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Stuart Broad has issued a statement denying any part in the creation of a parody Twitter account that mocked Kevin Pietersen

George Dobell14-Aug-2012Stuart Broad has issued a statement denying any part in the creation of a parody Twitter account that mocked his England team-mate Kevin Pietersen.Broad, the England Twenty20 International captain, and Alex Hales, who took Pietersen’s place at the top of the order in England’s T20 side, were both alleged to have been involved in the account by Pietersen’s friend, the chatshow host Piers Morgan.The real creator of the parody account, Richard Bailey, came forward on Monday and not only apologised for the trouble he had caused, but clarified that he had worked alone. While Bailey is a friend of Broad and Hales, all parties insist that no professional players were in any way involved either in setting up the account or supplying information.”Following last night’s statement by Mr Richard Bailey that he was responsible for creating a parody Twitter account in Kevin Pietersen’s name, I would like to confirm that I had no involvement in this whatsoever,” Broad said”I met with the Managing Director, England Cricket, Hugh Morris this morning and assured him that I did not play any role in the creation of this account or provide Mr Bailey with any information regarding Kevin Pietersen or the England team.”As has been widely reported Mr Bailey is a friend of mine, but we had no conversations regarding this issue at all and I am pleased that he has now decided to close the parody account down.”Broad’s words echo the results of an ESPNcricinfo investigations last week that identified the creator of the parody account, but found no evidence that any England player had been actively involved in it at any stage. That information was communicated to senior officials of the ECB.Morris added: “Having discussed this matter with Stuart, I am fully satisfied that he acted in a professional manner at all times and did not breach any confidences regarding fellow England players.”ECB also accepts the apology Mr Bailey offered last night to the England team via his Twitter account and his re-assurances that no professional cricketers were involved in the creation of this site.”Meanwhile Andrew Strauss expressed his surprise in the escalation of events that has led to Pietersen being dropped from the team for the third Test. Strauss, England’s Test captain, also expressed his disappointment that private dressing room matters should have been aired so publically.”I’ve always got on very well with Kevin,” Strauss told Sky Sports. “I’ve tried to be honest with him, and he’s been honest with me. That’s why this has all been a bit of a surprise for me. The discontent Kevin had with the Board over his contract situation is one that the players didn’t get involved in; I didn’t really get involved in it, if I’m honest with you. But over the last week, I’ve had to get involved as there were issues that were more central to the other players and our ability to perform out in the middle.”I’m a big believer in not airing dirty laundry in public. That’s one of the core values of our team: what goes on in the dressing room stays in the dressing room and anytime anyone has fallen foul of that they have been disciplined and rightly so. It’s about mutual respect and trust and that’s a core issue that is central to resolving this.”

Boyd Rankin has admitted feeling guilty about ending his Ireland international career but insisted that he had little option

