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Sussex batsman Rory Hamilton-Brown has unexpectedly been forced to retire at the age of 27 due to injury

George Dobell01-Mar-2015

Sussex batsman Rory Hamilton-Brown has unexpectedly been forced to retire at the age of 27 due to injury. Hamilton-Brown, who five years ago became Surrey’s youngest captain in more than a century, has not played since June 2014 because of a wrist problem that failed to respond to surgery.An aggressive batsman, outstanding fielder and flat offspinner with a good quicker ball, he had all basic the ingredients to flourish in the modern limited-overs game. A first-class strike-rate of 72.18 might suggest a certain recklessness, but it also underlined his power and positivity.Perhaps the burden of captaincy at Surrey stunted his development. Originally an England Under-19 captain, he was appointed to the Surrey job by Chris Adams, who he had played with at Sussex. The experiment seemed to be progressing well enough when Hamilton-Brown led them to the CB40 trophy and Championship promotion in 2011. The future looked bright.Instead, his career – his life, perhaps – may be defined by the tragic events of June 2012. The death of his old friend and housemate, Tom Maynard, in an accident on the London Underground cast a pall over many of those most closely associated and Hamilton-Brown, in particular, never seemed to fully emerge from under the cloud.He initially resigned the Surrey captaincy before moving back to Sussex, where he had enjoyed a successful two-year spell, ahead of the 2013 season.”It is with regret that I am having to retire from cricket,” Hamilton-Brown said. “I would like to thank my family for their care and support over the course of my career. I would also like to thank both Sussex and Surrey for giving me the chance to have the best job in the world for 10 years and all the coaches and staff that I have worked with along the way.”It has been a privilege to play with and against some fantastic players and people all over the world. I will leave the game with a heavy heart but take with me many amazing memories and friends for life.”A Millfield schoolboy who came through Surrey’s academy, Hamilton-Brown was at one time considered a potential candidate for England, particularly in the limited-overs formats where his bowling provided a useful second string. As well as leading Surrey to the CB40 title, he was part of the Sussex side that won the Twenty20 Cup and Pro40 competitions in 2009.”We’re really sorry that Rory has had to retire from the game,” Mark Robinson, Sussex’s cricket manager, said. “He has always worked incredibly hard during his time at Sussex and has been a popular member of the club with players and staff alike.”All we can do at this point is to wish him all the best for the next chapter in his life and we look forward to seeing him around the ground in a more social capacity for many years to come.”It is a sad end to a career that promised much.

Colin Graves has promised to “reclaim cricket as the national summer sport” during his tenure as chairman of the ECB

George Dobell15-Jan-2015Colin Graves has promised to “reclaim cricket as the national summer sport” during his tenure as chairman of the ECB.Graves, the Yorkshire chairman, is almost certain to be elected unopposed to the ECB position and will lead a review of all aspects of the board’s performance as his first act in charge. But at the heart of his five-year term in office will be a drive to see more cricket played in the nation’s state schools and to reconnect with a public that appears to have fallen out of love with the sport.”I want to bring life into the game,” Graves told ESPNcricinfo. “I am a cricket nut and I don’t want to see the sport wither. I want to make it vibrant.”We have a fantastic opportunity to reclaim cricket as the national summer sport. We have a fantastic opportunity to make cricket better. At the end of my period as chairman – and I won’t be looking for a second term, I can promise you that – I will be judged on that basis: whether I have made the game better.”Though Graves will not take position at the ECB until May – he will step down as Yorkshire chairman in March – the counties only have until January 26 to propose a rival candidate. It seems most unlikely they will do so, with the vast majority welcoming Graves’ appointment.But they should not be expecting a free ride. While Graves might broadly be described as sympathetic to the counties’ position, it seems that nothing will be ruled out as he reviews the current situation. And as the man who suggested a few years ago that the County Championship could be extended to include 21 teams, he has already shown that he will not be chained to convention.”The first thing I want to do is review everything,” he said. “Everything: T20, the congestion in the schedule, our costs and our efficiency. I want to run the ECB efficiently and, after we, the executive team, have reviewed how we are operating now – and there will be no more outside reviews of the game while I’m chairman – we will announce our strategy towards the end of the year.”I have promised nothing to the counties. I would describe myself as a cricket lover, not a traditionalist, and while the counties have generally been very successful, we have to look at what they bring into the game.”We have to make the counties more sustainable. Whether that is 18 teams or 21 teams, let’s see. The fact is, county cricket brings in very little money and costs a great deal. Obviously the counties produce the players, which is very important, but we have to look for new revenue streams.”Graves dismissed the idea that the counties would benefit from an immediate windfall. While the ECB has amassed significant reserves in recent years – believed to be in excess of £25m, although some put the figure much higher – Graves insists the money is required in the event that an international series is cancelled at short notice for any reason, as happened when West Indies pulled out of their India tour.”It is quite clear that the business requires an insurance policy,” Graves said. “The audit committee currently feels that our reserves are adequate – they would prefer to have a little more but we need that money and it cannot just be spent.”Central to Graves’ strategy will be an attempt to increase participation numbers in the sport. The ECB was stung by figures released towards the end of last year which showed a drop in the number of people playing recreational cricket and Graves is adamant it is a decline that must be reversed.”We have to get cricket back in schools,” he says. “We have to get local clubs going into schools and increasing participation.”The days when governments or schools built cricket facilities are gone forever. So we have to provide the facilities for schools to use. If that means using cricket clubs during the week when they’re not needed, then let’s do it.”But yes, I want to be judged on many things and one of them is whether we can grow the participation figures. I got into cricket administration to try to make a difference. When I took over at Yorkshire, the club was bankrupt and they didn’t own a blade of grass.”I got involved then because I wanted to help. It’s no different now. I want to make the game better for everyone and, at the end of five years, I’ll hold up my hands and be judged by that statement.”

