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South Africa’s batters will need to dig deep as visitors look to bounce back in what are expected to be better batting conditions

Firdose Moonda24-Dec-2022

Big Picture

It’s every cricketer’s Christmas dream: a Test match at the ‘G, with a big crowd in attendance. While Australia’s players experience this annually, for everyone in this South African squad, it is their first time featuring in this iconic occasion.None of them were part of the 2008 squad that stunned Australia and claimed South Africa’s post-readmission series win in the country. But, from what they’ve said in the build-up, almost all of them were awake in the wee hours of the morning, watching in wonder as a team who had not been beaten in 28 home series since 1992 were brought down to earth by JP Duminy and Dale Steyn.Related

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• Boland 'trying to push' to get a spot in Boxing Day XI as selection dilemma continues

• Hazlewood vs Boland: is Australia's bowling hierarchy about to change?

• David Warner: a giant among openers, among the best Test batters at his peak

In the years since, Cricket South Africa sought to keep their team at home over the festive period – a reasonable plan considering it is prime summer in South Africa too, but a far less successful one than Australia’s. None of the three venues CSA have tried to host the Boxing Day Test – St George’s Park, Kingsmead and SuperSport Park – are ever as full, or as intimidating, as the MCG.That last thought is something South Africa will have to guard against as they enter what is a must-win Test if they hope to keep the series, and their hopes of extending their winning streak in Australia to four successive series triumphs, alive. For them to stand a chance, they will need significant improvements in the batting line-up that has been dismissed for under 200 in their last six Test innings. They’ve spent the build-up working on both technique and mindset and maintain the mantra that if they can just give their “best in the world” – as Dean Elgar calls them – attack something to defend, they’ll be in the driving seat.Australia’s bowlers won’t take kindly to effectively being called second (or perhaps even third) best and, having already rolled South Africa twice in Brisbane, will back themselves to challenge them again. On paper and experience, their batting is vastly stronger than South Africa’s and even though they relied on one innings – Travis Head’s – to take the opening match, they’ll want to tick off a second success this summer, well before they get to Sydney. Australia have not lost a Test series since December 2021 and have only lost one Test in this WTC cycle.South Africa’s hopes will once again rely on their bowling unit•Cricket Australia/Getty Images

Form guide

Australia WWWLW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
South Africa LLLWW

In the spotlight

David Warner will be capped for the 100th time at the MCG, an occasion that may have seemed unlikely when he made his debut on the back of his reputation as a white-ball basher in 2011, and unlikelier still after his last series against South Africa, in 2018. He is one of Australia’s boldest players, on and off the field, and heads towards this major milestone without much form. Since scoring his last hundred in January 2020, Warner has played 15 Tests, scored 678 runs, including two nineties and a 50, and averages 26.07. In 2022, he averages just 20.61, and there are questions about how much longer he will keep playing the longest format. The answer may come at the MCG.Given South Africa’s batting woes, it seems cruel to single out one player but Sarel Erwee must be eager to put in another score of significance, especially after fellow openers Tony de Zorzi and Jordan Hermann piled on the runs in the domestic four-day competition back home. Erwee has not gone past 26 in his last six innings but has only scored one hundred and one fifty in his eight Tests. That’s not too bad a return, especially considering the conditions South Africa have played in, but he will know they’ve dropped openers for less.Can Scott Boland rip up the MCG again?•Associated Press

