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The success of the bowlers in a low-scoring series has left the batsmen with plenty to do as the bandwagon moves back to Colombo for the last three matches

Jamie Alter in Colombo23-Aug-2008
Gautam Gambhir played the prototype of the perfect one-day innings against Sri Lanka in Brisbane earlier this year, and remains the man India need to bat around © AFP
The success of the bowlers in a low-scoring series has left the batsmen with plenty to do as the bandwagon moves back to Colombo for the last three matches. The indifference of the batsmen in the first two matches in Dambulla has given both sides cause for concern, and both captains have banked on a more traditional ODI track to nudge ahead in the series. Regardless of the nature of the track, the two sides need to sort out their batting problems.On Wednesday, Sri Lanka were 44 for 6 by the 18th over of their innings and India were 75 for 5 by the end of the 20th over. The damage had been done by the bowlers and India were only saved by a smart 60-run partnership between Mahendra Singh Dhoni and debutant S Badrinath. The orthodox approach the two took, getting down and dirty to knuckle towards victory, could be the best way for the two teams’ batsmen to approach the first of three fixtures at the Premadasa Stadium, a ground built on swamp land, and with a spin-friendly reputation.Kumar Sangakkara, the Sri Lankan wicketkeeper, feels the batsmen have been indecisive so far, and felt that orthodoxy would pay out over panache. “We’ve seen two low-scoring games in Dambulla, where it was hard to know when the time was to play your shots,” he told Cricinfo, “because at the start it was hard to get into rhythm when the ball was doing a lot. There was not enough solidarity. That attitude is vital in any form of cricket: stick around, watch the ball, and hit it. In one-day cricket there are field restrictions so a batsman can try his luck with the new ball but good orthodox cricket and patient shots always wins in the end.”In eschewing the extravagant shots and nudging the ball around for singles and the odd harried double, Dhoni and Badrinath proved that Mendis could be thwarted. In contrast, India’s top order perished even before spin had arrived in the first match. Similarly, Sri Lanka’s batting order capsized in trying to dominate from the outset.”We were a bit disappointed the way we handled that situation,” said Mahela Jayawardene. “We knew it was going to be a tough period in that morning session and wanted to execute certain plans. We couldn’t, and that game is gone.”Bumping Yuvraj Singh, better against pace than spin, down the order may be a wise move. If the others before him can handle Mendis and Murali and set a platform Yuvraj can be devastating at the endFor starters, the teams would do well to identify what a match-winning total is. The average score at the Premadasa since 2000 has been 230. The difference, starting tomorrow, could well be who plays the patient innings. During his Asia Cup final hundred Sanath Jayasuriya batted time out while four early wickets fell, set himself up, and played a match-winning century. Gautam Gambhir played the prototype of the perfect one-day innings against Sri Lanka in Brisbane earlier this year, and remains the man India need to bat around.Given the threat posed by Muttiah Muralitharan and Mendis after the Powerplays, the role of a player like Gambhir is significant, given his success against them in the Tests. Dhoni, a noted floater, needs to come up the order and aim to bat for a long time. Bumping Yuvraj Singh, better against pace than spin, down the order may be a wise move. If the others before him can handle Mendis and Murali and set a platform Yuvraj can be devastating at the end.Sri Lanka’s preferred opening combination in the series, Jayasuriya and Sangakkara, has yet to fire and bar two innings from Jayawardene and Chamara Kapugedera in the opener, the middle order has been poor. Instead of playing their shots, like they did in Dambulla, the batsmen may find success working themselves in and accelerating later.India’s nervous victory in the second Dambulla fixture has revived a series which many reckoned Sri Lanka would sweep after Mendis and Murali walloped India in the Tests. Now, with the series level at 1-1, both teams have everything to play for at the Premadasa. A traditional one-day venue it is, and a traditional approach from the batsmen could prove crucial.

