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ESPNcricinfo previews South Africa’s chances in the 2011 World Cup

Telford Vice16-Feb-2011The plain truth about South Africa is that, as a World Cup team, they add up to less than the sum of their parts. You would think a side blessed over the years with players of the calibre of Peter Kirsten, Allan Donald, Jacques Kallis, Jonty Rhodes, Shaun Pollock, Mark Boucher, AB de Villiers and Graeme Smith – and a host of only slightly lesser lights – would come up with a trophy between them somehow, somewhere. You would, of course, be wrong.South Africans have grown weary of trying to explain why their mighty team haven’t won a World Cup, or even reached a final. The real answer is; there is no real answer. They have talent in abundance. Their skills are eminently world-class. The country’s cricket infrastructure is acknowledged as the best in the game, and proven to be so by the country’s unofficial status as the default standby hosts for ICC events.It seems the problem lies either between the ears or in the heart, places even the best coaching struggles to penetrate effectively.What of this World Cup? The inclusion in the squad of Pakistani-born legspinner Imran Tahir among three frontline slow bowlers suggests a change in approach. But we’ve seen this movie before – promising form leading up to the tournament, stellar individual performances, the gut feeling that this time it might be different …World Cup pedigreeSemi-finalists in 1992, 1999 and 2007; quarter-finalists in 1996; first-round casualties in 2003. Only once, in the World Cup they hosted no less, have South Africa failed to reach the second round. They have proved hard, competitive and ambitious. Just not hard, competitive and ambitious enough to go all the way.Recent formSince Novemeber 2009, South Africa have played 26 one-day internationals and won 18 of them. However, Zimbabwe and West Indies, who 10 of those games were played against, did not make for very competitive opposition. Against the bigger boys – England, India and Pakistan – they lost half of the other 16. Among South Africa’s victories were three in a five-match series against a Pakistan team desperate to show they took cricket seriously in the wake of the spot-fixing allegations. South Africa also hung tough to win the last two matches in a 3-2 series victory over India. Still, a success rate of 50% against credible opponents is not good enough.Expert eyePat Symcox: “This is the best squad South Africa have ever sent to a World Cup, and the most balanced and experienced one. But our preparation has been predominantly concerned with ensuring the seam bowlers are ready for the tournament, when spin bowling will be more important given the conditions. However, if ever there was a time when South Africa will win the World Cup, this is it.”Where they’re likely to finishIt’s difficult to imagine South Africa not finding their way out of the first round. It’s also difficult to imagine them progressing much further. They’re vulnerable in any knockout situation.WatchabilityTo see fielding, South African style, is worth the price of admission to any match. They are lions and there will be blood. The same goes for South Africa’s fast bowling – aggressive, relentless and disciplined. Their batting will be adventurous and enterprising as long as the pressure remains off. Once it’s on, you would be forgiven for thinking the circus had come to town.Key PlayersThis will be Graeme Smith’s last World Cup as South Africa’s captain, and perhaps his last all told. He is a proud, determined, demonstrative man who readily embraces emotive ideas. The thought that he could go out in glorious fashion, leading the finest team never to have won a World Cup to triumph, is made for him. He will bully most of the seam bowlers he will face on the subcontinent’s slow pitches, and he is much less clumsy against spin than he appears.Unbelievable though it may seem, there was a time when Hashim Amla’s suitability as a one-day batsman was openly questioned. As is his way, Amla didn’t take issue with the doubters. He simply went out and proved them very wrong, scoring runs, runs and more runs. He scored them stylishly and lickety-split like, and he never seemed to fashion a crude or an ungrammatical stroke as he did so. In the process he rose to the top of the ICC’s one-day batting rankings. Besides all that, he possesses that rarest of attributes for a South African: a cold mind.Look into Johan Botha’s eyes and you will see a journey from mediocre seamer to offspinner to chucker to nowhere man to rehabilitated offspinner to respected team man to South Africa’s Twenty20 captain and Smith’s natural successor to the one-day captaincy. South Africans expect their cricketers to be resilient, and Botha is an archetypical example. He will hang tough with the best at the World Cup.Something special is required Colin Ingram – a name that is added to a list that features the likes of Desmond Haynes, Andy Flower and Dennis Amiss. Ingram delivered that specialness when he scored 124 against Zimbabwe in Bloemfontein in October. That made him the sixth player – Haynes, Flower and Amiss are among the first five – to score a century on one-day debut. Left-handed and level-headed despite his love of lusty strokeplay, he could set any innings alight.

