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Sourav Ganguly has brushed aside notions of Twenty20 being a young man’s game, pointing out how seniors players have thrived in the Indian Premier League.”It’s fashionable to talk of age, but I’ve always maintained that class and performance matter,” Ganguly said ahead of Kolkata’s clash against Mumbai. “If you look at the IPL, almost everybody who has got a hundred is over 30 … Sanath Jayasuriya is almost 39 … I myself missed a hundred narrowly.”Ganguly had revealed his hopes of a one-day comeback after Kolkata’s win against Delhi – “I hope the selectors are watching” – and went one step further here. “I’m sure my turn will [again] come in ODIs,” he said. “What I feel bad about is that after 13 years, I still [need to] surprise people.”Ganguly was controversially dropped from the one-day side earlier this year and has gone on to hit out against the selectors. Dilip Vengsarkar, the chairman of selectors, though, didn’t rule out the possibility of Ganguly coming back.”He has done extremely well,” he said in an interview to . “Yes, we have been watching him, especially his brilliant fielding, with great interest.”Sachin Tendulkar has also dismissed the perception of Twenty20 being unsuitable for senior players. “This tournament is the biggest proof that age doesn’t matter,” he said. “It’s performance … this IPL should stop such questions …”Brendon McCullum, 26, is the only IPL centurion who is below 30 years of age. Michael Hussey, Andrew Symonds, Adam Gilchrist and Jayasuriya are all on the other side of 30.

The Indian management have decided to play it safe and have rested Munaf Patel, the fast bowler, for tomorrow’s one-day international at Cape Town. Munaf did not take part in a practice session yesterday owing to a sore left ankle, and his absence brings Anil Kumble and Sreesanth into the equation.Rahul Dravid confirmed that Munaf was not fit enough to take the field, and hoped that Virender Sehwag, who missed out at Durban with a finger injury, would be fit for tomorrow’s match. “We are hopeful that Sehwag would be alright,” he said. “But you can never say how a player pulls up on the morning of the match particularly after a practice session.”

Zimbabwe Cricket’s managing director Ozias Bvute appeared in court on Wednesday to face charges of contravening the country’s Draconian foreign currency exchange regulations.The pro-government Daily Mirror reported that Bvute was charged in his personal capacity for exchange-control anomalies. The newspaper claimed Bvute illegally made payments of nearly US$1.5 million outside Zimbabwe. The payments included university tuition for three ZC scholarship players, including Hamilton Masakadza, who was at the Free State University in South Africa.The other charges against Bvute include authorising commission payments from monies obtained from television rights, to UK based marketing agent, Octagon CSI.In all instances, the paper reports, the Zimbabwe board and Bvute did not approach the country’s central bank for approval.He is set to return to Harare Magistrates Court on December 4 for further trial.

Australia have used an 18th-century St Vincent fort as the stage for a crucial pre-tournament team meeting. Before heading to the opening ceremony in Jamaica, the Australians spoke about togetherness and how it would be important during their campaign for a third consecutive trophy.”We really used the fort, and what a fort is,” Ponting said in the Herald Sun. “The fort is there to keep people in inside, but it’s also to keep people outside.”We had a good discussion about that, things we want kept out and things we want kept in among the group. Every player sat down and gave a couple of examples of both.”While the chat at Fort Charlotte was a success, the players were not happy at being unable to practice in the nets over the weekend due to travel and the opening ceremony. On Monday Australia arrived in St Kitts, which is their base for the next two weeks, and they will have only one training session before the opening game against Scotland on Wednesday.”You would like to have a bit more time in the country where you are playing your first game before your first game,” Ponting said. “But that’s not the way it is. It’s not the way it is in professional cricket these days anyway.”

