Amit Varma and Anand Vasu discuss the second day of the St Lucia Test
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Streaming Audio: Real :: WMAWhy did West Indies’ batsmen find the going much harder on the second day of the St Lucia Test than the Indian batsmen? Amit Varma discusses that with Anand Vasu, who wrote the bulletin for this Test, and who feels that it’s a combination of the pitch becoming more helpful to bowlers and India’s bowlers bowling much better than the West Indians did.Varma and Vasu also discuss Mohammad Kaif, who’s got a bit of a raw deal in his Test career so far, and whose success here might put pressure on VVS Laxman to come up with a big innings. Vasu also feels that it won’t necessarily be easy going for the Indians in this Test – not with Shivnarine Chanderpaul still at the crease.Listen in.Download MP3 (right click and select “save target as”)
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The ICC is to launch a comprehensive research project into the contentious issue of player burnout, according to their chief executive, Malcolm Speed.Speaking at the ICC’s annual Business Forum at Lord’s on Friday, Speed said: “Two words that concern some of our stakeholders are `burnout’ and `saturation’. They are highly emotive words [and] they are too often used in the absence of facts and evidence.”Though the details of the research have yet to be determined, it is expected to compare player workloads across different eras, as well as assessing injury trends. “It is time some proper research is undertaken into these two often-raised but little-understood areas,” Speed added.”Many of the game’s top players are playing fewer cricket matches than their predecessors while international cricket is in greater public and commercial demand than ever.”During the course of his speech, Speed also responded to criticism of the recently-adopted six-year Future Tours Program (FTP). “A lot has been written about this FTP, some of it critical [and] not all of it based on facts,” he said. “Let me say today that the FTP is fundamentally good for the game.”Far from being concerned about the excessive volume of cricket being played by our members, we believe many of them should be looking for opportunities to program more cricket.Speed pointed out that New Zealand, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh all have fewer than 55 Test matches scheduled over the next six years, while South Africa and West Indies’ annual schedules of Test cricket only hit double figures three and four times respectively.”When the schedules of our members are looked at over the course of the forthcoming six years,” Speed added, “only three teams ever come close to reaching the players’ recommended upper limit [of 15 Tests and 30 ODIs in a 12-month period] – Australia, England and India.”Of those three, Cricket Australia, whose players are currently on a five-month break, and the England & Wales Cricket Board both have formal agreements with their player groups concerning the volume of cricket they play and both have consistently honoured those agreements.”And the Board of Control for Cricket in India, which has more cricket scheduled than anyone else, has regularly assured us their schedule has the full support of their player group.”Speed added the responsibility for managing player workloads lay in the hands of the ICC’s Member Boards. “They need to balance the demands of player workload with public and commercial interest,” he said. “The directive we have given to our members is that in instances where they are considering adding to the current schedule, they should do so in consultation with their elite players.”

Darren Lehmann has confirmed that this will be his last year of county cricket, after first playing for Yorkshire in 1997 and having six seasons at Headingley.Lehmann’s 172 in the current Championship match against Kent was his 25th hundred for Yorkshire and his fifth century of the season. Earlier this year, Lehmann was named in the Greatest Ever Yorkshire XI by in a readers’ competition.Talking of his announcement, Lehmann said: “I have had some great times playing for Yorkshire over the years and I have been honoured to wear the White Rose of this famous county. I will certainly miss the players, staff and supporters who have been fantastic to me over the years.”Stewart Regan, the Yorkshire chief executive, said: “Darren is not only a fantastic cricketer but is also a genuinely nice bloke who is adored by our fans. His contribution to this club has been immense and he will be sorely missed.”However, he has made it known for a number of weeks that his body was struggling to cope with the demands of a rigorous first-class cricket schedule and this season was likely to be his last for Yorkshire. Having made up his mind, we fully respect his decision and thank him whole-heartedly for a magnificent Yorkshire career”.