George Dobell11-Aug-2012Boyd Rankin has admitted feeling guilty about ending his Ireland international career but insisted that he had little option but to cut down his playing commitments if he was to have any hope of sustaining a career in the game.The door for a return is open, however, with Rankin allowing himself two or three years in which to fulfil his ambition of playing for England before considering a return for Ireland.Rankin, described by Marcus Trescothick as among the best bowlers he faced in 2011, came close to an England call-up during the winter tour of the UAE. With Chris Tremlett and Tim Bresnan both forced to return home due to injury, the England management were considering sending for Rankin, then on the Lions tour of Sri Lanka, only for injury to scupper his chances.Such episodes have been far from uncommon in Rankin’s career. When fit, the 6ft 7in Irishman has the pace, bounce and hostility to trouble the best but his progress has been hampered by a series of injury setbacks, the latest of which – a stress fracture in the foot – proved to be the catalyst for a review of his obligations.Finally, after much reflection, Rankin came to the conclusion that if he was to fulfil his ambition of playing the game to the highest level, he had to give up an Ireland career that has seen him play 37 ODIs and 12 T20Is and concentrate on representing England in Test cricket.”I’ve been thinking about the decision to retire from Ireland for three months,” Rankin told ESPNcricinfo. “It had just become difficult to play that amount of cricket. The injury I had – an injury that I probably picked up from playing so much cricket – had really set me back. It made it all hit home: I can’t physically keep playing the amount of cricket I’m playing or I’ll end up not playing at all. This decision should prolong my career.”It only takes a glance at Rankin’s record to understand both his potential and his problems. He has an outstanding strike-rate of a wicket every 45.7 deliveries in first-class cricket – a record that places him high among contemporary fast bowlers – but, aged 28, he has been limited to just 51 first-class matches in his career, with injury interrupting his progress at regular intervals.Such were Rankin’s injury problems that he faced the prospect of losing his county deal if he refused to turn his back on Ireland. Warwickshire offered a lucrative three-year contract but only on the condition that Rankin retired from Ireland duty. Several other counties made enquiries into his services, but all of them were similarly concerned by his long-term fitness issues.”There were a few other clubs interested,” Rankin said. “But the first question that kept cropping up was, ‘Are you still going to play for Ireland?’ I think I would have been in the same situation wherever I went. I would have had to retire from Ireland to give England a good shot.”Ireland tried quite hard to keep me. I guess there aren’t too many other fast bowlers available for them, are there? We are on retainers with Ireland but they’re not that much. They tried to increase it, but this decision was not about the money. It was about trying to play cricket to the highest level I can. They weren’t happy, but they understood.”Ideally I would love to play Test cricket for Ireland, but I can’t see them gaining Test status during my playing career and I think everyone understands that any sportsman will want to play the game to the highest level they can.”I do feel a bit guilty. I’ve always loved playing for Ireland – it’s helped me hugely – and I know I’m not helping their cause by doing this. But it got to the stage where I just didn’t feel I could keep playing. Ireland have so much cricket planned for the next couple of years and so do Warwickshire. Something had to give.”

“I hope that, if I do play Test cricket for England, it reflects well on Ireland and will strengthen their claims for Test status”Boyd Rankin

Coming so close to the England Test squad in the UAE was another catalyst for Rankin. The frustration of being denied by injury once again brought home to him how important it was that he gave himself the best chance of fulfilling his ambition. So, after much soul-searching and despite the attempts of his Warwickshire and Ireland team-mate William Porterfield to persuade him to continue, Rankin concluded that the logical thing to do was end his Ireland career.”I know I was close and that was a factor in my decision,” he said. “I’ve feel I probably have a two-year window to break into the England side and, to give myself the best chance of doing that, I had to give up playing for Ireland. I know my body can’t take all the cricket it was being asked to play and I know I couldn’t bowl at my best if I was tired or injured.”Those comments from Marcus Trescothick were a huge boost to me. It really helped me understand that I could go on and play at the next level.”I hope that, if I do play Test cricket for England, it reflects well on Ireland. It would show that the country can produce the players like Ed Joyce and Eoin Morgan who can go on and play for England. It’ll strengthen their claims for Test status.”William Porterfield is the Ireland captain and he tried to persuade me. He tried to keep me but I think he understands. Everyone wants the best for me, really. They know that, in an ideal world, I want to play for Ireland, but in terms of my body and the amount of cricket I was playing, it was impossible to keep everyone happy.”And, if it doesn’t happen with England, I can always go back in three years. They said the door is always open to go back.”Rankin faces an uneasy wait ahead of the announcement of Ireland’s World T20 squad, however. He was hoping to make the tournament his last for Ireland, but now fears the selectors, either in pique or with a view to the future, may omit him from it. “Hopefully I’ll be selected,” he said, “but you can understand they may want to look to the future.”For the time being, Rankin is happy focusing on helping Warwickshire try to claim their first Championship title since 2004. In the longer term, though, the continued leaking of talent from Ireland is an issue that only the ICC can stop. Rankin is a symptom of a problem without an easy solution and another example of Ireland being a victim of their own success.

