England dominate ICC Test team of the year

Alastair Cook and Jonathan Trott were included in the ICC's
Test team of the year, but Ian Bell missed out

Five English cricketers were named in the ICC's Test team of the year, reflecting England's rise to the No. 1 spot, achieved during their 4-0 whitewash of India earlier this month. Two batsmen, Alastair Cook and Jonathon Trott, and three bowlers, Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann and James Anderson, made the XI, but there was no place for Ian Bell despite his averaging 89.50 and making four hundreds during the qualifying period from August 11, 2010 to August 3, 2011.

Dale Steyn, the South Africa fast bowler, made the team for the fourth straight year, while Sachin Tendulkar was named to the team for the third consecutive year. Three South Africa batsmen, Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers and Jacques Kallis, plus Kumar Sangakkara, the former Sri Lanka captain, made up the rest of the XI, while India fast bowler Zaheer Khan was named 12th man. Sangakkara was named captain and wicketkeeper, though he no longer performs either role for Sri Lanka in Tests.

"While selecting the squad, the selectors didn't rely only on statistics only, but took into account all other factors like the opposition, pitch conditions, match situation etc," Clive Lloyd, the former West Indies captain and chairman of the ICC Awards selection panel, said in a release. "But when you have only 12 places to fill from a big group of world-class players, there will always be a few who will miss out. In the panel's expert opinion, it has selected the best team based on performances over the past 12 months."

The ICC also released the short-list for its annual awards and Tendulkar will have a chance to repeat as Cricketer of the Year award but will have to fend off challenges from Amla, and the England pair of Cook and Trott to do so. Tendulkar wasn't quite as prolific as last year, but still managed to score 973 runs in 10 Tests at an average of 64.86 and 513 runs from 11 ODIs at an average of 46.63.

Cook and Trott were also short-listed for the Test Player of the Year award alongside their team-mate Anderson, with Kallis the other nominee. Cook was in particularly inspired form in Tests, making 1302 runs from 12 games at an average of 76.58 with six centuries and four half-centuries. Trott was almost as good, accumulating 1042 runs from 12 Tests at an average of 65.12 with four centuries and three half-centuries. Anderson meanwhile was a handful with the ball, picking up 50 wickets in 11 Tests at an average of 25.48 and a strike-rate of 54.00.

Amla was nominated for the ODI Player of the Year award as well, along with Kumar Sangakkara, Australia allrounder Shane Watson and India opener Gautam Gambhir. Watson continued to excel in the 50-over game, making 955 runs in 19 matches at an average of 59.68 and a strike-rate of 111.17, while also chipping in with 15 wickets.

New Zealand's Tim Southee's five-wicket haul against Pakistan was up for the Twenty20 International Performance of the Year, alongside England's Tim Bresnan, Watson and South Africa batsman JP Duminy.

Test team of the year: (in batting order) Alastair Cook, Hashim Amla, Jonathan Trott, Sachin Tendulkar, Kumar Sangakkara (capt/wk), AB de Villiers, Jacques Kallis, Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann, Dale Steyn, James Anderson, Zaheer Khan (12th man)

The short-lists

Cricketer of the Year: Hashim Amla, Alastair Cook, Sachin Tendulkar, Jonathan Trott

Test Player of the Year: James Anderson, Alastair Cook, Jacques Kallis, Jonathan Trott

ODI Player of the Year: Hashim Amla, Gautam Gambhir, Kumar Sangakkara, Shane Watson

Emerging Player of the Year: Azhar Ali, Devendra Bishoo, Darren Bravo, Wahab Riaz

Associate and Affiliate Player of the Year: Ryan ten Doeschate, Hamid Hassan, Kevin O'Brien, Paul Stirling

Twenty20 International Performance of the Year: Tim Bresnan 3-10 v Pakistan, JP Duminy 96* v Zimbabwe, Tim Southee 5-18 v Pakistan, Shane Watson 59 v England

Women's Cricketer of the Year: Charlotte Edwards (England), Lydia Greenway (England), Shelley Nitschke (Australia), Stafanie Taylor (West Indies)

Umpire of the Year: Aleem Dar, Steve Davis, Ian Gould, Simon Taufel

Spirit of Cricket: MS Dhoni for his recall of Ian Bell during the second Test match between England and India at Trent Bridge, July/August 2011, and Jacques Kallis for walking twice during the World Cup 2011 after clarifying with the opposition fielder if they had caught the ball cleanly

People's Choice Award: Hashim Amla, MS Dhoni, Chris Gayle, Kumar Sangakkara, Jonathan Trott

Members of the voting academy

Former players: Andy Bichel, Naimur Rahman, Aamir Sohail, Pat Symcox, Nasser Hussein, Russel Arnold, Robin Singh, Shane Bond, Grant Flower, Desmond Haynes, and John Davison (Associate Representative Cricketer)

Media: Greg Buckle (Australia), Abdul Majid Bhatti (Pakistan), Azad Majumdar (Bangladesh), Kevin McCallum (South Africa), Stephen Brenkley (England), Chris Dhambarage (Sri Lanka), Ayaz Memon (India), Tony Becca (West Indies), Bryan Waddle (New Zealand), John Ward (Zimbabwe) and KR Nayer (Associate Representative)

Elite panel of ICC referees representative: Chris Broad

Elite panel of ICC umpires representative: Aleem Dar

Chairman of ICC cricket committee: Clive Lloyd

Pietersen rested for ODIs

Ben Stokes has been included in
England's ODI squad to face India

England have rested Kevin Pietersen for the upcoming ODI series India and called-up Durham allrounder Ben Stokes.

Pietersen, who was the highest scorer in the Test series against India, has been left out as part of the selectors' ongoing policy of 'managing player workloads'. While Pietersen has recovered his Test form in fine style, his one-day returns have been less productive - just two half-centuries since November 2008.

Geoff Miller, the England selector, emphasised, however, that Pietersen was being rested rather than dropped. "The decision to omit Kevin Pietersen from the one-day squad is in line with our policy of sensibly managing player workloads and will give the opportunity to another batsmen to test himself batting at number four."

Stokes is the only one of the three debutants from the one-off ODI against Ireland to have made the squad, with Ravi Bopara holding his place ahead of James Taylor and legspinner Scott Borthwick not selected either. Stokes was close to playing against Sri Lanka earlier in the summer but picked up a finger injury. He has had an excellent season for Durham in the CB40 with 357 runs at 51.00. Though he won't be fit to bowl, he offers England hard-hitting ability down the order.

While the remainder of the ODI squad is largely similar to the one that beat Sri Lanka 3-2 earlier in the summer, there are maiden Twenty20 call-ups for Somerset wicketkeeper-batsman Jos Buttler and Nottinghamshire opener Alex Hales. Buttler has not actually had as productive a season as last year in Twenty20, but has showcased enough potential to step in for the injured Luke Wright.

Hales, meanwhile, replaced Michael Lumb from the team that lost to Sri Lanka in the one-off ODI. Ian Bell, who was a non-playing member of the squad from that game, has been dropped. Hales impressed in all forms of the game for Nottinghamshire this season and is the highest-scoring English player in the Friends Life t20 with 544 runs from 16 games. "The domestic Twenty20 competition went well for me and I'm pleased to have been recognised for scoring runs in a winning team," said Hales.

"England are the world's best Test team and the Twenty20 world champions so breaking into the setup at any level is a big deal and I'm extremely proud to have done so. I need to back my ability to play positively and score runs if I'm going to stay in contention for a place and that's my target going into Wednesday's game."

Miller, meanwhile, backed the squads blend of youth and experience to succeed. "Across both squads we believe we've selected an exciting blend of experienced international performers along with some exciting young players with a great deal of talent," he said in a statement. "We will need to play a high quality brand of limited overs cricket against the world champions India.

"We're very excited to have included some bright young players in the form of Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler and Alex Hales, all of whom have proved themselves domestically and will now be looking to successfully take the step up to international level."

