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England look set to go into the Boxing Day Test with an unchanged side, after James Anderson allayed fears about his fitness with a lively performance in the team’s first nets session since Perth

Andrew Miller in Melbourne24-Dec-2010England could go into the Boxing Day Test with an unchanged side, after James Anderson allayed fears about his fitness with a lively performance in the team’s two net sessions following the 267-run defeat at the WACA. Steven Finn also hit a good rhythm in an hour-long spell at the MCG, as the squad set about refocusing following a four-day break from practice.In the aftermath of the Perth defeat, changes appeared to be on the cards for England, with the 21-year-old Finn looking weary following a rigorous introduction to Ashes cricket. More worryingly from the team’s point of view, Anderson reported stiffness in his side following his less-than-ideal preparation for the match, which had involved 48 hours of flying time to return to England for the birth of his second daughter.However, a chance to rest and recuperate appears to have done the job for both bowlers. “He’s 100% fit,” Andrew Strauss, the England captain said, “he had a niggle but has managed to shake it off and is available for selection.”Finn, meanwhile, went head-to-head with Ajmal Shahzad, whose old-ball skills could yet come into play in the final reckoning, if England feel that the surface will be conducive to reverse swing. Prior to England’s return to action, Strauss had hinted that Finn was set to be retained in the bowling attack, having claimed 14 scalps at 33.14 to be the leading wicket-taker in the series.”It has been a demanding Test series, especially with our reliance on only four bowlers, and Stuart Broad didn’t bowl in the second innings at Adelaide,” said Strauss. “So the bowlers have had quite a lot on their shoulders, but I don’t think that’s a reason for him not to play. We must look at the conditions here and decide what type of bowling attack will most suit, and also how fresh Finny is and the rest of the bowlers before we make any decisions.””It’ll definitely be harder for their attack,” said Australia’s vice-captain, Michael Clarke. “On a big stage, a very important Test match, to lose such a big player, it would definitely put a dent in their team, but I’m very confident that Anderson will be fit to play. Tremlett did really well, grabbing his opportunity in Perth, and Finn has done well in this series as well. But Anderson is probably the leader of their attack, the most experienced, They will miss him if he’s not fit, no doubt.”The deciding factor in the make-up of England’s team will be the nature of the pitch, which is expected to be slow and low and a far cry from the high-kicking conditions that greeted bowlers on both sides at the WACA. For the sake of the Boxing Day spectacle, it has to be hoped that it is a better surface that the one which England encountered for their three-day warm-up against Victoria earlier in the month, but either way, it is likely to be a pitch that rewards patience and accuracy.Those are traits which Finn is renowned for possessing in abundance, although his adjustment to Australian conditions has not been entirely smooth on this trip. Australia have taken him at 4.5 an over in the course of the series, and at over 5 during the WACA defeat, although with Graeme Swann expected to play a much greater holding role in the forthcoming match, Finn’s ability to force breakthroughs is a knack that England are reluctant to overlook entirely – especially if, as Strauss implied, England are going all out for victory rather than looking to settle for a drawn series and a retention of the Ashes.”I think Finny has been a little frustrated that he hasn’t been as consistent as he would like,” said Strauss. “Last summer in England, his lengths were very good consistently and maybe he has not done it on this tour. But he is a bowler with a knack of taking wickets and it’s a great skill to have. Every match he plays he is learning about bowling in Australia. The vast majority of what he has done on this tour I’ve been very happy with, and I expect him to continue getting better.”The other factor that could count against Finn is the prospect of reverse swing, which has been a regular weapon at the MCG in past campaigns, although the unseasonably damp weather in Victoria this year has led to more lush conditions and hence less abrasion on the Kookaburra balls. Shahzad is England’s best exponent of reverse swing, and for that reason, he appears to have leap-frogged Tim Bresnan in the pecking order.Strauss, however, will defer all such decisions until England have had a better read of a wicket which the MCG curator, Cameron Hodgkins, said “will offer something up front, then get quite flat.””It’s always dangerous to assume a pitch is going to play a certain way,” said Strauss. “The wicket we played on against Victoria was very slow and low and there wasn’t much in it for the bang-in-type bowlers, but according to reports the wickets have actually gone OK, so it would be wrong to think the Test wicket will be like that.”They will be two tough Tests, you expect that out here,” he said of the challenge awaiting England in the coming fortnight. “Huge support for Australia, Ashes on the line, there’s going to be a lot of pressure around and personally that excites me. It’s a great test for us as a side and I think we’ll handle it well. I’m very confident that the team won’t be overcome.”England (probable) 1 Andrew Strauss (capt), 2 Alastair Cook, 3 Jonathan Trott, 4 Kevin Pietersen, 5 Paul Collingwood, 6 Ian Bell, 7 Matt Prior (wk), 8 Graeme Swann, 9 Chris Tremlett, 10 James Anderson, 11 Steven Finn.