ESPNcricinfo’s preview of the first Twenty20 between India and New Zealand in Visakhapatnam

The Preview by Kanishkaa Balachandran07-Sep-2012Match factsSaturday, September 8
Start time 1900 (1330 GMT)*Yuvraj Singh – Return of the Prodigal Son•Associated PressBig PictureYuvraj Singh is no stranger to attention. On Saturday, when he walks down the pavilion steps at Visakhapatnam (provided he is picked), he can expect the kind of standing ovation and cheers normally reserved for Sachin Tendulkar at grounds all over the world. His faster-than-expected return from germ cell cancer is an inspiration to millions and even if his contributions turn out to be underwhelming, his team-mates will savour his return to the dressing room.Yuvraj has had no serious match practice, but those who’ve watched him train remarked that he was hitting the ball as hard as ever. His inclusion in the squad show that the selectors and team management value his presence, even with strings attached. he has just two games before the World Twenty20 later this month to prove that his selection was inspired. The danger, though, is that the hype will overawe the match itself, and India’s captain MS Dhoni made a plea not to let Yuvraj’s return distract the team.India will have had played six Twenty20 games this year before leaving for Sri Lanka. New Zealand on the other hand have been the busiest, having already played seven in 2012. While teams look to stack their calendar with matches in a World T20 year, India’s previous bilateral series, in Sri Lanka, included just one Twenty20 (following a five-ODI series). India, curiously, have never been involved in a bilateral series featuring more than two games. This series will only be their fifth bilateral series, out of 14, involving two games. Fortunately for India, most of the players picked for this series and the World T20 are regulars in the one-day squad, so they understand each other’s game well.Despite packing their international schedule with Twenty20s, New Zealand have slumped, and are coming off four consecutive defeats, against South Africa and a resurgent West Indies. It didn’t help that their most recent games, in Florida, were heavy losses (56 and 61 runs respectively), with injuries hampering their plans. They will be boosted by the return of Daniel Vettori from injury and he will at least be an asset with his containing role, even if he doesn’t pick up wickets. Having run India close in the Bangalore Test, they will begin this series feeling more confident. Now with a fitter squad, they will begin their preparation for the World T20 with games against three tough opponents – India, Australia and South Africa (the last two part of the warm-ups in Sri Lanka).Form guide (Complete matches, most recent first)New Zealand LLLLW
India WLWLLWatch out forMuch column space has been given to Rohit Sharma for all the wrong reasons of late. After scoring just 13 runs in five innings, including two consecutive ducks in the ODIs in Sri Lanka, many have questioned whether he deserves a place in any of the three formats. After being ignored for the New Zealand Tests, he has been given a lifeline in the Twenty20 squad.Jacob Oram is coming off a rewarding stint with Uva Next in the SLPL, where he finished as the joint leading wicket-taker with 11 wickets. It was his astonishing economy rate of 3.82 in 23 overs that played a big part in Uva’s victorious campaign. New Zealand will need him to be just as parsimonious to silence India’s batsmenTeam newsWhile Yuvraj’s return appears certain, there are no guarantees yet on Harbhajan Singh’s comeback, given the number of part-time spinners in the line-up to fill the fifth bowler’s slot.India (likely): 1 Virender Sehwag, 2 Gautam Gambhir, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Suresh Raina, 5 Yuvraj Singh, 6 Rohit Sharma, 7 MS Dhoni (capt & wk), 8 Irfan Pathan, 9 R Ashwin, 10 Zaheer Khan, 11 Ashok DindaBrendon McCullum returns to the T20 squad after being rested for the two T20s against West Indies in Florida.New Zealand (likey): 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Brendon McCullum (wk), 3 Ross Taylor (capt), 4 Kane Williamson, 5 Rob Nicol, 6 Jacob Oram, 7 Daniel Vettori, 8 James Franklin, 9 Doug Bracewell, 10 Tim Southee, 11 Kyle MillsPitch and conditionsHeavy rain on Thursday forced the players indoors, cancelling both practice sessions. More rain has been forecast for Saturday, but the officials say that the covers – which can protect most of the outfield – and three super soppers can mop up the ground in case of an interruption. The players by now must be sick of the rain. The Indians, however, managed a nets session on Friday, and a game of soccer.Stats and trivia Visakhapatnam has never hosted a Twenty20 before. India have won all four ODIs played here and they will hope their luck spills over to this format as wellThe ACA-VDCA stadium is among only two venues in India with a run-rate of over 6, among grounds which have hosted four or more ODIs, the other being the Madhavrao Scindia Stadium in Rajkot. It shows that it is a high-scoring venue James Franklin is the only New Zealand player in this squad who has played at the venue (during the IPL)Quotes “A few months back I had trouble climbing four steps, now I can’t wait to take the field. It is like starting a new life.”

