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South Africa have rested Jacques Kallis for the ODI series against England, with Dean Elgar taking his place in the squad

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Jul-2012South Africa have given the clearest indication yet that Jacques Kallis will form part of their World Twenty20 plans by resting him for the ODI series against England. Kallis has not played T20I cricket for South Africa since the 2010 World Twenty20, apart from a one-off game against India in his honour in March, but was named in a 30-man provisional squad for Sri Lanka last week.His place in the 15-man party for the five-match ODI series with England will be taken by the uncapped allrounder Dean Elgar. He was named in South Africa’s squad to face Sri Lanka in January, before torn knee ligaments prevented him from making an international debut.Imran Tahir, whose last ODI appearance came in the 2011 World Cup, is recalled, while the seamer Ryan McLaren, who played the last of his 10 ODIs in 2010, also returns after recovering from a side strain sustained while playing for South Africa A earlier in the month. Wayne Parnell remains in the squad despite allegedly testing positive for drugs after a rave party in Mumbai in May following his IPL commitments.”Dean has been in our plans for some time and might well have made his debut last year but for injury,” CSA selection convener, Andrew Hudson, said. “Imran is a genuine wicket-taking bowler and his selection enables us to explore our options in this area.”Ryan has just come off some exceptional form for the South Africa A side and the added depth he provides in the seam bowling department will allow us to rotate players if we feel the need arises.”Parnell, Faf du Plessis, Justin Ontong, Elgar and McLaren are due to travel to Ireland with South Africa A for two four-day matches and an unofficial ODI, before joining the rest of the squad in England. South Africa will name their squad for the Twenty20 international series against England, as well as the World Twenty20, in August.South Africa squad AB de Villiers (capt), Hashim Amla (vice-capt), JP Duminy, Faf du Plessis, Dean Elgar, Imran Tahir, Ryan McLaren, Albie Morkel, Morne Morkel, Justin Ontong, Wayne Parnell, Robin Peterson, Graeme Smith, Dale Steyn, Lonwabo Tsotsobe

The coach “had some really interesting chats” with Shaw during 2020 IPL

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Apr-2021Prithvi Shaw doesn’t like to work in the nets when he is struggling for runs, but keeps on batting and batting in the nets when he is in form. The Delhi Capitals head coach Ricky Ponting revealed this “interesting theory” of Shaw, who had an unimpressive IPL in 2020 with just 228 runs from 13 innings at an average of 17.53. Ponting said he tried hard to get Shaw to work on certain aspects of his game when the opener was out of form during the last IPL, but couldn’t get Shaw into the nets.”I’ve had some really interesting chats with him through last year’s IPL, just trying to break him down, trying to find out exactly what was the right way to coach him and how I was going to get the best out of him,” Ponting told “He had an interesting theory on his batting last year. When he’s not scoring runs, he won’t bat, and when he is scoring runs, he wants to keep batting all the time. He had four or five games where he made under ten and I’m telling him, ‘We have to go to the nets and work out [what’s wrong]’, and he looked me in the eye and said, ‘No, I’m not batting today’. I couldn’t really work that out.Related

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“He might have changed. I know he’s done a lot of work over the last few months, that theory that he had might have changed, and hopefully, it has, because if we can get the best out of him, he could be a superstar player.”Ponting said that he told Shaw during the 2020 IPL that he disagreed with his philosophy about practice. Shaw started the tournament as the Capitals’ incumbent opener but eventually lost his place in the XI due to poor form.”I was going pretty hard at him,” Ponting said. “I was basically telling him, ‘Mate you’ve got to get in the nets. Whatever you think you’re working on, is not working for you.'”It’s my job as a coach to challenge someone’s preparation if they’re not getting results. So I challenged him and he stuck to his word and he didn’t practice much at all towards the back-end of the tournament, and didn’t get many runs towards the back-end of the tournament either.”After the IPL, Shaw played the opening Test in Adelaide in December but was dropped after he survived just six balls and was bowled by incoming deliveries. Shaw later said he felt “worthless” after being dropped and “broke down” in his room.Shaw then turned to the nets with India head coach Ravi Shastri and batting coach Vikram Rathour, and played the Vijay Hazare Trophy – India’s 50-over tournament – to amass 827 runs in eight matches, leading Mumbai to a title win by smashing 73 off 39 in the final against Uttar Pradesh. He averaged 165.40 in the tournament, striking at 138.29, with the help of four centuries which included unbeaten knocks of 227 and 185.Ponting said Shaw’s form is perfect for the Capitals because it gives them a better balance.”Maybe [his training habits] have changed for the better, because [his success] won’t just be for the Delhi Capitals, I’m sure you’ll see him play a lot of cricket for India as well in the coming years,” Ponting said. “He’s diminutive, in the Tendulkar sort of mould but hits the ball incredibly powerfully off the front and back foot, and plays spin really well.”If we can get him to take that form that he’s just shown into the IPL, it just makes the balance on our Delhi Capitals side so good. If [the penny] does drop – I’m not sure I’ve seen many more talented players than him in my whole time of playing the game.”