Team news

Pat Cummins confirmed the XI on Christmas Day with hometown cult hero Scott Boland retaining his place. A tough decision was actually avoided with Josh Hazlewood making his own call that he wasn’t quite ready for a return after his side strain.Australia: 1 David Warner, 2 Usman Khawaja, 3 Marnus Labuschagne, 4 Steven Smith, 5 Travis Head, 6 Cameron Green, 7 Alex Carey (wk), 8 Pat Cummins (capt), 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Nathan Lyon, 11 Scott BolandSouth Africa had finalised their XI on Christmas Eve, but the only thing they were willing to give away was that any changes would be made in the line-up, not the team composition. That means they will continue with a 6-5 split, allowing all four specialist quicks and the spinner to take the field and have not been drawn into lengthening their under-fire batting line-up. If a switch happens, it’s likely to be in the top three where Rassie van der Dussen, who returned from a broken finger in Brisbane, could make way for Theunis de Bruyn.South Africa (possible): 1 Dean Elgar (capt), 2 Sarel Erwee, 3 Rassie van der Dussen/Theunis de Bruyn 4 Temba Bavuma, 5 Khaya Zondo, 6 Kyle Verreynne (wk), 7 Marco Jansen, 8 Keshav Maharaj, 9 Kagiso Rabada, 10 Anrich Nortje, 11 Lungi Ngidi

Pitch and conditions

The Gabba was given a below average rating for extra bounce and occasional excessive seam movement and inconsistent bounce, and the MCG produced a low-scoring Test last year. So, what are the odds on another bowler-friendly surface? Less than you’d think, it seems. The general consensus is that this MCG pitch will do a little less than its 2021 avatar, with both teams hopeful it will produce a good contest between bat and ball. Two days before the Test, South Africa’s speedster Anrich Nortje said he expected good pace and bounce but not as much sideways movement as Brisbane.The Test is set to start in hot and humid conditions. Melbourne is forecast to be 32 and 36 degrees on days one and two, with the possibility of some showers on the opening morning, before a wetter third day will give way to cooler temperatures on the last two days.

Stats and trivia

• Both Warner and Elgar are within sight of milestones after beginning their international careers at the Under-19 World Cup in 2006. Warner is 78 runs away from 8000 Test runs and will become the eighth Australia to reach the landmark, while Elgar needs 24 runs to reach 5000 Test runs. He will be the eighth South African to get there.
• Usman Khawaja needs 34 runs for 4000 in Tests
• South Africa have played 12 Tests at the MCG, and won three. Since readmission, they have played five Tests at the venue and only lost two, with two draws and their famous 2008 victory.

Quotes

“There would have been a part of everyone that would’ve felt a little bit aggrieved if Scott missed out.”
Pat Cummins on Scott Boland“We will try and get a lunch in somewhere but it’s obviously a PG-rated lunch. If the game was on the 28th, it might have been a bit different.”

Spin might not play as a big a role in the UAE in October-November as anticipated, says England captain

Matt Roller21-Jul-2021Eoin Morgan does not expect pitches to be conducive to spin in the T20 World Cup in October-November, and feels there are still spots up for grabs in the England set-up despite the fact that they will not play another T20I before naming a provisional squad for the tournament in mid-September.England have never bowled as many overs of spin in a T20I series outside of an ICC event as they did against Pakistan (28 in three games), and with the World Cup scheduled to be played in the UAE (some first-round matches will be hosted in Oman) immediately after the rescheduled IPL, there had been suggestions that playing on slow, spin-friendly pitches would serve them well for the tournament.Related

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• Jason Roy justifies England's faith by finding his groove

