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Former West Indies batsman Brian Lara has come out in support of Jason Holder as captain of the Test team, calling the decision an “excellent choice”

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Sep-2015Former West Indies batsman Brian Lara has come out in support of Jason Holder as captain of the Test team, welcoming his appointment as an “excellent choice”.Holder, 23, is West Indies’ second-youngest Test captain, and has played just eight Tests. He also took over the ODI captaincy last December at a similarly inexperienced stage in his 50-over career, with only 21 matches behind him, but Lara believed that if backed properly by the WICB, Holder could thrive in the role for years to come.”I saw the young man while working during the World Cup in Australia, and the pressure that he came under, personally with his bowling and even as a captain, and the way he handled it,” Lara told . “He is very eloquent and big in stature and he reminds me of another version of a Clive Lloyd.”I have a lot of belief in the fact that he can do well if he gets the support from the players but more importantly from his employers, the West Indies Cricket Board.”West Indies endured a difficult World Cup, which they exited at the quarter-final stage, but Holder showed evidence of his leadership skills during the tournament, shouldering the responsibility of bowling in difficult situations – such as the final over against a rampaging AB de Villiers – and batting with maturity.In the home Tests that followed, the same qualities came to the fore, particularly with the bat, as shown by a match-saving century against England in Antigua, and an unbeaten 82 against Australia in Jamaica.Lara, who himself led West Indies in 47 Tests, felt that Holder had already showed his mettle through such tests, and that having several young players in the team could only bode well for the future.”I still believe we are still in the same mind-set as we were 10, 15, 20 years ago which is not good for West Indies cricket,” Lara said. “I hope they can change that a bit, and the likes of [chief selector] Lloyd being around and some younger faces being around, lends to the fact that there might be something on the horizon.”

After receiving his second CSA contract McLaren knows he is being primed for a Test recall – something that’s been in the back of his mind for a long time

Firdose Moonda12-Mar-2013Ryan McLaren’s Test debut was memorable but not for anything he did. He was included in South Africa’s all-pace attack that was tasked with squaring the series against England in early 2010.They did the job emphatically and bowled England out for under 200 twice to ensure South Africa won by an innings and 74 runs. The nature of the victory may suggest McLaren played some sort of role but his was a bit-part.In the shadows of Dale Steyn taking a first innings five-for and seven overall, Morne Morkel finishing with the same match tally and Wayne Parnell debuting, McLaren bowled 13 overs all told and took one wicket. It was an important one because it was that of the top scorer, Paul Collingwood and it was brief glimpse into McLaren’s ability.For four years, there would be only those short, somewhat stolen moments because McLaren never nailed down a proper spot. Now, that could change. After receiving his second CSA contract McLaren knows he is being primed for a Test recall – something that’s been in the back of his mind for a long time.”I’d love to add to my one Test cap,” he told ESPNcricinfo. “It’s something I’ve been thinking about and working towards very hard.” McLaren averaged 50.50 with the bat and 30.67 with the ball last season and has been included in South African recent A sides and limited-overs teams.He would bring to the Test XI a Shaun Pollock-like discipline and consistency as well as the ability to score runs in the lower middle-order. While it would seem only Kallis’ retirement would open a door for McLaren, he may not have to wait for that to make an appearance in whites. South Africa’s revolving door position – the No. 7 spot – is the only unsettled one and he could fill it. It has been used for an extra batsman so far but it could call for an extra bowler or an allrounder in future.Until then, McLaren has to bide his time in the other formats where he is finally being given a sustained run of matches. Prior to August 2012, McLaren had played 10 ODIs and five Twenty20s for South Africa but not much faith was invested in him. Albie Morkel was the preferred candidate and assembly line allrounders were fading out of fashion.McLaren became a substitute and was included in squads when there was a mild injury concern. Almost everyone knew that he was unlikely to play and he never did. Only recently, has team management seen real value in him.In recent months, McLaren has been seen in long consultation with Allan Donald as he worked on extensively on his bowling. The fruits of that have been obvious and he has taken 11 wickets in his last four ODIs. His use of the short ball has been exemplary, something he puts down to Donald’s influence. “Allan always encourages us to be more aggressive and that’s what I’ve been trying to do as well,” he said.As good performances mounted up, confidence in him swelled. McLaren now feels more secure as well. “I’ve been given a few more opportunities and I feel a bit more comfortable in the environment,” he said. “I’m just really enjoying it now under Gary Kirsten. He treats us all like adults and make us take responsibility for our own performances.”McLaren has always come across as mature and grounded, so much so that he would be happy to make way for Kallis at an event like the Champions Trophy because “it’s good for South Africa if Kallis plays as long as he can,” so it’s no surprise he is thriving in a grown-up environment. At 30, he is exactly that and hopes to have a few good years to offer South African cricket.McLaren has built up experience around the world, including a stint at Kent and at the Mumbai Indians and Kings XI Punjab. This off-season, he will return to the IPL to represent the Kolkata Knight Riders and hopes to pick up new skills to take into his re-born international career. “It’s always helpful to play in different conditions and to share dressing rooms with players from around the world. I just want to learn as much as possible.”