Bangladesh’s new head coach Chandika Hathurusingha will put his focus on establishing the best possible environment around the team to ensure better results. Hathurusingha, the former Sri Lanka batsman, also believes the team can go past the first round of the 2015 World Cup.Bangladesh have only played 20 international matches in Australia and New Zealand, the last of which was in January 2010. They toured Australia in 2003 and 2008, and have never won a match in the two countries. Hathurusingha however said that with some of the Bangladesh players approaching their peak in terms of age and fitness, he is looking forward to a place in the World Cup’s second round.”The main thing is we get the right combination and be prepared to play in Australia and New Zealand,” Hathurusingha said. “It is going to be a challenge for sub-continent teams with the conditions. So if we prepare intelligently enough or specifically enough, we will go far. I am happy to be in the second round, that’s my first goal.”The plan for us is to build on what we have,” he said. “I haven’t spoken to the team yet. I haven’t seen them playing for last four years because we hardly get to see them in Australia. I know the capabilities of some of the players when I was with Sri Lanka before 2010. Some of the players are coming into their peak.”Hathurusingha was appointed on May 19 for a two-year tenure, and although the agreement states that he would start working from July 1, he has come to Bangladesh earlier due to the ODI series against India next week. He arrived in Dhaka on Monday night, and on Tuesday, he visited the Shere Bangla National Stadium to meet players and officials for the first time.”As long as we improve as a team and if we train properly and keep the right environment for players to develop as individuals as well as players, I think the results will take care of themselves,” Hathurusingha said. “My job is to get that environment and resources, and for everyone in the office and involved with the team to work at the best of their ability so that the team gets the best support.”If we do that, as I have seen with the Sri Lanka team and in my last four years in Australia, teams do well most of the time when the best system is in place. That’s what I am focusing on.”Hathurusingha replaced Shane Jurgensen who resigned on April 28 after being in charge for just over a year. Jurgensen was appointed till after the World Cup but his early departure means that the new coach has eight months to prepare the team for a massive challenge.One of his initial focuses is to get everything in place off the field, for which he has already discussed with his new employers. “It is something that I have spoken to them when they offered me [the job],” Hathurusingha said. “They are prepared to give us all the support. I think the current board really wants to make change, and that’s what they are doing. Me being here is a result of that.”Hathurusingha will begin work straightaway as the India ODIs are only days away. Trainer Mario Villavarayan and bowling coach Heath Streak have also arrived prior to Hathurusingha. The BCB are still on the lookout to hire fielding and spin bowling coaches but that is likely to happen with the West Indies tour, scheduled for August-September this year, in mind.

New Leeds United manager Javi Gracia will want his stay at Elland Road to be a ‘long-term’ one, according to an update from reliable journalist Phil Hay.

