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Lancashire sent defending champions Leicestershire sliding to their second successive defeat in the Friends Life t20 with an 11-run victory at Grace Road.

16-Jun-2012
ScorecardLancashire sent defending champions Leicestershire sliding to their second successive defeat in the Friends Life t20 with an 11-run victory at Grace Road.The visitors posted 154 for 6 after a rain delayed the start, with Stephen Moore hitting a half-century off 38 balls. But, despite a quickfire 36 from Abdul Razzaq, Leicestershire could only manage 143 for 8 in reply as Glen Chapple, Yasir Arafat and Steve Parry claimed two wickets each.The hosts made a poor start to the run chase, scoring only 10 runs in the first three overs and then losing the wicket of Ramnaresh Sarwan – caught behind off Chapple. Jacques du Toit also fell cheaply and, although Josh Cobb hit 32 off 26 balls before holing out to long-on, the Foxes were behind the required rate.Greg Smith trod on his stumps trying to leg glance and Rob Taylor top-edged to cover as the wickets continued to tumble. Razzaq and Boyce injected some life into the innings with Razzaq clubbing two sixes, before being caught at long-off. Boyce was out for 26 off 22 balls and Leicestershire needed 20 off the last over to win but could manage only eight.After rain delayed the start by half an hour, home captain Matthew Hoggard had no hesitation in fielding first when he won the toss. It paid quick dividends, Hoggard bowling the dangerous Tom Smith with a delivery that just clipped the off-bail. And when Steven Croft carved a catch to White at point off Taylor with the total 28 in the fifth over, Leicestershire looked in control.However, a stand of 78 in eight overs between Moore and Brown put Lancashire back on track – with Moore posting his fifth half-century in seven limited overs innings this season. He reached it off 38 balls, hitting four boundaries plus a massive six off Taylor.But Taylor, the young Leicestershire allrounder, had some revenge when he held on to a steepling catch to dismiss Moore for 58 off the bowling of White. It was a big wicket for the hosts and it took a lot of momentum out of Lancashire’s innings.Brown, having made 24 off 26 balls, spooned up an easy chance to square leg to give White a second wicket, and two brilliant catches in the deep by Jacques du Toit and Matt Boyce took care of Paul Horton and Gareth Cross, who were attempting big shots against Razzaq.A brisk unbeaten 20 from Yasir Arafat helped Lancashire past 150 and, in the end, it was enough to give them their first points of the campaign.

“Our batters did a very good job to reach 188 because the first few overs the wicket was a bit tacky, till the dew set in”

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Apr-20211:42

Stephen Fleming – ‘190 is still reasonably competitive, we just needed to bowl better’

MS Dhoni has hinted at being displeased with 7.30pm starts for IPL games in India. His reason: when you start at 8pm, the dew has already set in, thus not giving the chasing side any real advantage. However, if you start at 7.30pm, Dhoni said one team gets a good 30 to 40 minutes of absolutely dry conditions, which can make all the difference.Dhoni was speaking to host broadcaster Star Sports after his side, the Chennai Super Kings, failed to defend 188 against the Delhi Capitals in dewy conditions. He said the pitch was tacky to start off with, making batting really difficult when they started their innings, but once the dew set in, the Wankhede Stadium track became the batting beauty it is known to be.”You have to look ahead,” Dhoni said, when asked if he was happy with the recovery from a tough start. “Especially when you have dew in your mind and you are batting first, you want to get those extra 10-15 runs – that was normally in 8pm start games. [Now the] 7.30 start means the opposition will have at least half an hour when there will be very little amount of dew on the field, which means it will not come on as nicely as it will in the second innings. So you have to score those 15-20 extra runs to make it even, and after that also you have to get early wickets to make a big mark on the game.”

Dhoni fined for slow over rate

• MS Dhoni, the Chennai Super Kings captain, has been penalised after his team maintained a slow over rate in their IPL 2021 season opener against the Delhi Capitals in Mumbai on Saturday. According to an IPL statement, Dhoni was fined INR 12 lakh (US$ 16,000 approx.), given this was the Super Kings’ first offence in this edition under the tournament’s new code of conduct relating to minimum over rate offences.

• In a bid to clampdown on slow over rates, the IPL last month made it mandatory for bowling teams to deliver their 20 overs within the stipulated 90 minutes (including strategic time-outs) for this season. “The minimum over rate to be achieved in IPL Matches shall be 14.11 overs per hour (ignoring the time taken by time-outs),” the IPL had said in the updated playing conditions on March 30.

