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Ashes hero Vaughan calls it quits
Poor form prompted Vaughan to retirebr /Former England captain Michael Vaughan has confirmed his immediate retirement from cricket at the age of 34.br /"It has been an enormous privilege to have played for and captained my country and this is one of the hardest decisions I have had to make," he said.br /Vaughan played 82 Tests, 51 as skipper, and scored over 5,700 runs at an average of 41, including 18 centuries.br /But by far his greatest achievement was the 2005 Ashes win over Australia which sparked a national celebration.br /His omission from the training squad for this summer's series after failing to rediscover his batting form for Yorkshire in county cricket was one of the factors which contributed to his decision to retire.br /"I wanted to give it one last effort to get into the Ashes squad. I've given it that shot but haven't been playing well enough," he told a news conference at Edgbaston.br /TEST MATCH SPECIAL BLOGbr /a class="" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/tms/2009/06/vaughan_captain_par_excellence.shtml" __eventidglow952828498="118"It is only fair to laud the most successful captain England have had in the modern era/abr /Oliver Brettbr /"I have not played well enough. I have not got the rhythm or form to be picked in the Ashes squad. It has to be best 16 players and I am not one of those.br /"Two weeks ago, I was in the garden with my little lad Archie. He bowled a ball which hit a weed and knocked my off stump out of the ground - and when a three-year-old's bowling you out, it's time to move over.br /"Wherever I've played this year I felt that warmth and crowd reaction to try to give me one more chance. I now move on and wish the team all the best in an Ashes series they can win.br /"I know they have the drive, ambition and abilities to repeat the success from 2005. Winning that series was definitely the high point of my career."br /Hugh Morris, the managing director of England Cricket, hailed Vaughan as "among the very best" international captains.br /He said: "The way he and (coach) Duncan Fletcher forged a team capable of winning six consecutive Test series stands as testament to his ability to inspire and motivate those around him.br /br /Vaughan was also recognised as one of the game's most stylish batsmenbr /"He was also a marvellous ambassador for England cricket, off the field as well as on it, and someone who genuinely appreciated the generous support he received from the thousands of England supporters who follow the team at home and abroad."br /Andrew Strauss, the current England captain, said he had "learned a great deal" from watching the way Vaughan led the side.br /"His ability to identify a new strategy for outwitting the opposition or bring the best out of his own players was a priceless asset," he said.br /"But more than anything we as players will miss the enormous sense of fun and enjoyment that Michael brought to the dressing room."br /Vaughan made his first-class debut for Yorkshire in 1993 and six years later won his first Test cap during England's winter tour to South Africa.br /In 2002/03 he rose to the top of the Test batting rankings after hitting three centuries during the Ashes series in Australia, and was appointed England one-day captain at the start of the following summer.br /By mid-summer he had taken on the Test captaincy too, following Nasser Hussain's decision to step down, and after securing a 2-2 draw with the combative South Africans, led England to six successive series victories, culminating in the epic 2005 Ashes triumph.br /He missed the return series in Australia in 2006/07 because of a debilitating knee injury and England were whitewashed 5-0 under the captaincy of Andrew Flintoff.br /Vaughan was back for the 2007 World Cup campaign in the West Indies but gave up the one-day captaincy after England's elimination.br /He hoped to stay in the team in both forms of the game but was never chosen for the one-day side again, although he remained in charge of the Test side and made a century against the West Indies in his first innings for 18 months in May 2007, and also made hundreds in home series against India and New Zealand.br /br /His form subsequently declined and against South Africa last summer he only scored 40 runs in five innings, including two ducks, prompting him to resign the captaincy before the final match of the series.br /Only Michael Atherton led England in more Tests - but Vaughan's record of 26 Test wins is the highest by any England skipper.br /At county level, he enjoyed his greatest moment in 2001 when, after missing that summer's Ashes series because of injury, he helped Yorkshire win the Championship for the first time since 1968.br /"Michael Vaughan is a class act and will be remembered by Yorkshire members and supporters around the world for his beautiful stroke play and, of course, his success in leading England to Ashes glory in 2005," said the county's chief executive Stewart Regan.br /"It has been a pleasure and a privilege for me to get to know Michael over the past three years and his presence around the club has been hugely motivational, particularly the younger players."br /Vaughan's final game was a Twenty20 Cup defeat by Leicestershire at Grace Road last Friday.br /There has been speculation that he may now take up a career as a television pundit, but Vaughan said he had not yet received any offers to join the ranks of ex-England players working in the media.br /"I think it is important to have a little break and weigh up my options and decide what to do next," he explained.br /Explaining his approach to captaincy, Vaughan described himself as a "good actor".br /He added: "Captaining your country is a very special moment and the skill is making sure no-one knows what you're thinking.br /"It's very important not to feel the pressure, or outwardly be seen to be feeling it.br /"It's very difficult as England captain to completely switch off - but you enjoy it and at the end you've exhausted all your energy because you've given it everything."br /Australia captain Ricky Ponting, Vaughan's adversary in the 2005 series, said he was "a bit surprised" by his retirement.br /"It is only a couple of months ago that I was thinking he might be named in the first Test squad by England. I thought he might have a bit more to offer international cricket somewhere down the line," he commented.br /"Michael was an exceptionally skilled and talented player whose record would stack up against most top order batsmen who have played international cricket.br /"He was a distinguished captain who led the side very well. Good luck with what he does after cricket. He was always a highly respected and skilled opponent."div class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/20441301-3886293279680813258?l=www.better-poker.co.uk%2Fbetterbet-blog%2Fcricket%2Fblog.htm'//div Flintoff fitness vital - Ponting