The former NZ opener is hoping to use his life as an example to deter other players from getting caught up in corruption

Nagraj Gollapudi15-Jan-2021Lou Vincent, the former New Zealand opener, is considering an approach to the ECB to plea for “leniency”, more than six years after being found guilty on 11 counts of match-fixing.Speaking for only the second time since admitting, in an open letter in 2014, that he was a “cheat”, Vincent reiterated to Giving the Game Away podcast that he accepted his punishment, a life ban from playing cricket at any level, entering any cricket ground, or coach the game in a professional capacity.However, having forged a new life as a builder in the small town of Raglan, a surfing destination in the Waikato region of New Zealand, Vincent explained how his story has been used as an example of the perils of corruption – not just in cricket, but by the country’s Olympics athletes, by women hockey players ahead of the World Cup and New Zealand soccer teams, and even by the New Zealand Police during an anti-fraud and money laundering seminar.Since leaving the game, Vincent has set up the informal Windy Ridge Cricket Club, a place in his backyard where folks can walk in and use his kit from all his years of playing cricket across the globe. However, he says that the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic has helped to rekindle his love of the sport, and he now hopes to be able to give back to cricket in some capacity in the future.”I will be approaching the ECB at some point and saying “Hey, this is what I’m doing. I want to be respectful,” Vincent told recently. “I accept my punishment. But I think I have got a part to play and if there’s going to be any leniency in the future, possibly sort of downgrading the 11 life bans…will be something I am going to try for. Absolutely.”Delivering the MCC’s Spirt of Cricket Lecture in 2016, Brendon McCullum, the former New Zealand captain, had said that Vincent deserved “clemency” after “baring his soul” to help the anti-corruption authorities in the Chris Cairns trial, which focussed on his involvement in the now-defunct Champions League T20, hosted by the BCCI.Instead, McCullum pointed out that Vincent had the “book thrown” at him, in particular by the ECB, who handed him 11 life-bans pertaining to county matches during his time at Sussex at 2008, and seven offences committed at the 2011 Champions League.In December, during the first Test between New Zealand and West Indies in Hamilton, kids that Vincent coaches in Raglan went to see the match wearing his various shirts from his playing days. The gesture, Vincent says was a “bit of a moral support” to help him overturn his ban.‘I’d just been completely honey-trapped into a bookie’ Vincent last played international cricket in 2007. Having a hit a “wall of depression” he decided to move to the UK. The same year the Indian Cricket League (ICL), a rebel T20 tournament, was launched in India. Vincent decided to play the ICL to sustain himself. There, a bookie, posing as a bat-maker, contacted Vincent. Despite having attended a dozen education programs, conducted by the anti-corruption unit, Vincent got sucked into the “honey trap”.”He got straight into it,” Vincent said, recounting the incident. “He said: ‘Listen, right, this is how the business works’ and he pulled out US$15,000 cash and set it on the table and said, ‘right that’s our down payment. We deal in cash. What we do is we bet inside games’. And I was like, ‘oh sh*t’ – that’s when the penny dropped that I’d just been completely honey-trapped into a bookie.”Because we had education, I had probably sat through about 12 seminars during my cricketing career, sort of warning us of this but I was like oh, this is never going to happen to me, no chance it’s going to. Then it was like, oh sh*t, I’m in trouble here. He’s probably got cameras around the room recording what’s just happened and he’s given me US$15000 cash, explaining how the betting system works and all that. I was like, oh I’ve got to get out this room. I said, ‘Listen okay cool, I’ll have a think about it. I’ll go downstairs and have a think about it’.According to Vincent, corrupters are always looking to groom players who are vulnerable. The grooming in his case, Vincent pointed out, started with simple instruction before it became technical. “It was pretty straightforward – as an opening batsman, I was just asked to score between 10 and 15 runs off 20 balls and get out. That’s it, job done, US$50,000 in some random account in Dubai – all yours, no worries, piece of cake, keep it simple. That’s how it all started; It started very simply and then, as I got deeper involved with match-fixing, and you started dealing with other bookies, it became more technical.”Say in a T20 match, where it was broken into five-over sessions – so the first five, the second five overs, the third five overs, and then the last five. At the end of the second session, which is overs 6-10, they’ll choose three-over blocks during those sessions. For example, overs eight, nine and ten, they would only want to see 12-14 runs scored. So off the three overs, 12-14 runs, isn’t much in a T20 match. It is about controlling the runs and being on strike, playing and missing, hitting to the fielders and then getting out. That was the probably the hardest part: to control a game when you are on the take and the other person isn’t.”So you can see why they groom you or threaten you to get other players because the more players involved in a team the more they can guarantee the betting is controlled. We are talking about hundreds of thousands and millions of dollars bet on certain situations of a game. It is massive money. Huge money.”‘You’re always living with a noose around your neck’ The creation of several T20 leagues across the globe, Vincent pointed out, is a hot bed for corrupt elements as they are on the prowl to tap into any kind of insecurity or ‘change room jealousy” that can emanate from players being paid varied money. According to Vincent, corrupters are looking for vulnerable young players and approach them. Vincent’s advice is not let money “ruin” the career.Vincent also said that during his dealings with the corrupters he encountered “gangsters” who are very “threatening”. “Once you are there, you’re always living with a noose around your neck waiting to be bribed. There’s always subtle conversations about your children and where you lived and things they knew about you that you didn’t even know.”In his 2014 confession statement, Vincent had said he would regret his actions “for the rest of his life”. The 42-year old now does not want young players to go through what he did. Vincent believes with even club sport being streamed worldwide “amateurs” are at the risk of being approached by corruptors and that is why he has been keen to go out and tell his story to avoid it being repeated.”But for now I am just going to keep things simple and keep things fun. And keep working towards just…yeah, enjoying life. Because, man, people try and take it out on you. People crush you, But, no, I’ll not let that happen again.”

