Harbhajan Singh says his team was well-prepared for the series, but not for the damp pitch where the toss was vital, where the ball seamed and nipped around, and where a few stopped on the batsmen

Sidharth Monga at SuperSport Park16-Dec-2010Harbhajan Singh says his team was well-prepared for the series, but not for the damp pitch where the toss was vital, where the ball seamed and nipped around, while some stopped on the batsmen. He did not think a warm-up game would have made any difference because it wouldn’t have prepared them for what they received at the SuperSport Park where they lost nine wickets on a day in which four-and-a-half hours were lost to rain. He also believed his side could get South Africa out cheaply, and make up for their batting failure in the second innings. It was that kind of a day.To be fair to Harbahjan, he never suggested it was a designer pitch, and also gave credit where it was due. “We were quite prepared to play on a good track, but unfortunately with the rain and stuff it was quite a damp wicket,” he said. “The toss was very crucial to this match. We lost the toss. They bowled well in the given conditions, and they got the rewards. If we had won the toss, I think we would have done the same thing. We would have bowled first, then who knows what would have happened.”The bad news for India is that Harbhajan doesn’t expect similar assistance from the pitch later on in the Test. “I don’t know how long it will help the seamers,” he said. “But definitely there is a lot of movement after pitching, swinging and cutting both ways, because it is damp. If we get the sun tomorrow, obviously it will play a lot better than it did today. That’s what I think. I could be wrong.”We are playing on a wet wicket where the ball is seaming or nipping. A warm-up game would have been on a perfect cricketing wicket. You can’t complain about wickets, but we need to make sure we come back into the game.”Harbhajan put up a fight with the bat, scoring 27 off 25 balls, and adding 39 runs for the seventh wicket with MS Dhoni, which could yet prove to be crucial, but was disappointed at how he got out. Taking the third run, Harbhajan’s bat got stuck in the ground as he tried to slide it into the crease, and a smart back-flick from Mark Boucher converted a wide throw into a run-out.”If the ball was in my area, I was looking to hit, not just survive,” he said. “I was there to get runs, not to kill time. It’s important to get as many as you can in the first innings. It will make an impact when you go to bowl. If you score 150 or 200, whatever you get is good enough. We will go out and give our best shot.”Very disappointed the way I got out. My bat got stuck and I got run out. I was batting really well, I was hitting the ball really well. Unfortunately I couldn’t score too many runs. I hope in the next innings I don’t even have to bat. Hopefully the batsmen will score a lot of runs.”Harbhajan called on the spirit of this team that has bailed them out of more than a few crisis situations in recent times. “Obviously we had a bad day with the bat,” he said. “It’s not over yet. We have got to believe that we can go out and get their batsmen out. And once we go out to bat in the next innings, we will show what batting actually means.”As I said, it is not over yet. We played one session badly, it doesn’t mean we can’t come back. We have shown enough number of times that we are a team that likes to be challenged. We are in a situation where we have to go out and give our best, and try to get them out, and make sure they don’t go too far from us. Whatever has happened is gone, and I think we can make a match out of this.”

Graeme Smith, South Africa captain, felt that he had the time but not the conditions to bowl India out on the last day of the deciding Test in Cape Town