“For most of the guys it is a bit of the unknown. Brendon (McCullum) must have played here a couple of times (during the IPL) so it’s a new experience for most of us.”
* –

Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim has said the absence of the allrounder Shakib Al Hasan for the first two ODIs presents an opportunity for the younger players to step up

Mohammad Isam in Khulna29-Nov-2012Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim has said the absence of the allrounder Shakib Al Hasan for the first two ODIs presents an opportunity for the younger players to step up. Shakib, who played the two Tests, was ruled out due to a shin injury and Mushfiqur said the presence of four new players in the squad makes the task all the more challenging.”If we had Shakib we could have taken an extra batsman depending on the wicket,” Mushfiqur said ahead of the first ODI in Khulna. “Now our batsmen have to take more responsibility and the bowlers also need to do the same as we have one option reduced. Those in the team are capable but it will be challenging for them.”It is unlikely that all four new players will be picked for the first two ODIs. Sohag Gazi and Abul Hasan made Test debuts against West Indies, while Anamul Haque and Mominul Haque are yet to play international cricket.”It is a challenge for the new players as we think West Indies are stronger in ODIs than Tests,” Mushfiqur said. “But at the same time those who are coming into the team have been performing in their respective areas. Hopefully whoever debuts will continue to do so, and we can perform as a team.”Bangladesh have played just four ODIs this year, all during the Asia Cup at home in March when they beat India and Sri Lanka. Though they lost to Pakistan in the final, Mushfiqur said his team will bank on the positives from their performance in the tournament, ahead of the five-match series against West Indies.”We played well in the Asia Cup where there were a few big teams. We play consistently well in the one-day format so we are confident. We did not play too many one-day games too this year apart from the Asia Cup, so it is a challenge.”The other positive thing for me is that some of our batsmen are among the runs. If they can remain confident it will help us settle quickly,” he said.Mushfiqur said West Indies were “the strongest team” going around in ODIs at the moment, but was confident that if they can be contained, Bangladesh will hold the advantage quickly. The new ODI rules allow only four fielders outside the 30-yard circle for 35 overs in an innings, and West Indies possess some of the biggest hitters in the game.”If you see strength-wise, I think West Indies is the strongest team in the world at the moment. They have batsman like [Chris] Gayle, [Kieron] Pollard and [Marlon] Samuels who can play strokes at will,” Mushfiqur said.”But if we can maintain our line and length, and the spinners can get something from the wicket, we will be able to get them out. If we can contain them, build the pressure from both sides, hopefully they will also make mistakes.”

