The Indian squad will undergo a two-day camp in Kolkata from November 2 in preparation for the home series against Pakistan, which includes five ODIs and three Tests.A spokesman for the Cricket Association of Bengal told that the camp would be held at the Calcutta Cricket and Football Cricket (CCFC) as Eden Gardens, Kolkata’s main venue, will be hosting the Ranji Trophy Super League match between Bengal and Hyderabad from November 3.However, unlike the Eden Gardens, the CCFC doesn’t have floodlights. Three of the five ODIs against Pakistan are day-night affairs, and perhaps a camp in daylight might not be the ideal way to prepare.The CCFC hosted the Indian team prior to the 1996 World Cup, and more recently, the England squad, which held a week-long camp in 2002.The Indian squad will leave for Guwahati on November 4, a day ahead ahead of the first ODI.
Rahul Dravid has been named captain of the World Team of the Year, an award to recognise the best international players of the last 12 months, at the annual ICC Awards ceremony in Mumbai.Six teams are represented in the 12-man line-up, four of which – Ricky Ponting, Andrew Flintoff, Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath – were also named in the World Test Team of the Year in 2005. “It feels great to be back here, accepting an ICC Award,” Dravid said. “It’s the second time I have got into this team and it is a huge honour and privilege. I think to lead this time would be a pretty easy job – you would just have to throw the ball to someone and they would do the rest.”We had some very good results for a while,” Dravid said of India’s achievements in the past 12 months, “and we have stumbled since then a little so the upcoming tour to South Africa will be a great opportunity to get things back on track. I am a little disappointed that we are not in the final of the ICC Champions Trophy – it would be great to be feeling nervous ahead of that final on Sunday.”The team was chosen by a specially appointed expert panel made up of Sunil Gavaskar, Ian Healy, Allan Donald, Waqar Younis and Arjuna Ranatunga.World Test Team of the Year 2006 (in batting order): 1 Matthew Hayden (Australia), 2 Michael Hussey (Australia), 3 Ricky Ponting (Australia), 4 Rahul Dravid (India, capt), 5 Mohammad Yousuf (Pakistan), 6 Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka, wk), 7 Andrew Flintoff (England), 8 Shane Warne (Australia), 9 Makhaya Ntini (South Africa), 10 Muttiah Muralitharan (Sri Lanka), 11 Glenn McGrath (Australia), 12 Brett Lee (Australia)
A report in the Zimbabwe-based Independent claims that Tavengwa Mukuhlani, who resigned as Mashonaland Cricket Association (MCA) chairman earlier this week, was forced out by politics and personality clashes.Officially, Mukuhlani said that he stepped down for personal reasons unconnected with cricket, but he then told the paper that “power-hungry individuals who will blow in any direction” had destabilised operations in the country’s largest province.”There is a lot of politics in the province. At some point, you feel that you need to move on and contribute in some other way,” he said. “I had a long discussion with the Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) chairman [Peter Chingoka] and at the end he accepted that I was doing the right thing.”According to Mukuhlani, the controversial AGM in Bulwayo last month, where he tried to introduce a proposal that ZC officials should not hold conflicting posts, resulted in a plot to remove him. “At the AGM, I spoke strongly against dual roles in ZC. There must be a clear demarcation line between different active roles so that we do not compromise the careers of the players. What is there now is that there are no checks and balances. We have a case where the policy makers are the policy implementers, which means we have people being answerable to themselves. I do not believe in this. This is not a personal issue, but I felt that is not the correct thing to be done.”Mukuhlani suggested that Macsood Ebrahim, who lost his position as head of the selection panel at the AGM, and others were allegedly instigating the problems in the province. “Clear factions have come out with sinister agendas. They know that if they destabilise Mashonaland, everything will fall. If there is no cricket in Mashonaland then there won’t be cricket in Zimbabwe. The honest truth is that the clubs are fighting someone’s war.”Ebrahim strenuously denied that he had anything to do with any plot. “These are Mashonaland internal issues and where do I get involved involved?” Ebrahim said. “I am the chairman of Masvingo. Mashonaland has been having upheavals for eight months and they have to look at themselves and stop blaming other people. The bottom line is that there are problems in Mashonaland, but we concentrate on cricket. We must not lose it on the bigger picture.”There are widespread rumours that a behind-the-scenes power struggle is underway, with two factions battling for effective control of the board. Mukuhlani’s comments would seem to give more substance to those suggestions.
