All posts by h716a5.icu

The absence of Kevin Pietersen from the England team is “terribly sad” according to Eoin Morgan

George Dobell13-Nov-2014The absence of Kevin Pietersen from the England team is “terribly sad” according to Eoin Morgan.Morgan, who has captained the England limited-overs sides on several occasions, suggested Pietersen could have “his best years ahead of him” and said he would “love to be there playing cricket for England” with him.”It’s great having played with Kev and having in the team and learning from him,” Morgan said.”It’s terribly sad that he’s not in the team at the moment considering he’s still so young and had potentially his best years still ahead of him.”I would love to be out here playing cricket for England with Kevin Pietersen but the fact of the matter is he’s not involved anymore.”While he accepted that Pietersen was not universally popular within the England camp, Morgan dismissed the importance of such factors and insisted it was more relevant that players performed on the pitch.”Not everyone is popular in a cricket team,” Morgan said. “Everyone individually commands respect through their performance and there is trust and relationships that you build.”But that’s absolutely fine. In every walk of life you make friends with people who other people aren’t friends with. Was it awkward being friends with him? Certainly not.”When asked whether Pietersen’s accusation of bullying within the England environment – a claim made in Pietersen’s recent book – was fair, Morgan was non-committal. While admitting that he had yet to read the book – “I’ve heard it’s brilliant,” he said with a smile – he accepted that there were times when the bowlers’ frustration with fielders had been obvious. But he insisted he “can’t remember if it went too far or not.””You’re certainly aware of things like that particularly when you don’t bowl and you’re a specialist fielder,” he said. “It’s a difficult one because you have a bowler who had maybe been hit for four or a catch dropped and it’s hard for him to disguise his emotion. There a bit of give and take with both sides.”I can’t remember if it went too far or not. The issue was raised and it was dealt with.”Morgan’s words are significant not just because they suggest that Pietersen was not “disengaged” – to use Paul Downton’s expression – from the entire team, but because it is quite possible that Morgan will be appointed permanent one-day captain within the next few months.If England endure a poor World Cup – and they are hardly approaching it as one of the bookies’ favourites – it would be no surprise if Alastair Cook stepped down and a successor found. Such a scenario just might offer a sliver of encouragement to those who harbour hopes of a Pietersen recall.Investec, the specialist bank and asset manager, is the title sponsor of Test match cricket in England. Visit investec.co.uk/cricket or follow us @InvestecCricket

The BCCI has formed a working group to study the Lodha panel’s verdict relating to the IPL 2013 corruption scandal and instructed it to present its findings in six weeks

Amol Karhadkar19-Jul-2015’IPL will be held with a minimum of eight teams’

The IPL chairman Rajiv Shukla has said the BCCI had accepted the Lodha Committee’s suspension of the owners of the Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals franchises and there was “no question of any dilly-dallying”.
“The order is accepted, now we are in the process of implementing it,” he told PTI. “For that we have formed a working group and that group has been given six weeks’ time to submit its recommendations.”
Shukla also said the IPL would have at least eight sides.
“IPL will be held with a minimum of eight teams. There will be no change in that. How we will proceed will be recommended by the working group, which will have discussions with all the stakeholders like the sponsors, broadcasters, franchisees and state associations. The procedures that we adopt will therefore be approved by our legal experts, that is why we need some time to give the recommendations.”
Shukla said the group would explore several options to ensure IPL 2016 wasn’t severely affected by a shortfall of teams.
“There is a group which believes that a BCCI-appointed management team can run CSK and RR for a period of two years. Credible people can be selected for that job so that the question of conflict of interest does not arise. Another option is that we invite new bids for the two teams to ensure that the league is an eight-team affair. After two years when CSK and RR complete their suspension period, we will have 10 teams. We will consider all the options.”

