Arthur eyes Gibbs recall

Pressure sits like a razor-sharp knife on the edge of a table, waiting to be tipped over and chop off someone's toes, or be moved gently, so that its blunt side faces the danger end. The last time South Africa faced England in a major tournament was with the blade pointing straight at them. That was two years ago, at the 2007 World Cup and South Africa were desperate for a win to stay in the Super Eight stage of the competition.
On that occasion, South Africa managed to avert being stabbed in the foot and instead beat England by nine wickets. The situation is almost as dire this time, where defeat to England will mean yet another embarrassing exit from a major tournament on home soil. Mickey Arthur thinks the jagged edge is once again aimed South Africa's way, but backs his side to deal with it. "I think we started the tournament poorly and we've steadily got better," he told Cricinfo. "We were at about 75% against New Zealand, and if we can get to between 90 and 100%, I know we'll be fine."
Even though South Africa will go into the match with a victory of their own in the bank, it's difficult to judge which team has the greater impetus. The hosts lost to the same Sri Lankan side that England dispatched with disdain. England are also building winning momentum, something AB de Villiers believes is the key to winning a tournament. After beating Australia in the seventh match of an otherwise forgettable one-day series for England, they also triumphed over Sri Lanka. Arthur recognises that stringing victories together aids the team's self belief. "We know they are feeling confident because it was an important victory for them," Arthur said. "They played really well against Sri Lanka and must be on a bit of a high."
The match will be played in Centurion, on a wicket that have England have not seen yet, and which in all likelihood will not provide the same pace and bounce as the Wanderers track. Arthur expects England's bowlers may have to work a lot harder to get wickets this time. "Even though it's not the same pitch we played on against Sri Lanka, I still think it's going to be fairly dead." Despite that Arthur thinks England's fast bowlers will still have a role to play. "James Anderson is their best bowler and he is obviously their danger man so we'll have to watch out for him."
South Africa will stick to their two-pronged spin attack because Arthur believes in the value of variation, but there may still be a change in starting XI. Herschelle Gibbs is fit for selection, after recovering from a rib injury. Graeme Smith hinted that Hashim Amla could keep his place at the top of the order, saying "consistent selection will probably stand", but Arthur has indicated otherwise. "We need to sit down and think about where Herschelle is in his game. He trained well earlier today but I also want to wait to see if there are any ramifications of his injury. Our policy has usually been to go back to the incumbent when someone has been out injured. He was the incumbent so we may go back to that."
Arthur also said he thinks the English batting may be their strength going into the match. "What I liked about their batting was that they were not hugely aggressive against Sri Lanka. All the batsmen chipped in with something." He did, however, single out one batsman: "I liked the look of [Eoin] Morgan - there's definitely something there."
The South African team may not have the advantage of a fresh face like Morgan or a run of two consecutive victories but they can take some encouragement out of their progression in the tournament. The most important thing for Arthur is that the team continues to "play our own brand of cricket which is to play with high intensity and be ruthless at the basics." Even if that means driving a blade straight through the core of England's line-up and twisting it for good measure.

Ryder out of Champions Trophy 2009

New Zealand's chances of making it to the ICC Champions Trophy semi-finals were dealt a blow with the news that Jesse Ryder has been ruled out the rest of the tournament after pulling his left abductor muscle during the Group B match against Sri Lanka at the Wanderers.
In the fifth over of New Zealand's innings, Ryder went down on the ground after taking a single and had to take a runner. Ryder was on 5 then and went on to score 74 off 58 despite the injury. New Zealand will name a replacement for him if they manage to beat Sri Lanka and stay in the tournament. New Zealand lost their opening game against South Africa by five wickets and are currently on two points.
Ryder is the second New Zealand player in the tournament after Jacob Oram (hamstring) to be sidelined by injury.