Graeme Smith, the South Africa captain, has said he should have withdrawn from the England tour a month earlier after suffering a tennis elbow ahead of the one-day series against the hosts

Cricinfo staff10-Sep-2008
Graeme Smith: “I played with pain killers from the time we landed [in England] and it was about biting the bullet and getting out on the field” © Getty Images
Graeme Smith, the South Africa captain, has said he should have withdrawn from the England tour a month earlier after suffering a tennis elbow ahead of the one-day series against the hosts. The England tour, which marked the end of a tiring year for most South African players, ended on a poor note for the visitors with a 4-0 defeat in the ODIs, but it also brought them their first Test series win on English soil since 1965.”My injury first surfaced in the IPL and gradually worsened throughout the England tour. I played with painkillers from the time we landed [in England] and it was about biting the bullet and getting out on the field. Sometimes I hardly trained and just did enough to prepare myself mentally for matches,” Smith wrote in his diary for .He said the pain became terrible during the third Test at Edgbaston, where he scored a match-winning hundred to clinch the series. “I should probably have called it a day then, but when you are captain it can be difficult to let go – you feel responsible for the team. It got so bad I had to change my grip on the bat handle just to find a way of relieving the pain.”Smith hoped the injury wouldn’t come back after the rest and rehabilitation in South Africa. “I had a cortisone injection in the tendon and I’m trying to stay away from surgery at this time. With the amount of international cricket as well, schedules are becoming tighter but ultimately I am doing what I love doing so I am certainly not complaining.”He credited Kevin Pietersen with doing a good job for England in the one-day series but believed South Africa had put a lot of emphasis on one goal – winning the Test series. “We had been like a hot air balloon where we reached such great heights of winning the Test series and after that we just popped. We were so determined at the start of the tour to become the first side since readmission to win a Test series in England that we sort of relaxed once that was achieved.”

West Brom and Valerien Ismael want to bring a new centre-forward to The Hawthorns this summer, journalist Luke Hatfield has told Football FanCast.

At West Brom, most of the transfer talk has been dominated by star man Matheus Pereira and goalkeeper Sam Johnstone, with Ismael admitting that he expects to lose both players before the window closes.

The Midlands club, however, have been able to bring in Alex Mowatt on a free transfer from Barnsley, as well as Brighton’s Matt Clarke for the season.

And if all goes to plan, the two could be joined by a new striker at The Hawthorns, according to Hatfield.

“I think Albion are after a striker,” the Express & Star journalist said. “It’s a position they’ll be desperate to bolster.”

Last season, West Brom really struggled for goals, albeit in a much stronger division compared to the one they are in now.

After Pereira, who scored 11 times in the Premier League, their next highest goalscorer was Callum Robinson with five strikes.

As a whole, the Baggies were one of the lowest-scoring teams in the top flight (as per WhoScored), so perhaps they could do with the addition of a new No.9 this summer.

Gabriel Agbonlahor has expressed doubt as to whether Liverpool will meet West Ham United’s asking price for Jarrod Bowen. 

The lowdown

The Athletic’s James Pearce reported in July that Bowen is on Liverpool’s shortlist of potential attacking signings.

Accorrding to his colleague Roshane Thomas, though, West Ham wouldn’t even ‘consider’ an offer below £35million.

They paid £22million to sign him from Hull City in January 2020, and he’s since scored nine goals and provided ten assists in 53 appearances.

The latest

Agbonlahor predicted that Liverpool would be deterred by the reported price-tag and questioned whether Bowen has the quality to play for the Reds.

“West Ham really like him, so they’re going to expect a lot of money for him which Liverpool won’t pay for a player of his talent,” the former Aston Villa striker told Football Insider.

“He’s a great player but I’m not sure he’s got that level for Liverpool.”

The verdict

It should be stressed that the likelihood of the Reds making a big-money attacking signing ‘depends to a large extent’ on the futures of Xherdan Shaqiri and Divock Origi. If both players were to be sold, it becomes far more likely.

Liverpool are open to offers for both players but nothing has materialised as yet. That, rather than doubts over Bowen’s ability, looks to be the main obstacle standing in the way of this deal.

Indeed, he’s thought to tick the boxes of the Reds’ recruitment team ‘in terms of age, playing style and versatility’ and would be expected to unlock another level under the tutelage of Jurgen Klopp.

From a West Ham perspective, it’s almost surprising that their demands aren’t higher. A profit of around £13million would be a little underwhelming, and they sorely need players who can provide a goalscoring threat to support Michail Antonio.

In other news, fans fumed over this ExWHUEmployeee update. 