Australia captain Ricky Ponting says England may be better off without Andrew Flintoff in their Ashes side, unless the key player is 100% fit.br /Ponting said Flintoff was not the force he had been in 2005 when he led England to a 5-0 defeat in Australia 18 months later after an injury comeback.br /"Flintoff is obviously very important to England's set-up," said Ponting.br /"Maybe, as we saw in 2007, if he's not 100% fit then maybe that sort of impact he can have is not there."br /Ponting, whose team are currently based in Nottingham preparing for the ICC World Twenty20, begin their five-Test Ashes defence on 8 July.br /br /He was happy to give his views on Flintoff, who tore knee cartilage while playing in the Indian Premier League in April - and was subsequently ruled out of all England's international cricket until the Ashes.br /Whether or not to field Flintoff in the first Test at Cardiff - perhaps on the back of just a game or two for Lancashire - will be "the great decision the England selectors are going to have to make," said Ponting.br /"In 2005 and in 2007 we saw two completely different players and that had a lot to do with the level of fitness that he had under his belt going into each series.br /"That's where they're going to have a tough decision to make."br /Ponting 'very confident' of Ashes successbr /Ponting said he felt "relaxed, fresh and rejuvenated" after a four-week break from cricket.br /And after team-mate Michael Hussey complimented England's new-found strength in depth, the Aussie skipper said his team would pose a severe challenge to the host team this summer.br /"England played some very good cricket against the West Indies but the competition and opposition they'll be coming up against us is vastly stiffer than what they've faced in the last few weeks.br /"I'm very confident we've got a group of guys here who will be well and truly good enough to win the series. I'm really excited about that."br /Australia will be without Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath, Matthew Hayden and Adam Gilchrist this summer but Ponting warned that his country's new breed will pose a real threat to England.br /"With the transitional phase the team's been going through, where we are at the moment is very positive," he said.br /"To see the Phillip Hugheses, Norths, Hilfenhauses, Peter Siddles and those guys come in and have immediate success has been very pleasing for me as captain of the team and one of the more experienced players."div class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/20441301-8643136917230846263?l=www.better-poker.co.uk%2Fbetterbet-blog%2Fcricket%2Fblog.htm'//div Vaughan Bell seek England role
Vaughan and Bell both want the number three role this summerbr /England announce their first Test squad of the summer on Wednesday, with huge interest surrounding the identity of the man to bat at number three.br /Owais Shah has failed to cement the role, despite chances in the Caribbean, so it could be a straight fight between Ian Bell and Michael Vaughan.br /Key all-rounder Andrew Flintoff will miss the two Tests against West Indies, starting on 6 May at Lord's.br /So wicketkeeper Matt Prior could bat at six in a side containing five bowlers.br /Ravi Bopara, one of several England players to have spent the opening weeks of the season in South Africa with the Indian Premier League, will nevertheless hope to get a place in the squad at the very least - having been dropped after scoring a century in Barbados.br /The Test squad was set to have been announced on 20 April but the panel, comprising new coach Andy Flower, national selector Geoff Miller, plus James Whitaker and Ashley Giles, opted to watch another round of County Championship matches first.br /Bell, yet to score a Test century in 16 Tests at number three, was dropped during the winter tour of the Caribbean but has since scored two centuries for Warwickshire.br /br /bluehornetbr /Former England captain Vaughan had been tipped to regain his place but failed to score notable runs in his first two first-class innings.br /The 34-year-old did make his highest score for Yorkshire since September 2007, however, when he struck four fours and three sixes in 82 from 116 balls in a 50-over match against Sussex at Headingley on Sunday.br /Vaughan also has a far better record against Australia than Bell, who has never made a century against cricket's toughest opponents.br /Bell, 27, told BBC Sport: "Michael Vaughan's record speaks for itself. Of course I can see both sides of the argument.br /"I feel in a pretty good place. I've enjoyed coming back to Warwickshire, training hard and scoring the amount of runs I probably needed to to get myself back in the position to get selected. I have given myself the best chance I can to push my position.br /"The message I got was to go away and score big hundreds. I've done that."br /He said that he had spent his two months on the sidelines in the West Indies boxing on the beach at 6am most days with ECB security adviser Reg Dickason.br /"I've been guilty in the past of getting fifties and not going on to get hundreds, so fitness is an area which could help me," said Bell.br /"You can get a little bit complacent at times. It was a tough time to watch everyone else but probably I was a bit lucky to have those two months to sit back and think about what I needed to do to get back and get picked by England.br /"I still average over 40 but I knew I hadn't performed for three months. When you don't perform as a team there has to be someone who is left out of the side and it was my time.br /"By no imagination do I think I have cracked it but I believe I am going to play for England again and my best years are ahead of me."br /If England do go with five bowlers, Stuart Broad and James Anderson are certainties, while Steve Harmison - who did take five wickets for Durham against Yorkshire - is likely to be recalled yet again.br /With Flintoff, Amjad Khan and Ryan Sidebottom all injured, Sajid Mahmood, despite taking no wickets in Lancashire's first Championship match of the season, and Dimitri Mascarenhas will also be hopeful of selection.br /But seam bowlers have struggled at Lord's in recent years, so England may consider going with two spinners, most likely to be Graeme Swann and Monty Panesar.div class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/20441301-6245576372782089748?l=www.better-poker.co.uk%2Fbetterbet-blog%2Fcricket%2Fblog.htm'//div Injured Khan leaves Windies tour
Fifth one-day international, St Lucia: West Indies v England Date: Friday, 3 April Play starts: 1430 BST Coverage: Full commentary on Test Match Special on BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra, BBC Radio 4 Long Wave and BBC Sport website (UK only). Live text commentary on BBC Sport website amp; mobiles. Also live on Sky Sportsbr /br /Khan played in the Twenty20 defeat but has not featured in the ODIsbr /Seamer Amjad Khan is to return home from England's tour of the West Indies because of a cartilage injury.br /The Kent player will have treatment back in Britain after being ruled out of Friday's fifth and final one-day international in St Lucia.br /Khan flew out to join the Test squad as cover for injuries, making his England debut in the fifth Test in Trinidad.br /He then played in the Twenty20 international defeat, but has not featured in any of the ODIs.br /The series is level at 2-2 going into Friday's game, for which England duo Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff have been passed fit.br /West Indies - whose players' association is in dispute with the country's cricket board, amid threats of strike action affecting the game - have replaced injured spinner Nikita Miller with fellow slow left-armer Sulieman Benn.div class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/20441301-116525667529173049?l=www.better-poker.co.uk%2Fbetterbet-blog%2Fcricket%2Fblog.htm'//div Breezing into plush Barbados
Well after, to say the least , an eventful week or so in Antigua, the Test Match Special team have moved onto a href="http://www.barbados.org/kensington_oval.htm"Barbados/a for the fourth Test in this intriguing series.br /There certainly will be quite a contrast between where TMS was broadcast from in Antigua and our surroundings at the Kensington Oval.br /The late move to the Antigua Recreation ground meant we were located in a makeshift commentary box which clearly had seen better days.br /Although it has to be said that the people at the ground could not have done any more to help us feel comfortable, even though they clearly had much more important priorities to work on ... like getting the rest of the stadium ready for an international fixture with a day's notice!...br /Although broadcasting in the open air was a little challenging at times , especially when the wind started to blow , we were able to experience all the excitement of the match -especially the dramatic final afternoon when a href="http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/westindies/content/player/52812.html"Sir Vivian Richards /asimply could not sit down while commentating as he was so caught up in the action.br /Here in Barbados we are housed in the magnificent new media centre at the refurbished Kensington Oval which is among others named after our legendary West Indies commentator a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/low/tv_and_radio/test_match_special/849427.stm"Tony Cozier/a. We get fantastic views from our vantage point on the fourth floor not only of the ground but also of downtown Bridgetown and beyond.br /This is only my second visit to the Kensington Oval. Two years ago I was here for the farcical World Cup final which provided a fitting climax to a tournament which will not be remembered fondly except by the a href="mailto:http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/4699023.stm"Australians/a, who of course lifted the trophy.br /After the officials inexplicably failed to interpret the rules correctly we ended up playing out a game in almost total darkness.br /My overriding memory of that day was just after the last ball was bowled I went straight out onto the field to try and get some post match interviews.br /It was quite literally pitch black out there to the extent that as I walked onto the field I failed to notice a group of performers on stilts almost walking straight into me!br /They were part of a closing ceremony which sadly no-one saw because no proper lighting had been organised. It was that sort of evening.br /Anyway let's hope things run smoothly this week.br /As well as bringing you ball by ball commentary from 1330 on Thursday we also have lots of other interesting things for you.br /During the lunch interval on the opening day of the match you'll be able to hear Jonathan Agnew's extensive interview with Giles Clarke, who despite the controversy over the Stanford affair has this week been confirmed as ECB chairman for another two years.br /You will also be able to hear a fascinating chat with the man who represents the England players , PCA chief executive Sean Morris, who will have among other things the latest news on Andrew Flintoff and the IPL.br /Other highlights include an interview with England's