The Super Kings managed less than a run-a-ball in their powerplay, scoring 33 for 2 in that period after being put in to bat. A half-century from Suresh Raina, and some lofty hits from Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran in particular late in the innings though helped them surge to 188 for 7.”Dew was one factor that was playing on our minds right from the start,” Dhoni said. “That is the reason why we wanted to get as many runs as possible. Looking at the wicket, our batters did a very good job to reach 188 because the first few overs the wicket was a bit tacky, till the dew set in, which was a good 45 to 50 minutes after the start of the game.”If we keep getting dew consistently, then definitely 200 is something all the sides will have in mind [as a target]. But as I said the first half an hour is different, that’s where you have to get off to a good start.”Dhoni did credit the Capitals bowlers for bowling well, but that advantage in the first half an hour is something even the Capitals batsman Shikhar Dhawan acknowledged.The IPL switched from 8pm starts in India to half an earlier during the playoffs in 2019. When the league was forced to move to the UAE in 2020 due to the pandemic, the matches began at 7.30pm IST. Now, for this season, the early starts have been persisted with. The slow over rates during the competition have been a matter of concern for the organisers, with matches starting at 8pm regularly ending well past midnight.

A century by Davy Jacobs went in vain as Warriors lost six wickets for 30 runs to lose by 18 runs in a thrilling Sunfoil Series match against Cape Cobras in Paarl

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Oct-2012
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsA century by Davy Jacobs went in vain as Warriors lost six wickets for 30 runs to lose by 18 runs in a thrilling Sunfoil Series match against Cape Cobras in Paarl. Jacobs, who scored 104, fell in the 71st over and Warriors’ innings lasted for 59 more deliveries. The game, after similar first-innings scores, drifted towards Cobras after a century by Cobras opener Alistair Gray but Jacobs’s hundred and JJ Smuts’ half-century helped Warriors get close.After choosing to bat, the Cobras got off to a positive start through opener Gray’s 67. The innings progressed through stops and starts, and a couple of productive innings by the lower-order batsmen – wicketkeeper Dane Vilas (45) and Rory Kleinveldt (36) – helped them to 262. Left-arm spinner Smuts was the top wicket-taker for Warriors with three wickets.The Warriors, though, failed to start their innings well. After being reduced to 37 for 3, Ashwell Prince and Colin Ingram added 121 runs, with both batsmen scoring half-centuries. The pair had departed by the 75th over, with the score at 205 when Ingram went, and their innings didn’t last much longer. Simon Harmer scored 33 to boost the total to 266 – four more than the Cobras had made. Vernon Philander and Kleinveldt took three wickets each.But the Cobras laid the base for a strong second-innings total when openers Gray and Andrew Puttick put on 93 runs. Stiaan van Zyl stuck with Gray and the pair weren’t separated for 41.1 overs. At 209 for 4, when the pair had departed, they again lost wickets quickly, largely through Smuts, who claimed four wickets.Warriors were in command in their chase at 211 for 3, but Kleinveldt and seamer Johann Louw took six wickets between them. Justin Kemp took two wickets off the 80th over to finish the match.The match between Dolphins and Knights was abandoned without a ball being bowled because of a wet ground.

The opener played two Tests when he was far from fit but is confident ahead of his comeback for New South Wales

Andrew McGlashan03-Mar-2021David Warner has conceded that he rushed back too soon during the Test series against India following the groin injury he suffered during the ODIs. Warner made himself available for the last two Tests in Sydney and Brisbane when he was clearly significantly hampered by the injury and it has since meant another lengthy rehab.Speaking on commentary last week, Warner said how he expected to feel the effects of the injury for up to nine months but will make his return to action this week for New South Wales – firstly in the one-day competition before the Sheffield Shield against South Australia – and is confident he won’t do any further damage.Related