Shaun Tait believes Australia’s World Cup pace attack is the best in the world as they aim for a fourth title in a row

Andrew McGlashan in Hobart19-Jan-2011Shaun Tait believes Australia’s World Cup pace attack is the best in the world as they aim for a fourth title in a row. There is no lack of speed in the 15-man squad with Tait joined by Brett Lee, Mitchell Johnson and Doug Bollinger as the selectors take an aggressive route to the subcontinent.It is a major gamble because Tait, Lee and Johnson can all prove expensive but they also have the ability to make significant inroads. In the 2007 tournament, Tait was a success as a shock bowler with 23 wickets, but was able to feed off the pressure built up by Glenn McGrath and Nathan Bracken. “We’ve all had a fair bit of experience and if you put that pace attack up against any in the world and I think it comes out No. 1,” Tait said. “The selectors should be pretty happy with what they have.”Out of the four fast bowlers Tait will be used in the shortest, sharpest, spells mainly because his of his fragile body. He missed the first one-day international against England due to a back strain but he is unconcerned and is ready to take his place at Hobart on Friday in the best shape of his life.”I’m at full fitness apart from the back complaint a few days ago,” he said. “Obviously they will manage the fast bowlers through the rest of the series and probably the World Cup as well which is the done thing these days. It’s probably the fittest I’ve been. I worked hard during the three months I was injured. At the end of the day you can be as fit as you like, but it is performances out on the field that count.”Despite the strain on his body when bowling in excess of 150kph, Tait won’t be holding back against England or during the World Cup. “The reason I get selected is because of my pace and there’s no substitute for me. I’m not going to hold back and try and put the ball in the right areas,” he said. “I’m there to bowl fast and take wickets which is what I’ll try to do.”The subcontinent used to be a graveyard for fast bowlers but that has changed in recent years, especially in India, with some lively wickets being produced. Finding swing with the old ball will be a key weapon during the tournament and Tait is looking forward to the challenge.”In those conditions reverse swing will be a factor and all four of us can bowl that,” Tait said. “You never know, though, in India because some of the wickets they produce can go through pretty quickly. Fast bowling isn’t that bad over there, that’s for sure.”Australia remain the No. 1 one-day team in the world but are not favourites for this year’s tournament after a difficult year which has seen them lose to England, India and Sri Lanka in 50-over cricket. However, this current group of players are taking it as a major motivation to continue Australia’s World Cup domination without some of the great names of the past.”We had a team full of legends to be fair and it’s a little different this time,” Tait said. “When you lose so many great players over a couple of years it’s a big hole to fill. Australian cricket is slowly trying to do that, but there’s still plenty of experience there.”Form suggests that Australia will struggle to make it four in a row, but the squad they have selected means they aren’t going to let their title go quietly.

There are formalities, then there’s the major Test nations qualifying for the quarter-finals from Group A

The Preview by Andrew McGlashan12-Mar-2011

Match Facts

March 13, Mumbai

Start time 9.30am (0400 GMT)Ross Taylor will lead New Zealand in the absence of Daniel Vettori•AFP

