Cricinfo previews the 15th match of the IPL between Deccan Chargers and Delhi Daredevils in Cuttack

The Preview by Kanishkaa Balachandran20-Mar-2010

Match facts

March 21, 2010
Start time 1600 (1030 GMT)AB de Villiers’ place could be up for grabs if he fails again•Associated Press

Big picture

Things aren’t so rosy for the Delhi Daredevils, who’ve slipped from top of the table after two games to No.6. Gautam Gambhir’s absence has had a bigger impact than they could have imagined, and a date hasn’t yet been set for his return. Their biggest worry, though, is their bowling, which has failed to defend totals of 218 and 185. And even those high scores belie a shaky batting line-up, with AB de Villiers out of form and Tillakaratne Dilshan yet to play a special innings. A strong middle-order performance will play a big part in getting Delhi back on track. Their seamers, especially Dirk Nannes, can be very potent on pitches that offer seam movement and pace. In Ashish Nehra’s absence, the responsibility on Nannes has only increased. After two forgettable showings at home, they’ll hope for better luck at a new venue.Deccan have rebounded well after losing their opening game, recording back-to-back wins against Chennai Super Kings and Kings XI Punjab. Adam Gilchrist retained the winning line-up against Punjab and the team looked in control of the game for most of the game. Their overseas players, including Andrew Symonds and Chaminda Vaas, have performed consistently and they are one of the form teams in this tournament. If Deccan win, it will be their first against Delhi in the league stages of the IPL.

Team talk

Gambhir’s return is still uncertain and assistant coach Eric Simons hinted that he could miss the next couple of games. Dinesh Karthik will continue to lead the team in his place. Wayne Parnell hasn’t got a game, neither has Moises Henriques, though it won’t be a bad idea to bring in the allrounder Henriques in place of the under-pressure de Villiers. Sarabjit Ladda has been expensive, so they can consider replacing him with Sarandeep Singh.Deccan’s VVS Laxman suffered an unfortunate injury to the arm while batting against Punjab. The fact that he retired hurt suggested that the injury could be serious. His absence could give Venugopal Rao an opportunity.

Previously…

Delhi 4 Deccan 1
Delhi won both their matches against Deccan 2008. They won their home game by 12 runs and the away game by a nine-wicket margin.Delhi won the first match against Deccan in 2009 by six wickets, thanks to Nannes’ opening spell. Deccan ought to have won the return match, needing 25 in three overs, with six wickets in hand but choked, losing by 12 runs. Rajat Bhatia was the hero on that occasion. But Deccan had their revenge in the more important clash – the semi-final.

In the spotlight

AB de Villiers: Thirty-five runs in four games at 8.75. Not numbers you will associate with the South African batsman, but a big score is due. Fortunately, his poor batting form hasn’t rubbed off on his fielding, which is as sharp as ever. But you have to admit that he’s one failure away from being dropped.
RP Singh: The left-armer has struggled in Indian conditions and he’s yet to recreate his form from last year, where the swing and seam in South Africa made him feel at home. Three wickets at 36 and an expensive economy rate of 9.81 aren’t figures you’d expect from the team’s strike bowler.Chaminda Vaas v Delhi top-order: He did it to Kolkata, Chennai and Punjab. A fascinating duel with Sehwag beckons.

Prime numbers

• Chaminda Vaas remains the Purple Cap holder with seven wickets, followed closely by hat-trick man Praveen Kumar at six.
• Virender Sehwag’s strike-rate of 194.68 is the highest for any batsman who has played four matches. Gilchrist’s slightly ahead at 195.31 but he’s played one game less.

Chatter

“We know what Gilchrist did to us in the semifinal last year. We know what kind of a player he is and what is the kind of player Gibbs is.”

“We can’t take anyone lightly and Delhi are a quality side, they showed it in IPL 2. But, we must do our things well and not worry too much about the opposition.”

