County cricket – live! | Vic Marks, Andy Wilson and Richard Gibson - The Guardian (blog)

Graham Onions in action for Durham against Warwickshire on day one at Edgbaston. Photograph: Stu Forster/Getty Images12.04pm: An early lunch has been taken and play is scheduled to begin at 1.10pm at Edgbaston, with the second day's over-allotment reduced by 16 to 80, writes Richard Gibson.

11.31am: Greetings from a dank Lord's where there was talk of a 11.45 start but don't bank on it, writes Vic Marks.

Just been catching up on the fact that Chris Gayle will not be joining Somerset for the Twenty20. This will be a disappointment to many down in Taunton relishing the idea of a Trescothick and Gayle opening partnership (not much running necessary). In fact there is no guarantee that Trescothick will play all the Twenty20 either as he recuperates from his ankle op.

We assume that we will see Gayle instead in the ODIs, so some consolation for the non-parochials. But it is galling that Somerset have their No Objection certificate from the West Indies; they have their contract with Gayle and have been left in the lurch – except that they are making an announcement this afternoon about a Gayle replacement. Lips sealed until then but I imagine he may be a bit cheaper. Still no toss here.

11.30am: The scoreboard at Edgbaston has displayed a rather hopeful message for the past hour, writes Richard Gibson. It simply reads: "There will be an inspection at 11.15am - Provided no further rain."

It remained up while messrs Bainton and Kettleborough waded past one of two super-soppers to get within 20 yards of the square. However, while groundstaff have begun the process of uncovering it, it appears unlikely that we will have any play before 12.30pm.

But I can tell you about a potential return for Warwickshire's England cap Chris Woakes. Ashley Giles, the county's director of cricket, has ruled out a second-team outing against Middlesex next week but he could get a run out in the 40-over game at Edgbaston, against Derbyshire in 10 days' time. Warwickshire's first one-day game of the season is at home to Northamptonshire on Sunday but that appears to be over-optimistic.

"He's making great strides and he will come back in next week and bowl some more. We have a couple of one-day games next week which he could
play in, although one-day cricket is a slight risk because of how busy it is," said Giles.

11.01am: After the false alarm caused by James Anderson's thumb injury yesterday, discipline is the main theme this morning, writes Andy Wilson. The first day of the Championship match between Lancashire and Nottinghamshire saw three of the England players involved in this fixture – Anderson, Stuart Broad and Graeme Swann – expressing visible displeasure about umpiring decisions. All three would seem to have escaped any further action. But Swann continued his chuntering into the night, tweeting as he cheered Newcastle's victory over Chelsea: "I would happily be given out bat before wicket every day if it meant Cissé scored two goals like that."

Is that acceptable? It seems a bit churlish and heavyhanded even mentioning it, but had it happened in football, it would be a much bigger deal. The whole issue over player behaviour, and specifically in this case of the conduct of England players when they return to county cricket, has provoked much discussion.

Anyway it's another pleasant sunny morning, if a little fresh, and Lancashire will resume on 48 for one in reply to Nottinghamshire's 169, having lost Paul Horton in the last over of the first day. That means Broad will be bowling again, having shown no reaction to his recent calf problems in a few overs with the new ball last night. But there must be a doubt over whether Anderson will bat for Lancashire to avoid any further blows to his thumb – he was conspicuous by his absence during their fielding practice this morning – and Tom Smith will probably need a runner after pulling up with a hamstring problem when bowling yesterday.

10.10am: Welcome to the county cricket live blog for the latest round of Championship action. Our writers will be here with all the day's play shortly. Andy Wilson is back for day two at Old Trafford for Lancashire v Nottinghamshire, Richard Gibson is in Birmingham for the second day of Warwickshire v Durham, and Vic Marks will be at Lord's for the opening day of Middlesex v Worcestershire.

You can find full fixture lists for the season here and county-by-county previews here. You can follow the action throughout the season here. Watch video highlights here.

There's also county cricket commentaries on BBC local radio here.

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PCB urged to improve domestic cricket - The Nation, Pakistan

LAHORE - A number of Pakistan’s former cricketers have urged Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to focus on the domestic cricket of the country and feel that first-class cricketers should be paid more.
Over the years, there has been a lot of criticism on the structure of Pakistan’s domestic cricket and some of the former cricketers, including the World Cup winning captain, Imran Khan, are of the opinion that the current make-up of the national cricket does not possess the ability to produce high-quality players. They feel that the Green Shirts are able to survive at the highest stage of the game merely because of natural talent.
Since March, 2009, no international cricket has been played in the country because of security concerns. Most of the cricket pundits feel that PCB should take this period as a blessing in disguise and it should concentrate on the grass-roots level of the sport.
The former fast bowler, Jalaluddin expressed that the domestic season of 2011-12 has just finished and now is the right time for the board to change the formation of national cricket and bring in some innovations for next year. The former cricketer said that the domestic players are not paid well in Pakistan and this is one of the major flaws of the system. He wants PCB to increase their salaries, so that the domestic players have proper financial security.  
Jalal believes, "The season has been wrapped up. Now, we're heading into a new one and this is the perfect time to make changes because it will give breathing space to the PCB officials. The contracts of domestic cricketers should be improved as well and the PCB should facilitate 200 players instead of taking care of just 16 national team members."
Asian Bradman Zaheer Abbas is also also expecting the cricket board to work for the betterment of domestic cricket.