• Warner expects to live with pain of groin injury for most of the year

• Warner returns to New South Wales squad

• Green and Head hit thrilling tons before SA collapse decides run fest

“I made the call to play those Test matches, felt like I needed to be out there and help the guys,” he told reporters at Sydney airport before flying to Adelaide. “Looking back in hindsight I probably wouldn’t have done that, where I am with the injury it put me back a little bit.”If I’m thinking about myself I probably would have said no, but I did what I felt was best for the team and me being out there opening the batting was I felt the best thing for the team.”Warner added that the injury, which involved a tear in the abdomen plus two in his groin, was “horrible” and that he’d “never felt anything like it” but the stint on the sidelines has allowed him to spend time with the family – although even what he was able to do with his children was restricted by the injury – and given him the chance to reflect on where his career stands.Australia won’t have any more Test cricket until late in the year, unless England win the final Test against India to allow them to sneak a World Test Championship final berth, but Warner still faces a busy period of white-ball action following this spell in domestic cricket for New South Wales.He will head to the IPL in early April and after that Australia are scheduled for a white-ball tour of West Indies although this has yet to be confirmed. Warner recently secured a deal for the Hundred in England, which runs for a month from mid-July, then Australia are set to have tours of Sri Lanka and Bangladesh before the T20 World Cup in India in October which follows directly into the next home summer that includes a five-Test Ashes series.Warner has previously spoken about potentially reevaluating his workload around the three formats but currently has his sights set on the 2023 50-over World Cup in India which follows back-to-back T20 World Cups – the second of which will be hosted in Australia in 2022 – and is eager to play as much Test cricket as possible.”I’m not thinking about the end date at all, for me it’s about the 2023 World Cup,” he said. “We’ve got a good foundation with the white-ball team, we’ve got a good opportunity to play that and win in India. The core of the team with the age group it will probably be the last for a few of us. Then obviously it’s a given that you have to call it time unless you are going to play to 41 – it’s time for the new guys to come through.”From a Test cricket point of view I’d love to play as long as I can. We’ve got a lot of cricket coming up in that context after this year so for me it’s about staying fit and healthy and trying to manage my family time with cricket.”

Rahul Dravid has said the selectors’ decision to appoint Virat Kohli as India’s vice-captain for the Asia Cup is a just reward for the Delhi batsman

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Mar-2012Rahul Dravid has said the selectors’ decision to appoint Virat Kohli as India’s vice-captain for the Asia Cup is a just reward for the Delhi batsman, who was the only India player to hit a century on the tour to Australia – he had scored one hundred apiece in the Test and one-day series. At the same time, Dravid pointed out that Gautam Gambhir, who was earmarked as a future captain by the selectors in the past, should not be discouraged by Kohli’s elevation.”He [Kohli] has had a great tour of Australia. He has done incredibly well in the Tests and in the ODIs. The selectors have given him a bit of reward,” Dravid said in Mumbai, at an event organised by his IPL franchise, Rajasthan Royals. “Having said that, Virat is the first to recognise that he has got to establish himself to go a step further. I think we know from the past that by just being the vice-captain, you are not going to be the next captain. [And so] I feel people like Gautam shouldn’t feel left out. But at the moment Dhoni is doing a good job, so you don’t need to look anywhere else.”Dravid, who was a part of the two teams that suffered whitewashes in the Test series in Australia and before that in England, said that the poor results were “really tough” on the players, who always entered the field with just one thought: “to win”. “First England and then Australia – we suffered that string of losses on both the tours and believe me, we feel very deeply about it,” Dravid said.The lack of big innings from Sachin Tendulkar was not a concern, Dravid said. Tendulkar, for the first time in five tours to Australia, did not score a ton, leading to much speculation regarding the pressure on him as he continues to search for his 100th international century. He has now gone 32 innings without a hundred, the last time he got to the landmark being against South Africa in the World Cup a year ago.”Having shared the dressing-room with Sachin, I don’t think Sachin himself is thinking about it [scoring the 100th century],” Dravid said. “Every time, a batsman wants to go out and score a century to help the team win. It [the landmark] will happen.Edited by Nikita Bastian

Adam Gilchrist has raised doubts over Shaun Marsh’s dismissal against Kolkata Knight Riders on Wednesday, saying that he was not convinced the ball carried through to the wicketkeeper.

