One week may be a long time in politics, but in Indian cricket even a few hours are enough to turn events on their head. As of noon on Wednesday Ishant Sharma, the Delhi mediumpacer, knew that he was to join the Indian team in Cape Town for a week. That decision has now been changed with the player being told he should focus on key domestic games coming up.Dilip Vengsarkar, the chairman of selectors, issued a statement from Durban, where he’s watching the second Test, that it had been decided not to summon the paceman for the final Test of the ongoing three-match series.”Initially, he was being considered to be drafted into the Indian squad,” Vengsarkar said.”However, considering his domestic schedule, it has now been decided not to have him fly down to Cape Town and instead allow him to concentrate on domestic first-class matches.”Vengsarkar’s statement has finally put a lid on a typically out-of-the-box plan by the team management, which had wanted Ishant to spend quality time with the team on tour, as VRV Singh and Piyush Chawla, the legspinner, have done on previous occasions.That plan almost came to fruition; indeed, by noon yesterday the arrangements for his travel to South Africa – flight bookings, visa procedures and other formalities – had been made by the board’s travel agents, and a provisional itinerary was drawn up.Then, between noon and the close of play at Delhi’s Ranji Trophy match in Rajkot on Wednesday, events took a dramatic turn. Niranjan Shah, secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, currently in Singapore to attend a meeting of the Asian Cricket Council, spoke to Dilip Vengsarkar, the chairman of selectors, who is with the team in Durban, and it was decided that Sharma would not be sent after all.The decision was conveyed to Ishant, who was then playing for Delhi against Saurashtra at Rajkot.The exact reasons for the turnaround were unclear at that time but there was widespread confusion; indeed, as late as yesterday evening AFP put out a news report quoting Ratnakar Shetty, the Board’s Chief Administrative Officer, saying Ishant would leave on December 31.Ishant now finds himself heading not to Cape Town but to Vijayawada, where Delhi play their next Ranji match.It is worth recalling, however, that Shah and Vengsarkar have disagreed on more than one issue in the recent past. During India’s capitulation to South Africa in the one-day series, Shah had said the board had the “power” to call back any player [from a tour] if he was not delivering the goods. “The selection committee can always call anybody back and replace him with a new player,” Shah said in a television interview. “The board and selection Committee have full power in this regard. But first we would be watching the performance in the first Test.”Vengsarkar was quick to downplay Shah’s comments when they were put to him. “That is his viewpoint. I cannot comment on that,” said Vengsarkar. “They [players] are here because they have been picked for the tour. [Only if] a player is injured or unavailable for selection, then we will call somebody else.”Interestingly, within days Irfan Pathan became the first player to be sent back from a tour to play domestic cricket.Similarly, Shah and Vengsarkar disagreed over the need for a bowling coach, a cause which Vengsarkar openly espoused. At that time, Shah had said, “the team has not made any demand for it [bowling coach]. It is Vengsarkar’s personal opinion.”
It is time now to take serious note of India. It was all too easy in Nagpur and Mohali but Jaipur was the first real challenge they faced in the series. They did not panic or change their approach in the third one-dayer. They came out swinging and showed the surge of belief which is running through their veins.It is too early but a seriously good team is in the making now. The batting is flexible and is being groomed to adapt to different situations and different slots. The opposition can struggle to plan in advance. Bowling and fielding are both on the mend. India’s rise has taken the world by surprise.I feel it has happened because they have built competitions for spots. When a senior pro like Sourav Ganguly cannot find a place, and he would soon I am sure, it brings the hunger back in the team. There is no other magic in this transformation. This is exactly what we ignored in Sri Lanka in recent years.In the mid-nineties, we followed the same route and men like Sanath Jayasuriya, Mahela Jayawardene and Chaminda Vaas in due course first became the integral part and then lynchpin of the team. The likes of Tillakaratne Dilshan and Russel Arnold were brought in by the old gang. But the past few years have been an antithesis to this theory.
