All posts by h716a5.icu

Cheteshwar Pujara is in danger of missing out on the rest of the IPL season after injuring his knee while fielding in Royal Challengers Bangalore’s win against Kochi Tuskers Kerala last week

ESPNcricinfo staff11-May-2011Cheteshwar Pujara is in danger of missing out on the rest of the IPL season after injuring his knee while fielding in Royal Challengers Bangalore’s win against Kochi Tuskers Kerala last week. Pujara picked up the injury when his foot got stuck in the turf as he attempted a sliding save in the Chinnaswamy Stadium outfield. He played no further part in the game, though he managed to hobble back to the dressing room, refusing the assistance of a stretcher.A chat with the National Cricket Academy (NCA) physiotherapist, and some intial scans revealed that there was no swelling in the knee. Pujara has not travelled with his team to Jaipur for tonight’s game against Rajasthan Royals. He is currently in his hometown, Rajkot, and will return to Bangalore for an MRI scan later this week, after which the team management will take a call on his further involvement.This is not the first time Pujara has picked up an injury in the IPL. In the 2009 edition that was hosted in South Africa, he injured his left knee during a warm-up game in the lead-up to the tournament, and was forced out of action for six months. He managed to bounce back from that setback, and even forced his way into the Indian Test team on the back of a series of strong domestic performances. The timing of his injury, and the recovery time, could impact his participation in the upcoming tour of West Indies. The tour begins in early June, though the Test leg gets underway only on June 20.For the moment, Bangalore are not giving up on Pujara’s return. Ray Jennings, Bangalore’s coach, said that he would like to wait for the final scans before taking a decision. “There have been a few conflicting reports about Pujara’s status,” Jennings told ESPNcricinfo. “At first, it seemed quite serious, but now he feels a little better. We are awaiting the results of his scans at the NCA and will take a final call before the next game [against Kolkata Knight Riders on Saturday].”Pujara is a very good cricketer, and it will be a disappointment for him if he doesn’t recover. But it will open up opportunities for some of the other youngsters in the side.”Pujara has not had too many opportunities so far in the season and has scored only 34 runs in three innings in seven games, batting low in a powerful line-up. Despite the modest returns, Jennings recently suggested Pujara had the potential to replace the England-bound Tillakaratne Dilshan as an opener, but the injury has made things uncertain.Mohammad Kaif has been in and out of the Bangalore XI, and is the front-runner for Pujara’s lower middle-order spot. South African batsmen Rilee Rossouw and Jonathan Vandiar are the other candidates, though they are more likely to replace Dilshan at the top of the order.

Hamish Marshall’s Ireland future was in doubt after financial complications emerged following his qualification for the country

