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England warmed up for their three-match Twenty20 series against Pakistan later this week with a comfortable, if occasionally rusty, 80-run victory over a United Arab Emirates XI that ended up being an XVII

Andrew Miller23-Nov-2015England XI 174 for 6 (Roy 59, Hales 40) beat UAE XI 95 for 9 (Moeen 4-11) by 79 runs

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsJason Roy scored a 26-ball fifty to set up England’s win•Getty Images

England warmed up for their three-match Twenty20 series against Pakistan later this week with a comfortable, if occasionally rusty, 79-run victory over a United Arab Emirates XI that ended up being an XVII.The gulf between the sides was Persian in its magnitude, as a UAE squad featuring six uncapped players out of the 17 who took part at various stages of the game was restricted to 95 for 9 in reply to England’s 174 for 6. The margin might well have been wider had it not been for a determined 23 from 22 balls from Fahad Tariq, who rescued his side from 61 for 8 before becoming Moeen Ali’s fourth wicket of the innings in the final over of the match.Despite their dominance, it was a lopsided display from England, in particular with the bat, as a new-look middle-order struggled to match the hectic tempo set by Jason Roy and Alex Hales, two of England’s batting stars from last week’s ODI series win.The value of prior match experience in these conditions was amply demonstrated in the opening overs of the contest. With form and confidence to fall back on, Roy’s innings started out as a homage to Jos Buttler’s bruising exploits at Dubai on Friday, as he clobbered nine fours and two sixes to race to 59 from 29 balls, adding 92 for the first wicket with Hales inside the first seven overs.But then, after bringing up his fifty with the second of his two sixes over long-on, Roy charged down the wicket to the left-arm spin of Ahmed Raza and would have been stumped by half the length of the pitch had he not instead been bowled.His departure brought a shuddering halt to England’s momentum. One over later, a disconsolate James Vince was trooping back to the dressing-room. He had run himself out going for an unwise second run and must fear that his four-ball 2 will represent the sum total of his time at the crease on this trip.Hales was next to fall for 40, excellently caught at long-off off the legspin of Zaheer Maqsood, who had earlier had the same batsman dropped at deep midwicket on 12 and at 122 for 3 in the 13th over, England’s designs on a 200-plus score were starting to be reassessed.Moeen’s 20 from 16 balls, with one four and one six, was a typically serene performance with a familiarly unfulfilling ending, as he was beaten in flight by Imran Haider and bowled by a hint of turn, whereupon the urge to dominate from the outset started to overwhelm the rest of the batting line-up.Sam Billings was caught behind in Haider’s next over, which ended up as a wicket maiden as a frantic Chris Jordan aimed air-shot after air-shot in his first innings since Sussex’s County Championship relegation in September.At the other end, Eoin Morgan, deprived of the strike, kept England ticking with two fours before bunting a full-toss from Mohammad Ayaz to midwicket, as England mustered 174 for 6 in their 20 overs, a decent total when taken as a whole, but an innings of two distinct halves – 92 for 0 in 39 balls, and 82 for 6 in the remaining 81.It was never likely to be close, however. Jordan quickly made amends for his batting mishaps with two early breakthroughs, plucking out Syed Maqsood’s leg stump in his first over before having Mohammed Kaleem caught by Reece Topley at mid-on in his second.Topley himself bowled Abdul Shakoor for a duck and when Morgan removed Rameez Shahzad with a fine back-pedalling catch off Liam Plunkett, UAE were 31 for 4 and sinking fast.England’s spinners then took up the attack, not least Moeen, who finished with 4 for 11 off three overs. He had at one stage been on a hat-trick, but with the UAE captain Ahmed Raza in his sights, he diffused the tension with an easily negotiated full-toss. It was that sort of a game.