Injured Younis not shirking tough games

Running away holds a significant place in Younis Khan's scheme of things. It is a recurrent theme in his conversation, shirking from challenge, responsibility and difficulty. He has spent his career and life mired in these matters, in making his way into and out of and then back in, in refusing the vice-captaincy in 2002, in refusing the captaincy in 2007 and finally in taking it.
There is a school of informed thought in Pakistan that believes when Younis turned down the captaincy after the last World Cup - effectively that he ran away, if you like - he did so because he wanted to take over when things had become even worse and some kind of savior was needed. It is self-indulgent, righteous and hubristic even, the belief that only you can resolve what is a mess and right all wrongs. Democrats will also tut-tut. But the stance is also to be admired, for, potentially, you set yourself up for big falls, bigger than even the rewards. And to go into it knowing that, it is something few men take on.
In a recent interview with Cricinfo, talking about taking up the captaincy this time Younis said, "I am going to go into this storm, go right to the edge and see how long I can stand there." To him that is the fun. It is a curious, contrary outlook to have and as he is a true Pathan, we can safely say he is no different from many of his kind. The balls here are untampered.
Precisely these things determine his place in the side tomorrow. A finger on his right - and bottom - hand is fractured and the doctors told him he needed four weeks rest. Yesterday morning, a full two days before the India game, barely a week after the injury, the PCB - presumably with Younis's consent, more likely on his directives - announced he will play against India. Bravado indeed.
Given the opponent, it is likely he would've turned up had he lost a limb but nothing is ever to be assumed in Pakistan cricket; few people have forgotten just who didn't turn up for the 1996 World Cup quarter-final against India. "I am playing tomorrow. I was told four weeks rest but I want to take my chance tomorrow, playing against India. Maybe if it wasn't India I would've skipped this match. It's very easy for me to run away, I have a fracture and I can leave it, not play against India and Australia. But these are big games. If you don't perform in a big tournament you have to face consequences and it is very easy for me to run away here."
He is a chancer, for he believes that having tried something and failed is much more preferable than not having tried it at all. Not playing tomorrow is worse than playing and failing. And playing and succeeding is the glory of all glories. It is a choice that might dictate the inclusion or otherwise of Mohammad Asif, for example, and it is in these delicate balances of choice and decision that Younis is found.
"I am looking at the big picture, who knows I may perform tomorrow and that performance will be remembered because I played with a broken finger. If I score a hundred and become Man of the Match and win the match - that is the big picture. Not playing is no advantage at all. This is manageable, maybe with an injection tomorrow, but I might play in pain tomorrow.
"We're all used to playing in pain, and the motivation has to be there to get up and play for the country. I am not 100%, it will hamper my fielding and if I get hit I will be in pain but the big picture is, why not come out and do something like Sachin did in 2003, something for my country which they will remember me for ages."
He is a fascinating study; a strikingly honest man, hyper, stubborn, proud, sometimes vindictive and much worldlier than many of his team-mates. Currently, he is one of the few really good men in Pakistan cricket's setup. If he and his team fail tomorrow, he will front up and explain why they did. If there is success, he will turn up much the same. But turn up he will.

Franklin called up to replace Oram

James Franklin, the New Zealand left-arm medium-fast bowler, has been called up as a replacement for the injured Jacob Oram at the ICC Champions Trophy. Franklin, who was playing for Gloucestershire against Kent in Bristol, will leave the match halfway to head to South Africa.
Oram pulled his hamstring during training and missed New Zealand's opening game of the tournament along with Ian Butler, who caught a stomach bug.
In seven Friends Provident Trophy matches for Gloucestershire this season, Franklin has taken 11 wickets at 21.90 and scored 224 runs at a strike-rate of 82.05. In the ongoing County Championship match, Franklin ended day two unbeaten on 104 after taking 5 for 30 to restrict Kent to 264.
New Zealand lost to South Africa by five wickets on Thursday.

