Kevin Pietersen has announced he will leave Hampshire at the end of the season. He has not played a Championship match at The Rose Bowl since 2005

George Dobell17-Jun-2010Kevin Pietersen has announced he will leave Hampshire at the end of the season. He has not played a Championship match at The Rose Bowl since breaking into the Test team in 2005 and made his first appearance in two years on Sunday in the Friends Provident t20.Afterwards, when pressed about his future at the club, he replied: “Geographically it just doesn’t work. I live in Chelsea.”On Thursday he said: “I have not had much opportunity to play for Hampshire but I want to thank the players, staff, chairman and fans, for the support I have had during my time at The Rose Bowl. Hampshire is a great club and I wish them well for the future.”Hampshire chairman Rod Bransgrove said: “Given England’s critical dependence on KP in all forms of cricket, we have not seen anything like as much of him as we would have liked over the past six years.”Pietersen’s desire to be in London would appear to limit his options for a move considerably. Middlesex and Surrey are the only clubs with easy reach of his home. If neither express any interest, it is possible he could become a ‘freelance’. It is understood that a move to Middlesex is likely.”I don’t blame Kevin, but these international players are now owned almost entirely by England,” Bransgrove told Cricinfo before Pietersen’s announcement. “He supports us the best he can when he’s here, but the ECB’s policy of releasing player for their counties is quite opaque and I don’t understand it. The England management rule the roost. I’ve given up asking for them to release Kevin for Hampshire games.”Bransgrove expressed particular disappointment over Pietersen’s availability for T20 cricket. Pietersen has played only two domestic T20 matches for Hampshire in six seasons. “The ECB have also shown no commitment to the competition,” Bransgrove said. “Our international player was only available for one game. We really need to grasp the opportunity of T20, but it’s almost gone now.”To exacerbate matters, the England management withdrew Pietersen from a question and answer session arranged for a dinner at the Rose Bowl on the eve of the ODI against Australia. “I’m extremely hacked off,” Bransgrove said.Meanwhile Hampshire are also reeling from the news that Kabir Ali will miss the rest of the season with a serious knee injury. Kabir, who has the best strike-rate of any bowler in county cricket, joined the club from Worcestershire at the end of last year.”It’s very sad news,” Bransgrove said. “We thought he’d take at least 50 wickets for us and he started the season bowling beautifully. But it’s a serious injury – much like that suffered by Simon Jones – and we’ll have to work very hard to get him ready for next season.”To complete a thoroughly miserable day, the club have also reluctantly accepted that Ajantha Mendis, the Sri Lankan spinner they hoped would represent them for most of the season, will not be available at all.

Anil Kumble and Muttiah Muralitharan could be soon working together in training young spinners

Cricinfo staff30-Jul-2010Anil Kumble and Muttiah Muralitharan could be soon working together in training young spinners. There are plans in place to set up a spin-bowling academy, possibly in Bangalore, and the two bowlers, who share 1419 Test wickets between them, have set their minds on the project.”It is in the pipeline, but it is Anil’s call as he is arranging things for setting up the academy in Bangalore,” Muralitharan, who retired after finishing with 800 wickets in Galle, told the . “If Anil does (set things up) I would like to be a part of it. I am not planning a career in coaching, but if Anil starts his academy I’ll be happy to go.”While Kumble isn’t yet certain about when the project will get underway, he confirmed the intention was very much there, having discussed it two years ago. “I have been in touch with Murali. However, I haven’t been able to speak to him after his retirement since he’s been busy with all the felicitations,” Kumble said. “Once he’s free we’ll sit down and plan things in detail.”

An enterprising seventh-wicket stand between Tom New and Claude Henderson halted a Derbyshire fightback and regained the advantage for Leicestershire