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Won't quit cricket for politics: Sachin - PakTribune.com

03 May, 2012

In his first comments since being nominated to the Rajya Sabha, Sachin Tendulkar today said that the ?biggest honour? not withstanding, he would not give up cricket to join politics.

In his first comments since being nominated to the Rajya Sabha, Sachin Tendulkar today said that the “biggest honour” not withstanding, he would not give up cricket to join politics.

“I have been nominated because I am a sportsman and not a politician. I am a sportsman and will always remain one. I am not going to enter politics giving up cricket, which is my life. I will continue to play cricket,” Tendulkar said at a function organised by a realty firm to felicitate him on Maharashtra Day.

To a large, cheering crowd of mainly students and IT professionals, Tendulkar said it was “the biggest honour to be nominated to Rajya Sabha”. “The honour has come from the President of the country... The likes of Lata Mangeshkar and Prithviraj Kapoor have graced the House. It is an honour...to follow in their footsteps,” he said.

Tendulkar said he had played for over 22 years, and believed the nomination to Parliament was the result of what he had achieved on the field. “This is the appreciation of a sportsman, not of a politician,” he said, adding, “I will contribute my expertise in cricket in the House”.

Tendulkar's Rajya Sabha nomination had been criticised by Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray as the Congress s “Dirty Picture”. “It is Congress s dirtiest play... the real Dirty Picture is this,” Thackeray had said. In an editorial, Sena mouthpiece Saamna said, “Crores of Sachin s fans would have liked to call him 'Bharat Ratna Sachin Tendulkar'. Alas, he will now only be 'Sachin Tendulkar, MP'.”

End.

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If cricket is religion in India, it is theatre and night club in the Caribbean - Cricket Country

Michael Clarke's captaincy was fantastic. His positive, aggressive attitude will be great for Test cricket. © AFP

By Justin Langer

The spirit of the West Indies is an indelible part of my journey in cricket. Seventeen years ago when Australia regained the Frank Worrell Trophy in Jamaica, I had a tattoo needled into my left butt cheek. That tattoo is similar to the engraving of the kangaroo and palm tree which lies on the silver plaque sitting on the cherished Frank Worrell Trophy.

I didn’t know then just how important that tour was to Australian cricket. On reflection, I understand now. Against all odds Australia triumphed and I learned so much about the Australian way of winning, even though I was sitting on the sidelines, running drinks with a young Ricky Ponting.

Amongst the contest out on the field, we also learned about the passion of cricket and of another way of celebrating the game through music, dancing and talk.

It is said that cricket in India is like a religion. In the West Indies, it is a combination of theatre and a night club. The passion for the game is intense, but regardless of the result, the West Indian people seem to have so much fun.

From the moment we arrived at the ground each day, to the moment the last drinks are called in the hotel, there is music, loud, loud music. People dance and sing and smile and laugh. When they are not doing that, or drinking beer or rum, they are talking cricket. To be more specific, they are usually arguing more about cricket, than just talking about it. Such is the passion, that they are all experts, who have an opinion on the fortunes of their national team and the triumphs or downfalls that go with being the West Indian cricket team. Because of this passion I am going to miss the West Indies. The West Indian people have shown me, once again, that amid the new age of professionalism, cricket is still allowed to be fun. We have had so much fun on and off the field and while it has been tough for many reasons, I hope to return again one day.

Promisingly, this Test series has uncovered some hope for the West Indies. Their enthusiasm and on-field spirit has again matched the passion of their supporters, and/or critics. Throughout, we have had to fight hard to regain the trophy. The contest provided by the Darren Sammy led West Indies on slow, lifeless pitches meant we had to find new ways to win away from home. Our slow scoring rates were a reflection of West Indies discipline and the tough batting conditions. Unlike the summer, where we dominated with the bat, our top seven batsmen had to work overtime to find breath against the suffocating strategies of the West Indies attack and the conditions we were playing in.

Only Matthew Wade scored a century. And what a hundred it was! On a Dominican pitch that was bouncing and spinning more than we see in India, he swept, cut and drove his way to a maiden Test century. Not only did achieve this proud milestone in only his third Test match, but he also went against the trends of the series by scoring it in almost, run a ball fashion. His aggression was entertaining, inspiring and ultimately match-winning; all qualities of a high class Test player. In the absence of Brad Haddin, Matthew Wade has been one of the highlights of the tour. Most impressive was his obvious improvement throughout the summer. By the end, his feet were dancing behind the stumps, he was scoring valuable runs and his energy was infectious.

