All posts by h716a5.icu

Newly-appointed team manager and former captain, Richie Richardson, says Darren Sammy’s team can “spring a few surprises”

Sharda Ugra10-Feb-2011The weather gods have rained on the West Indies’ parade all throughout their lead-up to the 2011 World Cup. Their five match-ODI series in Sri Lanka was first postponed due to bad weather, then shrunk down to three matches, one of which was, again, rained out. Then ten days before the World Cup began, the latest ICC rankings announced that the two-time World Cup-winning West Indies now find themselves at No.9, behind Bangladesh in the ODI rankings, their lowest position so far.Yet newly-appointed team manager and former captain, Richie Richardson, says Darren Sammy’s team can “spring a few surprises” in a World Cup where, “every team has a chance.”Richardson told ESPNcricinfo from Colombo, “We are not affected or thinking about our ranking… because we have gone down one spot in the ranking won’t have a negative effect on us. We are just trying to get our minds right, get our players in as good a condition as possible. In a one-day tournament, it’s how well a team plays on the day, and how consistent you are. If we can raise our game and if we can really come together and play as a unit, I believe we can spring a few surprises.”At the World Cup, the West Indies have been clubbed with India, South Africa, England, Bangladesh, Ireland and Netherlands in Group B, and are expected to struggle to make it to the knock-out stage. The team has had a very poor ODI record over the last two years, its last ODI victory over a Test team was in June 2009 versus India.Richardson, whose last international appearance was in the semi-final of the 1996 World Cup, said that every World Cup tournament acts as a clean slate. “At a World Cup, it doesn’t matter how you are doing, how good you are, what number in the ranking. Every team at the World Cup looks forward to go out there and win it. Sometimes you have some upsets. The little teams want to cut down the big teams…”If the West Indies are being thought of as a ‘little team’ in this World Cup, it is because they have only beaten Zimbabwe, Canada and Ireland over the last 12 months. A player-strike over the contracts issue in 2009 and the 2010 decision by Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard to turn down West Indian Board contracts have only added to the grim news around the team. Richardson said that as manager of the World Cup team, “What happened in the past in terms of the contracts is none of my business… I just want to make sure the players are in the right frame of mind and are ready to go and play World Cup.”When asked whether the World Cup would be the critical moment in which Pollard, the attacking right-hander who had made a name for himself in Twenty20, could prove his credentials in top-flight cricket, Richardson responded first with a simple emotive message about what the event means for the squad as a whole – an opportunity to win back some territory in the international game.”I say that to the players, we’ve got to go there and prove to the world that we can play cricket. Let’s surprise a lot of people, because people at the moment are not thinking very highly of us. But we have got to just focus on what we have to do, believe in what we can do and create a few upsets. That’s what we want to do – go and impress. Every single player…”He then turned his attention to Pollard, saying, “Pollard is a hard-hitting batsman in Twenty20 and at the end of the day if you are a batsman, you are a batsman and you should be able to adjust in various situations. He (Pollard) should not be thinking that he’s just a Twenty20 player. When he gets the opportunity he should be looking to go there and bat and do well.”And I’m hoping that what he’s thinking. Quite often the press has opinions; the fans have an opinion… At the end of the day you have to focus on what you have to do and work there and work hard.”Other than Pollard, the West Indies have several quality batsmen in their ranks, both experienced and upcoming, but have a fragile and understocked bowling unit. Richardson said, “Well, you know cricket is not played on paper. We don’t think that we are weak in that area, we don’t think, oh we don’t have bowlers in the top five or whatever. We know what we are capable of doing. If players bowl in the areas they have to bowl, bowl with control and the confidence and the fielders support the bowlers, anything is possible.”My approach has always been a very a positive one and this is what you have to instil it the players. You can’t listen to what people are saying, we have just got to work with what we have and back ourselves and do what we have to do to do well in this tournament.”He said the team would not be affected by the fact that the scheduled five-match ODI series versus Sri Lanka had been reduced to three, in which eventually only two full ODIs were possible. “All the players were actively playing cricket prior to arrival here in Sri Lanka. We have still being practicing every day. The rain has not affected our practice session. We have a couple more matches; we think we’re in good shape. We have a few more days to get ourselves right, so we’ll continue to work hard. We believe that at the start of our World Cup, the first match on the [February] 24 [against South Africa in Delhi], we’ll be ready.”Given that he played in a very different era for West Indian cricket, Richardson said taking over as manager at a time when the region’s cricket was at its lowest was “not easy”, but he said, “there are certain things in life you have to accept. You have good periods, you have bad periods. If you are on top, you are not going to be on top forever… I’m not one to have a go at the players, have a go at certain situations. What we need is accept that things are not as nice or as great as it once was, but it is for us to work hard to bring it back… We know the fans expect great things of us and we want them to support us because we will give our 100 percent.”For all the bad tidings around the West Indies, they do have what other teams in the competition would crave for: fifteen fit men to choose from. The worry around the sight of a limping Bravo after pulling off a stunner of a catch for Victoria in the Australian Big Bash versus Western Australia is now a thing of the past. Bravo, a team spokesman said, has recovered well.