04-Aug-2010
ScorecardAn enterprising seventh-wicket stand between Tom New and Claude Henderson halted a Derbyshire fightback and regained the advantage for Leicestershire in a rain-affected second day of the County Championship clash at Grace Road.A total of 48 overs were lost to the weather but by the close Leicestershire had reached 260 for 6 to establish a valuable first innings lead of 78, with New and Henderson still together having shared a partnership of 64 in 13 overs. Before they ran into this late-order resistance Derbyshire looked to have gained a foothold in the match by taking five wickets for 85 runs as Leicestershire slipped from 139 for 1to 196 for 6.Heavy early morning rain delayed the start of this Division Two contest until 2pm and the afternoon belonged to the Derbyshire bowlers. In helpful conditions they began to work their way through the Leicestershire batting with the home side having resumed at a healthy 117 for 1,just 65 runs behind.Both Matt Boyce and Jacques Du Toit looked in good form and Boyce took two early boundaries off Steffan Jones. But then the wickets began to fall as the second wicket partnership, which had put on 85, was broken by Jones. He dug a delivery in at Du Toit, who mistimed a hook and was caught by Robin Peterson having made 44 off 92 balls.In the next over Boyce fell to a lifting delivery from Tim Groenewald which brushed a glove on the way through to Chris Rogers at slip. Boyce had played well to make 60 off 157 balls with 11 boundaries, but the Derbyshire seamers continued to make progress with James Taylor the next to go, wicketkeeper Lee Goddard taking a simple catch off a top-edge off the bowling of Mark Footitt.And when both Paul Nixon and Wayne White also fell cheaply the home side looked to be in real danger of surrendering the initiative. But Derbyshire were interrupted by another rain break after the interval and when play resumed New and Henderson took the attack to the visitors.Both enjoyed some luck in earning vital boundaries and when the new ball was taken the pair of them scored 39 runs in the final seven overs. A Henderson boundary brought up the 50 stand in 10 overs and at the close New was still there on 45 and Henderson on 24 with Leicestershire once again holding the upper hand.

The allrounder Jacob Oram will have knee surgery next week that will rule him out of the Champions League

Cricinfo staff26-Aug-2010The allrounder Jacob Oram will have knee surgery next week that will rule him out of the Champions League Twenty20 in another painful chapter to a career plagued by injury. Scans showed damage to Oram’s patella tendon and he is now hoping to return for Pakistan’s visit in December. He has been replaced by the 18-year old allrounder Ben Wheeler, who played in the Under-19 World Cup this year.It continues a tough year for Oram, who forfeited his IPL fee when he suffered a torn patella during the one-day series with Australia in March. He made it back for the World Twenty20 but continued to feel pain and aggravated the problem again during a squad camp in Australia last month.New Zealand’s team management hoped Oram would be able to get through the one-day tour of Sri Lanka but he was sent home this week. The surgery also hurts Central Districts, who have already lost Ross Taylor to Bangalore for the Twenty20 tournament in South Africa starting on September 10.”While I’m gutted to miss the Champions League with the Stags I’m thankful the medical specialist has found the problem now so we can get the right plans in place to get it right,” Oram, 32, said. “I’ve been told that I should be realistically targeting the Pakistan homes series at the end of the year, but who knows, if surgery and rehab goes well I may be available for selection before the Indian tour in November.”Oram described in April how his injury list had been “hellishly frustrating”, and that every new problem “eroded the energy of my psyche”. Despite the latest setback, he still wants to continue on until next year’s World Cup.”It’s frustrating more than anything but I’ve been through this before,” he said. “I’m confident I can return injury free following a course of rehabilitation.”His replacement, Wheeler, has played only two first-class games, and is yet to make his Twenty20 debut for Central Districts.

Cricket Kenya chief executive Tom Sears has revealed his delight after his Under-19 side achieved a place in the ICC U-19 Cricket World Cup Qualifier

Cricinfo staff13-Sep-2010Cricket Kenya chief executive Tom Sears has revealed his delight after his Under-19 side achieved a place in the ICC U-19 Cricket World Cup Qualifier by finishing runners-up behind hosts Namibia in the eight-team African qualifying event.Coached by Martin Suji, Kenya started the event well with wins over Zambia, Sierra Leone and Tanzania but back-to-back defeats against Uganda and tournament winners Namibia meant nothing less than two wins from the last two games would be enough. After overcoming Nigeria the team convincingly defeated Botswana by eight wickets to secure a qualifying places. Tight bowling, including an outstanding 5 for 19 by Raj Savala, restricted Botswana to 138 and the young Kenya side showed no nerves in chasing down the runs required with Irfan Karim 47 not out and Duncan Allen 33 not out securing the victory.”This is a tremendous achievement by the squad to come through a tough qualifying tournament and after facing intense pressure in the last two games,” Sears said. “We place tremendous importance on our U-19 squad as these are the next generation of Kenyan international players at senior level. Given the way some of the squad have performed there is no reason why, if they maintain their progress, one or two players cannot force themselves into contention for a place in the senior squad sooner rather than later and even into the 15 man squad for the 2011 World Cup.”There’s a great deal of talent in Kenya at this level, there were some unlucky players who didn’t quite make the squad for this tournament who will be looking to provide real competition for places in the future. We hope this achievement will inspire all young cricketers in Kenya and open their eyes to where hard work and commitment can take them.”