Wes Agar, the brother of Australian spinner, Ashton Agar, and Clinton Hinchliffe were named in Australia’s 21-member squad for the upcoming Under-19 World Cup in Bangladesh

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Dec-2015Wes Agar, the brother of Australian spinner Ashton Agar, and Clinton Hinchliffe were named in Australia’s 21-member squad for the upcoming Under-19 World Cup in Bangladesh.Wes, a fast bowler, generated good pace and impressed in the Under-19 Championships, taking ten wickets in eight matches, including a five-wicket haul at an average of 22.60. Fellow South Australian Michael Cormack, who topped the wicket charts with 21 scalps at 16.57 was also included.Hinchliffe was the leading run-getter in the Under-19 Championships with 446 runs to add to 10 wickets, and eventually reaped the Player-of-the-Series award. Tom O’Donnell, the son of former Australian all-rounder Simon O’Donnell, and Sam Elliott, the son of former Test batsman Matthew Elliot, also found a place in the squad.Also named was Newcastle’s Jason Sangha, the only cricketer to advance to the Under-19 National Championships from the School Sports Australia Under-15 Championships.Cricket Australia’s National Talent Manager Greg Chappell believed that the squad had all bases covered in addition to plenty of leadership options.”The squad the National Youth Selection Panel has picked is one we believe could win the World Cup,” Chappell said.”There is a vast array of all-round talent here that can post big scores and restrict opposition teams with the ball and in the field; there is also plenty of leadership within the group.”The squad will be trimmed to 15 on December 28 as per ICC regulations. Australia, who are placed in Group A alongside India, Nepal, and New Zealand, begin their campaign against India on January 28 in Mirpur.Squad: Wes Agar, Michael Cormack, Kyle Gardiner, Jordan Gauci, Brooke Guest, David Grant, Sam Grimwade, Sam Harper, Liam Hatcher, Clint Hinchliffe, Henry Hunt, Caleb Jewell, Jonathan Merlo, Arjun Nair, Tom O’Donnell, Jonte Pattinson, Patrick Page Jnr, Jhye Richardson, Jason Sangha, Ben Taylor, Henry Thornton.

Chandika Hathurusingha and Dav Whatmore, the head coaches of Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, have said that the four-match T20 series between the two sides will give them a chance to try out new combinations

Mohammad Isam in Khulna13-Jan-2016Chandika Hathurusingha and Dav Whatmore, the head coaches of Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, have said that the four-match T20 series between the two sides will give them a chance to try out new combinations.With the Asia Cup T20 looming and a World T20 to follow, Bangladesh are keen to identify a settled combination. Zimbabwe, after losing four successive limited-overs series against Afghanistan, will also look to build for the World T20.”We are looking to win because we are playing international cricket but still we want to get our best combination,” Hathurusingha said. “At the same time give the players comfort in their roles, to understand their roles. So that’s the main focus. In terms of combinations, we will try to do different ones. We still want to win but we will experiment in terms of combinations.”With Zimbabwe looking to play many more T20s after Bangladesh and before the World T20, Whatmore said that the returning trio of Vusi Sibanda, Brian Vitori, and Sean Williams will get a chance to play.”We have come here to win. We are also mindful that we have another 10 games before the World T20,” Whatmore said. “There will be a portion of looking at different combinations.”They [Sibanda, Vitori and Williams] will get a chance. Sean is certainly in our best team. The other two boys have got a chance to impress. They will be given their opportunity. No one has come in here just to carry the drinks. So they will all play.”Neither team has a good record in T20 internationals, a discrepancy that needs correction. Bangladesh had lost their last T20, against Zimbabwe in November from a winning position.Bangladesh’s last T20 win against a top side was against Pakistan in April last year. Hathurusingha said that he wanted his players to understand their roles, especially on the batting front.The return of Shakib Al Hasan and Soumya Sarkar will ease Bangladesh’s concerns about building a settled combination. Shakib had gone on paternity leave and missed the last two T20s against Zimbabwe while Sarkar missed both the ODIs and T20s because of a side strain.”We have a settled line-up in ODI cricket but in T20s I don’t think we have our combination or gameplan understood,” Hathurusingha said. “It is the biggest challenge, especially in batting. So batsmen have to understand and be comfortable in their roles. Shakib and Soumya are world-class players so they are both in the team.”Whatmore, on other hand, conceded that Zimbabwe had not fielded their best team for quite a while. “Our bowling attack has been a bit inexperienced without [Tinashe] Panyangara,” he said. “We haven’t been able to keep a settled team. We have had a close look at it. Our best team hasn’t been on the pitch in quite a while. We are still looking at other objectives to achieve in this four-match series.”Keeping in view the World T20 and conditions in India, Whatmore also called for flexibility. “I am not sure Indian wickets are going to take too much spin. What I have seen in the IPL are good batting wickets,” Whatmore said. “Some of the matches are also under lights so the dew factor will also come into it. I think teams need to be prepared for either medium-pace quick combinations and also have the ability to use spin bowlers without damaging their batting. I think you need to be flexible.”