The Big Picture

There are formalities, then there’s the major Test nations qualifying for the quarter-finals from Group A. While the numbers are crunched in the other side of the tournament there is precious little nail-biting going on in this group. New Zealand could have had a few difficult moments in progressing given their poor form heading into the World Cup, but they already stand on six points after the impressive victory over Pakistan.This match against Canada shouldn’t cause them to lose much sleep even though their captain Daniel Vettori will be missing with a knee injury. His absence for one match is a minor problem compared to him being ruled out of the tournament which was a concern when he went down in the field against Pakistan. It was important for New Zealand to dispatch a leading team in the qualification to build confidence and there were many positive signs, from Ross Taylor’s powerful century to the incisive new-ball bowling. As has often been said, New Zealand raise their game in World Cups.Still, there are issues within the team – mainly in the consistency of the top order. Taylor’s innings was magnificent, albeit against awful bowling, but it can’t be one-off for New Zealand. They also need more from Jamie How, Scott Styris and James Franklin to spread the workload.To be fair to Canada they have had their moments this tournament and New Zealand need to show them respect. Their new-ball attack of Henry Osinde and Harvir Baidwan can create problems with early movement; Baidwan was mighty impressive Pakistan. Rizwan Cheema has promised more than he has delivered, but Canada’s middle order was calm in their successful chase against Kenya. In this match, though, coming out with respectability should be considered a success.

Form guide

(completed matches, most recent first)
Canada: WLLLL

New Zealand: WWLWW

Watch out for…

Nathan McCullum has quietly developed in a very useful player for New Zealand, both with his offspin and lower-order batting. In the absence of Vettori he’ll have a senior role to play in the bowling attack, which will be valuable practice in case he is needed at important stages later in the tournament. The team will hope his batting down the list isn’t required to provide too much, but he showed with his effort against Australia that he can build an innings and his striking power can also add the finishing touches in the closing overs.Hanvir Baidwan has been consistent during the tournament with nine wickets at 20.22 and an economy rate of just over five-an-over. He caught Pakistan by surprise with three scalps and also took two against Kenya to help set up victory. New Zealand’s top order is an inconsistent beast and it’ll need to be careful not to take Baidwan lightly especially if there is any movement early on.

Team news

Having won the basement battle against fellow Associates Kenya there seems little reason for Canada to change a winning side. John Davison returned for that match, but in the middle order, and he’ll be keen to produce a performance before the tournament is finished at the expense of a team he has a good record against.Canada (probable) 1 Ruvindu Gunasekera, 2 Rizwan Cheema, 3 Zubin Surkari, 4 Ashish Bagai (wk), 5 Jimmy Hansra, 6 Tyson Gordon, 7 John Davison, 8 Harvir Baidwan, 9 Parth Desai, 10 Henry Osinde, 11 Balaji RaoVettori will be missing with his injured knee which could mean an outing for Luke Woodcock, the left-arm spinner, or a recall for fast bowler Hamish Bennett. Meanwhile, Jesse Ryder is recovering from the stomach bug that forced him to miss the Pakistan match and could replace the struggling Jamie How.New Zealand (probable) 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Brendon McCullum (wk), 3 Jesse Ryder, 4 Ross Taylor (capt), 5 Scott Styris, 6 James Franklin, 7 Nathan McCullum, 8 Jacob Oram, 9 Luke Woodcock, 10 Kyle Mills, 11 Tim Southee

Pitch and conditions

This is Mumbai’s first game of the tournament – the venue will also host the final on April 2 – so it will be interesting to assess the pitch conditions. The morning start suggests there could be some help for the seamers and Ross Taylor noted the extra grass on the net surfaces.

Stats and trivia

• The two teams have previously met twice in World Cups, in 2003 when New Zealand won by five wickets and again in 2007 when they claimed a 114-run victory.
• However, in both matches John Davison has made his mark with 75 off 62 balls in Benoni and 52 off 31 in Gros Islet.

Quotes

“I think it’s more with rugby. It’s not the same with cricket. The public doesn’t have the same expectations as we have as players.”
“We are getting better and better with each game, the performances if you have noticed are getting better and better with each game.”

