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Wriddhiman Saha, the India wicketkeeper, is confident of regaining fitness ahead of the four-match Test series against South Africa due to begin in November. He had suffered a hamstring injury while on tour in Sri Lanka and is currently in Kolkata working on his rehabilitation.”South Africa Tests are still two months away. I am confident that I will get fit much before that. Hopefully, I will be playing Ranji Trophy for Bengal next month to get match fit,” he told India had called up Naman Ojha as a replacement for the final Test in Colombo, who in turn had looked composed in the face of a Test debut and against a probing Sri Lankan attack. But he could not convert his starts into substantial scores.Saha, meanwhile, had struck a couple of fifties before being sidelined and is rated as the best gloveman in India. His captain Virat Kohli had gone on record saying Saha should be India’s wicketkeeper in Tests for the next five years.The pressure Saha faces, though, is from a perception that he might not score quick runs, which is often the mandate of a batsman coming in at Nos. 6 and 7, and which a player like Ojha is been known for.”I don’t play cricket thinking about others’ performance,” Saha said. “I got injured and Naman was assigned a duty. He did his job to the best of his abilities and India have won the match. Now who will play is up to the selectors. My job is to keep improving and I will strive in doing that.”He does not need to look far for support. Saha recalled how his team-mates had helped him after a couple of failures in the practice match ahead of the Sri Lanka Tests. “When I had low scores (3 and 1) in the warm-up game, Ajinkya [Rahane] came up and told me, ‘Don’t worry. You will score in Tests where it matters’. That’s what has been the hallmark. Everyone is enjoying each other’s success.”Saha had some of his own – scoring his maiden Test half-century in difficult conditions in Galle, which he rated as a better knock than the next fifty he hit, batting through injury and helping set up India’s declaration at the P Sara Oval.”I would rate the Galle innings higher as there was both turn and bounce on that track. Also I had not got a fifty in Tests till then. It was a challenge that I enjoyed. Also I batted with the tail (in both Tests), which demands taking greater responsibility. (Dhammika) Prasad and (Rangana) Herath are class bowlers and doing well against them increases self-belief.”Obviously, the twin half-centuries acted as confidence boosters. I am happy that I have played my little part in the team’s 2-1 series victory. For me, more than the volume of runs, it is important that in what situation I have scored those runs. When I look back, I feel a bit of satisfaction that I could deliver what Virat (Kohli) wanted from me.”

Kane Williamson will return to Yorkshire for a third time after agreeing a six-week stint in the middle of the English season.Williamson, who previously played for Yorkshire in 2013 and 2014, will be available from June 9 to July 18 – a period which will include three County Championship matches, eight NatWest T20 Blast fixtures and three Royal London one-day games.Jason Gillespie, Yorkshire’s head coach, said: “We are delighted to welcome Kane back to Headingley. He is a quality player and person. The opportunity to secure one of, if not, the best players in the world is one you have to take up.”His value as a player is beyond question. His attitude, work ethic and leadership as an overseas player is brilliant.In 2015, Williamson set a New Zealand scoring record with 2692 runs across all formats. Depending on England call-ups, he is likely to form a hefty Yorkshire top order alongside Adam Lyth, Alex Lees and Gary Ballance.