The BCCI working committee has decided to set in motion the process for hiring a CEO and CFO for the board

Arun Venugopal19-Feb-20163:57

Venugopal: Confusion around BCCI’s combined affidavit

The BCCI working committee has decided to set in motion the process for hiring a chief executive officer (CEO) and chief financial officer (CFO) for the board. The decision was taken at the working committee in Mumbai on Friday, which was followed by a special general meeting (SGM) of the board. The big domestic news to come out of the SGM was the decision to grant full-member status to Chhattisgarh State Cricket Sangh – meaning they will now play BCCI tournaments including the Ranji Trophy, taking the number of Ranji teams up to 28.On the international front, it was decided to rework the BCCI’s future tours programme (FTP) for the period 2016 to 2023, to “ensure equitable distribution of the matches”. Following the ICC revamp in 2014, when the main FTP-setting powers passed from the ICC to the individual boards, the BCCI signed bilateral agreements that confirmed India would play the most Tests (20) against England from 2015 to 2023, followed by Australia (16) and South Africa (12), with teams see as less attractive opposition seemingly losing out.The creation of the post of a CEO was a change recommended by the Lodha panel, which had looked into the governance of the board, and submitted a report with the Supreme Court of India, which was then passed on to the BCCI. One of the big recommendations dealt with the board separating its governance and management duties, with the CEO taking charge of the management side of things. The board was supposed to let the court know by March 3 about the implementation of all the recommendations. “If you have any difficulty in implementing it, we will have the Lodha Committee implement it for you,” Justice Thakur had told the BCCI counsel.IPL chairman Rajiv Shukla, though, said the board’s decision to create the posts had nothing to do with the Lodha recommendation. “This is based on the ‘Project Transformation’ report,” Shukla said. In October, auditing giant M/S Deloitte was hired for “Project Transformation”, the board’s initiative aimed at improving governance, and operational and financial processes, according to a statement explaining the project on the BCCI’s website.With regards to the Lodha recommendations, the BCCI decided to file an affidavit in the Supreme Court to point out the “anomalies” in the Lodha report, and the “difficulties” encountered in the implementation of all its recommendations. While BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur said the affidavit will be filed on March 3 – the deadline given by the Supreme Court – IPL chairman Rajiv Shukla said it would be done earlier. “We will file our affidavit before the deadline. KK Venugopal is appearing for us [in this case],” Shukla said.

Jos Buttler’s fourth ODI hundred was also his slowest but it nevertheless provided England with the central pillar of their total of 399 for 9 in Bloemfontein and paved the way for them to go 1-0 up in the series

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Feb-2016Perhaps it was the nerves. Jos Buttler’s fourth ODI hundred was also his slowest but it nevertheless provided England with the central pillar of their total of 399 for 9 in Bloemfontein and paved the way for them to go 1-0 up in the series.Buttler’s role in South Africa up to the start of the ODIs had been to understudy Jonny Bairstow as Test wicketkeeper. It had been two months since his previous competitive involvement, during the limited-overs leg of England’s UAE tour, although he might have taken confidence from the fact his last ODI innings was a 46-ball hundred in Dubai, the fastest ever by an Englishman.That put him on the radar of IPL franchises and, with the auction set to be held in Bangalore on Saturday, another blistering century – this time from 73 balls – will have done his chances of being picked up no harm. Perhaps the thought that he is on the verge of joining a select group of England players to be invited to the IPL party added to the sense of trepidation.”I was really nervous,” Buttler said. “Usually, I feel quite calm having played a few games with the experience. But I was really nervous when I got out there and I think that nervous energy showed in my innings. At times, I was trying to tell myself to hit the ball along the floor and take my time and then I’d play a big shot without really realising it. I think it was just the nerves that was making that happen. When your first big shots come off, I think that really settles you down and you immerse yourself in the game and the situation.”I haven’t played for a while,” he added. “I finished well in Dubai but that is a long time ago and you’re never sure if you can carry form forward. I’ve batted a lot in the nets but being in the middle is a completely different kettle of fish.”The quicker Buttler gets into the middle, the better for England, it seems. Buttler was again promoted to bat at No. 4 in Bloemfontein and having scored back-to-back hundreds in the position he now averages 115.00 at a strike rate of 172.93 there. Under Eoin Morgan’s captaincy, England have adopted a more flexible – not to mention aggressive – approach and it certainly seems to suit Buttler, who has scored three centuries in less than a year.He was ably supported by Alex Hales, Joe Root and Ben Stokes, who all scored fifties, as well as Jason Roy’s pulsating 48 from 30 balls that helped set the tempo as England racked up their second-highest total in one-day internationals, and their highest overseas.Jos Buttler muscled his way to his fourth ODI hundred•Getty Images