Out-of-form England face tough opener

Andrew Strauss is usually as affable as international captains come, but despite his upbeat sentiments, there was no disguising the exhausted despondency with which he addressed the media in Johannesburg on Wednesday, as England prepared to face the music in a one-day competition that has humiliation stamped all over it. True, they arrive in the country boasting a winning streak of one match, after denying Australia a 7-0 whitewash in the final ODI of the English summer on Sunday, but even in that irrelevant face-saver, they still shipped six wickets chasing 177.
And now, with respect to an Australian side that may be the reigning Champions Trophy champions but are still in an undeniable rebuilding phase, England prepare to face a team that really knows how to play one-day cricket. Sri Lanka simply hammered the much-fancied tournament hosts, South Africa, in the opening match on Tuesday. Tillakaratne Dilshan's majestic hundred put the match out of reach, as the wiles of Ajantha Mendis proved too canny to allow a 300-plus target to be pursued with any confidence - even for a team stacked with the sort of power-players that England can only dream of.
In the absence of Kevin Pietersen (who has scored two of England's three ODI hundreds since January 2008 - a tally that even Scotland has surpassed) and latterly Andrew Flintoff and even Luke Wright, England lack batsmen who can break the shackles, and raise the tempo. Strauss has been batting like a dream all summer, but even at his most imperious, he is still a man for whom an 80.00 strike-rate is a pacey tempo - hence his unfortunate habit during the Australia ODIs of getting out when well set, usually while attempting a reverse-sweep or similar, shots that his colleagues ought to have been producing while he continued to anchor the innings.
Strange results are possible in 50-over cricket - let's not forget, when England were last humiliated by Australia in a one-day campaign, in Australia in 2006-07, they somehow emerged with the CB Series trophy in their luggage, after Paul Collingwood stitched together back-to-back victories in the finals. But they've never yet won an ICC global event, and they've rarely looked less ready to break that habit. The rarefied atmosphere of the Highveld is no place for weary cricketers.
Form guide(last five completed matches, most recent first)
England - WLLLL
Sri Lanka - WLWWL
Team news
With so many key players injured, and too many of the current incumbents out of form, it's hard to know how England can hope to improve on their home form. Ravi Bopara and Owais Shah have been woefully short of confidence and one of that pair could well make way to enable England to field an extra seamer - which could well be their one trump card, having seen how dramatically South Africa's early-season wickets have zipped around so far. Whether Tim Bresnan ousts Graham Onions depends on how much England value his extra batting abilities.
England (possible): 1 Andrew Strauss (capt), 2 Joe Denly, 3 Owais Shah, 4 Paul Collingwood, 5 Matt Prior (wk), 6 Eoin Morgan, 7 Stuart Broad, 8 Graeme Swann, 9 Tim Bresnan, 10 Ryan Sidebottom, 11 James Anderson.
Sri Lanka have very little to improve upon. Sanath Jayasuriya remains a concern at the top of the order, but he'll play on until he drops, while the tireless Muttiah Muralitharan never ceases to be a menace. Lasith Malinga's round-arm hostility will be a familiar but awkward challenge for Joe Denly, who will have gained a valuable sighter of his unorthodox action in the Kent nets.
Sri Lanka (probable) 1 Sanath Jayasuriya, 2 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 3 Kumar Sangakkara (capt/wk), 4 Mahela Jayawardene, 5 Thilina Kandamby, 6 Thilan Samaraweera, 7 Angelo Mathews, 8 Nuwan Kulasekara, 9 Muttiah Muralitharan, 10 Lasith Malinga, 11 Ajantha Mendis.
Watch out for...
An ICC event in South Africa was where James Anderson made his name way back in 2003, when he was the rising star of England's attack, not least during a monumental performance against Pakistan in Cape Town when, in the immortal words of Cricinfo's erstwhile scribe, Rob Smyth, he proved "so good under the lights, he ought to have been a moth". If he can replicate the hostility that he showed in patches during the Ashes, and exploit the moist conditions that tend to prevail when the evening dew kicks in, he can cause a flap once again. Assuming England's batsmen give him a total to defend, that is.
With 71 wickets in 34 ODIs since his debut in April 2008, Ajantha Mendis has been one of the bowling sensations of the past 18 months, but England as yet have been denied an opportunity to sample his unique bag of tricks. A three-wicket haul in the opening game against South Africa confirmed that his carrom ball is flicking out nicely, and it remains to be seen how England manage to counter his wiles. Traditionally they've not been too impressive when it comes to figuring out mystery spinners ...
Pitch and conditions
It's early in the season on the Highveld, so who knows what to expect? So far, there has been evidence of helpful bowling conditions, unsurprisingly, and there has been plenty of rain in the high-altitude air as well.
Stats and trivia
Jayasuriya has scored 28 ODI hundreds in 439 matches spanning 18 years. The 11 players who took the field for England in the seventh ODI at Chester-le-Street have a grand total of nine hundreds between them. Paul Collingwood, the most-capped player by a distance, has notched up 166 appearances.
Sri Lanka have won only one of four ODI'Sthey have played at the Wanderers, and that was to avoid a 6-0 whitewash in 2000-01. Their last visit, during the 2003 World Cup, culminated in a 183-run drubbing at the hands of the eventual runners-up, India
England have played three matches at the venue, all against South Africa, and at the third attempt they recorded their first win, by 26 runs in a rain-affected contest in 2005, notable for Kevin Pietersen's hostile homecoming.

How Yuvraj's injury could change India's plan?

India's Champions Trophy campaign suffered a major setback even before it started with Yuvraj Singh fracturing a finger during a practice session in Johannesburg. The injury will sideline him for six weeks, which puts him in doubt for the home ODI series against Australia. Virat Kohli will replace him in the Champions Trophy squad while Gautam Gambhir takes over as vice-captain.
Yuvraj's absence presents fascinating challenges to a batting line-up struggling to cope with Virender Sehwag's unavailability and the failures of Rohit Sharma and Suresh Raina. Rahul Dravid was recalled as a result of those problems, and his role grows in stature with the current crisis.
There has been a pattern to India's innings since Sehwag's injury: Tendulkar and Gautam Gambhir are solid at the top, MS Dhoni anchors the innings during the middle overs, while Yuvraj provides firepower to propel India to a strong total. That will now have to change.
Yuvraj's injury is likely to most affect Dhoni. Of late Dhoni has adopted a more sedate approach and has almost cut out his big shots. It could be said that even when Dhoni tried to play big shots during the final overs of ODIs, and in tournaments like the World Twenty20 and IPL, he could not pull them off consistently. However, with Yuvraj in the team, Dhoni could play the anchoring role, which he has done brilliantly. Time and again he promoted himself, especially when India made a good start, to steer the side through the middle overs, allowing Yuvraj to flex his muscles at the end.
That worked like a charm but it may change now. Dhoni could be forced to do what he has given up, turning the clock back and playing the aggressive shots that captured the imagination of his fans. It will be intriguing to see what route he takes: Will he bat at No 4 and leave the attacking roles to his younger team-mates, or will he take it up himself?
Dhoni's re-adjustment process could be helped by the presence of Dravid, whose much-discussed - and in some quarters much criticised - comeback couldn't have been timed better. Dravid can play the anchoring role, one that obviously suits him, and it might help him as well. He might have been under pressure earlier to increase the run-rate but now his role will be to bat through the innings. Dravid normally starts slowly but by the end of his innings his strike-rate is usually acceptable. Now, he can afford to start slowly without the added pressure.
Yuvraj's injury could also affect Tendulkar's role. With Dravid at No. 3 and Yuvraj to come, Tendulkar, as he showed recently in Sri Lanka, started to bat more fluently at the top. Because Dravid's strike-rate was likely to be low at the start of the innings, Tendulkar had to bat positively to seize the momentum. But now with Yuvraj missing, will he feel he has to bat through the innings? Will it hamper his fluency?
The good news is that Kohli, Yuvraj's replacement in the squad, is in fine form. He scored 398 runs at an average of 66.33, with two hundreds and two fifties, in the Emerging Players tournament in Australia and is a genuine talent in limited-overs cricket. Kohli was unfairly bracketed as a Twenty20 player; his skills are actually more suited to the 50-over format. He is not a power hitter in the conventional sense, he likes to take his time to settle down but possesses the shots to dictate terms later. Along with Dravid, he can be expected to take the lead during the middle-overs and allow Dhoni, Raina and Yusuf Pathan(or Abhishek Nayar) freedom during the final overs.
Ironically, even if India can compensate for Yuvraj's batting skills, they are likely to miss his left-arm spin. He has taken 12 wickets at 30.91 this year and Dhoni has increasingly used him in ODIs. He has allowed India to get away with just one regular spinner in Harbhajan Singh and his absence is likely to upset the balance of the team.