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Apr-2012Kings XI Punjab captain Adam Gilchrist has raised doubts over Shaun Marsh’s dismissal during their eight-wicket loss to Kolkata Knight Riders on Wednesday, saying that he was not convinced the ball carried through to the wicketkeeper.Marsh was controversially dismissed in the 14th over, when his edge off a Brett Lee delivery was taken low by wicketkeeper Manvinder Bisla. The on-field umpire then ruled him out, even though TV replays suggested there was a doubt. Kings XI relied on Marsh to give them momentum, after Gilchrist pulled a hamstring in the 11th over while completing a quick single. Until Gilchrist’s departure, Kings XI were going along at 7.50 but post-Gilchrist, it had declined to 5.93.”I am not convinced it was out, but I think there’s a huge element of doubt there,” Gilchrist said. “Shaun asked the wicketkeeper, which I must say is the way I like to play the game, you ask the fielder and the wicketkeeper told him ‘yes I caught it’, so Shaun walked off.”Following the dismissal, Gilchrist stepped in to quash a debate between the team owner Preity Zinta and match officials. “I saw her on the sidelines and all I said was ‘let me handle this’ and she responded and sat down.” Gilchrist said.After the match, Knight Riders medium-pacer Rajat Bhatia said that Gilchrist’s injury and Marsh’s dismissal helped them restrict Kings XI to 124. “Bisla never said that he took the catch. He said that ‘I think I took the catch’. If the umpires would have given it to the third umpire then the decision would have been different. That really helped us, to be honest,” Bhatia said.Having lost three matches and won two in the IPL, Gilchrist said that consistency is important to succeed in the tournament. “We all need to contribute as there’s a full batting line-up there. It’s up to all of us to get the runs. We’ve been inconsistent and that’s an area where we can improve.”Gilchrist also said he was concerned about the security of players after an intruder ran on to the field during the match.”There’s always concerns when you get pitch invasions in any sports,” Gilchrist said. “We’ve seen historically there’ve been some terrible things happening. When someone runs on like that and runs towards players, we can never be too sure what’s going to happen. It is a concern and no doubt the ground authorities will try and improve on security and ensure it doesn’t happen again.”

The preview of the third Test between Sri Lanka and Pakistan in Pallekele

The Preview by Siddhartha Talya07-Jul-2012

Match facts

July 8-July 12, Pallekele

Start time 1000 (0430 GMT)The conditions in Pallekele are expected to suit Junaid Khan and his fast-bowling kinsmen•AFP

Big Picture

Sri Lanka in June and July is greener, even more beautiful and the lush hills form a stunning backdrop to the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, the host of two rain-affected Tests. The third one starting on Sunday, after some menacing rain the day before, will be lucky to get away unscathed. Amid the inevitable concerns about the weather this time of the year, there remains the promise of a more “sporting” pitch at this venue, the unforgiving SSC having yet again shown its contempt for bowlers.Led by Junaid Khan, Pakistan were able to trouble the Sri Lanka batsmen on that SSC highway and though he got support from the left-arm spinner Abdur Rehman, the pace and discipline of Umar Gul, who was out with an ankle injury, was missed. While Pakistan’s batting improved markedly at the SSC, albeit on one of the world’s best batting surfaces, their bowlers will be under added pressure to force a result that would deprive Sri Lanka of their first Test series win in nine attempts.Sri Lanka, though better-placed in the series, should, presumably, be rankled by constant reminders of the influence Muttiah Muralitharan, Chaminda Vaas and even Lasith Malinga had on their Test fortunes. That point is made each time they lose or draw a Test, and walking away unblemished with a series win will mark a turn of the page, a sign of having moved on, at least to some of their detractors if not themselves.In Suraj Randiv and Rangana Herath, Sri Lanka have a potent spin combination for home Tests. They bat deep enough, though without Chanaka Welegedera their pace department needs a boost. Nuwan Pradeep has pace, but has proved ineffective, leaving Nuwan Kulasekara with a big burden. It is here that Pakistan have traditionally been superior, and that being the case in this series as well gives them a good chance.

Form guide

Sri Lanka: DWLWL (most recent first)
Pakistan: DLWWW

Watch out for…

Thilan Samaraweera: Samaraweera’s solidity has served Sri Lanka tremendously over the years but he’s experiencing a blip after a prolific first-class season. His last seven Test innings have yielded just one half-century. Two of his three dismissals in this series have come after remaining padded up for long spells in the dressing room; he’ll want a long enough spell in the middle to end a rare run of underachievement.Under greater pressure is opener Tharanga Paranavitana with scores of 24, 25, 0 and 32 in his last four Test innings. He’s got starts but that’s not encouraging enough when still competing for an opening slot.Taufeeq Umar: It was Taufeeq who got the Pakistan innings rolling at the SSC, his attacking approach a contrast to a subdued Mohammad Hafeez, who only opened up much later. Taufeeq confidently drove on the up and dominated through the off side, before throwing it away with a century there for the taking. He responded with a fluent, unbeaten 42 in the second innings, and looks good to keep a successful opening partnership going.