bowling coach a href="http://www.ecb.co.uk/ecb/about-ecb/media-releases/gibson-appointed-bowling-coach,15335,EN.html"Ottis Gibson /awho is of course originally from here in Barbados.br /He'll be telling us about his debut for the island where he had the honour to open the bowling alongside West Indies and Barbados legend Malcolm Marshall.br /Gibson's first four overs went for 28 runs, but he remembers getting sympathetic advice from Marshall. He now tries to offer similar words of wisdom to England's fast bowling attack.br /a href="http://cricketarchive.com/PCA/Players/1/1844/1844.html"Gladstone Small/a, another Barbados born fast bowler who went on to help England, will also be joining us in the Test Match Special box to share his memories of growing up here and helping to debate while so few recent England players come from the Caribbean community in the UK.br /Other guests we are expecting include two of England's most successful spin bowlers Derek Underwood and Phil Tufnell - and as always who knows which other people may wander into the box over the next five days.br /So join us from Thursday afternoon - and don't forget to check out the daily a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/tms/default.stm"TMS /apodcast with Jonathan Agnew and Geoff Boycott.div class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/20441301-5427173476559833492?l=www.better-poker.co.uk%2Fbetterbet-blog%2Fcricket%2Fblog.htm'//div England bowlers toil in St Kitts
Tour match: West Indies A v England Date: 29-31 January Venue: Warner Park, St Kitts Starts: 1400 GMT each dayCoverage: Regular scorecard updates and daily reports on BBC Sport websitebr /a class="bodl" href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/shared/fds/hi/statistics/cricket/scorecards/2009/1/15128/html/scorecard.stm" __eventidglow192909355="65"Match scorecard/abr /Report - Tough day for England in St Kittsbr /England's bowlers were put to the sword on day one of their three-day match against West Indies A in St Kitts, with the hosts 343-2 at close of play.br /Eighteen-year-old Adrian Barath (132) and Lendl Simmons (171 not out) put on 262 for the second wicket, with Simmons hitting five sixes and 19 fours.br /James Anderson took 1-67 from 20 overs, while Kevin Pietersen took 1-13.br /But Ryan Sidebottom, who has not played a first-class game for six months, was the pick of England's seamers.br /Sidebottom took 0-40 from 13 overs on a perfect batting track, while Steve Harmison returned figures of 0-60 from 14 overs.br /br /duyhoobr /"It was a fantastic feeling just to be out there," Sidebottom said. "I am chuffed from a personal point of view.br /"The wicket is one of the flattest I have played on throughout my career and you just have to keep plugging away.br /"There is always trepidation when you come back. As soon as you get a ball in hand you want to go at it 100% but you have to err on the side of caution."br /In what is effectively a bowl-off for first Test places in Jamaica next week, Anderson was the only seamer to have any success, removing Kieran Powell in the seventh over.br /Simmons, one of a handful of full West Indies internationals in the home side, took full advantage of the conditions to reach his hundred from the first ball after tea.br /Fellow Trinidadian Barath followed his lead in spectacular fashion five overs later by lofting all-rounder Paul Collingwood for six.br /However, Simmons, whose uncle Phil Simmons represented the Windies for a decade, was the more expansive of the second-wicket pair and, having launched a straight six off Graeme Swann during the morning session, began to pepper the stands once in three figures.br /Off-spinner Swann, who finished with figures of 0-96 from 23 overs, was clouted for two sixes in one over and the same fate befell Collingwood soon afterwards.br /Barath perished after surpassing his previous career-best of 131 when he cut lazily to point in Pietersen's first over.br /England would have claimed a third wicket with the second new ball but wicket-keeper Matt Prior spurned a low chance off Anderson, with Simmons on 159.div class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/20441301-7457057747930997058?l=www.better-poker.co.uk%2Fbetterbet-blog%2Fcricket%2Fblog.htm'//div BBC renews radio cricket contract
The BBC has agreed a new four-year deal with the England and Wales Cricket Board for the international cricket radio rights from 2010 to 2013.br /The new contract, which covers ball-by-ball commentary, ensures that Test Match Special (TMS) is guaranteed on the BBC up to and including 2013.br /"Test Match Special is one of the 'crown jewels' of BBC Sport," said BBC Sport director Roger Mosey.br /"We're delighted that it will continue for four more years."br /ECB commercial director John Perera paid tribute to the work of the BBC and TMS.br /"BBC's radio coverage of international cricket has set the standard for broadcasting across the world," he said.br /br /"TMS is an iconic programme which has become a part of the very tapestry of British life.br /"We are extremely pleased that we have been able to conclude this deal with BBC Radio and look forward to working with them for the next four years."br /The ECB says the deal concludes its major broadcasting contracts until 2013, and Perera expressed satisfaction with the deals.br /"All sports are finding the tough economic times trying at present," he added. "So to be able to conclude broadcasting deals with Sky Sports, Five, ESPN Star Sports and now BBC Radio, which together show a cumulative above-RPI rise in revenues, is very satisfying.br /"I think that this demonstrates that there is real interest and value in cricket in England and Wales."div class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/20441301-8439020332415171589?l=www.better-poker.co.uk%2Fbetterbet-blog%2Fcricket%2Fblog.htm'//div Tour of India throws up unexpected distractions