Twenty20 squad: Stuart Broad (capt), Ravi Bopara, Tim Bresnan, Jos Buttler, Jade Dernbach, Steven Finn, Alex Hales, Craig Kieswetter (wk), Eoin Morgan, Samit Patel, Kevin Pietersen, Ben Stokes, Graeme Swann

ODI squad: Alastair Cook (capt), James Anderson, Ian Bell, Ravi Bopara, Tim Bresnan, Stuart Broad, Jade Dernbach, Steven Finn, Craig Kieswetter (wk), Eoin Morgan, Samit Patel, Ben Stokes, Graeme Swann, Jonathan Trott

Foreign coach the way forward for Pakistan - Lawson

Geoff Lawson insists that the language barrier
won't be an issue for a foreign coach

Former Pakistan coach Geoff Lawson has suggested that the Pakistan Cricket Board should replace the outgoing coach Waqar Younis with a foreigner, free from the influence of Pakistan's domestic politics.

"I said it when I left as well, Pakistan need a foreign coach," Lawson, who was sacked as Pakistan coach in 2008, told the Express Tribune from Australia. "Whether you come from Karachi or Lahore, the pressure on you from external sources doesn't let you do the work properly.

"A foreign coach won't have that excess baggage. He won't worry about politics but will just concentrate on making the best team he can. In my time, language wasn't a problem. The common language was cricket and that's all they had to understand."

Lawson, who currently coaches the Kochi franchise in the IPL, stressed that the language barrier wouldn't be a problem for a foreign coach.

"In my Kochi team, some players don't speak Hindi so they communicate in English," Lawson said. "It's just an excuse for not appointing a foreign coach despite all the experience and assistance he can bring to Pakistan cricket."

Waqar recently announced that the upcoming Zimbabwe tour will be his last, citing personal reasons including his and his wife's health. During his tenure Pakistan lurched from one controversy to another, including the spot-fixing scandal and Zulqarnain Haider's mysterious disappearance from the team hotel, but they also managed to show a revival in Test fortunes and belie expectations to reach the World Cup semi-finals.

Pakistan have changed coaches frequently in recent years, which Lawson said could be a deterrent for potential replacements. "They will have a very, very difficult time [replacing Waqar]," he said. "Not many will be willing to trust them because of how they've acted in the past but I'll still tell the PCB to get a foreign coach even if it's on a short, six-month contract.

"It's not so much the situation but the chairman's [Ijaz Butt] reputation just isn't good enough for him to invite foreign coaches over to Pakistan."

Lawson was highly critical of Shahid Afridi, who announced a 'conditional' retirement from the game after being axed as one-day captain.

"He's playing well enough and I'd love to see him in the team," Lawson said of Afridi. "However, he needs to realise he's not the most important person in the team. He's a part and that needs to dawn on him. He doesn't accept criticism and thinks he's bigger and better than the team. That won't lead him anywhere."

Malinga takes third ODI hat-trick

Lasith Malinga became the first man to take three one-day international hat-tricks as Sri Lanka secured a consolation victory in the final ODI in Colombo. Australia might have won the series 3-2 but with the first Test just over a week away, it was important for Sri Lanka to finish on a high, and they did that through Malinga with the ball, and then Mahela Jayawardene and Chamara Silva with the bat.

Chasing 212, the hosts lost three early wickets but from then on were in cruise control either side of a rain delay. Jayawardene all but saw them home with a patient 71, before departing with 17 runs still to get when he skied a catch off Xavier Doherty. Silva batted superbly in his 63, but the victory was all down to Sri Lanka's bowling performance, and specifically Malinga's hat-trick and the tail-end collapse that he instigated.

It could be argued that Malinga has taken four ODI hat-tricks, after his double hat-trick - four wickets in four balls - against South Africa at the 2007 World Cup. He picked up three in three deliveries against Kenya at this year's World Cup, and it would have been a brave person to tip against him adding to his tally when Doherty walked out to face the hat-trick ball this time.

Malinga began the sequence with a fast yorker that got through Mitchell Johnson's defences and bowled him for 1, and followed up with a low full toss that rapped John Hastings on the pad. Doherty took guard, and must have anticipated another accurate yorker, which was indeed delivered, but he still couldn't get bat on ball.

Doherty's middle stump was rattled, and so were Australia, who in the previous over - the 45th of the innings - had been cruising towards a competitive total, at 210 for 5. Eleven balls later, they had lost their remaining five wickets for the addition of only one more run. It was a remarkable collapse, with Ajantha Mendis taking a wicket either side of Malinga's hat-trick.

The rot started when David Hussey (46), who had just launched Mendis over the long-on fence for six, played back to the next delivery and was bowled for 46. The innings ended with Brad Haddin, on 8, driving a catch to mid-off, and neither the Australians nor the fans in the crowd could quite believe the rapid turnaround.

Smart stats
Lasith Malinga's hat-trick is his third in ODIs. He now has the most hat-tricks in ODIs after going past Wasim Akram, Saqlain Musthaq and Chaminda Vaas, who had two hat-tricks each.

The 3-2 series defeat is Sri Lanka's sixth series loss in bi-lateral contests at home since 2000 and their second home-series loss to Australia. Australia won 3-2 on their previous tour in 2004.

Chamara Silva's 13th half-century ended his bad run in recent ODIs. In his previous five innings, he had scored just 29 runs.

The 111-run stand between Silva and Mahela Jayawardene is the fifth-highest fourth-wicket partnership for Sri Lanka in ODIs against Australia. It is also their sixth-highest partnership for Sri Lanka in home ODIs against Australia.

Michael Clarke's aggregate of 242 runs in the series is the second-highest by an Australian batsman in a bi-lateral series in Sri Lanka after Ricky Ponting's 257 runs in the 2004 series.

Shane Watson's strike rate of 66.66 is his third-lowest for a fifty-plus knock in ODIs. The lowest is 60.71 during his 85 against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi in 2010.

Australia lost their last five wickets for just one run collapsing from 210 for 5 to be bowled out for 211. The aggregate of one run for the last four wickets (seventh to tenth wicket) is the lowest in ODIs.

Things had begun so solidly for Australia, who were sent in on a pitch expected to offer some assistance for the seamers in overcast conditions. As expected, the ball nipped around a little and in the second over, bowled by Shaminda Eranga, the openers were already in trouble, Shaun Marsh bowled by a lovely inswinger having four balls earlier been dropped at gully by Jayawardene.

In the following over Shane Watson was caught behind off a Malinga no-ball, and it proved to be a somewhat costly miss for the hosts, as Watson went on to post a solid 56 before top-edging a slog-sweep off Mendis. Watson had support from Ricky Ponting in a 67-run stand, before Ponting (31) was caught at midwicket when he failed to pick a slower ball from Angelo Mathews.

Michael Clarke compiled another handy yet inconsequential innings, his 47 ending when he tickled Eranga to the keeper. Not that his opposing captain was any more influential with the bat. Tillakaratne Dilshan was one of three early wickets to fall in Sri Lanka's chase, bowled for 17 when he was beaten for pace by James Pattinson, who sent down an impressive opening spell.

It was Pattinson's first match of the tour as Australia rested Brett Lee and Doug Bollinger, and the other man brought in for this game, John Hastings, made a nervy start as he failed to control the swing of the ball. Hastings was the main culprit as the Australians sent down 15 wides in the first 18 overs of the innings.

Not that anything should be taken away from the batting of Silva and Jaywardene. Silva's 63 was a fine innings from a man who was lucky to hold his place in the side, having made 4, 3, 13, 9 and 0 in his past five ODI innings. He was especially strong when sweeping Doherty, clearing the boundary at square leg once and finding the boundary four more times off the left-arm spinner, including with a powerful reverse-sweep.

Silva's half-century came up off 51 deliveries, but in the end it was the sweep that brought him undoing when he found the man at deep square leg off Doherty. The rain came with Sri Lanka well ahead on Duckworth/Lewis, and when play resumed, Jayawardene steered the chase comfortably.

In the end Sri Lanka got home with four wickets and three overs to spare, not that there was ever any doubt. Nor was there any doubt that Australia will enter the Test series happy to have seen the last of Malinga, who doesn't play the longer format. He certainly made a dead rubber bounce into life.