England 263 for 6 (Pietersen 77*, Jones 66, Panyangara 3-61) beat Zimbabwe 102 (Taibu 32, Wharf 4-24, Collingwood 3-16) by 161 runs, and lead series 2-0 Scorecard
Although both their batsmen and bowlers started hesitantly, England strolled to an ultimately simple 161-run victory in the second one-day international at Harare. They bundled Zimbabwe out for a paltry 102 after running up an imposing total of 263 for 6, which owed much to a record sixth-wicket stand between Kevin Pietersen and Geraint Jones, both of whom made their maiden one-day fifties. England now lead the four-match series 2-0.Zimbabwe’s openers started brightly, reaching 40 without loss in the tenth over, but they then lost four quick wickets, and never recovered. The demolition men who took advantage of a succession of poorly judged shots were the unlikely destroyers Alex Wharf, who grabbed three of those early wickets and finished with 4 for 24, and Paul Collingwood, whose darting seamers proved too much for the creasebound Zimbabwean batsmen. He took 3 for 16 in ten miserly overs.But it was Pietersen who lifted the Man of the Match award, which comes with an impressive-sounding cheque for three million Zimbabwe dollars (sadly for him, roaring inflation means that’s only about £300). After an edgy start against the spinners, when a tendency to plant the front foot across the crease left him with nowhere to go, and a lucky escape at 4 when Elton Chigumbura’s wild return scuppered a dead-cert run-out, Pietersen showed just why he has been fast-tracked into this England side. He settled his nerves by walloping Gavin Ewing for six out of the ground over wide long-on, and followed that with an effortless pick-up over the square-leg fence when Christopher Mpofu strayed down leg. As the final assault began a third six, off Brendan Taylor’s optimistic offspin, thundered high into the stand behind the bowler.Pietersen finished with 77 from 76 balls in only his second ODI, and could yet force himself into the reckoning for the one-dayers at the end of England’s forthcoming tour of his native South Africa.But even Pietersen was outpaced by the bustling Jones, who slog-swept judiciously on his way to 66 from only 46 balls. He smacked two sixes of his own, one off Ewing that was expertly caught low down by a man in the stand at midwicket, and another that zoomed over the hospitality tents at wide long-on.
From a position of some uncertainty at 121 for 5 when Collingwood departed for 7, Pietersen and Jones piled on 120, a new sixth-wicket record for England in ODIs, beating the 112 of Neil Fairbrother and Adam Hollioake against South Africa at Dhaka in 1998-99.It was a different story early on, as first Zimbabwe’s young new-ball pair and then their assortment of offspinners restricted the top order well. Mpofu and Tinashe Panyangara, both just 19, kept the ball up, teasing outside off, and England managed only 55 for 2 in the first 15 overs before the field restrictions were relaxed. Panyangara, who suffered later and finished with 3 for 61, took the early wickets of Ian Bell – squirting to point the ball after missing a perfect awayswinger – and Michael Vaughan, who was squared up by one that pitched on middle and straightened (30 for 2).Vikram Solanki, reining in his natural instinct to attack, and Andrew Strauss shared a calming stand of 64 before both fell in quick succession. Solanki had grafted to 42 when he shimmied down the track to the flattish offspin of Prosper Utseya. The ball turned past him – in fact it was called a wide – but Solanki couldn’t get back before Tatenda Taibu took the ball up near his armpit and swept off the bails (94 for 3).At the other end Strauss chipped and charged solidly to 33, but then also fell foul of the offspin. This time it was Ewing, a bushy-haired 23-year-old making his one-day debut. His first ball was a wide, but as he settled, he started turning the ball. When a shorter one looped down Strauss leant back to cut, but the ball kept coming on to him and rattled the top of middle and leg (103 for 4).Chasing more than they expected, Zimbabwe started brightly enough, but Stuart Matsikenyeri became bogged down as Vaughan packed the point area and stifled his favourite cuts. Unable to pierce the field, a frustrated Matsikenyeri tried to pull James Anderson, but only lobbed it straight to mid-on (40 for 1). It was a rare shaft of light for Anderson, who was sporting a newly-shaven head: he otherwise drifted down leg too often, and was responsible for nine of England’s dozen wides.The introduction of the equally unhirsute Wharf paid instant dividends, as he persuaded Brendan Taylor to leg-glance straight to Jones. The slide worsened: it became three wickets in seven balls when Mark Vermeulen guided his second ball firmly into the covers, where Pietersen clung on (42 for 3). Wharf struck a third time when he threaded one through Hamilton Masakadza’s rather lazy defensive stroke (53 for 4).In came Taibu to a familiar tale – clumps of wickets have been a feature of his inexperienced side’s batting. Chigumbura, who made a feisty 52 in the first match, couldn’t manage a repeat performance, popping an attempted pull back to Collingwood after collecting four singles. Taibu held up an end for a while, top-scoring with 32 before chipping a return catch to Ashley Giles, and that was about it. Taibu’s was the first of three wickets to go down at 97, and although the last pair Utseya and Mpofu frustrated the bowlers for nearly nine overs – and inched the score past 100 – the end wasn’t long delayed.Steven Lynch is editor of Cricinfo.