R Ashwin, India’s No. 1 spinner, has said he is close to full fitness, which should come as relief to the team after losing both the T20I and ODI series to South Africa.”I’m close to full fitness and I’m confident of bowling well in the Test series,” Ashwin said at a promotional event in Chennai.Ashwin strained his side during the first ODI, played in Kanpur. When he pulled out of that game, his figures read 4.4-0-14-1 and had dragged India back into the contest after a fiery South Africa start. India missed Ashwin throughout the series.Over the last few seasons, India’s home Test cricket has gone back to revolving around spinners, especially with the whitewash of Australia in 2012-13. Ashwin was also Man of the Series in India’s last Test series, in Sri Lanka in August. He will be India’s main weapon against a side that has a well-earned reputation of being the best travellers in world cricket.Ashwin’s fitness becomes more important considering the uncertainty around legspinner Amit Mishra, who has been booked by Bangalore Police for an alleged assault on a woman. Mishra remains free to travel and should be eligible for selection, but it is unknown yet how the BCCI sees this. Or indeed what kind of mental space Mishra will be in should he play the Mohali Test in nine days time. The third spinner in the squad is Ravindra Jadeja, who returned for the South Africa Tests after being dropped for the recent tours of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.About India’s performance in the ODIs, Ashwin said, “Ours is a relatively inexperienced side. We have just a few players who have played 100-odd games. We need to give some cushion and time to this side. They have players like AB de Villiers and Faf du Plessis who are very experienced players. We knew it was going to be hard-fought series. Had the last over in Kanpur gone our way, the result could have been different.”

Marcus Trescothick, England’s troubled opening batsman, has flown home from Australia with a reoccurrence of his “stress-related illness” and will play no part in the Ashes.In a massive blow to England’s prospects, Trescothick left from Sydney International Airport early on Tuesday morning, having also missed the Champions Trophy in India. Following discussions with team management and medical staff, it was agreed he should fly home as soon as possible.Though he had declared himself “relaxed and ready” for the challenge, he made just 2 and 8 in England’s first two warm-up matches at Canberra and Sydney, and questions will now be asked as to why he was allowed to tour in the first place.”We fully believed Marcus was ready and fit and able to be part of the team in this most important tour,” the ECB chairman, David Morgan, told The Sydney Morning Herald. “It is with surprise and great regret that we heard his stress-related illness had re-occurred. This is sad for Marcus but he has a very supportive family.””It is disappointing to lose a player of such quality,” said Duncan Fletcher, England’s coach. “Everyone in the England dressing-room hopes he makes a full recovery and is able to resume his international career.”Trescothick’s problems began on England’s tour of India last winter, when he flew home in tears ahead of the first Test at Nagpur. Speculation was rife as to the cause of his illness, although the ECB shrouded his departure in a blanket of secrecy, and the full extent of his problem has never yet been revealed.He regained his spot in the team at the start of last season and scored a century in his comeback innings against Sri Lanka at Lord’s. However, the rest of the summer against Sri Lanka and Pakistan produced a run of low scores and mid-way through the one-day series with Pakistan it was announced Trescothick would miss the Champions Trophy.”It’s an enormous blow,” Ian Botham told Sky Sports. “They obviously thought it’s not worth it, and so it’s back to the drawing board.” Alastair Cook is now the obvious choice to move up the order, just as he did on debut at Nagpur last winter, while Kent’s Robert Key – who impressed in a losing cause on the last Ashes tour in 2002-03 – is expected to be drafted in as a replacement.Trescothick played a key role in England regaining the Ashes last year as he took on the Australian bowlers at the top of the order. His aggressive 90 at Edgbaston set the tone for England’s fightback after their defeat at Lord’s and his partnerships with Andrew Strauss produced a series of flying starts.However, his record in Australia during the 2002-03 tour was much more indifferent as he was constantly troubled by the pace attack. He averaged just 26 and his record against Australia is 10 runs lower than his career average. This latest twist to Trescothick’s situation shows similarities to Graham Thorpe before the last Ashes tour. Thorpe was named in the squad but pulled out for personal reasons before the team left for Australia.

