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West Indies have been hit by a bunch of injuries ahead of the third one-dayer against South Africa in Dominica

Cricinfo staff26-May-2010West Indies have been hit by a bunch of injuries ahead of the third one-dayer against South Africa in Dominica. The struggling home side, yet to win a match in the series, will be without experienced batsman Ramnaresh Sarwan (left hamstring strain), left-arm-spinner Nikita Miller (right side strain) and fast bowler Kemar Roach (left ankle soreness) at least for the next two ODIs.The West Indies selectors have also dropped the out-of-form Andre Fletcher from the 13-man list for the third and fourth one-dayers. Two players who weren’t picked for the first two matches, Jamaican allrounder David Bernard and 21-year-old batsman Darren Bravo, have returned to the squad.Bravo forced his way back into contention with a Man-of-the-Series performance in the recent A team tri-nation series in Bangladesh, where he scored a hundred and three half-centuries in five innings to make a tournament-high 309 runs. Bernard, who has been in and out of the West Indian one-day side since being selected last June after a six-year absence from international cricket, gets another chance to cement his place.West Indies are 2-0 down in the five-ODI series against South Africa, and lost both Twenty20s which preceded the one-dayers as well.West Indies: Chris Gayle (capt), Dwayne Bravo (vice-capt), Sulieman Benn, David Bernard, Darren Bravo, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Narsingh Deonarine, Kieron Pollard, Denesh Ramdin (wk), Ravi Rampaul, Dale Richards, Darren Sammy, Jerome Taylor

Retired Scotland seam bowler had been accused of making racial slur by former team-mates

Andrew Miller10-Jun-2024John Blain, the former Scotland and Yorkshire fast bowler, has called for a “full and transparent inquiry” into the country’s cricket authorities, after revealing that he was cleared of allegations of racist behaviour in January, only for Cricket Scotland and sportscotland to fail to make those findings public.Blain, who played 118 matches across formats for Scotland, was accused by his former team-mates, Majid Haq and Qasim Sheikh, of using a racist slur on a tour of Kenya in 2007, and was subsequently suspended from Cricket Scotland’s Hall of Fame.Blain’s case was one of numerous referrals that stemmed from an independent review in July 2022 that found Cricket Scotland to be institutionally racist and led to the resignation of the board. However, following a year-long investigation – carried out jointly by two law firms and Sporting Equals, the race inclusion charity – the claim has been rejected, with ESPNcricinfo understanding that the vast majority of incidents cited will also have no case to answer.On January 12, the interim Cricket Scotland CEO Pete Fitzboydon wrote to Blain to confirm that the allegations against him were “unfounded” and that no further action would be taken. At the time, Blain was asked to keep that judgment confidential, to enable the board to communicate the news to the complainers.Related