The Mental as Anything song used to belong to Stuart Law as he strode out at the Gabba, but this summer it could be heading Shane Watson’s way after he spent the off-season fine-tuning his batting fluency. Watson has had so many net sessions at Queensland Cricket’s Brisbane headquarters with Jamie Siddons, the national assistant coach, that state team-mates have joked they haven’t been able to book the bowling machine.Over the past couple of years Watson has employed a more rigid stance with a prominent, almost Graham Gooch-style back lift, but he has relaxed his approach as he looks to steal the No. 6 spot for the Ashes from Michael Clarke and Andrew Symonds. “Absolutely, that’s my goal,” he said. “I’m never going to make any secrets about that. That’s what I’ve been working so hard for.”Watson is particularly satisfied with his development over the past five months in both disciplines, but he must earn a spot with his batting before he can provide the additional boost of regular overs of fast bowling. An impressive 161 not out for Australia A in the Top End Series was quick proof the changes were working and there has been pre-season talk that he is closing on a middle-order berth for the first Test on November 23.”I’ve spent hours on bowling machine,” Watson, who will tour Malaysia in two weeks with the one-day team, said. “I’m trying to be a bit more natural instead of rigid. Batting like that had its effect to lift me to a different level, but now I’m trying to progress even further.”While Siddons has been Watson’s batting light – “Jamie has spent so much time with me” – he has also been advised by Troy Cooley on his bowling action, which gains regular attention after numerous back injuries. Last summer Watson started strongly and had collected his second Test wicket when he partially dislocated his shoulder in the first Test at the Gabba, recovering late in the season to earn one-day spot for the tour of South Africa.”I’ve been working with the best coaching resources in the world and they’ve been working extremely well with me,” he said. “I’m giving myself the best chance to improve. When I become the player I want to be it will give the team a lot more options.”He starts this season in superb shape apart from a few of aches from the squad’s wilderness adventure over the past week. During the camp Watson realised he had been a consistent over-eater as he coped with scrawny dinner rations ranging from a piece of steak and a potato to half a can of cold soup with bread.”We didn’t get much food and I’ve always eaten a lot,” he said. “We did a lot of arduous stuff like six-hour walks that were pretty intense, and I learned that I probably don’t need as much energy in my body as what I normally get.”

After a week where the focus shifted dramatically from action on the field to action off it, England and Pakistan will face each other for the first since The Oval Test in Monday’s Twenty20 International at Bristol.In the aftermath of the events of the final Test this match, and the following five one-day internationals, were in serious doubt, so much so that the ECB put plans in place to play an International XI if Pakistan withdrew from the tour.However, following the Darrell Hair revelations the hearing into Inzamam-ul-Haq’s charges has been moved to the end of September. Although Pakistan still have the events of last weekend hanging over their heads they have vowed to move on with the rest of the tour.Andrew Strauss told Sky Sports News: “We’re looking forward to getting cricket back in the headlines for the right reasons. If we are going to do that, it means we’re going to have to win these games.”The most important thing is for people to see good cricket being played, to see good, tight games and then hopefully the attention will be turned back to the good parts of cricket rather than what’s just happened.”Bob Woolmer, the Pakistan coach, added similar comments: “We want to play cricket, entertain everyone as much as we can and win this series. We are looking forward to the cricket and getting everything else that’s happened over the past week out of the way.”What’s happened in the past week has not been good for cricket. We just want to leave that alone now and get on with the rest of the tour. All the players want to do is forget what has happened. We think that is possible.”England will be aiming for a vast improvement from the first one-day portion of their summer, when they went down in the Twenty20 against Sri Lanka before being crushed 5-0 in the ODIs. That squad was full of experimentation, and so is the selectors’ latest effort at finding the right balance for England’s limited overs game.Stuart Broad and Michael Yardy have earned their first taste of international cricket after impressive domestic seasons, and Yardy arrives on the back of Sussex’s C&G triumph over Lancashire. For Broad, it was only a question of ‘when’ and not ‘if’ he would be selected after topping the economy tables in the domestic Twenty20 competition and impressing everyone who has watched him.At the other end of the age spectrum is the grand old-timer, Darren Gough, who has talked a good game all season and now gets the chance to push his claims for a World Cup spot. He is 36, has suffered sore shins in recent weeks, and isn’t the liveliest in the field, but England’s one-day efforts have been so woeful he is back by default.Pakistan will provide a stern challenge and under normal circumstances they would be clear favourites. But the last week has been anything but normal and it is still to be seen how much they really want to be here.Shoaib Akhtar is back after recovering from his ankle injury while Mohammad Asif showed his ability during the final Test. When you include Rana Naved-ul-Hasan and the explosive all round talents of Abdul Razzaq, Shahid Afridi and the fit-again Shoaib Malik they are a formidable outfit. And that doesn’t even touch on the top-order batting.Whatever happens on the field for the remainder of the tour the extraordinary developments of the last seven days will still dominate. But for the two sets of players this is the start of the last serious cricket before the Champions Trophy and there are places up for grabs and trophies to win.England (from) Marcus Trescothick, Andrew Strauss (capt), Alastair Cook, Kevin Pietersen, Paul Collingwood, Ian Bell, Michael Yardy, Ed Joyce, Rikki Clarke, Jamie Dalrymple, Chris Read (wk), Stuart Broad, Sajid Mahmood, Darren Gough, Steve Harmison, Jon LewisPakistan (from) Imran Farhat, Mohammad Hafeez, Younis Khan, Mohammad Yousuf, Inzamam-ul-Haq (capt), Shahid Yousuf, Shahid Afridi, Abdul Razzaq, Shoaib Malik, Kamran Akmal (wk), Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, Mohammad Asif, Shoaib Akhtar, Umar Gul, Danish Kaneira, Rao Iftikhar