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Jun-2011Hamish Marshall’s Ireland future was in doubt after financial complications emerged following his qualification for the country. Though Marshall, who was born in Auckland, completed the qualification period to play for Ireland in April, he wasn’t considered for selection for any of Ireland’s forthcoming engagements this summer as he is technically also eligible to play for England.His nominal England qualification releases significant payment to his county, Gloucestershire, from the ECB under regulations that award a stipend for including England-qualified players. Playing for Ireland in the upcoming matches would jeopardise these payments, which Cricket Ireland suggested “would be unreasonable on Gloucestershire within a budgetary cycle”.”Since Cricket Ireland, for a similar budgetary reason, is unable to compensate Gloucestershire for their financial loss, Hamish’s ability to play for Ireland in the short-term will remain under review,” explained CI chief executive Warren Deutrom. “We shall remain in consultation with Hamish, Gloucestershire CCC and ECB over the coming weeks to determine how best to resolve the matter.”Marshall, 32, played the last of 66 ODIs against Ireland at the 2007 World Cup. He turned down a national contract with New Zealand ahead of the 2007-08 season so he could pursue a career in English domestic cricket as a local player, and also used his Irish passport to qualify for the Ireland team.Marshall had hoped to resume his international career at the World Cup in India earlier this year, but he hadn’t quite completed the requisite four-year qualification by the time the tournament began and was denied a special dispensation to play by the ICC. The current complications will delay his comeback even further.Marshall’s presence would have leant considerable experience to the Intercontinental Cup squad to face Namibia in Belfast at the end of June, as that group includes no fewer than five uncapped players. Graeme McCarter, the 18-year-old Ireland Under-19 seamer who signed a two-year contract with Gloucestershire in November 2010, has been called up for the first time, as has 20-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman Stuart Poynter. Poynter has been in impressive form this season with MCC Young Cricketers, and the Ireland selectors have reportedly received glowing reports.Stuart Thompson, a 19-year-old allrounder, gets the opportunity to follow in his father Nigel’s footsteps, the senior Thompson having played 18 times for Ireland between 1988 and 1992. Strabane opener Niall McDonnell, who was part of the squad for the ODI series against Pakistan in May but didn’t make a starting XI, is the fifth member yet to be capped at the senior level.Trent Johnston will captain the side for the 61st time in the absence of regular captain William Porterfield. Warwickshire batsman Porterfield is back at the helm for the limited-overs games against Namibia and the tri-series against Sri Lanka and Scotland in Edinburgh in July, and will be joined by county colleagues Niall O’Brien, Gary Wilson, and Boyd Rankin. Nigel Jones also features in the 14, having missed out on the four-day squad due to work commitments.The one-day squad has a more familiar look to it, with no fewer than 12 of the 15 who took part in the World Cup included, but Ed Joyce isn’t available due to personal reasons and offspinner Albert van der Merwe continues to recuperate from his elbow injury. O’Brien will miss the ODI against Scotland on July 12, and Wilson will miss the one-day fixture against Namibia on July 4, both due to county commitments.Intercontinental Cup squad Trent Johnston (capt), Alex Cusack, George Dockrell, Chris Dougherty, John Mooney, Graeme McCarter, Niall McDonnell, Kevin O’Brien, Andrew Poynter, Stuart Poynter, Paul Stirling, Stuart Thompson, Andrew White.
Limited-overs squad for Namibia and tri-series William Porterfield (capt), Alex Cusack, George Dockrell, Trent Johnston, Nigel Jones, John Mooney, Graeme McCarter, Kevin O’Brien, Niall O’Brien, Andrew Poynter, Boyd Rankin, Paul Stirling, Andrew White, Gary Wilson.

Simon Katich’s contentious sacking has moved the federal defence minister, Stephen Smith, to make his own unbridled attack on the national selectors.

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Jun-2011Simon Katich’s contentious removal from the 25-man list of Cricket Australia contracts has moved the federal defence minister, Stephen Smith, to make his own unbridled attack on the national selectors.Unlike on the subcontinent where the crossover between the sporting and legislative realms is frequent and often fevered, Australian cricket and politics seldom collide.But Smith had no hesitation in making his feelings known when questioned about the decision on the program on Australian television.Like Katich a West Australian by birth, Smith said the decision ranked with any of the poorest calls made by selectors in Australian cricket history.”Well historically of course there have been a series of atrocities committed by the Australian Cricket Board or Cricket Australia or the Australian selectors against Western Australian cricketers but this one is extraordinary. This one is very high at the top of the list,” Smith said.”I mean this is a bloke who over the last 30 Tests he’s played has got nearly 3,000 runs, an average of 50 and done better than Ponting and Mike Hussey.”So it’s an extraordinary decision. And regrettably whilst it’s always easy to take a shot at selectors I think it says a lot more about the selectors than it does about Simon Katich and I think frankly it has sent very much a message which has undermined confidence in the selectors that they’re really up to the task in terms of managing a transition to the next generation of Australian cricketers.”Simon Katich has the resolve and the determination that you want to have during hard times. So it’s an extraordinary decision. If he’s not in the top 25 Australian cricketers – and I can’t find one better opener than him on that list, let alone two – then I’ll go hee for chasey.”CA’s head of cricket operations, Michael Brown, maintained the organisation’s defence of the selectors.’I certainly don’t support the idea that [if] you pay peanuts you get monkeys. A lot of people work in cricket, which is essentially a volunteered game, who are incredibly talented, incredibly qualified and incredibly committed but do the best they can because they love the game,” Brown told . ”If that step to professionalism is enhanced by having full-time selectors then cricket will move in that direction but just by making people full-time doesn’t automatically give you the best outcome.”You have got to have the best people, the best structures, the best position description for them, and make sure they are accountable. If we are about making the game go forward that issue needs to be considered and I’m sure it will be by the [Argus] Team Performance Review.’This panel puts on the ground what it thinks is the best team to win every game of cricket it plays in, it doesn’t bat and bowl. Yes it has [been] accountable for selection and for outcomes once performances have been made but to say that the selection panel has lost Ashes series, that’s incorrect.”