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Now, however, after what he described as “five months of delay and prevarication”, he has chosen to go public with a scathing critique of the process and his accusers. “To describe the way sportscotland and Cricket Scotland initially handled that report as a ‘kangaroo court’ is an insult to marsupials everywhere,” Blain wrote in a post on X/Twitter.”It’s obvious to me that, rather than publish this very clear and detailed judgement which fully exonerates me, Cricket Scotland is once again running scared of the small “anti-racist” cabal which has exerted such a malign influence over our sport,” he added. “My life has been on hold for too long and it’s time that the truth is finally told about one of the biggest sporting scandals of recent times.”Addressing Majid and Qasim, whose testimony formed the basis of the damning 2022 report “Changing the Boundaries” that led to the charges being levelled, Blain expressed his disbelief that they would make “such false and disgraceful accusations” after he had given both men “considerable support during their careers”.”If he truly believed I was a racist, why did Majid try so hard to persuade me to join his club, Clydesdale, as professional player-coach in 2015, eight years after he claimed I’d used a racist word, and also recommended me to a string of Asian players for one-to-one coaching,” Blain said.”Likewise, if Qasim really believed I was a racist, why did he seek me out for one-to-one coaching in 2014 to help him regain his Scotland place – something I gladly did for free?”Blain added that the inquiry’s findings also called into question the legitimacy of his ECB sanction – a reprimand and £2500 fine imposed by the Cricket Discipline Commission in May 2023 following Azeem Rafiq’s testimony about his treatment during his time at Yorkshire. Blain, along with five other former players at the club, refused to participate in a process that he described at the time as “irredeemably flawed”.Only Michael Vaughan, the former England captain, chose to appear at the CDC hearings, where he was subsequently cleared “on the balance of probabilities” of making a racist remark ahead of a Yorkshire T20 fixture in 2009.”Crucially, the in-depth Scottish investigation did not accept Majid’s allegation that I had used the P-word during a tour to Kenya in 2007,” Blain said. “That’s the exact same allegation the England and Wales Cricket Board panel used to support their finding against me.”Majid’s false allegation was used as corroboration of Azeem Rafiq’s equally untrue allegation and was central to the ECB verdict against me, which must now be deemed unsafe.”What’s worse, the ECB tribunal stated that because I had not engaged with their flawed process, they were entitled to conclude that I had no answer to the allegations against me … their reasoning was lazy and made no attempt to reconcile Majid’s account with the contradictory evidence of four other witnesses.”In response, an ECB spokesperson insisted that the CDC process had been “extensive and thorough”, and that Blain had been given every opportunity to defend himself during the proceedings.”The Cricket Discipline Commission upheld the charge against John Blain for using racist language at Yorkshire in or around 2010 and 2011 after considering all the evidence before it, including Mr Blain’s defence and a number of supporting witness statements filed by him (through his then legal team) before he withdrew from the process. He declined the opportunity to appear before the commission to defend himself in person.”In a joint statement, Aamer Anwar, Majid’s and Qasim’s solicitor, expressed the pair’s own frustrations at Cricket Scotland’s handling of the issue, including the fact that many of the complainants referenced in Fitzboydon’s letter to Blain still had not been informed of their outcomes, adding that they intended to go public with “the full facts” in the coming weeks.Blain was further accused of continuing to “target and label” Majid and Qasim in his latest comments, with Anwar adding that the two men remained “victims of racism who continue to be abused, vilified and excluded for daring to speak out”. However, he also called for a public inquiry into a governing body that “has once again let down the real victims, which include not just Majid and Qasim, but many other cricketers”.”Cricket Scotland hoped this matter would simply go away, it will not, as they will see in the coming days,” the statement continued. “The one thing we can all agree with, is the need for the facts to be made public now. My clients have engaged in good faith in a process that has taken too long, and resulted in yet another case study for why Scottish cricket needs to accept institutional racism and put in place urgent changes to stop this happening again. The culture of denial remains rife and the dinosaurs are very much alive and well.”In a brief statement on Monday afternoon, Cricket Scotland said that it would continue to respect the independence of an investigation that it described as “complex, challenging and emotive”, and promised to comment further at its conclusion.”We will continue to respect that independent process, with the welfare of all involved as a priority, in order that we can reach a conclusion that enables our sport to move forward with unity,” the statement continued. “We will comment further upon the conclusion of the independent investigative process, whilst continuing to offer support to all those involved.”

Multan Sultans never really got going in a chase of 181

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Mar-2023A 69-run third-wicket partnership between Sam Billings and Abdullah Shafique combined with Rashid Khan’s three-for pushed the defending champions Lahore Qalandars into the PSL play-offs once more, with victory over Multan Sultans.After opting to bat, Qalandars lost Fakhar Zaman for a duck in the first over. Mirza Baig and Shafique then combined to up the ante, taking Khushdil Shah for 17 runs in the second over as they helped rebuild the innings with a 49-run stand. Ihsanullah broke through with Baig’s wicket as Mohammad Rizwan completed a superb catch behind the stumps, following which Billings joined Shafique at the crease. Then on, the duo made sure they scored boundaries regularly on their way to their strong stand.Related

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Kieron Pollard struck to remove Shafique in the 13th over for 48 and then struck again in his next over to dismiss Billings soon after the England batter reached his half-century. Qalandars lost wickets at regular intervals following his dismissal but they did not let the run rate drop too much. Captain Shaheen Shah Afridi struck two boundaries in the last over before getting dismissed to take his side to a strong 180 for 9.Sultans, meanwhile, got off to a sedate start in the chase. Zaman Khan removed Shan Masood for a 20-ball 19 in the seventh over. Raza then pinned Rizwan in front in the 10th over. It was then Rashid’s turn to do his thing: following a double-strike in the 11th over where he removed Usama Mir and David Miller, he took Rilee Rossouw out in the 13th. The required run rate had soared to over 15 by the end of the 15th over, and Sultans struggled to keep up with it. Pollard did hit two sixes and a four in the last over, but it was too late by then as Sultans crumbled to a 21-run loss.