Whenever Glenn McGrath and Sachin Tendulkar come across each other on acricket pitch, things tend to happen. And it was no different on Friday,with McGrath’s very first delivery to his fellow legend providing for theday’s main talking point. Pitched short, it tempted Tendulkar into thepull, but he was too early on the stroke. The ball brushed his shoulderand ricocheted behind the stumps to Brad Haddin and theAustralian close-in fielders went up in appeal. After a moment’sthought, and to Tendulkar’s stupefaction, Mark Benson raised his finger.Tendulkar’s reaction was about as animated as he ever gets on a cricketfield, and it perhaps implanted the first seeds of doubt in Benson’s mind.And while Tendulkar trudged towards the pavilion slowly, he decided toconsult with his colleague, Asad Rauf. Once Rauf gave his opinion, Bensondecided that it was better to look silly than give the wrong decision, andto his credit, he recalled the batsman.While McGrath smiled ruefully and walked back to his mark, Ricky Pontingwas livid. Forgetting the fact that the umpire is well within his rightsto reverse a decision (Law 27.9), Ponting shared more than a few words, and it willbe interesting to see what view the match referee takes at the end of thegame. After his latest outburst against West Indies, Cricket Australia hadcome down hard on him, aware that the next offence would invite amultiple-game ban.The Tendulkar incident wasn’t the only topic of debate either. Haddin hadmade only two when Rudra Pratap Singh’s throw to Harbhajan Singh appearedto catch him several feet short of the crease. Haddin looked to be walkingoff to the pavilion when Benson decided to clarify whether Harbhajan hadbroken the stumps cleanly with ball in hand. It took several minutes ofreplays to establish that he hadn’t, and the waiting Haddin was thencalled back.While one of the commentators lamented, off the record, about decliningumpiring standards, it must be said that Benson got it right both times.After the umpiring controversies of the past few months it was refreshing to see an official do theright thing, even at the risk of having his competence called intoquestion.

Dr Nasim Ashraf, the new chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, has called on players to stop displaying their religious beliefs in public. Recently the Pakistan team has made it a point to pray outside the privacy of their own rooms as well as holding religious gatherings in team hotels.”There is no doubt their religious faith is a motivating factor in the team,” Ashraf told Reuters. “It binds them together. But there should be balance between religion and cricket.”And he said that he had discussed the matter with Inzamam-ul-Haq, Pakistan’s captain, and that while he had no concerns about personal beliefs, he told Inzamam that Islam does not allow the imposition of views on others.”I have told him clearly that there should be no pressure on players who don’t pray regularly or any compulsion on them to do it. He has assured me there is no pressure on anyone to do anything they don’t want to do.”Ashraf said he accepted religious faith was a motivating factor for the national team. “It binds them together,” he added. “But there should be balance between religion and cricket.”