Sehwag steps down as Delhi Daredevils captain, Gambhir to replace

Star Indian opener Virender Sehwag on Monday stepped down from the captainship of the Indian premier league (IPL) team Delhi Dare Devils.
Another Indian opening batsman Gautam Gambhir will replace Sehwag.
Sehwag is sidelined for over four months from the Indian squad.
Gambhir said he would draw from his experience of leading the Delhi Ranji team while captaining the Daredevils.
Gambhir added that, he would seek Sehwag and other senior player’s advice as and when needed during his stint.
Sehwag who is suffering from shoulder injury missed the Twenty20 World Cup in England, the One-day series in the West Indies and the recently-concluded the tri-nation one day international Compaq Cup in Sri Lanka.

India Wins Compaq Cup Final.(Tri-Series)

In today’s final of the Compaq Cup triangular one day series which is being held in Colombo, played out between India and Sri Lanka at the R. Premdasa Stadium, the Indian captain Mahendra Dhoni had won the toss and had elected to bat. The Indian team launched in to an early attack with the master blaster Sachin Tendulkar in a fiery form. Tendulkar raced the match to a great score, playing alongside Rahul Dravid, who got out at 39. The two put up a substantial opening score of 95 for the opening wicket before Dravid was sent packing from the field when Sanath Jayasuriya dismissed him.
Tendulkar made a score of 138 of 133 ball, the 44th one day international century for him. His enormous score and batting, plus the joint team effort of the team put up a big score of 319 for 5 for the host team to chase. His superb century also included 10 fours and 1 six. He was ably assisted by both M.S. Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh, who put up half centuries each.

The Sri Lankan side gave in 18 wides to further the cause of the Indian team. The Indian side made a change in the batting line up, having replaced Dinesh Karthik by Virat Kohli.
With an enormous score to chase, the host nation already seemed to be under a lot of pressure and it showed in their every move as they took to the pitch. Batting veterans like Jayasuriya and captain Sangkkara fell early on in the match without achieving to sum up a great total. After Saturday’s defeat, India looks like to be in a state to crush the powerful Lankans. According to just received updates, India has won the match by 46 runs, with the Lankans being all out at 273 in 46.4 overs. India wins the final of the tri-series.

Flintoff mulls Twenty20 freelance role

Andrew Flintoff is giving serious consideration to becoming a freelancer cricketer according to his manager, Andrew Chandler, in a Sunday newspaper. Flintoff has already received a number of offers, but his recent knee surgery means he will be sidelined for at least six months. On Friday he was awarded an incremental contract by the ECB, but the option of lucrative Twenty20 deals will be very tempting.
Flintoff 's freelancing would have followed the route expected to be taken by Australian allrounder, Andrew Symonds, who is also eyeing several Twenty20 opportunities around the world after his national career stalled due to disciplinary issues.
"He'll play for Chennai [Super Kings in the IPL], he might play for an Australian team, a South African team, maybe one in the West Indies," Chandler told the Observer. "If he hadn't have been injured he would have probably played in December-January in Australia. And then at the end of January, early February in South Africa. I was already negotiating with them. We were negotiating with South Australia and the Durban team, the Nashua Dolphins. And there's been an offer from Northern Transvaal [Northerns] as well."
Flintoff is heading to Dubai for a three-month spell to aid his rehabilitation from a right knee surgery after was operated on a day after helping England regain the Ashes, his farewell Test series. He has targeted a return to full fitness before England's one-day leg on their tour of Bangladesh next February.
The ECB awarded an incremental contract to Flintoff as they hope will be key part of England's limited-over sides when fit and has stated he wants to play until the 2015 World Cup. But England coach Andy Flower had said his players could take part in only three weeks of the 45-day IPL next year if they toured Bangladesh. That means Flintoff, the joint highest-paid player in the IPL along with Kevin Pietersen, could stand to lose about half of his US$1.55m fee by going to Bangladesh.
Chandler said there was no clause in Flintoff's central contract preventing the allrounder from playing all IPL matches. "I'm not saying he's not going to play for England because he probably will do," Chandler said. "But he's definitely going to play for different teams during the year. The England contract does not state anything about not being able to play IPL or anything like that."
When the contract list was announced, Flower had warned that players' workload needs to be managed and that participation in lucrative leagues like the IPL will continue to be an issue over the next few years. The amount of time England players were available for the 2009 IPL season had been a major sticking point between the ECB and the Indian board earlier this year before a compromise was reached.