Says that he has always been available for the ODIs in South Africa: “I have not had any communication with the BCCI saying I want to rest”

Shashank Kishore15-Dec-202110:58

Newsroom: Clear communication could have made change of guard smoother

Virat Kohli was informed of his removal as India’s ODI captain just one-and-a-half hours before the selection meeting to pick the Test squad for South Africa, he said at a press interaction on Wednesday.Kohli also said that there had been no communication from the BCCI over the ODI captaincy between September 16, when he announced his decision to step down from T20I captaincy, and December 8, when the South Africa-bound Test squad was named.At the time, Kohli said his decision to quit as T20I captain just prior to the World Cup was “received well” and termed as “progressive” by the BCCI top brass. His words were in sharp contrast to that of BCCI president Sourav Ganguly’s, which suggested Kohli was asked to reconsider his decision.”I was contacted one-and-a-half hours before the selection meeting on December 8 for the Test series,” Kohli said of the communication (or lack of it) with the BCCI on the ODI captaincy. “There was no prior communication to me at all from when I announced the T20I captaincy decision until the eighth (of December) where, as I said, I got a call one-and-a-half hours before the selection meeting.”The chief selector [Chetan Sharma] discussed with me the Test team to which we both agreed, and before ending the call I was told that the five selectors have decided that I will not be the ODI captain, to which I replied, ‘okay, fine’. And in the selection call afterwards, we chatted about it briefly. And that’s what happened. There was no communication prior to that at all.”On December 9, Ganguly told that he had requested Kohli to reconsider his decision to step down as T20I captain. Kohli’s clarification seemed as if that wasn’t the case.Related

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“When I decided to leave the T20I captaincy and communicated that, and I approached the BCCI first about my decision, that this is my point of view, and these are the reasons due to which I am doing this, it was received in a very nice way,” Kohli said. “There was no offence, no hesitation (from BCCI). I wasn’t told you don’t leave the T20 captaincy. Instead it was received well; I was told it’s a very progressive step and in the right direction.”At the time I told them ‘yes, I’d like to continue (leading) in Tests and ODIs, unless the office-bearers and selectors feel I shouldn’t be doing that responsibility’. Even that I had clarified on the call at the time. My communication to BCCI was clear since then about what I wanted to do. I gave them the option as well, that if the office-bearers and selectors feel I shouldn’t (remain captain in Tests and/or ODIs), then the decision is in their hands.”‘No communication with BCCI to say I want to rest for SA ODIs’
Kohli also confirmed that he was available for the ODIs in South Africa and all talk of him opting out were “lies” and there wasn’t even a suggestion of him skipping the games.”I was and I am available for selection all this time,” Kohli said. “You should not be asking me this question, honestly, this question should be asked to people who are writing about these things and their sources, because as far as I’m concerned, I was always available.”When I decided to leave the T20I captaincy and approached the BCCI about my decision, it was received well”•Getty Images

“I have not had any communication with the BCCI to say that I want to rest. There were a few things that came out in the past as well, that it was said I was attending some events or something which was absolutely not true either. All these people who are writing these things and their sources, to me they’re absolutely not credible.”On Tuesday, BCCI treasurer Arun Dhumal told Times Now that Kohli would be taking a break. “To my understanding, before any decision was taken with regards to captaincy, it was decided that he (Kohli) will be going (to South Africa) for the Test matches only, not for the ODIs. He was wanting it that way because he needed a break,” Dhumal has said. Kohli, however, categorically stated the opposite.”As I said, I am available for selection for the ODIs in South Africa and I’m always keen to play. This question should be asked to people who are writing about this, writing lies, not to me because my communication with BCCI on this issue has not happened that I want to rest.”Nothing can derail me from being motivated to play for India’
Kohli didn’t shy away from expressing his disappointment with “things that happen on the outside”, but stressed that “nothing can derail me from being motivated to play for India”.”To be prepared for a tour like this and to perform to the best of my abilities, nothing has ever derailed, and nothing can derail me from that,” he said. “A lot of things that happen on the outside are not ideal and not how one expects them to be, but you have to understand there’s only so much that you can do as an individual and we have to keep thing in right perspective and do the things that you can as an individual, (that) are in your control.”I’m very focussed. I’m very mentally prepared, and very excited to go to South Africa and do the best I can for the team and make the team win.”1400GMT The story has been updated with Arun Dhumal’s quotes from Tuesday