Sehwag and Ishant ruled out of ODIs

Ajinkya Rahane replaces Virender
Sehwag in the limited-overs squad 

Virender Sehwag and Ishant Sharma have been ruled out of the limited-overs leg of India's tour of England. Mumbai batsman Ajinkya Rahane and Jharkhand fast bowler Varun Aaron will replace them. Sehwag had not fully recovered from the shoulder surgery he underwent after the IPL, and is also suffering from a ear problem, while Ishant sustained a ligament injury to his left ankle during the Edgbaston Test.

Rahane, a top-order batsman, has been a prolific run-getter on India's domestic circuit and had a successful tour of Australia with India Emerging Players just recently, with two centuries in three first-class games. He averages 67.72 in first-class cricket and 38.61 in List A games. Aaron was also part of that tour to Australia and has been known to regularly clock over 140kmph. In his most recent first-class appearance, he took 4 for 40 and 2 for 49 against the Australian Institute of Sport.

Sehwag joined the India Test squad prior to the third Test at Edgbaston and has hardly made any impact in the series. He got a king pair and was dismissed for 8 and 33 in the final Test at The Oval, where he appeared to experience some discomfort in his right shoulder on the field before being attended to by the physio. A BCCI source told ESPNcricinfo Sehwag's shoulder had not completely healed and that he'll return to India at the conclusion of the Test.

Sehwag has also been experiencing hearing problems in his left ear after being exposed to a loud sound on July 24, according to the note sent by the National Cricket Academy physiotherapist Nitin Patel to the tour physio Ashish Kaushik when Sehwag joined the squad for the tour game in Northampton. "Mr. Sehwag suffered from labyrinthithis of the left ear on 24 July 2011," a BCCI release stated. "Although his condition has improved, he continues to experience headaches. An ENT specialist, who was consulted on the same, has said that he will take two more weeks to recover completely."

Ishant Sharma has had a busy Test series after taking over as India's spearhead in the absence of Zaheer Khan following the first day at Lord's. A board release said he responded well to treatment on his ligament "but will need to undergo a course of intensive rehabilitation and training to prevent recurrence of the pain in his left ankle."

India play one Twenty20 international and five ODIs against England after the Tests. The first ODI is scheduled for September 3.

Waqar Younis resigns as Pakistan coach

Waqar Younis has resigned as Pakistan coach citing personal reasons that include his and his wife's health. The upcoming tour of Zimbabwe will be his last assignment with the national team.

"I have tendered my resignation to the [Pakistan Cricket] board last week and the tour to Zimbabwe will be my last," Waqar Younis said at a press conference in Karachi. "I have taken this decision on personal grounds, including medical grounds, and have no differences with anyone and my resignation has been accepted by the board.

"Had everything in my personal life -- that is, my wife's health and my own -- been all right, I would not have taken this decision. But I do not want to fail to do the job justice because of the personal problems on my mind."

Waqar, 39, took over as coach of the national side in March 2010 in the aftermath of the disastrous tour of Australia on which Pakistan failed to win a single game. He replaced Intikhab Alam and his stint coincided with another turbulent phase for Pakistan cricket. The spot-fixing controversy erupted during the tour of England and the wicketkeeper, Zulqarnain Haider, fled to London while Pakistan was involved in a series against South Africa in the UAE. Prior to the World Cup, where his team reached the semi-final, Waqar oversaw a successful tour of New Zealand, where Pakistan won both the Test and ODI series.

Waqar described his tenure as coach as a "rollercoaster" and claimed his side was shocked when told that he'll be stepping down. "It was a roller coaster for me, with a lot of controversies including the spot-fixing scandal, but I am proud of the fact that all these young boys have carried on the good work despite these problems.

"I only told the players on Saturday morning, and they were shocked because until today the matter was between me and the PCB, but I am sure that this young team will do well in future."

The PCB spokesman Nadeem Sarwar said: ""The PCB has accepted his resignation and understands his personal reasons. His tenure was good and we wish him the best in his future."

Waqar's most recent major assignment was the tour of the West Indies where Pakistan drew the Test series and won the ODI series but it was marred by his differences with then limited-overs captain Shahid Afridi over discipline and team selection that ultimately led to Afridi's retirement from international cricket. However, Waqar claimed his resignation had nothing to do with what transpired during the West Indies tour.

Ijaz Ahmed, the former Pakistan captain, who took over as batting and fielding coach at the same time as Waqar was appointed head coach, was appointed assistant coach for the tour of Zimbabwe. The PCB are yet to name a replacement for Waqar.

The tour of Zimbabwe begins on August 28 and includes one practice game, one Test, three ODIs and two Twenty20 internationals.

Morgan named captain for Ireland match

Eoin Morgan will captain England with Alastair Cook
one of a number of senior players being rested 

Eoin Morgan will captain England for the first time in career when he faces his former countrymen, Ireland, in a one-off ODI in Dublin next week.

Morgan, who did not play in England's sensational World Cup defeat against Ireland in Bangalore due to injury, will lead a new-look 13-man squad including several up-and-coming members of the England Lions, after the selectors decided to rest a number of its senior players ahead of the five-match ODI series against India later this month,

Leicestershire's James Taylor, Yorkshire's Jonathan Bairstow and Durham's Ben Stokes and Scott Borthwick all recently featured in the England Lions' ODI series win over Sri Lanka A. None of them has yet been selected in a senior international, but with Alastair Cook, Kevin Pietersen, Ian Bell, James Anderson and Stuart Broad among the key absentees, a draft of debutants can be expected in the fixture.

"The squad we're looking to take to Ireland involves a number of exciting young England players as we rest several players currently involved in the npower Test series against India," said the national selector, Geoff Miller.

"By resting several players that have played international cricket since the start of the summer the opportunity has arisen for a number of talented up and coming players to continue their development on the international stage. We know from previous encounters that Ireland are a tough ODI outfit and we'll be fielding a very strong England side that will need to play well.

"We're also presented with the opportunity to provide Eoin Morgan with further leadership experience and I know he is very much looking forward to assuming the captaincy and developing his leadership credentials while in charge of a young England squad."

One senior player who will making the trip is Jonathan Trott, who has recovered from the shoulder injury he sustained during the second Test at Trent Bridge, and is expected to be fit to play. His replacement in the third and fourth Tests, Ravi Bopara, also makes the trip, as do Steven Finn and Graham Onions, the two unused fast bowlers from the Oval Test squad.

Last week it was confirmed that Andy Flower, the team director, would also be missing the trip to Ireland. He will link up with the squad ahead of the Twenty20 international against India on August 31. In his absence, England's assistant coach Richard Halsall will take charge.

Morgan, who is England's official Twenty20 vice-captain, becomes the fourth England captain of the 2011 summer, following on from the Test skipper Andrew Strauss, the regular ODI captain Cook, and Stuart Broad, the Twenty20 captain.

It promises to be a tough baptism against an Ireland side who came uncomfortably close to winning their last bilateral fixture against England, at Belfast in 2009. That match, which took place in the immediate aftermath of the Ashes victory at The Oval, finished with England sneaking over the line by three runs, only after Morgan, fielding as a substitute at long-on, parried a Trent Johnston six back into play with one ball of the match remaining.

Squad Eoin Morgan (capt), Jonathan Bairstow, Ravi Bopara, Scott Borthwick, Jade Dernbach, Steven Finn, Craig Kieswetter, Graham Onions, Samit Patel, Ben Stokes, James Taylor, Jonathan Trott, Chris Woakes

Dilshan named captain till end of the year

Tillakaratne Dilshan has been named as Sri Lanka captain in all formats until the end of the year. This means he will stay in charge for the three-Test home series against Australia and at least the first two Tests of the South Africa tour that kicks off in December. The appointment was ratified by the Sri Lankan sports minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage.

Dilshan took over the reins from Kumar Sangakkara following Sri Lanka's runners-up showing at the World Cup, but the team's fortunes have dwindled since - they lost the Test and ODI series in England, and currently trail 1-2 with two matches to play in the home one-dayers against Australia. They have had more success in the Twenty20 format, with victories in the one-off against England and the two-match series against Australia.

Dilshan, personally, has had a mixed time as batsman since taking charge. After Sri Lanka's capitulation in the first Test against England at Cardiff, Dilshan was in the process of leading a fightback at Lord's when he was struck on the right thumb. The injury was diagnosed as a fracture, and kept him out of the third Test and the solitary Twenty20, leaving Sangakkara to lead the side in his absence.