Nehra shapes up for big role

As one-sided contests go, India will find it difficult to outdo this effort against New Zealand. Admittedly, New Zealand's batting order put up a meek display for the second game running on a decent batting track, but India never eased the pressure for an over. This was further affirmation of a trait this one-day team has prided itself on over the last two years: the ability to not let the foot off the opposition's throat. This is where New Zealand struggled against Sri Lanka on Tuesday, providing them an escape route, but not so with India.
The combined hunger and character displayed in the field was inspiring for a side lacking three key players, and a significant sign for one that has a lot of one-day cricket lined up. One of the key figures today was Ashish Nehra, whose bowling performance was further indication that he has rediscovered his form after a long time out of the side. The last time Nehra bowled at the R Premadasa Stadium he took 6 for 59, but India lost the match, and with it the tri-series. His efforts today set up a win, and he was once again impressive with the new ball.
One match into a short tournament which is India's last chance before the Champions Trophy, the management will have been thoroughly impressed by Nehra's performance. Despite featuring prominently in India's 2-1 series win against West Indies where he grabbed three-wicket hauls in their victories in Kingston and St Lucia, Nehra was under pressure. He had spoken of his ambition to lead the attack in Zaheer Khan's absence. The manner in which he nipped out New Zealand's openers and stymied runs at the death suggested he will have a big role to play in South Africa, where he has done well.
Nehra was spot on from the first over. Jesse Ryder is a batsman who, though extremely still as the bowler runs in and relies on pure speed, doesn't move his feet much. Having seen Nehra pitch full and bring his first ball in to Brendon McCullum, and then have the first ball to bowled to him land full and do nothing, Ryder paid the price for not moving his feet as he attempted to clip across the line. The ball curved back in and beat the shot. To McCullum, Nehra pitched the wicket-taking ball on a length, on middle and leg. McCullum didn't get into a good position to counter the angle and the ball rapped him on the pads. He was a dead duck.
"We all know the reputation the Premadasa wicket has, of being slow and so on," said Nehra matter-of-factly, "so the key was to bowl line and length." His first spell, with figures of 6-0-19-2, was highlighted by his accuracy and ability to keep the right-handers tied down. He fed them a clever mixture of good-length deliveries and, while he didn't get a lot of swing back in, he was more than enough for this line-up. Traditionally, left-handed fast bowlers provide less width to the batsmen with their angle of release. A right-handed batsman will take plenty of risk if he attempts to crack a left-arm bowler through the off side, because the ball could angle away from him, straighten, or go across and still hit off stump. Nehra kept every batsman he bowled to guessing the angle, and there were plenty of occasions where he beat the bat with lovely curve. It wasn't fearsome left-handed bowling, but it was a lesson in the art of seam bowling; Nehra repeatedly angled the ball from over the stumps and kept it just outside off.
A short ball that Martin Guptill pulled for four was an aberration in an otherwise faultless spell. New Zealand's batsmen were able to score from only 11 of his 36 deliveries during the first spell, as he landed the ball on a good length with almost unerring accuracy.
When he returned late in the innings Nehra gave nothing away and shut out New Zealand in the 47th over. He used his head, varying his pace and, most importantly, bowling with accuracy. His last 16 deliveries cost him six runs and brought him a third wicket; his overall efforts bagged him the Man-of-the-Match award too. If he can touch up on the ball that dips in to the right-hander, he could be a more potent force in time to come.
Nehra's opening partner, RP Singh, also played his part with a sturdy first spell and another at the death. Moving the ball gently away, RP took out two wickets, including Ross Taylor, the prize scalp in a weak line-up.
Nehra, whose return to the team owed largely to his success in the IPL, has had his presence here overshadowed by Rahul Dravid. Today, without much fuss, he reminded all of his worth. His return has not been easy. Nehra had to undergo plenty of rehabilitation and had put in the hard yards in domestic cricket and then in the IPL to earn a call-up. "It's down to a lot of hard work," he said. "I had to really go through a lot to recuperate and reach where I am today. There was about 18 months when I didn't even touch a cricket ball. I'm really pleased with today's achievement, but more important is that we won."
Lasting a complete tour has been a problem for Nehra and he's had double the number of injuries as his batting average. He has returned looking better than the man who was once just a passenger in the Indian side. "Because of injuries, I had been struggling for the last few years", Nehra said. "But now I am back on track, since the last six-seven months. I've really worked hard and it's paying off for me now."
Two moments stand out in Nehra's career: the World Cup match in Durban when he hacked through England with 6 for 23 and a terrific final over in Karachi in 2004 when Pakistan threatened to chase 350. On both instances, inevitably, he had just recovered from injury. Over a month ago, in the West Indies, Nehra offered a fair indication of his fitness and mindset on return to the side; today, he further reconfirmed it with a match-winning bowling display.