The BCCI has formed a working group to study the Lodha panel’s verdict relating to the IPL 2013 corruption scandal and instructed it to present its findings in six weeks. The group comprises* IPL chairman Rajiv Shukla, BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur, BCCI treasurer Anirudh Chaudhry and IPL governing council member Sourav Ganguly, and will be assisted by Ushanath Banerjee, the board’s legal counsel.The board’s response came after an IPL governing council meeting in Mumbai on Sunday, following the Lodha committee decision to suspend the owners of the Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals franchises earlier this week.The BCCI press release after the meeting stated the working group would “study this verdict, in consultation with all our key advisors and explore all the possible measures to be adopted, with an objective to protect the interests of all the stakeholders involved.”The release further stated: “This group will work within a time bound period of six weeks and report their recommendations to the IPL GC, which will deliberate and share their views with the working committee of the BCCI, for further action.”The general tone of the meeting was to explore the process of inviting bids for two new franchises and the possibility of a 10-team IPL after two years.It is understood that most of the governing council members who spoke during the hour-long meeting were of the opinion that the BCCI should start the procedure of inviting tenders for the new teams for a longer duration to ensure that the IPL’s eight-team format is maintained over the next two years.The committee was also briefed about a suggestion from former BCCI treasurer and joint secretary MP Pandove, over the addition of two teams and the likelihood of a ten-team IPL from 2018. Pandove confirmed to ESPNcricinfo he had “made such a suggestion to the secretary [Thakur] since I think that’s the most viable option for now”.Some members also cited the examples of the 2011 and 2012 IPL seasons – which were played with ten and nine teams respectively – and said if the two teams do return to the fold after serving the two-year suspension, the IPL could be played with ten teams.Sundar Raman, the IPL’s chief operating officer, reportedly said a ten-team IPL could be a logistical nightmare, but a former BCCI office bearer responded by saying Raman should not term the idea unworkable as he was an integral part of IPL’s earlier expansion.It is understood that the issue of the termination of the suspended teams’ franchise agreements was discussed, but no direct demand was made. The council was assured that the five-member working group will consider all options.Shukla’s suggestion of the BCCI independently running the two suspended franchises for two years was presented to the committee and was backed by a current office bearer who proposed that leading financial solutions firms could be involved in running the teams on the board’s behalf.A former cricketer on the governing council – who had urged the BCCI not to leave the players who contributed to the IPL brand in a lurch – reportedly said that individuals like Rahul Dravid [Rajasthan Royals mentor] and MS Dhoni [captain, Chennai Super Kings] are capable of running teams, if required, without an outsider’s assistance.The former office bearer then said Dhoni – whose comments about Gurunath Meiyappan to the Mudgal probe panel came under scrutiny – cannot be entrusted with such a responsibility. Thakur is then understood to have informed the house that the legal experts have advised that the board’s involvement in running two teams is not feasible.Thakur is also believed to have hinted at strict action against all the guilty entities.July 20, 3.00pm *This piece was amended to reflect the BCCI’s announcement of the Working Group’s composition

The Frenchman continues to torment English opposition, opening the scoring in his side's 2-0 win over Chelsea at the Santiago Bernabeu

Karim Benzema just loves playing against Premier League clubs.

The French forward opened the scoring in Real Madrid's 2-0 win over Chelsea on Wednesday night, meaning his last 11 goals in the Champions League have all come against English opposition. Imagine how many he'd score if he was playing against the likes of Wesley Fofana and Ben Chilwell on a weekly basis!

Vinicius Junior would run riot, too, in fairness. The winger danced through the Blues' back-line all evening and it was his shot which allowed Benzema to open the scoring, and his pass which Marco Asensio whipped into the bottom corner to seal victory for the home side.

This quarter-final tie is not yet over, of course. Chelsea could yet turn things around in the second leg at Stamford Bridge but that appears highly unlikely right now for two reasons: firstly, the Blues' abject form; and secondly, the continued presence of Benzema up front!

Below, GOAL runs through the winners and losers from another great night for the Ballon d'Or holder, who has now netted 20 goals against Premier League clubs in continental competition (only Lionel Messi has more!)…

Getty ImagesWINNER: Karim Benzema

He was always going to score, wasn’t he? Chelsea made it rather easy for Benzema to break the deadlock, but his positioning to create the tap-in opportunity should not be ignored. The French forward simply ghosted into the box, and was entirely unmarked as he turned the ball into an empty net.