More than three months after Bennett King stepped down as West Indies coach, the board has finally advertised for applications to fill the vacancy.David Moore, King’s deputy, took charge on the recent tour of England but on the field the team struggled and there were reports of disharmony off the field and of friction between the management and some players.The big question seems to be whether the WICB will risk appointing an overseas coach again after King, whose time was not helped by criticism in some quarters which appeared to be based on the fact he was hired from outside the region. His tenure was generally considered not to have been a success.The closing date for applications is August 31 and the quality of applicants may depend on how quickly Julian Hunte, the new board president, can mend the broken relationship between the WICB and the players which has overshadowed almost everything in recent months.Moore will remain in charge for the Twenty20 World Championship in South Africa next month.Click here for the application details

The Champions Trophy was the brainchild of Jagmohan Dalmiya, who was ICC president in the late 1990s. It had a dual aim of spreading the game to emerging nations and raising money for the ICC in between World Cups, thus enabling it to pump more cash into those fledgling cricket countries.The first tournament, labelled as a mini World Cup, was staged in Dhaka in October 1998 and raised more than £10 million. The second, in Nairobi, was a commercial success although the crowds stayed away. By the time the 2002 event was held – and there was disquiet as it was so close to the World Cup five months later – the idea of playing in developing nations had been ditched (in fairness, options had already been exhausted) and as revenue-generation was the main raison d’etre, it needed to be in one of the main countries as this allowed the format to be expanded.In 2004 the jamboree moved to England and it became clear the format of group games led to too many meaningless games. By the time the 2006 tournament in India came into view, the event was under fire from some quarters, and at one time there were even hints that India might decline to take part in 2008. They did not, but against the rapid growth of Twenty20, the Champions Trophy grew more unloved, other than by the money men, with each passing event.1998-99 Bangladesh
Winners: South Africa
Runners-up: West Indies
No. Countries 9
All matches were played at the Bangabandhu Stadium in Dhaka, but the slow and low pitches produced some poor cricket. Severe flooding threatened to cause the whole show to be moved to India, and it only got the go-ahead at the 11th hour. As it was, Dhaka was the third choice after Disneyworld (Florida) and Sharjah. Some sides were less than enthusiastic about the whole venture – England got dispensation to send a virtual 2nd XI – but that was more than compensated for by massive crowds which flocked to games, even though Bangladesh weren’t invited to their own party. The knock-out format, with eight matches compressed into nine days, fuelled the locals’ excitement. South Africa won by beating West Indies in the final, although Wisden noted that “it was thus a tournament in which the winning really was less important than the taking part.” However, not one journalist from either finalist attended the match.2000-01 Kenya
Winners: New Zealand
Runners-up: India
No. Countries 11
Wisden report | Cricinfo site
The second event included Bangladesh – on the verge of joining the Test-playing countries – and hosts Kenya. The format remained a straight knock-out – and the Nairobi Gymkhana, which had received a million-dollar refurbishment ahead of the event, hosted all games. But unlike Dhaka, local interest was poor and crowds were dismal. “The only sadness was the lack of local interest, and the suggestions of match-fixing that subsequently surfaced in the Anti-Corruption Unit’s report to the ICC,” reported Wisden. “While India’s matches attracted decent numbers of ex-pats, indigenous Kenyans were noticeable by their absence throughout. Critics blamed high ticket prices (up to £20) and excessive bureaucracy. One thing was certain: the tournament should have done more to promote cricket in East Africa.” New Zealand surprisingly beat India in the final, thanks to Chris Cairns’s 102, but it was a one-off success – their next 13 ODIs produced 11 defeats and just one win.2002-03 Sri Lanka
Winners: India/Sri Lanka
No. Countries 12
Wisden report | Cricinfo site
The proximity of the World Cup, less than five months later, poor organisation and a revised format that meant most group matches were all but pointless, took the sheen off the event, and more surprisingly the public stayed away despite low ticket prices. The pitches were slow and low – which was anything but good preparation for South Africa – and with the monsoon looming, the heat and humidity were intense. The ICC also decided to use the tournament to experiment with technology (Pakistan’s Shoaib Malik became the first victim of an lbw decision deferred to the third umpire). While it was useful for lbws (where the only referral was whether the ball pitched outside leg stump) it proved almost useless for disputed catches. The ICC abandoned the trial soon after. Sri Lanka and India only sent full-strength sides after contract disputes were settled at the last minute, but Sri Lanka made it to the final after a popular win over an unpopular Australia. However, they shared the trophy with India when both attempts to finish the final were washed out by tropical storms. “In the end, the two false starts summed up the tournament,” Wisden concluded. “Half-baked and inconclusive.”2004 England
Winners: West Indies
Runners-up: England
No. Countries 12
Wisden report | Cricinfo site