Dilshan was in poor form on his return, failing to reach double figures in the five ODIs against England and the solitary outing against Scotland that followed. An unbeaten ton in the first Twenty20 against Australia, however, seemed to shake the rust off. Dilshan played a key role in the victory in the third ODI, hitting a half-century and bowling a tight spell in the middle overs as Sri Lanka kept the series alive.

Chandimal and Herath dropped



Legspinner Seekkuge Prasanna impressed
on Sri Lanka A's tour of England

Sri Lanka have dropped promising batsman Dinesh Chandimal, allrounder Thisara Perera and left-arm spinner Rangana Herath from the squad for the final two one-dayers against Australia, who lead the series 2-1. Seekkuge Prasanna, the 26-year-old legspinner, has been called up and has to fly back from England, where he was representing Sri Lanka A.

The other major news was that vice-captain Angelo Mathews, who missed the third ODI due to an injury is fit for the remaining matches. "He should be alright for the rest of the series," Sri Lankan captain Tillakaratne Dilshan said. "He could have even played on Tuesday, but we didn't want to take a risk. If something had happened he would have been ruled out for two months. He has got three more days to recover from the injury. Angelo is a key member of our side and when he goes out it's a big loss."

Chandimal, 21, had made an unbeaten century at Lord's and 54 in the deciding game of the ODI series against England last month, but suffered a string of failures since, managing only 41 in four innings.

Perera played only one ODI since his hard-hitting cameo in the World Cup final, with the role of the third fast bowler to be filled by either Mathews, Suranga Lakmal or Shaminda Eranga, who made an impact on debut in the third ODI on Tuesday. Herath has also had only one ODI since the World Cup, with the emergence of legspinning allrounder Jeevan Mendis and the spin pair of Ajantha Mendis and Suraj Randiv limiting his opportunities.

Herath's place in the squad was taken by Prasanna, who hit the headlines on Sunday with a six-wicket haul against England A. Prasanna plays for the Sri Lanka Army, impressing in their youth ranks before making his domestic one-day debut in 2006. He built up an outstanding List A record over the past five years, taking 73 wickets at 18.38 in 45 matches.

 

 

Squad: Tillakaratne Dilshan (capt), Angelo Mathews (vice-capt), Upul Tharanga, Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara (wk), Chamara Silva, Nuwan Kulasekera, Lasith Malinga, Shaminda Eranga, Seekkuge Prasanna, Ajantha Mendis, Jeevan Mendis, Suranga Lakmal, Suraj Randiv

Onions called up to England squad

Graham Onions has been called up to the England squad for the final Test against India at The Oval after Chris Tremlett was ruled out due to his back injury while concerns emerged over James Anderson.

Tremlett has failed to recover from the problems that ruled him out of the second and third Tests, meanwhile Anderson has experienced tightness in his right quadriceps since the victory at Edgbaston, on Sunday, which sealed the series and took England to No. 1 in the world. Steven Finn was already in the 13-man squad and now Onions will provide a further option for Andy Flower.

For Onions it is his first call-up to the full national side since leaving the tour of Bangladesh in March 2010 with a back injury that would subsequently be diagnosed as a stress fracture and put his career in doubt. He missed the whole of the 2010 season and towards the end of the summer had metal pins inserted in his back.

"Unfortunately Chris Tremlett has failed a fitness test and won't be available for selection for the fourth Test, despite showing strong signs of recovery over the past few days," Geoff Miller, the national selector, said. "Chris's absence in conjunction with what appears to be a minor injury concern with Jimmy Anderson has led to a call up for Graham Onions as precautionary bowling cover.

"We are hopeful that Jimmy will overcome this niggle by Thursday but more time is required before a decision on his availability can be made conclusively. Steven Finn is obviously in the squad and he is now joined by Graham Onions who has been in good form for Durham since returning from a back injury at the start of the season."

Onions has taken 39 wickets at 28.82 in nine Championship matches for Durham this season and played for England Lions against Sri Lanka at Derby in May. He only took three wickets in that match but bowled with good pace and has remained highly rated by the selectors throughout his injury lay-off.

In eight Tests Onions has taken 28 wickets at 31.03 including a best of 5 for 38 which came on debut against West Indies at Lord's. However, he is equally famous for two efforts with the bat when he survived the final overs against South Africa at Centurion and Cape Town. The Test at Newlands was his last because he was then dropped for the final match of the series at Johannesburg before injury struck in Bangladesh.

Onions has been preferred over Jade Dernbach, the Surrey fast bowler, who was named as cover for the Lord's Test against Sri Lanka earlier this season and has also made his one-day international debut. Whether he earns a recall to the XI will depend on whether Anderson, who has 18 wickets in the series including his four-wicket burst to remove the India top order on the fourth day at Edgbaston, is replaced with a like-for-like bowler should he not recover by Thursday.

Finn is the next pace bowler in line for a spot having played against Sri Lanka and has been a regular part of the squad, but Flower and Andrew Strauss may decide that with Stuart Broad and Tim Bresnan able to trouble India with the short ball that Onions' fuller length is a better option.

Tremlett available but Trott still injured

Jonathan Trott has not recovered from the
shoulder injury he sustained at Trent Bridge

Jonathan Trott will not make it back in time for the fourth Test against India, so Ravi Bopara will have another opportunity in the England side at The Oval. England have named the same 13-man squad as they did for the Edgbaston Test, and Chris Tremlett is available for selection, leaving England with the dilemma of whether to replace the impressive Tim Bresnan.

"Jonathan Trott is making steady progress in his rehabilitation from his ongoing shoulder injury but he requires further treatment and won't be fit for the fourth and final Test match," Geoff Miller, the England national selector, said. "As such Ravi Bopara retains his place in the squad.

"Chris Tremlett is available for selection following continued treatment for his back injury and he and Steven Finn are included in a broader 13-man squad for the last Test match of the summer."

Trott sustained a shoulder injury while fielding on the second day of the Trent Bridge Test, and, though he batted at No. 7 in England's second innings there, missed the third Test. Bopara was hopeful of securing the No. 6 spot for England this summer after choosing county cricket over the IPL, but the selectors favoured Eoin Morgan for the series against Sri Lanka and India. Bopara was handed a chance through Trott's injury but did not make the most of it at Edgbaston, where Morgan scored a century.

There is little at stake for England in the final Test as they have already sewn up both the series and the No. 1 ranking.

England squad Andrew Strauss (capt), James Anderson, Ian Bell, Ravi Bopara, Tim Bresnan, Stuart Broad, Alastair Cook, Steven Finn, Eoin Morgan, Kevin Pietersen, Matt Prior, Graeme Swann, Chris Tremlett

Test cricket returns to Sharjah

Sharjah will host its first Test in nine years this November, after Pakistan and Sri Lanka reached an agreement to play the last of their three Tests in the UAE at the venue. The Sharjah Cricket Association Stadium has hosted more ODIs than any other ground but has not had any international cricket between top teams since 2003.

With international stadiums being built in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, it had looked unlikely that Sharjah would make a return as a venue for big matches. However, the Emirates Cricket Board has now said there will be a Test there starting November 3.

"We've finally confirmed that Pakistan will play a Test in Sharjah," Dilawar Mani, chief of the Emirates board, told the Express Tribune. "We offered Sharjah at the very beginning - apart from Dubai and Abu Dhabi - but it was necessary for both sides to agree to play in Sharjah. We're now delighted to know that it has happened."

The other two venues for the Pakistan-Sri Lanka Test series are the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi and the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, which hosted their debut Tests during the Pakistan-South Africa series in November 2010.

Sharjah was once a popular venue for neutral ODIs and tri-series and has hosted 200 one-day internationals, 24 of those between India and Pakistan. However, the venue received a blow when India, who had played 72 one-dayers in Sharjah, stopped playing there. The ground hosted its debut Test in 2002, but after 2003 did not have any international cricket till it was named as Afghanistan's home ground in 2010, and hosted two ODIs between them and Canada.