Mark Gillespie took six wickets in the second innings and Josh Brodie led the chase with a hundred as Wellington completed a stunning comeback to win by five wickets against Canterbury

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Feb-2012Mark Gillespie took six wickets in the second innings and Josh Brodie led the chase with a hundred as Wellington completed a stunning comeback to win by five wickets against Canterbury in Rangiora. Wellington had conceded a 133-run first-innings lead but Gillespie and Andy McKay demolished Canterbury for 144 in the second innings. Shanan Stewart (57) was the only batsman to resist as Canterbury folded to leave Wellington with 278 to get. Gillespie took 6 for 41 while McKay had 3 for 45.Wellington lost Michael Papps in the fifth over of the chase but Brodie steadied the innings along with Stephen Murdoch (43). Once Murdoch was dismissed with the score on 128, Brodie put on another century partnership with Jesse Ryder, who smashed 82 off 63 deliveries, and hit nine sixes in the game. Though Brodie and Grant Elliott fell in the space of four runs to Todd Astle, Ryder took Wellington within touching distance of victory before he was bowled by Matt McEwan. Luke Woodcock and Harry Boam finished the job in the 68th over.The win had looked unlikely when Wellington had collapsed to 201 in reply to Canterbury’s 334 in the first innings. Reece Young (104) had built on half-centuries from George Worker and Peter Fulton after Canterbury were asked to bat, and despite Boam’s 6 for 51, Canterbury managed a strong total. Logan van Beek and Astle then snapped up nine wickets between them as Wellington slid to 201, despite Brodie’s 50 and Ryder’s 74 off 50.

Centuries from Matthew Sinclair and Kruger van Wyk went in vain, as did Kyle Jarvis’ eight wickets, as Central Districts lost to Northern Districts by 65 runs in Gisborne. Jarvis, the Zimbabwe fast bowler, claimed a five-for in his first match for Central Districts to dismiss Northern Districts for 309 in the first innings. Hamish Marshall and BJ Watling made half-centuries to lift Northern Districts to a competitive total. Central Districts were poor in their reply. Brent Arnel and Graeme Aldridge struck thrice each as Central Districts were shot out for 183.Jarvis claimed three more wickets in the second innings and Bevan Small took four, but Marshall and Watling made their second half-centuries of the game to boost Northern Districts to 280.Central Districts were left with a tall chase of 407 and when Trent Boult reduced them to 78 for 4, it seemed an improbable one as well. Sinclair (121) and van Wyk (110), though, put on 222 runs to lift their side to 300 for 4. Daniel Vettori broke the stand in the 91st over and Sinclair fell to Aldridge in the 92nd. The rest of the line-up caved in soon and Central Districts were bowled out for 341.

Mitchell McClenaghan led with eight wickets in the match as Auckland beat Otago by four wickets in a tense chase in Dunedin. McClenaghan ended the first innings with 6 for 87 but fifties from Neil Broom and Derek de Boorder helped Otago recover from 56 for 4 to post 226.Colin Munro pulled Auckland out of a bigger hole from 46 for 5 with his maiden first-class century. Neil Wagner and Warren McSkimming had Auckland struggling before Munro arrived at No. 7 and proceeded to hammer seven sixes in making 130 from 115 balls. Munro was supported briefly by his captain Gareth Hopkins (46). Munro was the last man to be dismissed as Auckland managed 242.Auckland’s bowlers came hard at Otago in the second innings, and at one stage, had them reeling at 99 for 7. But de Boorder made another half-century to take Otago to 170 and set Auckland a target of 155.Auckland were soon in deep trouble at 28 for 4 with the openers departing for ducks. It was left to Munro to put in another recovery effort but, when he fell for 39, Auckland still needed another 27. Anaru Kitchen ensured there were no further wobbles and remained unbeaten on 46 to bring up victory after tea on the final day.