Firdose Moonda at Newlands06-Jan-2011Graeme Smith, South Africa captain, felt that he had the time but not the conditions to bowl India out on the last day of the deciding Test in Cape Town. “I expected more from the wicket today,” he said at the post-match press conference. “It didn’t have much swing, like we saw on the first three days.”The Newlands pitch began crumbling on day four and was expected to remain tricky for batting. There was variable bounce on offer, which Morne Morkel made us of, while Dale Steyn gave everything he had and more, and succeeded in bowling outswing despite the conditions. Smith said that the two quicks, aided by Lonwabo Tsotsobe, could have used the help of an additional seamer to carry some of the load. “Having the extra seamer is a massive bonus. MS Dhoni has worked the whole series like this [with three seamers]. Having bowlers fresh is obviously nice.”South Africa had to juggle just three pace bowlers because Jacques Kallis’ rib injury prevented him from bowling.Smith was also hoping for a 12th man in the form of the pitch, which had cracks that should have worked to the spinners’ advantage, but Paul Harris had no joy at all. “I expected the cracks to play more of a role,” Smith said. “If you hit the rough, you got spin, but on the straight there wasn’t much.”Even though Smith knew that with the mercury reaching 38 degrees for three successive days the pitch would “become a really good batting unit, as we saw against England last year,” he still thought South Africa had the firepower to claim 10 wickets and was “disappointed that we didn’t get close today and only managed to have them three down.”Still, he was pleased with how the pitch had behaved over the course of the match. “It’s provided really good Test cricket. Compared to Abu Dhabi and Dubai, which were roads, it was nice to play a series where everyone had the opportunity to do well.”South Africa have failed to register a series win at home for the third successive season but Smith did not see that as worrying sign. “We’ve played some good cricket around the world in recent times. You do want to be really strong at home. For two Tests here we played really, really well and for one we were poor.”That one was not the decider, Smith emphasised, but the Boxing Day Test that South Africa lost by 87 runs. “We were really disappointed with the way we played in Durban. There were moments were we needed to fight a little harder and India were better than us in those moments.” Smith thought his team bounced back from those lows and laid claim to the key moments in Cape Town when they recovered from 130 for six to reach 362. “We showed a lot of character to get into a position to win.”The fact that they didn’t win did not appear to irk Smith too much. “It’s good for world cricket that the top four teams are competitive. We don’t need to fool ourselves that we are better than what we are.” Smith spoke as though a period of assessment for his team had ended and they were satisfied with the result. “The majority of our Test side has been very successful over the last few years.”In some ways, this series does mark the end of an era for the South Africa Test side. It is Corrie van Zyl’s last series as coach of the national team. The next series is scheduled for September, against an Australia in decline and there will be a new set-up in place. “The next Test is nine months away and we’ll have new coaching staff. Hopefully it will be someone who can challenge us and take us to the next level.”

Australia’s run of injuries has continued with Xavier Doherty ruled out of the final ODI against England in Perth due to a back problem

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Feb-2011Australia’s run of injuries has continued with Xavier Doherty ruled out of the final ODI against England in Perth due to a back problem. The left-arm spinner Doherty was called in to the squad after Nathan Hauritz suffered a serious shoulder injury and was viewed as the likely World Cup replacement should Hauritz fail to regain his fitness for that trip.However, Doherty played only two games before back soreness ruled him out of the Brisbane match, and Steven Smith has taken the lead spin role with some success. Australia’s selectors have not decided whether to replace Doherty for Sunday’s series finale at the WACA, where the fast men are likely to play more of a role.”Xavier Doherty developed some back pain during the one-day game in Adelaide on Australia Day and did not train in Brisbane which allowed his symptoms to improve,” the physio Alex Kountouris said. “He attempted some light training yesterday in Sydney and his back was again painful. As such he is unavailable for the remaining two games of this series. His return to cricket will be determined by monitoring his recovery over the next week.”Australia have had a growing injury list during the one-day series, with Ricky Ponting (finger), Michael Hussey (hamstring), Shaun Marsh (hamstring), and Hauritz (shoulder) all unavailable. Hussey and Hauritz are waiting on their World Cup hopes, while Ponting is expected to lead Australia in their title defence, after he batted in the nets at the SCG over the past two days.”Ricky Ponting had his first training session yesterday since having finger surgery after the Melbourne Test match,” Kountouris said. “As part of his recovery this was a restricted session and he is expected to increase his training intensity in the lead up to the ICC Cricket World Cup. He has had no adverse effect from yesterday’s session and has trained again today during Australia’s batting innings.”