The stadium had disintegrated in the absence of top-flight cricket but is now being brought back up to top standard. "The renovation work is in full swing and we hope to be ready by November 3," Mazhar Khan, the stadium administrator, said. "The venue was very keen to host a fixture during the two series that Pakistan will be playing [in the UAE]. After all, Sharjah has many Pakistani and Sri Lankan followers who will now be able to watch their teams."

Sri Lanka will play three Tests, five ODIs and a Twenty20 international against Pakistan from October 18 onwards in the UAE.

England reach number one with emphatic win

James Anderson did the early damage for
England as he removed key batsmen in his first spell

It had been inevitable for much of the previous three days but England officially became the No. 1 Test team in the world shortly after 3pm, ending India's stay at the top with one of their most crushing victories, by an innings and 242 runs. The fourth day didn't even last until tea as the visitors were dispatched for 244 after James Anderson ripped the top off the batting before Graeme Swann and Stuart Broad chipped in.

In theory India had the line-up to at least make England toil for victory, but in reality they have looked a beaten side throughout this match. When Gautam Gambhir and Rahul Dravid fell within the first four overs of the day it was clear Sunday wouldn't be required although at least India went down swinging as Praveen Kumar clubbed 40 off 18 balls - momentarily looking on course for the fastest Test half-century - and MS Dhoni continued his return to form with an unbeaten 74.

Yet all it did was delay the inevitable and when Sreesanth fended at Tim Bresnan, Kevin Pietersen held the catch at gully and England went top of the pile. Although the tables weren't introduced until 2003 back-dating shows it's the first time they have been No. 1 since 1979 although that was when West Indies had been severely depleted due to the Packer-era.

India, meanwhile, lose their title after a stint of 21 months and will have to dig very deep to try and salvage pride at The Oval. If they lose the series 4-0 they will be down to third. Sachin Tendulkar was the only one of the top six to really show the hunger for a fight and had moved to 40 when Dhoni drove towards Swann, who got his right hand to the ball, deflecting it into the stumps with Tendulkar's bat on the line. While it's always a tough way to fall, Tendulkar had backed up a long way which leaves the chance of such a dismissal. Regardless, though, Tendulkar wouldn't have saved the match for India because of the damage inflicted in the first hour.

Anderson didn't wait long to make an impression; he found Gautam Gambhir's outside edge with his first ball of the day and the catch was taken by Swann at second slip. Gambhir has shown the ability to occupy the crease in the past - he cited his 436-ball innings at Napier as how India could save this game - but with him removed early the pressure was squarely on Dravid and, of course, Tendulkar. Dravid, though, did not last long but his dismissal appeared to throw up a bizarre set of circumstances.

When he played forward to Anderson's outswinger, the noise suggested a clear outside edge and Simon Taufel gave the decision. However, subsequent replays showed that the sound didn't quite match the pictures and it appeared Dravid's shoelace may have flicked the bottom of his bat. Dravid could have reviewed but didn't take the option and whether there would have been enough clear evidence to overturn the decision will never be known.

India were 40 for 3 and sinking fast. Tendulkar gave momentary relief with a couple of sweet drives, but VVS Laxman was given a tough time by England's fast bowlers. Anderson's swing and Broad's extra bounce kept him on nought for 16 balls before Anderson produced another fine delivery to take the outside edge.

Broad, meanwhile, tried to take advantage of Tendulkar's problems with the sightscreen behind the bowler's arm. In a similar manner to Andrew Flintoff against Jacques Kallis in 2008, Tendulkar was having trouble picking up deliveries from a set of dark windows and Broad probed away with a series of very full balls which he tried to squeeze under Tendulkar's bat.

Tendulkar, though, responded with a fighting effort although a few of his drives came with a hint of frustration - even anger? - at India's position. The wait for the 100th hundred carries on until at least The Oval and there is a growing sense that it isn't meant to happen in this series.

Before Swann's literal hand in Tendulkar's scalp, he'd been brought on to target Suresh Raina and it was an absorbing, if brief, battle. Raina should have gone for 1, but Andrew Strauss couldn't hold a low chance at gully as Swann tried to add to his lean tally of two wickets in the series. Raina didn't hold back, crunching a straight drive past Swann's right hand, then driving over cover, but Swann had the final say when he gained an lbw decision from Steve Davis.

Raina wasn't happy, and even signalled for a review having forgotten they can't be used for lbws, but replays confirmed Davis was spot on with the ball hitting middle and leg. The fact Raina even considered the DRS showed his frazzled mindset. Swann claimed his second shortly after lunch when Amit Mishra was well caught at mid-off but his figures then suffered at the hands of Praveen with one over costing 21.

The fifty stand between Praveen and Dhoni was raised in 28 balls of free swinging to ensure no record defeat for India. The fun ended when Broad was recalled and immediately had Praveen, whose right thumb had been given a battering, caught at cover. Dhoni continued to show the fight that has been so lacking from India, but it had long since become a forlorn effort. His team has had their time at the top, for the time being at least, and now that's England's honour. The next challenge is to stay there.

McCallum to retire

McCallum was regular since 2006.

Neil McCallum, the Scotland batsman, will retire from international cricket after the one-day game against Hampshire on Sunday. McCallum, who held a full-time job in teaching through his career, said he could no longer devote sufficient time for the game.

He first represented Scotland in 2000 but became a regular only around 2006 and played in a national record 43 ODIs and 11 Twenty20 internationals. The 2007 World Cup and the first two World Twenty20s were among the global tournaments he took part in.

McCallum, 33, averaged over 44 in 14 first-class matches, including a career-best 181 against Netherlands in 2007, the third-highest score for Scotland in first-class cricket. Another highlight was the Intercontinental Cup final last year, when his unbeaten 104 helped Scotland take the first-innings lead.

"It has not been an easy decision to retire this weekend, but I believe the time is right," McCallum said. "These days Scotland are training and competing all year round. It was becoming harder to dedicate the correct amount of time to perform and train at an international level. I have been trying to juggle work and family, on top of school, club and regional cricket, as well as the demands of training and competing at the elite level."

Peter Steindl, Scotland's coach, who worked with McCallum for four seasons praised his attitude. "His dedication and enthusiasm both on and off the pitch has always been a major factor in his success and has been the benchmark for other players to follow," Steindl said. "He never shirked from putting in the hours preparing, improving his skills and getting fitter."

Foster secures Essex future

James Foster has committed his future to Essex after signing a three-year deal to end the chances of him joining Hampshire.

He had been given permission to speak to Hampshire but has resisted any move away from his life-long club and will remain at Chelmsford. "When another club expresses an interest in you it is tough not to listen, but ultimately I did not want to leave Essex," Foster said. "I still see playing cricket for Essex as a privilege, and I will continue to give everything to the club as a player and captain."

Paul Grayson, the Essex coach, said: "I am delighted that he is committed to the club and look forward to continuing with the strong working relationship we have together. We have a great opportunity to develop our young squad for the future and I am excited by the prospect of continuing to work with James to achieve this."

It hasn't been a hugely successful season for Essex who are mid-table in both Division Two of the County Championship and Group C of the CB40 and face a fight to remain in contention for a title or promotion. They also failed to qualify for the knockout stage of the Friends Life t20.

Roach to join Worcestershire

Kemar Roach has become the latest West Indian signing in county cricket and will be joining Worcestershire for the remainder of the season as they scrap to stay in Division One of the County Championship. Roach will replace Worcestershire's current overseas international Saeed Ajmal, who is returning to his national side earlier than scheduled next week, to participate in a training camp prior to embarking on Pakistan's tour of Zimbabwe.

"I am delighted to sign for Worcestershire and to be able to play county cricket for the first time," said Roach. "Growing up in Barbados, every young cricketer aspired to play for the West Indies and to play county cricket. Many of my heroes like Lara, Walsh and Ambrose spent time in the county game and I view it as a huge challenge.

"Even though I am only going to be joining for a short period, I believe this stint gives me the chance to make an impact on the club and on county cricket and hopefully be the start of a long relationship with Worcestershire."

Roach joins Worcestershire on the back of international duty in the Caribbean, having opened the bowling against India and Pakistan earlier this year. In his fledgling career, Roach has taken 40 Test wickets at an average of 29.90, and has a total of 87 first-class wickets in 31 matches.