Watching England in one-day internationals away from home is rarely easy but, after two heavy defeats a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/england/7726144.stm"in Rajkot/a and a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/england/7732666.stm"Indore/a, the next five games and the long hours spent between games a href="http://www.indianrailways.gov.in/maps/western_rly.htm"on the train/a are starting to look tougher by the day.But away from the cricket itself the first week of England's epic odyssey across the length and breadth of India has thrown up the usual array of the fantastic that tend to become the norm on a tour of this amazing country.Take my TWO TV appearances for instance...br /The first was relatively straightforward. The man from a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/"BBC News/a was so stunned that I had decided to follow a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/7505415.stm"KP's troops across the subcontinent/a in the delights of Indian Railways' a href="http://forums.techarena.in/off-topic-chat/713558.htm"Sleeper Class/a that he came down to film me at a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahmedabad_Railway_Station"Ahmedabad railway station/a en route from Rajkot to Indore.br /Taking a simple snap in India still often draws a sizable crowd so you can imagine the interest that was caused by a TV camera pointing at an Englishman slouched on some baggage destined for a faraway location!My second appearance was far stranger and completely unexpected.After a knock at my hotel door the night before England's opening game I was about to open up and tell the chai boy I didn't want another cup of his delicious tea when in burst five Rajkot police officers accompanied by a TV crew!The hotel manager was with them apologising profusely and explained that they were searching all the rooms in the hotel.I never got to the bottom of what they were searching for but whilst the entire contents of my rucksack were ignored my Dad's 60th birthday card enjoyed specific attention! What viewers would have made of a senior police inspector opening and closing the card to show an elephant playing a shot with a cricket bat goodness only knows! Whilst the interest, or more importantly lack of, in a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/7710518.stm"India's Test series with Australia/a has been well documented this definitely hasn't been the case in this ODI Series so far.In both Rajkot and Indore, and now a href="http://www.travel-library.com/hotels/asia/india/kanpur/"in Kanpur, hotel beds right across the price spectrum/a have been increasingly tough to come by.With many of the venues slated for this tour rarely seeing international cricket fans from all over the respective states have flooded to the cities to completely fill hotels that are already very busy coping with the start of a href="http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/09/10/bloomberg/bxcom.php"India's traditional wedding season/a.As the manager of my hotel in a href="http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=enamp;safe=offamp;q=indoreamp;um=1amp;ie=UTF-8amp;sa=Xamp;oi=geocode_resultamp;resnum=1amp;ct=title"Indore/a succinctly put it: 'I wish the city suffered from cricket fever more often'!Interest in the games hasn't stopped at the lack of hotel rooms of course.Both games so far have been complete sell-outs with 32,000 packing into Indore's fantastic Maharani Usharaje Trust Cricket Ground and, supposedly, 18,000 squeezing into Rajkot's slightly less salubrious Madhavrao Scindia Cricket Ground.Even in an empty ground the view afforded in Rajkot isn't what one would expect from an international cricket venue. The bamboo canes and ropes used to hold up the temporary awnings combined with the permanent barbed wire topped metal fence make watching the cricket difficult enough.But when you add a crowd who have cleverly adopted the 'one-person-out, four-people-in' technique during the first session of play to swell the actual attendance way above 20,000 then watching much of the game becomes virtually impossible.Mind you, when you lose by a whopping 158 runs maybe that's no bad thing!div class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/20441301-7781810979676668747?l=www.better-poker.co.uk%2Fbetterbet-blog%2Fcricket%2Fblog.htm'//div Antigua lights concern Pietersen
Stanford Super Series, AntiguaAll games start at 2130 GMT (BBC commentary details in brackets):27 Oct: Trinidad amp; Tobago v Midd'x (BBC London website/5 Live Sports Extra)28 Oct: England v Trinidad amp; Tobago (BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra)30 Oct: Stanford Superstars v Middlesex (BBC London website)1 Nov: Stanford Superstars v England (BBC Radio 5 Live)br /br /Pietersen may draft in a spinner against the Stanford Superstarsbr /Kevin Pietersen says he is concerned about the lighting in Antigua ahead of England's $20m showdown against the Stanford Superstars on Saturday.br /England narrowly beat Middlesex in their opening match of the Stanford Super Series on Sunday, but the game was littered with dropped catches.br /Poor visibility was a worry for the England captain, with the players practising in the field after the game.br /"I am as concerned about the lights as I am about the wicket," said Pietersen.br /England could only muster 121-4 from their allocated 20 overs on a slow wicket and the lights provided a further worry for Pietersen who is keen to avoid a situation where a player is responsible for a key dropped catch against the Superstars.br /"It is the same for both teams and that is why I had the boys out in the dinner break and after the game.br /br /br /I-Love-Sport-23br /"We spent 20 minutes doing that at the end, there aren't going to be many opportunities to catch, so we will do it again in the break and at the end of the game against Trinidad [on Tuesday] because it is a huge factor.br /"There could be someone under a $20m catch on Saturday."br /Pietersen also admitted he may have to re-think his line-up for Saturday's multi-million pound encounter after the performances of Middlesex spinners Shaun Udal and Murali Kartik, who stifled England.br /It was widely expected that England would stick with the team that claimed a 4-0 one-day series victory over South Africa in the summer but, after having to bowl four overs himself, Pietersen admitted he could draft in a spinner - opening the door for Graeme Swann.br /"It's definitely something to consider," he said.br /"I am not good enough to bowl as the second spinner so it is an option we will think long and hard about.br /"It was not probably something I was thinking too much about at the start of the tournament but having watched the last two fixtures it would be stupid of me not to have a look at it."div class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/20441301-5162247098440807533?l=www.better-poker.co.uk%2Fbetterbet-blog%2Fcricket%2Fblog.htm'//div England set to reveal Test squad