Benzema was equally effective for the remainder of the contest, working in tandem with Vinicius to terrorise the Chelsea backline. He could’ve perhaps had a second in stoppage time, but will still be satisfied with his opener. And besides, he'll get another chance to add to his impressive haul against Premier League clubs when these two sides meet again in west London next week…

AdvertisementGetty ImagesLOSER: Joao Felix's finishing

How Chelsea would dearly love to have a No.9 of the quality of Benzema. The club's clueless new owners have spent a record-breaking amount of money since taking over last year and yet they've not got a single reliable goalscorer.

After all, anybody who was expecting loan signing Joao Felix to score freely for Chelsea was obviously deluding themselves. The Portuguese has never been prolific, neither for club nor country.

But nobody could have foreseen that his finishing would be this poor. When big chances have presented themselves, particularly in the Champions League, Felix has fluffed his lines time and time again. At this stage, it's not even surprising.

What shocking about his failure to score after being put clean through on goal early on was the dreadful lack of pace which allowed Eder Militao to catch up with him. Felix may have plenty of technical qualities but one really does wonder what top club would be willing to take the forward of Atletico Madrid's hands at the end of the season.

GettyWINNER: Vinicius Junior

Vinicius seems to do this every game these days. The winger tormented Wesley Fofana for 90 minutes, twisting Chelsea’s centre-back inside out with a series of cuts, feints and stopovers.

His neat run in behind led to the Madrid opener, while his electric pace stretched play for Los Blancos. He was good at keeping the ball here, too, and made the right decision more often than not.

That was exactly the case for Madrid’s second, when the winger fed a wide open Marco Asensio, who curled one into the bottom corner from outside the box. He tried to force it later on, and clearly wanted a much-deserved goal. But it was an absolutely tireless showing from a player that is somehow still getting better.

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GettyLOSER: Wesley Fofana

Chelsea have overpaid for an awful lot of players this season but giving Leicester nearly £70 million for Wesley Fofana looks like a particularly dreadful deal. The centre-back's potential is obvious but he Frenchman is nothing like the finished article, as we saw once again at the Bernabeu.

Now, as outlined above, Vinicius Junior is capable of destroying even the most experienced of defenders but the easy with which he repeatedly breezed by Fofana was staggering. The one positive for the former Leicester City man is that he managed to stay on the pitch after picking up a booking inside five minutes, although that was mainly because he failed to get anywhere near the Brazilian thereafter.

Four Atletico Madrid ultras have been charged for allegedly hanging an effigy of Real Madrid's Vinicius Jr from a bridge before the derby in January.

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Atletico Madrid fans facing chargesAccused of hanging effigy near Real's training groundCould face four years in prisonWHAT HAPPENED?

The four fans are facing charges, per, after hanging the effigy of Vinicius from a bridge near the Real training ground in January. A banner was also unfurled, reading "Madrid hates Real" before the two clubs met in the Copa del Rey.

AdvertisementTwitter – AnonymousTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The Madrid Public Prosecutors office is seeking four years in prison for each individual, who say they are "ideologically identified with the extreme right". Arrests were initially made in May but they have now been charged with intimidation and 'acting against fundamental rights and public freedoms'.

WHAT THE PROSECUTOR SAID

They insist that the hanging of the effigy was racially motivated, saying it was "an unmistakable sign of contempt and rejection of the victim’s skin colour and motivated by a desire to undermine his sense of wellbeing".

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT?

Charges have been brought so the case is now set to be heard. Meanwhile, Vinicius will likely play for Real Madrid against Real Betis this weekend.