Sachin Tendulkar has rated MS Dhoni as the best captain he has played under during his 22-year cricket career

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Apr-2011Two days after India were crowned World Champions, Sachin Tendulkar has rated MS Dhoni as the best captain he has played under during his 22-year cricket career.”He [Dhoni] is the best captain I have played under,” Tendulkar said in Mumbai. “He is very sharp and always alert. He reads the situation well and is open to sharing ideas. He always has discussions with bowlers, batsmen and senior players separately.”Tendulkar, who has played under six captains, including Mohammad Azharuddin, Sourav Ganguly and Anil Kumble, praised Dhoni’s ability to maintain his composure whatever the match situation. “He is always calm and never shows his frustration. These are some of the human qualities which have made him such a good captain. He is a fantastic captain.”India beat Sri Lanka by six wickets in the final in Mumbai after coming through the knockout stages with hard-fought wins over Australia and Pakistan and a patchy performance in the group matches. Tendulkar said that India had “peaked” when it mattered the most. “In the knockout stage we peaked at the right time; it was most important. We knew either the batting was clicking, or bowling, or fielding but everything was not clicking together, but [apart from] in the last three games. Everybody contributed, right from seniors to the juniors in the team. No one can guarantee results but efforts can be [guaranteed].”After India’s victory in the final, Dhoni had said the team had felt the pressure of expectations right through the tournament. Tendulkar said the key to handling that pressure lay in focussing on individual performances. “Pressure and expectation are always there, we were thinking that as individuals we should perform our best. We were not thinking that if a bowler fails, others will take wickets like that; we wanted to do our individual best and perform as a team.”The responsibility is on all the team members equally. Like me, it was the dream of all the team members to get this World Cup.”Tendulkar said that while lifting the trophy was on the players’ minds, the focus was on restricting Sri Lanka to a gettable target and “go through the process and finish the game”. He said the pre-World Cup preparatory camp the team had in Bangalore also played a key role in the team’s preparation.Tendulkar paid tribute to the efforts of outgoing coach Gary Kirsten, saying that while he would like Kirsten to continue, he respected his decision to leave, and that the team would “miss” him.

Lisa Keightley has been appointed head coach of the England Women’s Academy

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Apr-2011Lisa Keightley has been appointed head coach of the England women’s academy.The Australian and New South Wales top-order batter retired from playing in 2005 but went on to enjoy a successful tenure as coach of New South Wales. She led them to consecutive titles before becoming the first female to be become head coach of the Australian women’s team in 2007.Keightley is currently employed by Wiltshire Cricket as the head of girls’ development and will continue in this role alongside her new position with the academy.”I’m delighted to have been appointed to the role,” she said. “The England women’s academy is just one part of the fantastic development programme for talented girls in cricket and it will be great to work with high performance manager, Paul Shaw.”Having had a role in their recent winter programme, I’m very much looking forward to working with the academy squad and hope to see many future England players progress through the ranks.”Head of England women’s cricket, Clare Connor said: “The appointment of Lisa Keightley to lead the academy programme demonstrates ECB’s commitment to the development of elite women’s and girls’ cricket.”Under former head coach, Paul Shaw, our academy programme has become the envy of many countries and he should take great credit for how many players have moved up from the academy in to the England squad in the past twenty-four months. Lisa Keightley brings a wealth of international knowledge and experience of the women’s game and I know she will excel in the role.”

South Africa A levelled their five-match one-day series against Bangladesh A with an easy victory in the second game in Paarl

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Apr-2011
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsSouth Africa A levelled their five-match one-day series against Bangladesh A with an easy victory in the second game in Paarl. The result was set up by big-hitting from the hosts’ lower-middle order, which plundered 68 runs off the last 25 balls of the innings. That took South Africa A to a score of 285, which proved too much for Bangladesh A.Having chased successfully in the first one-dayer, Bangladesh chose to field, and they got a couple of early wickets. Jacques Rudolph, the South Africa A captain, had not had a big innings in the four-day matches or the first 50-over game, and was keen to get some runs. His 89, along with Farhaan Behardien’s 66, gave the hosts a platform from which to launch.The score when Behardien fell in the 46th over was 217 for 5 and at that stage Bangladesh were still in the game. Vaughn van Jaarsveld started the onslaught, smashing two sixes and a four in the 47th over, before holing out in the deep for 37 off 25 balls. The next two overs went for 18, and in the 50th, 19-year-old legspinner Noor Hossain was taken apart. Allrounder Vernon Philander hit him for two straight sixes before wicketkeeper Heino Kuhn struck two more, again straight. The over cost 27 and South Africa went into the break with all the momentum.Bangladesh needed to start their chase aggressively and they did, but lost wickets too. Philander, who had scored 23 off 9 balls, did the early damage, picking up three wickets to leave Bangladesh 87 for 4. Bangladesh A captain Mohammad Ashraful, who had scored an unbeaten century in the previous game, raced to a run-a-ball 39, but wickets continued falling at the other end. Once Ashraful was caught at third man off Craig Alexander, the match was as good as over. Philander came back to take a fourth and Bangladesh folded for 229 in 48 overs.