Patel, Rashid and Swann are all looking for a passage to Indiabr /Spin bowlers and wicketkeepers will have their fingers crossed when England name their squad for two Tests in India on Monday at 1230 BST.br /Graeme Swann, Adil Rashid and Samit Patel look the best options to support first-choice spinner Monty Panesar.br /Keepers Matt Prior and James Foster, meanwhile, have had superb summers and one of them could replace Tim Ambrose.br /In Michael Vaughan's absence, Essex's Ravi Bopara and Owais Shah of Middlesex are vying for the spare batting spot.br /The England and Wales Cricket Board confirmed on Saturday that there would be no place for Vaughan in the party to play Tests in Ahmedabad and Mumbai in December.br /The former captain struggled for runs for most of the summer, whether appearing for England or Yorkshire.br /And in the final Test against South Africa at The Oval in August, won under Kevin Pietersen's captaincy, only five batsmen were used with all-rounder Andrew Flintoff at six.br /br /IamaterrierEngland will need at least one more batsman in the squad for India, however, and Bopara - who has had a far better season than his main rival Shah in first-class cricket - may be offered the chance to improve a so far modest Test record.br /The make-up of the bowling attack is likely to provoke a longer discussion, especially as England utilised two spinners - Panesar and veteran off-spinner Shaun Udal - to beat India in Mumbai in March 2006.br /Panesar has had a tough summer in generally damp conditions, but is bound to be selected.br /Whether the selectors are brave enough to pick 20-year-old wrist-spinner Rashid - also a handy batsman - is another matter, however.br /Rashid finished the summer with a late surge of wickets - he has 62 from the Championship campaign - and would be a popular choice in many quarters.br /br /Prior may replace ex-Sussex team-mate Ambrose behind the stumpsThe Notts pair of Swann and Patel, both in the one-day squad, are more conservative selections. Off-spinner Swann has the advantage of turning the ball the opposite way from Panesar and is the more experienced candidate, while left-armer Patel provides batting strength.br /Among the potential keepers, Ambrose is the man in possession of the gloves and has an ECB increment (second-tier) contract, but he had a disappointing summer with the bat.br /Essex's Foster - whose first Test tour with England was the 2001 trip to India - is recognised as the supreme gloveman on the circuit at present, and he hit 912 runs this season in the Championship at an average of 50.66.br /Prior's batting numbers are similar, and stand up well given that, unlike Foster, he has faced Division One bowling.br /He is not quite as tidy behind the wickets, but has improved a lot since last winter and has already been chosen for the one-day side, which will take on India prior to the start of the Test series.br /With just two Tests to be played, England may choose not to take a second wicketkeeper.br /Although that would be seen as a gamble if the first-choice keeper were to be injured on the morning of the match, Australia have not named a reserve keeper as cover for Brad Haddin for their upcoming four-Test tour of India.br /England's one-day squad will be in India from early November to play seven matches across the country, with the Test specialists expected to join them ahead of the warm-up match in Baroda which starts on 5 December.br /Possible England squad: Kevin Pietersen (capt), Alastair Cook, Andrew Strauss, Ian Bell, Paul Collingwood, Andrew Flintoff, Matt Prior (wk), Stuart Broad, Steve Harmison, James Anderson, Monty Panesar, Ryan Sidebottom, Ravi Bopara, Adil Rashid.div class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/20441301-8388010108320406456?l=www.better-poker.co.uk%2Fbetterbet-blog%2Fcricket%2Fblog.htm'//div Rhodes plays down Jones concerns
Injured Simon Jones is not expected to play again this seasonbr /Worcestershire director of cricket Steve Rhodes has played down the seriousness of the latest injury setback to star paceman Simon Jones.br /Injuries have prevented the 29-year-old from playing for England since the 2005 Ashes series and Jones now requires surgery on a knee cartilage problem.br /"It is a wear-and-tear injury. I am confident he will be fine in the long term," said Rhodes.br /"Simon is a bit down. He is sick to the back teeth with injuries."br /Jones was one of the stars of England's 2005 Ashes campaign, playing the first four Tests and taking 18 wickets as his reverse swing baffled Australia.br /But an ankle injury ruled him out of the series-clinching match at The Oval and the problems quickly began to mount for Jones, with a serious knee injury keeping him out of action for almost two years.br /A move from Glamorgan to Worcestershire in October 2007 seemed to have changed his luck as Jones shone with 42 championship wickets at an average of only 18.02 and began to be talked about in England terms again.br /a class="" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/606/A39809172"/abr /JAMES_WWFCJones was included in England's preliminary 30-man squad for the Champions Trophy in September but a scan has revealed Jones needs minor surgery to clean up his knee.br /"He's disappointed not to reach some of the targets he set himself, such as 50 championship wickets this season," added Rhodes.br /"But the arthroscopy is just a service really and the result of a career as an impact fast bowler."br /Rhodes added: "He has done marvellously for us. He has given our attack something it didn't have. He has been an aggressive, impact bowler and I've been delighted with him.br /"He has made the England selectors notice him and to make the initial squad for the Champions Trophy was a fantastic effort.br /"The goal was to get him through to the end of the season and we almost got there but if you had asked me at the start of the season, I'd have settled for what we've had from Simon during the past four months."div class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/20441301-5723396004683095244?l=www.better-poker.co.uk%2Fbetterbet-blog%2Fcricket%2Fblog.htm'//div ECB hopes for Twenty20 compromise