The traditional curtain-raiser to the English domestic season begins on Monday as county champions Durham play MCC

Liam Brickhill28-Mar-2010The traditional curtain-raiser to the English domestic season begins on Monday as county champions Durham play MCC. But while the fixture conjures up genteel images of flannelled gentlemen opening the season under heavy April skies at HQ, the details of the match represent a significant break from convention. The game is to be played well over 3,000 miles away from Lord’s, at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi, under floodlights, and with a pink ball.The conditions will be a far cry from those Durham will encounter in their opening Championship game against Essex on April 15, and despite captain Will Smith’s recent assertion that his team are heading for a “golden age” as they chase a hat-trick of Championship titles, the buzz ahead of the game is all due to the innovations being trialled. Never before in the history of English first-class cricket has a game been played at night with a pink ball, although the novelty has been tested in limited-overs games, and in a first-class match in the West Indies.The trialling of this contemporary innovation could have momentous and far-reaching implications, and, with the Lord’s Test of Bangladesh’s tour this summer briefly mooted as a possible day-night affair, Keith Bradshaw, MCC’s chief executive, believes the Abu Dhabi match is an important step in paving the way for day-night Tests in the near future.”The MCC have just done a tour in this region and all the reports that came back on the pink ball were very encouraging,” he told reporters in Abu Dhabi. “But the proof will be in the pudding, which is over the next few days. If the ball stacks up here, performs well, holds its shine and shape and the players have good visibility, then that’s as good a test as any.”We don’t want to create any expectations of a timescale, because if there are some issues with the ball we don’t want to push too hard and find we’ve created expectations we can’t fulfil,” he added. “But I would like to think that if the tests go well and the ball stacks up that we could implement this fairly quickly. I would encourage the ICC and other boards that if the trial goes well, let’s implement it as soon as we can. If it stacks up and we get good reports, then why not?”Despite the landmark nature of the fixture, the changes being tested are unlikely to have a great impact on Test cricket in England, one of the few countries where Tests are still well attended. The fickleness of English weather, even in the summer, also dents the attraction of attending a Test in the evening and as such the evolution of the format could be far more significantly felt in the subcontinent and Australia, where audiences are falling.”On the whole, we’ve not really looked at this specifically for England but further abroad,” explained Bradshaw. “Test match attendances throughout England, and in London in particular, are still very healthy. We’re fortunate in England that we’re not seeing the declining numbers that some other countries are seeing.”We’re not advocating that every Test is a day-night Test, but it can compliment and certainly add some interest in the subcontinent and other countries,” he added. “I know Australia are keen and have been trialling the concept. James Sutherland [chief executive of Cricket Australia] is very keen to push on with the concept and find an appropriate ball.”With cricket as a whole in a state of flux, and uncertainty surrounding the future of both Test and one-day cricket in an increasingly packed international calendar, Smith warned against the danger of cheapening the game with gimmickry for financial gain, although he accepted that the implementation of the concepts could provide a timely boost to cricket’s longer formats.”If it goes well out here in 40 degree heat that’s one thing but it would be hard to fully align that to English conditions,” the Durham captain said. “I think we would need to have a few more steps along the way before we see day-night Test cricket or Championship cricket.”As long as it doesn’t take away from the traditional values and the nuances of the four-day game, which are very important, it must be a good thing. If it can bring more spectators in after work then great, but it can’t just be used as a money-making tool – the game still has to be right.”Jon Lewis, the Gloucestershire opening bowler, Glamorgan left-arm spinner Dean Cosker and Tim Murtagh from Middlesex have been drafted into the MCC squad for the match in order to give Steven Finn and Chris Tremlett a rest, and if MCC field first, Lewis could well have the honour of bowling the first pink ball in English first-class cricket.”I’m really pleased and excited to get this opportunity to play for MCC in Abu Dhabi. It will be extremely useful, high quality match practice ahead of the championship season,” he said. “Playing with the pink ball and under lights is a fascinating prospect and I’m eager to learn more about the pink ball and how it behaves.”Mark Ramprakash, who had been part of the MCC squad, has flown home from Abu Dhabi for personal reasons, meaning that MCC’s playing XI for the fixture is now fixed.MCC Alex Gidman (capt), Scott Newman, David Sales, Dawid Malan, James Taylor, James Foster (wk), James Middlebrook, Tim Murtagh, Steve Kirby, Jon Lewis, Dean CoskerDurham (from) Will Smith (capt), Phil Mustard (wk), Dale Benkenstein, Ben Stokes, Gordon Muchall, Michael Di Venuto, Mark Stoneman, Ben Harmison, Gareth Breese, Kyle Coetzer, Ian Blackwell, Michael Richardson, Will Gidman, Neil Killeen, Mitchell Claydon, Chris Rushworth, Luke Evans, Callum Thorp, Scott Borthwick, Steve Harmison

Raees Ahmadzai, who was part of Afghanistan’s dream run from Division Five to the World Twenty20, has retired from the game in order to focus on developing the next line of Afghan cricketers

Cricinfo staff07-May-2010Raees Ahmadzai, who was part of Afghanistan’s dream run from Division Five to the World Twenty20, has retired from the game in order to focus on developing the next line of Afghan cricketers.”Thanks for all the supportive messages. I have retired in order to focus on developing the younger generation of Afghan cricketers,” read the 25-year old middle-order batsman’s Twitter feed, yesterday.Ahmadzai has played a handful of international fixtures, averaging close to 30 in both ODIs and T20Is. He was however, not able to make an impression in the World Twenty20, managing nine runs in Afghanistan’s matches against South Africa and India. His departure will leave a void in the inexperienced Afghanistan line-up as they face up for tougher challenges.