A round-up of matches from the Twenty20 leg of the ICC Women’s Cricket Challenge

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Oct-2010

ScorecardWest Indies stormed into the final of the ICC Women’s Cricket Twenty20 Challenge in Potchefstroom, brushing Netherlands aside by 99 runs.Netherlands had begun promisingly when seamers Mariska Kornet and Denise Hannema struck early to reduce West Indies to 35 for 2. However, Tremayne Smartt and Stacy-Ann King added 124 runs in 12 overs to set up West Indies’ huge total. King hammered 81 off only 47 deliveries, hitting 12 fours while Smartt made 62 off 42.Facing an asking rate close to ten an over, Netherlands started steadily, reaching 40 for 1 in the eighth over. However, some atrocious running contributed to a collapse with half the side managing to get run out. Offspinner Anisa Mohammed took 2 for 11 as Netherlands crumbled to be dismissed for 92.West Indies will meet Sri Lanka in the final later today.Pakistan Women 111 for 6 (Abidi 39, Delany 2-16, Garth 2-17) beat Ireland Women 106 for 7 (Garth 20, Dar 2-9, Asmavia 2-16) by six wickets

ScorecardPakistan prevailed over Ireland by five runs in a game that was decided off the last ball in Potchefstroom. After being restricted to 111, Pakistan’s bowlers put in a disciplined performance to successfully defend the modest total.Kim Garth and Laura Delany had fought back with a 39-run stand after the Pakistan bowlers led by offspinner Nida Dar had reduced Ireland to 65 for 5. However, Garth was run out off the third ball of the last over bowled by Asmavia Iqbal with her side needing eight runs. Only two more runs came off the next two deliveries, and Delany was bowled off the last ball.Delany and Garth had earlier taken 4 for 33 between them as Pakistan squandered a strong position. Nain Abidi and Javeria Khan had added 58 runs to take their team to 73 for 1 in the 12th over, but a middle-order collapse meant Pakistan could not capitalise.Pakistan meet South Africa in the third-place playoff and Ireland take on Netherlands in the fifth-place playoff later today.

Three Pakistan batsmen made half-centuries as they edged closer to saving the follow-on, but South Africa did enough throughout to keep a door to victory open

The Bulletin by Osman Samiuddin22-Nov-2010
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Misbah-ul-Haq’s presence in the middle is crucial to Pakistan’s fate in the Test•AFP