Hampshire Cricket continue their building towards the 2004 season, with the signing of the Middlesex and Durham UCCE batsman Michael Brown on a two year contract.The Burnley, Lancashire born 24 year old batsman has had limited opportunities at Middlesex, playing just one first class match for the London county in the 2003 season, scoring 98 against the touring Zimbabweans.Brown who plays club cricket in Perth, Australia during the English winter has been seen by Hampshire manager Paul Terry.”I am delighted to have been given the opportunity to pursue my first class career, here at Hampshire”, said Brown. “I am very much looking forward to the challenge, and am impressed with the club and all involved with it, and hope to make a good contribution to their success.”
Michael Vaughan has admitted that he was disappointed with Indian appeal which led to his unusual handled-the-ball dismissal. The Yorkshire right-hander, who made an otherwise faultless 64 on day one of the third Test, said he was simply trying to help the short leg fieldsman.Vaughan’s attempted sweep at rookie spinner Sarandeep Singh struck his pad and was still spinning when Vaughan trapped the ball and tossed it back to the short-leg fielder. The bowler, along with Deep Dasgupta and Virender Sehwag, offered a muted enquiry, which left Umpire Jayaprakash with no choice but to give the batsman out.Although there has been no approach to the ICC match referee, Vaughan made his own feelings plain. “There was no way it would have hit the stumps. I was just disappointed that [they] appealed. Maybe they will look back and think they shouldn’t have appealed, but that’s hindsight,” he said. Vaughan fully accepted however, that the umpire was right to give him out under the laws of the game.Vaughan stopped to speak to Mark Ramprakash on his way back to the pavilion,clearly staggered at what had happened. His dismissal led to a mini-collapse, with Flintoff and Ramprakash falling to Sarandeep soon afterwards.Vaughan is the seventh batsman to be dismissed in such a way in Tests. The other Englishman was Graham Gooch, who palmed a delivery from Merv Hughes away from the stumps in the 1993 Ashes series.
Saudi Arabia inningsPlaying at the National Stadium Karachi, Saudi Arabia won the toss and elected to bat. Fahad Hameed the opener and Basit Butt, batted confidently raising the score to 40 when Fahad was bowled by Indran for 12. Basit Butt, who was run out after playing an enterprising innings of 41 in 41 balls, including 6 thrilling boundaries, followed him. Mudassar Farooq was the other batsman who contributed a useful 26 with four hits to the boundary. In 20 overs Saudi Arabia was 94 for 5.Rabea Zubair who came in to bat played a tremendous innings punishing the bowlers all over the field till Vickneswaran bowled him. He played a splendid innings of 55 runs scored in 62 balls with the help of 5 boundaries. Bilal Qureshi who kept his company at the crease was run out after scoring an exciting 39 in 34 balls with 5 hits to the boundary.Saudi Arabia was all out for a handsome total of 213 in 43.3 overs, Junaid Hasham remaining not out with 20. S. Vickneswaranwho launched the bowling attack for Malaysia ended up with a haul of 4 for 23.Malaysia’s inningsFacing a competitive target of 214 runs, Malaysia lost the 1st wicket at 22 when the opener Sathiswaran was run out after scoring 11 runs. His partner Hairul Ameer ud Din (17) was the next to go at the total of 59. B. Indran, however, faced the Saudi bowling with some confidence scoring 23 runs in 47 balls before he was out. Vickneswaran played real adventurous innings by scoring 23 runs in 24 balls. In 24 overs Malaysia was 95 for the loss of 4 wickets.The batsmen who followed could not face the accurate and penetrating bowling of Bilal Qureshi and were out one after the other. Except for Abdul Aziz (10) and Maroof Mohammad (14), the others did not face him with confidence. Malaysia was 128 for 8 in 32 overs.With the game fallen in the hands of tail enders, it was a tough march to the target of 214. The 9th wicket also fell with the addition of only 1 run. It was now a matter of touch and go. Malaysia was finally all out for 132. With 4 for 27 Bilal Qureshi was responsible for routing Malaysia. Saudi Arabia defeated Malaysia by 82 runs.
When West Ham United parted ways with Darren Randolph back in the summer of 2017, with the goalkeeper joining Middlesbrough in what was a £5m deal, very few Hammers fans would have expected their club to resign the 34-year-old shot-stopper just two and a half years later.