Mumbai Indians and KKR training at an “expanded quarantine facility” at Sheikh Zayed Stadium

Shamya Dasgupta01-Sep-2020Less than three weeks to go for the scheduled start of IPL 2020, and there’s still no sign of the final schedule for the tournament. Whatever the reasons for that delay may be, it has “nothing to do with the Abu Dhabi border or the quarantine restrictions”, according to a local cricket official.As it happens, training is in full swing for the two teams based in Abu Dhabi thanks to the “airbridge facility”. Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders have been training since day eight of their arrival in the UAE, despite Abu Dhabi’s 14-day quarantine requirements, thanks to an “expanded quarantine facility” at Sheikh Zayed Stadium. A 15,000 square-metre area, with 15 nets, has been cordoned off at the stadium for the two teams (to use one at a time), along with an 11,000 square-metre football field for physical training.ALSO READ: CSK’s coronavirus-free players set to start training on September 4“They have been training there since the eighth day of being in Abu Dhabi, so that’s seven days of training in what we call the ‘airbridge facility’. It’s a 15,000 square-metre extension of their quarantine, a place for them to have full-fledged training session. And they return to hotel and utilise the team rooms, and they come back to the airbridge facility the next day,” Matt Boucher, CEO of Abu Dhabi cricket, explained to ESPNcricinfo.”Once we receive those four test reports [one prior to reaching the UAE, and then three more in six days], the government approves the teams to expand their quarantine facility to outside the hotel with a very strict passage from hotel to bus and bus to Abu Dhabi Cricket [the stadium]. It’s a strict facility, where only the players and the teams’ support staff are allowed in.”One team comes in first and trains for a while, two-three hours, and the other comes in after that. Social distancing norms are in place, sanitisation norms are in place. We sanitise the entire facility before the next team arrives, everything is freshened up and sanitised for the next team. It’s a completely sterile facility.”Sections of the media have said that the Abu Dhabi government has granted special permission to the teams – and others involved – to move in and out of the city, but that might not be the case. The emirate’s rules are the same as they have been for a while now, but by the time the IPL starts, the mandatory 14-day quarantine would be over for anyone who had reached the UAE in the third or fourth weeks of August. So, they would then fall under the SOPs for the tournament as put together by the BCCI, with only border-checks regulated by the authorities as teams enter or re-enter Abu Dhabi.Reports of a spike in cases in the city are also not based on hard numbers – while there has been a rise in the UAE’s numbers, the data provided by the UAE is for the whole country and not each emirate individually.Therefore, the BCCI has not been served up any surprises in terms of the situation on the ground, and the delay in releasing – or putting together – the schedule is very likely for other reasons. An official from one of the teams say it’s a fallout of the positive Covid-19 tests in the Chennai Super Kings camp, which might yet force the BCCI to open the tournament with a different opponent for defending champions Mumbai Indians.As for Super Kings, team CEO Kasi Viswanathan has said that the team is ready to take the field on September 19 if required.