Marlon Samuels, the West Indies and Jamaica batsman, has said his “love for the game” kept his hopes for a comeback alive during his two-year ban for links to an Indian bookmaker

Cricinfo staff22-May-2010Marlon Samuels, the West Indies and Jamaica batsman, has said his “love for the game” kept his hopes for a comeback alive during his two-year ban for links to an Indian bookmaker. Samuels, who has maintained his innocence, returned to play for his regional side Jamaica against USA in a one-day game in Florida. He failed to fire in that game but followed up with a half-century in a Twenty20 game against the hosts.Samuels was 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. “After 735 days to be back playing the game that I love to get fifty today was wonderful,” he told Reuters. “I have had a wonderful welcome from the Jamaican team and it is so good to be back.”Samuels was barred from all cricket and spent much of his couple of years away from the game training for a successful return. “It was tough but at the end of the day, the Almighty doesn’t give anyone a challenge that they can’t bear,” he said. “It was most definitely unfair but I have to put that behind me and move forward.”My love for the game kept me going, my love for the game is never dying so I just continued to practice and work as hard as possible.”I knew the ban would come to an end and I would come back and carry on where I left off. I have my own personal bowling machine which I invested in and I also have never had a shortage of people who would come and bowl to me.”Samuels said he had been in constant touch with Chris Gayle, his Jamaica team-mate and West Indies captain, and was not short of encouragement. “I’m dealing with the future like I dealt with the last two years, just taking it in my stride. I’m in good nick, so I’m just looking to continue scoring runs and hope my runs will put where I deserve to be.”Encouragement is always there. Chris is my best friend, we keep communicating and talk about cricket continuously. West Indies aren’t doing well at the moment but we can only improve.”

Bangladesh have called up batsman Mohammad Ashraful, allrounder Naeem Islam and wicketkeeper Saghir Hossain to their squad in England

Andrew Miller at Trent Bridge08-Jul-2010Bangladesh have called up batsman Mohammad Ashraful, allrounder Naeem Islam and wicketkeeper Saghir Hossain to their injury-hit squad in England. Their first-choice keeper Mushfiqur Rahim has been ruled out for a week after taking a blow in the face and their top-scorer in the first ODI at Trent Bridge, Raqibul Hasan, is out for the rest of the tour after fracturing his toe.Mushfiqur was struck in the face while standing up to the left-arm spinner Faisal Hossain and had to be stretchered off the field. X-rays showed there was no fracture, but he is being kept in hospital for observation. Raqibul, meanwhile, was struck on the boot by a James Anderson yorker and run out without facing another ball for 76 after his recall to the side following “retirement” earlier in the year.It is the loss of Mushfiqur that will be the biggest blow to Bangladesh’s hopes, however. He is one of the lynchpins of their side – reliable with the gloves and combative with the bat, as he showed with two big sixes off Anderson towards the end of the Bangladesh innings. With no reserve keeper in the squad, Bangladesh face the prospect of having to use Jahurul Islam, who missed the Trent Bridge match with illness, at Bristol if Saghir doesn’t arrive in time for Saturday’s game.”Ashraful left home this morning while Naeem will also fly out on the next available flight as Raqibul and Mushfiqur will not be available in the remaining two matches of the series,” chief selector Rafiqul Alam told . “Saghir will join the squad as soon as possible subject to visa approval. Until he reaches England, batsman Jahurul Islam will handle the job of wicketkeeper.”Bangladesh have not won a single international match in 2010, and morale in the squad is low, a fact that Mashrafe Mortaza did not try to disguise on his return to the captaincy for the first time in 12 months. “I think we need some belief, definitely,” he said. “Hopefully we will find it next game.”It’s very difficult to beat a team like England in England,” he added. “They beat Australia and they are in really good form. Also, we have lost two key players in the side so it’s not easy. Hopefully the boys that are are experienced will show some good batting. But the team is definitely under pressure now. We have lost 20 games in a row, and as a captain I have to lift the other 14 guys.”