However, this is exactly what West Ham did, paying the Championship side £4.23m for the goalkeeper in January of 2020, handing the former Republic of Ireland international a three and a half year deal on £42k-per-week.
And, while the £900k-rated ‘keeper was undoubtedly a very decent backup option to Lukasz Fabianski at the time, especially with West Ham’s then number two, Roberto, enduring a disastrous season, the club have since brought the £138k-per-week Alphonse Areola to the club to deputise for the 36-year-old first-choice – seeing Randolph become David Moyes’ third inline between the sticks.
Indeed, since his return to the club two years ago, the Irishman has made just nine first-team appearances for West Ham, with only five of these outings coming in the Premier League.
And, when taking into account the fact that Randolph has so far cost the Hammers roughly £4.6m in wages over the 110 weeks since his return to the London Stadium, in addition to his £4.2m transfer fee, this means each appearance the goalkeeper has made for the Irons has cost the club just shy of a whopping £1m.
As such, while the player who the former Middlesbrough manager, Jonathan Woodgate, dubbed an “outstanding” talent between the sticks may well be exactly this, considering just how little the 34-year-old has featured for the club, it would very much appear as if the decision to resign the veteran was an extremely strange one.
Indeed, the third-choice position is typically one held by one of the club’s up and coming prospects, affording a promising youngster a chance at gaining some valuable first-team minutes.
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However, with Randolph not only remaining at the club, but Moyes reportedly unwilling to extend the goalkeeper’s current contract, it would appear this pathway is closed to the young goalkeepers in the West Ham academy, yet another reason why the Irishman’s position within Moyes’ side makes very little sense.
In other news: West Ham receive huge injury boost ahead of Wolves clash, Moyes will be buzzing
New Zealand fast bowler Mitchell McClenaghan has been ruled out of the forthcoming one-day series against Australia, after the fracture above his left eye was diagnosed to be more serious than initially thought.”It’s certainly going to take at least a couple of weeks for him to recover,” coach Mike Hesson said. “It appears that the fracture is a little worse than first thought. Hopefully he will be available for selection for the World T20. He has done really well for us in the T20s.”McClenaghan will undergo cosmetic surgery today, though New Zealand Cricket had initially said it would take place on Friday. “It’s a concern when anyone has an operation,” Hesson said. “We’re confident that Mitch is in good hands.”The fracture had been sustained during the final over of New Zealand’s innings on Monday. He was batting on 31 from 17 when the penultimate ball of the innings – from Anwar Ali – squeezed between the visor of his helmet and its grille to strike him flush on the left eye. McClenaghan was floored by the blow, and was seen bleeding from the eyebrow, but he walked off the field. He also received stitches above his eye in hospital that evening.New Zealand play three ODIs against Australia between February 3 and February 8. A two-Test series follows, but McClenaghan has not recently been a part of the Test squad.The World T20 begins on March 8 but New Zealand’s first game is only on March 15, in what is officially the second round of the tournament after a qualifying first round.
Anil Kumble will lead a 15-member Karnataka squad to take part in the Ranji Trophy Super League.Rahul Dravid’s presence in the squad, along with those of veterans Sunil Joshi and Yere Goud – who joined Karnataka last season after 11 years with Railways, is expected the bolster the squad. All eyes will be on Dravid, who has an opportunity to regain his form after being dropped for the first two ODIs against Pakistan.The selectors decided to stick with experience – C Raghu, B Akhil, Barrington Rowland and Thilak Naidu retaining their places in the squad. The player to watch out for will be KP Appana, the left-arm spinner. He had a successful tour to Sri Lanka with the India Under-19s and has taken 21 wickets at 24.66 in six first-class matches.Vijay Bharadwaj, the former India player, will coach the team after Rajesh Kamat, the original appointee, had joined the Indian Cricket League. The squad were part of 35 probables who had a 13-day conditioning camp at the Infosys campus in Mysore from October 13.Karnataka open their Ranji Trophy campaign by taking on defending champions Mumbai in a four-day match at the Wankhede Stadium starting on November 3.Karnataka squad Anil Kumble (capt), Rahul Dravid, Yere Goud, C Raghu, Sunil Joshi, Barrington Rowland, NC Aiyappa, B Akhil, KP Appanna, Srinivas Dhananjaya, Thilak Naidu (wk), Devraj Patil, KB Pawan, Sudhindra Shinde, Vinay Kumar Coach: Vijay Bharadwaj
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.”