England Women made it two one-sided matches on the opening day of the quadrangular series with a comfortable eight-wicket victory over New Zealand Women at Chelmsford

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Jun-2011
ScorecardHolly Colvin’s three wickets put England on their way to victory•Getty ImagesEngland Women made it two one-sided matches on the opening day of the quadrangular series with a comfortable eight-wicket victory over New Zealand Women at Chelmsford.England’s spinners proved a key weapon, as Holly Colvin and Laura Marsh shared five wickets, while Aaron Brindle marked her return to international cricket with 3 for 11. Needing barely four-an-over for victory England had few problems during their chase as captain Charlotte Edwards led the way with an unbeaten 40.The tone for the match was set in the first over when Katherine Brunt removed Aimee Watkins with a wonderful leg-cutter. Although a second-wicket stand of 34 steadied New Zealand there was never any momentum behind the innings and when Colvin struck three times the slide was on.England’s fielding was also sharp, although Sarah Taylor needed some luck to gain a stumping off her pads to give Brindle her first wicket who also ended the innings with three balls unused.Edwards and Marsh then gave the run chase a rapid start as they added 42 inside the Powerplay. Marsh hit four fours in her 24 – New Zealand only hit four in their whole innings – before falling to Sian Ruck, but nothing was going to stop England.”Katherine Brunt bowled brilliantly today and the spinners chipped away and bowled fantastically and were backed up well by the fielders,” Edwards said after the game. “We’ve worked hard on our fielding recently and it has been something we have always prided ourselves on, so I’m really pleased with the performance today. It’s great the way we went out there and knocked off the runs, we were aggressive from the start and Laura Marsh played fantastically well.”I’m really looking forward to playing Australia on Saturday, they won today too so it should be an exciting game in Bristol.”

On the eve of Zimbabwe’s return to Test cricket, Tatenda Taibu has said that a lack of funds and poor professional structures are crippling the game in the country