Graeme Swann told police he was on the way to buy a set of screwdrivers to rescue his trapped cat when he was arrested for drink-driving a court heard at the start of the trial

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Feb-2011Graeme Swann has been found not guilty of drink-driving, as his trial came to an end at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday.Swann, who is currently on paternity leave before linking up with his England team-mates ahead of their World Cup opener against Netherlands on February 22, was stopped near his home in West Bridgford shortly after 3.00am on April 2 last year, as he drove a white Porsche Cayenne towards a local supermarket, having arrived home to find his cat trapped under the floorboards.During his original trial in August, Swann admitted to having drunk three or four glasses of white wine to celebrate his birthday, and was alleged to have told the arresting officer, PC Steven Denniss, he “shouldn’t have probably been driving”, when pulled over for driving a high-performance car in an area beset by a spate of recent burglaries.The second of two blood samples showed that Swann had 83mg of alcohol in 100ml, which is over the legal limit of 80mg. However District Judge Julia Newton said that it had not been proven that the sample could be used as evidence, after Dr John Mundy, a forensic alcohol consultant, told the court on Tuesday that it was possible the sample had been contaminated.Swann showed little reaction as the judge delivered her not-guilty verdict, and was later asked by reporters if he would be fit for the World Cup, after flying home from Australia with a back problem. “Getting there,” he replied. “It’s a bit stiff but I’ve had a lot of physio.”

Brad Haddin and Shane Watson are the latest members of Australia’s one-day squad to be rested with both men to sit out of the third and fourth ODIs against West Indies

Cricinfo staff09-Feb-2010Brad Haddin and Shane Watson are the latest members of Australia’s one-day squad to be rested with both men to sit out of the third and fourth ODIs against West Indies. Tim Paine will join the squad for his first international appearances since he broke a finger on Australia’s one-day tour of India in October.Paine made an impressive start to his ODI career after coming in for the injured Haddin during the series in England and he is likely to open the batting with Shaun Marsh. Haddin has not missed an international game since the first Test of the summer and he is the only Australian to have played every match in that time.The other addition to Australia’s 13-man squad is Adam Voges, who was with the group for the limited-overs series against Pakistan but only played the final match. Watson was rested from two games against Pakistan but Australia are keen to be extra cautious with him due to his importance as an opening batsman and bowler in the Test and one-day formats.”After a busy international summer, and with an upcoming tour of New Zealand in mind, the national selection panel has taken the opportunity to manage the workloads of Brad Haddin and Shane Watson for the next two matches of the Commonwealth Bank Series,” the chairman of selectors Andrew Hilditch said. “Tim Paine and Adam Voges are the players added to the squad.”Paine thoroughly deserves another chance behind the stumps for Australia in ODI cricket after playing so well in England, the ICC Champions Trophy and India late last year. Voges was unlucky to miss selection for the opening two matches of the Commonwealth Bank Series against the West Indies but now has a chance to press for selection.”Australia hold a 2-0 lead after convincing wins over West Indies in the opening games at the MCG and Adelaide Oval. The squad has been named for Friday’s third match in Sydney and Sunday’s fourth game in Brisbane and the selectors will reassess ahead of the fifth and final ODI in Melbourne on February 19.Australia squad Shaun Marsh, Tim Paine (wk), Ricky Ponting (capt), Michael Clarke, Cameron White, Michael Hussey, Adam Voges, James Hopes, Mitchell Johnson, Ryan Harris, Nathan Hauritz, Clint McKay, Doug Bollinger.

With India playing their three Super Eight games at different venues in the span in five days, adjusting quickly to conditions will be crucial

Sidharth Monga19-Jun-20246:54

We’ve pushed the needle forward with our batting – Dravid

As this India leadership group starts its last two weeks at the helm, it is a good time to look back. Their biggest legacy will be dragging India towards modern limited-overs batting. Look at its biggest manifestation: Virat Kohli is a much better T20 batter while retaining qualities that made him an ODI great. In India, though, legacy is judged by ICC trophies. That unfortunately remains the yardstick for a team now used to staying among the best at other times.In what has been a bit of an irony, what seems like a last hurrah for Rahul Dravid and Rohit Sharma at helm and will eventually decide how fondly they are remembered by the wider public, their real legacy of pushing the aggression envelope has had to take a back seat. Two of their biggest hitters, their modern T20 batters, Suryakumar Yadav and Shivam Dube, have had to play like they would in the middle overs of an ODI.”Like you rightly said, a lot of the impetus over the last few years – and I think we’ve done it in most parts – has been to push the needle forward,” Dravid said. “If you look at a lot of our stats and numbers, we have pushed the needle forward in terms of our batting.”There’s no question about it. Sometimes in certain conditions – you’ve just got to be mindful of conditions also. I think sometimes we just get carried away in T20 cricket and just talking about pushing the needle forward, pushing the needle forward. But then, it’s also, cricket is a very condition-specific game. It’s one of the only sports left where the surface makes such an impact on the actual skill levels, the actual performance levels, what is an acceptable performance level. It’s one sport that we play where the surface makes a huge difference and it has to be brought into consideration at all times.Related