Kent won the 2007 Twenty20 Cup, but have two ICL playersbr /The England and Wales Cricket Board is confident Middlesex and Kent will be allowed to compete in the new Twenty20 Champions League tournament.br /The ECB has been warned English sides will be frozen out if they fail to adhere to rules on player eligibility.br /But ECB chief executive David Collier believes a compromise will be reached.br /"I would be bitterly disappointed if all four nations aren't represented by their two top teams," he told BBC Radio 5 Live on Sunday.br /Organisers of the Twenty20 Champions League say teams will only be allowed to take part in the multi-million pound event if they do not use players who have featured in the rebel Indian Cricket League.br /Middlesex, winners of Saturday's Twenty20 Cup, do not have any ICL players in their ranks, but Kent, who were runners-up, do, namely Azhar Mahmood and Justin Kemp.br /At present, the ECB has said it is unwilling to give its backing to the Champions League in its current format.br /br /99notoutbr /It says it is unhappy with several aspects of the proposal, including the ban on ICL players, which might prove unworkable in England because of existing employment legislation.br /Another sticking point is the number of overseas players teams are allowed to field. Some countries permit more, others less. That, says Collier, is unfair.br /The ECB is also understood to want a greater say in the running of the Champions League and a bigger financial stake in the competition.br /"It is quite complex," said Collier. "We will be discussing with our counterparts in Australia, South Africa and India to try to iron out the last few items within the rules and regulations.br /"We've got three or four areas to resolve but we're confident the Champions League will take place in September/October."br /The ECB's stance has not gone down well with Lalit Modi, one of the driving forces behind the Champions League and the vice president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India.br /He is remaining firm on the ICL issue saying the tournament could go ahead without any English teams taking part.br /"We have everybody on board going forward, apart from the ECB, who have some reservations in terms of structure and ownership," he told Radio 5 Live.br /"We hope the ECB will be part of it, but if they are unreasonable or unable to adhere to the rules and regulations of the tournament then it will be unfortunate but they will not be able to participate.br /"We have a final meeting with our members in Bombay on Wednesday and hope to make an announcement then. We will go ahead, with or without the ECB."br /br /The popularity of Twenty20 cricket has soared since its inception in 2003, prompting a glut of tournaments on the domestic and international calendars.br /As well as the IPL, ICL and Twenty20 Cup, England have agreed to play five lucrative Twenty20 matches in the Caribbean over the next five years after signing a deal with Texan-born businessman Sir Allen Stanford.br /A new Twenty20 English Premier League is to start in 2010, too, while there are plans for a rival to Modi's Champions League competition.br /Modi is unconcerned that the calendar may become too congested.br /"There are many cricket tournaments that take place around the world - the ECB have another one with Stanford - but each one caters to a different market," he said.br /"Does Stanford help or hinder us? Neither of the two.br /"He is doing something to develop cricket in his part of the world and he has a concept in place where his team plays English teams and the winner takes all.br /'I'm sure they'll have a market for it and it may be appeal to certain fans around the world. But, at the end of the day, we welcome competition.br /"I would welcome the EPL, too. Most countries are going to be launching some sort of domestic Premier League concept. Our concept is very different to what is being proposed by the ECB."div class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/20441301-6506122722001355311?l=www.better-poker.co.uk%2Fbetterbet-blog%2Fcricket%2Fblog.htm'//div Zimbabwe gathers ICC vote support
The UK government wants cricket to take a hard line against Zimbabwebr /Support for Zimbabwe appears to be growing in the sub-continent ahead of this week's International Cricket Council meeting in Dubai.br /The England and Wales Cricket Board has already stated it will not host a tour by Zimbabwe next year.br /And Cricket South Africa has also cut its ties with Zimbabwe because of the political situation in the country.br /But India and Pakistan have indicated they will not support any move to expel Zimbabwe from the ICC.br /"There is no reason to remove Zimbabwe," said Niranjan Shah, secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India.br /"We understand England's position because their government wants Zimbabwe out but we will back Zimbabwe to stay in the ICC."br /br /The Pakistan Cricket Board, meanwhile, has made it clear that it will send its A team on a tour to Zimbabwe in August as scheduled, irrespective of any action taken by the ICC, who have a board meeting on Wednesday and Thursday.br /And the Press Trust of India has