CSK had an unbeaten home record in the 2019 IPL and hadn’t failed in a chase in Chennai since 2013. Mumbai Indians came to town and ended that

Deivarayan Muthu in Chennai27-Apr-2019Before Friday, Chennai Super Kings had a spotless record in IPL 2019 at Chepauk, winning five out of five matches. And before Friday, Super Kings had a spotless record while chasing at this venue since 2013. Mumbai Indians, coming off a six-day break, shook off their loss against Rajasthan in Jaipur and toppled Super Kings. So, how did Mumbai breach fortress Chepauk?Rohit and Lewis bed in
Rohit Sharma had not fired like he can in the lead-up to this game. He had managed only 228 runs in nine innings, which made you wonder if he would be more suited to batting in the middle order. The Mumbai Indians captain, however, sussed out the conditions well in Chennai and gave himself time to give his side a solid platform.Deepak Chahar tricked Quinton de Kock with a slower offcutter for 15 off nine balls, but Evin Lewis, playing his first game of IPL 2019, announced himself with a trio of boundaries against Deepak in the fifth over.After simply defending or knocking the ball into the gaps in the Powerplay, Rohit targetted his former Mumbai team-mate Harbhajan Singh and launched him with the turn over wide long-on for a brace of sixes. Lewis and Rohit added 75 for the second wicket – the highest partnership in the match – at a run rate of nearly eight before left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner dismissed the West Indian for 32.Rohit, though, moved to his first fifty of the season and then cut loose, cracking Imran Tahir for two fours and a six in the 16th over. Just as Rohit threatened to zoom to three figures, Santner had him toe-ending a catch to long-on in the next over. Rohit had done his job, though, seeing off the early exchanges and setting it up nicely for Hardik Pandya and Kieron Pollard.”For our team, he matters a lot to us,” Rahul Chahar said of Rohit. “He can single-handedly win games, so consequently his form is very important as there are tough matches coming up.”Kieron Pollard thumps one off the back foot•BCCI

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The final flourish
Santner threatened both the edges on a tiring pitch with a delightful cocktail of drift, dip, and turn. In order to maintain a left-right combination, Mumbai sent Krunal Pandya in ahead of both Hardik and Pollard. Krunal couldn’t get going and holed out for 1 off 3 balls.Mumbai were 128 for 4 in 18 overs, and were in desperate need of a finishing kick. Pollard then manufactured his own pace on a slow track and heaved Deepak behind square for four.Hardik closed out the innings with 12 runs off the last three balls of the innings, including a mighty six over long-on that hauled Mumbai beyond 150. The 33-run stand off 22 balls from Pollard and Hardik hoisted Mumbai to an above-par total.Slower bowlers give CSK a taste of their own medicine
There wasn’t much dew in the night, but the pitch got slower and slower. Lasith Malinga exploited it with his slower cutters and big dippers and nearly had M Vijay on 10 with one such slower variation, but IPL debutant Anukul Roy dropped the catch at backward point.While legspinner Rahul found sharp turn, Krunal posed a threat with the lack of it and kept hitting hard lengths – neither driveable nor pullable. Krunal defeated both Kedar Jadhav and Ambati Rayudu with accurate arm balls.Meanwhile, Rahul came away with 0 for 21 in his four overs. Left-arm spinner Anukul also played his part in Super Kings’ slump by getting Dhruv Shorey for 5 off 8 balls. Super Kings were 60 for 5 and there would be no way back for them.Malinga returned at the death and took care of Super Kings’ tail with a steady dose of slower balls. Dwayne Bravo, Harbhajan Singh, Santner all holed out, trying to clear the long leg-side boundaries as Super Kings were dismissed for 109 – their lowest total at Chepauk.Super Kings’ coach Stephen Fleming credited Mumbai for adapting to the conditions better than his side did.”The conditions here are really hard to gauge whether you’re in form or not,” he said. “It’s hard to predict how the track is going to play. The last game was probably the best it has played for some time and Watson made the most of it, but today was tricky for all and they dealt with it a lot better than us.”

Akila Dananjaya recorded the best figures for a Sri Lanka bowler on debut as the visitors sealed a 215-run win after lunch on the third day

The Report by Andrew Fidel Fernando10-Feb-2018Akila Dananjaya celebrates a wicket on debut•Associated Press