A tap on the shoulder while fielding on the boundary’s edge at Lilac Hill today was the first that Adam Voges knew of his surprise call-up to the Australian squad, for Thursday’s third Test against England at the WACA.Voges, 27, a hard-hitting Western Australia batsman and part-time chinaman bowler, was the surprise pick in Australia’s 13-man squad, following the unexpected retirement of Damien Martyn. He duly celebrated with an impressive 71 as the CA Chairman’s XI overwhelmed their English counterparts by seven wickets.”It’s not quite sunk in,” said Voges. “To play a hometown Test at the WACA has been my boyhood dream. Obviously Andrew Symonds is in the 13 as well so I’ll just have to wait and see, but it would be amazing if it did come true.”Voges has enjoyed a fine start to the season with Western Australia, scoring two centuries and 320 runs at an average of 160 in his three matches, and Justin Langer, his state captain, described his selection as “outstanding”.”I always thought it was only a matter of time before he played cricket for Australia, either one-day internationals or Tests,” said Langer, “and it’s nice with the opportunity that has come up that he’s been selected.”I think it’s a very astute selection,” added Langer. “You pick character over cover-drives, and this bloke’s got a character. There are a lot of young blokes around who are very talented and can play all the shots in the world, but he is just a very strong character, a terrific young bloke with an outstanding work ethic, and he displays a lot of leadership traits.”Even if Langer did think his team-mate was in the frame for selection, Voges was completely taken aback. “I only learnt half an hour ago while fielding,” he said. “Tony Dodemaide tapped me on the shoulder and he said: ‘Come with me. You’re being substituted’. I thought I was in trouble. But instead I had a phone call saying I was in the 13. It’s all happened pretty quickly, and it’s been pretty amazing.”Voges holds the record for the fastest century in Australian domestic one-dayers, from 62 balls in 2004-05, but he insisted there was more to his game than big shots. “Over the past couple of years I was a bloke with a fairly attacking style of game,” he said, “but a winter over at the Commonwealth Bank Centre of Excellence tightened my technique, and hopefully I’ve got a reasonable game.”Voges was as taken aback as most of Australia by the news of Martyn’s retirement, and the first he heard of it was an announcement over the PA system at Lilac Hill, shortly before Dodemaide came looking for him. “I played a fair bit with Marto at WA,” he said. “He’s been a fantastic player, a legend of the game, and he played a big part in my development. Obviously it’s a shame his career has come to an end, but it’s definitely an opportunity for me.”Ironically, Voges was dropped by Western Australia only last month against Queensland, to accommodate the return of their Australian international players. “When you get Martyn, Gilchrist, Langer and Hussey all in one side, you can’t complain,” he said. “It was only for one game and if Marto hadn’t retired this opportunity wouldn’t have been here.”Andrew Hilditch, Australia’s chairman of selectors, said: “We are excited to give Adam this opportunity to join the squad. He is an outstanding young player and his inclusion in the squad is a just reward for his efforts to date.”

Shabbir Ahmed is once again eligible to play for Pakistan after the ICC lifted a year-long ban on him, imposed during the England tour to Pakistan last year. A report detailing the improvement in Shabbir’s action had been sent to the ICC from the Universiity of Western Australia, after which the ban was lifted.The ICC sent a notification to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) informing them that Shabbir could resume his international career with immediate effect. “The ordeal for me is finally over and I am very keen to try and fight my way back into the national team,” Shabbir told reporters in Karachi where he is playing in the Twenty20 Cup for Multan Tigers. “I have faced a hard time in the period the ban was imposed on me. I felt hurt because I was banned only because two or three of my deliveries were reported by the umpires,” he said.Shabbir, who has taken 51 wickets in 10 Tests, was banned from playing international cricket on December 19, 2005. He was the first person to face such a suspension under the ICC’s new legislation, which states that any bowler reported twice within a year can face a year out of the game.

Professor Bruce Elliot, the biomechanic specialist it appointed to review Shabbir’s action last mont, compiled the report. After forwarding it to the PCB, David Richardson, ICC General Manager, re-stated the ICC’s policy in relation to suspected illegal bowling actions. “The findings of the report means that Shabbir can resume bowling in international cricket,” said Richardson.”But the effect of the report by Professor Elliott or any other report from a biomechanical expert cannot be to clear Shabbir without limitation in the future. Everyone needs to be aware that no bowlers are ever ‘cleared’ as they could simply revert to bad habits.”All bowlers are subject to further reporting if the match officials are of the view that they have concerns about whether a delivery or deliveries conform to the laws of cricket when observed with the naked eye.”The report of Professor Elliott and his team at UWA concluded: “Ahmed should be congratulated on being able to modify the level of his elbow extension. However, both he and Pakistan cricket officials are encouraged to continue to monitor his delivery action to ensure it does not regress from a legality perspective.”If Shabbir is reported again, he will be suspended from bowling at international level until his action is reassessed.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsA fine 79 from Johmari Logtenberg – her second fifty in one-dayers – led South Africa women to a comprehensive 98-run win over Pakistan in the first ODI at Pretoria.On winning the toss South Africa chose to bat but lost their opener, Daleen Terblanche, for just 2 when she edged Qanita Jalil behind. That brought Cri-Zelda Brits, the captain, to the crease who played an attractive cameo of 39 from just 42 balls – cracking six fours – before falling to Sana Mir. The innings was then anchored by Logtenberg who, though she only struck four fours, remained unbeaten on 79 from 95 balls. Ashlyn Kilowan provided a quick-fire 12 in the dying overs as South Africa’s innings ended on 225 for 7.And Kilowan was immediately to the fore with the ball in Pakistan’s reply, too. Removing Tasqeen Qadeer for 1 and Sajjida Shah for 7, South Africa had the game by the scruff of the neck. Once Bismah Maroof was run out by Logtenberg, Pakistan were limping on 22 for 3. Sana Mir (23) and Urooj Mumtaz (29) dropped anchor but only managed to delay the inevitable as South Africa romped home by 98 runs.The second ODI is at Harlequins, in Pretoria, on Tuesday.