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Marlon Samuels, the West Indies batsman and part-time offspinner, has had his bowling action cleared by the ICC after undergoing significant remedial work

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Sep-2011

Marlon Samuels, the West Indies batsman and part-time offspinner, has had his bowling action cleared by the ICC after undergoing significant remedial work. An independent test found his action to be legal and the player has been cleared to resume bowling in international cricket.”A comprehensive analysis revealed that his mean elbow extension was now comfortably within the 15-degree level of tolerance permitted under the relevant regulations,” the ICC said in a statement. “During the original test on 11 February 2008, his mean elbow extension had been calculated to be in excess of 15 degrees.””It feels really good to know that I can bowl again in international cricket. I have been waiting for this moment for a while now. I am mainly a batsman in the team but it feels good to know that I can again contribute to the team in another area,” Samuels said. “I really want to thank Jimmy Adams for working with me in the nets and helping me through this process. After I came back into the West Indies set-up Ottis Gibson continued the work from where Jimmy left off and helped me to get the positive result I was aiming for.”I have been spending a lot of time doing a lot of bowling in the nets so that I could get my body accustomed to the work, so that anytime the captain calls on me, in any of the three formats of the game, I will be ready.”Samuels was reported for a suspect action by the umpires in the third Test between South Africa and West Indies in Durban in January 2008. On-field umpires Simon Taufel and Aleem Dar and third umpire Brian Jerling reported their doubts over his action, especially with respect to his “fast” deliveries. Roshan Mahanama, the match referee, subsequently informed both the ICC and the West Indies team management of the report, as per the ICC regulations governing the reporting process.The analysis of Samuels’ action was conducted by professor Bruce Elliott, a member of the ICC Panel of Human Movement Specialists, and his team at the School of Sport Science, Exercise and Health at the University of Western Australia on September 14As with all bowlers who are tested, Samuels’ action will continue to be scrutinised by match officials to ensure it remains legal. He has taken seven Test wickets at an average of 127 and 57 ODI wickets at 43.24.

The BCCI has asked Cricket Australia for an additional warm-up game during India’s tour in December. India are currently scheduled to play only one four-day tour game, against the CA Chairman’s XI in Canberra, from December 18.”We are considering the request and it is work in progress,” a CA spokesperson said. “You’ve got to understand that scheduling is a three-dimensional exercise and it is always difficult to make any changes once things are finalised. But we have always had cordial relations with the BCCI and we should be able to find a way.”Scheduling is, however, likely to be an issue. India have a full series – three Tests and five ODIs – against the visiting West Indies pencilled in between October 29, when they end a home series against England, and that match in Canberra.The main problem for CA, which had announced its schedule for the 2011-12 home season three days ago, is likely to be the Big Bash League. Australia’s domestic Twenty20 competition starts on December 16 and, with players from all six Australian states participating in the eight-team competition, India may have to play a second-string side for the extra warm-up.India’s request comes on the back of a humiliating defeat in the ongoing Test series in England. They trail 0-3 in the series and are in danger of suffering their first 0-4 loss since then tour of Australia in 1991-92, There has been sharp criticism of the team’s preparation for the series, in which the No. 1 Test ranking was at stake, from within the BCCI and the media. MS Dhoni, the India captain, and Duncan Fletcher, the coach, have indirectly admitted that one reason India were struggling in English conditions was because they did not have enough to acclimatise.The late request to CA for an additional warm-up is another example of the lack of planning in the BCCI. Before the 2010-11 tour of South Africa, Gary Kirsten, who was coach at the time, had to press his case to ensure some of the Test players arrived a few weeks early to prepare for the series. Kirsten had sent his request about eight months ahead of the tour but the BCCI granted him permission only at the very last minute.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsAlastair Cook and Jonathan Trott produced another huge stand to put England in control•Getty Images

