for their lack of effort. Laxman, who came down the order inthis match, at last converted a promising start into a significantinnings. It saved India the blushes and ensured that South Africa willhave to set a target for the Indians in the final innings.Now is the time for the Indians to show spunk. Only a fighting sidecan conjure a miracle and, if you were to ask me, barring a miracle,or rain, we are doomed.
Aston Villa have been one of the busier Premier League clubs over the past few years in terms of being active in the transfer market and securing deals for players to come in and help push the team forward.
The previous summer transfer window was a particularly hectic one for the Villans as they sold Jack Grealish to Manchester City for a recording-breaking fee of £100m and spent a significant amount of money on bringing three new attacking players to Villa Park.
With the next transfer window on the horizon at the end of the season, it seems as though a clue has emerged on the future of one of Villa’s precious summer recruits.
What’s the talk?
Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist and transfer insider Dean Jones had this to say about the upcoming summer transfer window and what it could look like for Emi Buendia, in particular.
He said: “Buendia, to be honest, seems reasonably safe. I know that [Steven] Gerrard really rates him, so I don’t think he would look to get rid of him.”
Fans delighted
Since arriving at the Midlands side in a club-record deal from Norwich City, the Argentine has started 18 of the 23 Premier League games he’s appeared in, scoring two goals and providing three assists along the way.
While some may have hoped for more goals and assists from the 25-year-old considering how often he’s played, he has still proven himself to be a very useful player for Villa.
He has had the joint-second highest number of shots on target (10), more live-ball passes (43) that have led to a shot at goal than any of his teammates as well as more tackles (42) than the likes of Tyrone Mings and Ezri Konsa among many others.
His overall performances have earned him a rating of 6.8 from WhoScored, making him the fifth-highest rated player in Gerrard’s squad that has been there since the beginning of the season.
Taking all of this into account, the Villa fans will surely be delighted to hear that Jones doesn’t think the attacker is or will be in danger of getting sold in the summer.
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Also, with the club breaking their transfer record for him, it seems unlikely that they would want to get rid of him after just one year with the team.
If the former Norwich star can keep delivering solid performances for his new club and add some more goals and assists to his tally, this would definitely put to bed any doubts there may be about his future at Villa Park.
In other news: Lange can replicate Coutinho masterclass as AVFC eye bid for “beautiful” £180k-p/w ace – opinion
Ricky Ponting has dismissed the fracas surrounding Shaun Tait’s action as “absolute rubbish” and called New Zealand’s insinuations “a bit disappointing”. But he admitted the situation motivated Australia to victory in the Chappell-Hadlee Series opener in Adelaide on Friday.”It seems to be their opinion,” Ponting said. “To air it publicly is a bit disappointing I suppose, but what can you do? It probably just makes us a bit hungrier to go out there and play some good cricket against them.”He said he can’t see anything wrong in Tait’s action, which hasn’t been questioned before, and wasn’t reported to the match referee after the Twenty20 match on Tuesday. “He’s got my full support, it all looks pretty good to me,” Ponting said. “I think everyone handled it well and Shaun especially. When things like that come up that are absolute rubbish you dismiss them.”Ponting himself contributed a chanceless century in the seven-wicket win on Friday, while Tait took three wickets, including a crucial double-strike which punctured New Zealand’s momentum and left them 30 runs short of a par score.Daniel Vettori clarified his position after saying on Thursday, “You ask Braces [coach John Bracewell]” that one”, when asked if he had an issue with Tait’s action. “I never meant to insinuate that he was a chucker,” Vettori said after the match. “There is a process in place if you feel a bowler has an illegal action and obviously we haven’t gone through that process.”Although New Zealand came up short on a flat track, Brendon McCullum’s 96 to push them past 250 gave them a psychological boost. “It certainly helps,” Vettori said. “We were obviously coming in off question marks about whether we could play pace or not. I’d like to think we answered that.”There are few question marks surrounding Australia’s continued dominance and they are now one step closer to regaining the trophy from New Zealand’s clutches. The visitors have to win on Sunday in Sydney to stay in the series.