The three Pakistan cricketers accused of spot-fixing in a Test match against England will stand trial from May 20, a British judge has ordered

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Mar-2011The three Pakistan cricketers accused of spot-fixing in a Test match against England will stand trial from May 20, a British judge has ordered. Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir, and the agent Mazhar Majeed, will be tried in Southwark Crown Court in London on charges of conspiracy to cheat and conspiracy to obtain and accept corrupt payments.The four accused were present – dressed in suits and looking relaxed – at the City of Westminster Magistrates’ court on Thursday for the hearing to set the trial date. The cricketers were given unconditional bail and Majeed was told to surrender his passport and not apply for international travel documents.The prosecution objected to unconditional bail being granted but the players’ lawyers told the court they would attend all future hearings and, though sureties of up to £50,000 were offered to secure their bail, the judge, Howard Riddle, said it was unnecessary.He warned all four to ensure they attend Southwark Crown Court saying: “There is no doubt the allegations are very serious and I know you recognise that.” Noting all four were of good character, Riddle said the men’s reputations were of the “utmost importance” to them.The cricketers were previously funded by the Pakistan Cricket Board but, according to , their lawyer confirmed outside court that had ended.Accepting corrupt payments is an offence under the Prevention of Corruption Act 1906 and carries a maximum sentence of seven years’ imprisonment and an unlimited fine. Cheating is an offence under Section 42 of the Gambling Act 2005, carrying a maximum sentence of two years’ imprisonment and an unlimited fine.They players and their agent were charged after being questioned by Scotland Yard detectives over the alleged scandal in the Test at Lord’s last August, following accusations by the tabloid newspaper.The three players have already been banned by the ICC, which held a separate inquiry, for periods ranging from five to ten years. All three have, however, already filed appeals against their bans at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland.

India had been talking about reaching the World Cup final and what they would do there for a year, says their mental conditioning coach Paddy Upton

Sidharth Monga at the Wankhede Stadium 02-Apr-2011Harbhajan Singh wept into the India flag, Yuvraj Singh couldn’t hold back tears either. Sachin Tendulkar, not used to having his feet off the ground, for a change felt comfortable on the shoulders of his team-mates as they took a lap of the Wankhede. He was being taken around a ground that had once booed him. All that didn’t matter today. A life-long dream had been achieved in a sixth attempt; in front of his home crowd, at a ground where he played most of his domestic cricket. MS Dhoni, Yuvraj, Zaheer Khan and Gautam Gambhir followed with their arms around each other’s shoulders. Virat Kohli, playing in his first World Cup and inconsolable when he had got out earlier, sang to the crowd.There was delight, there were tears of joy, there was contentment. There was relief after a campaign in which their every move was noticed, dissected and criticised or praised. It was a moment nobody could take away from the Indian team. They took their time as they celebrated. Slowly, savouring each moment. Months of tension, build-up, sleepless nights, inability to eat regularly, cramps, vomit, sweat, toil; all of it was over, and in their hands was the World Cup.Gary Kirsten’s contribution was not forgotten. After Tendulkar had been around the ground on the strong and reliable shoulders of Yusuf Pathan, the team chaired Kirsten too, who was coaching India for one last time. An equally loud applause followed. Quietly, Paddy Upton, the mental conditioning coach, and Eric Simons, the bowling coach, watched. They watched men become kids, they watched and heard, 33,000 people’s gratitude.”There have been some incredible moments in my involvement with sport, but this has got to be the highlight,” Upton told ESPNcricinfo.Upton spoke of the year the team had been through: the anticipation, the preparation, the hard work. “We set on this a year ago. Gary and myself and Eric Simons asked the question, ‘Are we ready to win the World Cup?’ And we felt we had the team to win it, the skill and the talent, but mentally we possibly weren’t ready.”That was in Dambulla where, as Virender Sehwag mentioned, they started visualising the World Cup final. “We had planned a year ago what we needed to do in order to set ourselves up to win the World Cup,” Upton said. “For a year we have been talking about we play the final in Mumbai, and it was amazing yesterday [Friday] to reflect in the team meeting and say, ‘Guys we have been talking about exactly this for a year, and we have been preparing for it and we know we are ready.’ So while there were nerves, we went in with the confidence that we are better prepared than the opposition.”Some of the players had been struggling to sleep properly, but Upton believed – as it now seems – in something preordained. “Strangely I slept quite comfortably, because the job was done, we just needed to go and act out the script that was already written.”The nerves he felt towards the closing moments, despite himself being a mental conditioning coach, he said was a feeling like no other. “I get bloody nervous. Believe you me. It was magnificent.”The greatest moment of his greatest achievement in sport was watching the players weep. And looking after the mental side of players who perhaps are under the most pressure in world cricket, he has seen them in tears of anguish too. “The greatest moment today was getting together with the team in the middle of the pitch; and just seeing the looks on the guys’ faces, and the tears running down their cheeks. Tears of joy and relief and ecstasy. It was a special moment.”

