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Fleming’s tactics interest Trans-Tasman rivals

Australia have studied Stephen Fleming’s technique in an attempt to counter the threat posed by the Sri Lankan spinners, especially Muttiah Muralitharan. The two teams play a five-match one-day series from February 20, and will then contest three Tests in March.John Buchanan, Australia’s coach, said the team would pool together scraps of information so that the batsmen could come to terms with Sri Lanka’s spinners. He made it clear that though Muttiah Muralitharan was a danger, they would not ignore the other bowlers.”As I understand it, they’ve got six or eight spinners in their squad so Muralitharan is not the only one,” Buchanan said. Obviously [Muralitharan] is a key player for them, but I think we’d be silly if we just believed that if we negated Murali, we’ve got Sri Lanka beaten."Muralitharan has picked up 22 Australian wickets in seven games, but 15 of those have come in the last three Tests at an average of 23.3. And there’s good reason for Australia to handle him with caution at home – since January 2000, Muralitharan has snapped up 188 wickets in 25 home Tests at an average of less then 18.However, Fleming scored 376 runs in four innings the last time New Zealand toured Sri Lanka, and handled the spinners with a degree of comfort. It’s this tour that has Buchanan interested.”It was probably [New Zealand], and Fleming in particular,” Buchanan said. “We’ve got some information there that we’ll share with everybody. But also I think probably the experience of the likes of Matthew Hayden playing spin in India will be of benefit.”

The first ever twighlight ING Cup match will be held at Bellerive Oval on Sunday 19th January 2003, a new initiative introduced by the Tasmanian Cricket Association.The match between the Cascade Tasmanian Tigers and the Victorian Bushrangers will commence at 12.00 noon instead of the normal hour of 10.00am and concluding at 7.45pm.The Tigers sit in third place on the ING Cup points table with 11 points after 5 matches and a victory in this fixture will see them rise on the table following their tie with the New South Wales Blues in Devonport last week.Earlier in the season the Tigers defeated the Bushrangers by 74 runs in a high scoring match at the MCG in Melbourne.An added bonus for patrons and spectators will be the expected inclusion of Shane Warne in the Bushrangers for Sundays match. Warne is coming back following a dislocation of his right shoulder while playing for Australia. This ING Cup match against the Tigers forms part of his comeback program as he builds up match fitness and form leading into the World Cup.A barbecue will be available to patrons on the hill and face painters for the children between 12.00 noon and 2.00pm.With fine weather and a balmy evening predicted this is the perfect opportunity for patrons to enjoy the facilities at Bellerive Oval while watching what is to be a very important match for both teams. A Cascade Tasmanian Tigers victory will see them with a finals berth within their grasp and a chance to push for their first Domestic One-Day title since the Gillette Cup in 1978.