“We got off to such a great start,” Buttler said. “The way Jason and Alex set up the innings, that allowed for Morgs to tell me to get my pads on. As soon as I was ready, we lost a wicket without really the thought about what to do and how I was going to play. When you get the promotion, you feel the expectation. You’ve been put up the order to continue the momentum of the two guys who started it and Rooty took on as well. You feel like you want to keep that going. That’s the role I had to play after being moved up the order.”It happened in Dubai as well. We got off to a good start and I was told to be ready to go in earlier. The great thing for our side is that we have flexibility. It might be we need a left-hander and Stokesy can go in and chance his arm. I think that is another strength of the side we are developing. Everyone is flexible and we have guys who can go in and play different roles in different situations.”Although South Africa were still in contention to chase down 400 when the rain arrived on Wednesday evening, it is England who are 1-0 up and looking to continue a freewheeling run in limited-overs cricket that has seen them smashing through self-imposed barriers in the wake of their World Cup exit.”It gives us huge confidence to score nearly 400,” Buttler. “This group of players, we’ve been challenging ourselves and pushing ourselves for a number of months. At times, we’ll get it wrong and probably be all out for 280 in 40 over.”But today is another great step forward for everyone to start this way in a series overseas against a very good team. It’s brilliant, and we’ll take this confidence forward. It’s a shame the weather intervened, in what looked like it was going to be a really close match.”The IPL auction will be getting underway when England take on South Africa in the second ODI on Saturday. That might be another cause for nerves but Buttler is confident he will be able to tune out the noise until afterwards. “Obviously, I have no control over anything that is going on there. I’ll be interested to know what happens but I think it will be pretty easy being involved in a full-blooded one-day international. That needs all the attention it requires.”

Firdose Moonda27-Mar-2016Hashim Amla remains adamant that, despite South Africa’s failure to progress to the World T20 semi-finals, their much-vaunted senior players will refocus on the 2017 Champions Trophy in England in an attempt to add a limited-overs medal to their cricketing CVs.Ahead of South Africa’s dead-rubber against Sri Lanka on Monday, Amla insisted that he will join AB de Villiers, Faf du Plessis, JP Duminy and Imran Tahir in proving that they still have the capacity to succeed in major international tournaments.”A lot of us are extremely keen to keep playing international cricket,” Amla said. “It’s something we’ve enjoyed. A lot of us feel like we’ve got a few more years left in us.”It would be great if we can make it to the next 50-over World Cup – that would be ideal. But first we’ve got a Champions Trophy next year. As long as you are fit and healthy and scoring runs and you warrant your place in the team then hopefully you can make it.”Although there has not been yet been much dissection of South Africa’s exit – perhaps because they still have a game to play – one of the inevitable questions will be about the future of some the squad.De Villiers, for example, has been outspoken about managing his workload. Considering his roles as captain in both Test and ODI cricket and a packed schedule of T20 leagues including the IPL and CPL in 2016, leaving international T20s behind may be an option.The same can be asked of Dale Steyn, who spent all but two days of the summer injured and was carefully brought back for this tournament but then only played one match. But Amla dismissed ideas that either of them is considering phasing themselves out.”The whole rumour of AB retiring was before I gave up the Test captaincy and I think it was just that: a rumour,” he said. “There are no issues whatsoever. Everyone is really passionate and desirous of doing well. We’re just hoping we can play good cricket and at the next ICC event have a better performance.”Steyn only played South Africa’s opener against England before South Africa opted for the pace-off-the-ball bowling of David Wiese, even at the Wankhede where the quicker bowlers had more in their favour.Amla defended Steyn’s non-selection as a logical thought process. “Before coming to this tournament, the captain and the coach talked about picking the right team for the venue or the wicket,” he said.”In Mumbai, with a smaller field and a lot of boundary hitting, the quick bowlers came into the picture a lot more,” he said. “In Nagpur, the slower bowlers were more effective. I can understand why the captain and coach opted for David Wiese.”That wasn’t the only selection question South Africa faced.AB de Villiers had been playing as an opener until the tournament began, which led to questions about his reversion to the middle order. JP Duminy’s hamstring injury just as he returned to form also meant that South Africa’s middle order was weakened ahead of the vital tie against the West Indies.The fact that South Africa’s key batsmen failed to fire was identified by critics back home as a key reason for their inability to advance to the knockouts but when Amla was asked if he felt de Villiers and Duminy had given the team enough, he displayed rare irritation. “Is that a serious question? Really?” he asked. “Next one, please.”Instead, Amla put South Africa’s performances down to lack of cohesion as a unit and did not place any individual blame. “We haven’t played our best cricket throughout. We haven’t had a game where our batting and our bowling has clicked in the same game.”All hope had not gone, he said, issuing a familiar message. “This team will win a World Cup or an ICC tournament at some stage.” Just not this time.