The Sri Lanka sports minister, Mahindananda Aluthgamage, has said that the Sri Lanka players would be paid 65% of their dues within the next two weeks

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Dec-2011The Sri Lanka sports minister, Mahindananda Aluthgamage, has said that the Sri Lanka players would be paid 65% of their dues within the next two weeks, while the balance amount would be paid by January 15 next year.”We will be able to complete the full payment by January,” Altuthgamage told the Sri Lankan parliament on Tuesday.Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has not paid their players their salaries since the 2011 World Cup ended in April after running up debts of US$32.5 million to finance the building of two international cricket stadiums in Hambantota and Pallekele, and to renovate the ground in Colombo, for the World Cup.Aluthgamage said that the ICC had agreed to pay US$2 million to SLC and that the coach and players would be paid out of those funds. The Sri Lankan Cricketers’ Association (SLCA) has contacted the Federation of International Cricketers’ Associations (FICA) seeking assistance over the delay in the cricketers’ salaries for series following the World Cup this year.South Africa’s cricketers lent their support to the Sri Lanka players ahead of the upcoming bilateral series between the sides, saying it was a credit to the Sri Lanka team that they had kept going, but the issue needed to be resolved soon.Tillakaratne Dilshan, the Sri Lanka captain, said the board had told him they would try and sort out the payments within the next week. ” We discussed with the Cricket Association last week and they promised it will be sorted out before the Test match, Dilshan told reporters at a press conference in Benoni. “I can’t push more than that. I’m here to play cricket. I have to focus on that.”Dilshan also thanked the South Africa players and FICA for their support. “It [statement by SA cricketers] has definitely helped. Thanks to Graeme Smith and AB [de Villiers] for giving a statement, and to FICA.”Sri Lanka have struggled since the World Cup, losing Test and ODI series to Australia, England and Pakistan. But Dilshan said he didn’t think that the payment saga had affected his team’s performances. “We try to play good cricket. Everyone wants to play cricket. We are not worried about payments. We know it is important but we have come here [South Africa] to play cricket. That’s the main target as a team.”

The Man Utd youngster is thriving on loan at Spurs and not only was she rewarded with her senior international debut, she also marked it with a goal

For a team that saw 2023 end in such heartbreaking fashion, England have certainly started 2024 with a bang. The Lionesses flew to Spain for a warm-weather camp in February, playing friendlies after not making the UEFA Women's Nations League finals, with Sarina Wiegman hoping to try out fresh ideas, see new players and learn plenty about her squad. As the players start to return to their clubs, it certainly feels like the Dutchwoman can tick all three of those boxes.

There were bonuses, too, in the performances that England put on and the results they picked up, as they comfortably beat two strong teams in Austria, who were thrashed 7-2 on Friday, and Italy, defeated 5-1 four days later. "There are very many positives about this week," Wiegman told after the latter result.

So, who were the winners as the Lionesses kicked off 2024 in style? And who didn't fare so well? GOAL takes a look…

WINNER: Grace Clinton

The biggest compliment that can be paid to Grace Clinton after her performances for England this week is that it hardly looked like this was the camp in which she made her international debut. Awarded that first cap on Friday against Austria, she marked the occasion with a superb goal, was unlucky not to get a second, and backed it up with another terrific display in the win over Italy.

On loan at Tottenham from Manchester United this season, the 20-year-old has been in sublime form and she showed it in these friendlies, her clever footwork and ability to carve defences open making her one of the most eye-catching players across England's two games. But Clinton worked hard off the ball, too, ranking second for tackles won and third for possession among the Lionesses' squad. That she shone in two different midfield roles, box-to-box against Austria and then as a No.10 in the win over Italy, was also impressive.

"She just went out to play, played with a lot of freedom and showed her quality," Wiegman said of the youngster in a perfectly-put piece of praise. Given how well she slipped into England's starting XI, it'd be a surprise not to see more of her in the April window as qualifying for the 2025 European Championships begins.

AdvertisementGettyLOSER: Leah Williamson

As Wiegman says, there were tons of positives for England in this camp but there were also a couple of negatives. The first came before the Lionesses had even got together as Leah Williamson's long-awaited comeback was delayed further, a minor hamstring injury causing the Arsenal star to pull out of the squad.

Williamson has worked so hard to get back on the pitch after a devastating ACL injury that ruled her out of the Women's World Cup and this camp felt like the perfect opportunity for her England return, the friendly games removing some of the pressure. However, she'll be targeting a chance to pull on her country's colours again in April instead.