Firdose Moonda in Harare02-Aug-2011On the eve of Zimbabwe’s return to Test cricket, senior wicketkeeper batsman Tatenda Taibu has slammed the country’s administration for not doing enough for the game. Taibu said that a lack of funds and poor professional structures are crippling cricket in the country.The end of an almost six-year long self-imposed exile from Test cricket, the introduction of a franchise system and the return of many former players such as Heath Streak and Grant Flower to the coaching structures had many thinking that transformation was in the air. Taibu has knocked that notion, saying that the only reason the game survives in the country is because of the commitment of its players.”I don’t think much has changed really, the administration is still struggling to run cricket in the country well,” Taibu said candidly. “For example, the guys haven’t been paid their match fees from August last year up to now. At the moment, I am sitting here without a contract, no one has got a contract; those are all things that the administration is struggling to deal with.”Although the franchises have been able to contract and pay players, the issue of central contracts has never been clarified or resolved. All players who play for Zimbabwe must be contracted to a franchise, which means they earn some form of income, but Taibu indicated that may just be a form of bandaging a wound that really needs surgery. “When you walk around and you see a house that’s painted well, you will think that house is really standing strong but if does not have a strong foundation, it will fall down one day or another,” he said. “Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) has just painted a house that’s about to fall.”Taibu said the players have tried to seek certainty from ZC but that, personally, he had kept a distance from the subject because of his reputation as a pot-stirrer. “It’s hard for me as a player with the history that I’ve got in Zimbabwe cricket to go up and mention these things,” he said. “We’ve tried to go through the right structures, the captain and the manager but nothing has been done to date.”Taibu resigned from the captaincy in November 2005 in controversial fashion after speaking out about the way cricket was being run and spent time living in Namibia, Bangladesh and South Africa before coming home in 2007.He vowed not to speak about administrative issues again but now, Taibu has broken his silence and said he is no afraid of the repercussions. Instead, he feels it his responsibility, as the senior statesman of the side, to be the mouthpiece for some of the juniors. “I like telling the truth, I know most of the other guys are scared of being targeted and they won’t be able to come out and say it in the open but I am not scared of being targeted. I think it’s important that I can stand up for the younger guys who don’t have a voice.”With such discontent bubbling under the surface of a historic comeback into the game, it’s difficult to see what keeps the players motivated. Taibu explained that it was the patriotism and passion in the ranks, and that he is proud to be involved with men of such character. “I can’t fault the coaching staff, they’ve worked really hard and I can’t fault the guys. They come in day in and day out but they are not getting much support from the administration unfortunately,” he said. “To see the guys running in and bowling and hitting a lot of balls in the nets it really shows that the guys have got the country at heart. It is two days before a Test match and no one has got a contract, no one knows what we will get paid, but the guys love their country and they can’t see cricket drop like that.”As much as there is strife in Zimbabwe cricket, there is also pride and the return to the game’s premier format is something the players are cherishing. “It will be sad to see Zimbabwe cricket die, after all the people that have worked hard for us to get Test cricket back, I think it will be a waste if we let it die.”Taibu believes the game is still very much alive and the upcoming Test matches, against Bangladesh, Pakistan and New Zealand, will only help cricket thrive in spite of its structures. “When you play Test cricket, you improve faster,” he said. “As a batsman you spend more time at the crease, as a bowler you learn how to get people out, how to be disciplined and when to attack and when not to.”

Sulieman Benn needs to show his commitment to the West Indies team before he can be considered for international cricket, the chairman of selectors has said

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Aug-2011Sulieman Benn, the left-arm spinner, needs to show his commitment to the West Indies team before he can be considered for international cricket, the chairman of selectors Clyde Butts has said.Benn, 30, hasn’t played for West Indies since the World Cup in March, and was dropped after unfavourable reports from the team management about his behaviour during the tournament. He missed the entire home summer and was left out of the squad for the two Twenty20s in England next month as well.”I think Sulieman Benn would tell you point-blank that he is available for selection but of course you know what happened when Sulieman Benn went to the World Cup with us,” Butts said in a television interview on August 23. “We had some issues with Benn and nothing has happened since then to show us that he has changed his ways and certainly wants to play for West Indies.”Benn has had a string of disciplinary problems since debuting for West Indies in 2008: he was suspended for two one-day internationals for an incident involving Brad Haddin during West Indies’ tour of Australia in 2009, and then during South Africa’s visit in 2010 he received another ban for an altercation with Dale Steyn and was also sent off the field in a one-dayer by his captain Chris Gayle for refusing to do what the captain asked.After the World Cup, legspinner Devendra Bishoo took over Benn’s spot in the side and made a promising start to his international career. Benn was West Indies’ lead spinner till the World Cup, and performed moderately well, taking 51 wickets in 17 Tests and 29 wickets in 25 one-dayers.”I know the board has been trying to put some things in place for him and one just hopes he can reform,” Butts said, “and he can start thinking slightly different now and look at himself as a man who actually has been performing fairly reasonable for West Indies and would want to go on and play for West Indies for a long time.”