Anderson and Collingwood handed rest

Paul Collingwood and James Anderson will be given their first breaks in more than six months of international cricket this week, when they are rested for the next three and two matches respectively of England's ongoing one-day series against Australia.
Collingwood and Anderson have appeared in every single England fixture across three formats since early February, and will finally get a chance to recharge their batteries after being told they can sit out of Saturday's fourth ODI match at Lord's.
Collingwood, who is currently seeking to be released from his Delhi Daredevils contract for next month's Champions League in India, will also miss the double-header in Nottingham next week, before returning on his home ground at Chester-le-Street for the final ODI on September 20. Anderson will return for the second Trent Bridge match.
"It is difficult, but that's just the way the schedule is at the minute," Anderson told Cricinfo last week, when asked about the players' current workload. "Wherever we go in the world, each series is pretty much back-to-back and we don't get much rest in between.
"Ideally we'd have wanted a few more days after the Ashes to let things settle down and let people's bodies recover, but it just wasn't to be. It's just something we have to try and get used to."
Although England are 3-0 down in the seven-match series and need a victory on Saturday to have any chance of winning the series, it was decided that the strain of such a heavy schedule in the aftermath of the Ashes triumph has taken its toll on the duo, especially with the Champions Trophy in South Africa looming large on the horizon.
England fly to South Africa on September 21, the day after the Durham ODI, and return to the country on November 1 for a four-Test and five-ODI series finishing on January 18.

Bangladesh agree to day-night Test in England

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has agreed to the ECB's request to appear in the first-ever day-night Test during the team's tour of England in May-June next year. However, the ICC has not yet cleared the idea and its approval will be subject to suitable equipment being developed for the purpose.
The idea was first proposed by the MCC during its World Cricket Committee meeting at Lord's in July as a way of making the game's longest and oldest format more appealing. The other proposals included the use of pink balls and a World Test Championship.
The ICC has made it clear that though the concept of day-night Tests was discussed by its cricket committee, no decision has been taken yet. "The ICC cricket committee had last year agreed in principle that the notion of day-night Tests should be investigated," an ICC spokesperson said. "For now, we are happy for members to try this at the domestic level first and if it proves successful, the cricket committee would consider recommending this on a trial basis at the Test level."
Apparently, there are a number of key issues related to the concept that are still being discussed: the colour of players clothing, whether the suggested pink balls retains its colour or needs to be changed frequently due to discolouration or wear and tear, to what extent would batting, bowling and fielding conditions vary and so on.
An MCC spokesman confirmed to Cricinfo that the World Cricket Committee would meet with the ICC in November. The future of Test cricket is on the agenda, and within that floodlit Tests will be discussed. "We are very keen to help in any way we can," the spokesman said, "and have been continuing with our trials of coloured balls to see if it will work on television."
The MCC could have a dual role in this process: as well as being fully behind floodlit Tests. Lord's could be the ground to host the match. One of the Bangladesh Tests is currently allocated to Headingley; the other is part of the bidding process, with Lord's in the running to hosting it. "We would like to host it and we have our brand new floodlights," said the spokesman.
The future of Test cricket has been the subject of debate within the ICC over the last year with the concept of a Test championship initially gaining ground. But the idea was opposed by the India and England cricket boards who did not find merit in sharing their substantial TV revenue that would have gone to a common pool.
India and England have subsequently backed the idea of day-night Test cricket as a way of taking the format forward amidst the rise of Twenty20 cricket. However, the ICC, which is finalising its Future Tours Programme post-2012, is yet to arrive at a decision on the matter. The ICC's executive board meets next in October, when the issue is likely to be discussed again.