The Ashes series finished more than four months ago, but for Alastair Cook and Jonathan Trott it looked like only yesterday as the pair resumed their remarkable run-scoring combination with a century each in an unbroken stand of 240 in Cardiff. Cook reached his 17th Test hundred to continue his prolific form from Australia and Trott brought up number six to cement his mighty average as England moved to 287 for 2.Play was delayed until 2pm on a damp, chilly day and the atmosphere couldn’t have been more removed from the cauldrons of the Gabba and MCG, yet it made no difference to the hunger of either batsman. Cook’s hundred came from 224 balls when he collected his eighth boundary with a rasping cut off Suranga Lakmal and it was his fifth in ten innings since the 110 against Pakistan, at The Oval, when many were calling for his head. Trott’s followed not long after, from 196 deliveries, with a flowing cover drive in the first over of the second new ball, and the pair’s alliance became England’s best for any wicket against Sri Lanka.There is more rain forecast for the final two days, but England have the platform from which to put Sri Lanka under pressure although they will be down to a three-man bowling attack after James Anderson was diagnosed with a side strain. Despite the news that he won’t bowl again in this Test, and is a serious doubt for Lord’s, Anderson resumed as nightwatchman. However, he didn’t last long before jabbing Ajantha Mendis to slip with England having not added to their overnight total. Yet it didn’t harm England’s prospects as, unless a nightwatchman can score quickly, his presence tends to hold up the game and that wasn’t what this match needed after so many delays.Instead, it allowed the two major batting stars of the Ashes to join forces again. It was a slow start as they got used to facing Mendis and refused to chase the succession of wide deliveries from the seamers, but steadily the runs began to flow. The first boundary of the day came with a Trott square drive in the 12th over of the session and it was actually the removal of Mendis from the attack that helped England increase the rate.

Smart stats

• The undefeated 240-run stand between Alastair Cook and Jonathan Trott is the highest for England against Sri Lanka, going past the previous of 202 by Marcus Trescothick and Mark Butcher at Edgbaston almost nine years ago.

• It’s also the fourth-highest third-wicket partnership for England in the last 20 years.

• In 16 partnerships, Cook and Trott have put together 1161 runs at an average of 82.92, with four century stands.

• The stand also continues outstanding sequences for both Cook and Trott. Cook has already scored 17 hundreds in only 66 Tests, and has been involved in 13 of the last 20 partnerships of 150 or above for England.

• In 19 matches, Trott averages 66.34 and has scored six hundreds. In his last 12 Tests he averages 95.30, with five hundreds.

Rangana Herath struggled to settle into a consistent line as he offered Cook an opportunity to put away an early cut then Trott drove him through the covers. At the other end Thisara Perera was dispatched for consecutive boundaries by Cook although the first of those flew between second slip and gully off the edge.Cook went to his fifty and Trott then began to catch him up with some trademark leg-side shots off the seamers who fell into the same trap as the Australians by bowling too straight. In the last over before tea the pair brought up their fourth hundred partnership in Tests and the one significant alarm in the entire stand came when Trott could have been run out by a direct hit from mid-on on 59, but Perera’s throw missed despite having three stumps to aim at.It was a rare opportunity for Sri Lanka and their attack was toothless on a slow pitch. Lakmal was wholehearted and Mendis economical, but from early on in the Cook-Trott stand there was the sense that Tillakaratne Dilshan wanted to protect what he had with 400 on the board rather than try and bowl England out. There was a period of an hour-and-a-half when they didn’t hit a boundary, but with sweepers in place ones and twos were on offer to keep the scoreboard ticking.As the final session progressed the scoring rate increased and either side of the two batsmen reaching hundreds runs came at more than five-an-over. The taking of the new ball helped England as the extra pace off the bat negated a slower outfield – Mendis conceded his first boundaries of the day when Trott twice put him through the covers – and Dilshan had to have a few more men in attacking positions. One thing the new ball didn’t do, though, was provide Sri Lanka a breakthrough and they face plenty more leather chasing in this innings.

Chris Tremlett, the England fast bowler, will fly out to Bangladesh as a traveling reserve with England’s World Cup squad

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Feb-2011Chris Tremlett, the England fast bowler, will fly out to Bangladesh as a traveling reserve with England’s World Cup squad. He has recovered from a side strain, and will be on stand-by to be added to the 15-man squad in the event that the selectors need to replace an injured player.Tremlett, 29, was awarded an incremental contract after his role in England’s victorious Ashes campaign, and played in the first four one-dayers against Australia in January, taking six wickets at 33.50.Eoin Morgan has already been ruled out of the World Cup due to a fractured finger and England are currently sweating on the fitness of five more members of their squad. Paul Collingwood received an injection on Monday, having suffered a back spasm during the penultimate ODI in Sydney. Tim Bresnan is stepping up his training having succumbed to a calf strain, while Ajmal Shahzad’s hamstring injury is still causing concern.Stuart Broad is believed to be on track having torn a stomach muscle back in December, while Graeme Swann is set to test his injured knee in the nets on Tuesday, having missed the latter stages of the Australia tour.ECB National Selector Geoff Miller said: “While the injured bowlers in the 15-man squad are all progressing well, the selectors have decided it would be prudent to have an additional player on hand who is acclimatised in case we need to apply to the Event Technical Committee for a replacement due to injury.”