Ben Foakes admitted Surrey have struggled to adapt to the standard of Division One cricket over the opening couple of days of the season

George Dobell at Trent Bridge11-Apr-2016
ScorecardJackson Bird made new-ball inroads which started a tough day for Surrey•Getty Images

Ben Foakes admitted Surrey have struggled to adapt to the standard of Division One cricket over the opening couple of days of the season.Foakes, the Surrey and England Lions keeper, top-scored for his side but was unable to prevent them conceding a first innings lead of 221 against Nottinghamshire. Surrey, promoted this season after two years in Division Two, were subsequently obliged to follow-on before they were given some respite by poor weather that cut more than 20 overs from the day.Conceding that the Nottinghamshire seamers constituted “the best attack I’ve faced,” Foakes – playing the first Division One match of his career – also accepted that, with bat and ball, Surrey had been outplayed over the first two days.”It is a step up,” he said. “There were a lot of good balls around and a couple of poor shots. Notts bowled really well and just hammered away at a length.”You’ve got to value your wicket more in Division One but there were a lot of good balls and you’ve got to admit we were generally outplayed today. It’s the best attack I’ve faced.”It’s probably a 280-ish sort of wicket, but on day one they scored too many. There wasn’t one day last season when we bowled with that lack of consistency. Today we needed one guy to stand up and none of us did.”Foakes was one of those with little reason to chastise himself. Defeated by a fine delivery from Harry Gurney that swung in and nibbled away off the pitch, he was caught behind after an innings containing some elegant stokes but also some watchful defence. Kumar Sangakkara was also the recipient of a fine delivery that forced a stroke and nipped away to take the edge of the bat.But several of their team-mates – not least Jason Roy and Arun Harinath – may reflect that, having established themselves, they played a part in their own downfall. Roy, who made all 28 of his runs in boundaries, had demonstrated admirable patience in waiting for the correct ball to attack but appeared to lose patience and attempted to whip a straight one through midwicket.Harinath’s eyes lit up when he received a wide delivery but, in attempting to hit it too hard, Harinath – both feet off the ground – edged to slip. Rory Burns will also regret a footless prod at one angled across him that he could have left.While Jackson Bird finished as the highest wicket-taker – he finished off the innings in successive balls and started the Surrey second innings on a hat-trick – Jake Ball was probably the pick of the bowlers. Watched by ECB coaches Kevin Shine, who was especially impressed, and Graham Thorpe, Ball swung the ball both ways and gained steep bounce from an understandably sluggish surface. Reinforcing the view that he has added pace over the winter, Foakes rated him – and the unfortunate Gurney – as the quickest members of the attack.Gurney might have had several more wickets but saw Greg Smith dropp two chances at third slip – neither completely straightforward – to reprieve first Sangakkara (on 27) and then Roy (on 4). Gurney himself then missed an easier chance off Brett Hutton at mid-on when Tom Curran had 16. Nottinghamshire also failed to take a run out chance offered by Foakes on 38 – Chris Read and Bird combining to miss the opportunity – though it did not cost them.Still, to have fared so well despite such errors can only bode well. And with Alex Hales, James Taylor and Stuart Broad all becoming available – for a while at least – in the coming weeks, there is reason for some optimism at Trent Bridge.It was probably bound to take Surrey time to acclimatise. They won only one game in their last season at this level – and that against Derbyshire, the other relegated team – and are learning the level of consistency and discipline required. They have the quality to adapt, but lack a bit of experience and a bit of patience.There was some encouraging news for Surrey. Zafar Ansari, the left-arm spinning all rounder, has been named in the club’s second XI team to play in a match starting on Wednesday. It will be his first appearance since he suffered a broken thumb in the Championship match against Surrey towards the end of the 2015 season. The injury, coming just hours after he was named in the England Test squad to the UAE, kept him out of the series. Surrey hope he may be available for their next Championship match, which is against Somerset and starts on April 24.Foakes’ performance is also noteworthy. It is clearly a little premature to be thinking of him as an international player of the near future – he has only just become a first choice keeper at county level – but he has out-kept the ever-impressive Read in this match and, having taken the gloves for the Lions, might be considered first reserve to Jonny Bairstow while Jos Buttler is away at the IPL. If Bairstow were to suffer an injury, therefore, Foakes could find himself promoted earlier than anticipated. It wouldn’t be ideal, but he does look an unusually promising player.