Pakistan found a good time to put up one of their most resolute collective
batting displays of the year, defying South Africa on an engrossing second
day at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium. Three from the middle order made
half-centuries as they edged closer to saving the follow-on, but South
Africa did enough throughout to keep a door to victory open.Two partnerships dominated the resistance, both centred most pleasantly
around youth. The first was a 117-run stand between Azhar Ali and Taufeeq
Umar that spanned much of the morning. Azhar was the centrifugal force.
Rare among his younger countrymen in that he seems wired for Tests
specifically, Azhar has been Pakistan’s sleeper hit this year.The impression he made in England solidified here with another well-judged
vigil. There was more oomph to his third half-century of the series and
not only because the fields were attacking and open. He took on Dale
and Morne Morkel whenever the opportunity arose but was most impressive
holding off the latter as he attacked his ribs. Azhar was jumpy but a
thumping pull to bring up the fifty shortly before the first drinks break
put paid to that plan temporarily. Later, as Morkel tried his luck again,
he pulled him even more emphatically.Off the backfoot, Azhar in fact is strongest and most elegant, as Steyn found
in occasional punches through off. A first ton was there for Azhar’s taking;
instead he now has two nineties.The second developed over the afternoon, a 105-run partnership between
Misbah-ul-Haq and Asad Shafiq and it was the debutant who steered it. Quick of feet
and hands, Shafiq has looked comfortable since his ODI debut earlier this
year. His first Test yielded a similar sense. In at a genuinely tricky
period soon after lunch when two wickets had fallen in two overs, Shafiq
was particularly bright against spin.To anything remotely short – and there was enough from Johan Botha – he
leant back to cut. To much else he moved his feet to kill the length. Once
he improvised, flipping Botha over his shoulder. One cut, off Paul Harris,
made him the 20th Pakistan batsman to score a fifty on debut. Against pace he was
less forthright and less willing to use his feet, so it was a surprise
that he fell to Harris eventually.And this is the thing about world-class attacks: they are never out of it.
They may not be up to much for a session or more, but eventually their
quality will out. Steyn was more world class than the rest, taking four
pelts at the batsmen through the day. In the morning he probed rather than
threatened. It had been the way since his return from injury in the last
Test and the pace hasn’t yet touched the peaks it can.Lunch helped Steyn find some rhythm and swing, however; immediately he was
tempting a restless Younis Khan into nibbling at delicious, late-blooming
outswingers. A few overs later temptation became downfall. Younis squeezed
a drive through gully but a ball later, reaching out again, drove straight
to cover. It was infectious, for in his next over, Azhar drove loosely as
well, straight to mid-off. It wasn’t unplayable stuff, just good
disciplines playing on the impatience of opponents and similar to his
breakthrough performance against the same opponents in Karachi three years
ago. This gave South Africa their first real peek.The last spell mirrored the first, though given he had a fresh ball, it
wasn’t incisive enough. But by then he had Harris, looking every inch a
cop from a 70s cop show, to fall back on. Like all left-arm spinners, he
generally does well against Pakistan and he tied them down for much of the
afternoon. Timely middle-order breakthroughs, from good bounce, in the
last session ensured South African ascendancy.It was needed, for Botha was poor, bizarrely starting his day’s work as a
seamer before belatedly resuming his day-job deep into the afternoon;
seven expensive overs later, perhaps he should’ve stuck to seam-up. Morkel
was never consistent enough with his lengths.In this relentlessness it was left to Misbah to keep up the fight. He went
nowhere to begin with but on a day of dismissals as soft as baby cheeks, his
ability to stick around was admirable. He opened up on Botha and eventually the
pacers as they tired; some of the pulls and clips, as well as the manner
of work, was reminiscent of his Test peak in 2007-08 in India. More will
be needed to avoid the follow-on.

The Crown Prosecution Service has been handed a second file of evidence relating to claims that Pakistan’s cricketers accepted bribes to engage in spot-fixing during the fourth Test against England at Lord’s in August

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Nov-2010The Crown Prosecution Service has been handed a second file of evidence relating to claims that Pakistan’s cricketers accepted bribes to engage in spot-fixing during the fourth Test against England at Lord’s in August.Scotland Yard said that evidence that there was a conspiracy to defraud bookmakers will be considered by the CPS, although the investigation remains ongoing.Detectives interviewed four players under caution, three of whom – Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir – are currently suspended from international cricket by the ICC.Mazhar Majeed, a businessman and players’ agent, was also arrested as part of the investigation, and stands accused of accepting £150,000 to fix the actions of several players during the Lord’s Test.A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: “The Metropolitan Police has today delivered a second file of evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) in connection with the investigation of alleged offences in relation to the fourth Test at Lord’s Cricket Ground on 26 August. The file will now be subject to CPS consideration.”The ICC’s code of conduct commission rejected appeals by Butt and Amir against their suspensions last Sunday, while Asif had withdrawn his appeal.
The next stage will be a hearing by the anti-corruption tribunal into details of the fixing case.

Ian Chappell believes Australia’s selectors may be forced to skip a generation in a bid to identify a new attack leader, after the three seamers chosen for the second Test at Adelaide – Doug Bollinger, Ryan Harris and Peter Siddle – suffered one of Austra