England’s injury-hit bowling attack is being pushed to the limits after two more quicks picked up problems in Brisbane

Andrew McGlashan in Brisbane30-Jan-2011England’s injury-hit bowling attack is being pushed to the limits after two more quicks picked up problems in Brisbane. Chris Tremlett was ruled out of the fifth one-day international with a side strain and Ajmal Shahzad limped off during the match with a hamstring problem.Shahzad suffered his injury two balls into his eighth over and left the field having completed it at reduced pace. Both he and Tremlett will go for scans on Monday when the team travels to Sydney and it leaves England short of cover for the final two matches. Steven Finn made his ODI debut at the Gabba and Chris Woakes was recalled to the line-up in place of Michael Yardy.Woakes enjoyed a memorable game as he claimed 6 for 45, the second best figures for England in ODIs, but the continued problems to England’s World Cup bowlers is a serious concern.Shahzad joins Stuart Broad (stomach), Tim Bresnan (calf) and Graeme Swann (knee/back) on the casualty list with the latter two having flown home from the tour. Only James Anderson of England’s first-choice World Cup attack hasn’t been injured on tour but he was rested for the start of this series.”We’re beginning to run out of bowlers now,” Strauss said. “Woakesy came in and did brilliantly today. He hit the deck hard, bowled some really good deliveries. That delivery to get rid of [Cameron] White was an absolute scorcher. Finny came in after not playing for a long time and did some good work as well.”Strauss added they may need to call in reinforcements even though the tour only has seven days to run and it may mean scouring Australia for any potential options. The England Lions have recently begun their tour of West Indies and it’s a long journey to get someone from the Caribbean to Australia who then may not be needed.England’s problems could be eased a little by the surface in Sydney. They didn’t play any spinner in Brisbane, but they are likely to need one at the SCG which would mean a recall for either Yardy or James Tredwell who could replace Shahzad, while Luke Wright is also in the squad. One option Strauss ruled out was an early return for Broad who has rejoined the tour for rehabilitation from the abdominal injury he sustained during the second Test at Adelaide.

Jesse Ryder, the New Zealand batsman, will miss the ODI series in India after injuring his calf during the three-Test series

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Nov-2010

Jesse Ryder, the New Zealand batsman, will miss the ODI series in India after injuring his calf during the three-Test series. James Franklin, the 30-year-old allrounder who flew in as a replacement for the injured fast bowler Hamish Bennett during the Tests, will take Ryder’s place in the squad for the five one-dayers which start later this week.”Ryder suffered a calf injury in the first Test,” New Zealand coach Mark Greatbatch said, “and, although he showed great determination to push through the discomfort in the second and third Tests, it is clear the injury has not improved. Due to the condensed nature of the tour there is insufficient time to fully recover for the one-day matches.” Ryder had to bat with a runner in the third match in the third Test in Nagpur, after aggravating his injury during the match.Ryder, who scored 274 runs in the Test series including a century at Ahmedabad, will be flying back home. “While it’s obviously disappointing for Jesse, this gives James a wonderful opportunity.” Greatbatch said. “His ability with the bat and the ball make him the ideal replacement.”Franklin has played 75 ODIs but lost his national contract earlier this year and has not represented New Zealand since the home series against Australia which ended in March. He had a highly productive county season, topping Gloucestershire’s one-day run tally with 511 at 73.00, including two centuries.