Bangladesh plunged, Sri Lanka’s spinners soared and the Mirpur Test tore to its conclusion midway through day three, the visitors triumphing by 215 runs. Debutant Akila Dananjaya was prime destroyer. He scythed rapidly through the Bangladesh lower-middle order, taking 5 for 24 to make it eight wickets on debut – the best performance by a Sri Lankan on debut. The charge to victory was also sweet for Rangana Herath, who claimed 4 for 49 and in doing so, became the most successful left-arm bowler in Test history.After even Sri Lanka’s lower order had batted with a little mettle, the rate of Bangladesh’s demise in this Test will irk the hosts. Only four batsmen made it into double figures, and no one batted for longer than 51 deliveries. The pitch was as treacherous as ever, but chances were too freely given. Perhaps, chasing a highly improbable 339, and with little chance of saving the game, the futility of their situation contributed to their meekness. It took Sri Lanka fewer than 30 overs to clean the opposition up. This was Bangladesh’s first series defeat at home since 2015 – the absence of Shakib Al Hasan keenly felt.The selection of Dananjaya – out of all Sri Lanka’s teams until seven months ago, and considered a limited-overs specialist in any case – has proved to be a spectacular move in this Test. Though he bowled only 15 overs in the game (fewer than either of the senior spinners), the overspin he puts on the ball made him a menacing prospect. Repeatedly he had balls leap up off a length, and one such ball struck Liton Das in the glove, and was caught at short leg. Sabbir Rahman was also caught off his glove; Mahmudullah edged another Dananjaya delivery that jumped at him; and Mehidy Hasan nicked a straighter delivery. Wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella helped Dananjaya along to his maiden five-wicket haul. He pulled off a fast stumping of Abdur Razzak when the batsman had merely overbalanced. Dananjaya’s 8 for 44 comprise the best debut figures for a Sri Lanka bowler.While Dananjaya took care of the lower half of the Bangladesh batting order, Herath’s best work had come earlier on. One ball after he had been tonked for six by Imrul Kayes, he sent a slider at the batsman, and had him edging behind. Mominul Haque – again Bangladesh’s best batsman – was given a light working over, and eventually nicked Herath to Dickwella as well. The wicket that sealed the match was also Herath’s. Taijul Islam aimed a gigantic heave over cow corner, but Danushka Gunathilaka was at the boundary to take an outstanding overhead catch. Bangladesh had lost their last five wickets in the space of 33 balls.The visitors’ lead had been 312 even at the beginning of the day – much more than necessary, as it would turn out – but their batting in the first 50 minutes of the day was more indication that this Sri Lanka Test side is rediscovering a little of its old grit. Roshen Silva, the newest member of the top order, added 12 to his overnight score, while Suranga Lakmal, living a little more dangerously, struck boundaries to help swell Sri Lanka’s lead by 26. Only one Bangladesh partnership – the 46-run second-wicket association between Mominul and Kayes – was better than this 36-run stand between Roshen and Lakmal. That Chandika Hathurusingha, their coach only four months ago, helped plan their own downfall in this series, will of course sting.

Key players, including Kane Williamson will be rested from the domestic List A tournament, while the fitness of Neil Wagner, BJ Watling and Luke Ronchi will be monitored