A round-up from the latest action at World Cricket League Division Six in Kuala Lumpur

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Sep-2011Jersey upset the form book as they clung on for a seven-run victory against tournament leaders Malaysia at Bayuemas Oval to claim their first win of the event. Jersey were defending 171 and Alex Cooke claimed the final wicket when he had Shahrulnizam Yusof lbw with more than seven overs of the chase unused. However, the real hero was Anthony Hawkins-Kay who took 4 for 22 to earn the Man-of-the-Match award. He claimed two early wickets as Malaysia stumbled in their reply and at 76 for 6 their chance appeared to have slipped away.But the lower middle-order showed fight and a 53-run stand between Suresh Navaratnam (37) and Eszrafiq Aziz (25) meant the odds slightly favoured the hosts. That was when Hawkins-Kay swung the game again with two wickets in two overs, yet still it wasn’t over as Malaysia got to within 10 of the target before the final two batsmen fell in seven deliveries.It hadn’t been an easy day for run-scoring throughout and Jersey found themselves 28 for 3 in the 12th over. The key partnership came from Corey Bisson and captain Peter Gough as they added 88 in 28 overs to ensure a competitive total. Malaysia, though, will rue the 12 wides and three no-balls they conceded.”The pitch was helping fast bowling today and I was definitely getting it in the right places to take the wickets,” Hawkins-Kay said. “It was definitely a tough game and Malaysia played really well and pushed us right up to the end. I have to say it does feel fantastic to score our first victory of the tournament, especially after two really close games that resulted in losses for us. Today’s win really is fantastic, let’s hope it keeps coming.”Kuwait were indebted to Abid Mushtaq’s rapid innings as they chased down a Duckworth-Lewis adjusted target of 161 in 29 overs against Fiji at the Kinrara Oval. Mushtaq hit 43 of 24 balls in a first-wicket stand of 73 in less than 10 overs to ensure Kuwait were ahead of the pace after rain had intervened. Iniasi Cakacaka tried his best to keep Fiji alive with 3 for 13 from six overs, but the chase was comfortably completed by Saud Qamar and captain Hisham Mirza. Earlier, Fiji had done well to recover from 38 for 3 as Josefa Rika (55) and Waisake Tukana (50 not out) added 73 but, as is often the case, chasing under D/L proved an advantage.”I tried to play my normal opening game and tried to remain on strike as much as I could to help us make the target,” Mushtaq said. “It was all about us playing a sensible innings since the last few matches which we’ve lost have been because we have not been sensible in our performances.”It’s important now that we continue to bat well and continue to win all our games to come in the tournament. I think Fiji were a good side despite our winning today; they challenged us but now we have to remain focused on winning every game. Every player has to give it his all for the side.”The game between Nigeria and Guernsey was abandoned after 47 overs but Nigeria had produced an impressive recovery from 18 for 5. Lee Savident and Jamie Nussbaumer, yesterday’s Man of the Match, did major damage with the new ball before Olajide Bejide played a fine hand to reach an unbeaten 87 off 106 balls.

Former Indian captain Mohammad Azharuddin’s son Ayazuddin has died in Hyderabad, succumbing to injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident on Sunday

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Sep-2011Former India captain Mohammad Azharuddin’s son Ayazuddin has died in Hyderabad, succumbing to injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident on Sunday.Ayazuddin, 19, suffered serious injuries to the head, chest and abdomen, and hadn’t regained consciousness since the accident. A medical bulletin on Thursday said that tests indicated a brain dysfunction. Ayazuddin’s 16-year-old cousin, Ajmal, who was riding pillion, had died on Sunday, hours after being taken to the hospital.Ayazuddin, the younger of Azharuddin’s two sons from his first wife Naureen, had been a promising cricketer on the Hyderabad school circuit, noted for his stylish batting similar to his father’s.