ExWHUEmployee has claimed that West Ham United “will try” once again to sign Jesse Lingard in this final week of the January transfer window.

What’s the story?

According to earlier reports from The Evening Standard, David Moyes remains keen on exploring a potential January deal for Lingard, and with fellow Premier League side Newcastle seemingly out of the running now, the race has opened up for the Hammers.

Via his Patreon, Ex said: “The club, on the back of the Lingard situation with Newcastle (although we do expect Newcastle to try again), will try another attempt at a deal but Manchester United are very reluctant to deal with us and there are issues to resolve still with his former stay here. We hope to have more details on this deal later.”

Moyes will love it

With Newcastle potentially out of the picture, the chances of the Hammers making a late swoop for Lingard is now very much a realistic prospect.

If the London club can work out some of the issues Ex says exists from Lingard’s previous loan deal at the London Stadium, then it would be a superb late window coup for Moyes.

After joining West Ham back in the January transfer window on a short-term loan, the attacking midfielder notched an impressive nine goals and four assists in just his first ten Premier League games for the club – it was no surprise then that he was lauded as being “absolutely phenomenal”.

His performances with the Hammers showcased the kind of impact the £75k-a-week earning star can have when he’s on song and the confidence is flowing through his veins.

With West Ham still very much in the mix for a Champions League spot this season, adding that extra sprinkling of goals and dynamism in Lingard could well prove to be the difference-maker when it comes to those big moments and big games.

After seemingly looking like Newcastle would trump them in their chase for Lingard, making a fresh move to land the England ace’s signature would surely have Moyes buzzing.

Meanwhile, Fabrizio Romano has delivered an update on this reported West Ham transfer target…

Will Porterfield took 26 off an over from Chris Ashling while guiding Gloucestershire to an eight-wicket Friends Provident t20 victory over Glamorgan at Bristol