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Feb-2017New Zealand coach Mike Hesson has said that Tim Southee, Trent Boult, Kane Williamson and Mitchell Santner will be relieved from this week’s matches in the domestic List A competition, the Ford Trophy, as the side looks to get its key players fit and rested in time for the home series against South Africa, which starts from February 17.Southee and Boult will be rested as part of their workload management, Hesson said, while Santner and Williamson need time to recover from little niggles.”Tim, Trent, Santner and Williamson will all be out for a week and will be given a chance to recoup,” Hesson said. “Both Santner and Williamson have got little injuries that they need to get right and Tim and Trent [have] obviously high workloads. The rest [of the players] will return to some degree.”Mitch had a little fracture on the end of his thumb, which he has had for a little while but we want to get that right before South Africa. And Kane has had a bit of a foot issue for a while and we’ll see how that scrubs out over the next week. I can’t tell you the exact details [of Williamson’s injury] but he’s had it for a long time. He just hasn’t had time to rest it.”New Zealand are also facing other injury concerns before the South Africa series. Fast bowler Neil Wagner is in doubt for the Tests after fracturing a finger during the Ford Trophy match last week. Hesson had previously said the “initial assessment” on Wagner’s finger is that it will need “four to six weeks” to heal. The first Test against South Africa begins on March 8 in Dunedin.”It’s huge for Neil, obviously playing on his home ground. He’s pretty determined to be right for that first Test so it is a race against time but we will just have to wait and see,” Hesson said. “It’s a huge blow for us to be unavailable but I am sure Neil will do everything in his powers for us to be ready.”BJ Watling and Luke Ronchi, the side’s frontline wicketkeepers in Tests and limited-overs respectively, also faced injury concerns recently. Watling was advised three weeks’ rest last month for a sprained right knee, while Ronchi suffered a tear to his right adductor during the home series against Bangladesh. Hesson said he expected Watling to be fit in time and was also pleased with the progress Ronchi had made in terms of his recovery. Ronchi made a return to competitive cricket in the Ford Trophy, turning out for Wellington against Otago last week. “He’s [Watling] making reasonable progress,” Hesson said. “It’s one of those injuries or issues that has occurred for quite a while. This is the only window in which he’s been able to give it some rest and hopefully, he’ll get back for the last Plunket Shield game before the Test series starts. He’s got a knee and a hip issue. [I] Won’t go into specifics but he obviously needs a bit of time.”It’s great to see Luke back. Worked really hard and got back quicker than we initially thought. It gives us options in the squad – whether it’s playing an extra allrounder or Luke coming in.”Hesson singled out the emerging depth in the squad as one of the most pleasing aspects of his side’s 2-0 win over Australia, which helped them reclaim the Chappell-Hadlee trophy. He lauded Dean Brownlie and Tom Latham for stepping in to fill the roles as opener and wicketkeeper-batsman respectively after injuries affected the side.Latham was picked as the side’s wicketkeeper over Tom Blundell and effected six dismissals behind the stumps in the series, while Brownlie, making his return to international cricket after two years, replaced Martin Guptill in the squad and hit 63 in the third ODI.”Really delighted for Dean. He’s been around the group with the Test squad for a little while. He’s fought his way back in,” he said. “He had a specific role against that attack – we needed someone who could play the swinging ball and deal with the pace and we hoped Dean would be able to do that and he performed exceptionally well.”He did a great job. It’s just good for the group, to be fair. It gives us options moving forward and allows us to have a horses-for-courses approach.”We’ve had a lot of guys come in and out due to injury and most of the guys who have come in have been able to deliver straightaway and it’s a good sign for us. Also that we don’t rely on only one or two players which some other sides around the world do. It’s important for us that we continue to develop depth in all forms and we are starting to.”South Africa’s tour of New Zealand will begin with a T20 international on February 17, before the five-match ODI series gets underway on February 19. The Test series will start from March 8 in Dunedin.

West Indies coach Phil Simmons has admitted he is “totally frustrated” by seeing West Indian cricketers light up the Big Bash League while his Test squad battles to be competitive