Ricky Ponting expects his reign as Australian captain to end if he is not holding the Ashes at the SCG in January

Cricinfo staff02-Jul-2010Ricky Ponting expects his reign as Australian captain to end if he is not holding the Ashes at the SCG in January. Ponting was in charge during the 2005 and 2009 defeats in England, and led his side to a 5-0 whitewash at home three years ago.Despite being one of the game’s all-time greats with the bat, Ponting knows his future depends on the result of the 2010-11 series. “I’d probably be looking for a new job if we lose again,” Ponting told the Daily Mail. “It’s as simple as that. I’ve got the biggest eight months of my career coming up.”Australia face Pakistan and India in two-Test series before the Ashes begin at the Gabba in November and the series is followed by the World Cup. “It doesn’t get any bigger than that and everything I do between now and April will be geared at getting the most out of myself and, most importantly, the group,” he said. “If I’m able to do that I think there are some pretty special things on the horizon for this team.”While the Ashes series is likely to determine what Ponting does next, he said he was not weighed down by the significance of the contest. “I haven’t thought about any added pressure on me,” he said. “I’m just thinking about being the best player I can be and having a significant impact on the Ashes series as a batsman and as a leader. That’s all I can control. I know what it takes to be a good player in a big series and I know what it will take for the rest of the guys.”England have beaten Australia in their most important encounters over the past year. The run began with their Ashes victory at The Oval and continued with a win in the World Twenty20 final and the current one-day series success.Ponting said England deserved the latest triumph but does not think they have earned bragging rights in all forms of the game. “We’re still ranked the best side in one-day cricket and No. 2 in Test cricket,” Ponting said. “Until England get their heads above us in all of the tables then superiority will be with us.”

Former Sri Lankan first-class cricketer Conroy Ievers Gunasekera, famously known as ‘CI’, died in Colombo on Thursday at the age of 90

Sa'adi Thawfeeq29-Jul-2010Former Sri Lankan first-class cricketer and All Ceylon Captain Conroy Ievers Gunasekera, famously known as ‘CI’, died in Colombo on Thursday at the age of 90. Born on July 14, 1920, he learnt the game when Sri Lanka was under British rule. He was known to be one of the hardest hitters of the ball of his era, and also bowled right-arm legbreaks.Gunasekera played for Royal College, but drew notice with his performances for Singhalese SC. He won his first national cap at the age of 27 against Don Bradman’s ‘Invincibles’, and represented his country against international teams until 1964, with his last appearance also against the Australians, led by Bob Simpson.He was belatedly handed the national captaincy in 1960 at the age of 40, and is remembered for a quickfire cameo he played against Richie Benaud’s touring Australians a year later. He plundered three fours and two sixes in an over from left-arm spinner Lindsay Kline, looting 24 in all, before finishing with 28.Another of his famous knocks was against the MCC at the P. Sara Oval in 1952 while he was playing for a Commonwealth XI. He beat allrounder Keith Miller to his hundred. Gunasekera scored 135 and Miller 106 in a fourth-wicket partnership of 107. The Commonwealth XI went onto amass 517, and beat the MCC by an innings. His highest first-class score was 212 for Ceylon v Madras in the annual Gopalan trophy match played at P. Sara Oval in 1958-59.Gunasekera, who lived alone in his Colombo home, was devastated following the death of his wife a few years ago and became a virtual recluse. His son lives in England.In a recent interview with a Sunday paper, Gunasekera said, “I was a dreadful smoker, at 2 cents a cigarette; I could afford it for 50 years. That’s why my lungs are shrunk. No one knew that it was bad. Even doctors were offering you cigarettes. At the time they didn’t know medical science.”Gunasekera’s uncle was the famous Dr CH Gunasekara, who became the first Sri Lankan to play for a county side – Middlesex (1919-1922). Gunasekara also excelled in tennis and athletics, but he is remembered mainly for his cricketing exploits.