Graham Onions, the Durham and England pace bowler, who missed the whole of last season a serious back injury, is set to resume bowling

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Feb-2011Graham Onions, the Durham and England pace bowler, who missed the whole of last season a serious back injury, is set to resume training soon after receiving positive news from his latest scans.Onions first picked up the problem at the start of the Bangladesh tour last March and flew home early from the trip before being diagnosed with a stress fracture. However, it wasn’t until towards the end of the 2010 season in early September that it was decided he needed surgery to save his career and the initial recovery period was around nine months.However, just six months after the operation Onions has been given the go ahead to bowl again although he knows he can’t rush his return. “Scans were really good and been given the green light to start bowling,” he posted on Twitter. “This is a big step, can’t wait to start bowling. Realise that I have to go slow to start.”Onions has played eight Tests for England and made an impressive start when he took 5 for 38 in his debut against West Indies, at Lord’s, in 2009. He went on to play three Tests in the 2009 Ashes where he took 10 wickets at 30.30, but is most famous for his two last-over rearguards on the tour of South Africa in 2009-10.At Centurion and Cape Town he was twice left to fend off the final over of the Test against Makhaya Ntini and Morne Morkel to secure England draws to keep the visitors 1-0 ahead. However, after the second of those efforts he was left out for the last Test at the Wanderers when the selectors controversially preferred Ryan Sidebottom as South Africa squared the series.

United Arab Emirates offspinner Nasir Aziz has been reported for a suspected illegal bowling action during the final of the World Cricket League Division Two tournament

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Apr-2011United Arab Emirates offspinner Nasir Aziz has been reported for a suspected illegal bowling action during the final of the World Cricket League Division Two tournament against Namibia, which was played on Friday.Aziz, 24, was reported after the end of the game by on-field umpires Sarika Prasad and Buddhi Pradhan, along with third umpire Gary Baxter. ICC Tournament Referee Graeme La Brooy handed over the copy of the report to UAE team manager Mazhar Khan on Saturday morning.Where a bowler is reported by the umpires due to a suspected illegal action in a WCL match, the policy requires the relevant member board – in this case the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) – to instigate an assessment. In the meantime, the player is still free to take part in international cricket.The ICC has asked the ECB to make arrangements for the assessment of Aziz’s bowling action within 21 days from today, April 17. As soon as the assessment has been completed, the ECB must formally report back to the ICC as to what the results of the tests were and what action has been taken.

Pakistan’s chief selector, Mohsin Khan, has cancelled the press conference he had scheduled for today following a statement from the PCB saying he had not been given prior permission by the board

ESPNcricinfo staff04-May-2011Pakistan’s chief selector, Mohsin Khan, has deferred a decision on whether or not he will resign from his post and will instead meet the PCB in an effort to resolve differences that arose after the selection of Pakistan’s 15-man Test squad for the West Indies.Khan cancelled a press conference he had scheduled for Wednesday following a series of releases from the PCB, the first of which said that any such press conference – without prior permission from the board – would be a violation of a code of conduct. A second statement was released shortly after, at the designated time of Khan’s press conference, which said he had been asked to meet with the board on Thursday in Lahore, where he can discuss any issues he might have about team selection.The board contacted Khan on Wednesday after his stance became public. Khan threatened to quit his post over the selection on Tuesday, saying he would make an announcement on his future.It remains unclear who Khan has an issue with and over what particular selections; one board official admitted to ESPNcricinfo they were also unaware of the nature of the problem. Speculation centres on the surprise dropping of wicketkeeper Adnan Akmal from the Test squad, despite impressive performances in the preceding four Tests.A reference has been made in one release to the procedure for squads being selected and the board said it was happy that procedure was followed. It is also understood that the relationship between Ijaz Butt, the board chairman, and Khan remains healthy, at least until this development.Butt has authority, as chairman, to change selections and has the final sign-off on it. The board said that once the squad for the series had been approved by the chairman and submitted, Khan had been given the chance to meet Butt and explain his point of view. According to the first statement, Khan said he could not meet with the chairman as his wife was ill.There is also a reference made in the first release to the on-tour selection committee – of coach, captain and manager – and its independence from the main selection committee. There have been suggestions of differences between the two over some selections.

Allrounder Elton Chigumbura has expressed his wish to step down as Zimbabwe captain, ESPNcricinfo understands

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Apr-2011Allrounder Elton Chigumbura has expressed his wish to step down as Zimbabwe captain, ESPNcricinfo understands. He is currently involved in talks with Zimbabwe Cricket and a final decision will be made in the coming week.”He has said that he wants to step down,” a source familiar with the issue said. “But talks are currently underway. He is talking to a board official and the coach as well about it. A final decision is expected to be announced on Tuesday.”Chigumbura, who took over from Prosper Utseya in May 2010, had mixed results in his tenure as captain but his previous assignment, the 2011 World Cup, proved a disappointment for Zimbabwe, who failed to beat any of the Test-playing teams. His own form, with both bat and ball, has failed to live up to expectations; he’s averaged 21.06 with the bat and 158.50 with the ball in 20 ODIs as captain.A report in , a Zimbabwe-based newspaper, suggested that Chigumbura’s decision was final. The paper quoted Chigumbura as saying in an interview, “First and foremost I am selected to score runs and get wickets. This is something I have not been doing to the best of my abilities of late, especially the last three months. They have been difficult with all the demands of the captaincy job.”I have thought long and hard about the job since my return from the World Cup and I have consulted my family and friends about it. While some still think I should have stayed on others agreed with me that I needed to concentrate on my own game and let somebody else lead the team.”I think I will be more useful in the team if I regain my form and I know having relieved myself of this burden I will get back to my best.”Among the highlights for Chigumbura as captain were victories against India and Sri Lanka in a triangular series, in which Zimbabwe finished runners-up, at home. Zimbabwe are currently serving a self-imposed isolation from Test cricket but are expected to end it in June when they play Bangladesh.