A wrap of the opening day of the ninth round of Ranji Trophy matches in Group C

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Dec-2012
ScorecardAmol Muzumdar became the first man to 10,000 Ranji runs. He scored an unbeaten 99•ESPNcricinfo LtdAmol Muzumdar, who led Andhra to a respectable total against Kerala, finished the first day one short of a third century in three matches. When he reached 68, he became the first man to 9000 Ranji runs. His responsible knock calmed the jitters in his team after Kerala had reduced them to 34 for 3. Through stands worth 91 and 95 with B Sumanth and KS Sahabuddin, he led Andhra to a fair recovery.Andhra, though, kept losing wickets, and couldn’t provide much resistance apart from the two stands. The wickets were shared around: seamers Sandeep Warrier, U Manukrishnan and Sreesanth, who is playing his third first-class game this year, took five wickets between them, and offspinner Karimuttathu Rakesh took two wickets.
ScorecardA knock of 97 from Services captain and opener Soumik Chatterjee was the only one of note in their disappointing first-innings batting performance, as fast bowler Ajay Yadav, with his five wickets, helped Jharkhand bowl their opponents out for 185. Although Services lead the points table, a loss in this game can still knock them out.Their openers had added a cautious 43, in 168 deliveries, before five wickets fell quickly and pegged Services back. Chatterjee, though, stuck around, and was the only one to provide resistance as wickets fell around him. He looked set to carry his bat through, but departed three short his century, becoming the ninth wicket to fall, in the last hour of the day. Left-arm spinner Shahbaz Nadeem was the other bowler of note, claiming three wickets.
ScorecardA tough century from Amogh Desai was the highlight of a productive first day for hosts Goa in Porvorim against Assam. Desai, rebuilding his team’s innings after an early wicket had fallen, retired-hurt on 56 when a sharp delivery from Dhiraj Goswami hit him on the wrist and rose to strike him under the helmet. He later came back to lead his team to a strong 264 for 3 at stumps.Opener Sagun Kamat, who scored 70, and Reagan Pinto, with his unbeaten knock of 61, gave his valuable support.No play was possible between
ScorecardThe first day of the match between Jammu & Kashmir and Tripura in Jammu was washed out.

Afghanistan will attend a four-week conditioning camp in Pakistan ahead of their international fixtures against Scotland in March

Umar Farooq21-Jan-2013Afghanistan will attend a four-week conditioning camp in Pakistan ahead of their international fixtures against Scotland in March. The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) is also contemplating a long-term plan to make Pakistan the national team’s base for the next five years.During their camp at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore, Afghanistan will train under the supervision of the PCB’s coaches besides their own head coach Kabir Khan. Their preparations include a series of 12 matches against various regional teams and Pakistan A.Afghanistan have ODI status till 2015 and have been using Sharjah Cricket Stadium as their home ground since 2010 due to a lack of cricketing infrastructure in the country. They are now looking to shift base to Pakistan.”The idea is play and train with the quality cricketing structure in Pakistan,” Kabir Khan, the Afghanistan coach, told a press conference at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. “Sharjah gave us basic facilities but unfortunately we didn’t find quality cricket to develop with. We need quality programmes and Pakistan, with a rich cricketing background, can help us. Apart from the cricketing aspect, the cost of being in Sharjah is a lot more than here in Pakistan.”We are in process of building our infrastructure (in Afghanistan) and have two stadiums as well. But we don’t have academies, if we have academies then we don’t have specialised coaches. In Pakistan we can find the quality coaches and quality teams to play with. We are here with the top 22 cricketers from Afghanistan including the budding talent from the Under-19 circuit. Only three of our top cricketers – Shapoor Zadran, Mohammad Nabi and Samiullah Shenwari – (are not here) have gone to play in Bangladesh Premier League.”Afghanistan will be making their third trip to Pakistan in the last two years, having lost a one-day series 3-0 to a second-string Pakistan side in May 2011 followed by their participation in a domestic Twenty20 competition in Karachi.The talks between the PCB and the ACB about a comprehensive development programme for Afghanistan cricketers in Pakistan are currently at a preliminary stage but both boards have ‘verbally’ agreed to a long-term deal.”We are working out a deal that will help Afghanistan’s cricketers in their development,” said Intikhab Alam, the PCB director for game development. “Another idea in the pipeline is to induct their team in our domestic one-day and Twenty20 tournaments, as that would be a good opportunity for their development process.”Afghanistan last competed in the Asian Cricket Council Elite Trophy in October, finishing in third place. Their next international fixture is against Scotland, a two-ODI series at Sharjah Stadium, before taking them on in the ICC World Cricket League Championship.