Curtly Ambrose, the former West Indies fast bowler who was replaced as the team’s bowling coach on the weekend, has said the decision to remove him came as “a bit of a shock”

ESPNcricinfo staff16-May-2016Curtly Ambrose, the former West Indies fast bowler, has said the decision to remove him as West Indies’ bowling consultant came as “a bit of a shock”. Ambrose was replaced with Roddy Estwick on the weekend; he said head coach Phil Simmons told him the decision was made because Simmons wanted someone who is “more technical” to coach the team’s fast bowlers.”I only learnt about it from head coach Phil Simmons on Wednesday [last week], and when he told me I said to him that I am very disappointed, because I never expected it, and I never saw it coming because he never gave me any indication he was going to let me go,” Ambrose was quoted as saying in the . “So, it came as a bit of a shock basically, but I haven’t decided which direction I am going to take just yet. I’ll just pause and give it a little time to think about it and decide where I want to go after.”Ambrose had served as West Indies’ consultant for the last three years, his most recent assignment being the World T20 triumph in India in April. The WICB press release did not state a reason for Ambrose’s exit. “I spoke to head coach Phil Simmons, and he told me that he wanted someone who is more technical to work with the fast bowlers,” Ambrose said. “So, I said to him well, if you knew I was doing a poor job, then you should have told me. He said no, I did a fantastic job, because I brought a high level of discipline to the team, and I have motivated the guys quite a bit… but he wants somebody more technical, hence, he is going for Roderick Estwick.”Estwick, who was given the designation of bowling coach, is due to join the West Indies pre-season preparatory camp on May 19, ahead of the home tri-series against Australia and South Africa that starts on June 3 in Guyana. Estwick had coached the Barbados domestic side as well as the West Indies Under-19 and Barbados Under-19 teams, apart from participating in the High Performance Centre programme.

Umar Gul, the Pakistan fast bowler, has rued what he has termed a lack of trust from the selectors for leaving him out of the squad for the ongoing tour of England