Round-up of the first day of the fourth round of the Ranji Trophy Super League

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Nov-2010Group BRP Singh scored 47 and then took two quick wickets for Uttar Pradesh against Himachal Pradesh•Getty ImagesRains across the country meant that little or no play was possible in five out of the seven Super League matches on Wednesday. Karnataka would have been happy that weather didn’t interrupt their match against Orissa at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore, as they managed to bowl the visitors out for 191 on the first day. Orissa ended the day on a positive note, taking two Karnataka wickets for 18 runs before stumps. Sunil Joshi, the former India spinner who completed the double of 5000 runs and 500 wickets in first-class cricket in Karnataka’s last match, took 5 for 35 as Karnataka struck at regular intervals after putting Orissa in to bat. Niranjan Behera was left stranded on 83 not out after facing 235 balls and watching nine wickets fall at the other end. Adithya Sagar gave Karnataka two early breakthroughs, removing both Orissa openers within the first three overs of the morning and then Joshi ripped through Orissa’s middle-order. Karnataka and Orissa are separated by just two points in the Group B table, having played two games each.Himachal Pradesh surprised table-toppers Uttar Pradesh, bowling them out for 197 on the first day at Green Park in Kanpur, but what could have been a perfect day for them was ruined in the last over, when they lost two wickets to finish at 9 for 2. Himachal seamer Rishi Dhawan, playing in only his fourth first-class match, picked up his maiden five-for as UP lost wickets at regular intervals. RP Singh, the left-arm seamer who has played 13 Tests for India, was UP’s surprise top-scorer with 47, while their leading run-getter this season Parvinder Singh missed out on a half-century, falling for 46. Singh then gave UP an opening back in to the game, taking two wickets in his last over of the day.Only 48 overs were bowled at the Moti Bagh Stadium in Vadodara, where Baroda crawled to 94 for 1 against Punjab. Baroda, who will be trying to get over the horrific collapse that saw them lose to UP in the last round, were put in to bat and their openers Connor Williams and Jaykishan Kolsawala made steady progress before Kolsawala edged one behind off Manpreet Gony, the Chennai Super Kings fast bowler. Yusuf Pathan and Ambiti Rayudu are not playing for Baroda and have been replaced with Jyot Chhaya and Utkarsh Patel.Group ARailways could fit only eight overs in after play began at 4.30pm in their match against Tamil Nadu at the IIT Chemplast Ground in Chennai. Tamil Nadu were put in to bat and Abhinav Mukund hit three boundaries taking the hosts to 26 for 1 at stumps. Railways are currently languishing at second from bottom in the Group A table, while Tamil Nadu are second, having one won game and drawn two others.There was no play in any of the other Group A matches scheduled to start on Wednesday. At the Bandra Kurla Complex in Mumbai, Amol Muzumdar will have to wait for his return to Mumbai to face his old team as Assam take on table-toppers Mumbai. Saurashtra are at the foot of the table and will welcome back Cheteshwar Pujara from India duty for their match against Delhi at the Khandheri Cricket Stadium in Rajkot. Laxmi Shukla, the Bengal allrounder fresh from his double-century in the last round, will have to wait till Thursday to see some action, as the first day of Bengal’s match against Gujarat at the Sardar Patel Stadium in Ahmedabad was washed out.

New Zealand Cricket (NZC) has moved closer to resuming bilateral ties with Zimbabwe after a break of five years by naming an A team to tour the country in October. New Zealand A’s tour, however, will be finalised only after an inspection of the safety and security conditions in Zimbabwe. The news is a boost to Zimbabwe after Scotland and MCC cancelled their visits to the country because of UK government advice.”New Zealand Cricket, in liaison with the New Zealand government, has monitored the situation and we are comfortable with the improved conditions and stability in Zimbabwe,” NZC chief, Justin Vaughan, said. “A rejuvenated Zimbabwe have their sights set on Test cricket and the tour will help provide experience and incentive for them to reach their goal, as well as strong competition for the New Zealand A team. The tour will, of course, be subject to our standard full safety and security check before the team departs.”The pre-tour inspection of Zimbabwe will be conducted by Geoff Allott, NZC’s general manager, and Heath Mills, the New Zealand Cricket Players’ Association’s executive manager. The A team’s tour will be New Zealand’s first contact with Zimbabwe since 2005, when relations were suspended because of health and safety issues within the country. New Zealand A will play a two-day warm-up before three four-day match-ups against a Zimbabwe XI.Allrounder James Franklin was named captain of the squad, which also includes three spinners – Jeetan Patel, Bhupinder Singh and Nick Beard – and batsman Martin Guptill.”We are keen for Martin Guptill to regain the form that made him such a force for New Zealand last year and think that the four-day matches in Zimbabwe will give him the best opportunity to do that,” Mark Greatbatch, a New Zealand selector, said. “Three spinners have been included in the NZ A team. Young Nick Beard and Bhupinder Singh will benefit from playing along side Jeetan Patel. They deserve their opportunity having both impressed on recent training camps.”New Zealand A: James Franklin (capt), Graeme Aldridge, Brent Arnel, Nick Beard, Dean Brownlie, Daniel Flynn, Martin Guptill, Gareth Hopkins (wk), Jamie How, Peter Ingram, Tim McIntosh, Chris Martin, Jeetan Patel, Bhupinder Singh, Reece Young.