India have retained Sourav Ganguly in a 15-man squad for the first two Tests against Australia

Cricinfo staff01-Oct-2008
Sourav Ganguly has been included in India’s squad for the first two Tests © AFP
India’s selectors have picked Sourav Ganguly in a 15-man squad for the first two Tests against Australia. He is expected to join India A in Chennai for a Test against New Zealand A beginning on October 3 because he isn’t part of the ongoing camp in Bangalore. There were also call-ups for Tamil Nadu batsman S Badrinath and Haryana legspinner Amit Mishra, who played three one-day internationals in 2003.The squad consists of seven batsmen, one wicketkeeper, four fast bowlers and three spinners. The six batting slots are filled by Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Ganguly and VVS Laxman, with Mahendra Singh Dhoni as wicketkeeper. The two wicketkeepers used in Sri Lanka after Dhoni opted out, Dinesh Karthik and Parthiv Patel, have been excluded.Despite the intense speculation on Ganguly’s future leading up to the selection meeting, the new selectors apparently felt that he had the three qualities essential for a series against Australia. “[He has] experience, character and resilience,” said a national selector. “Besides, whatever his scores may have been in Sri Lanka, we could not ignore the fact that he has scored in the last 10 Tests.”Ganguly had reportedly considered quitting cricket after being overlooked for the Irani Cup match between the Rest of India and Delhi but India’s new selection panel, headed by Kris Srikkanth, has valued his experience over youngsters like Rohit Sharma, Yuvraj Singh and Mohammad Kaif.Ganguly has struggled against Australia, averaging just 31.73 in 20 Tests compared to an overall average of 41.74 in 109 Tests. Since his recall in December 2006 and till the end of the home series against South Africa earlier this year, Ganguly scored 1571 runs at 50.67, including a maiden double-century. However, he managed only 96 runs in six innings during India’s 2-1 series defeat in Sri Lanka this summer.Indian squadAnil Kumble (capt), Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, VVS Laxman, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (wk), Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Ishant Sharma, Munaf Patel, RP Singh, S Badrinath, Amit MishraAfter being called in as a substitute fielder during the home series against Pakistan late last year, Badrinath had a spell in the cold till he was named as Tendulkar’s replacement for the Sri Lanka ODIs, and played three games. Dhoni, his captain for the ODIs, publicly expressed his satisfaction at Badrinath’s attitude during the series. He managed only 92 runs in the recent A team series against Australia and New Zealand and had a poor Irani Cup but the selectors have clearly indicated that he is the future.”I am really happy to be selected to play against Australia,” Badrinath said. “I was expecting this call. I will take tomorrow’s match as serious practice. It will give me some experience against them.”Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma will lead the bowling attack along with Munaf Patel and RP Singh. Anil Kumble, India’s captain, Harbhajan Singh and Mishra, 25, make up the spin quotient. Mishra, who has 289 first-class wickets at 25.21, had a fine domestic season (38 wickets in the Ranji Trophy) and has also staked a claim through his good IPL performances (11 wickets at 12.55).Mishra, a neat and organised spinner, was included in India’s Test squad to face West Indies in 2002 but did not get a game then. He subsequently made his ODI debut against South Africa in Dhaka in 2003 but fell out of national reckoning since. He has now pipped left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha, who was in the Test side for Sri Lanka and played in the ODI series. Piyush Chawla, the Uttar Pradesh legspinner, was the other name doing the rounds but he too has been overlooked.Mishra said his stint with the Delhi Daredevils in the IPL – during which he claimed a hat-trick against Deccan Chargers – transformed his career.”It all started from the IPL. It gave me the platform to interact with greats like Shane Warne,” Mishra said. “I specifically worked on my loop and top spin. I am very happy after hearing the news. I feel great as I’ve been expecting the call over the last year.”Before the selection meeting, the selectors were “briefed” by Shashank Manohar, the BCCI president. Manohar, apparently, delivered a “convincing and forceful talk” on the need to plan for the team’s future, given that the senior players are on the last leg of their careers. He also reminded the selectors of the board’s guidelines for the committee, including curbs on media assignments.The first Test starts in Bangalore on October 9. The second is in Mohali from October 17-21. The squad for the remaining fixtures, in Delhi and Nagpur, will be named after the second Test.