Morgan, however, suggested that venues in the UAE were used to a heavy load of games, and that based on his previous experiences playing there, spinners should not be expected to be significantly more effective than seamers.”We know as a side and a squad how good we are when wickets are good to bat on,” Morgan said on Tuesday night, after England beat Pakistan in their third T20I to seal the series 2-1. “We know our weakest point is when it’s not so easy, and tonight, I don’t think it was. There was a bit of an extreme circumstance where the ball turned a lot and was quite slow off the wicket [so the win was] extremely positive.”Today, going in with a different-balanced side – not necessarily going in with two out-and-out spinners and making up overs with a couple of allrounders – if you add Ben Stokes into that to cover another allrounder’s position, or Sam Curran, that presents a strong 12 or 13 within itself if we do play on wickets that turn a lot, [but] I am not anticipating that to happen. Having played in the UAE recently at the time of year that the World Cup is going to take place, the ball actually didn’t turn a great deal.”The IPL was played there after I can’t remember what tournament when we were there last time around [in 2020] and the wicket was still fine, good, held together really well. The curators there did a great job. I don’t think they will [spin]. They might, but I don’t think they will. If you go IPL and then you have the very start of the World Cup in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Dubai as opposed to having it in Oman as well, that might play a part but I think they can host a lot of cricket. They’ve been used to it for a while.”Morgan also left the door open for players to make a late push for inclusion in the squad through performances in the Hundred, having previously suggested that Tymal Mills, the left-arm quick, could bowl himself into contention. He also suggested that the make-up of England’s squad would depend on the venues they are due to play at, which are yet to be confirmed.”It’s going to be role-dependent,” Morgan said. “Hopefully our fixtures and venues are announced before we have to announce the squad and then we can map out the roles that we might need in various different strongest XIs and then we can work back from there. If we end up playing all our games at Abu Dhabi, or all our games at Sharjah, it creates different challenges. If they’re spread out, we’d need a more versatile squad.1:01

How long was Liam Livingstone’s monster six?

“We want as many options as possible. We are continually monitoring different guys. There are certain players we look at that that could have avenues in: guys that do things differently, left-armers, guys that bowl at pace or have a huge impact on the game, predominantly hit boundaries with the bat. There is still opportunities for guys to do that in the Hundred, and have an outside chance.”England face several tough choices heading into the World Cup, not least since Liam Livingstone was named player of the series after furthering his case for inclusion in the starting XI. Dawid Malan, who is averaging 26.80 with a strike rate of 114.52 in T20Is this year following his 31 off 33 balls on Tuesday night, looks vulnerable as a result of Livingstone’s success, but Morgan said he still saw Malan playing “a big role” for England.”Just because he’s had a quiet series doesn’t mean he’s not a good player,” Morgan said. “He’s done exceptional things for us over a long period of time. I think today’s game, the way he played actually suited his game more than most. He’s a guy that can take time and can go through the gears whereas actually, the majority of our team and the majority of our batting XI can’t. So when the scores are a little bit lower, he doesn’t have to push himself as much as he normally does or has done in an England shirt to date.”Liam is a guy we have wanted to find more out about. He’s certainly grown in stature, probably in the last year or so with his involvement in and around the group. When guys haven’t had opportunities for a number of years, having been involved for a short period of time, we look at how they come back in: have they improved certain things? I think Liam has improved a huge amount, and would say that himself. Other guys like Saqib Mahmood have done the exact same.”

The tournament is scheduled to start on August 8, but the government has pushed back the August 1 reopening of the country’s main airport

Madushka Balasuriya02-Jul-2020Sri Lanka Cricket is hopeful the Lanka Premier League will go ahead as scheduled in August, despite the Sri Lankan government pushing back the August 1 reopening of the country’s main airport in Katunayake.Sri Lanka’s sports ministry last week gave a go-ahead for the tournament, which has been scheduled from August 8 to 22. The date had been scheduled taking into account that Sri Lanka would be opening its borders for foreign arrivals on August 1.”We’re hoping to speak to His Excellency [president Gotabaya Rajapaksa] and see if we can come to a decision,” SLC CEO Ashley de Silva told ESPNcricinfo. “Sri Lanka has done very well in containing the coronavirus as opposed to other countries in the region, and as such we have had a lot of interest from foreign players in taking part in the tournament.”The LPL will see five teams taking part, with SLC still accepting tenders regarding franchise ownerships. Players will be selected through an auction process similar to the one popularised by the Indian Premier League, with each team allowed a maximum of six foreign players in a squad and four in the playing XI.The tournament will be played in either double or single round-robin format, followed by semi-finals and final.The length of the tournament meanwhile hinges not only on Sri Lanka opening its borders but also on whether SLC is able to come to an agreement with the BCCI over a tour of Sri Lanka, also in August. If the BCCI agrees, the tour would likely take place following the LPL, which in turn would shorten the tournament, explained de Silva.”At the moment we’re looking at 23 games, but if India agrees to play then it will most probably come down to 13.”An inbound India tour would be a significant boon to SLCs finances, which has been hit by the postponement of tours by England earlier this year, and most recently by Bangladesh, who were set to tour Sri Lanka in July but pulled out citing a lack of match preparedness owing to the Covid-19 pandemic.In terms of health and safety measures, any tour or tournament will see a significant reduction in crowds, with SLC planning to allow only up to 20% of stadium capacity, though the finer details are still to be ironed out.