Brydon Coverdale23-Dec-2015West Indies coach Phil Simmons has admitted he is “totally frustrated” by seeing West Indian cricketers light up the Big Bash League while his Test squad battles to be competitive. Simmons said it was up to the WICB to find a way to keep the region’s best players and he cited the example of New Zealand, a team with similar resources but which has managed to retain its stars for Test cricket.Jason Holder’s young outfit collapsed to a three-day loss to Australia in the first Test in Hobart and they face the challenge of lifting themselves for the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne. Meanwhile, Andre Russell has been bowling with impressive pace for the Sydney Thunder, and Dwayne Bravo and Chris Gayle have turned out for the Melbourne Renegades, continuing their tour of domestic T20 tournaments.”I’m totally frustrated,” Simmons said. “It’s enjoyable to see Andre Russell bowling at 140 clicks, and Bravo hitting three or four sixes, and Chris back in it. It is frustrating that we don’t have them here playing the Test series.”But it’s something that’s been going on for a while and it’s up to the administration to work out how we get to the stage of, let’s say, New Zealand, because they have similar things and they’re getting all their players to play. It’s up to our administration and our bosses to find out how is the best way that we can get these guys on the pitch.”It is not as simple as to say that all three men would be in the Test team if available, for Gayle has a back injury that will affect his chances of ever adding to his tally of 103 Tests, and Bravo was not picked for a Test for more than four years before he officially retired from the format in January. This month, Bravo said he remained committed to West Indies cricket but was unhappy with the way players were treated in the Caribbean.”It’s gets frustrating … not only for myself but all the other cricketers: Gayle, Sammy, Pollard, Russell,” Bravo told the last week. “We’re all committed to West Indies cricket, but sometimes with the way we’ve been treated over the years, sometimes we second guess and ask ourselves why should we actually fight with West Indies’ cricket [administrators] when the rest of the world are opening their hands for us?”Gayle and Bravo are both in their 30s but Russell, at 27, is a man who could still offer West Indies many good years, but he has played only one Test five years ago and believes his knee would not stand up to Test cricket. But chairman of selectors Clive Lloyd said in January that Russell was one of the best allrounders in the world and could be in the Test side if he was willing to play.”It’s such a waste that we have a guy who could be a great cricketer who is now not thinking of playing both formats,” Lloyd said in the 2015 New Year’s Lecture in Cape Town. “We have contracts, probably not as exorbitant as others, but they are getting good money. It doesn’t seem playing for our country is paramount where these players are concerned.”Lloyd has arrived in Melbourne ahead of the Boxing Day Test, and will help mentor Holder, who at 24 faces the enormous challenge of leading a side of limited talent while also finding his own way in the game, having played only 11 Tests himself. In the absence of some of the region’s more senior players in the squad, Holder has had to rely heavily on the off-field staff of past legends to help him develop as a captain.”Off the field he’s getting help from the coaching staff,” Simmons said. “I’m sure he’s getting help from someone like Clive Lloyd. I’m sure he’s speaking to him, one of the greatest captains we’ve had. He’s getting a lot of advice from Clive too. Having ‘Lloydy’ around is always a good thing. Guys go and speak to him one on one. It’s a good thing to have him here.”

Somerset chairman Andy Nash has penned a diary of the 2012 season but chose to omit details of former director of cricket Brian Rose’s departure from the club last September

Ivo Tennant at Taunton28-May-2013Brian Rose left Taunton in September 2012•PA Photos

Brian Rose, Somerset’s former director of cricket, will return to Taunton on Sunday in controversial circumstances as the county suffers one of its worst starts to the season for years in his absence.Rose will to cut a ribbon around the gates to be named in his honour, following the accolade bestowed upon Joel Garner, Viv Richards and J. C. “Farmer” White. A worthy quartet, indeed, to be commemorated in ironwork.But the departure of Rose at the end of last season after a succession of runners-up finishes is as yet not fully unexplained. Many Somerset supporters are increasingly questioning why he was shown the gate in the first place.According to club chairman Andy Nash in his diary of last season, this is a “legend” of Somerset cricket. Indeed, Rose was the most successful captain in their history, before you add his impressive record running the first team in recent years – even though they became perennial runners-up.Somerset have made an appalling start to this season as his replacement, the South African Dave Nosworthy, has inherited an ageing side and they were annihilated inside five sessions against Sussex last week.Inevitably, there will be a member or two who on Sunday will tell Rose, or Nash, that this is a man who should never have left the club. Giles Clarke, now ECB chairman, brought him back to Taunton when in charge here and remains on good terms with him: Rose, indeed, is a guest at Clarke’s 60th birthday party.Would Rose have improved Somerset’s overall game this season had he remained at the club? The players have not changed, apart from being a year older. Neither James Harris nor Rory Hamilton-Brown chose to come to Taunton, and, of course, Nick Compton’s runs have been much missed owing to his absence with England.Yet Rose was much liked and much respected. A man who could handle Richards and Ian Botham in their pomp. A man capable of inspiration. Since leaving last September, much lauded in the sunshine by Roy Kerslake, Somerset president, with a presentation in front of the Andy Caddick Pavilion, he was asked by Glamorgan to conduct an indepedent review.As if to stifle suggestions of a Somerset return, the county has confirmed that he has been retained as a consultant for the remainder of the season.Nash is a good man and a successful businessman. But given that Nash has not written about Rose’s departure, the inevitable conclusion is that such a diary would be best left until he has stepped down from office. No-one is expecting him to dish any dirt – but some insight, some analysis, some detail of how this much-treasured cricket club is run, would be the prime expectation of any prospective purchaser of his book.