Umar Farooq30-Jun-2016Umar Gul, the Pakistan fast bowler, has rued what he has termed a lack of trust from the selectors for leaving him out of the squad for the ongoing tour of England. In a strongly worded interview with , he said a “double-standard policy” on fitness had led to his omission from the 2015 World Cup squad. His outburst has upset the selectors, but they have urged him to stay in contention by playing domestic cricket.Gul, 32, did not make either the final squad for the England tour or the list of players called up for a national training and skills camp in Abbottabad and Lahore. He has been in and out of the side since missing large parts of 2013 and 2014 with a knee injury and subsequent rehabilitation following surgery in Australia. He last played for Pakistan in the second T20I of their tour of New Zealand in January.”Look, I’m not saying that they should play me,” Gul said. “But at least treat my case on the same level as of others. Usually, it’s not in my nature to speak out my mind. But when people start rating me as a discard then it hurts a lot. I have had fair share of injuries during my long international career. Just tell which fast bowler doesn’t get injured? This is part and parcel of cricket.”However, some people [in the cricket board] make you a fool by jumping to the conclusion that so and so individual’s playing career at the international level is over. And what is more annoying is that when you confront them they’ll act as if nothing has happened and will try to be as supportive as they can but the same people will form different opinion behind your back.”Gul said he had met the selectors’ fitness requirements ahead of the 2015 World Cup, and was puzzled by his non-selection.”I was aghast when I found out that the parameter for fitness for the 2015 World Cup was set at 60 points. And yet I was not good enough to be considered [for selection] despite recording 62 points. Somebody in the PCB must be honest enough to explain this double-standard policy.”Now I realize that sometime just being fit is not enough to be inducted because the trust is not there. Being the senior-most fast bowler, there was no way they [selectors] could have sidelined me the way they did. They were not willing to trust me as a player. In the last season I had rediscovered my rhythm and felt extremely fit to reclaim my Pakistan spot, but the selectors still chose to ignore me.”Pakistan’s bowling attack seems to have come out of a long transition period, with Mohammad Amir’s reintegration lending it a settled look. Other fast bowlers have leapfrogged Gul and Junaid Khan in the pecking order, largely due to concerns over their fitness, with both troubled by recurring injuries. Gul’s decline can be seen in his place in Pakistan’s lists of centrally contracted players. He was a category A player in 2011 and 2012, and was included in category B in 2013 and 2014, despite missing much of their cricket with injury. He has not found a place in the contract list in 2015 and 2016.Inzamam ul Haq, Pakistan’s chief selector, was reluctant to comment on Gul’s outburst, but Tauseef Ahmed, a member of the selection panel, responded, saying the reasons for Gul’s non-selection were “not unfair”.”He shouldn’t be giving statement, rather focusing on his cricket and keep on performing,” Tauseef told ESPNcricinfo. “Cricket season has just started and he shouldn’t be disheartened as there are a lot of series ahead and it’s not just about Umar Gul but every player who didn’t make into the Test side.”You obviously can’t select everyone at once but we are completely aware about who is dropped and who is selected. Junaid Khan is the other bowler who was left out and he along with Umar was also in contention. But we have our reasons, which are not unfair, and the selected bunch was the best we could possibly pick according the the conditions and competition.”It’s not just about being senior; its about what is the capability of a player and where he can fit in. Cricket is being played format-wise now, and it’s not like we have discarded him forever. Bowlers who are selected are good enough and have experience. We will make sure everyone gets a fair chance and we have a lot of cricket ahead and we will continue to monitor the performances of players.”The problem is that we didn’t have much cricket in the recent past and most of our players are untested. So with a lot of cricket ahead we want to have as many players being tested out [as possible] and that is why we have brought new bowlers into the A team. Gul and Junaid might have missed out but they are still our asset and part of our country’s cricket. They should continue with their cricket and keep on performing in domestic cricket. One must talk with his performance in the ground and that should be a talking point. Journalists should be making noise for player rather than player himself.”

Former Madhya Pradesh cricketer Kapil Seth died on July 2 due to an illness. Seth was 36

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Jul-2016Former Madhya Pradesh cricketer Kapil Seth died on July 2, aged 36. Seth was suffering from Hepatitis B, according to MPCA.Seth, who bowled medium-pace, represented Madhya Pradesh in only one first-class and List A game in the 2000-01 season. He made his sole Ranji Trophy appearance against Vidarbha in November 2000 and scored an unbeaten 125 at No. 10. His century, along with Ankit Srivastava’s 204, helped Madhya Pradesh rally from 276 for 8 to 552 for 8 declared, and the side eventually beat Vidarbha by an innings and 176 runs.He did not bat in his only List A match – also against Vidarbha, in the Ranji Trophy One Day competition – but had figures of 1 for 27 in the match.