02-Jul-2010
Scorecard
Steve Kirby celebrates one of his three wickets against Glamorgan•Getty ImagesWill Porterfield took 26 off an over from Chris Ashling while guiding Gloucestershire to an eight-wicket Friends Provident t20 victory over Glamorgan at Bristol. The Ireland captain smashed 65, his best Twenty20 score, as the Gladiators chased down a target of 154 with 4.2 overs to spare. He hit five fours and a six off the sixth over sent down by Ashling.Glamorgan’s innings of 153 for 7 was built around the contributions of Mark Wallace (34), Tom Maynard (36) and Jamie Dalrymple (38). Steve Kirby claimed 3 for 17 from his four overs. It never looked likely to be enough once Porterfield and Aaron Redmond (33) had launched Gloucestershire’s reply with a glut of boundaries, scoring 78 off the six powerplay overs.Redmond was content to play second fiddle as Porterfield cut loose to score his runs off just 27 balls, with seven fours and three sixes. When they were out James Franklin (29 not out) and Hamish Marshall (16 not out) kept the momentum going and there was never any doubt about the outcome.Glamorgan had begun their innings poorly after winning the toss as Jim Allenby was caught behind off Anthony Ireland in the second over and opening partner Mark Cosgrove followed with the total on 28.The burly Australian called for a quick single as Kirby appealed unsuccessfully for lbw against Wallace and was run out by some nifty footwork from wicketkeeper Steve Snell, who kicked the ball onto the stumps from close range.Wallace and Maynard added 57 in six overs, taking the Dragons to 42 for 2 off the first six and then to 85 before Wallace was brilliantly caught two-handed by the diving Snell off Kirby. He had faced 27 balls and hit three fours and a six.Maynard hit sixes off Richard Dawson and Redmond before hitting a full-toss from Dawson straight to Redmond at deep midwicket. His 23-ball innings also featured three fours.Dalrymple smacked two sixes off the same Ireland over putting Glamorgan in sight of a 160-plus total. But Kirby removed him and Gareth Rees and the Dragons could score only five off their last two overs.

The allrounder has already been capped across all international formats and was joint player of the tournament in last season’s BBL

Tristan Lavalette13-Dec-20251:44

Agar: Best Perth Scorchers batting order ever

On Tuesday, two days after Perth Scorchers launch the season at home against Sydney Sixers, Cooper Connolly will momentarily take his mind off this BBL campaign and nervously wait to see if he earns a maiden IPL contract.Left-arm spinning allrounder Connolly, who at 22 has already represented Australia across all formats, has been bandied around in the lead-up to the IPL auction. Lucknow Super Giants – coached by Western Australia cricket great Justin Langer – and Gujarat Titans are among the teams reportedly interested in Connolly’s all-round versatility.Related

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“I’ve put my name in for a reason. It would be a nice opportunity to go play there and compete with the best,” Connolly told ESPNcricinfo. “Looking forward to sitting down and watching the auction. It would be a nice honour to go to the IPL. It’s exciting.”Connolly’s superb clutch performance against India in the recent three-game ODI series will no doubt have caught the eye of IPL powerbrokers and increase his prospect of a potentially lucrative deal.With Australia wobbling at 132 for 4 chasing 265 in Adelaide, Connolly came to the crease having only made 10 runs in three previous ODI innings. In 13 matches across all forms for Australia he had reached double figures just once from six innings.The added spotlight of playing India, desperately trying to keep the series alive, added to the anticipation. “Walking out to the crease, I was very nervous and probably the most nervous I’ve been in a long time playing cricket,” Connolly said.Cooper Connolly played a crucial innings against India earlier this season•Getty ImagesBut he quickly settled down, delivering a near-flawless 61 not out from 53 balls to guide Australia to a series victory. “Once I faced a few balls and started to get going, things started to flow and you almost forgot who you’re playing against,” he said.”It was a nice moment. If I’m ever struggling or I’m not sure where my game’s at, that’s an innings I can rewatch and see what it was like when I played at my best.”The composed knock reinforced Connolly’s knack of performing under pressure, having most notably emerged from obscurity to carry Scorchers to the BBL title in 2022-23 in just his fourth match and second innings.”From underage cricket to getting into the senior ranks, there’s always been the side of me that wants to win the game,” Connolly said. “I think it’s just that drive of wanting to be the one to win the game. It’s the best way to go about it – don’t make it someone else’s responsibility.”My dad played a big role in mentoring me. I try to control my emotions and just focus on the task.”