Cricinfo previews the first Test between India and West Indies at Feroz Shah Kotla

The Preview by Sidharth Monga05-Nov-2011Match factsSunday, November 6
Start time 9.30 (0400 GMT)Big PictureThe last time a team other than South Africa beat India in a Test in India, nobody knew of Twitter outside the office of its founders and Facebook was an invitation-only site meant for university and high-school students to share notes. A bit like the growth of those Internet media, it has become increasingly difficult to beat India in India. In the five years and eight months since that defeat to England in Mumbai, India have lost two out of 22 home Tests, the best record among all teams. It will be a shock this season if any addition is made to their two losses, despite coming off four straight defeats in England.Then again the number of draws over the same period – nine – is equally instructive. These draws say a bit about the flat pitches, a bit about two badly timed declarations which sat on their lead in two series, and the three times the batsmen dug in in the second innings to save Tests. It also says that while it is difficult to beat India in India, it isn’t quite improbable to keep them from winning. It shows in how the host broadcaster is not repeating the advertising stunt from last year, when it labeled the series against New Zealand “Mission Domination”.It says that while absolute domination – the whitewashes – hasn’t quite been India’s style for whatever reasons, it also means India are less likely to leave the door ajar for West Indies. If you are the underdogs, though, having gone close to four years without an away win against an opposition other than Bangladesh, you want a little complacence from the favourites, a little over-confidence or arrogance. You want them to over-aim, something India don’t do.You want to strike when they are not looking, sometimes even one such session can be enough to win a Test. West Indies will look to keep hanging in, keep taking the blows, and hope for India to look away. West Indies have shown they can be stubborn enough through the two draws against the same opposition in the home series earlier this year. The Indian bowling attack this time is comparatively even less experienced. India managed the lone win on a difficult track. Wonder if the Indian curators watched that?Form guide(Most recent first)
India LLLLD
West Indies WDDDLWatch out for…India’s new bowlers. Ishant Sharma will lead the attack, but there are debuts expected. R Ashwin is all but certain to be the second spinner along with Pragyan Ojha, who himself wasn’t among the top two spinners as recently the England tour. One out of Umesh Yadav and Varun Aaron will get a Test cap too. This will be a huge test for these youngsters, especially with this being an audition for the Australia tour.It is reassuring that the over-my-dead-body Shivnarine Chanderpaul remains relevant to Test cricket. In the last Test he played against India, he thwarted them for eight hours and 21 minutes to save the game. That was after a particularly turbulent period in his career, a period that made him speak more words in public than he had in his international career. He was hurt, he ranted, he came back and showed he still belonged. On this difficult tour, West Indies will need all his experience and stubbornness.Pitch and conditions This is just as big a test for Feroz Shah Kotla. This is only the third first-class match, and the first Test Delhi is hosting after the abandonment of an ODI in 2009-10. The re-laid pitch has been slow, low and lifeless for List A cricket. In one of the two first-class games, it retained its Ranji reputation of early life when Gujarat were bowled out for 71 on the first morning, but neither of the matches produced a result. It is hoped that the new Kotla will break away from the trend, especially considering November mornings are smoggy in Delhi, which could lead to loss of some play.Team newsOnly two slots seem uncertain for India: No. 6 and the second fast bowler. Yuvraj Singh, Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane are contenders for the first, and Yadav and Aaron for the latter. Yuvraj is the favourite for the first, both the contenders have laid equal claim to the latter.India (probable) 1 Virender Sehwag, 2 Gautam Gambhir, 3 Rahul Dravid, 4 Sachin Tendulkar, 5 VVS Laxman, 6 Yuvraj Singh, 7 MS Dhoni (capt. & wk), 8 R Ashwin, 9 Ishant Sharma, 10 Pragyan Ojha, 11 Umesh Yadav/Varun AaronThe big question for West Indies revolves around Ravi Rampaul, who consistently provided them with early breakthroughs in the home season. He then had to make way for Kemar Roach in Bangladesh. However, they can’t afford to play both of them because then he will have to take the place of a specialist batsman, the specialist spinner or the captain. Adrian Barath, fit again, should take his opening slot, which means either Kieran Powell or Kraigg Brathwaite will have to sit out.West Indies (probable) 1 Adrian Barath, 2 Kieran Powell/Kraigg Brathwaite, 3 Kirk Edwards, 4 Darren Bravo, 5 Shivnarine Chanderpaul, 6 Marlon Samuels, 7 Darren Sammy (capt.), 8 Carlton Baugh (wk), 9 Ravi Rampaul/Kemar Roach, 10 Fidel Edwards, 11 Devendra BishooStats and trivia This is the first time, since November 2000, that India are playing a home Test without both Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh. This will be West Indies’ first Test in India in more than nine years, which means only Chanderpaul and Marlon Samuels have played previously in India. Both have a century each. Samuels scored 104 in his only Test in India. Sachin Tendulkar, one short of reaching 100 international hundreds, broke the record of most Test centuries at the same venue when he scored his 35th, against Sri Lanka in 2005-06.Quotes”Over the last six to 12 months our fast bowlers, Ravi Rampaul, Fidel Edwards, Kemar Roach and Darren Sammy have done well and won us matches. We know that India obviously will be heavy on spin but we believe in the quality of our fast bowlers.”
“The Australia series is too far away, so no point thinking about it. As far as this series is concerned, the light may be a factor. It may mean we start a bit late and end a little early. Difficult to predict.”