Kohli to replace injured Gambhir in Compaq Cup 2009(Tri-Series)

Gautam Gambhir has picked up a groin injury and will miss the Compaq Cup in Sri Lanka after being advised 10 days' rest. He is returning home and will be replaced by Virat Kohli.
MS Dhoni, India's captain, said Gambhir picked up the injury during the recent BCCI Corporate Trophy. "From what I know he picked the injury during the Corporate tourney and aggravated it during a batting session," Dhoni said in Colombo. Gambhir is expected to report at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bangalore for assessment and rehabilitation.
Kohli, currently at the NCA, is likely to join the squad on Friday. He has just recovered from a minor shoulder injury and participated in the Corporate Trophy.
Gambhir's injury means India, who play their first game on Friday, will be without two of their three established openers in Sri Lanka: Virender Sehwag is already out with a shoulder injury and will miss the Champions Trophy too. Gambhir's replacement notwithstanding, Dinesh Karthik, who opened in the ODIs in the West Indies in the absence of Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar, is in the squad and likely to make the starting XI.
India will desperately want Gambhir back in time for the Champions Trophy, where they play their first match on September 26, against Pakistan in Centurion. They would ideally want at least a week's acclimatisation in South Africa, which means there will be a degree of risk involved should India take Gambhir to the Champions Trophy. It will be a tricky decision because one such choice recently went wrong. Sehwag, who was injured but hoping to recover in time when the squad for World Twenty20 was announced, was along to England but is yet to recover from his shoulder injury.

Compaq Cup 2009 Teams And Fixtures

1st Match : Sri Lanka vs New Zealand (D/N)Date : 08 Sep 2009 Ground : R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
2nd Match : India vs New Zealand (D/N)Date : 11 Sep 2009 Time : 09:00 GMT (14:30 IST) Ground : R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
3rd Match : India vs Sri LankaDate : 12 Sep 2009 Time : 09:00 GMT (14:30 IST)Ground : R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
Final Match : Date : 14 Sep 2009Time : 09:00 GMT (14:30 IST)Ground : R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
Compaq Cup 2009 Team Fixtures
Indian Squad:
Abhishek Nayar
Amit Mishra
Ashish Nehra
Dinesh Karthik (wk)
Gautam Gambhir
Harbhajan Singh
Ishant Sharma
MS Dhoni (c)(wk)
Praveen Kumar
Rahul Dravid
RP Singh
Sachin Tendulkar
Suresh Raina
Yusuf Pathan
Yuvraj Singh.
Sri Lanka Squad:
Ajantha Mendis
Angelo Mathews
Chamara Kapugedera
Gihan Rupasinghe
Isuru Udana
K Sangakkara (C)(wk)
Kaushal Lokuarachchi
Lasith Malinga
M Jayawardene
Mahela Udawatte
Muttiah Muralitharan
Nuwan Kulasekara
Sanath Jayasuriya
Thilan Thushara
Tillakaratne Dilshan.
New Zealand Squad:
B McCullum (wk)
Brendon Diamanti
Daniel Vettori (c)
Gareth Hopkins (wk)
Grant Elliott
Ian Butler
Jacob Oram
Jeetan Patel
Jesse Ryder
Kyle Mills
Martin Guptill
Nathan McCullum
Neil Broom
Ross Taylor
Shane Bond.

Compaq Cup 2009(Tri-Series)

Hewlett-Packard, the leading PC brand in India, has reiterated its association and commitment to the spirit of sports with the announcement of the ‘Compaq Cup 2009.’ The prestigious Compaq Cup 2009 will be presented to the winner of the One-day International tri-series between India, Sri Lanka and New Zealand, which commences on the 8th of September 2009, in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
The tournament will see a total of four one-dayers being played amongst the three competing teams between September 8 -14, 2009, broadcasted live on Ten Sports.
HP, India’s leading PC brand is also the first global IT company to associate itself as a Title Sponsor for an International Cricket tri-series tournament. High voltage drama is expected to unfold on the field when India, Sri Lanka and New Zealand take on each other and battle it out to conquer the Compaq Cup 2009. Through this endeavour, HP plans to capture the attention of millions across the globe who will glued to their screens for this nail-biting Tri-series and provide them with high class entertainment.
Mr. Shubhodip Pal, Head of Consumer Marketing, Personal Systems Group, Hewlett Packard India said, “ As cricket fever grips our nation, we at HP are extremely enthusiastic about our association with cricket as we progress to connect more strongly with our customers across different segments. I am sure the Compaq Cup is going to be a thrilling journey for viewers across the world and HP through the Compaq Cup will be able to set new heights in superior experience, enhanced value, viewership and excitement. I take this opportunity to wish all the teams and the players the very best of luck for the Compaq Cup ahead.”
Speaking about the series, Rukin Kizilbash, General Manager, Taj Television India, said “We are extremely pleased to partner with the leading PC brand in India Hewlett-Packard, to broadcast each ball of this world class cricket tournament, live on Ten Sports. The Compaq Cup has three of the top one day sides in the world competing and our viewers are guaranteed some nail biting cricket action this September.”
HP has been associating itself with sports for a very long time now. Be it the biggest sporting tournaments like the Australian Open 2007 – 08 - 09, English Premier League 2007 – 08 – 09, Wimbledon 2007 – 08 – 09, French Open 2008 – 09, IPL Season 2008 or Formula One 2007 – 08 – 09, HP has had On-Air sponsorship across a range of sporting events.