Mike Powell scored his first century in the County Championship for three years as Kent took control against Northamptonshire

13-Apr-2012
ScorecardMichael Powell scored his first century in the County Championship for three years as Kent took control on the second day of their match against Northamptonshire.In just his second game since his move from Glamorgan, Powell piled on an unbeaten 128 off 227 balls, including 19 fours, as Kent were bowled out for 368. Jack Brooks was by far the most effective bowler in taking 5 for 98 before Northants struggled in reply to close on 50 for 4, 186 runs behind the visitors.Kent began the day on 127 for 3, just five runs behind their opponents, with West Indies batsman Brendan Nash resuming on 40 and nightwatchman Mark Davies on 2 yet neither would see out the first over. But Davies was to depart to the third ball of the day when he pushed Brooks out to cover, only for David Willey to hit direct hit at the bowler’s end.Nash, who also failed to add to his overnight total, followed him in the final ball of the first over when Brooks took out his middle and leg stumps. Darren Stevens made just 8 before he was pinned lbw by Chaminda Vaas.Powell, however, was to reach a half-century off 77 balls and he went on to complete his 26th first-class ton – and his first since July 2009, for Glamorgan against Essex – off his 173rd delivery.Former England wicketkeeper Geraint Jones then patiently went past 50 off 135 deliveries before he departed on 53 when bowled by Willey to end a crucial partnership of 165 with Powell. In the fifth over of the evening, Brooks bowled James Tredwell (10) before Matt Coles (17) was stumped off James Middlebrook. Charlie Shreck then presented Brooks with the fourth five-wicket haul of his career when he allowed a straight delivery to clatter into his stumps.In reply, Northants were to lose opener Stephen Peters for a single in the fourth over when he edged Shreck to Tredwell at second slip. Rob Newton then fell victim to Coles when he was superbly caught by a diving Jones before the same bowler trapped Kyle Coetzer lbw four balls later.To compound the problems Alex Wakely threw his wicket away by chipping Shreck to Kent captain Rob Key at mid-on, leaving his team in a desperate position going into the third day.