ESPNStar gets set for an aggressive campaign to showcase the breadth of global cricketing talent on offer during next month’s event in South Africa

Tariq Engineer06-Aug-2010

With a couple of opinionated and charismatic cricketers on the commentary panel, and the biggest name in Bollywood as its brand ambassador, the Champions League Twenty20 is set for an aggressive campaign before and during next month’s tournament in South Africa to best showcase its breadth of global cricketing talent.The induction of Sourav Ganguly, Andrew Symonds and Amitabh Bachchan was based on the realisation that public perception of the tournament needed to change. Last year, the television ratings for the league suffered in comparison to that of the IPL, especially once the teams from India were eliminated.While Manu Sawhney, managing director of ESPN Star Sports (ESS), believed such a comparison is unfair – as the IPL is an “aberration” and most leagues take time to find their footing – he conceded changes needed to be made this time.”We went through a whole brand positioning research,” Sawhney said in Mumbai, following an ESS presentation of its newest stars. “We have an integrated campaign – across print, radio, TV, as well as the internet, to communicate the values and the essence of the tournament. The thinking is very focused and driven on the feedback.”The addition of Ganguly and Symonds is meant to add energy and freshness to the commentary team. “They add the dimension of great quality and incisiveness, and bring a current flavour to the tournament,” Sawhney, said.Bachchan is on board because he represents excellence and “is a source of inspiration.” He has already shot a number of promotional videos alongside Ganguly, Symonds and Herschelle Gibbs. The main thrust of the campaign is to get across the message that “this is something. This is the true competition. You just cannot afford to miss it.”Sawhney disagreed with the common perception that the Indian cricket fan only wanted to watch Indian cricket. According to him, the Indian fan is a “discerning” one who is prepared to watch a quality tournament. “It [the Champions League] doesn’t have all the Indian teams in it but they [the fans] do recognise there are many more talented teams here and the competition is the next level.”As a result of this focused marketing effort, Sawhney expected ratings to be significantly better than last year. The long term goal is for the the tournament to resemble the UEFA Champions League, which the best football clubs in Europe aspire to win.Ganguly said playing the tournament in South Africa would give some of the younger players in the teams from India an opportunity to to test themselves under difficult conditions against the best Twenty20 teams in the world.”Facing Shaun Tait would be a good experience,’ Ganguly said. “If someone like Shikhar Dhawan could get 50 or 60 against that sort of pace, it will make him a better player when he comes back.”Ganguly reckoned the bouncy pitches in South Africa will eliminate the 200-plus scores teams routinely put up in the IPL. “130 or 140 could be winning totals,” he said. He named Victoria and Royal Challengers Bangalore, with its coterie of South Africa players, as two of the stronger sides in the competition. He also thought Guyana could spring a surprise or two.”Guyana has nothing to prove and should go some distance in the tournament,” he said. “Teams won’t run through them.”

Celtic will attempt to secure Boli Bolingoli a move away from Parkhead over what remains of the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by the Daily Mail (via the Daily Record), who claim that Ange Postcoglou has officially decided that the left-back, who has been linked with a move to Turkish side Altay SK this month, has no future at Celtic Park.

The report goes on to suggest that the Bhoys transfer team will do all they can to secure the 26-year-old a move away from the club prior to the closure of the current transfer market on January 31.

Postecoglou must axe Bolingoli

Considering just how little Bolingoli has featured for Celtic since his £3m signing back in the summer of 2019, coupled with the fact that the defender is currently earning a princely £15k-per-week at Parkhead, it would indeed appear an extremely wise move for Postecoglou to do all he can to move the left-back who Bill Leckie dubbed “arrogant” on this winter.

Indeed, during his two and a half year spell in Glasgow, the former Belgium youth international has featured just 31 times for the Hoops, something that is largely down to the fact Bolingoli was bombed out of the squad by Neil Lennon after being found to have broken lockdown restrictions in August 2020.

However, with the 56-year-old Bhoys boss not exactly being graced with strength in depth at left-back, in addition to 19-year-old Adam Montgomery looking set to leave the club on loan this month, should Celtic manage to find Bolingoli a move in the next few days, Postecoglou will subsequently need to bring in a fresh face into the position.

And, with the Hoops having been linked with a move for the Derby County left-back Lee Buchanan already this month, the 20-year-old would appear to be something of a perfect fit for the Greek-Australian coach.

Indeed, despite his tender age, the £2.25m-rated defender has already made 61 first-team appearances for the Rams, scoring one goal and registering three assists along the way.

Wayne Rooney also appears to be extremely excited about the youngster’s future in the game, with the former England captain stating of the current England U20 international: “Lee Buchanan is incredible. He’s got a real bright future. I’m sure he’ll play for England within the next couple of years.”

As such, it would very much appear to be an extremely intelligent piece of January business for Postecoglou to finally cut Celtic’s losses on Bolingoli this month, before reinvesting the money saved on the 26-year-old’s wages into a move for the £5k-per-week Buchanan.

In other news: Huge blow: Celtic dealt yet another injury setback, Postecoglou will be seething