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."