WINNER: Lotte Wubben-Moy

Every cloud has a silver lining and Williamson's absence opened the door for Lotte Wubben-Moy, her Arsenal team-mate who she will have no doubt been pleased to see get a rare opportunity to show what she can do for England. There have been plenty of calls for Wubben-Moy to receive more game time, especially given her sublime recent form at club level, and she saw significant minutes in both games this week.

Though starting from the bench against Austria, the 25-year-old came on at half time and got an assist thanks to a strong header. She then went one better in the game with Italy, scoring her first England goal with just 60 seconds on the clock, this on her first start since June 2022 and just her third overall. Her defensive work and general play in both matches was superb, too.

Asked if Wubben-Moy had taken a step forward in her thinking after the two performances, Wiegman told : "She's definitely taken a step forward because she's developing a lot and very well. That's what we see weekly at Arsenal and that's what she shows here, too." The coach did add that the competition at centre-back is "really high" but Wubben-Moy has certainly done nothing this week to harm her chances of getting more of a look-in when the opportunity presents itself.

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Getty ImagesLOSER: Fran Kirby

After losing Williamson before the camp had even begun, England suffered another blow in the warm-up for the clash with Austria when Fran Kirby felt some irritation in her knee. The Chelsea star was replaced in the starting line-up by Ella Toone and, in the following days, withdrew from the camp altogether. "We didn't want to take any risks so she's being assessed at the club," Wiegman explained. "We don't expect it to be a bad injury."

Though it doesn't sound overly-concerning for Kirby, it is another frustration for the 30-year-old in what has felt like a real stop-start period of her career. After coming back admirably from some health scares in recent years, it is these knee injuries that are now plaguing Kirby as she looks to rediscover the form that made her one of the most talismanic footballers on the planet.

Chelsea have long been excellent at looking after the playmaker and will no doubt take the necessary steps to deal with this issue. Meanwhile the Blues, England and essentially every football fan will hope that she is able to ride this storm and get back to that level that made her so wonderful to watch.

Royal Challengers Bangalore may as well rename him Criss Gayle

The Bulletin by Sidharth Monga27-May-2011
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Chris Gayle was devastating once again•AFPIn Jamaica the term is used to suggest everything is all right. Royal Challengers Bangalore may as well rename him Criss Gayle. For with Gayle, they criss. Gayle fell 11 short of his third century this IPL, but for 15 overs he played so much above the game that the 37 that came in the five after his exit didn’t look far off par on this surface. Mumbai struggled to replicate Gayle’s impact except with the new ball when they got off to a flying start. Gayle came on then to stifle the openers with a two-run over. The pressure resulted in wickets, everything was criss again, and Bangalore were in the final of the IPL.When batting, Gayle was assisted by Mayank Agarwal, his 20-year-old opening partner yet to make first-class debut, who scored 41 off 31 in a 113-run opening stand. Gayle will be the first one to concede, though, that he couldn’t have found a more accommodating opposition. To begin with, Mumbai Indians opted to bowl on a track where sides batting first have won six out of seven games this season. Then they refused to take the bull by its horn, throwing the new ball to Abu Nechim as opposed to Lasith Malinga. It can be argued that they succeeded in the previous game with Dhawal Kulkarni bowling the first over, but surely against a side as heavily reliant on Gayle as Bangalore they would have unleashed their best bowler right away.Nechim can still argue he hardly bowled a bad ball in that first over, but he still went for 27. The first of the boundaries came off an edge past slip, the second burst through Sachin Tendulkar at mid-off. Nechim, though, bowled length, and Gayle took six, two and four off the rest of the over. Agarwal played his part, foiling Mumbai’s other strategic move of bowling Harbhajan Singh to Gayle. Gayle faced only one delivery in Harbhajan’s two overs at the start, with Agarwal dominating the strike and hitting big, down the ground and with the turn, taking 20 runs.More friendliness followed from Mumbai as Malinga dropped Agarwal at square leg. At 57 for 0 after four, it became a Gayle show. Malinga bowled one good over full of slower ones for just one, but Gayle had his way with the rest of the bowlers. Only Rohit Sharma escaped his wrath, but Agarwal tucked into him with a four and a six. The beauty of the partnership was obvious: the right-hand batsman took care of the offspinners, Gayle everything else. The best of Gayle revealed itself in the 10th over, when Nechim was almost through a decent comeback over for four runs. The last ball, though, hardly left the ground, and yet crashed into the sight screen. Gayle was on 61 off 32 then, Bangalore 111.Rohit dropped Agarwal in the next over, but made amends two balls later. Gayle, however, was not through, and went on to suggest that maybe he didn’t need any shielding from Harbhajan, smacking him for back-to-back sixes over midwicket. Munaf, who held his own along with Malinga, eventually got rid of Gayle with a slightly slower one, and patted Gayle’s back as he walked back. All of a sudden, slower balls started working, the ball started gripping the surface, inside edges appeared, and the batting seemed like hard work. Just how well Gayle batted was further driven home.Despite the early wickets, Tendulkar, through cricketing shots and some improvisation, kept Mumbai’s fans interested with 40 off 24, but ICL returnee J Syed Mohammad produced one sharp offbreak across Tendulkar to get him stumped. Kieron Pollard, who often teases the fans in such chases with late but insufficient hitting, was spectacularly and coolly caught by Abhimanyu Mithun on the edge of the long-on boundary. With the Mumbai dugout right behind him, Mithun stood with his feet six inches inside as the Mumbai extras made way for him, stretched over the boundary and completed the catch one-handed to shut the door on Mumbai. The filmstar Mithun, known for his outlandish stunts, would have been proud.