ESPNcricinfo previews the first Test between England and Sri Lanka at Cardiff

Preview by Andrew McGlashan25-May-2011

Match Facts

May 26-30, Cardiff
Start time 11.00am (1000GMT)Andrew Strauss and Andy Flower now want their team to secure the top spot in world cricket•AFP

The Big Picture

This series is being billed as the starter before the main course of England’s season. India are the major drawcard of the summer, but Sri Lanka’s visit promises much interest and intrigue. It pits a home side wanting to build on one of their finest triumphs in Australia against a visiting side trying to rebuild under a new captain and coach amid more political rumblings in Sri Lankan cricket.A lot has happened since England celebrated in Sydney and even since Sri Lanka finished second in the World Cup. The hosts now have three captains for starters, but nine of the team that played in Sydney are set to line-up in this Test. Andrew Strauss has been very keen to stress how the Ashes success was just a stepping stone, albeit an historic one, in England’s quest to be No. 1 in the world. That aim could be achieved by the end of the summer if they beat both Sri Lanka and India but it won’t be an easy task.Sri Lanka come here as significant underdogs, largely due to the loss of three match-winning bowlers in Chaminda Vaas, Muttiah Muralitharan and Lasith Malinga. Yet England will underestimate them at their peril. They showed their fighting qualities with an impressive victory against the Lions after being forced to follow-on as Tillakaratne Dilshan, the new captain, led the way with 117 at better than a run-a-ball. Much will rest on the tone Dilshan sets as a captain and batsman.However, with Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene in the ranks runs shouldn’t be in short supply and then it will be down to a new-look bowling attack. The loss of Nuwan Pradeep is a significant blow and they can’t afford Dilhara Fernando to go lame as well. It’s impossible to replace Murali, but in Rangana Herath they have a steady left-arm spinner who will no doubt target Kevin Pietersen.Although Sri Lanka haven’t won a series in England they have surprised the hosts more than once. Most famously there was 1998 at The Oval, but five years ago they also won at Trent Bridge to level the series. A shared contest this time would be a fine achievement for Dilshan and a major let-down for Strauss.

Form guide

(Most recent first)
England WWLWD
Sri Lanka DDDLD

Watch out for…

In the end Eoin Morgan made a case that was too good to ignore. His 193 against the Sri Lankans at Derby secured him a Test place that appeared to have slipped away after six weeks at the IPL. Now he has the chance to make the No. 6 berth his for the foreseeable future. He is the ideal counter-attacking player to have in the middle order; someone who scores at close to a run-a-ball and can shift momentum. However, his biggest challenge will come if (or when) he walks in with England wobbling. Barring his hundred against Pakistan at Trent Bridge last year he was vulnerable against the moving ball. One thing he doesn’t lack, though, is confidence and that can carry you a long way.Tillakaratne Dilshan won’t do anything in half measures. He has shown his attacking mindset already on this tour both with the bat and in the field. Much like Virender Sehwag, one session of Dilshan blazing away can set the tone for a Test match. England’s bowlers won’t be allowed any leeway to find their feet. As a captain he isn’t a long-term option, but is determined to do things his way and that will include thinking ‘outside of the box’. Against the Lions he brought himself on to bowl with the new ball and made a breakthrough. Don’t be surprised to see Herath in action as soon as Pietersen walks to the middle.