Andrew Miller at Adelaide05-Dec-2010Ian Chappell believes Australia’s selectors may be forced to skip a generation in a bid to identify a new attack leader, after the three seamers chosen for the second Test at Adelaide – Doug Bollinger, Ryan Harris and Peter Siddle – suffered one of Australia’s most demoralising days in the field in recent Ashes history.On a blisteringly hot day, with temperatures exceeding 37 degrees, England’s batsmen cruised to 2 for 317, a lead of 72, with Alastair Cook racking up his second consecutive hundred in a tally of 371 runs since his last dismissal on the opening day of the series. Though Australia had their chances early on, most notably when Jonathan Trott survived a run-out chance and a catch in the gully in quick succession, England cashed in with alacrity as soon as the new ball threat had been negated.Speaking to ESPNcricinfo, Chappell nominated the 19-year-old Josh Hazlewood, who is currently sidelined with a stress fracture, as the type of player in whom they will have to invest, much as was the case during their last period of rebuilding in the 1980s, when Craig McDermott was also blooded as a teenager. “The fast bowlers I see are handy back-up guys, but not attack leaders, not even into the future,” he said. “Australia has got to be looking outside this group and into the next group.”One of the problems for Australia, if you’re a batting side, you say to yourself they’ve got efficient fast bowlers, but they don’t have an attack leader,” he added. “Mitchell Johnson was for a little while, and that’s why he was such a big loss to the team, even if he was an inconsistent bowling leader.”Before him there was Brett Lee, before him obviously Glenn McGrath, and before him Craig McDermott and Merv Hughes. These are the fellows you look to on a day like [yesterday], if they get a wicket it helps the rest of the attack. Instead England looked to the scoreboard and thought, let’s get on top of them, let’s grind them down, because they haven’t got that guy who can come back and break open the innings.”Despite his criticism, Chappell said he admired the efforts that the current attack had put in, but felt they were badly let down by their fielders and afterwards lacked the skills to get back on level terms. “Australia had to get early wickets and keep England in bounds,” he said. “They got as big a gift as Australia gave on the first day, when Andrew Strauss made a monumental blunder. But they needed to go on from there.”One of the reasons why Bollinger and Harris were brought in was not just their bowling ability, but they are the type of guys who give you all you’ve got,” he said. “When it’s such a hot day, and Saturday was the worst type of hot day, with that hot northerly wind, it’s terrible. You’ve got to know in the back of your mind on such a day, you can’t afford to miss opportunities.”One man who didn’t offer a single opportunity throughout his day’s work, however, was Cook, who finished the day on 136 not out, having compiled an innings that Chappell believed epitomised England’s single-minded attitude to their Ashes campaign.”I’m staggered at his endurance ability,” he said. “Forget the batting, just look at the endurance he showed to back up such a long stint at the crease at Brisbane and repeat the dose here at Adelaide. England have talked a lot in the lead-up about how they were determined to make this a special series, but it’s one thing to talk about it, you’ve actually got to do, and England are doing it.”

Eighteen-year-old fast bowler Adam Milne is among seven uncapped players that have been included in New Zealand’s preliminary 30-man squad for the 2011 World Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Dec-2010Eighteen-year-old fast bowler Adam Milne is among six uncapped players who have been included in New Zealand’s preliminary 30-man squad for the 2011 World Cup. Jacob Oram, who is considering calling time on his injury-ridden career if he cannot make the cut for the big event, has also been picked.Dean Brownlie and Luke Woodcock, who along with Milne got their first international call-ups for the Twenty20s against Pakistan, also find a place in the side. Canterbury’s Rob Nicol and Central Districts’ Doug Bracewell – nephew of former New Zealand player and coach John Bracewell – are the other new faces in the list, along with wicketkeeper Reece Young, who has replaced Gareth Hopkins for the Tests against Pakistan. Hopkins, who struggled through the India tour in both the Tests and one-dayers, failed to make the cut for the World Cup as well.”A number of uncapped guys who have excelled domestically made the squad,” chief selector Mark Greatbatch said. “We believe it represents the best one-day cricketers we have in New Zealand. There is genuine competition for places as we look to select final 15 for the World Cup and that’s exciting.”The squad will be reduced to 15 players by January 19.Squad: Brent Arnel, Hamish Bennett, Doug Bracewell, Dean Brownlie, Ian Butler Grant Elliott, Daniel Flynn, Martin Guptill, Jamie How, James Franklin, Kyle Mills, Adam Milne, Brendon McCullum, Nathan McCullum, Peter McGlashan, Andy McKay, Rob Nicol, Jacob Oram, Jeetan Patel, Jesse Ryder, Tim Southee, Shanan Stewart, Scott Styris, Ross Taylor, Daryl Tuffey, Daniel Vettori, BJ Watling, Kane Williamson, Luke Woodcock, Reece Young