Marlon Samuels, the West Indies and Jamaica batsman, has said he declined a chance to play in the ongoing World Cup as a replacement for an injured Dwayne Bravo

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Mar-2011Marlon Samuels, the West Indies and Jamaica batsman, has declined a chance to play in the World Cup as a replacement for an injured Dwayne Bravo. Samuels, who served a two-year ban from official cricket for links with an Indian bookmaker, said he was “not 100% ready” for one-day cricket, and wanted, instead, to focus on the four-day game on the domestic circuit.”First of all, I want to say thanks to the regional selectors for sitting down and thinking about selecting me for the World Cup. I am honoured to get such a phone call,” Samuels told the . “But as I had said in interviews before the start of the tournament, I want to focus on four-day and not one-day cricket, and try to be out there in the sun for hours on top of hours. I am doing that at the moment.”I still don’t think I am 100 per cent ready and I want to be honest with myself. I hope the selectors understand and respect my decision.”Samuels had been banned by a West Indies Cricket Board disciplinary committee in 2008 for discussing team information with Mukesh Kochar and later approaching him to pay a hotel bill. He returned to official cricket in May last year and is now playing for Jamaica in the Regional Four Day Competition, the Caribbean’s first-class domestic tournament.Samuels played 29 Tests and 107 ODIs for West Indies over an eight-year span, and is keen to return to Tests during the home series against India and Pakistan following the World Cup. “I am definitely looking to play in the upcoming home series, so hopefully I will continue on the road that I am and continue to score centuries,” he said.Bravo, who suffered a knee injury in West Indies’ opening game against South Africa, was ultimately replaced by the Guyana legspinner Devendra Bishoo.

Kevin Pietersen has insisted he still has the hunger for one-day internationals after being rested from the current series against India