"To have one of the fastest bowlers in the world in our team for the last few games of the season can only be a huge plus factor," said Worcestershire's director of cricket, Steve Rhodes. "Albeit a short stint, I know that Kemar is determined to make an impact on the county scene."

Ajmal, who arrived at New Road in June, has claimed 36 wickets for the county across all forms of cricket. He leaves as their highest wicket taker in the Clydesdale Bank 40 this season, having taken 11 wickets. His most notable performance came in the recent match against Derbyshire, where he picked up 4 for 24.

"We've enjoyed Saeed's involvement with the team and he's been a model professional both on and off the field," said Rhodes. "We'd like to thank Saeed for the time he has spent with us, and also for his help in guiding and inspiring some of our younger bowlers. Obviously we were disappointed that he's had to leave us early but in the hectic international schedule we recognise that international cricket comes first."

Darren Bravo joins Nottinghamshire

Darren Bravo, the West Indies batsman, has joined Nottinghamshire for the remainder of the season as a replacement for David Hussey and Adam Voges.

Bravo, the half-brother of allrounder Dwayne, will go straight into the squad for Friday's CB40 match against Glamorgan after Nottinghamshire undertook an extensive search.

"We scoured the world to find an overseas batsman to reinforce our top order and we felt that Darren was a player who was worth pursuing," Mick Newell, the director of cricket, said. "He has an excellent record for a 22-year-old batsman and we feel that he is a player who has the hunger to succeed in county cricket.

"His Test record demonstrates that he is comfortable in adapting to different conditions and we're hopeful that he can make a good contribution between now and the end of the season."

Kamran vows to make a comeback

Pakistan wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal has expressed his disappointment at losing his central contract for the second half of 2011, but said he is determined to prove his worth in domestic cricket and make a comeback.

"I'm extremely disappointed," Kamran told PTI." I admit that it was my mistake but I think I deserve another chance. Somehow it's the board's decision and I don't want to say much. I've earned the contract for eight years and losing this one is not a big deal."

Kamran was dropped after struggling in the World Cup and was replaced by Mohammad Salman for Pakistan's tour of West Indies. "The selectors were not satisfied with my performance but I just need to keep on playing domestic cricket and prove my form to them," Kamran said. "I'm 29 and fit so I feel that there's at least six years of cricket left in me.

"Everyone makes mistakes but the important thing is learning from them. I vow not to make them again. No wicketkeeper loves to drop catches."

Kamran was not the only active player to lose his contract. Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Yousuf and Danish Kaneria, who were not picked for the World Cup, have been ignored. Malik and Kaneria are yet to be cleared by the PCB's integrity committee and Kaneria has not played for the national team since August 2010. The recently retired pair of Shahid Afridi and Shoaib Akhtar were also left off the list.

Lumb signs three-year Nottinghamshire deal

Michael Lumb will get the chance to kick-start his first-class
career at Nottinghamshire

Michael Lumb's move from Hampshire to Nottinghamshire has been confirmed after the signing of a three-year deal at Trent Bridge.

Lumb, who was part of England's World Twenty20 winning team, will miss the rest of this season with injury but already has Twenty20 deals lined up with Sydney Sixers in Australia's Big Bash and the Deccan Chargers at the IPL before joining his new county.

"We're delighted that Michael has agreed to join us and the meetings that we've had with him have been very constructive in terms of our respective ambitions and the role he sees himself playing in fulfilling them," said Mick Newell, Nottinghamshire's director of cricket. "We have been in the market for a proven batsman and we believe that he has the pedigree and the drive to improve our standing in all formats."

Lumb was recalled to England's Twenty20 side to face Sri Lanka earlier this season has gained the reputation of a specialist in the shortest format.

"I've enjoyed five great seasons with Hampshire and it has been a real pleasure to have won two limited-overs trophies," he said. "However, I feel that now is the right time to make a fresh start at a new club and I'm pleased to be offered the opportunity to play for Nottinghamshire. It's a challenge and one I'm looking forward to."

Malinga to miss first ODI

Lasith Malinga, the Sri Lanka fast bowler, was named in the 16-member squad for the first three One-Day Internationals against Australia but is likely to miss the series opener at Pallakele Stadium on Wednesday.

Chairman of cricket selectors Duleep Mendis said that although Malinga has been named in the squad, he is has been advised to rest. "We have been advised by the team physio to rest Malinga for the first ODI," Duleep said. "We will consider him for the remaining matches."

Malinga, who retired from Test cricket in April, missed the two Twenty20 Internationals against Australia due to a back injury. He has been under treatment since then but showed that he was on the road to recovery by bowling in the nets prior to being included in the one-day squad.

Duleep stated that the selection panel would review the performance of the players in the first three games and if necessary make changes to the squad for the remaining two matches.

Tremlett ruled out of third Test

Chris Tremlett has been ruled out of the third against India at Edgbaston having failed to recover from the back injury that forced him to miss the previous match at Trent Bridge.

He had been included in the 13-man squad for Wednesday's Test but wasn't able to train on Monday or Tuesday, so there was no chance of him being considered. An ECB update added he "will receive ongoing treatment ahead of the fourth Test".

Tremlett initially suffered a hamstring injury towards the end of the Lord's Test and then went down with a back spasm during training the day before the Trent Bridge match started. With the final Test starting at The Oval after only a three day gap, it remains doubtful whether Tremlett will play any further part in this series.

Andrew Strauss said: "It's sad for Chris that he has a bulging disc in his back and that should clear up sooner or later, but this Test has come too soon."

It means that Tim Bresnan will retain his place for Edgbaston after a superb all-round performance last week where he scored 90 and claimed a career-best 5 for 48 in the second innings. Steven Finn is also part of the squad but is unlikely to be considered given the success of the current unit in securing a 2-0 series lead.

"One of the great things is people have come in and performed," Strauss said. "Tim got his chance because Chris, who had done brilliantly, was injured and he took it with both hands. Ravi Bopara is coming in for this game and he's got the chance to do something similar."

The pressing concern for Strauss though, even more than injuries, is England's tendency to slip up when a big victory is in sight. Whether the Ashes loss in Headingley 2009, or again in Perth over the winter, England have had trouble wrapping up a series in the past. This time, though, Strauss thinks England will learn from the experience.

"I certainly thought we learnt from lessons of Headingley in '09 because I think we started looking at the outcome of the game rather than starting well," he said. "Since then we've been keen to keep everyone's feet on the ground whether winning or losing. This is one of those circumstances.

"There is no point looking too far ahead. The rankings are not at the forefront of our minds right at the moment. What is at the forefront of our minds is starting this Test match well and hopefully getting into a position to win it at the end of this week."

Despite the measured talk from the captain himself, the groundswell of opinion since Trent Bridge is that Strauss's England side are one of the best in the country's recent history. Andrew Flintoff was one who insisted the current side are better than the 2004-05 vintage that Flintoff featured in. Strauss, however, rejected the idea.

"Comparisons are odious and not all that helpful," he said. "When you are involved in a side, it makes no difference whether people say if the side is as good as another side or not. It makes no difference to your preparation for a Test match at all. It's not something I spend any time thinking about because if I did, I would subconsciously taking my eyes off what's important for us as a side."

Abberley dies at 67

Neal Abberley, the former Warwickshire opening batsman and influential batting coach, has died in hospital of a heart and lung condition aged 67.

Abberley was a mentor to England batsman Ian Bell, who will wear a black armband in the upcoming Test against India at Edgbaston.

Over a career that spanned 15 years at Warwickshire, Abberly amassed over 10,000 first-class runs at 24.47. His best season came in 1966 when he scored 1315 runs which was enough to win him a call-up to the MCC Under-25 tour of Pakistan.

His lasting impact to Warwickshire, though, came as a coach where he joined the staff in 1981. Ashley Giles, Warwickshire's director of cricket, told thecricketer.com: "To me he was a mentor, a confidant but, most of all, a friend. We knew he was getting a little bit fragile but we didn't realise how fragile so his death has come as a shock to everyone.

"He gave his life to Warwickshire and there are a lot of players who owe a huge debt of gratitude to him. Without Neal Abberley I would not be Warwickshire's director of cricket and I would not have played 54 Tests for England. When I first met him I was an 18-year-old triallist and I was still wet behind the ears having come from living at home with mum and dad.