Pakistan Under-19s allrounder Hasan Mohsin was named the Man of the Match against Afghanistan Under-19s in Sylhet for his swing-bowling display. Against Sri Lanka Under-19s on Wednesday, Mohsin exhibited his batting prowess too, something he didn’t get a chance to do when Pakistan chased low totals in the first two league games.The side batted first and lost two wickets within nine balls and, despite a comfortable start, suddenly found themselves 70 for 3 in the 20th over. Mohsin is not the most technically correct batsman in the side and neither is he the most elegant. But he is effective, assesses situations well and thinks on his feet. Had it not been for his run-a-ball 86, Pakistan would have probably have been bundled out for much less than 212.”My approach was to safeguard my wicket as well as keep the runs flowing because our batsmen at the top got out really early,” Mohsin said. “So when Umair Masood was playing with me, our discussion was to build a partnership and save our wicket as well.”Mohsin, who also opens the bowling, is primarily a batting allrounder. He has batted at No. 5 so far in the tournament and explains that he prefers the middle order because of a liking for spin.”I like batting at No. 4 or 5 because I believe I play spinners better,” he said. “At whichever position I bat, I always try to pull my team out of difficult situations and do well for them.”In the beginning, Mohsin took his time to get his eye in, despite a drop in the run rate. He made sure he stalled a collapse by seeing through spells of Sri Lanka’s left-arm spinners and was on 5 off 19 balls before collecting his first boundary. Once he opened up, he started rotating the strike more easily and soon brought up his fifty off 65 deliveries. He used his hands and supple wrists to target the leg-side boundary initially and it seemed like he didn’t prefer the off side much. Soon, however, he was using late cuts and punches, and was finding gaps cleverly with timing and placement.In the last 10 overs, he unleashed a beautiful inside-out cover drive and surprised everyone in the 47th over with a de Villiers-like scoop from well outside off that got him four runs fine on the leg side. Did he see the fine-leg fielder coming in?”Yes. The situation was such that I had to, because the field was such,” he said. “The fast bowler was bowling and to hit straight wasn’t easy. So I thought I’ll sit down and [play that shot].”It was difficult conditions for batting. I was just playing it all on merit.”Mohsin looked at ease against the ambidextrous bowler Kamindu Mendis and said he got over the initial surprise. He scored 12 runs off 12 balls against Mendis and the spinner was soon out of the attack.”Yes, it was surprising. But for me, left-arm spinners I believe I can play them easily – whether he’s bowling an arm ball or break.” Would it have troubled Mohsin had Mendis switched to right-arm offspin against him? “No, offspin would’ve made it easier. Pakistan’s wickets are such that we way play spinners well.”Mohsin started out as a batsman and legspinner when his father took him to an academy in Karachi in 2008. Several years later his coach Mohammad Masroor, also the Pakistan team coach right now, advised him to switch from legspin to swing bowling. He was singled out as one of the side’s main allrounders by the management before the World Cup.In his team’s successful defence of a below-par score, Mohsin provided the spinners a perfect platform by removing the Sri Lankan openers in his first spell. Some accurate outswingers helped remove Avishka Fernando in his first over and a nagging line to left-handed Kaveen Bandara induced an outside edge in the sixth over to leave Sri Lanka at 21 for 2.”I always try to bowl line and length, wickets come by themselves,” he said. “My aim is always to stay on one type of swing at the start and keep bowling line and length. So when I contain the batsmen, I get a wicket.”Slightly shy, Mohsin opens up once you start talking about his game and tactics. Will he open himself to the world of T20 leagues, such as the PSL? “It is natural that everyone would want to play big cricket. If some team gives me an offer, surely I will play.”