The growing weariness with the event (Wisden described it as “the tournament that veers between being the second most important in world cricket and a ludicrous waste of time”) was unchecked with it being held so late in season that cricket was all but forgotten by the media. The continuation with the format that had been so flawed in Sri Lanka did not help, and the inclusion of the USA – a ragbag of past-its and never-weres – just added to the feeling that this was a pointless exercise. Apart from the final and India’s matches, attendances were again dire. “In keeping with the strained relations between the ICC and the hosts, the ECB, recriminations were muted but inevitable,” wrote Matthew Engel. “It is not easy to apportion blame precisely for this fiasco, but between them the two governing bodies constituted a deadly combination.” Those spectators not put off by high ticket prices, early starts and autumn weather experienced the ICC’s ambush-marketing policing in its full glory as drinks and t-shirts were confiscated. The ridiculous nature of the corporate stranglehold was underlined by the fact that punters could not buy England shirts at club shops because their sponsors – Vodafone – were rivals of one of the official “partners”. The final, which witnessed a remarkable comeback by West Indies to defeat England in almost pitch darkness, offered scant consolation after such a poor competition. “The main memories will be of cold and wet, of organisational disasters,” Wisden concluded, “and of the general sense of a doomed competition that did cricket far more harm than good, all of which was obvious and avoidable.”2006-07 India
Winners: Australia
Runners-up: West Indies
No. Countries 10
Wisden report | Cricinfo site
The fifth edition, held five months before the World Cup, will be best remembered for Australia’s eventual capturing of the one piece of silverware that had previously eluded them. High-priced tickets kept Indian fans away, Diwali season was also a distraction. Un-subcontinental pitches meant there was little cheer for the hosts as well as other teams from the subcontinent. With the termination of the monsoons just prior to the tournament, the pitches had not settled, and provided bounce and lateral movement – something the Australian bowlers, notably Nathan Bracken, Mitchell Johnson and Shane Watson – utilised to the hilt. In a way, the pitches provided more even contests between the bat and ball, as opposed to the batsman v batsman game that ODIs in India were threatening to become. “The one that New Zealand and South Africa played on in Mumbai was a real shocker, with the top coming off at the start of the second innings,” noted . Though USA and Kenya did not feature from the previous tournament, a qualifying round meant the number of matches increased from 15 to 21. The steady performances of Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and West Indies took them to the semi-finals. Events in the lead-up to the final between Australia and West Indies were forgettable at best. “The pitch problems jolted Raj Singh Dungarpur, the chairman of the Cricket Club of India, which owns the ground, so much that he offered to move the final to another venue,” wrote. “The organisers were having none of that, though, and Andy Atkinson, the ICC’s pitches consultant, was drafted in: he used polyvinyl acetate, an industrial adhesive, to bind the pitch together.” Nonetheless, Australia’s took the crown in style, winning by eight wickets under the D/L method. “Damien Martyn, who had batted so beautifully in the victories over England and India, once again played his part with a classy unbeaten 47, but it was Watson who ensured that the reserve day would not be needed as Australia’s travelling support celebrated yet another triumph.” A perfect shot in the arm before the Ashes, which they would go on to win 5-0.2009-10 South Africa
Winners: Australia
Runners-up: New Zealand
No. Countries 10
Cricinfo site
Originally intended to be played in Pakistan in September 2008 but with several countries expressing major concerns over security there, the ICC was forced to postpone the tournament and then reschedule it a year later in South Africa.While there were few genuinely nail-biting games, the quality of cricket was high and the consensus was that it had helped stem, if not reverse, the slide in the competition’s credibility, although crowds were healthy only at select games; South Africa’s games, the Pakistan-India tie and the Pakistan semi-final.Australia successfully defended their title, beating New Zealand with something to spare in the final; New Zealand had upset the form book by defeating Pakistan in the semi-finals, aided by poor umpiring and dropped catches.2013 England
Winners: India
Runners-up: England
No. Countries 8

Rod Marsh, the former England selector and Australia wicketkeeper, believes Ricky Ponting’s side should have made changes after the first Test and subsequent decisions were “reactive”. Marsh, the ECB Academy coach, said in the that young players should have been picked early in the series because of their fearlessness.”Bringing Tait in for this game was reactive, not proactive, and after Lord’s they should have got him in,” Marsh said. “You could see that things weren’t right there. Even though Australia won, it was more because England played badly.”Marsh said the best way to get a team back on track was to include fresh faces. “When things aren’t going well you have to bring youth in because the youngsters have a complete lack of fear,” he said.Other problems highlighted by Marsh, who will return to Adelaide at the end of the series, were the lack of an allrounder and a four-man attack. “The key difference between the teams has been England’s ability to play five specialist bowlers,” he said. “Australia have only got four to choose from, which is a policy they have had for a number of years. That is fine when you are playing teams that aren’t that good. But when you are getting a hiding, then it’s hard to compete.”