Ricky Ponting Out Of Australian T-20 Squad

Melbourne: Australian skipper Ricky Ponting will get a short break after the Ashes as the selectors have decided to rest him from the two Twenty20 games and the start of the eight-match one-day series against England.
"Ricky Ponting is having his workload managed and will return home to Australia after the fifth Test at The Oval and will miss the ODI against Scotland, the two Twenty20s and the start of the of the ODI series against England," Cricket Australia's Selection panel chief Andrew Hilditch said in a statement.
After the fifth and final Test at The Oval from August 20, Australia will play a one-dayer against Scotland on August 28 followed by a couple of Twenty20 matches against England.

Champions League 2009 Squads Final

Teams have now confirmed their final 15-man squads for the Champions League Twenty20. The squads are:
Trinidad & Tobago:Daren Ganga (capt), Sherwin Ganga, Dwayne Bravo, Darren Bravo, Denesh Ramdin, Ravi Rampaul, Lendl Simmons, Dave Mohammed, Kieron Pollard, William Perkins, Samuel Badree, Rayad Emrit, Navin Stewart, Sunil Narine, Adrian Barath.
Victoria:Cameron White (capt), Brad Hodge, Peter Siddle, David Hussey, Andrew McDonald, Jon Holland, Clint McKay, Rob Quiney, Matthew Wade, Aiden Blizzard, Aaron Finch, Shane Harwood, John Hastings, Damien Wright, Bryce McGain.
Delhi Daredevils:Virender Sehwag (capt), AB de Villiers, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Gautam Gambhir, Dirk Nannes, Dinesh Karthik, Daniel Vettori, Ashish Nehra, Amit Mishra, Paul Collingwood, Owais Shah, Pradeep Sangwan, Aavishkar Salvi, Rajat Bhatia, Mithun Manhas.
New South Wales:Simon Katich (capt), Phillip Hughes, Brett Lee, Nathan Bracken, Stuart Clark, Moises Henriques, Nathan Hauritz, Doug Bollinger, Aaron Bird, Stephen O'Keefe, Ben Rohrer, Steve Smith, Daniel Smith, Dominic Thornely, David Warner.
Otago:Craig Cumming (capt), Brendon McCullum, Nathan McCullum, Aaron Redmond, Neil Broom, Ian Butler, Dimitri Mascarenhas, Greg Todd, Hamish Rutherford, Derek deBoorder, Nick Baird, Warren McSkimming, Neil Wagner, Matt Harvie, James McMillan.
Capetown Cobras:Graeme Smith (capt), Herschelle Gibbs, JP Duminy, Justin Ontong, Charl Langeveldt, Claude Henderson, Monde Zondeki, Vernon Philander, Henry Davids, Ryan Canning, Rory Kleinveldt, Richard Levi, Sybrand Engelbrecht, Derek Brand, Francois Plaatjies.
Wayamba:Jehan Mubarak (capt), Mahela Jayawardene, Ajantha Mendis, Rangana Herath, Farveez Maharoof, Kaushal Lokuarachchi, Jeevantha Kulathunga, Mahela Udawatte, Thisara Perera, Sameera Soysa, Shalika Karunanayake, Isuru Udana, Ishara Amerasinghe, Chanaka Welegedara, Michael Vandort.
Sussex:Michael Yardy (capt), Dwayne Smith, Luke Wright, James Kirtley, Piyush Chawla, Ed Joyce, Joe Gatting, Robin Martin-Jenkins, William Beer, Andrew Hodd, Christopher Nash, Ben Brown, Rory Hamilton-Brown, Yasir Arafat, Chad Keegan.
Diamond Eagles:Boeta Dippenaar (capt), Dillon du Preez, Morne van Wyk, Mthandeki Tshabalala, Adrian McLaren, Ryan McLaren, Victor Mpitsang, Ryan Bailey, Jandre Coetzee, Cornelis de Villiers, Dean Elgar, Reeza Hendricks, Alan Kruger, Rilee Rossouw, Shadley van Schalkwyk.
Somerset:Justin Langer (capt), Marcus Trescothick, Zander de Bruyn, Omari Banks, James Hildreth, Craig Kieswetter, Pete Trego, Arul Suppiah, Alfonso Thomas, Max Waller, Charl Willoughby, Wes Durston, Mark Turner, Jos Buttler, Ben Phillips.
Royal Challengers Bangalore:Anil Kumble (capt), Rahul Dravid, Robin Uthappa, Jacques Kallis, Ross Taylor, Dale Steyn, Manish Pandey, Praveen Kumar, Jesse Ryder, Roelof van der Merwe, Mark Boucher, Vinay Kumar, Virat Kohli, Akhil Balachandra, Rajesh Bishoni.
Deccan Chargers:Adam Gilchrist (capt), VVS Laxman, Rohit Sharma, Andrew Symonds, Fidel Edwards, Scott Styris, Chaminda Vaas, RP Singh, Ryan Harris, Pragyan Ojha, Y Venugopal Rao, T Suman, Azhar Bilakhia, Harmeet Singh, SM Shoaib.