Andrew Hudson and Gary Kirsten have said Mark Boucher’s batting form needs to improve to end questions over his inclusion in future squads

Firdose Moonda29-Nov-2011Mark Boucher, the South Africa wicketkeeper, is under pressure to score runs in order to prolong his international career. Andrew Hudson, the convenor of selectors, and Gary Kirsten, the national coach, have both said Boucher’s batting form needs to improve to end questions over his inclusion in future South African squads.Boucher is not part of South Africa’s present limited-overs plans, though he filled in for the injured AB de Villiers for the home series against Australia, and he made only 20 runs in three innings during the two-Test series. Boucher batted at No. 7 and was the last recognised batsman before the tail began. Hudson said it was disappointing not to see a more responsible performance from Boucher.”He understands that he needs to get some runs,” Hudson told ESPNcricinfo. “It’s not for me to say that, he knows that. Any No. 7 needs to be a pin, it is not unique to South Africa.”Boucher’s wicketkeeping, however, was up to standards during the Tests against Australia. He took five catches to become the first player with 500 catches in Test cricket. “He is an exceptional wicketkeeper and he showed it in this series,” Kirsten said after the Johannesburg Test. “It’s not necessary for me or anybody else to tell him that he needs to improve his batting, because he knows it.”However, the former convenor of selectors Mike Proctor said Boucher’s present dip in form could be linked to his axing for the 2011 World Cup. AB de Villiers was South Africa’s wicketkeeper for the tournament in the subcontinent. “He [Boucher] was left out of the World Cup squad and I think that’s when they [the selectors] should have kept him,” Proctor said. “AB is an adequate wicket-keeper but if you put him behind the stumps, you lose the best fielder in the world.”de Villiers suffered a finger injury during the Champions League Twenty20 which opened the door for Boucher to be recalled to the ODI side. He scored 22 runs in three innings against Australia and did not fulfill his responsibility as a finisher. “Everything is about confidence,” Proctor said. “If he is worried about whether he is going to be picked or not, that can play a role.”Before the second ODI in Durban, Boucher asked former South Africa wicketkeeper and coach, Ray Jennings, to travel to the city and give him personal coaching time. People close to Boucher said they had not seen him ask for assistance in this way in the past. Jennings and Boucher practised for two hours, on two separate occasions, and worked mostly on his wicketkeeping.Proctor said he expected Boucher to “bounce back” in the upcoming home series against Sri Lanka, which begins on December 15, but he would have to take it “one season at a time.” Hudson indicated that if Boucher showed improvement, he would secure his place for next year’s tours to New Zealand, England and Australia.”If Mark scores runs that puts the debate [over who will be his successor] to rest,” Hudson said. “There is no reason he can’t keep playing over the next year.”There is no clarity over who will be Boucher’s successor. Heino Kuhn is the likely candidate for Tests. He has a first-class average of 44, has been included in A-team squads and has played five T20 internationals. Kuhn has not played an ODI, though, which leaves the door open for the likes of Thami Tsolkeile or Morne van Wyk. “We need someone who is good with the gloves, a first-class keeper, instead of just a batsman who can keep,” Hudson said.