Arjuna Ranatunga, the former Sri Lankan captain, has responded to Matthew Hayden’s remark of subcontinental batsmen targeting personal landmarks. Ranatunaga said that Australian cricketers were not willing to “absorb” the success of Asian teams and even cited Hayden’s record-breaking innings, when he scored 380 against Zimbabwe, as an example of targeting personal milestones.”The best question you can ask him [Hayden] is why he batted till he got past the world record. They should have declared much before that,” Ranatunga was quoted as saying in a report by the Press Trust of India.”I feel when subcontinent cricketers are doing well, they [Australians] cannot absorb it. And it has been the pattern for so many years. The bottom line is that the subcontinental cricketers are very gifted and talented. It is the way they use their wrists and I think they are more natural sportsmen.”Ranatunga also added that he wasn’t surprised with Hayden’s comments and said, “I am quite used to it. The best thing is to perform with the bat and ball.” He touched upon the Australian tactic of mental disintegration when he said, “Normally they start with the top players and they try to put the mind into a different line.”There was also a mention of the current Indian side and Ranatunga likened them to his victorious team that won the World Cup in 1996. “I have always felt that it [the Indian team] was more like the side we had in 1996 with seven batsmen and four bowlers. Only thing is that they have to work little more on their fielding and fitness. If they do that, I am sure they will have a pretty good chance of winning the next World Cup.”
The Indian team might be a star-studded one, but John Wright, their coach, has warned that a lack of consistency could cost anyone his place.”We don’t want players to rest on their laurels," said Wright, speaking to the press at the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore. "You need to be performing consistently all the time, and it’s important for the players who are playing for India to know that young and keen and hungry players will try and force themselves into the top side."Wright’s words were directed in part at the members of the India A squad, currently at the Academy for an 18-day training camp under their newly appointed coach, Sandeep Patil. India A begin a tour of England on June 22, which could be a make-or-break tour for some of them.Wright said: “It is very good from my point of view because I get to work with some of the boys who might have an opportunity to force themselves into the top side. I am looking forward to it.”Both Wright and Patil will work at preparing the team for the six-week tour, but Wright was not apprehensive about dichotomies in coaching styles, pointing out that both he and Patil, after all, had a common goal. “I have played against him (Patil)," said Wright. "I admire him for the job he has done for the Kenyan team. It’s important that coaches learn from each other.”
Former New Zealand captain Lee Germon may return to first-class cricket this summer.Germon, who led the State Otago Volts in last summer’s domestic one-day series, is under some pressure to be available for the four-dayers this year.He will turn out next week for Otago in a four-day match against the New Zealand Academy side at Lincoln next week.The match is important for several reasons. It will give the Otago players a rare early chance to get some match play on grass while from a New Zealand perspective the game is part of all-rounder Chris Cairns’ rehabilitation from knee surgery.Otago coach Glenn Turner is keen for both sides to get the most from the match and there is likely to be flexibility regarding its day-to-day operation. For example, if both sides have been bowled out over the first three days there is then the option to play a one-day game.And Turner will be interested in the form of three of the Academy players as well as his own selection with the McCullum brothers, Nathan and Brendon, and Warren McSkimming all lining up for the Academy XI.The match will be played at Lincoln from October 2-5.The State Otago Volts squad for the game will be: Lee Germon (captain), Martyn Croy, Craig Cumming, Chris Gaffaney, Mike Hesson, Andrew Hore, Nathan Morland, Shayne O’Connor, Craig Pryor, Bradley Scott, David Sewell, Jordan Sheed, Scott Waide. Dick Quirk and Evan Marshall have been bracketed due to fitness concerns.Unavailable due to injury or other commitments are James McMillan, Robbie Lawson, Kerry Walmsley and Mark Richardson, who will be involved in his own programme at the academy.