Team news

The only decision for the home side is the make-up of their pace attack and it seems likely that Steven Finn will miss out. Stuart Broad is fit again after his winter injuries although he looked a little short of rhythm in the County Championship. Morgan replaces Paul Collingwood in the middle order with Ian Bell set to move to No. 5. Pietersen and Jonathan Trott will be needed for some fill-in overs at various stages.England (probable) 1 Andrew Strauss (capt), 2 Alastair Cook, 3 Jonathan Trott, 4 Kevin Pietersen, 5 Ian Bell, 6 Eoin Morgan, 7 Matt Prior (wk), 8 Stuart Broad, 9 Graeme Swann, 10 Chris Tremlett, 11 James AndersonSri Lanka have been hit with injuries to their pace attack. Pradeep is out and there are concerns over Dilhara Fernando, who is set to share the new ball with Chanaka Welegedara. Dilshan confirmed they’d picked six batsmen and five bowlers, a hint that Farveez Maharoof could play while Rangana Herath is the one spinner in their 12.Sri Lanka (possible) 1 Tillakaratne Dilshan (capt), 2 Tharanga Paranavitana, 3 Kumar Sangakkara, 4 Mahela Jayawardene, 5 Thilan Samaraweera, 6 Prasanna Jayawardene (wk), 7 Farveez Maharoof, 8 Thisara Perera, 9 Rangana Herath, 10 Dilhara Fernando, 11 Chanaka Welegedara

Pitch and conditions

Domestic and international pitches are often two very different beasts at Cardiff. Alarms are sometimes raised by the amount of turn for Glamorgan matches, but the groundsman keeps things safe for the internationals. Stuart Law said the pitch “looked a belter” and two years ago Australia piled up 674 for 6. The forecast, however, isn’t too promising with showers forecast for the opening day and further rain over the weekend.

Stats and trivia

• Stuart Broad is currently sat on 99 Test wickets having collected just two scalps in his two Ashes Tests before injury.
• The performance of Sri Lanka’s bowlers in England since 2000 is better than only Zimbabwe
• Thilan Samaraweera, overall Test average of 54.25, averages just 4.25 in England albeit from just two matches

For a full stats preview click here.

Quotes

“They have some high quality players, some of them we don’t know much about but that does not mean they are not good bowlers, we expect a stern test.”
Andrew Strauss may be looking forward to the Indian challenge later this summer, but that doesn’t mean England will be taking Sri Lanka lightly
“We have a few youngsters who will get a chance and it will be good for their development in international cricket. We are looking forward to a new era for Sri Lankan cricket.”

A disciplined bowling performance enabled Durham Dynamos to claim their second Friends Life t20 victory in the space of three days and move a giant step closer to a quarter-final place. Despite appearing all but beaten at the halfway stage of their oppone

26-Jun-2011
ScorecardA disciplined bowling performance enabled Durham Dynamos to claim their second Friends Life t20 victory in the space of three days and move a giant step closer to a quarter-final place. Despite appearing all but beaten at the halfway stage of their opponents’ innings, Durham rallied impressively to claim a three-run victory over Leicestershire Foxes.Needing to hit a boundary off the final ball of the game, Leicestershire’s Claude Henderson could only roll the ball back to bowler Mitch Claydon, who had earlier claimed two wickets in his first over.Leicestershire, who finished on 184 for 7, looked like securing their second victory in as many days when former Durham University student Will Jefferson hammered 63 runs from 30 balls. However, after Jefferson was trapped leg before to Dale Benkenstein’s first delivery of the afternoon with the score on 113 for three, the visitors quickly lost their momentum.Liam Plunkett removed both Jacques Du Toit and Abdul Razzaq in the very next over, and the Foxes’ lower order were unable to keep up with a run rate that eventually sailed to more than 10 an over. Durham’s innings of 187 for 5 was a collective effort, with the first five batsmen in the order all scoring 18 runs or more.Opener Gordon Muchall was the linchpin, equalling his best ever T20 score as he made 64 runs off 50 balls before holing out during the final over of the innings. Muchall has cemented his place in the Durham side for all forms of the game this season, and his collection of eight boundaries included an eye-catching square cut off former England international Matthew Hoggard that brought up his half-century.Muchall received support from a number of quarters, with Phil Mustard and Ian Blackwell both scoring 25 as Durham compiled their runs at a steady rate. Blackwell was particularly destructive, reverse sweeping Henderson for four before producing a more orthodox sweep to claim a six off the South African’s very next ball.Benkenstein and David Miller also contributed to Durham’s sizeable total, with the former cracking 23 off 15 balls just two days after top-scoring in Friday night’s emphatic victory over Lancashire. He eventually fell going for a shot too many off Hoggard, but while the Leicestershire skipper finished with two wickets, he was unable to stem the flow of Durham runs.