Chennai Super Kings stomped all over Kolkata Knight Riders to register a seven-wicket victory and claim pole position halfway through the IPL season

The Report by Mohammad Isam09-Apr-2019Chennai Super Kings stomped all over Kolkata Knight Riders to register a seven-wicket victory at Chepauk and claim pole position halfway through the IPL season. Deepak Chahar’s early wickets and the spin trio of Harbhajan Singh, Imran Tahir and Ravindra Jadeja held back the Knight Riders line-up with accuracy, before the 109-run chase was dealt with quite easily by the hosts.Knight Riders managed to get past the three-figure mark mainly due to another major contribution from Andre Russell, who was unbeaten on 50 off 44 balls. It wasn’t one of his special knocks, though, as the Chepauk pitch unsurprisingly offered more to the spinners.MS Dhoni completes a stumping•BCCI

Faf du Plessis, who was unbeaten on 43 off 45 balls, and Ambati Rayudu handled spin better, as they ensured an easy chase. But it was set up by how Chahar started the game, taking three wickets at the top which took the wind out of the Knight Riders innings.Chahar blows the topChahar’s reputation for being one of the most effective Powerplay bowlers got further enhanced after a three-wicket burst, as Chris Lynn, Nitish Rana and Robin Uthappa were all dismissed in his first three overs, reducing Knight Riders to 24 for 4 by the fifth over.All three fell trying the cross-batted pull-shot, with Lynn being trapped lbw while Rana and Uthappa were caught at short and deep midwicket respectively. Chahar’s initial breakthroughs provided the perfect platform for Super Kings’ spinners who then grabbed control.Knight Riders sink to spinHarbhajan had already got one wicket when Chahar was on fire at the other end during the Powerplay. He had the dangerous Sunil Narine toe-ending a slog which was caught at point. Tahir then removed Knight Riders’ captain Dinesh Karthik and Shubman Gill in consecutive overs. Both batsmen were caught trying to play the flick, Karthik caught at short midwicket while Gill had the googly slip through his bat and pads, to be stumped. Harbhajan added a second in his second spell, having Piyush Chawla stumped in the 16th over.Russell’s lone handDespite walking into the middle with the score at 44 for 5 in the ninth over, Russell rallied the Knight Riders’ floundering innings right till the end. He slammed Harbhajan and Chawla for sixes in between getting dropped by the former at midwicket, when on 8.When Knight Riders slipped to 79 for 9 in the 17th over, Russell farmed the strike with Harry Gurney, ensuring he faced 16 of the 21 remaining deliveries. He managed to hit two more sixes although his arms started to hurt by all the swinging of the bat.Super Kings undeterred by early blowsNarine removed Shane Watson and Suersh Raina in the first five overs but du Plessis and Rayudu eased their concern with a 46-run stand for the third wicket. They hardly pressed the panic button, and were only on the lookout for a boundary when presented with a bad ball or a big gap.Rayudu fell with 28 runs required in the last 5.2 overs, but du Plessis and Kedar Jhadav got them home with 16 balls to spare.