A disappointing pitch, a disappointing Zimbabwe team and consequentlya disappointing match. India were highly impressive, though, and afterbowling Zimbabwe out for 133 at Harare Sports Club, they cantered homeby nine wickets in the second match of the Coca Cola Cup on Sunday.The good news for Zimbabwe was that Heath Streak was back at the helm,the basic matters that had prompted him to resign having beenresolved. He and coach Carl Rackemann have now been added to theselection panel and certain other matters are to be attended to. ZCUpresident Peter Chingoka has pledged his support and asked him to stayon as captain. One would have hoped that Zimbabwe would be encouragedby these developments to play better than they had done against WestIndies. Not at all.In the Zimbabwe team, Dirk Viljoen and Bryan Strang replaced BrianMurphy and Mluleki Nkala. Unfortunately the same pitch was used forthis match as the previous day, and it had been watered overnight,leaving some moisture and promising help for the bowlers. Lady Luckhas an inflexible decree that under such circumstances Zimbabwe shouldalways lose the toss, and Sourav Ganguly naturally put Zimbabwe in tobat. The gate takings from this match are to be allocated to EddoBrandes’ benefit fund, and despite the poor Zimbabwean performance thecrowd seemed to enjoy themselves.With the second ball of the match, without a run on the board, AshishNehra bowled a beautiful delivery that moved away and had AlistairCampbell snicking a catch to the keeper. Dion Ebrahim and StuartCarlisle appeared to be handling excellent bowling with skill when thelatter (6) snicked Zaheer Khan to second slip.Grant Flower immediately lashed a four through the covers and seemedintent on hitting the team out of trouble, but then unluckily choppedKhan on to his stumps. Zimbabwe were deep in trouble at 20 for threeand once again the pitch was playing a significant part in decidingthe match. India used the conditions superbly, but Zimbabwe shouldhave batted better than they did.Guy Whittall had a lucky escape when on one, with Laxman failing tohold a low slip chance. Nehra, in a magnificent spell and moving theball predominantly into the batsman, was the unlucky bowler. AjitAgarkar profited, as Whittall when on 7 lashed a catch to third manoff a wide delivery, while Nehra soon picked up Viljoen (1), flashingoutside off stump to be caught in the slips. Zimbabwe were 39 for fivein the 13th over, but Ebrahim was still hanging in there, showing truefighting spirit.Nehra completed his ten overs without a break for 33 runs and twowickets, but aggravated a hamstring strain in his final over whichcost nine runs. A recovery was in progress, with Streak standing firm,but Ebrahim again failed to reap the benefits of his efforts, caughtat slip off another fine delivery from Agarkar for 32. Laxman, thecatcher, damaged a finger in the process.Further disaster struck as an over-enthusiastic attempt at a single,not the first, led to the crucial run-out of Streak for 16, courtesyof a fine throw by substitute Reetinder Singh Sodhi. At 82 for seven,this virtually ended Zimbabwe’s hopes of a competitive total.Blignaut and Travis Friend played quietly, trying to restore thebalance, but as soon as Blignaut tried to take the initiative he skieda catch off Ganguly to be caught at deepish mid-off for 13. In thesame over Friend (7) edged to slip; 104 for nine.Tatenda Taibu, who deserves to bat higher than number ten, twice hitGanguly through the covers for cracking fours and showed considerablematurity for 19 not out before Strang was bowled by Agarkar for 4,giving Zimbabwe the depressing total of 133. Agarkar finished withthree for 24, while Nehra, the best of the bowlers, and Khan took twowickets each.Ganguly’s poor international form continued, as he edged a finedelivery from Streak to wicket-keeper Taibu in the first over for two.Zimbabwe, knowing their minimal chance of victory required them totake all ten wickets, brought all their fielders inside the circle,even to Sachin Tendulkar, to start with. It was not effective whenFriend pitched short to Tendulkar, who hooked him for two boundariesand glanced a third.Zimbabwe had no answer to Tendulkar, as on this sluggish pitch hedrove boundaries on the up with perfect timing, despite Zimbabwe’sattempts to seal his leg-side shots. Several straight drives wereeffortless and magnificent. On the debit side, he twice came close togiving catches through his eagerness to hit to leg. He was partneredby Hemang Badani, promoted in place of the injured Laxman. The smalltarget put them under no pressure and the enthusiastic crowd was ableto enjoy a classic exhibition by the Indian master.Badani, although overshadowed by sheer genius, also contributed somestylish drives and a pull for six off Strang. When the end came, withalmost half the overs in hand, Tendulkar had 70 and Badani 52,reaching his fifty with a pull for four off Strang to win the match.

Former Premier League goal machine Kevin Phillips has given his reaction to some big Everton news that has now emerged.

The Lowdown: No relegation clauses

Writing in their latest piece for The Athletic, Patrick Boyland and Greg O’Keeffe have revealed that only some of the squad at Goodison Park have relegation clauses in their big-money contracts, with some earning up to six figures in wages per week.

The Merseyside club are currently lurking in 17th place in the Premier League, a mere three points away from the relegation zone, and are now in serious danger of going down to the Championship, where those sorts of massive salaries would be extremely damaging.

The Latest: Phillips reacts

Speaking to Football Insider, Sunderland legend Phillips, who also works as a pundit for Sky Sports, has given his reaction to the news, claiming that it is now a ‘huge worry’ for the Toffees if they find themselves relegated:

“That is a huge worry for the club.

“I like a lot of people expected Everton to have a good season. I never envisaged this situation.

“The club clearly never envisaged this either otherwise players would have relegation clauses in their contracts. It just goes to show that no club is too big to get relegated. Everton have not been good enough this season.

“The parachute payments would make it a little easier but it would be far from ideal.

“[Frank] Lampard has a huge task in front of him between now and the end of the season with the fixtures they have got coming up. They have to stay up.”

The Verdict: Unthinkable

It is simply unthinkable for a club of the Blues’ size, with the brand new stadium being built as well, to be going down from the Premier League this season. Yet, this is now the reality, given their league position as a result of their poor run of results.

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The fact that there are no relegation clauses in some of the player’s contracts suggests that the club thought that they would never be in this situation, but years of bad recruitment has left them in this position.

Of course, if they were to go down, it would represent a huge financial loss on behalf of the club, and it may take a long time for them to bounce back – just look at Phillips’ old club.

In other news, find out what ‘massive blow’ has now emerged for EFC here!