I want to become more of a threat with the ball and it’s going to take a bit of time to get to that point. But hopefully I can be a good option for the team this seasoCooper Connolly on developing his bowling

Connolly enters the BBL season in strong form having most recently smashed 88 off 92 balls for Australia A against England Lions, while he also performed well on an A tour of India in September-October.He looms as a talismanic figure for Scorchers, the most successful team in BBL history but who missed finals last season for just the third time. Connolly’s growing heft means he will be relied upon to help spark this powerhouse team that has fallen back among the pack over the last couple of seasons.Connolly is set to start at No. 3 having successfully elevated to the No.3 and No.4 roles last season, where he was named player of the tournament after scoring the most runs in the league stage.Connolly will bat behind the powerful opening combination of Mitchell Marsh and Finn Allen, offering the batting line-up versatility marked by an apparent ease at shifting gears depending on the situation.Cooper Connolly will take on the No. 3 role for Perth Scorchers after being named joint player of the tournament last season•Getty ImagesHe has the composure to anchor an innings, but also boasts an uncanny knack of unfurling the most mesmerising shots which has seen him likened to Glenn Maxwell and Travis Head.”It’s just about prioritising what the team needs from me,” Connolly said. “I’m looking forward to playing a role this year and hopefully being a great leader for this group now that I’ve played a few seasons.”At this stage of his still fledgling career, Connolly is certainly a much stronger batter than spin bowler even though his only noteworthy contribution in international career before his maiden half-century was a five-wicket haul in an ODI against South Africa in Mackay. The 5 for 22 are the best figures by an Australia spinner in men’s ODIs.But Connolly has continued to work on his slow left-arm orthodox and will be looking to build on last season’s encouraging output, where he took six wickets and started to be relied upon in more favourable spinning conditions on the east coast.Connolly made his Test debut earlier in the year in Sri Lanka to some derision having to that point gone wicketless from 96 deliveries in his first-class career.It’s still clearly a work in progress, but Connolly is showing signs of improvement and has taken five first-class wickets since, including 2 for 59 from 15 overs against South Australia in a recent Shield match at the WACA.”Right now, I would say my bowling is steady but I’m trying to evolve and get better at it,” he said. “I want to become more of a threat with the ball and it’s going to take a bit of time to get to that point. But hopefully I can be a good option for the team this season.”Cooper Connolly’s bowling is a valuable part of his game•Getty ImagesConnolly is a significant player of interest across formats for Australia’s hierarchy. His surprising Test selection in Sri Lanka was an opportunity to give him a run in subcontinent conditions ahead of Australia’s potentially legacy-defining tour of India in early 2027.With an eye towards the 2027 ODI World Cup, Connolly will have an opportunity to press for regular selection in an ODI team transitioning after the retirements of Maxwell and Steven Smith.Connolly is perhaps a little bit further away at the T20I level given Australia’s depth of talent but he will be under consideration for their T20 World Cup squad, particularly given the event is in India and Sri Lanka.While he is right now probably outside the frame, a strong start to the BBL could see him rise up the pecking order. “It would be a nice honour to represent Australia at the T20 World Cup,” Connolly said. “If you’re playing well, things will take care of themselves.”But I’m just concentrating on the Scorchers. We’ve got a special group and we’re hoping to bring back a title for the fans and everyone at the club.”It has been a whirlwind year for Connolly, and it’s not over just yet with a couple of big days in front of him.

The coach Tim Nielsen has conceded the Australian bowlers might have lost their nerve after their batting colleagues collapsed for 88