Independent analysis confirms all members of touring party are Covid-negative

Matt Roller08-Dec-2020England have announced that the two suspected cases of Covid-19 within their touring party were false positives, following independent ratification of the tests.The ECB revealed on Sunday that a full round of tests had returned “unconfirmed positive” results for two members of the touring group, understood to be a player and a member of support staff.Neither displayed any symptoms, raising the possibility that they had received false positives, and after further analysis of the results in both Cape Town and London, Professor Nick Peirce, the ECB’s chief medical officer, issued a statement to say that neither individual was Covid-positive.ALSO READ: England blame ‘unacceptable’ nets after claims of Covid protocols breach“Following the independent ratification of the two unconfirmed positive Covid-19 tests from the England camp in South Africa, the England and Wales Cricket Board can confirm that, following further testing and analysis, in the opinion of the independent virologists based in Cape Town and London, the two individuals are not infected, and do not pose any risk of passing on the infection to the rest of the party,” the statement said.”As such, the advice is they are now free to join the rest of the group and are no longer self-isolating.”Ashley Giles, the ECB director of men’s cricket, and medical staff would have been among those to stay behind in South Africa until December 15 if the individuals had been confirmed as positive. Instead, they will be free to fly home on Thursday on the team’s chartered flight.Sam Billings, Lewis Gregory, Liam Livingstone and Jason Roy will all travel to Australia to begin a 14-day quarantine period ahead of the Big Bash League, while it is understood that Jake Ball may join them after being sounded out as a possible replacement for Tom Curran at the Sydney Sixers.The Vineyard Hotel in Cape Town, where England and South Africa’s squads have been staying•Getty Images

Meanwhile, the South African player who tested positive before the ODI series – understood to be Heinrich Klaasen, who also missed the third T20I – has returned home to Johannesburg after returning a negative test on Monday.Confirmation that the players were not infected with Covid-19 came less than 24 hours after the tour’s abandonment, with the chief executives of both CSA and ECB citing player welfare in the decision to postpone the three-match ODI series indefinitely.Giles told British newspapers in Cape Town last night that the call had been taken in recognition of the fact that the squad felt distracted and had been unsettled by news of the initial positive results.”These guys have been living in bubbles for long periods of time and their mental health and wellbeing is the absolute priority for us,” he said. “I think we felt ultimately focusing on a game of cricket, and trying to squeeze two games into two days when this had been going on in the background, was going to be particularly difficult and we were better off calling it and looking to re-arrange these fixtures at a better time.”Giles had also confirmed the England camp’s doubts about the efficacy of CSA’s Covid protocols, though news that nobody in the touring party was infected with the virus will be reassuring for the home board ahead of scheduled series against Sri Lanka, Australia and Pakistan later this season.”I think the thing that really raised the levels of anxiety and nervousness were that we were coming into a biosecure environment and from very early on it appeared that it wasn’t biosecure,” Giles said. “I think the South African [team] doctor has said he could understand our nervousness because of that.”In future, perhaps we can never guarantee a place is biosecure. Maybe we have to adapt but that is the environment we expected when we came here.”

Batsman sets out stall for winter with impressive display after year out of Test team