New Zealand looked formidable in the first ODI in Wellington, and Pakistan need to turn things around quickly to push out fears of their recent unbeaten run being a flash in the pan

The Preview by Umar Farooq08-Jan-2018

Big picture

Until the previous game, Pakistan enjoyed a nine-game winning ODI streak stretching all the way back to the Champions Trophy last June. So clinically were they beaten in the first ODI in Wellington, that it felt like Pakistan fans’ fears about it being a flash in the pan look to have re-emerged. It wasn’t entirely surprising, however; New Zealand at home pose a very unique challenge, and have been one of the form sides off late. But the loss in the opening game brought Pakistan back down to earth sharply, and it is crucial that they respond as soon as they can. The Saxton Oval on Tuesday would do just fine.New Zealand are bursting with confidence, their powerful bowling unit and explosive batsmen looking to capitalise on the run of good form. Everything looks to be going according to plan; the captain is in form, the openers have clicked, the middle order has done its job, and the fast bowlers have hit the deck exceptionally well. At the same time, New Zealand will be cerebral enough to appreciate the unpredictability of their visitors, and look to guard against complacency on their part. After all, Pakistan lost to India in their opening game in the Champions Trophy, before turning their form around to end up with the title.Pakistan would have been banking on their bowlers, but they were off colour in Wellington, with Mohammad Amir and Rumman Raees conceding 57 and 68 runs respectively. Hasan Ali did manage to take three wickets, but leaked too many runs, and the fearsome pace unit was comfortably outdone by New Zealand’s fast bowlers. While Pakistan will also look for their senior batsmen to stand up, supporting the younger lot is important, too. Fakhar Zaman was their only plus in a dispiriting first game, while Faheem Ashraf looked sharp in his little cameo before rain put paid to the game. The bowlers, meanwhile, need to shake off the rust to carry their weight.

Form guide

New Zealand WWWWL (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Pakistan LWWWW

In the spotlight

Zaman proved dangerous, but the onus is on Pakistan’s two senior-most campaigners, Mohammad Hafeez and Shoaib Malik, to take their share of responsibility with bat in hand. Both bring a lot of experience in the side together, and while Malik has historically struggled in New Zealand, Hafeez averages 37.10 in the country, nearly five runs higher than his career average. Both may also feel the pressure to justify their inclusion, as they are effectively playing as specialist batsmen instead of as allrounders. Hafeez was banned from bowling last year, while Sarfraz Ahmed seemed extremely reluctant to give Malik the ball in Wellington, preferring the more innocuous Zaman to make up the overs.Lockie Fergusonbowled at consistently over 145 kph, with his fastest delivery bowled at 153.4 kph. He remained wicketless in a rain-interrupted game, but hugely impressed nonetheless, and the batsmen’s discomfort at playing him, particularly in his first spell, was evident. Besides, from a purely aesthetic perspective, watching a fast bowler steaming in, given the licence to operate at those kinds of speeds is a rare treat these days. If he can keep it up for the rest of the series, there’s no question that wickets column should begin to tick over rapidly.

Team news

New Zealand are expected to field an unchanged side. Pakistan, while disappointing on Saturday, will look to recreate the spark that saw them perform to their potential in Nelson – the venue for this ODI – in a tour game last week. They, too, are expected to field the same eleven.New Zealand (probable): Martin Guptill, Colin Munro, Kane Williamson (capt), Ross Taylor, Tom Latham (wk), Henry Nicholls, Mitchell Santner, Todd Astle, Tim Southee, Lockie Ferguson, Trent Boult
Pakistan (probable): Azhar Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Sarfraz Ahmed (capt/wk), Faheem Ashraf, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Amir, Hasan Ali, Rumman Raees

Pitch and conditions

The forecast in Nelson isn’t ideal, with rain expected throughout the week. Clouds may clear early enough for the game to begin on time, though stoppages would not be a surprise.As for the pitch, it has historically been slower than most New Zealand surfaces, and so the spinners may find themselves more in the game than they did in Wellington.