Dave Houghton, Derbyshire’s director of cricket, is set to quit his post immediately though his contract with the county expires only at the end of 2007. Derbyshire chairman Don Amott said that the parting was amicable.”I am obviously disappointed to be leaving because I have thoroughly enjoyed my time here but this is the best way forward for both the club and myself,” said Houghton. “I hope to find another role in cricket before too long and wish Derbyshire every success for the future.”Simon Katich, the captain, and the remaining coaching staff would take over Houghton’s duties for the rest of the season. Derbyshire are currently languishing in the fifth spot of the second division of the County Championship. They have won only two of their nine one-day matches and none of their Twenty20 Cup games. The 2006 season was no better as they finished fifth in the county championship one-day tournament and the Twenty20 Cup and a miserable eighth in the Pro40.Despite the poor performances, Amott said that Houghton had to be commended for dramatically improving the ability of Derbyshire’s playing squad over the past couple of years and attracting players of real quality to the club. “His enormous experience has been of great benefit, particularly to the younger players we have coming through our system,” he said.Houghton, who was Zimbabwe’s first Test captain, later coached the Zimbabwe side as well as Worcestershire. He was sounded out by the Bangladesh board this June to be their national coach but at that time Houghton was reluctant to take up the job as he had relocated his family to England from Zimbabwe. But reports that “negotiations between Houghton and Bangladesh are at an advanced stage and that an announcement can be expected within days.”

ScorecardAvesh Khan dismissed four of Bangladesh’s top five batsmen•PTI

Medium-pacer Avesh Khan’s figures of 6-3-4-4 helped India Under-19s defend their small score of 158, by bowling out Bangladesh Under-19s for 76 to seal an 82-run win in the opening match of the Tri-Nation Tournament, in Kolkata. After India were restricted by Bangladesh’s spinners, the visitors lost half their side in under eight overs and never recovered from there.Opting to bat, India lost four of their top five batsmen to single-digit scores as only Washington Sundar resisted with 34 off 61 before he was trapped lbw by offspinner Mehedi Hasan, leaving the score on 62 for 5. Five overs later, India were reeling at 76 for 7 before Anmolpreet Singh (28) took them past 100 and Zeeshan Ansari (34) and Avesh (25*) chipped in with useful scores to lead them past 150. India were bowled out in 45.3 overs and Mehedi finished with 3 for 21, and Abdul Halim and Saleh Ahmed Shawon took two each.Bangladesh never got going in the chase. Avesh struck on the first ball of the innings and in each of his first four overs, leaving Bangladesh’s score on 23 for 4. His opening partner Kanishk Seth, a left-arm pacer, also picked up wickets in consecutive overs later on as Bangladesh’s top five batsmen registered scores of 0, 1, 7, 9 and 0. Only No. 6 Shafiul Hayet and No. 8 Saeed Sarkar scored in double-digits but they were soon bowled out in 22 overs. Seth and Ansari picked up two wickets apiece.Nine of the 11 players from India made their debuts, apart from captain Ricky Bhui and Sarfaraz Khan.

Samir Inamdar, the Cricket Kenya chairman, has told Cricinfo that the national elite league will proceed despite the ongoing problems affecting the Nairobi province.The original intention was for the league to launch in December when availability is likely to be at its highest because of holidays. But logistically that might not be possible as Kenya host Under-15s and women’s tournaments that month. It now seems likely that the league will be staged in early January.The finances are already in place after the African Cricket Association pledged US$35,000 to the competition. CK is seeking corporate sponsors for each region to help offset travel costs, and also an overall tournament sponsor.CK is planning a stakeholders meeting in early December to discuss how the league will work among other matters affecting the game in the country.The proposals are for a four-side zonal league in which teams will play in three formats – three-day, one-day and Twenty20. The zonal sides are likely to be geographically based, with two probably coming from Nairobi, one from the Coast and one from the other regions.Players in the centrally-contracted national squad will be divided between the four sides to ensure there is balance between the teams and to ensure that the standard of all matches is as high as possible. In practice, that will probably mean that each team has seven local players supplemented with four members of the national side.