Brydon Coverdale at Headingley21-Jul-2010Panic is not a word that’s thrown around lightly within the Australian set-up. At least, not when they’re talking about themselves. But the coach Tim Nielsen has conceded the Australian bowlers might have lost their nerve after their batting colleagues collapsed for 88 under overcast skies at Headingley.When Ricky Ponting won the toss and chose to bat, the bowlers certainly weren’t expecting to have the ball in their hands just after 2pm, and they didn’t quite know how to attack the situation. Doug Bollinger and Mitchell Johnson failed to find much swing and Ben Hilfenhaus attacked the leg stump of Salman Butt too much. Before they knew it Pakistan’s openers had 35 from six overs.”You get bowled out for 88, you think we’ve got to bowl the miracle ball every ball and try to bowl these blokes out in ten overs if we’re going to have any chance,” Nielsen said. “We bowled a few to their strengths, they got away from us a little bit and all of a sudden you’re chasing your tail, the first five overs go for 30 or 40 and they’re halfway to us. It’s easy for us to panic a bit.”Nielsen is the man the Australians call on to front the media on their most difficult days, when the players are reluctant to answer questions, and he even prefaced his comments with: “You know it’s been an ordinary day if I’m sitting here.” But despite the way the Australians struggled to handle the pressure, Nielsen insisted it was not a major concern in the lead-up to an Ashes series.”It’s not a worry,” he said. “I’d prefer we’re exposed to these experiences now than the first time it happens it happens in an Ashes series that everyone is going to be focusing on. We have a couple of young blokes playing in their second Test match, we’ve got a young bowling attack … it’s exciting for them to be exposed to this sort of pressure and understand that Test match cricket is not easy.”He was especially pleased with the way Hilfenhaus fought back after tea to find the right line and pick up the key wicket of Butt. Full, swinging deliveries were just as difficult for the Pakistan top order to handle as the Australian batsmen, and Nielsen did not have harsh words for his own batting group despite Australia falling to their lowest Test total since 1984.”We had four or five lbws and there weren’t too many of those that were big slogs as such, they just got beaten by the swinging ball,” Nielsen said. “At the end of the innings we were conscious of trying to be positive and get as many runs as we could.”The memory of the Sydney Test in January, when Pakistan lost after taking a 206-run first-innings lead, has given the Australians hope that they can dig their way out of such a hole again. Their best-case scenario is to skittle Pakistan quickly on the second day – they do have a long tail and are three down already – and if Australia can manage that, anything is possible.”I know we’re 50 or 60 behind but at least we’re a chance,” Nielsen said. “If we can have a good morning tomorrow and take a couple of wickets and not let the scoreboard get out of control we’re still a chance in the game.”

Michael Lumb will help Queensland’s push for a berth in the Champions League after agreeing to join them for this summer’s Big Bash

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Nov-2010England’s Michael Lumb, who has played seven Twenty20 internationals, will help Queensland’s push for a berth in the Champions League after agreeing to join them for this summer’s Big Bash. Lumb, a left-handed opener, was part of the World Twenty20 victory in the Caribbean in May and will aim to provide the Bulls with some much needed power hitting.”When we learned that Andrew Flintoff was not going to be able to take up his contract with us, we looked at a few players that we felt would bring something special to our group,” the Queensland coach Trevor Barsby said. “Having caught a few of his performances for England and Rajasthan Royals, Michael was pretty well at the top of the list as far as I was concerned.”Lumb, 30, has a strike-rate of more than 140 in both international and domestic T20 competition, and will be released by the state if he is called into England’s plans. “It’s going to be an amazing experience playing in Australia – I honestly can’t wait,” Lumb said.”I’ve come across lads like Ryan Harris and Andrew Symonds in the IPL and have had a good chat with Trevor Barsby, so the tournament can’t come soon enough.” He is the second English player to join the event, which starts in late December, after Sajid Mahmood was picked up by Western Australia on Tuesday.