All through the last week, Sana Mir hadn’t been her usual, jovial self. One could sense that the Pakistan captain was feeling a bit insecure

Amol Karhadkar in Cuttack07-Feb-2013All through the last week, Sana Mir hadn’t been her usual, jovial self. One could sense that the Pakistan captain was feeling a bit insecure. Her team’s failures in the Women’s World Cup, combined with the political drama that threatened Pakistan’s participation in the marquee event seemed to be taking its toll.When Mir walked in to the enclosure after Pakistan’s loss to India in the seventh place play-off in what was to be her last media appearance, she was looking relaxed for a change. The smile was back, by her own admission, due to curtains falling over what was a “tense” tour.”Yes [I am relieved]. I can say that now because it was one of the toughest tours I have ever played in. Everything – like my own performance, my team’s performance and the whole situation – it was one of the toughest tournaments,” Mir said.”It’s[a] mixed [feeling]. It has been tough. But we have seen a lot of people supporting us, especially all the people at the Orissa Cricket Association (OCA) Academy and the OCA staff in the dressing room. They all have helped us a lot. Overall, it was a tense tournament for the Pakistan team but still we managed to do it and for some reason it’s good that we are going home now.”Nothing had gone Pakistan’s way during their two weeks’ stay in Cuttack. They were confined to the Barabati Stadium due to security reasons. They lost one of their warm-up games against an OCA XI. And most importantly, their batting failures resulted in three successive comprehensive defeats in the league stage. Against India, their batsmen fared better by posting 192, but it wasn’t enough.”Obviously it would have been good if we finished on a high note but still I am happy with the way the batters stood up today because they were under a lot of pressure. I think putting [up] a good score on the board against the Indian side must give them some positives and they can work harder for the next [assignment],” Mir said.After such a poor run, it would have been hard for any team to take the field for a match to determine the last place. But the fact that Pakistan were up against arch rivals India made it easier for Mir and the coaching staff. “I would say that as it was against India, I didn’t have to motivate any player. Had it been against any other team, I would have had to lift the girls a lot.”They always look forward to playing against India, because we don’t get to play too many games against them. They were motivated and they showed it in the ground today,” Mir said.Mir drew positives in the “bowlers’ performances”, and also hoped for more international matches against better teams in future. “I think we have arranged for some tournaments in June and I hope before that we will get to play some matches. We have got two one-dayers and two T20s with England and then Ireland before we play the World T20 qualifiers. But we would like to have some more T20 internationals before we go to the qualifiers,” she said.