Nottinghamshire clinched the County Championship on a thrilling final day last September but it will be tough work to defend the title

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Apr-2011Comeback trail: Graham Onions hasn’t played for 15 months but is on course for a return during the early stages of the season•Associated Press

Durham

(FLt20: North Group; CB40: Group B)
Captain Phil Mustard Coach Geoff Cook Overseas David Miller (t20)
A hat-trick of Championship challenges was too much to ask, especially when injuries took a severe toll coupled with uncertainty over the captaincy situation when Will Smith stepped down mid-season. Phil Mustard took charge and has the reigns again, which is a tough workload for the keeper. However, the well-run structure that brought trophies to the North East remains in place and the club will feel they can’t have such bad luck with injuries for another summer. Steve Harmison, Liam Plunkett and a potentially fit-again Graham Onions remains the most potent pace attack in the country. They will also have Paul Collingwood available for much more of the season to boost the batting line-up, while Ben Stokes is hugely talented. Andrew McGlashanPlayer to watch Graham Onions: shows the depth of English pace bowling that the national team haven’t missed him. Is a high quality performer if he can fit who’ll want to remind the selectors what he can do.Prospects If their fitness woes are behind them they’ll be in the Championship race but will need runs on the board. Should also push for one-day honours.

Hampshire

( FLt20: South Group; CB40: Group B)
Captain Dominic Cork Coach Giles White Overseas Imran Tahir (SA), Shahid Afridi (Pak- t20)
An ambitious county, whose maiden Test will take place against Sri Lanka in mid-June, Hampshire are desperate for more silverware to add to the t20 Trophy they lifted at the Rose Bowl last season. They haven’t had their mitts on the Championship since 1973, despite boasting such luminaries as Marshall, Smith and Greenidge down the years, so whether the new captain Dominic Cork can outdo those greats is a moot point. Nevertheless, his team’s blend of youth and experience is as promising as that of any county, and when Imran Tahir recovers from his broken thumb, they will once again possess one of the prime sources of wickets in the whole of the county circuit. Andrew MillerPlayer to watch Michael Carberry: one of the forgotten men of English cricket, having toured Bangladesh in March 2010 and made his one and only Test appearance at Chittagong. His open-faced style is arguably a liability at the highest level, but he is good for another four-figured Championship season.Prospects It is the 50th anniversary year of their maiden Championship title in 1961, so what better way to commemorate it? It could be that a retention of the t20 crown is a better bet, however, especially with Johann Myburgh and Shahid Afridi on their books for that competition.

Lancashire

(FLt20: North Group; CB40: Group C)
Captain Glen Chapple Coach Peter Moores Overseas Farveez Maharoof (SL)
A vital, and potentially club-saving, boost appeared to come a month before the season started when Lancashire won their latest legal battle against Derwent Holdings who were trying to block the White City development plans that incorporate the regeneration of Old Trafford. However, further legal challenges threaten to derail the project and this remains a nervous time for the club as they aim to secure a 2013 Ashes Test. Due to the rising legal costs around the rebuilding plans Peter Moores and Mike Watkinson have had little money to spend so there has been no recruitment over the winter. Farveez Maharoof was late acquisition but it will be down to some of the club’s younger players to develop quickly. Andrew McGlashanPlayer to watch Simon Kerrigan: a left-arm spinner who impressed with 30 Championship wickets in first full season. Forms a strong spin attack alongside Gary Keedy.Prospects Batting looks too weak to mount a Championship challenge and the bowlers will need to fire to avoid a relegation fight. Twenty20 offers a more likely path to silverware.Luke Fletcher will need to make up for the loss of Ryan Sidebotton’s wickets at Trent Bridge•Graham Morris