Tim Paine drove Tasmania to victory in their first home match of the summer as they knocked off the 41 runs they required on the final day for the loss of just one wicket

Cricinfo staff06-Nov-2008
Scorecard
Tim Paine guided Tasmania to a win at home © Getty Images
Tim Paine drove Tasmania to victory in their first home match of the summer as they knocked off the 41 runs they required on the final day for the loss of just one wicket. Paine finished unbeaten on 69 and it was a terrific effort after they had fallen to 6 for 76 on the third afternoon.They began the final day at 6 for 140, chasing 181, and the loss of Brett Geeves for 36, bowled by Shaun Tait in the second over, gave South Australia a glimmer of hope. But Paine was ably supported by the No. 9 Gerard Denton, who took 52 balls for his 9, to earn Tasmania their first win of the campaign.Paine was the only one of Tasmania’s top six to pass 20 in the small chase but he knew the tail could be useful after the last pair Denton and Ben Hilfenhaus compiled a 66-run stand in the first innings. “I had plenty of faith in those blokes,” Paine told after the match.”It was obviously a crucial game for us, our first game at home, and we want to win all games here. As well as losing the first two games, it was critical we got the six points today, so it was a great result.”The loss was a major blow for South Australia, who have struggled in recent seasons and went on an international and interstate recruiting drive during the winter. They have not won any of their first three Sheffield Shield matches this summer.

Former All Leeds TV and now JustJoe Football Show presenter Joe Wainman has blasted Conor Gallagher after the midfielder opted to join Crystal Palace on a season-long loan instead of heading to Leeds United.

Gallagher was in-demand after impressing during a temporary stint at West Bromwich Albion, where he made 32 appearances last term.

Although the 21-year-old was unable to stop the Baggies suffering relegation back to the Championship, Gallagher still caught the eye of several clubs and was immediately linked with another move away from parent club Chelsea.

After an encouraging first season back in the Premier League following a 16-year wait, Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds were keen to bolster their options by tempting Gallagher to Elland Road.

However, the Yorkshire club were left disappointed as Gallagher chose to join Crystal Palace instead.

Gallagher’s move to Selhurst Park comes after a summer of change at the club, with Patrick Vieira replacing Roy Hodgson as manager and several players departing.

Wainman has accused Gallagher of lacking ambition following his summer switch.

He told Football FanCast: “Missing out on Conor Gallagher was a little bit sore because I did see him as being a great Bielsa player in terms of what he can offer on the pitch.

“By all accounts, Leeds waited a month for him to come back and that was frustrating because I know how good Victor Orta is when he presents to prospective players.

“It stinks of a lack of ambition from Conor Gallagher.”

Jhulan Goswami, the India women’s captain, will wear a golden armband during the ODI series in Australia as a mark of being the No. 1 bowler in the women’s rankings

Cricinfo staff29-Oct-2008
Jhulan Goswami said India need to be “physically very strong” to win the World Cup © Getty Images
Jhulan Goswami, the India women’s captain, will wear a golden armband during the ODI series in Australia as a mark of being the No. 1 bowler in the women’s rankings.”It is a big thing for me in my career to wear the golden armband and play the first match in it,” Goswami said. “It is really special and I am hopeful that I can maintain my standards and do well for my country.”India lost the opening game of the tour, a Twenty20 in Sydney , by two runs but Goswami said the team had done well in the warm-up matches which was an encouraging sign.”The last series was disappointing so we want to bounce back and do well to lift our confidence ahead of the World Cup.” Goswami said India had a great chance to win the World Cup as long as they worked on their fitness. “We will have to be physically very strong. Last time we were No. 2 and this time we want to be No. 1.”Shelley Nitschke, the Australia allrounder, said she was looking forward to facing Goswami in the ODIs. “To be honest, I haven’t faced her a great deal,” Nitschke said. “Since I have been batting up the order we haven’t played against India so I haven’t faced her against the new ball.” Nitschke has opened in 16 matches and averages 32.25.Nitschke was hopeful that with Australia hosting the World Cup in March next year, the local public would take an interest in the women’s game. “It’s pretty vital to have some good games and get some good coverage in Sydney. Hopefully we can have some good games to get the public out and talking about it.”The first ODI between India and Australia is on October 31 in Sydney.

Nigel Adkins’ Charlton head into their clash with Oxford United in League One this weekend in need of a positive result.