Andrew Miller18-Jan-2021Jonny Bairstow has said that the pleasure of sealing victory in the first Test at Galle makes the hardships of life in the England bubble worthwhile, after he and Dan Lawrence soothed the team’s jitters on the final morning to seal an emphatic seven-wicket victory over Sri Lanka.Bairstow, back in the Test side for the first time in more than a year, impressed in both innings, with a hard-fought 47 on the first day, and an unbeaten 35 on the fifth, as he withstood the threat of Sri Lanka’s spinners – in particular Lasith Embuldeniya – in an unbroken 62-run stand for the fourth wicket.And while it’s early days in his return to Test cricket, the confidence and proactivity shown by Bairstow on a wearing pitch augurs well for the rest of a tough winter schedule, starting with Friday’s second Test, also at Galle, and moving swiftly on to four Tests in India.”We saw yesterday a lot more balls were raising off a length, there were some chunks coming out just over the five-foot mark,” Bairstow said in the moments after hitting the winning boundary for England. “It was tricky, so I think the big decision was just being precise in your movements. We saw going forward and really stretching, it was bouncing.”Bairstow’s sixth and most recent Test century also came while batting at No. 3 in Sri Lanka two winters ago, and his tally of 82 runs for once out in this contest lifts his overall average from 13 Tests in Asia to 37.63, a higher figure than his overall mark of 35.14.Though his return to the team came about, in part, due to some notable absentees – most particularly Ben Stokes, rested for this leg of the winter, but also Ollie Pope, who is currently recovering from a shoulder injury – Bairstow’s proven ability against spin could yet make him a key part of England’s line-up for the remainder of the winter.Even so, he might have been run out early in his innings, after taking off for an unwise single moments after his captain, Joe Root, had departed in the same manner. But thereafter Bairstow exuded confidence, both in his own game, and in that of his young batting partner, Lawrence, who finished an outstanding debut on 21 not out to go with his first-innings 73.Asked what advice he had offered his team-mate when play resumed on the final morning, Bairstow said: “Look, you need 36 runs. I think that’s the that’s the be-all and end-all of it, isn’t it? It doesn’t matter how you get there. You just need to score the runs and, on a pitch like that, I think if you’re not proactive, if you’re not looking to score in your areas, then I think there’s going to be a good ball that comes your way.”That was the mindset, to go out and be busy, running between the wickets is a huge a huge part of it, especially over here with the outfields being slightly slower. Just making sure that we’re pressing them in the field, and running hard.”The win was England’s fourth in a row in Asia, dating back to their 3-0 series success on the last tour of Sri Lanka, and their fourth in a row overseas, following a trio of wins in South Africa last winter, a feat that England have not achieved since the 1950s. And Bairstow was delighted, not just for himself, but for the whole team that has had to adapt its preparations to cope with the restrictions of the Covid-19 pandemic.”It’s absolutely fantastic,” he said. “It’s difficult when you come to the subcontinent. You know the challenges that you’re going to have, but to get a win on the board in the first game, with a pretty short lead-up to be quite honest, is pleasing for all the boys.”Rooty in the first innings, Bessy with the ball in the first innings, Leachy in the second innings, and the efforts that the fast bowlers put in as well, I think a huge amount of credit has to go to them.Dan Lawrence and Jonny Bairstow celebrate the moment of victory•SLC

“They properly toiled away, Sam [Curran] got that early breakthrough, there was Broady too in the first innings with his legcutters, and then someone like Woody. The hard toil that he’s put in there, running in and really making it uncomfortable, it puts people on the back foot to try and exploit other options at the other end, so a huge amount of credit goes to those guys.”It’s been tricky,” he added, when asked about adapting to life inside the England bubble. “I was happy that the Christmas break came around because I think I had about six nights at home since the beginning of August.”It’s tough, I’m not going to lie about it. It’s something that does take its toll, because you are going from hotel to the cricket ground and back to the hotel, and unfortunately the guys are not able to see their families, kids, wives, girlfriends over long periods of time.”The lads have all got addicted to Call of Duty, but it’s the Skype chats with people back home who have been with you through thick and thin that keep you going, and it’s wins like this, and moments like this, that really make it even more special when you’re away from home so much.”England may well rotate their options with the second Test getting underway in just four days’ time. James Anderson is likely to come into the side, potentially to give Broad a rest, while Olly Stone is a possibility to replace Wood, whose extra pace was a welcome asset but whose injury record invites caution when it comes to back-to-back Tests.Related

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• Are England vs Sri Lanka contests underrated?