"He helped me to grow up. He was old school and it was a tough school at times and a steep learning curve. But Neal was a great influence on me and he set me on the road to where I am now."

The third Test will be the first since Edgbaston's £32million redevelopment and Warwickshire are expected to fly flags at half-mast during the match.

Kasprowicz joins Cricket Australia board

Michael Kasprowicz will become the youngest member of the Cricket Australia board following his elevation to replace Matthew Hayden as a director.

Kasprowicz, 39, will step down as president of the Australian Cricketers’ Association to take on the role as one of the two Queensland directors of the CA board - joining Bryan Phelan OAM.

Under a change in the Queensland Cricket constitution last year, Kasprowicz and Phelan will not be members of the Queensland Cricket Board. They will serve instead solely as CA directors.

"It’s a great honour to be approached to join the board and I’m looking forward to doing the best I can for Australian cricket in the coming months," Kasprowicz said.

"There are some big decisions ahead for the game and I am keen to ensure we do our absolute best to help our game grow and prosper."

Queensland Cricket chairman Jim Holding said that Kasprowicz would bring many important qualities to the national board.

“He remains very much in touch with the game, especially at the elite level through coaching and commentary interests and his work with the ACA," Holding said.

"His role with the Bulls Masters also gives him excellent insights into the grassroots and its health, especially in regional areas of the state."

Kasprowicz was a person of the highest principles who would work diligently for the good of Australian cricket, Holding said.

Kasprowicz, who claimed 113 wickets in 38 Tests for Australia, retired from first-class cricket in 2007-2008 having taken 505 wickets in 115 matches for the Bulls.

He is currently completing an MBA at the University of Queensland Business School where, he is also a University of Queensland Goodwill Ambassador to India.

He has extensive ties with India, being an active member of the Australia-India Business Council for the past four years.

At the recent Asia-Pacific Cities Summit hosted in Brisbane, he was made an honorary ambassador for the city.

Additionally, Kasprowicz runs his own company that specialises in the facilitation of business relationships with Queensland interests national and internationally.

A Level III coach, he was a board member of the Queensland Cricketers’ Club for three years.

A founding member of the Bulls Masters organisation, he has also been the patron of "Kaspa’s Crew" - Queensland Cricket’s volunteer recognition program - for the past decade.

Kasprowicz is the youngest Cricket Australia director since Hayden, who was 37 when he joined the board in 2009.

Zimbabwe triumphant on Test return

Brendan Taylor was adjudged Man of the Match
for his century, after leading Zimbabwe to
a memorable win

A dominant all-round performance by Zimbabwe, capped by their bowlers slicing through the Bangladesh line-up on the fifth day saw them win their comeback Test, after an almost six-year exile from the format. It took just 15 balls after lunch for Zimbabwe to complete their victory after a near flawless morning session from the bowlers. Brian Vitori and Kyle Jarvis created the pressure upfront, leaving the Bangladesh line-up ripe for the picking for Chris Mpofu and Elton Chigumbura.

Bangladesh's batsmen had a tough, but doable, task on a pitch that has not deteriorated and remained good for batting, needing 263 runs with seven wickets in hand at the start of the day. Instead of applying themselves with patience and planning, though, they played a clutch of careless shots, especially as it became evident that their challenge was dissipating. Abdur Razzak's 43-run cameo added a little bit of sunshine to an otherwise dark performance that mirrored their first innings display in terms of execution.

Zimbabwe had done the bulk of their hard labour in the four days preceding the final one, with centuries from two of their stalwart batsmen, Hamilton Masakadza and Brendan Taylor. But, it was the new-ball pair of Brian Vitori and Kyle Jarvis who impressed most, especially after being labelled "ordinary" by a confident Tamim Iqbal at the end of day four and they exacted their revenge early on the fifth. Vitori began by demonstrating that he could move the ball into the right-handers as well, while Jarvis bowled with brisk pace and variety, mixing up his full, short and slower balls.

Mohammad Ashraful was up to the task, at least initially. He left well and took advantage of anything overpitched. He batted with the same calm that he had employed in his first innings and was also doing a fine job of marshalling his partner, Mushfiqur Rahim, who showed composed judgment.

Vitori continued plugging away, getting some balls to move away, others to hold their line and after several overs of nagging length, Ashraful could take no more. He tried to push a delivery away but it jagged in late and took the inside edge onto the stumps. With that dismissal, Bangladesh were rattled and Zimbabwe fired up.

Vitori followed Ashraful's wicket with a superb over, beating Mahmudullah's bat twice. The danger for Zimbabwe came when the opening pair was replaced but Mpofu and Chigumbura did not let up. Mpofu varied his lengths while Chigumbura put on an impressive display, bowling as many slower balls as possible.

Mahmudullah was determined to cash in where he could but his over-eagerness started a mini-collapse, during which Bangladesh lost three wickets in 12 balls for seven runs. He tried to cut without any foot movement and was caught behind. Five balls later Shakib Al Hasan, who also played irresponsibly, went to a sharp catch from Taylor at second slip after pushing at a length ball, and then Mushfiqur Rahim's more careful knock ended when he flicked a ball to square leg.

Zimbabwe could smell blood but instead of tracking it down with a killer instinct, they relaxed a little and allowed Abdur Razzak to have some fun. He smoked five fours off a Mpofu over and three sixes off Ray Price, two of them slog sweeps. The cameo ended when Chigumbura, from around the wicket, broke through his defence and bowled him.

Bangladesh had little to hope for after that and their misery ended inside three overs after lunch. Jarvis struck with the first ball, bowling Shafiul with a length ball that pitched on middle and held its line. With just one more wicket to get, Zimbabwe put in six slips for Robiul Islam, who survived a confident lbw shout first up.

He defied the field placing with two fours on the leg side, but was never going to last for any length of time. Jarvis claimed his fourth wicket of the innings, trapping Robiul lbw with a ball that jagged in and hit him on the front pad. As umpire Kumar Dharmasena raised his finger, Zimbabwe's players immediately formed a huddle, a collective show of unity to mark their victorious return to the Test fold.

No central contracts for Afridi, Kamran Akmal

Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi and wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal do not figure in the latest list of PCB central contracts. Younis Khan, who was banned for disciplinary reasons following a winless tour of Australia in 2009-10 and was out of last year's list, has been awarded a Category A contract this time along with current captain Misbah-ul-Haq, allrounder Mohammad Hafeez, spinners Saeed Ajmal and Abdur Rehman, and fast bowler Umar Gul - the only player retained in the top category from last year's list.

List of contracted players Category A Younis Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq, Umar Gul, Mohammad Hafeez, Saeed Ajmal, Abdur Rehman Category B Abdul Razzaq, Imran Farhat, Sohail Tanvir, Umar Akmal, Azhar Ali, Asad Shafiq, Wahab Riaz, Taufeeq Umar Category C Junaid Khan, Tanvir Ahmed, Hammad Azam, Sarfraz Ahmed, Sohail Khan, Adnan Akmal, Yasir Shah, Rameez Raja, Sharjeel Khan Stipend Category Mohammad Talha, Aizaz Cheema, Zulfiqar Babar, Raza Hassan, Mohammad Ayub Dogar

Afridi had retired "conditionally" from international cricket following his removal as captain after the tour of West Indies, while Kamran, who also was in Category A last year, has been ignored since the World Cup. Afridi was involved in a legal battle with the Pakistan board after he hinted at differences between him and coach Waqar Younis during the West Indies tour; these were confirmed by Waqar and team manager Intikhab Alam in their tour report. Afridi has said he will not go back on his decision as long as the present PCB regime remains in power.

Middle-order batsman Umar Akmal and opener Imran Farhat were retained in Category B. Also included in that grade werere Abdul Razzaq, demoted from grade A last year, middle-order batsmen Asad Shafiq and Azhar Ali, who have been impressive finds for Pakistan in the last couple of years. Left-arm seamer Wahab Riaz, who took a five-for against India in the World Cup semi-final, also featured in grade B.