Rohit Sharma produced his best international innings since his big-stage arrival in Australia three years ago to help India chase down 226 from 92 for 6

The Bulletin by Sidharth Monga11-Jun-2011
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were outRohit Sharma was both elegant and tough in the chase•Associated Press

Rohit Sharma produced his best international innings since his big-stage arrival in Australia three years ago to help India chase down 226 from 92 for 6. Harbhajan Singh supported him with a seventh-wicket partnership full of sensible cricket and worth 88 runs. Rohit stayed unbeaten on 86 to outdo a similar effort from Andre Russell who blasted 92 off 64 to give West Indies a defendable target after they had been 96 for 7. With the result, India took an unassailable 3-0 lead. West Indies last won an ODI series against a Test-playing nation in April 2008.Without doubt this was the best of India’s tour so far. A day when West Indies showed remarkable fight after getting off to the worst start of the series. A day when Amit Mishra mesmerised them with old-fashioned legspin full of turn, drift, bounce, straighter ones and googlies. A day when two tails wagged to provide uncertainty and drama. A day when a young talent announced himself well and proper on the international stage. A day when a young talent who has fumbled with mediocrity played a comeback innings well and proper.There were also collapses that didn’t make for pretty viewing. At 65 for 1 West Indies lost six wickets for 31, India four for 32 from 60 for 2. There were similarities in the collapses. Both began with avoidable run-outs, West Indies’ with Ramnaresh Sarwan’s and India’s with S Badrinath’s. Both lost their bats as they tried to make their crease.West Indies could claim the rest of their collapse was down to some special legspin bowling. During that period, Mishra took three wickets for one run. He set up Marlon Samuels with four legbreaks bowled with a scrambled seam. None of those turned big, and were defended well by Samuels. The change-up was the orthodox legbreak, which drifted, dipped, and then ripped past Samuels who had been lured out of the crease. Debutant Danza Hyatt was done in by a googly, and Lendl Simmons fell to another big legbreak that he was forced to play at.Simmons fell short of what would have been a sixth fifty in the last seven innings. India, too, lost opener Parthiv Patel in the 40s again. The batsmen who followed played too many shots even with the asking rate under 4.5 an over, and lost their wickets. In between Virat Kohli got a bad lbw decision. Yusuf Pathan’s dismissal seemed just as unfair; Simmons had no business back-pedalling from short midwicket – after having instinctively moved in to save the single – to complete an overhead catch well behind his body.West Indies’ comeback in the first half of the day was unexpected because of the way they have been squandering positions of strength. Here Russell and Carlton Baugh did the opposite. The two added 78 for the eighth wicket, but that alone would have been strictly consolation.To make a fight out of it, West Indies would need something special. And special Russell was in the last three overs, scoring 42 off the last 14 balls he faced. The last two overs of the innings, bowled by Raina and Praveen Kumar, went for 37. Russell just kept clearing the front leg, kept hitting off the middle of the bat, and the ball kept clearing the ground. Russell walked back to an applause from his team-mates who had found a new belief.While Russell’s innings could be seen as one played from a position where he and West Indies didn’t have much to lose, Rohit is one man who has it all to lose on this trip. Today he only gained. He tends to be a touch edgy at the start of all his innings, but today his start was the most fluent part of his innings. Coming in at 60 for 3, he went after Darren Sammy who had earlier been on a hat-trick, lofting him for a beautiful six and four off back-to-back deliveries.Rohit was in a mood to boss the game, but when he saw wickets fall at the other end he went into accumulation mode. Harbhajan proved to be an ideal partner. With the asking-rate still within reach, neither man tried to hit boundaries. There were two boundary-less spells of 10 overs each in the middle of the innings. The first one was during the collapse, and was broken only when Rohit got a low full toss on the pads, moving to 38 in the 28th over.Ten overs later, he played another beautiful punch, caressing the ball past point for four. The next three overs featured a couple of half chances, a couple of uppish shots that didn’t make it to the deep fielder. That’s when the game broke towards India. Harbhajan went with the flow and hit a four and a six in the 41st over. Russell, though, hadn’t had his last say. Off the last ball of the over, he got Harbhajan with a slower ball.In a deliberate ploy, Rohit then took the back seat, asking Praveen Kumar to go for the big hits in the batting Powerplay. Praveen’s twirls paid off, and Rohit stayed solid at the other end. After hitting the match-winning runs, Rohit pulled out one of the stumps. It could signify a turning point in a career that many believe should have taken off long ago.