Pitch and conditions

Mahela Jayawardene reckons the track in Pallekele will “definitely” be “livelier” than the SSC, but will the weather play spoilsport? There are showers forecast; this, after what seemed a pleasant and calm lead-up to the Test was interrupted by a heavy bout of rain on Saturday. While Sri Lanka had a chance to train in the morning, Pakistan did not. At the press conference, Angelo Mathews said he noticed a greenish tinge on the track and expected bounce and movement.The inaugural Test at this venue in 2010 included just 103.3 overs with two full days being washed out. Ryan Harris was among the wickets here in 2011, but frequent interruptions due to rain meant the teams had to settle for a draw, with Australia feeling hard done by in the end.

Team news

Pakistan have gone the diplomatic way by saying they’ll keep all options open. Aizaz Cheema and Saeed Ajmal were the weak links in the bowling attack at the SSC. Gul, if fit, should return to bolster the attack but there’s also Mohammad Sami in the squad, waiting for a chance. He bowled with pace and venom in the limited-overs games, and it remains to be seen what Pakistan do with him.Pakistan (possible): 1 Mohammad Hafeez, 2 Taufeeq Umar, 3 Azhar Ali, 4 Younis Khan, 5 Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), 6 Asad Shafiq, 7 Adnan Akmal (wk), 8 Umar Gul, 9 Junaid Khan, 10 Saeed Ajmal, 11 Abdur Rehman.Sri Lanka could consider leaving out the off-colour Pradeep and replacing him with Dilhara Fernando or the all-round option of Thisara Perera.Sri Lanka (possible): 1 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 2 Tharanga Paranavitana, 3 Kumar Sangakkara, 4 Mahela Jayawardene (capt), 5 Thilan Samaraweera, 6 Angelo Mathews, 7 Prasanna Jayawardene (wk), 8 Nuwan Kulasekara, 9 Suraj Randiv, 10 Rangana Herath, 11 Dilhara Fernando.

Stats and trivia

• Rangana Herath is three away from 150 wickets in Tests. He’s played the most Tests for a Sri Lankan specialist spinner after Muralitharan – 39, after Murali’s 132. Kumar Dharmasena is the third specialist spinner on the list.
• Taufeeq Umar is 90 away from reaching 3000 runs in Tests.
• The Pakistan XI that played the SSC Test was more a gang of senior citizens in comparison to the Pakistan team that took on New Zealand more than 10 years ago in 2002. The average age of the current team is 33, back then it was 25.72.

Quotes

“As far as I am concerned nobody is out of form, actually. The guys have been getting starts but we are professionals. It’s not a major concern. We need to show confidence in individuals.”

“The batsmen took the responsibility and the bowlers did their part and the momentum will be there for us.”

The ICC is investigating claims of irregularities involving a Kenyan player during the match against Pakistan at Hambantota during the 2011 World Cup

Martin Williamson24-May-2012The ICC is investigating claims of irregularities involving a Kenyan player during the match against Pakistan at Hambantota during the 2011 World Cup. ESPNcricinfo has learned that the ICC has also advised the Kenyan board not to engage the player concerned in any official capacity.Pakistan won the match by 205 runs after bowling out Kenya for 112. During the Pakistan innings Kenya’s bowlers conceded 37 wides, equalling the world record.”Cricket Kenya has … been advised that at this stage the ICC cannot comment on any investigations,” Tom Sears, the board’s chief executive, told ESPNcricinfo. “We are happy to assist the ICC in any way to ensure that any corruption in the game is dealt with and if there has been any wrongdoing, any individuals involved are punished accordingly. The Kenyan Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs is aware of the allegations and has also pledged their support in eradicating any corruption.”Kenya’s performance during the tournament, which they ended without a win, was heavily criticised and resulted in a top-to-bottom review by Cricket Kenya. As a result, some senior players were not offered new contracts.The ICC were initially alerted to an incident involving the Kenyan player outside the World Cup with a report from another player that several approaches were made to spot-fix in international matches involving other Full Member countries. While that investigation by the ICC’s Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) remains open, it is believed it has not been pursued as it came down to one person’s word against another.Subsequently another allegation was made against the same cricketer concerning the World Cup match. Cricket Kenya is now in discussions with the ICC about the claim.An ICC spokesman said that it “has a standard policy of not making any comment on the ACSU’s activities”.