Nottinghamshire

(FLt20: North Group; CB40: Group C)
Captain Chris Read Coach Mick Newell Overseas David Hussey and Adam Voges (Aus)
After finishing second in the previous two seasons, Nottinghamshire secured the Championship pennant in the dying moments of campaign when they claimed three Lancashire wickets to deny Somerset. A repeat performance will depend largely on how they replace Ryan Sidebottom and how dry the summer is. If the pitches turn, their lack of a frontline spinner (with Graeme Swann away with England) could be a problem. In their favour they have two consistent overseas players, could see more of Stuart Broad early season than expected, and have a solid core of players build around Chris Read. Mick Newell, the coach, is highly regarded and was handed the England Lions role in the winter. Andrew McGlashanPlayer to watch Samit Patel: too unfit for England and seemingly unable to change, but the county – whether rightly, or wrongly – is more forgiving. Can win matches in all formats.Prospects If they can back early-season victories when the seamers dominant they can push to retain the title. Otherwise, a one-day trophy may need to be the route to success.

Somerset

(FLt20: South Group; CB40: Group C)
Captain Marcus Trescothick Coach Andy Hurry Overseas Murali Kartik (Ind), Ajantha Mendis (SL), Kieron Pollard (WI – t20)
The best team of 2010 ended cruelly empty-handed as they finished second to Nottinghamshire on the last day of the Championship season, lost out on a tie to Somerset in the t20 and lost under lights in the CB40 final. The winter has been spent making sure nothing goes amiss this time around. Ajantha Mendis will be dangerous in the FPt20 (never mind Kieron Pollard as well) while Steve Kirby has been signed to bolster the pace attack. They are again the best team in the country, led superbly by Marcus Trescothick, surely this time they’ll reap the rewards? Sahil DuttaPlayer to watch James Hildreth: in the lead-up to every new county season his name crops up as one to keep an eye on. Finally, last year, he converted his undeniable talent into runs. Serious runs: 1440 at 65.45 in the Championship, 627 at 69.66 in the CB40 and 459 at 32.72 in the FPt20. If he can match that again the England selectors will come calling.Prospects Anything less than a Championship title will be a disappointment. No reason why at least one of the limited-overs crowds couldn’t be theirs as well.

Sussex

(FLt20: South Group; CB40: Group A)
Captain Mike Yardy Coach Mark Robinson Overseas Rana Naved (Pak), Wayne Parnell (SA – T20)
Another county that has been busy with redevelopment work during the winter, with the construction of a new 1700-seater stand on the South-West corner of the ground. On the field, the signing of Amjad Khan from Kent will reinforce a seam attack that will miss the steadying influence of Corey Collymore, now of Middlesex, with Wayne Parnell and Rana Naved set to share the overseas duties. International calls will limit the availability of Matt Prior and Luke Wright, while the progress of their captain, Michael Yardy, will be closely monitored following his depression during the World Cup. Andrew MillerPlayer to watch Monty Panesar: had big boots to fill when he moved from Northants last season to replace the legendary Mushtaq Ahmed, but a winter in Mushtaq’s company during the Ashes means that numerous tips for thriving at Hove will have been passed across.Prospects The serial Championship winners of the 2000s may struggle to launch the 2010s in a similar manner, but they are a stronger side than the one that was relegated two seasons ago.Chris Woakes is developing into a fine allrounder and has already shown his nerve on the international stage•Getty Images