The Addicks began their league campaign with a fairly uninspiring 0-0 draw against Sheffield Wednesday last weekend before losing 1-0 to AFC Wimbledon in the League Cup in midweek, which represents a subdued start to their season.

They now face an Oxford side who were held to a 1-1 draw by Cambridge in their opening league match and beat Burton Albion on penalties in the Carabao Cup.

On the Chalkboard

With Charlton finding goals hard to come by so far, Adkins has the opportunity to dip into his squad to shake things up against Oxford on Saturday.

Diallang Jaiyesimi played the full 90 minutes out wide against the Owls and struggled to catch the eye. He received a WhoScored rating of 6.46, failing to create a single chance for his team-mates whilst also being dispossessed four times and losing the ball three times through poor control. This suggests that he does not deserve his place in the side on merit heading into the next match.

Therefore, Adkins should unleash the club’s latest signing Charlie Kirk on Saturday. The attacker joined on a permanent deal from Crewe earlier this week and he should be handed his debut against Oxford to try and solve a key issue for the former Southampton boss, namely the lack of goals from Charlton.

In Kirk’s official unveiling, Adkins commented on the signing by stating that the 23-year-old is an exciting ‘forward-thinking’ addition to the squad.

He told Charlton’s official website: “I am delighted that Charlie Kirk is joining us. He is a very talented and exciting, young, forward-thinking player and I’m really looking forward to working with him over the coming years.”

Adkins also added in his pre-match press conference that the winger will want to get involved as soon as possible. The manager said: “He’s been at the training ground this afternoon. We’ll just take stock of the whole thing. We’re delighted he’s with us and he’ll be wanting to play as quickly as he can.”

Charlton must bring him straight into the starting XI for Jaiyesimi in order to alleviate their goalscoring woes, as the ex-Norwich man was unable to score a goal himself or provide his teammates with a chance to do so. Meanwhile, Kirk racked up six goals and eight assists for Crewe in League One last season, which suggests that he has the quality to make things happen at this level.

Between his record for Crewe last term and Adkins’ effusive praise of his talents, the evidence is there to suggest that Kirk could help solve Charlton’s goalscoring problems against Oxford this weekend. That is why he should be handed his debut for the club tomorrow.

AND in other news, Just 7 passes: Charlton disaster who lost 67% of his duels surely left Adkins livid…

South Africa’s officials say they hope to replace the controversial quota system with merit-based selection by 2011

Cricinfo staff03-Dec-2008
The selection of Herschelle Gibbs in 1998 came at the start of South Africa’s quota system © Getty Images
South Africa’s officials say they hope to replace the controversial quota system with merit-based selection by 2011. The plan, which falls under the transformation process already in place, will be reviewed every year and culminate, officials hope, in merit-based selection across the board.”The goal is to get merit-based selection at all levels of cricket,” CSA chief executive Gerald Majola told . “We have decided to continue with the target transformation policy for the next three years, with a review at the end of each year. At the end of the three years we hope we can then move to merit-based selection across the board.”The target transformation policy – the formal name for Cricket South Africa’s so-called quota system – was introduced in 1998 to gain a better balance in the number of non-white players at the highest level of South African cricket. It has seen Makhaya Ntini, Ashwell Prince and Hashim Amla ranked among the world’s best.Yet it continues to polarise opinion with many concerns that the system is little more than tokenism. As recently as March this year, Andre Nel was rumoured to be considering his future after he was omitted from South Africa’s squad to tour India. A row subsequently broke out between coach Mickey Arthur and the CSA president, Norman Arendse, when it transpired that the squad didn’t feature sufficient players of colour as required by the transformation policy.Twelve months ago, South African Cricketers’ Association (SACA) chief executive Tony Irish confirmed that the top 25 cricketers in the country had called upon CSA to do away with quotas in the selection of the national team.”The players feel that as soon as a racial number is set for selection of the team it leads to a divisive dynamic within the team,” Irish said, “and it is also degrading to the players of colour who should be there on merit yet are labelled a quota/target player.”South Africa have picked seven coloured players – Prince, Amla, Ntini, Robin Peterson, Jean-Paul Duminy, Lonwabo Tsotsobe and Monde Zondeki – in their 15-man squad to tour Australia next week.