As expected, there was no place for Mohammad Asif, Mohammad Amir and Salman Butt , the three cricketers banned for their involvement in the spot-fixing controversy, while Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Yousuf and Danish Kaneria, who were not picked for the World Cup, have been ignored. Malik and Kaneria are yet to be cleared by the PCB's integrity committee. Kaneria has not played for the national team since August 2010, after the PCB tightened its anti-corruption programme following the spot-fixing controversy and Kaneria's own entanglement in a corruption case in Essex. Kaneria was cleared by a police enquiry in Essex, but is yet to be cleared by the PCB; he has petitioned against his continued non-clearance.

"As long as Malik and Kaneria are not cleared by the PCB integrity committee, a meeting of which is scheduled for August 15, they will not be considered for the contracts," Intikhab, also the PCB's director, said at a press conference in Lahore.

In Category C were seamer Tanvir Ahmed, who picked up six wickets on Test debut against South Africa, wicketkeeper Adnan Akmal, and the trio who have been picked in the squad for the tour of Zimbabwe - Yasir Shah, Sohail Khan and Rameez Raja. Aizaz Cheema, who has also been picked, was placed in the stipend category.

The contracts are for a duration of six months - July 1 to December 31 this year.

Zaheer ruled out of series

Zaheer Khan, the India fast bowler, has been ruled out of the remainder of the series against England. He will return to India and will be replaced by left-arm seamer RP Singh. Zaheer picked up a hamstring injury during the first Test at Lord's, but the BCCI has now said he not only has a recurring hamstring problem but also a right ankle impingement that will require surgery, followed by a 14-16 week period of rehabilitation. He had been withdrawn from the squad for India's recent Test series in the West Indies due to a right ankle injury.

Zaheer's problems in this series began on the very first day of the series, when he pulled up midway through his 14th over in the first innings at Lord's. The team management indicated Zaheer could be ready to bowl in the second innings, but he was unable to do so and was ruled out of the second Test at Trent Bridge. There were expectations he would return for the Edgbaston Test but he only got through three overs in the Indians' warm-up match in Northampton, and has now been pulled out of the squad.

Since the first Test, Zaheer had been through light training sessions, and there had been indications from the India camp that he would take part at some stage in the series, which only grew stronger when he was named in the side for the tour game against Northamptonshire. However, he left the field after bowling just three overs.

India had also named Zaheer in the squad for the limited-over matches in England, but he will miss those as well, with RP Singh taking his place. RP Singh has not played for India since 2009, with his last Test coming during India's home series against South Africa in 2008. He was part of India's squad when they last toured England for a full series in 2007. India won the three-Test series 1-0, and RP Singh was the third-highest wicket-taker with 12 wickets at an average of 28.91, behind Anil Kumble and Zaheer.

He followed up the tour of England with 13 wickets on India's tour of Australia in 2007-08, but then went wicketless in India's two home Tests against South Africa. His form in ODIs also took a dip; he took three wickets in ten bowling innings from August 2008 to when he was dropped in September 2009, and went for more than six runs an over in eight of those innings. His recent figures in domestic cricket don't make great reading either. In the last two Ranji Trophy seasons he has averaged 31.55, and has been behind several other seamers in the wicket-taking charts. One format in which he has excelled though has been the Twenty20 format; he is the leading wicket-taker in IPLs.

India have now lost three players from their original squad; Harbhajan Singh and Yuvraj Singh were withdrawn after sustaining a stomach and finger injury respectively during the Trent Bridge Test. Zaheer's injury though has been the biggest setback for the visitors. Even as he was hobbling off at Lord's, predictions for the series started to swing dramatically in England's favour. His absence from the next two Tests leaves India with an inexperienced bowling attack, with the 22-year-old Ishant Sharma the most-capped of all the bowlers left in the Test squad.

Bopara fills in for injured Trott

Essex's Ravi Bopara has been recalled to England's squad for the third Test against India at Edgbaston, starting on Wednesday, after Jonathan Trott failed to recover full fitness after landing heavily on his shoulder while fielding during last week's Trent Bridge Test.

Bopara, who played the last of his ten Tests against Australia in August 2009, was reportedly unlucky to miss out on selection against Sri Lanka earlier this season, after Eoin Morgan's 192 for the England Lions tipped the balance in his favour. He has been given his opportunity this time around, however, despite a strong challenge from the uncapped Leicestershire batsman, James Taylor, who made 98 for the Lions against Sri Lanka A at Scarborough on Friday.

"We have seen some very pleasing performances during the first two npower Test matches," said the national selector, Geoff Miller. "But there is still plenty more to do in this series and the squad and management will be determined to carry the momentum from recent weeks through to the remaining two Tests and push for a comprehensive series victory.

Also included in the 13-man squad is the Middlesex seamer, Steven Finn, who came in as cover on the eve of the Trent Bridge Test after Chris Tremlett succumbed to a back spasm. Though Tremlett is also retained in the squad, his replacement, Tim Bresnan, performed superbly in his absence, making a free-flowing 90 in England's second innings, and sealing the 319-run victory with career-best figures of 5 for 48.

"Ravi Bopara comes in for Jonathan Trott who is continuing his rehabilitation from his shoulder injury," confirmed Miller. "Chris Tremlett is recovering well from the back spasms that ruled him out of the second Test and although we are expecting him to be fully fit ahead of Wednesday we felt it was prudent to include an extra seam bowler at this stage meaning Steven Finn comes into the squad."

Bopara made just 25 and 19 in the England Lions game this week, but confirmed his current form with an impressive 178 for Essex against Leicestershire last week. If England persist with six batsmen, he is likely to slot into the middle order, while Ian Bell is Trott's probable replacement at No. 3 following his superb 159 in the second innings at Trent Bridge. Bopara had a mixed time at No. 3 in his last spell in the Test side. He made 143 against West Indies at Chester-le-Street, but then managed just 105 runs in seven innings in the Ashes.

England are currently riding high in the series, leading 2-0 with two Tests to come, and one more victory will guarantee they succeed India as the No. 1 team in Test cricket.

Squad: Andrew Strauss (capt), Alastair Cook, Ian Bell, Kevin Pietersen, Eoin Morgan, Ravi Bopara, Matt Prior (wk), Stuart Broad, Tim Bresnan, Graeme Swann, James Anderson, Chris Tremlett, Steven Finn.

Dravid announces limited overs retirement

Rahul Dravid has announced his retirement from international limited-overs cricket following the England series. In his announcement, which came hours after he was handed a shock recall to the one-day side for that tour, he said he wanted to retire from the shorter forms and concentrate on Test cricket.

Dravid, 38, is the seventh highest run-getter in ODIs, with 10,765 runs in 339 matches, averaging just under 40. He hasn't been a regular in the Indian one-day side since late 2007 - a couple of months after he reached his career-high ICC ranking of No. 5 - though he made a brief comeback during the 2009 Champions Trophy in South Africa. He admitted he hadn't expected a recall for the upcoming England series.

"Since I had not been picked for one-day cricket for the last two years, I was obviously a little surprised," he said after India's tour match against Northamptonshire. "To be honest, because I had not been picked, I had not informed the selectors or the board of my desire to solely focus on Test cricket.

"At the end of this one-day series, I would like to announce my retirement from one-day and Twenty20 cricket and concentrate only on Test cricket. I am committed, as always to give my best to India in this one-day series and obviously the Test series that follows.

"In the short term I am committed because now I have been picked for the series, but in the long term I think it is best for me and Indian cricket that I focus on Test cricket."

Dravid recently became the second highest run-getter in Tests, and has had a resurgence in form over the past couple of months, scoring three centuries in five Tests to end a relatively lean run in the last few years.

When he started his international career in 1996, he was seen as a batsman more suited to the longer form but he soon adapted to the challenges of one-day cricket. Among the highlights of his ODI career was the 1999 World Cup, where he was the top scorer and put on the then largest partnership in a one-dayer, 318 with Sourav Ganguly. Six months later he bettered that with a 331-run stand with Sachin Tendulkar that is still the biggest in the format.

As in his Test career, he routinely fitted into roles the team needed him to, notably in the 2003 World Cup, where in order to accommodate an extra batsman in the side, he took over the wicketkeeping duties. One of the lows of his career was the 2007 World Cup, when under his leadership, India crashed out in the first round.