ScorecardSri Lankan discards Upul Chandana and Russell Arnold steered NCC to the Premier limited-over title with a six-wicket win in the final against Moors SC at the Sinhalese Sports Club. Chandana, the NCC captain, took 5 for 34 with his legspin and Arnold used his experience to guide them to victory from a difficult position at 34 for 3 by scoring an undefeated 67 off 91 balls with seven fours and a six.However NCC’s matchwinner was 21-year-old allrounder Tharaka Kottehewa who won the Man-of-the-Match award. He scalped four of the top five Moors batsmen for 48 runs with his right-arm medium pace and then partnered Arnold in an unbroken 90-run stand off 113 balls. Kottehewa scored 35 off 54 balls with three fours.After being asked to bat, Moors never recovered from losing their first three wickets in three balls for no runs after an opening stand of 40. Their batting failed to gain any momentum and they were all out for 167 in the 42nd over. Hemantha Boteju was the top scorer with 43 off 52 balls.The NCC top order wobbled against Moors’ three-pronged pace attack before Arnold and Kottehewa saw them through.
Andrew Flintoff has raised the prospect that he might miss the third Test in India next March to attend the birth of his second child.Flintoff’s wife Rachel is due to give birth on 20 March, which is during the Mumbai Test. He told the Mail on Sunday: “I’ll have to speak to them [the England management] before any announcements or decisions are made.”Andrew Strauss missed the third Test in Pakistan last month when he flew home for the birth of his first child.”The England management are very supportive in players making individual choices as regards that sort of thing,” Strauss told the BBC. “Freddie will probably be making up his mind in the next couple of months or so.”
Inzamam-ul-Haq, Pakistan’s captain, confident in the faith the selectors have shown in him by confirming his position for the the next three series, is upbeat about his young side’s chances on the forthcoming tour to Australia. Speaking to Wisden Cricinfo, Inzamam said, “These are Pakistan’s best players and I feel it is a balanced team. Conditions in Australia are difficult but the way they have performed in the last few months, I am confident that they can perform very well there. I am going there to win, there is no compromise on that.”The composition of the squad has been questioned in some quarters for containing only two specialist openers and the omission of Taufeeq Umar. But both Wasim Bari, the chief selector, and Inzamam defended the decision, arguing that Yasir Hameed, till now the future of Pakistan at one-down, is now to be considered an opener as well. Bari told us: “Hameed can go one-down and as an opener and we are considering him seriously as an opener – if Andrew Hall can work as an opener then why not Hameed? Yasir has opened in ODIs before and we are confident he can do it.”The selection of Kamran Akmal as the sole wicketkeeper, ahead of the discarded Moin Khan and Rashid Latif, may well signal the end of an era for Pakistan behind the stumps. “We want to give Akmal responsibility, we want him to develop now because potentially he is very good and if you give someone like him responsibility he will develop faster,” said Bari.Inzamam played down fears of not having any back-up: “I don’t want to put pressure on Akmal by taking an extra keeper, in case he fails. I want to give him a free hand for this tour.”The selectors, said Bari, were impressed in particular with the newcomers Mohammad Khalil and Mohammad Asif. “Khalil, in particular, is a very fit young man, and he impressed in the trials. He gives us variety as a left-armer, and with Asif, who is tall and gets good bounce, we have adequate back-up. But we will miss Shabbir Ahmed and Umar Gul.”The recall of the experienced Shahid Afridi for the Test squad, after a considerable period, also came under scrutiny, with some former cricketers questioning the need for a third allrounder, and one unproven at Test level. “He has developed well recently, especially his bowling,” asserted Bari. “I feel he can be called upon to do a job as a utility member for the Tests – he gives an extra option to the captain.”But, as selector and captain pointed out, it will be the younger players who will need to perform and establish themselves on this tour. “Australia are the strongest team in the world – it will be a tough series and they need to fight it out,” said Bari. “It’s time for players like Farhat and Hameed to step up to the next level.”