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“I think we saw that in the US, and we saw that in New York, that had to be brought into consideration not only for us but for other teams as well. I think everyone had to do that. Actually, even in Australia [during the last T20 World Cup], there were times where you had to bring that into consideration. Not every wicket is Hyderabad or not every wicket can be the same. So, I think that’s something we pride ourselves in as well. I think we are trying to also get that ability to be smart in our decision making, to try and assess situations cleverly.”If India get the kind of pitches they had in New York, they are favourites. In the Super Eight, though, they, like most other teams, will have to deal with the unpredictability of new conditions in every match in the West Indies, and quickly decide how to approach their innings. In cricket’s other formats, batting is a reactive exercise: the bowlers start the action, and batters react to the merit of the delivery. In T20, the batters’ approach plays a bigger role. And it all depends on conditions.Rahul Dravid: Cricket is “one of the only sports left where the surface makes such an impact on the actual skill levels, the actual performance levels, what is an acceptable performance level.”•ICC/Getty Images

In a way, the previous two weeks of the T20 World Cup have been a bit of a lottery. You get put in, you take two extra overs to decide what a par score is, and you could be done for. That’s all it takes. That is likely what happened to Pakistan when they played USA. How do you mitigate the uncertainty, though? Dravid was asked exactly that a day before the start of India’s three Super Eight matches in five days in Barbados, Antigua and St Lucia.”We feel we’ve got the experience and the knowledge and also the ability to counteract different situations that may present themselves,” he said. “And then, of course, we are looking at things that the past games that have been played here, what have been the scores, what’s the level of swing that people are experiencing, amount of turn they’re getting, what’s the bounce. So, you look at all of these factors and you come up with some basic ideas.”But again, I think you’ve got to keep an open mind. I think that’s an important thing. You might have all the stats, you might have all the data, but on the day, sometimes conditions can be very different to what you think it is. Just because a particular ground has produced certain number of runs in the past or even 10 days prior, it can be very different because the preparation of a wicket, the weather, so much can change.”Even in the two or three days leading into a particular game, a lot can change that can force you to recalibrate and rethink. I think we will have to do that, be quick and smart and be able to do that and assess the conditions. I hope we will do that.”If New York was any indication, though, one change, though subtle, is clearly visible. India adjusted down instead of adjusting up. Err high rather than low. The top order, especially Kohli, showed enough faith in the batters to follow. It would have been easy for Kohli to play at a run a ball there but that is not his role. That seems to be the back-up option, and one for someone else to take. Nothing can guarantee success in T20 knockouts but that approach, provided they can manage to retain courage and indifference towards the end result, might just hold India in better stead than on previous attempts.

Cheteshwar Pujara top-scored with 59, the only batter to pass 30 as India were dismissed for 163 in their second innings

Alex Malcolm02-Mar-2023A remarkable eight-wicket haul from Nathan Lyon put Australia on the brink of a rare Test win in India. The game, however, was far from over after a stunning first-innings batting collapse from the visitors and an obdurate half-century from Cheteshwar Pujara kept the hosts in the contest in Indore.Day two was even more chaotic than day one, with Lyon claiming 8 for 64 to bowl India out for 163 in the second innings on the stroke of stumps, setting Australia a target of just 76. It would not have been that many without Pujara’s 142-ball 59. It might not have been that many without another chaotic Australian collapse in the morning session that will give India’s bowlers hope on the third day.Australia had led by 77 runs with six first-innings wickets in hand at drinks on the second morning only to lose 6 for 11 in 34 balls of chaos to let India back into the game. On a spinner’s paradise, Umesh Yadav took three wickets in three overs to finish with figures of 3 for 12, while R Ashwin bagged three at the other end to bowl Australia out with a lead of just 88. Their tail has provided no resistance on the entire tour, but this was statistically among the worst lower-order collapses in Australia’s Test history.Related