Samit Patel’s second half-century in three days secured a third straight Friends Provident t20 win for Nottinghamshire Outlaws as they swept aside Worcestershire Royals by six wickets with 23 balls to spare

13-Jun-2010
ScorecardSamit Patel’s second half-century in three days secured a third straight Friends Provident t20 win for Nottinghamshire Outlaws as they swept aside Worcestershire Royals by six wickets with 23 balls to spare.After limiting the visitors to 150 for 7, with Dirk Nannes and Graeme White both picking up two wickets, Patel hit 63 from 34 balls with five fours and three sixes while David Hussey was unbeaten on 34, finishing off the match with a straight six.Moeen Ali top-scored for Worcestershire with 67 from 48 balls, supported by stand-in captain Daryl Mitchell (34 not out), but with Vikram Solanki missing with a pelvic injury, the visitors were always short of batting power. In particular, they were unable to deal with the pace and hostility of Nannes and England pair Stuart Broad and Ryan Sidebottom, with the trio conceding only nine boundaries from their 12 overs.Mitchell chose to bat in this Trent Bridge contest after winning the toss but saw openers Jack Manuel and Phil Jaques both depart cheaply in the powerplay overs. Alexei Kervezee and Steve Smith also contributed little but a partnership of 64 for the fifth wicket between Ali and Mitchell gave Worcestershire a score closer to par, with Ali hitting three sixes in the 13th and 14th overs to boost the run-rate.He then hit White for a further maximum with a slog-sweep before perishing with the same shot to the next ball, while Nannes yorked James Cameron and ran out Gareth Andrew in the final over. The pedigree of Nottinghamshire’s international pace trio was amply demonstrated in the first two overs of their innings, as openers Alex Hales and Ali Brown took 26 off bowlers Imran Arif and Richard Jones.That set the tone for the chase and while Hales, Brown and Matt Wood all departed in the powerplay overs, the hosts were well ahead of the run-rate and Patel ensured they only pulled further ahead with a succession of sweet boundaries over extra cover. He was one of two wickets for leg-spinner Smith but Hussey and Chris Read completed the win to leave the Outlaws sitting pretty at the top of the North Group.

An update has emerged on Newcastle United’s pursuit of Monaco monster Benoit Badiashile…

What’s the talk?

According to the Daily Mail, the Magpies are plotting a swoop for the defender and are currently in talks with the Ligue 1 club over a deal for him this month.

The report claims that he is valued at £35m by the French side and it remains to be seen whether or not Newcastle are willing to meet their demands.

Buzzing

Eddie Howe will surely be buzzing with this news for several reasons. For starters, he will be delighted that the club are actively making moves to strengthen the defence, with talks having already been opened over a transfer for Badiashile.

It shows that they are not willing to waste time and wait until the end of the window to make signings. They want to strengthen the team as quickly as possible and this will please the ex-Bournemouth boss as his team is in dire need of reinforcements.

The Magpies are 19th in the Premier League and have only won one game all season. This shows that the current crop of players have not been good enough for a team that wants to avoid relegation, which is why PIF must splash the cash to improve Howe’s options ahead of the second half of the season.

One of Newcastle’s biggest issues has been their defence. They have conceded the most goals in the division (42) and the signing of Badiashile could improve their backline. The 20-year-old has averaged a solid SofaScore rating of 6.79 in Ligue 1 for Monaco this term, after managing a score of 6.91 in 32 starts last season.

He helped the French side to keep nine clean sheets in the 2020/21 campaign as he won 63% of his duels and made 2.4 tackles and interceptions per game. This shows that he can consistently provide strong defensive performances at the top level, winning the majority of his duels and helping his team to keep shutouts – something Newcastle have struggled with this season as they sit on one clean sheet after 19 matches.

Therefore, Howe will be buzzing with the prospect of Badiashile arriving at St. James’ Park. Not only is he a player with immense potential, given his performances in Ligue 1 at the age of 20, but he has also proven that he can perform in the here and now and the Magpies need the defensive monster in their bid to avoid relegation down to the second tier.