Western Australia fast bowler Michael Hogan ripped through South Australia to skittle them for 93 at the WACA

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Dec-2011
ScorecardWestern Australia fast bowler Michael Hogan ripped through South Australia to skittle them for 93 at the WACA, after which the home side’s batsmen performed impressively to take a commanding grip on the game.South Australia had a terrible start after they chose to bat, losing Daniel Harris to Hogan before they had scored a run. That wicket was the start of a slide that did not stop, as only Tom Thornton, the other opener, made it past 20. South Africa were 4 for 71 at one stage and then they lost 4 for 6 and were eventually dismissed in 38 overs.Hogan claimed 5 for 24 in 11 overs, and was well supported by Nathan Rimminton and Jason Behrendorff, who took two wickets each. Wicketkeeper Luke Ronchi also had a terrific day, taking six catches.Western Australia made a solid start to their first innings with their openers adding 70 before Marcus Harris was dismissed for 46 off 60 balls. Wes Robinson, who ended the day unbeaten on 71, then put on 113 for the second wicket with Craig Simmons, who was not out on 52, to consolidate the advantage. It was Robinson’s sixth half-century in five games, while Simmons was playing his first first-class match since February 2009. Western Australia ended the day on 1 for 183, with a lead of 90 runs.

England have bolstered their specialist coaching staff for the Test and limited-overs series in Pakistan and the World T20 with the appointments of Mahela Jayawardene and Paul Collingwood

Andrew McGlashan15-Sep-2015England have bolstered their specialist coaching staff for the Test and limited-overs series against Pakistan and the World T20, with the appointments of Mahela Jayawardene and Paul Collingwood.Jayawardene, who ESPNcricinfo revealed had been in discussions with the ECB during this season, will work with the Test side during the warm-up period in the UAE and the first Test against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi which starts on October 13. He will resume his close ties with England head coach Trevor Bayliss and assistant Paul Farbrace after their days together with Sri Lanka.Collingwood, the former England limited-overs captain, who played 197 ODIs and 35 T20s alongside his 68 Tests, will then work with the limited-overs set-up during the one-day and T20 series against Pakistan, and then at the World T20 in India next year.One of Jayawardene’s tasks will be to pass on his knowledge of playing spin after the problems England had during the 2012 series against Pakistan in the UAE. England only crossed 300 once in six innings and were bowled out for 72 in Abu Dhabi chasing 145.Even away from subcontinental-type conditions, England have often struggled against spin. In the recent Ashes, Nathan Lyon collected 16 wickets at 28.25 while they also floundered against New Zealand at Headingley, where Mark Craig and Kane Williamson shared six second-innings wickets, and against West Indies in Barbados.In 2012, England’s struggles came against Saeed Ajmal and Abdur Rehman – the pair sharing 43 wickets in the three Tests – but they are no longer part of the Pakistan Test side and instead the challenges will be posed by legspinner Yasir Shah, who has 61 wickets in 10 Tests and was the fastest Pakistan bowler to 50 Test wickets, and left-armer Zulfiqar Babar.Andrew Strauss, the England director of cricket, said: “We are delighted that Mahela and Paul will be joining the England management team, supporting our existing specialist coaches in this area. Both will bring a vast wealth of cricketing knowledge and expertise to the team, and in Mahela’s case, extensive experience of batting in the sub-continent which will be invaluable as part of our wider preparations for the UAE tour.”In 2014, Collingwood was the assistant coach for the limited-overs tour of West Indies. Collingwood also worked alongside Ashley Giles during the World T20 in Bangladesh, but Giles soon lost his job after a defeat in the tournament to Netherlands.Collingwood was then assistant coach with Scotland during the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand earlier this year. Shortly after Strauss was named director of England cricket, Collingwood said it would be very difficult to turn down an offer to work with the team.”I love England, England is my passion. The experience of playing for England for so many years, that’s where you feel you belong, in that dressing room wearing the three lions,” he said. “You’re never guaranteed a job when you come out of cricket but if there was a role they wanted us to play somewhere it would be hard to turn down.”But Collingwood will continue to combine coaching with his playing career for at least another year after he recently signed a one-year extension with Durham.”I’ve always said I want to carry on playing as long as I possibly can while I am still enjoying it and worthy of a place in the team,” he told the . “I’m absolutely delighted to have signed another contract and I want to carry on improving this wonderful club on the pitch. I feel I have still got a lot to offer and I’m going to do all I can to keep playing as long as possible.”