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Sep-2011Kevin Pietersen has insisted he still has the hunger for one-day internationals after being rested from the current series against India. That decision from the England selectors was followed by reports that Pietersen wouldn’t play again this year, but he says he hopes to be on the plane to India next month.Before then there are two Twenty20 internationals against West Indies, at The Oval, which have been added to the end of England’s season and Pietersen also has his sights set on them. He played against India, at Old Trafford, last week and is still seen as a key part of the 20-over outfit as they prepare to defend their world crown in Sri Lanka next year.”I’ve got two Twenty20s versus the West Indies later this month at The Oval and then we leave on October 3 for the one-day series in India. I’d love to play in all six games in India,” he told the . “You can never say you won’t have an injury or that you’re a dead cert for selection, but I’d love to play in every game, of course. I’m planning to play on for another four or five years, which will incorporate another couple of Ashes series.”Part of the reason behind Pietersen’s rest has been revealed as a wrist injury that needs treatment and he believes that it is England’s careful management of the players that has helped them rise to the top of the Test rankings.”There’s no doubt that England’s success is also partly down to the fact that the players are rested when they can,” he said. “International cricket can be a constant slog. I think India have got to that point now. The demands on the top players, especially if they play all three forms of international cricket, are immense. Maybe that’s why we haven’t quite got there yet in one-day cricket. But we’re working on it.”Another player who isn’t involved in all three formats for England at the moment is James Anderson, who hasn’t been part of the Twenty20 side since the trip to South Africa two winters ago. Anderson, who took his 200th ODI wicket in the abandoned match against India at Chester-le-Street on Saturday, is keen to regain his place and is considering a stint at the IPL to press his case.”My immediate priority is to play my part in winning the ODI series against India, but if I bowl well enough perhaps that will push me back into their thinking,” Anderson told the . “If not, one option might be to try to play in the Indian Premier League next spring or elsewhere, something I’m really going to have to consider.”With a maximum of only nine T20 matches for England between now and the next World Twenty20, time and games are running out for me to convince the selectors I still have something to offer,” he said. “I understood my omission from the World T20 in West Indies last year on tactical grounds and the variety offered by Ryan Sidebottom’s left-arm seam and swing, and the reasons for my absence ever since.”I can also see where they are going with this younger-looking team,” he added. “But I do feel I can transfer the skills I’ve developed in one-day and Test cricket to the T20 arena and it’s frustrating that I haven’t had the opportunity to play any domestic T20 cricket in which to try to press my case.”Anderson, 29, has not built up quite the same reputation in cricket’s shortest format as he has in Tests and ODIs but has a reasonable record. With international commitments taking precedence, he also hasn’t been helped by the fact that he’s played just three domestic Twenty20 games in the last two seasons, his solitary match this summer coming against Durham in June.”I’m sure the selectors know my feelings,” he said. “I want to play T20 cricket for England, I’m disappointed that I’m not and it’s down to me to persuade them I should be.”