Warwickshire

(FLt20: North Group; CB40: Group B)
Captain Jim Troughton Coach Ashley Giles OverseasTBC
Warwickshire hovered precariously over the trap door in Division One last year before a late surge took them safe and they then delivered a spirit-raising CB40 title. The off-season has brought a new captain in Jim Troughton and the good signing of William Porterfield from Gloucestershire. He will have a key role in shoring up a top-order that is flimsy without its England stars, Ian Bell and Jonathan Trott. Chris Woakes leads a sparky pace line-up alongside Boyd Rankin, which could be a potent mix. Sahil DuttaPlayer to watch Chris Woakes: took 50 wickets last year and impressed with a calm temperament in his brief international outings over the winter.Prospects The Championship title looks beyond reach but a decent challenge is a must. The CB40 is more realistic though they will desperately miss Imran Tahir who back at Hampshire.Worcestershire (FLt20: North Group; CB40: Group A)
Captain Daryl Mitchell Coach Steve Rhodes OverseasSaeed Ajmal (Pak), Damien Wright (Aus), Shakib Al Hasan (Bang)
Confounded expectations by being promoted back to Division One on the last day of the season last year. Avoiding an immediate drop back down would be even more surprising as the county battles dwindling financial resources and a thread-bare pace attack. There is plenty of experience in Alan Richardson, Matt Mason and Damien Wright but not the quality to prise out Division One batsmen on the better Division One pitches. The batting will rely heavily on Vikram Solanki but Shakib Al Hasan will hope to offer runs as well as wickets. Sahil DuttaPlayer to watch Moeen Ali: passed 1000 runs last season and his flashing wrists and style was an icon of a promising season. Will enjoy the better pitches but can he survive the better bowlers a division higher?Prospects Anything but relegation will be a major success in the Championship. A tilt at one-day success is more possible but the lack of an outright wicket-taker makes silverware unlikely.

Yorkshire

(FLt20: North Group; CB40: Group A)
Captain Andrew Gale Coach Martyn Moxon OverseasTBC
They exceeded expectations last year by making a push for the Championship title until the final round of matches, plus a consistent CB40 campaign. Andrew Gale, a very impressive captain, and Martyn Moxon have formed a cohesive squad with a strong balance of youth and experience. They need to cover likely England-based absences for Tim Bresnan and Ajmal Shahzad plus maybe Adil Rashid, so the return of Ryan Sidebottom is a significant boost in that regard. Gale and Adam Lyth have both represented England Lions this winter and will lead the batting alongside an evergreen Anthony McGrath. Andrew McGlashanPlayer to watch Adil Rashid: had a terrific all-round 2010 after being sent back to the county game. England will come calling again, but until then he’s a matchwinner for YorkshireProspects If Sidebottom fires they’ll be competitive but they appear a quality batsman short after Jacques Rudolph’s departure.

ESPNcricinfo’s preview of the second ODI between West Indies and Pakistan in Gros Inlet, St Lucia

The Preview by Liam Brickhill24-Apr-2011

Match Facts

April 25, Gros Islet, St Lucia
Start time 0930am (1330 GMT)Saeed Ajmal was a constant threat to West Indies’ batsmen in the first match, and is sure to be a handful in conditions that will continue to suit the spinners•AFP

The Big Picture

West Indies’ joy after their win in the opening Twenty20 of Pakistan’s tour was short-lived as they crashed to an eight-wicket drubbing in the opening one-day international at Gros Islet. After the buzz and energy of their performance in the Twenty20, the hosts looked badly behind the pace for much of the game on Saturday and a fatal misreading of the pitch backfired when the seamers were carted for 162 runs in 29.3 wicketless overs, allowing Pakistan’s batsmen to canter to victory on a spin-friendly wicket.Monday’s game, played at the same venue, will give West Indies a chance to rectify some of their mistakes. The question of team balance is a delicate one for them, however, and the inclusion of both captain Darren Sammy and Dwayne Bravo when it might be argued that only one of the two similar allrounders should slot in at No. 7 in a balanced XI throws the team’s ballast off centre. West Indies looked a batsman light on Saturday, but it’s likely that legspinner Anthony Martin will be brought in for the second ODI – probably at the expense of allrounder Andre Russell – meaning that there will be even less batting firepower, heaping more pressure on a top order shorn of its most experienced members.The lack of bite in the seam attack on docile pitches also doesn’t bode well for the Test series that follows the one-dayers, and for the sake of success in both formats West Indies are going to have to find a way to take more wickets. The one area of concern for Pakistan – and it’s a relatively minor one for a team that has moved seamlessly on from defeat in the tour opener with a commanding performance by both the batsmen and an impressive trio of spinners – can also be found in the seam department. Wahab Riaz gave away 11 wides and three no-balls on Saturday, while Junaid Khan also sent down six wides, and without the help of extras West Indies would not have passed 200.Such inconsistency is unforgivable on a pitch that offered minimal movement for the quicks either through the air or off the pitch, but so masterful was the performance from Pakistan’s slow bowlers – in particular Saeed Ajmal, whose variations proved impossible to pick – and so composed were their batsmen, three of whom scored half-centuries, that ultimately it barely mattered. West Indies will be motivated to regain some pride and level the five-match series, but it is Pakistan who start as firm favourites.
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Form guide