The divisions within the Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA) intensified with the suspension of its secretary Sanjay Dixit by its president CP Joshi

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Jul-2011The divisions within the Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA) intensified with the suspension of its secretary Sanjay Dixit by its president CP Joshi, who is also a central government minister. CP Joshi has named KK Sharma as “acting secretary” of the RCA after Dixit’s suspension.The rift has reportedly manifested itself in the appointment of officials. Joshi appointed an Officer on Special Duty, Giriraj Sanadya, and this move was followed by a counter-appointment by Dixit’s side, that of Mahesh Joshi, a Member of Parliament from Jaipur, as Chairman with the support of 15 districts that are part of the state association. The suspension of Dixit was the reaction, supposedly with the support of 20 districts at a meeting in Udaipur involving members of CP Joshi’s faction. The RCA has 33 voting units.”There were 20 district representatives present in the meeting today and an unanimous decision was taken to remove Sanjay Dixit from secretary’s post,” Sharma was quoted as saying by . “A five-member high power committee including Sharma, Somendra Tiwari, Mahendra Sharma, B.K. Upadhyaya and Giriraj Sanadya was constituted to look into the affairs of the RCA.””We have two-third majority,” Udaipur Cricket Association president Lakshyaraj Singh, who played a pivotal role in Friday’s developments, told . “There cannot be any legal implications here.”Lalit Modi, the suspended IPL commissioner, a bitter rival of Dixit and who lost the RCA elections in 2009 to CP Joshi, supported Dixit’s suspension. “Dixit was ruining cricket in Rajasthan. Irregularities have become common in the RCA functioning,” Modi was quoted as saying by . In his response, Dixit tweeted: “Fugitives are not allowed in the RCA, whether through front door or back door.”It has been reported that an annual general meeting will be held where the decisions made by the Joshi faction will be “ratified”, though a date for the meeting is yet to be announced.

Rahul Dravid, who made a surprise comeback into India’s limited-overs squad for the five-match ODI series after two years out of the side, has said he will retire from one-dayers after the England tour

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Aug-2011Rahul Dravid has announced his retirement from international limited-overs cricket following the England series. In his announcement, which came hours after he was handed a shock recall to the one-day side for that tour, he said he wanted to retire from the shorter forms and concentrate on Test cricket.Dravid, 38, is the seventh highest run-getter in ODIs, with 10,765 runs in 339 matches, averaging just under 40. He hasn’t been a regular in the Indian one-day side since late 2007 – a couple of months after he reached his career-high ICC ranking of No. 5 – though he made a brief comeback during the 2009 Champions Trophy in South Africa. He admitted he hadn’t expected a recall for the upcoming England series.”Since I had not been picked for one-day cricket for the last two years, I was obviously a little surprised,” he said after India’s tour match against Northamptonshire. “To be honest, because I had not been picked, I had not informed the selectors or the board of my desire to solely focus on Test cricket.”At the end of this one-day series, I would like to announce my retirement from one-day and Twenty20 cricket and concentrate only on Test cricket. I am committed, as always to give my best to India in this one-day series and obviously the Test series that follows.”In the short term I am committed because now I have been picked for the series, but in the long term I think it is best for me and Indian cricket that I focus on Test cricket.”Dravid recently became the second highest run-getter in Tests, and has had a resurgence in form over the past couple of months, scoring three centuries in five Tests to end a relatively lean run in the last few years.When he started his international career in 1996, he was seen as a batsman more suited to the longer form but he soon adapted to the challenges of one-day cricket. Among the highlights of his ODI career was the 1999 World Cup, where he was the top scorer and put on the then largest partnership in a one-dayer, 318 with Sourav Ganguly. Six months later he bettered that with a 331-run stand with Sachin Tendulkar that is still the biggest in the format.As in his Test career, he routinely fitted into roles the team needed him to, notably in the 2003 World Cup, where in order to accommodate an extra batsman in the side, he took over the wicketkeeping duties. One of the lows of his career was the 2007 World Cup, when under his leadership, India crashed out in the first round.