ScorecardAlex Blake limited the damage [file picture]•Getty Images
Kent slumped to a disappointing 51-run home defeat in the Royal London Cup with more than 12 overs to spare to allow Lancashire – the team they will meet in next Saturday’s NatWest T20 Blast quarter-final at Canterbury – to land a resounding win.In seemingly ideal batting conditions, they made a complete hash of their target of 259 virtually from ball one and but for Alex Blake’s belligerent 89, would have fallen woefully short .Joe Denly was first to go, driving hard at a wide one from Kyle Jarvis to be snaffled at slip without scoring. Daniel Bell-Drummond (30) appeared well set until a Jordan Clark yorker ricocheted via the back pad onto the base of off stump.Sam Billings, driving on the charge at slow left-armer Stephen Parry, picked out Steven Croft at short extra cover then Sam Northeast (36) fenced at one from Clark to be caught behind.A ‘yes, no, sorry’ moment between Darren Stevens and Fabian Cowdrey ended with both batsmen stood at the non-striker’s end and Cowdrey’s run out , with Stevens soon to follow, made matters worse.Matt Coles heaved across the line against James Faulkner to spoon a catch to mid-on, then James Tredwell became the second run out victim when Petersen’s direct hit from point left him short of his ground.Alex Blake moved to 49 by taking 17 off four successive balls from Parry, only for Mitch Claydon to chip back a return catch and leave Kent nine down.After a 41-ball 50 with three fours and three sixes, Blake added a further three maximums in racing to 89 before being bowled when attempting a slog sweep against Faulkner.Batting first after losing the toss Lancashire’s top order struggled on a white pitch that, possibly through early morning dew, offered some early lateral seam movement to Kent’s new ball attack.Ashwell Prince got off the mark with a sweetly-timed push against Mitch Claydon in the third over but, without addition, nicked an ambitious drive against Coles to James Tredwell at second slip.In Coles’s next over Karl Brown feathered a tentative push through to the keeper Billings to leave Lancashire in trouble at 25 for two at the end of their first 10-over powerplay.Claydon gave way at the Pavilion End to Matt Hunn, who, with his second ball, had Alviro Petersen caught down the leg-side by a tumbling Billings as the South African right-hander aimed to glance.Kent should have claimed a fourth victim in the 23rd over when Liam Livingstone’s top-edged sweep off Tredwell sailed to deep mid-wicket where, somewhat inexplicably, Denly allowed a simple chance to slip through his grasp and over the ropes.Livingstone, in form of late for his Lancashire League side and the county second string, took advantage by reaching his maiden 50 for the Lancashire first team from 56 balls and with two sixes and three fours.Livingstone and Croft added 100 inside 20 overs with Croft reaching his half-century from 76-balls with only three fours but their 112-partnership ended soon after when Croft was caught low by a diving Stevens at point to give Hunn a second fortunate wicket.Livingstone was only nine short of his hundred when he toe-ended a return catch to the bowler, Stevens, when attempting a ‘Dilshan scoop’, then Faulkner wafted across the line of a full one from Coles to go leg before.After a cracking 35-ball 50 with eight fours, Alex Davies holed out to deep cover off Stevens and Parry was caught behind against Coles after throwing the kitchen sink at an attempted drive. Coles, the pick of the home attack, finished with 4 for 34.Clark skied to long-off to give Claydon his first wicket in the penultimate over but, given the conditions, Lancashire’s total of 258 for 9 still looked a below par score.Livingstone said : “It’s a massive win for us because we came here knowing we needed victory to keep ourselves in the competition. I’ve tried to change a few things with my technique and it would seem that work is starting to pay off. We know we’re playing Kent again here next week so I’d like to think I’ve given myself the best chance of playing in that one too.”Blake admitted: “Although we were only 50 short it felt like a lot more somehow. We need to win every game we can in this competition and that defeat means we’ll probably need to win our two remaining matches.”
It’s a shame last season ended when it did. No, I’m not about to poor my heart out about how much I miss football; but Andy Carroll really seemed to be stepping up after a long, long, long time. It’s also necessary to remind myself that the striker’s horrible form started in January last year, not the summer. The Euros with England, while initially looking good, probably wasn’t all that great for Carroll; he was on a high and needed to keep that momentum—or at least avoid a serious knock-back. But with Brendan Rodgers setting up camp at Anfield this summer, it looks as though the £35 million striker—which is still a struggle to write—could be on his way out.
From first glances, it looks like the right idea. Lets move away from the colossal fee that Liverpool parted with to land the striker, because he simply doesn’t fit in with the style Rodgers is likely to implement at his new club. Carroll might have been touted as something of a good footballer when he was at Newcastle and making a name for himself in the Premier League. However, we’ve nothing of late to suggest that he’s capable of being a success with Rodgers in the dugout.
The football we saw from Swansea last season was excellent ball retention, with the team moving the ball along the ground and forcing their way up the pitch. In contrast, Carroll is, well, a bit clunky and maybe a little clumsy. He doesn’t have the first touch to excel in a fast and decisive attack, and Rodgers is unlikely to alter his playing philosophy to get the best out of the big man up front.