	Nasim Ashraf, the PCB chairman, will try convincing his counterparts to put pressure on Cricket Australia to go ahead with the Australian team’s scheduled tour to Pakistan © AFP

The Indian Premier League (IPL) and its place in the world cricket calendar is expected to be a key area of discussion as chief executives [or their equivalent] from all boards under the ICC umbrella meet over two days in Kuala Lumpur, starting tomorrow.Also on the agenda at the meeting, to be chaired by the ICC’s chief executive Malcolm Speed, are: format and number of teams for the 2011 World Cup, feedback on the international schedule post-2012, and a pioneering proposal from the ICC management to start the “trialling of an ‘umpire decision review system’ during the England v South Africa Test series to be played in England in July/August 2008”.The meeting of chief executives follows a scheduling summit, also in Kuala Lumpur, to review the draft international programme post-2012. While the question of how to accommodate the IPL and the proposed Champions League in the schedule will be touched upon, some wrangling is also expected on who will get to play the big teams.Pakistan, for instance, is expected to push for a “fair share” of Tests and one-dayers. “Our cricketers have to play optimum number of matches if we are to realise our target of becoming the world’s best team,” Nasim Ashraf, the Pakistan board chairman, was quoted as saying in The News. “Without putting them at the risk of injury or burnout, we will ensure that their international commitments are at par with other top teams like Australia, India and South Africa.”Ashraf is also expected to seek the help of other members in convincing Australia to go ahead with their tour to Pakistan in March-April, which seems unlikely with Cricket Australia expressing concerns over security. “We have already got a raw deal in the FTP and if Australia don’t come as per schedule, we will just have three Tests this year and that too when India tour later this year in December,” Ashraf told PTI.”We still remain hopeful they will fulfill their obligations of touring Pakistan but the truth is we are in a frustrating situation. Despite repeated assurances that no cricket team has been hit by violence in Pakistan and that it is safe for them to tour and they will be given state-level security, they are still expressing concerns.”Besides scheduling, what will be tracked with keen interest is the umpire decision review system. “According to the proposal, the captain of the fielding team or the batsman, as the case may be, will be entitled to a limited number of occasions to request the on-field umpire to review his decision in consultation with the TV umpire,” said an ICC spokesperson, in a statement. “The chief executive committee will review this proposal and make a recommendation to the ICC board. If the trial is given the go-ahead by the Board, the final playing conditions will be developed in consultation with the ICC cricket committee.”

Tom Moody is in demand as a coach © AFP

Tom Moody’s family will influence whether he stays with Sri Lanka, heads home to Australia or returns to England to work after the World Cup. Moody has a list of potential positions to consider at the end of the tournament, including continuing his role with Mahela Jayawardene’s team or coaching his former state Western Australia.He has also been linked with the England job but that appointment depends on whether Duncan Fletcher remains in the post. “There has been speculation about this, that and the other, but at the end of the day, I haven’t looked at anything,” he said in the Sydney Morning Herald. “Yes, WA has contacted me and asked of my interest. I said to them that at the end of the World Cup, I will sit down with Sri Lanka and see what the future holds there, like I will with whatever opportunities may be there.”An ECB spokesman told The Australian Moody had not been approached to replace Fletcher, who has the job for “as long as he wishes”. However, Fletcher’s position has come under increasing pressure since England lost the Ashes and his role is expected to be reviewed once the World Cup ends.Before the tournament Moody withdrew from the field to replace Australia’s John Buchanan, a position taken by Tim Nielsen, because the timing was not right. “It was a huge privilege to be seen as a potential applicant, but I made the decision for my own personal reasons and that hasn’t changed,” he said. “In five years’ time, or ten years’ time, it may be completely different.”I may look at it and think: ‘This is the time now.’ If the demand is there and the opportunity is there, it might be perfect for me, but at the moment, that job, as attractive as it is, wasn’t quite right for where I am.”Moody, who played eight Tests for Australia and won two World Cups, has two young children and his wife Helen lives in England. “Location is not a huge issue but [family] will be the No. 1 priority in the decision, and where I want to be in the next three to four years,” he said. “Not from the point of view of geographically, but where I want to be with regards to the family and the time I want to spend with them.” A position with a state, county or Australia’s Centre of Excellence would offer him more stability than a globe-trotting role with an international team.