Stats and trivia

• Zaman made his ODI debut in the second game of the Champions Trophy, and had won all nine of the ODIS he had played until the loss in Wellington. His average didn’t suffer for it, however, going up nearly ten runs to 53.55.
• Of the eight completed ODIs played at the Saxton Oval, six have been won by the chasing side. New Zealand have won four and lost just one of the five ODIs they’ve played at this ground.

Quotes

‘We have a young side but have the potential to beat anyone. We have skill and it won’t be an easy task for New Zealand to win the series.’

‘They do have a good attack all round, they complement each other well and they’re a well balanced side, much like ourselves. It is a tough series and it’s important we’re good again in the next [ODI].”

They began the morning needing only a further 37 runs to beat the home team Western Australia

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Oct-2016
ScorecardWestern Australia were soundly beaten in their first game of the season, at home•Getty Images

South Australia cruised to a 10-wicket win over Western Australia on the fourth day at the WACA, where they began the morning needing only a further 37 runs for victory. Openers Jake Weatherald (37 not out) and Kelvin Smith (29 not out) carried the Redbacks to their target of 69 without loss, needing only 15.3 overs on the final day to get the job done.South Australia’s Chadd Sayers was named Man of the Match for his match haul of 6 for 108, although much of the focus from the outside was on Shaun Marsh, who secured his Test place with scores of 73 and 110. Callum Ferguson and Tom Cooper also posted centuries for South Australia.

Joe Root described Alastair Cook as a model pro without banter and regretteds the fact the third longest innings in Test history might have been ended by a no ball

Andrew McGlashan16-Oct-2015Such were the exertions that Alastair Cook had put himself through in nearly 14 hours at the crease in temperatures easily in the high 30s – and the convention that the England captain usually only speaks after a Test match is finished, except for the occasional TV grab – that for the second day running it was left to a team-mate to marvel at the captain’s qualities.This time it was Joe Root, seemingly leader-elect and a player who will go onto challenge whatever stack of records Cook leaves behind, after he made 85 in dominating a fourth-wicket stand of 141, who was the spokesman.”As you can imagine being out there for two days it’s taken a lot out of him, but I’m sure it’s a good pain and one at the start of the week he’d have loved to have had,” he said. “I’m sure he’ll rest up tonight and be as fresh as a daisy tomorrow.”It was a hell of an effort, two days in that heat showed huge amounts of skill, concentration and fitness. We spoke a lot as a side about batting long periods of time out here and how important it will be if we are to give ourselves a chance of winning. Our captain has led from the front and set the example for the rest of the series.”Such have been the conditions in the UAE that even Cook – who is well known for not sweating – has had to change his gloves more than ever. There is, as yet, no count on the exact number of pairs or volume of shirts that the third longest Test innings required. Root did, though, say that while Cook may have changed gloves he did not change persona at any stage whether in the middle or the dressing room.Joe Root shows his frustration at a century that eluded him•Getty Images

“He was just the same as always, pretty down to earth chats about rubbish. It’s a bit like batting in the middle, he doesn’t give you any banter or doesn’t look like he’s overly concentrating. He’s just a model professional, he knows what he needs to do and he can switch off when he needs to. I think that’s one reason he can bat long periods of time.”Cook’s innings, which made him the leading non-Asian batsman in Asia ahead of Jacques Kallis, eventually ended with a top-edged sweep to short fine leg – a shot that had been a key part of his stay – but replays showed that Shoaib Malik’s delivery was a no-ball. Although Malik’s foot did drag back, it is the first point of planting that matters and he had nothing behind the line. It was one of the increasingly rare dismissals where the front line was not checked, so there was no recourse.Root, though, acknowledged how the energy-sapping conditions that the players have gone through are the same for the umpires, two men who have to stand in the middle throughout.”It’s disappointing,” he said of Cook’s dismissal. “It’s tough, the umpires are in a position where they can never win. If they make a good decision they are expected to do it, if they make a bad one everyone wants their heads. I have a little of sympathy for the umpires out there in that heat as well, they have to concentration for just as long as we have but you want to see those decision go the right way. Unfortunately everyone makes mistakes.”