Despite the players Rodgers has had over the years that might resemble Carroll and his strengths on the pitch, the new manager was brought in to implement a style of football that is more in keeping with what Swansea displayed for large parts of last season. Where does Andy Carroll come into play?
The counterargument (because there is always one) is that Carroll may finally have landed the manager that will get the best out of him. Carroll is young and has plenty of room to adapt his game and even become an asset to his club. Carroll evidently started to show some form towards the end of the season, and at this stage, why get rid of the striker when he’s starting to show signs of progress? The big plus is that he does give Liverpool another option up front should they decide to hoof it long. Not that I want to compare Liverpool to Barcelona, but the Catalans gave enough evidence last season that their plan A doesn’t always work.
Moreover, how do Liverpool part with Carroll now and face that huge loss on the transfer fee they paid for him? He might not be worth £35 million (again, a struggle) and he probably will never grow into a striker that warrants that kind of money. But the club have paid for him and, from a financial point of view, have to stick with what they have.
There’s also got to be a real level of curiosity to see exactly what Rodgers can get out of Carroll. A new manager, a new set of ideas; why give up before they’ve even got going? Sure, Liverpool could stand to lose out on European football next season, but with or without Carroll, would they really be that much closer? If the answer is yes and it’s based on Rodgers’ arrival, then why can’t Carroll dramatically improve his game?
The striker gave a good account of himself over a small number of games last season and this summer, but if the club really want to get rid and cut their losses, at least wait until next season. There’s no harm in keeping Carroll, and again, there’s a possibly that he could become an integral part of a new manager’s setup.
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Next year may be the right time to move on, and January 2011 was definitely the right time to move on, as Newcastle named their price of about £20 million too much. But for Liverpool to cut their losses this season would be a big mistake. Unfortunately, it does appear to be inevitable.
Roberto Mancini has admitted he could pull the plug on a deal for Samir Nasri if he plays in the Champions League for Arsenal on Wednesday, the Guardian understands.
Nasri, who made a surprise start in the Gunners defeat to Liverpool on Saturday, is in line to start against Udinese in the play-off second leg, which would make him ineligible for City’s campaign in the competition.
Mancini has declared that if Arsene Wenger does play his £25 million target it could prove to be a deal-breaker leaving the midfielder stuck at the Emirates.
“If he plays in the Champions League [for Arsenal] it is a big problem. I don’t know [if we would still sign him]. I’m sure we can close the deal.” The Italian said.
“But it’s a problem because we have followed Nasri for 40 days and it’s important we take him. Also, for Nasri, I think it will be important [for him] to play in all the Champions League.”
Despite the threat of Nasri being unable to play in the Champions League and reports in France claiming the deal had broken down the City boss is confident of bringing the 24-year-old to the Etihad Stadium and believes an agreement will be reached soon.
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Inter Milan coach Leonardo is counting on the intimidating atmosphere of the Stadio San Paolo to fire up his players for the trip to Napoli.
Coppa Italia holders Inter are away to Napoli – second in the Serie A table – in a quarter-final on Wednesday, with a place in the last four at stake.
Inter suffered their first defeat under Leonardo on Sunday, going down 3-1 at Udinese in Serie A.
But the former Brazil international will resist the temptation to rotate his squad in the cup, instead calling for consistency and challenging the players to rise to the occasion of the knock-out tie.
“Napoli have put in some great performances in the last few matches,” Leonardo said.
“We played a great match against Napoli in the home game. I think we’ll be finding a team similar to that one.”
“As far as I’ve been told, San Paolo has a great and extraordinary atmosphere. There are a lot of supporters and therefore there is a lot of attention put on the match.”
“Of course we should be consistent. This is essential if you want to win the final match. Regardless of the competition, we’re talking about a quarter-final match which may qualify us for the semi-final and we are playing against Napoli.”
“I think that the motivation is crystal clear and there is no need to make differences between the different kind of competitions. If it’s championship (Serie A), Champions League or Coppa Italia. It is just a match and Inter Milan will be playing an away match, therefore I think that incentives are no different.”
Napoli lost 3-1 away to Inter in their league meeting on January 6, but coach Walter Mazzari will put his faith in the same group of players to achieve the right result at the second time of asking.
“This is a proud team, just like the coach,” Mazzari said.
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“Most likely we’ll start with the same players who played in San Siro.”
“As we’ve done up to now, we’ll be focusing on one match at a time, therefore the next match is always the most important.”
“As far as I’m concerned, I’d like to always win. If we manage to play at one hundred percent, we should try to achieve 110 percent – this is how it should be.”