(most recent first)West Indies LLLLW
Pakistan WLWWW

Watch out for…

Darren Bravo has only played 21 ODIs, but due to circumstance and and his own undeniable talent (not to mention a resemblance to a certain former West Indies great) he has already become a vital cog in West Indies’ middle order. His half-century in the first game held things together, and he looked set to take a heavy toll on the bowling at the death before he was cut down by an amateurish run-out.
Pakistan have a bowler perfectly capable of dealing with the Bravo threat, however. Saeed Ajmal beat the outside edge of Bravo Jr.’s bat no less than five times in his first over on Saturday, and deserved more than just one wicket as he weaved webs of doubt in the minds of all the batsmen with his .

Team news

West Indies are almost certain to hand a debut to Martin, an Antiguan legspinner, but it’s not clear who he might replace in the XI. Andre Russell seems the most likely candidate, as he conceded 36 runs in five wayward overs in the first match. That leaves the batting even lighter, but West Indies only have five specialist batsmen in their squad and all of them played in the first match.West Indies (possible): 1 Devon Smith, 2 Lendl Simmons, 3 Darren Bravo, 4 Marlon Samuels, 5 Kirk Edwards, 6 Dwayne Bravo, 7 Carlton Baugh (wk), 8 Darren Sammy (capt), 9 Devendra Bishoo, 10 Kemar Roach, 11 Anthony Martin
Pakistan’s successful start to the ODI series means their side doesn’t really need any tinkering, and it’s unlikely they’ll risk disturbing their equilibrium. Young allrounder Hammad Azam was not called upon with either bat or ball on Saturday, but it would be very harsh if he was not given another chance to prove himself in the second match.Pakistan (possible): 1 Ahmed Shehzad, 2 Mohammad Hafeez, 3 Asad Shafiq, 4 Misbah-ul-Haq, 5 Umar Akmal, 6 Hammad Azam, 7 Mohammad Salman (wk), 8 Shahid Afridi (capt), 9 Wahab Riaz, 10 Junaid Khan, 11 Saeed Ajmal.

Pitch and conditions

The St Lucia surface lost pace noticeably over the course of the Twenty20 match that opened the tour, but appeared to flatten out when Pakistan were chasing down their runs with ease on Saturday afternoon. It remains a welcoming track for spinners, however. Another warm day is expected, and while the rain stayed away in the previous games there remains a slight risk that it could intrude upon proceedings later on.

Stats and trivia

• One man who could solve multiple problems for West Indies in both the batting and spin-bowling departments has taken more wickets and scored more runs in ODIs at this ground than anyone. Chris Gayle has scored 444 runs and taken 11 wickets, but unfortunately it’s unlikely he’ll be back any time soon.
• The two men behind him on that run-scoring list are none other than Ramnaresh Sarwan and Shivnarine Chanderpaul.
• West Indies have played three ODI’s against Pakistan in St Lucia and lost all of them, Pakistan winning by 40 and 22 runs during the 2005 series won 3-0 by the visitors and by eight wickets on Saturday.
• Pakistan’s top-scorer in the first match, Misbah-ul-Haq, has scored the most runs without hitting a century in ODIs among current Pakistan players. Out of all current players, only Elton Chigumbura, Stuart Matsikenyeri and Daniel Vettori have more ODI runs without a ton.

Quotes

“The Pakistan spinners bowled some good balls, but to be a great player you have to find a way to score off the good balls not just the bad balls.”
“I was very happy when West Indies won the toss and chose to bat because I thought the pitch would help our spinners. I think our spinners have been doing a great job for us in the last few months, and they again set things up for us.”

Michael Beer and Jason Krejza will duel for a Test spin bowling berth on Australia A’s tour of Zimbabwe.