Kevin Pietersen’s absence from the IPL will affect Delhi Daredevils both on the field and off it

Nagraj Gollapudi21-Mar-2013Kevin Pietersen’s absence from the entire IPL 2013 season is a big loss for Delhi Daredevils, and not just on the field. Pietersen’s contract with the Daredevils indicated he would have played 11 of their 16 league matches before leaving for the home series against New Zealand.”It is very difficult for any team to replace a player of that stature,” TA Sekar, the Daredevils’ team director TA Sekar, said. “He was encouraging the youngsters, taking a lot of initiatives, talking in team meetings, and was a positive influence. He had a good rapport with Viru and gelled well easily into the team.”Last year, the Daredevils had come close to making the IPL finals in 2012, but lost in a close match in the second qualification game (play-off) against eventual runners-up Chennai Super Kings. Daredevils had topped the points table at the end of the league phase and Pietersen had played a key role in their progress in the eight matches he played – Pietersen scored 305 runs including a century (a victorious 103 against Deccan Chargers), the third-best figures for his team in terms of runs behind his captain Virender Sehwag and narrowly behind the Mahela Jayawardene.Pietersen’s popularity in the IPL is a contrast to his standing in England which plummeted following his stand-off with the ECB and a section of the England team last year. In England, Pietersen continues to be an outsider despite playing for the country, but in India he has been embraced much more easily, perhaps because the Indian fans love a character who performs.Despite having spent just three weeks with Daredevils last year, Pietersen managed to quickly become a heartthrob. “It was very early in the competition. KP got a hundred and Delhi won the match. And after that every time Pietersen would walk in the whole stadium would chant “KP, KP”. I have not seen this happen except with Sachin [Tendulkar] and some of the other big India players like Viru. I certainly can’t remember a foreign player getting that kind of response from Indian crowd. He was genuinely loved by the fans, I felt,” Amrit Mathur, the former Daredevils’ CEO and currently one of the advisors with the franchise, said.Well groomed and a natural entertainer, Pietersen, Mathur said, was a “hit” with the corporates, too. “The sponsors would want him at promotions or any such event. He speaks well, he is polite, he is very good with corporate heads. So he is exactly what a commercial franchise-based entity requires: somebody who is hot on the field and equally good off the field.”Star power, charisma, mass appeal make the 6’4” Pietersen stand out in the IPL crowd. Among overseas players, Pietersen is up there with Shane Warne as a global brand and is in the top bracket of most expensive players. “He is undeniably a star. A lot of it flows from the way he performs and conducts himself on the field. He is a match-winner. People like Shane Warne and KP are standout performers,” Mathur said.Six matches away from finishing 100 Tests, 32 years old, a father, Pietersen might be a veteran in the cricket business to many, but he continues to display the verve and burning desire of a youth driven to make an impact. He has been in the IPL from the first edition in 2008, but managed just 329 runs in the three years he was with Royal Challengers Bangalore. In 2011, he was bought by the now defunct Deccan Chargers, but injury prevented him from playing that season. In 2012 he was traded to the Daredevils.Even before the knee injury, the Daredevils management had put in place replacement plans for Pietersen by buying New Zealand batsman Jesse Ryder and South Africa allrounder Johan Botha, Sekar conceded they can only be expected to do “60 to 70% of the job Pietersen did”. It is hard to find a man-to-man replacement. “KP is very big in international cricket. He can intimidate the opponents in a big way. Psychologically he makes an impact,” Sekar said.According to Mathur, Pietersen remains the right kind of advert for the IPL. “KP is a star not just as a player and performer but also as a personality and a person. He is a great with fans. People come to watch him. He is a confident, extroverted player. The sponsors love him. He is an absolute asset. He is the right package for the IPL.”