The Caribbean islands might resort to floating hotels to cope with the influx of tourists during the 2007 Cricket World Cup. West Indies – winners of the first two editions in 1975 and 1979 – have never hosted cricket’s showpiece event before, and there have been fears in some quarters that the infrastructure on the islands will be stretched beyond its limit.But an Agence France Presse report quoted Teddy Griffith, the West Indies Cricket Board president, as saying that at least a few among the eight venues chosen might opt for wave-splashed accommodation options. He said, “There is the possibility, maybe the probability, of using some floating hotels.”Griffith was anxious to add, however, that the idea didn’t necessarily mean that fans would have to shell out a small fortune for rooms aboard huge cruise liners.The tournament is expected to do wonders for the economies of the region, with the hosts’ share of the gross revenues expected to be around US$100million. The tournament will feature 16 teams, and 51 matches over almost two months.

Women’s cricket tends to struggle for a profile around the world, especially when compared to the male variety of the game, but in Pakistan there is action aplenty as three parties battle for control of the women’s game.The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB – men’s cricket) would like to have control, and decided last year that it should. But it has fallen into a legal minefield.The women’s game in Pakistan had struggled along for some years on its own without any notable assistance from men’s cricket.But the women were factionalised even then between the Pakistan Women’s Cricket Control Association (PWCCA), the body which gained the support of the International Women’s Cricket Council (IWCC), and a rival, the Pakistan Women’s Cricket Association (PWCA).Legal action has been pursued by the PWCCA over the PCB stance, and all that is missing to lift the squabble into prime entertainment class are the skills of Messrs Gilbert and Sullivan or their Urdu equivalents.Sadly, the effect of it all on the women who want to play only lends credence to the old African saying: “When elephants fight it is the grass that suffers.”The story so far goes something like this:The two women’s associations did their own thing for some years. Under Islamic tradition many parents will only allow their daughters to play cricket if no men are involved in its organisation.However, with the merging of the interests of men’s and women’s cricket occurring at national association level around the world, with the increasing likelihood of an international merger, the PCB entered the fray.With no common ground among the participating parties in sight, the High Court in Lahore directed the PCB to set up a scrutiny committee in July last year to decide which association should represent Pakistan.The PCB went to the International Cricket Council (ICC) for advice, while the PWCCA contacted Australia, England and New Zealand about their respective amalgamation models.Problems occurred when the scrutiny committee didn’t make a decision over which women’s association should run the game.It decided instead that the PCB should run the women’s game!But, according to reports, it didn’t advise the High Court of its decision.As a result, the PWCCA sought legal action to remedy the situation.The matter is vital for two reasons.Most notably because women’s cricket is likely to come under the control of the ICC from next year.While no final decision has been made on a merger, it will be discussed when the IWCC board of management reports to the full council of the IWCC at Voorshoten, near The Hague, on July 24.Only then will there be discussion on the merger proposal that has been under consideration with the ICC.At the same meeting, the PCB request for membership of the IWCC will be considered. Given the ICC’s controversies of late, it is a given that no merger will proceed while the Pakistan question is unresolved.But more immediately, the Women’s World Cup qualifying tournament is to be held in the Netherlands soon.Clearly this is a prestigious event for Pakistan, so prestigious that the PCB went ahead and held trials. This despite the fact that no official decision had been made over who should be running the women’s game.The PWCCA complained long and hard but the PCB ignored the situation. Finally, the point of embarrassment was reached when the PWCCA obtained a Stay Order from the High Court which prevented the PCB from selecting a side.The PCB went to the ICC who in turn sent the PCB to the IWCC who informed them the PWCCA was the only body capable of having a team at the tournament.Not surprisingly, the women’s world body which also has as one of its requirements, the fostering of the women’s game around the world, wants to see some resolution to the situation.The IWCC have called for all the interested parties to get around the table to discuss the issues under the arbitrary eye of a respected and independent figure in cricket in Pakistan.IWCC president, Christine Brierley, of Australia, said today: “The IWCC has informed the PCB that it has a responsibility to act fairly with its members, and any change to the status of an existing member body must be made in accordance with the IWCC rules, and the rules of natural justice.”The IWCC position regarding Pakistan is that we, with the ICC, encourage a comprehensive development programme and structure for women’s cricket. However, in saying that, we are also mindful of the complexities of the situation, which are political, and additionally complicated by the vested interests of the various parties involved and set against their own cultural requirements as in religious constraints.”There should be an interesting couple of months leading up to the event.