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Pujara had to work exceptionally hard to erase India’s deficit without much help from his top-order teammates as Lyon never let them breathe during an unwavering spell from around the wicket after lunch. Pujura stood firm but he never stood still in nearly four hours of attrition to keep India alive. Having learned from his mistake in the first-innings, he played almost exclusively on the front foot with a vertical bat, always playing in front of his pad, and used his feet superbly to smother the spin of Lyon, Todd Murphy and Matthew Kuhnemann. It was something his team-mates could not manage. Shubman Gill fell to a wild heave across the line to Lyon in the first over after lunch. Rohit Sharma misjudged the length going back to a full ball from Lyon. Virat Kohli played an ill-fated cross-bat shot off the back foot to Kuhnemann, before Ravindra Jadeja was unable to get his bat in front of his pad as he was trapped plumb in front by Lyon.India’s deficit though had been whittled to just 9 by tea and it quickly became a lead of 23 with six wickets in hand just four overs after the break. Shreyas Iyer thumped three fours and two sixes to leave Australia wondering if they had let the game slip from an impregnable position, just as they had done in Delhi.But Steven Smith, who captained magnificently in Pat Cummins’ absence, pulled the right rein by bringing Mitchell Starc into the attack. Shreyas chipped the ball to midwicket where Usman Khawaja took a diving catch to his left, having spent almost all of the second session off the field.Cheteshwar Pujara was superbly caught by Steven Smith at leg slip•Getty Images

Shreyas’ exit allowed Lyon to attack again from around the wicket. He beat KS Bharat on the outside edge with one that slid on to crash into middle and off before trapping R Ashwin plumb with one that spun back past the inside edge.India led by 52 with three wickets in hand but Australia were still sweating with India’s best batter in the series Axar Patel joining Pujara. Lyon kept probing, Smith kept tinkering with the field, and eventually the reward came. Smith took a stunning one-hander at leg slip having left that position vacant quite a lot during Pujara’s innings. Lyon was able to claim the final two wickets without Axar doing major damage and they avoided a nervy couple of overs starting the chase on the second night in the process.It was sweet relief for Australia having earlier butchered a chance to take the game well beyond India’s reach in the first innings. Peter Handscomb and Cameron Green had added 30 without loss and without any drama in the first hour of day two. Both batters had defended well and used their feet smartly to find scoring options without huge risk. Less than half an hour later Australia were all out with a lead of just 88, having lost 6 for 11 in 34 deliveries.It was a stunning turnaround sparked by Ashwin and Umesh, two bowlers Rohit had hardly used in the first hour. Ashwin found the perfect length that he had been searching for on day one and extracted some extra turn and bounce to have Handscomb caught at short leg. Umesh then claimed the key scalp of Green with a ball that just straightened a touch off the seam and had Green playing the wrong line as tried to work through the leg side. He was hit on the back leg and adjudged lbw by Joel Wilson. Had he not been given out, India would have had no reviews to use. Ball tracking had it clipping the outside corner of leg stump. Australia folded from there as they have done so often in this series with Umesh castling Starc and Murphy’s off stump with fast reverse-swinging deliveries from around the wicket while Ashwin got through Carey and Lyon’s defences with ease.

The second tour will make up for the matches lost when NZ called off the tour this year because of security concerns

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Dec-2021New Zealand are set to tour Pakistan twice next season, the two boards confirmed on Monday.The two teams will first face each other between December 2022 and January 2023 for two Tests, which will be part of the World Test Championship, and three ODIs, which will be part of the ODI Super League (for qualification for the World Cup). New Zealand then return to the country in April 2023 for five ODIs and five T20Is – the ODIs, in this instance, will be solely for ICC rankings points and not part of the ODI Super League.Related

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The first visit will be a part of the Future Tours Programme, while the second was agreed to make up for the matches lost when New Zealand called off their limited-overs tour of Pakistan in September this year minutes before the scheduled start of the first ODI, citing security concerns. The limited-overs tour in April 2023 will have two additional ODIs being played, along with those scheduled in the 2021 series.”It’s good to be going back,” NZC chief executive David White said in a statement. “Our respective chairmen, Ramiz Raja and Martin Snedden, had very fruitful and constructive discussions while in Dubai, further strengthening the bond between the two organisations.”After being especially critical of the NZC’s decision when they abandoned the tour this year, Ramiz said that the board was “pleased with the outcomes of our discussions and negotiations”. “This reflects the strong, cordial and historic relations the two boards have, and reconfirms Pakistan’s status as an important member of the cricket fraternity,” he said.