Michael Clarke, the Australia captain, has joined IPL franchise Pune Warriors

Nagraj Gollapudi27-Mar-2012Michael Clarke, the Australia captain, has joined IPL franchise Pune Warriors. On Tuesday, Sourav Ganguly, the Warriors captain and mentor, had said Clarke was close to signing a contract which would be valid for the next two seasons. On Wednesday, the deal was confirmed by the IPL.Ganguly, who was appointed captain for this season in the absence of Yuvraj Singh, said having Clarke on board would bolster the Warriors in all departments of the game.”He can bat and he can bowl. He is a big player,” Ganguly told ESPNcricinfo.Clarke had, in 2009, pulled out of the IPL auction, citing Australia’s busy schedule, and has never played in the competition. In fact the only domestic Twenty20 games he has played were way back in 2004, for Hampshire in England. He also retired from Twenty20 internationals in January 2011 in order to focus on ODIs and Tests. Asked why Warriors were interested in Clarke, despite his lack of T20 experience, Ganguly said Clarke had the talent and was considering a return to Twenty20 cricket.”It is his ability,” Ganguly said. “He also wants to re-start playing Twenty20 cricket.”Clarke had acknowledged that his manager was in talks with the franchise but said a decision would be arrived at in due course. Clarke landed in the Caribbean on Monday to join the Australia squad. He is still recovering from a hamstring injury suffered during the CB Series, but is expected to play in the warm-up match ahead of the three-Test series against West Indies.Clarke will only feature in the second half of the Warriors’ campaign, as the West Indies tour finishes at the end of the April.Warriors are now left with just one more overseas slot to fill. Ganguly also confirmed that the franchise had opened talks with Tamim Iqbal, the Bangladesh opener, but it was too early to say anything definitive. “We are still chatting to Tamim,” Ganguly said.Edited by Dustin Silgardo

The England hierarchy has moved to dismiss rumours over the future of its senior players as the team desperately try to recover their World Cup campaign after defeat to Bangladesh

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Mar-2011The England hierarchy has moved to dismiss rumours over the future of its senior players as the team desperately try to recover their World Cup campaign after defeat to Bangladesh.England’s erratic campaign has left them needing to beat West Indies to be sure of qualification to the quarter-finals, but the ECB had to insist on Sunday that suggestions Andrew Strauss would retire from one-day cricket at the end of the tournament were unfounded.”I can say, categorically, that Andrew and I have not had that conversation [about retirement]. It’s purely speculation,” the ECB managing director Hugh Morris told BBC Sport. “At the end of each winter series we have a robust debrief and Andrew will be involved, but at this stage we’ve had no discussions. I’ve had no discussions with Kevin [Pietersen], Andrew or any players.”Meanwhile, England’s Twenty20 captain, Paul Collingwood, had to make similar rebuttals about his own future after his decline in form led to him batting No. 8 in the recent two-wicket loss to Bangladesh. He insisted his only concern is the next game against West Indies and feels England’s sluggish start to the tournament is similar to their experience at the World Twenty20 in the Caribbean. There, they ended as champions despite some scrappy showings in the early stages.”One reason I retired from Test cricket was to prolong the one-day side of things and I still feel I have major contributions to make,” Collingwood said. “I’m still Twenty20 captain. I want to continue that as well. It’s not in my mind to even think about things like [my future].”I see things developing very much how the Twenty20 did last year in the West Indies. We scraped through the group stages, but once we did we really put our performances together and went on to win it. We really need to focus on getting this complete game. You put the whole thing together, and we’re a formidable team. We want to do that against the West Indies.”After a marathon winter that started when they left for Australia at the end of October, England’s cricketers have looked bedraggled of late. They conceded 23 wides in the defeat to Bangladesh but despite admitting the scheduling has been tough, Collingwood said there was no excuse for their showing so far.”It’s not ideal having two huge series or tournaments together, it’s like having two Olympics in the same winter. But we can’t make that as an excuse. We’re focused on knowing if we win those four games we win the World Cup and there aren’t many times in your career where you can say that.”