ESPNcricinfo profiles the Super League teams in the Ranji Trophy

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Nov-2011PunjabHarbhajan Singh has a chance to redeem himself•AFPCan Harbhajan Singh bolster Punjab’s forces and help them to a good start in the season? Or can Punjab come to Harbhajan’s rescue and lead him back to the Indian dressing room soon? That is essentially the plot for Punjab this season. Harbhajan, not favoured by the national selectors, has been sent back to first-class cricket after four years. In 2007 he needed to play just one match to return to the Indian squad. This time, the wait could be a little longer.But Punjab would not mind the wait. Across his career, whenever Harbhajan found himself in a tight spot, he readily admitted to his shortcomings and recovered immediately by fighting back. Punjab need his leadership dearly also because Pankaj Dharmani, a stalwart and captain of many years, has retired. His departure has left a hole that cannot be fixed so easily. Yet there is hope in the form of Uday Kaul, Mandeep Singh, Sarul Kanwar and Karan Goel. Kaul has been Punjab’s best batsman in the last few years and even if he misses the first game or two due to injury, his application has never been in question. It is now for the trio of Mandeep, Kanwar and Goel to prove that they can apply themselves and play as a force.That is where an aggressive leader like Harbhajan can play a role. Harbhajan recently led Mumbai Indians to the title in the Nokia Champions League Twenty20 in the absence of Sachin Tendulkar. He has also fulfilled his long-standing dream of scoring a Test hundred. A hungry Harbhajan – with bat or ball – is dangerous to the opponents.Vikram Rathore, Punjab’s new coach and former India opener, reckons Harbhajan is in the right place and it would only help Punjab’s cause. “It is a great advantage to have Bhajji [Harbhajan]. He will do whatever is needed to get back to the Indian team” Rathore said. “He is a great competitor and plays hard cricket. He is keen to play and perform. With him around, the youngsters can only learn more.”Punjab’s Achilles heel is the fast bowling. Luv Ablish, their best fast bowler, twisted his leg days ahead of the first match, and is likely to miss the first two matches. Manpreet Gony has promised plenty but failed to deliver consistently. In 2009-10, when Punjab entered the last-eight stage, Gony and Ablish were in the top-10 bowlers’ list. Punjab need their bowlers to persevere in order to build the confidence of the young batting line-up.What they did last year
They failed to win a single game and finished fifth in Group B. They failed to win their only home game, against Karnataka. They let lightweight opponents like Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Orissa sneak out draws despite enjoying the upper-hand in these contests. Their bowling lacked teeth following Ablish’s injury at the start of the season. There was only one five-wicket haul in the entire season, with the bowlers’ averages resembling that of a batsman in solid touch. The irony was that their batsmen showed no spine except for the pair of Kaul (561 runs) and Kanwar (501 runs). The rest floundered, providing no platform for their bowlers to attack the opposition.Men to watch
A dashing batsman, who was part of the 2010 Under-19 Indian World Cup squad, Mandeep Singh scored a half-century on Ranji debut against Himachal Pradesh last season. He improvised with 112 against Haryana, narrowly missing another ton in the second innings. He then impressed with a century in the Duleep Trophy semi-finals, with his 114 in the first innings proving vital in North Zone reaching the final. He kicked off this season with 60 in the Irani Trophy. If he can prepare himself mentally for the hard grind in the first-class circuit, Mandeep would be a player to watch for in the next few years.BengalCan Sourav Ganguly inspire a better performance from Bengal?•Getty ImagesThe big news for Bengal is the return of Sourav Ganguly, the former India captain, who is available for the entire season. How much of an impact Ganguly can make on the field is an open question though, since he has not played much competitive cricket in recent times, but having someone of his stature and experience in the dressing room could have a positive impact on their younger players. “He can be a great help in terms of telling them of how to approach the game and download his experience,” WV Raman, the coach, told ESPNcricinfo.Bengal have won just a single game over the last previous years, while managing to draw 12. In seven games last season, they amassed 2,667 runs for the loss of 62 wickets but conceded 3127 runs and took only 58 wickets. The plethora of flat tracks aside, the numbers suggest the bowling needs improvement. After taking 46 wickets between them in 2009-10, fast bowler Ranadeb Bose and offspinner Saurasish Lahiri managed just 17 in 2010-11. “What we would like to be better at this year is the spin department,” Raman said. “If that can happen, we can do far better than what we did last year.”The batting has more of a shine to it, with captain Manoj Tiwary and Wriddhiman Saha leading the way, while former captain Laxmi Ratan Shukla is another consistent contributor. However, Saha has regularly found a place as the back-up wicketkeeper in the India squad, while Tiwary has been part of the one-day squad. If the pair are forced to miss parts of the season while on national duty, Bengal could find themselves struggling again.Raman said the side needs to be more patient this year and concentrate on retaining their intensity for longer periods in the field. “This is a season where the side has got a fair bit of experience as well as some promising youngsters,” Raman said. “They had last season to try and erase whatever fallacies, whatever frailties they had. Now it is payback time for the players who have been given a fair run of chances and have also been persisted with.”What they did last season
Bengal finished sixth in their group, grinding out a series of six mostly high scoring draws. Along the way they were surprised by Super League newcomers Assam, who overhauled their first-innings score of 562 for 6 by amassing 588 for 6 themselves. Then, in their last game against Railways, they folded for 201 and 134 to lose by an innings and 10 runs.Men to watch
Despite having played in one the recent one-day series against England, Manoj Tiwary will need to make plenty of runs if he is to compete with the likes of Ajinkya Rahane, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Cheteshwar Pujara for a national place. Bengal will also need Ranadeb Bose, who was once considered for India as well, to bounce back from a poor season in which he took only 12 wickets at 51.58.