• Jonny Bairstow, Dan Lawrence seal emphatic seven-wicket win on final morning

Root, England’s captain, said the management would use their extra day of rest to assess their options, but paid his own tribute to the efforts of Bairstow and Lawrence in smoothing the team’s path to victory.”That’s exactly what you want to see as captain, guys getting opportunities and really taking them in both hands,” he said. “For a young guy like Dan to come in and play with such maturity, such a calm nature, and to be put in that situation last night and handle it how he did was really impressive for a guy making his debut,”And it’s really pleasing for Jonny as well. I think both innings showed his class, showed he’s got a very good game against spin, and a very good game for Test cricket. It’s lovely to see them both perform so well and start the winter really strongly.”It is great to know that, with a number of guys being rested and out currently, guys are coming into those positions and there is that strength there, and we’re building all the time as a group and as a squad. That’s what you want to see and hopefully that continues moving forward.”Both Bairstow and Root also paid tribute to Rob Lewis, the lone England fan on the fort at Galle, who had stayed in Sri Lanka when the last tour in March had to be postponed due to the Covid outbreak, and who ended up being a rare witness to England’s achievement, seeing as even the travelling media and most of the match commentators have been covering the game remotely.”It’s an incredible story,” Root said, after speaking on the phone with Lewis in the wake of the victory. “To see him struggle to get on the fort the first couple of days, then finally up there enjoying himself and getting to watch some cricket was fantastic. All of the guys really appreciate him being there and the support we get from everyone that comes and watches us. He was almost a beacon for everyone at home watching on the screens.”We are very lucky to get the support we do everywhere in the world. It was nice that at the end of the game I managed to have a little conversation with him over the phone. It’s a really interesting story and it was lovely for him to enjoy that moment with the rest of the group.”

Lorgat will be tasked with trying to globalise the appeal of the T10 format

Umar Farooq13-Oct-2020The Abu Dhabi T10 has roped in former ICC Chief Executive Officer Haroon Lorgat as director of strategy and development to devise a strategy to globalise the format, as well as mend their relations with Pakistan so that their players can feature in the league from January 28 to February 6 in 2021.The T10 League is a 10-overs-a-side format introduced by private cricket organisers in Sharjah in 2017, and later embraced by the Abu Dhabi government. It was rebranded as the Abu Dhabi T10 League and games were also moved out of Sharjah to the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi. The partnership also made Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) a party in the tournament.”We thought it was time to move ahead with a much better professional management structure at the top by bringing in names of repute in the cricket world,” Shaji ul Mulk, the league’s founder and chairman, said while announcing Lorgat’s appointment. “His role is to make this league a global one, as we feel there is an opportunity for us to create a truly global brand.”The PCB and the T10 League have had a troubled history since the latter came into being three years ago. Last season, the PCB unexpectedly revoked players’ NOCs at the last minute, saying they needed to manage workloads. The ECB protested strongly, with the board’s vice-chairman Khalid Al Zarooni sending a letter directly to PCB chairman Ehsan Mani to say that the decision would hurt the UAE government’s stakes in the tournament, and urged the PCB to change its mind. Mani is believed to have told the ECB vice-chairman about Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s role in the decision. The ECB was also thought to be weighing its options, including raising the issue of government interference in the PCB’s affairs with the ICC.Mulk said he wanted to move on from past hiccups, and was hoping for a fresh start. Lorgat was optimistic that the format could be adapted as one of the official formats in world cricket. “Last year was an unfortunate development [between PCB and ECB] which happened quite late,” Lorgat said.”It was commendable that Qalandars still managed to get together a team that participated, and actually played well. That indicated to me the interest in the league. In spite of the late withdrawal, there were still many players who were willing to come and participate at short notice. We would appeal to all the member boards to afford this opportunity to their players. The ICC has already sanctioned the T10 format. I want to explore whether this is something that can be played by international member countries.”

The allrounder has not played competitive cricket for almost a year due to a back injury

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Sep-2020He has had injuries to contend with in the recent past, multiple members of the Chennai Super Kings squad have tested positive for the coronavirus, and for the first time the IPL is likely to be played without crowds. However, despite all of those concerns, Mumbai Indians and India allrounder Hardik Pandya remained unfazed and looked forward to returning to action after a lengthy break.”More excited than nervous, because [for] a good ten months I have been training and looking forward to play, so the portion where the nervousness comes or the pressure comes has gone away,” Pandya told . “I am just more excited to be on the field and implement what I have worked on with regards to my training part, the practice sessions.”During India’s Asia Cup match against Pakistan in September 2018, Pandya was stretchered off after sustaining a back injury. After being in and out of India’s side due to the troublesome back, Pandya underwent surgery last year and didn’t recover in time for the New Zealand tour in early 2020.