quoted a PCB spokesman as saying: "We don't think Zimbabwe cricket should face penalties because of political issues in that country. We will not support any sanctions."br /Seven of the 10 full ICC members would have to vote in favour of expulsion for such a proposal to go through - and Zimbabwe itself is one of the 10.br /If India and Pakistan line up alongside them, it would only require one more vote in Zimbabwe's favour for the proposal to be defeated.br /If, however, Zimbabwe Cricket retains its full member status, England's hopes of hosting next year's ICC World Twenty20 tournament could be put in jeopardy.br /Although the ICC would not take punitive action against the ECB for preventing Zimbabwe touring in the light of a formal government instruction, refusal to allow a full member to take part in the World Twenty20 could result in the tournament being moved elsewhere.br /Such a move would be a huge financial blow to the ECB, with huge crowds expected at the three grounds chosen to host matches. The tournament schedule has already been published and tickets went on sale at 1000 BST on Monday.br /The UK government will reassess the situation if the ICC insists that Zimbabwe play in the World Twenty20 but is holding a firm line in its calls for a boycott because of the close links between Zimbabwe Cricket and the regime of president Robert Mugabe.br /Culture secretary Andy Burnham told BBC Five Live's Sportsweek: "The first step is we'll meet the ECB, listen to their report back of the meeting and consider the arguments.br /"If we haven't held sway we would listen to the arguments of the other ICC members but our position is completely clear.br /"We think, in the current circumstances in Zimbabwe, it isn't right for any tour to take place."br /However, he added: "I would not want to be in a position of overruling a governing body in sport. I vigorously defend the independence of our sporting bodies and will always to that."div class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/20441301-241439714725986513?l=www.better-poker.co.uk%2Fbetterbet-blog%2Fcricket%2Fblog.htm'//div ECB chief opposes franchise plans
Giles Clarke feels the 18 first-class counties should remainbr /ECB chairman Giles Clarke has revealed he is strongly opposed to any plans to merge the 18 first-class counties into a smaller number of "city franchises".br /The option has been put forward by the Professional Cricketers' Association as an answer to the Indian Premier League.br /But Clarke said: "Franchise sport has simply never worked in the UK.br /"Tradition and history rather than Bollywood stars and glitz are what persuade supporters to return week in, week out, to our grounds."br /Speaking at the ECB's AGM on Wednesday, Clarke said his vision of an English Premier League would be based on the traditional model rather than new teams.br /PCA chief executive Sean Morris said in an interview last Friday: "When you look at the broadcasting deal that will drive it, and for sponsorship partners and for fans, does playing 18 teams really stack up?"br /I hope to give more details in the days and weeks ahead, but I can guarantee that everyone in the game - from playground to Test arena - will benefitbr /Giles Clarkebr /But Clarke refuted the concept of a slimmer league structure along the lines of the IPL, which features eight teams.br /He said "Some of the ideas spouted in the media have been frankly ludicrous.br /"Can you, I was asked by a leading television executive, imagine cricket lovers rushing down St John's Wood Road to see a franchise called Vodafone Team London owned by an ageing rock star?br /"There has never yet been a successful Team London in any sport and nor is there likely to be any support for a Team Manchester or Team Leeds from traditional areas of rivalry such as Liverpool or Sheffield.br /"When ECB launched their own Twenty20 Cup it was on the back of extensive spectator research and financial analysis.br /"This is an exercise we will repeat before launching any new competition because we have said this tournament must be robust, spectator-friendly and economically sustainable."br /br /Some of the individual counties' chief executives and chairmen favour a smaller number of teams, while others agree with Clarke.br /American billionaire Sir Allen Stanford told BBC Sport last Thursday he was ready to invest heavily in an English version of the IPL, which he felt could be worth as much as pound;500m.br /Clarke said: "I thank Sir Allen for his interest in cricket in England and Wales, and most of all I thank him for believing the ECB is the right vehicle through which to expand his patronage in cricket.br /"I hope to give more details in the days and weeks ahead, but I can guarantee that everyone in the game - from playground to Test arena - will benefit from this deal."br /The issue of sledging in modern-day cricket was also addressed by Clarke, who warned Test players must be role models.br /He did not rule out the use of yellow cards "for repeat offences of sledges" in amateur cricket.div class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/20441301-238498975394964556?l=www.better-poker.co.uk%2Fbetterbet-blog%2Fcricket%2Fblog.htm'//div Flintoff hit by fresh ankle worry
Flintoff has only just returned to action after a knee problemEngland all-rounder Andrew Flintoff is to see a specialist after suffering fresh problems with his left ankle.br /He missed Sunday's one-day game against India at Headingley, but England hope he will rejoin the squad in time for the match at The Oval on Wednesday.br /Flintoff underwent a third operation earlier this year.br /But he experienced further discomfort following last Thursday's win over India at Old Trafford, having missed the previous game with a sore knee.br /A team spokesman insisted on Saturday, however, that the two problems were unrelated.div class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/20441301-7803874939673445013?l=www.better-poker.co.uk%2Fbetterbet-blog%2Fcricket%2Fblog.htm'//div
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