Bangladesh may have lost by an innings for the second time in a fortnight,but they left Sri Lanka on a high after a scintillating hundred from ateenage prodigy, who booked himself a place in the record books as theyoungest ever player to score a Test century.The tourists had started the day on 100 for four, still 365 runs in arrearsafter the mauling they had received on the first two days. Everyone expecteda quick death this morning, but the newest Test nation launched a bravefight-back, before they were eventually bowled out for 328.Sri Lanka had won by an innings and 137 runs within three days, theirhighest ever victory in their 112-Test career, and booked themselves a placein the Asian Test Championship final in February 2002.The day, however, will not be remembered for a predictable win in aone-sided contest, but Mohammad Ashraful’s 114 off 212 balls.The teenager, just 17 years and 63 days old (though he claims his passport gives his date of birth as 9th September – making him just 16), became the youngest ever player toscore a Test century on debut, beating a 30-year-old record, which had been setby Pakistan batsmen Mushtaq Mohammad (17 years 81 days) against India atDelhi in 1960/61.The diminutive right-hander was also making his debut, so he smashed therecord for being youngest player to score a century on debut set by Zimbabwe’s Hamilton Masakadza (17 years 354 days) in the second Test against theWest Indies at Harare just two months ago.He came to the wicket late last night and at the close he had scored justfour. He admitted afterwards to having had strange dreams throughout thenight: “I had difficulty sleeping last night as I dreamt about Lara’s 375and me scoring a century. I told my captain this morning and he told me Icould do it, so I just decided to play positively.”He did just that during a 126-run stand for the fifth wicket with theexperienced Aminul Islam, who had scored 145 in Bangladeshi’s inaugural Testmatch against India last November.Ashraful maintains that he did not feel under any pressure out in the middleand looked completely at ease at the crease. He had a couple of streakymoments along the way, when he sliced between the slips and should have beenrun out when he had made just 14, but he also played some brilliant strokes.He played the faster bowlers well, pulling Chaminda Vaas for two fours inhis second spell of the morning, but played the slower bowlers best, dancingdown the track and impudently lofting them straight down the ground. EvenMuralitharan wasn’t spared, as he pull-swept high over mid-wicket and latecut the ball delicately.Aminul was bowled on the stroke of lunch for 56, as he tried to sweep theleft-arm spin of Sanath Jayasuriya, to leave Bangladesh on 207 for five andAshraful on 68. He carried on in the same entertaining vein afterwards,however, and added 96 further runs with captain Naimur Rahman.With the Sri Lankan fielders showing increasing signs of frustration SanathJayasuriya took the second new ball after 83 overs. Ashraful reached hiscentury in the following over off 167 balls as he edged between third slipand gully for his 14th boundary.The harder ball eventually did the trick for Sri Lanka, though, as RuchiraPerera picked up three quick wickets and Bangladesh lost their last fivewickets for 25. Ashraful was eventually caught and bowled by Perera.Fittingly, it was Muralitharan who sealed the match with a return catch offMohammad Sharif to give him ten wickets in a game for the seventh time in hiscareer. Only Richard Hadlee has done so on more occasions (nine).More importantly, it meant that Muralitharan, who was playing his 66th Test,reached the 350 mark quicker than any other bowler in the history of Testcricket, beating the previous record of 69 matches set by Richard Hadlee.Muralitharan will travel back to England for one more county game withLancashire, whilst his team-mates take a welcome break after two tough monthsof cricket, their next assignment being a tri-nation series in Sharjah.