Daniel Brettig23-May-2011Michael Beer and Jason Krejza have both been included in the squad for Australia A’s tour of Zimbabwe, and will use the opportunity to duel for a Test spin-bowling berth. Ben Hilfenhaus has been given a chance to show his international career is not fading away after the Ashes. The squad for the four-day matches against Zimbabwe was announced on Monday and has a strong Test team component, as the national selectors ponder their options ahead of tours to Sri Lanka and South Africa.Usman Khawaja, Phillip Hughes, and the tour captain Tim Paine have all played recent Test cricket for Australia, while the likes of Callum Ferguson, Trent Copeland, Mitchell Starc and James Faulkner will all be in serious contention for the Sri Lanka touring party.The most pointed battle will be between Beer, who played the spin role in the final Ashes Test at the SCG and bowled better than his figures suggested, and Krejza, the enigmatic slow bowler with the sharpest offbreak in the country but a mixed international record. Krejza went to the World Cup after injuries ruled out Xavier Doherty and Nathan Hauritz, and it appears that he remains ahead of that pair.”It’s really just a matter of trying to get as much exposure for our spin bowlers as possible so we can keep working out just where our stocks are,” the national selector Greg Chappell told . “It’s pretty open. It’s no secret that spin bowling is an area that we’re keen to get at, finalise or make some ground on. We haven’t really for one reason or another, either through injury or form had much consistency in that area.”Spin bowling’s not a straightforward issue. It is easily crowded by the success that Shane Warne had but most countries take time to find spin bowlers and good ones certainly don’t just drop out of mid-air. I think we’ve got about seven spinners in our sights, the four going there, Hauritz, Doherty and Steve Smith. So there’s about seven guys there and nobody’s really nailed the spot down at this stage.”We’re trying to give as many of them opportunities as we can and find out which ones have what we’re looking for. It’s about trying to find the right people for the right conditions and that can vary depending on where you’re playing, South Africa will be different from Sri Lanka, and Sri Lanka’s different from India even – it was quite remarkable watching the Sri Lankans and Indians play in each other’s country.”While Hauritz is still recovering from a dislocated shoulder and is at long odds to be limber enough for Sri Lanka, Doherty is fit but not selected. His place in the limited overs squad has been taken by South Australia’s Nathan Lyon, a classical offspin bowler who enjoyed a surreal promotion from the Adelaide Oval ground staff to the Redbacks’ XI last summer.Hilfenhaus, meanwhile, will need to show evidence he can regain the knack for taking wickets, after his spells grew increasingly unthreatening against England at home, resulting in the paltry return of seven wickets at 59.28 in four matches.Tasmanians Faulkner and Luke Butterworth were rewarded for their prolific wicket-taking for the Tigers during their Shield-winning 2010-11 campaign, and may be considered with an eye towards the humid air and seaming pitches that can sometimes be encountered in Sri Lanka.The teenagers Nic Maddinson and Mitch Marsh have been included in both squads, better to aid their development as Test players of the future, while Cricket Australia eyes will be narrowed on the captaincy progress of Paine and his deputy Ferguson, who spent the Indian Premier League together in with the Pune franchise. Another IPL commodity, David Warner, has the chance to defy his stereotype with runs in both formats.Chris Lynn, the promising Queensland batsman, is a notable inclusion to the limited-overs squad having missed out on selection in the provisional 25, but will need to pass a fitness test on a finger injury before travelling. Stephen O’Keefe has the chance to press his case as a spinning allrounder in the shorter formats.Even though the tour program is still being finalised, the squad is booked to leave Australia on June 25 and return on July 25, about the same time as the senior squad ventures to Sri Lanka. The A squad will take part in a pre-tour camp in Brisbane in early June.Australia A four-day squad Tim Paine (capt, wk), David Warner, Phillip Hughes, Usman Khawaja, Callum Ferguson, Nic Maddinson, Mitch Marsh, Luke Butterworth, James Faulkner, Jason Krejza, Trent Copeland, Ben Hilfenhaus, Mitch Starc, Michael Beer.One-day squad Tim Paine (capt, wk), David Warner, Aaron Finch, Callum Ferguson, Chris Lynn, Nic Maddison, Mitch Marsh, Luke Butterworth, Stephen O’Keefe, James Faulkner, Ben Hilfenhaus, Trent Copeland, Nathan Lyon, Mitch Starc.