Ireland allrounder Alex Cusack has been ruled out for the tour of Canada which includes two ODIs and an Intercontinental Cup match

Cricinfo staff21-Aug-2010Ireland allrounder Alex Cusack has been ruled out for the tour of Canada, which includes two ODIs and an Intercontinental Cup match. Cusack is set to undergo surgery on a long-standing injury problem and his recovery is expected to take about six weeks.Cricket Ireland stated in a release that he is suffering from ‘chronic compartment syndrome’, which happens when the muscles don’t have room to expand in the fascia which surrounds the muscle nerves.The 14-man squad includes Andre Botha and Phil Eaglestone, who have recovered from their respective injuries. The allrounder Botha was down with a stress fracture while Eaglestone, the left-arm seamer, suffered a side strain. Niall O’Brien, the wicketkeeper, is recovering well from the operation on his finger, and expects to resume playing before the end of the season.Those missing the trip are William Porterfield and Boyd Rankin, who have county commitments. Wicketkeeper Gary Wilson will miss the Intercontinental Cup in Toronto starting August 31 but his county Surrey has agreed to release him for the ODIs alone.Squad: Trent Johnston (capt), Andre Botha, George Dockrell, Phil Eaglestone, Allan Eastwood, Nigel Jones, Rory McCann, John Mooney, Kevin O’Brien, Andrew Poynter, Paul Stirling, Albert van der Merwe, Andrew White, Gary Wilson (ODIs only)

Bad light ruled out what would have been an intriguing final two overs of the first one-dayer in Toronto, but Canada won’t be complaining as it secured them a surprise win

Cricinfo staff07-Sep-2010
Scorecard
Canada’s captain Ashish Bagai once again made a key contribution•Bryan Vandenburg, Cricket Canada

Bad light ruled out what would have been an intriguing final two overs in the first one-dayer in Toronto, but Canada won’t be complaining as it secured them a surprise win over Ireland, the leading Associate nation, in a rain-shortened match.Canada needed 13 off two overs and had just lost two batsmen who had scored half-centuries, Ruvindu Gunasekera and captain Ashish Bagai, when play had to be called off due to bad light. The match had already been curtailed to a 35-over affair after rain had delayed the start by three and a half hours.Ireland had chosen to bat and despite none of their batsmen making a half-century, they posted a competitive total. Their top scorer was John Mooney, who came in at 78 for 4 and provided some stability with a brisk 47. Their only other batsman to make it past 20 was opener Paul Stirling as Canada’s disciplined bowlers, led by Lahore-born fast bowler Khurram Chohan, struck regularly.Canada’s chase got off to a poor start with both openers falling cheaply. Gunasekera, playing his first ODI in two years, and Bagai then put the home side on course for victory with a 140-run third-wicket stand, before both fell in the space of six deliveries, leaving Canada needing a run a ball for the final 16 deliveries. Zubin Surkari and Jimmy Hansra added three off four deliveries before the light was deemed too poor to continue, consigning Ireland to defeat.

Graeme Swann, the England offspinner, wanted to pull out of the fourth one-day international at Lord’s on Monday following Ijaz Butt’s claim that England took money to lose the previous match at The Oval

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Sep-2010Graeme Swann, the England offspinner, wanted to pull out of the fourth one-day international at Lord’s on Monday following Ijaz Butt’s claim that England took money to lose the previous match at The Oval. It was only after extensive negotiations between the ECB and the players that the game went ahead, but Swann has revealed the players were ready to take drastic action.Andrew Strauss was involved in meetings that went into the early hours of Monday morning with the board and the Professional Cricketers’ Association before the decision was taken to continue the one-day series. The ECB issued strongly worded statements in response to Butt’s outburst and are still set on pursuing legal action against the Pakistan board chairman unless he makes a public apology for claiming England took “enormous amounts of money” to lose at The Oval.”I couldn’t wait for those games to end and get the hell out of there. It was a dreadful experience and one I never want to experience again,” Swann told . “In fact, I didn’t want to play at all in the one-dayer on Monday. I won’t lie about that – I was dead against playing. And I wasn’t alone, plenty of other players had strong reservations.”But Straussy, who has been brilliant throughout this episode, persuaded us the best thing we could do was get on with it as a team and make sure we won the series. He was proved to be right.”Swann, who took 11 wickets at 19.00 during the series which England won 3-2 with a 121-run success at the Rose Bowl, insisted it was no empty threat from the players about taking Butt to court over his claims.”I want to say I agree 100 per cent with the decision to send a letter on behalf of the England team demanding an apology from PCB chairman Ijaz Butt. If we do not receive a satisfactory response, we will start legal proceedings,” Swann said. “Mr Butt’s comments about bookmakers claiming we deliberately lost the third one-dayer in return for ‘enormous amounts of money’ were as offensive as they could possibly be. They went against everything I stand for as a professional sportsman.”We felt powerless as players because as soon as somebody says something like that and it is read by cricket followers, our name is sullied. You can’t go around accusing people and pointing fingers with completely unsubstantiated claims. In the civilised world, it is not something that should happen. I hope Mr Butt sees sense and retracts his claims or there must be severe consequences for him.”