AND in other news, “They are…” – Chris Waugh drops key NUFC transfer update that’ll delight fans…

Amjad Khan, the Danish-born fast bowler, will leave Kent when his contract expires at the end of the 2010 season

Cricinfo staff27-Aug-2010Amjad Khan, the Danish-born fast bowler, will leave Kent when his contract expires at the end of the 2010 season with the county unable to afford him a new deal.Khan, 29, burst onto the county scene in 2002, picking up 63 wickets in his first season with Kent. After being awarded British citizenship in 2006, he popped up on the England selectors’ radar and overcame a career-threatening knee injury to make his Test debut against West Indies at Port of Spain in March 2009.”Amjad has been with the club for nine seasons and we are very sorry to see him leave,” said Jamie Clifford, Kent’s chief executive. “These are financially difficult times for the club and sadly we are not currently in a position to make Amjad a meaningful offer.”This has been a very hard decision. However, we believe that it is the right one given the financial context. I am sure the club’s members and supporters will join me in thanking Amjad for all his efforts and wish him the very best as he moves on.”Khan, who has continued to battle injury, understood Kent’s tough situation but admitted it was tough to have to leave the county. He will now have to hope there is a county willing to take a risk with his uncertain fitness.”I am sorry to be leaving having been with the club since 2002,” he said. “Ideally I would have liked to have continued my career with Kent but it is not to be. I sympathise with Kent’s off-field financial pressures and know that that the key people wanted me to stay. I look forward to new challenges with renewed vigour and believe I have what it takes to put myself back in the England frame.””It is disappointing that the club couldn’t offer Amjad a contract that would have seen him stay,” added Kent’s captain Robert Key. “He has been a pleasure to play cricket with over the last nine seasons and I have no doubt that our loss will be another county’s gain. I wish him the very best.”

Mark Pettini has resigned as Essex captain with James Foster taking over the leadership in all formats

Cricinfo staff02-Jul-2010Mark Pettini has resigned as Essex captain with James Foster taking over the leadership in all formats of the game having moved into the position for the Friends Provident t20 last month.Pettini handed over control of the team to Foster for the Twenty20 having suffered a slump in form and took time away from the first-team. With Alastair Cook on England Lions duty he was recalled against Sussex and responded with an aggressive half-century and now he has decided the best route for both him and the club is for him to concentrate on being a batsman.”I felt it was time for me to step down as Essex captain,” he told the club website. “We suffered a poor start to the Friends Provident t20 campaign and I wanted to be able to focus on my own game. I got to the point that I was exhausted and I was under pressure with my batting.””The team performances were, at that stage, not going to plan and personally I was struggling with the bat. On Tuesday I returned to the side to face Sussex in the T20, hopefully I showed the difference to my game without the pressures of being captain. The role is obviously very stressful and creates a lot of hard work, both on and off the pitch. Now I can focus on scoring runs across all formats of the game which will hopefully help us to have another successful season, with a chance of winning some major honours”.”It was an extremely tough decision to make; I have really enjoyed the last three years and the success we have enjoyed as a team. I particularly enjoyed working closely with Paul Grayson, if the circumstances are different in the future then the captaincy is certainly something that I would be honoured to take up once again”.Paul Grayson, the Essex coach, said he’d been involved in discussions with Pettini for a number of weeks about his position and hoped the move would free him up to fulfil his potential.”Obviously it is a disappointment that it has come to this,” Grayson said. “Myself and Mark have discussed the situation over the past few weeks. We want him to come back into the ranks and for him to be the player that he was. Anyone who was here for the game on Tuesday night would have seen he was really refreshed and focused, he did not appear to have any concerns and that is the way we want him to play for Essex”.Meanwhile Foster, who led Essex against the touring Pakistan team on Friday, said his priority was now leading the county to a trophy this season.”I was asked whether I would like to accept the role as captain and I am delighted and thrilled to be considered for such a pivotal position in the club, there have been some illustrious names that have done well in the role in the past and to be listed amongst them is an honour and a privilege,” he said.”I have thoroughly enjoyed the role as captain in this season’s Twenty20 tournament. The focus now is continuing our form across all three competitions. We have every chance of maintaining our place in the County Championship and hopefully gaining some silverwear in the one day competitions