Mark Wood looks certain to return to the England side for the fourth Investec Ashes Test at Trent Bridge, but England are hoping that the use of an oxygen tank can help James Anderson recover for the final Test at the Kia Oval.Alastair Cook, the England captain, has confirmed that Wood is in “pole position” to replace Anderson in Nottingham and suggested he had come through all the necessary fitness tests with “flying colours.””He has looked fit and ready,” Cook said. “We will have a last check in the morning, but it looks really good for Woody.”Cook also revealed that Anderson had started using “an oxygen tank” in a bid to regain fitness ahead of the final Test, which starts on August 20.”He’s been working with the physios, going in oxygen tanks and all that kind of stuff,” Cook said. “He’s doing everything he can. He is a big miss for us as he gives us attacking options and control.”Anderson sustained a side strain during the third Test at Edgbaston and will be wearing an oxygen mask for around 80 minutes a day for the next week or so.An ECB spokesman explained that there is anecdotal evidence that a boost in oxygen “speeds up recovery in muscle injuries” and that England were “exploring every avenue to get him fit for The Oval.”Chris Woakes, who might have returned to this squad had he not ruled himself out of contention after experiencing some pain in the knee on which he underwent surgery in April, also returned to action. Woakes had some fluid drained from the knee last week and declared himself fit for Warwickshire’s Royal London match against Hampshire at Edgbaston.

A couple of months after announcing his retirement, Virender Sehwag has said he was “hurt” by the manner in which he was dropped from the Indian team in 2013. Speaking exclusively to ESPNcricinfo in Delhi, Sehwag revealed he learnt of his axe from the newspapers and the decision wasn’t communicated to him by the selectors, team management or BCCI.”I hadn’t scored runs in two Tests against Australia,” Sehwag said. “So, I was thinking I would get a couple of more opportunities to perform well in the last two Tests [of the series] and then get dropped if I didn’t perform. If the selectors would have given me that option to play two more Tests and then retire.”Sehwag was left out after the second Test against Australia in Hyderabad in March 2013 after failing to post a half-century in eight innings. He returned to domestic cricket but failed to make a case compelling enough for a national recall. In 20 Ranji trophy matches for Delhi and Haryana since his last Test, Sehwag scored 1269 runs at an average just under 40 with three centuries. Sehwag admitted that it took him a while to adjust to playing on the domestic circuit after having had a long international career.”When I got dropped, I was thinking that I’m a good player and can get back into the Indian team but I was still living in the mindset that I am an aggressive opener and can score runs but I did not realise that domestic cricket is totally different to international cricket and I was still playing in the same way,” he said. “I did not score runs that [2013-14] season and my highest was 50-odd [56] and I was struggling to cope up with [conditions in] Delhi.”I then changed my thinking next year and batting style by giving myself a little more time and I scored 500 plus runs, but I needed to score that in the previous season and maybe I would have gotten back into the team. It was too late but I was playing because I wanted to play the game.”Sehwag is widely regarded as one of the greatest opening batsmen of the modern era, but he was quite candid about his desire to play in the middle order towards the end of his career. Despite the retirements of Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman, Sehwag was never offered that option.”I told the management [about wanting to bat lower down] but they felt that I was still good enough to play as an opener and they didn’t want to take chances with the opening pair. I tried my best but could not get an opportunity in the middle order,” he said. “When I played my last series, Tendulkar was still there, Kohli and Dhoni were there. Pujara was playing as the No. 3 batsman. Tendulkar was playing at 4, Kohli at 5 and it meant that I had to bat at No. 6 after Tendulkar as you could not ask him to bat at No. 3 or 5. So, there was no chance for me to bat in the middle order.”While Sehwag retired with an impressive Test record, his performances outside the subcontinent were inconsistent. Some knocks like the 195 at MCG in 2003 are considered modern day classics, but overall Sehwag averaged just 35.84 in 36 Tests and made just 5 of his 23 Test centuries outside Asia. He conceded that as an area he struggled to match his peers in.”You don’t think of these things when you play,” he said. “When you retire, you look back and see that my Test average outside Asia is 40 and it is 49 overall. If I can change something, I’d like to change that average outside Asia. I tried as hard as I could outside Asia but I couldn’t do that. I gave my best but didn’t score as much as I can. Dravid, Tendulkar, Sourav and Laxman did it and scored hundreds as well.”