Other questions were also answered for us. Although not prolific, Ed Cowan's contributions were promising. He fielded brilliantly, batted well and provided important leadership and character to the squad. On ANZAC Day, he was invited to address the team about the importance of our past soldiers. His presentation was outstanding. In the process he unraveled the type of people we need to take Australian cricket forward.

For our younger players like Nathan Lyon, David Warner, Mitchell Starc, James Pattinson and Peter Forrest, the last six months have been valuable. While we would like Ricky Ponting and Michael Hussey to play forever, they will one day move away from the game they love. Before this happens, the more these guys can learn and develop the better off we will be going forward.

Michael Clarke's on field captaincy was fantastic. If his declaration in Trinidad is anything to go by then we might be spending some time on the edges of our seats, but this positive, aggressive attitude will be great for Test cricket, which hasn't been let down, once again, by this series. Little things like unusual, but well thought out field placements, or throwing the ball to Mike Hussey or Davie Warner for a few overs, keeps everyone enthralled by what is going to happen next. Like an impatient schoolboy, he is never going to let things get boring, it is just not his way. The game of Test cricket will be better off for this approach.

I believe the game will also be better off if we continue playing Test cricket on pitches offering more life than those in the Caribbean. The slower scoring rates and lack of bouncers almost negate the pageantry and entertainment that is synonymous with West Indian cricket. Our summer at home was a fascinating showcase of Test cricket that kept moving forward. At times this series, the cricket was more an arm wrestle than an entertainment package. Imagine West Indian cricket being played on lively, bouncy pitches with high scoring rates and a high rate of attrition for those batsmen not willing to put their skill and courage on the line every time they went to the crease.

If the West Indian crowds are like a nightclub during the day now, imagine the frenzy if the cricket was being played at a similarly frenetic pace. Caribbean cricket would then be one of the great Test cricket showcases on earth. This said, the cricket was tough and grinding but fascinating to watch. At no stage did we feel like we could steamroll our opponent.

On paper, some may have predicted such an outcome, but players like the run-machine Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Kemar Roach, Shane Shillingford and Sammy just wouldn't go away.

Looking forward, such competition will be an excellent lesson for our developing team. Old pros like Ponting, Clarke and Hussey have seen it all before, but our younger, less-experienced players will be better off for the battle.

Ben Hilfenhaus continues to improve and lead the attack, while we pray Peter Siddle and Ryan Harris stay fit and strong, during the development periods of younger players like Pattinson, Starc and Pat Cummins. After being away from home for much of the last 44 weeks, it goes without saying that I am delighted about being home with my family, friends and simple luxuries of Perth life, but I have left with a tinge of sadness. There will be no tattoos this time, but rather more great memories and friendships from the magnificent West Indies. 

(Justin Langer was an integral part of the all-conquering Australian cricket team and formed one of the greatest opening partnerships in the game with Mathew Hayden. Langer played 105 Tests and scored 7,696 runs, including 23 Test centuries. In 2009, he surpassed Sir Donald Bradman as the most prolific batsman in Australian cricket with a total of 28,068 first-class runs. In November 2009, he was appointed as Batting/Mentoring Coach for the Australian cricket team and in May 2011 was appointed to the full-time role as Assistant Coach. Langer espouses the philosophy of encouraging excellence which incorporates his belief in the power of passion, vision, leadership, mentoring and developing a winning mentality. He is a keynote speaker, performance consultant, mentor, philanthropist and author. Read all about Langer on his website http://www.justinlanger.com.au/)

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Won't quit cricket for politics: Sachin - PakTribune.com

03 May, 2012

In his first comments since being nominated to the Rajya Sabha, Sachin Tendulkar today said that the ?biggest honour? not withstanding, he would not give up cricket to join politics.

In his first comments since being nominated to the Rajya Sabha, Sachin Tendulkar today said that the “biggest honour” not withstanding, he would not give up cricket to join politics.

“I have been nominated because I am a sportsman and not a politician. I am a sportsman and will always remain one. I am not going to enter politics giving up cricket, which is my life. I will continue to play cricket,” Tendulkar said at a function organised by a realty firm to felicitate him on Maharashtra Day.

To a large, cheering crowd of mainly students and IT professionals, Tendulkar said it was “the biggest honour to be nominated to Rajya Sabha”. “The honour has come from the President of the country... The likes of Lata Mangeshkar and Prithviraj Kapoor have graced the House. It is an honour...to follow in their footsteps,” he said.

Tendulkar said he had played for over 22 years, and believed the nomination to Parliament was the result of what he had achieved on the field. “This is the appreciation of a sportsman, not of a politician,” he said, adding, “I will contribute my expertise in cricket in the House”.

Tendulkar's Rajya Sabha nomination had been criticised by Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray as the Congress s “Dirty Picture”. “It is Congress s dirtiest play... the real Dirty Picture is this,” Thackeray had said. In an editorial, Sena mouthpiece Saamna said, “Crores of Sachin s fans would have liked to call him 'Bharat Ratna Sachin Tendulkar'. Alas, he will now only be 'Sachin Tendulkar, MP'.”

End.

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