ESPNcricinfo previews the match between Delhi Daredevils and Rajasthan Royals

The Preview by Devashish Fuloria05-Apr-2013Match factsSaturday, April 6, 2013
Start time 1600 (1030 GMT)Rahul Dravid will play his first match in almost a year•AFPBig PictureThe first couple of matches are always about getting the ball rolling in a long tournament where the teams go through cycles of form and they are important in helping team management take an uncomplicated view. Rajasthan Royals open their season with a clean slate when they take on a depleted home side, Delhi Daredevils, who had an insipid outing in Kolkata in the first match of the tournament.Royals are without one man who is likely to be a constant in their equation this season – Shane Watson, who is not available for this match – and that opens up a vital spot for them to test one of their imports. In-form Sri Lanka batsman Kusal Perera is almost certain in the XI but the choice of other three could depend on the surface laid out in Delhi. The other interesting bit for Royals would be how their captain-cum-coach Rahul Dravid copes with his first taste of competitive cricket in almost a year. The longer he takes to find his groove, the more muddled the strategies would get.Daredevils are still handicapped by the absence of two of their impact players – Virender Sehwag, who is out with back spasms, and Morne Morkel, who is playing domestic Twenty20 in South Africa. But this time, they are playing at home, against a not-so-daunting opponent they have beaten every time at home and the team would hope to put up a better batting performance to get a move on.Players to watchKusal Perera is a rising star in Sri Lankan cricket and Royals have been lucky to fetch his services for just US$20,000. A good season here and that price, in all likelihood, is expected to multiply a few times over. Perera is a powerful player who loves to play lofted shots on either side of the wicket. He has often been compared to Sanath Jayasuriya, who, 17 years ago, ended the career of another Delhi bowler on this ground.David Warner had a quiet start to the tournament by his standards, but in the absence of Sehwag, his form is crucial for Daredevils to do well as the middle order appeared a bit undercooked in the last game. Warner has scored a century and two fifties on his home ground.Stats and triviaDaredevils have beaten Royals six times in the ten matches they have played against each other. They have lost just once in the last six matches In Brad Hodge and Owais Shah, Royals have two of the top five run-scorers in Twenty20s Rahul Dravid has scored 1703 IPL runs, which is the most among players from both sidesQuotes”I like Unmukt Chand a lot. He comes to my room often and asks me a lot of questions. We discuss how to deal with pressure situations and I tell him about my discussions with the Australian psychologist Mike Lloyd.”
“The game against Delhi last year was disappointing as we lost by just one run. We have learnt from our past mistakes and are ready to start from scratch.”

Sunil Gavaskar has said the break after the England series has had a positive effect on MS Dhoni’s captaincy and with this new approach Dhoni should lead the side till the 2019 World Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Mar-2013Sunil Gavaskar has said the break after the England series has had a positive effect on MS Dhoni’s captaincy and with this new approach Dhoni should lead the side till the 2019 World Cup.”He has changed positively as a captain. Now, if a player is not attentive and not up to the mark, Dhoni is letting him know,” Gavaskar told . “He is not making too many gestures but he is making the player know that he is not happy.”With the changed leadership approach I think he should not be disturbed till the 2019 World Cup,” he said, adding that it would be up to Dhoni to ultimately decide, considering he would be 38 then.Gavaskar said that during India’s home-series loss against England, Dhoni’s captaincy had been defensive and the team was allowing the game to meander. But after the two wins against Australia, Gavaskar said, “Dhoni has recharged and he is in great batting form, though he needs to tighten up a bit in his wicketkeeping.”Dhoni, with the win in the second Test in Hyderabad, surpassed Sourav Ganguly to become the most successful India captain with, 22 wins. Gavaskar said, “records over a period of time indicate that Dhoni is the ‘winningest’ captain and we should be very happy with that.”There will always be the debate whether Tiger Pataudi is the best-ever captain or is it Ajit Wadekar or Sourav Ganguly. And no one talks about Rahul Dravid who has an outstanding overseas record as skipper.”

The Lions of Teranga have been far from convincing in this tournament so far and will be trying to prove they are possible champions

Senegal face Cape Verde in an Africa Cup of Nations Round of 16 match in Bafoussam on Tuesday as they push to be crowned continental champions for the first time ever.

GOAL predicts how coach Aliou Cisse could line up his players.

BackpagePix.GOALKEEPER – Edouard Mendy

The Chelsea shot-stopper managed to keep a clean sheet against Malawi on his return after recovering from Covid-19.

Mendy will be hoping to not to be breached and help the Teranga Lions reach the quarter-finals.

AdvertisementBackpagepix.RIGHT-BACK – Bouna Sarr

The Bayern Munich man has been mostly used as an attacking right-winger in this tournament but returned to the right-back position in the last game against Guinea.

Backpagepix.LEFT-BACK – Saliou Ciss

Ciss has started the last two matches and in the process relegating AC Milan's Fode Ballo to the bench.

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GettyCENTRE-BACK – Kalidou Koulibaly

After Covid-19 sidelined Koulibaly from Senegal's first two group games, he returned to help them keep another clean sheet against Malawi.