Shoaib Akhtar is fast on the road to recovery © Getty Images

Shoaib Akhtar is likely to start bowling again, possibly this week, the first time he will do so following the surgery he underwent on his knee injury, in Australia.Writing in his column for BigStarcricket.com on April 2, Shoaib revealed, “I’m pleased to say that since my knee surgery, everything has been going well and I will be bowling again after another week. I won’t be charging in off like my usual run-up straight away, as I need to build up gradually. I don’t know how long it will take but I know it won’t be long. I just have to be patient.”Shoaib added that he had been doing extensive gym work since the surgery. “I’m feeling strong as I’ve been doing gym work five to six days a week, not every day as the body needs a day or two to recover from all the workouts. I don’t want to overdo it.”If everything goes according to schedule, he aims to regain full fitness by the end of April. “That would mean that I would be in peak condition by the time the England tour comes around, which has always been my main target.”There have been reports in the local press that Shoaib has not been following the rehabilitation programme devised by the PCB following his surgery and that he has missed considerable training over the last week. Although he didn’t answer the charge directly, he disclosed that he has been in constant touch with Dr David Young, the surgeon who operated on him in Melbourne last month.”He is pretty pleased with the way things are going with my recovery so that’s another plus point. Nobody knows my body better than him after he scanned me all over so it’s good to hear him being confident about my fitness.”Shoaib’s knee injury was thought originally to be a potentially career-ending one and it came on the back of an ankle injury that plagued him through the India series and ruled him out of the ODI series.

Keith Piper: faces ECB hearing © Getty Images

Keith Piper has been summoned to appear before the ECB’s disciplinary panel later this week after reportedly testing positive for cannabis. Piper was tested during Warwickshire’s Championship match against Hampshire at Edgbaston last monthIf the panel finds against him, it would in all likelihood signal the end of Piper’s career. He is 35 and has a previous offence behind him – he failed an internally-conducted drugs test in 1997 and served a one-match ban.Dennis Amiss, Warwickshire’s chief executive, confirmed the news in a statement: “One of our players has given a positive sample and he will appear before an ECB Disciplinary panel next week.” Amiss himself now comes under increasing pressure as Piper is the third Warwickshire player to be in such a position – Paul Smith and Graham Wagg have also served drugs-related bans. Last season Wagg was given a 15-month ban by the ECB after testing positive for cocaine, and suffered a double blow when his Warwickshire contract was duly terminated.The Birmingham Post, which broke the story on Saturday, claimed that the drugs policy the club promised to introduce after the Wagg incident has never materialized, adding that while a firm was hired to construct a policy, the county have not reacted to the draft proposal sent to them before Christmas.

With just over a month-and-a-half left before the Indian team’s tour to Pakistan, the itinerary for the series still hasn’t been finalised, with both boards unable to reach an agreement over whether to start off with the Tests or the one-day internationals. A Press Trust of India report quoted a source in the Pakistan board as saying: “Since both the cricket boards have not been able to reach an understanding, the tour itinerary has not been announced as yet, nor has the Pakistan Cricket Board started making preparations for the important series.”The Indian board is apparently keen to begin with the five one-day internationals before moving on to the three Tests, but the PCB has insisted on starting with the Tests.Explaining the logic of playing the Tests first, the PCB source said: "The argument is that by having the Tests first they will attract crowds to the stadiums. But if they have the traditionally crowd-pulling ODIs first it will take the gloss off the Test series.” The BCCI, however, believes that since both teams would be going into that series after playing ODIs – the Indians are playing the VB Series in Australia while Pakistan are playing a five-match one-day series in New Zealand – it would make sense to begin with the one-dayers.The delay in finalising the itinerary means that the PCB has been left with very little time to make arrangements for a series which is expected to be a huge moneyspinner for the board. To add to the problems, the PCB has decided to organise the matches directly at all venues instead of delegating the responsibilities to the provincial or regional cricket associations.

Somerset Chief Executive Peter Anderson was back at his desk at the County Ground this morning after returning from a few days away, and reflected on the recent events out in New Zealand.He told me, “Somerset as a club is an England supporter, and like everyone else was disappointed that they lost the one day series to New Zealand.”Mr Anderson continued, “However it was a great effort to come back from two nil down which was also the case against India, so there is clear evidence that the England side is improving in the One Day discipline.”The Somerset chief went on, “I, together with my coaches, were very disappointed to read Duncan Fletcher’s reported remarks intimating that some of the England players could not dive about on the field in an effective manner, and that it was the fault of the counties.”He continued,”It is easy to say these things and by doing so Duncan Fletcher raises the criticism from the counties that whatever the players shortcomings are it is never his fault.”Mr Anderson concluded, “The question he needs to answer is that where there are shortcomings in his players does he ever liaise with county coaches and if so how often. If he has done so and the fault still exists then the counties would accept the blame, but so must he as the England manager and his coaches”