The Lowdown: Gracia takes charge

The 52-year-old was appointed the Whites’ new boss earlier this week and is tasked with keeping the club in the Premier League after a disappointing season.

Leeds currently sit in the relegation zone and a return to the Championship would be an enormous blow, both in terms of their on-the-pitch ambitions and financial situation.

Gracia has joined on a rolling contract, so there is no guarantee that he will be with the Whites beyond this season.

The Latest: Hay makes key claim

Writing in a Q&A for The Athletic, however, Hay said that he believes the Spaniard will want to stay at Leeds for a long time:

“I doubt he’ll see it as a free hit so much. Despite what he said yesterday, he’ll want this to go well and to lead to a more long-term deal.”

The Verdict: Massive few months

This really does feel like a defining period in Leeds’ recent history, with every remaining game having to be treated like a cup final in the relegation battle.

[freshpress-quiz id=“418869″]

Gracia could be an inspired appointment, having won the Qatari Stars League title with Al-Sadd in 2021/22, outlining the winning mentality he possesses.

Given his pedigree, it is hard to see him wanting to manage in the Championship if Leeds do go down but the hope is that he takes his players up a level and inspires them to safety.

Stability is required after a disappointing period under Jesse Marsch and Gracia could be the man the guide the Whites into more positive times moving forward, having already managed 56 times in the Premier League.

Ryan Harris and Brad Haddin will join Australia’s coaching staff for the Chappell-Hadlee Series in New Zealand early next year, with batting coach Graeme Hick and bowling coach David Saker instead flying to India ahead of time to prepare for Australia’s four-Test tour.Australia play three ODIs in New Zealand from January 30 to February 5, and the first Test against India begins in Pune on February 23. Head coach Darren Lehmann will be with the one-day squad in New Zealand but Hick and Saker will be part of an advance party to India with their focus on the longer form of the game.Harris, who retired on the eve of the 2015 Ashes series, will serve as bowling coach, having previously performed that function during this year’s one-day tour of South Africa. Haddin, whose official retirement was announced in September last year, will serve as a fielding mentor during the New Zealand trip, having also coached during this winter’s Australia A series.”It’s a fantastic opportunity for us to have ex-players of the calibre of Brad and Ryan on board for this tour and continue their involvement in Australian cricket,” Lehmann said. “Both these guys have worked hard on their coaching since leaving the game and thoroughly deserve their opportunityHaddin said: “It is going to be great to be back in Australian colours again, albeit as part of the coaching group . I thoroughly enjoyed my time working with Australia A in Townsville recently and am grateful that coaching has given me the opportunity to remain involved in cricket.Harris said: “South Africa was a great learning experience for me and it was fantastic to be back with the team again. Coaching is something I really enjoy and to be able to continue to be involved with the Australian team is something I can’t wait to be a part of again.”

Like his German composer namesake, Neil Wagner does not mind a hint of the dramatic. Where New Zealand have gained a reputation for even temper and a lack of on field histrionics, Wagner’s Afrikaner blood gets up at times, as shown by an on-field posture that can look more Dale Steyn than Tim Southee.

‘Olden days’ WACA pitch in prospect

With as few as two Test matches left for the WACA Ground to host before major international cricket moves to the drop-in pitches of the nascent Burswood Stadium, the curator Matthew Page is as intent on keeping things as retro as possible.
“With us being the WACA, it’s all about trying to replicate the olden days and provide a traditional WACA wicket,” Page said. “It goes back to the 70s, that sort of thing, so for us every wicket we do we’re trying to replicate those conditions.”
Page replaced Cameron Sutherland only a matter of weeks before the Ashes Test two years ago, and his knowledge of the surface has grown since, including the constant historical comparisons.
“They changed the clay back to what it originally was about six or seven years ago, and I guess the pace and the bounce has returned since then,” he said. “We’re always compared with the olden days. For us, it’s about trying to get it as close as we can.”

Given New Zealand’s poorly display in Brisbane, where they were bullied by an Australia side as aggressive in deed as they are infamous for being in word, Wagner’s occasionally fiery countenance may be a useful tonic for Brendon McCullum’s side as they seek to fight their way out of the hole they find themselves in.Wagner certainly likes the look of the WACA, a place at which he has never bowled but can vividly recall the exploits of many a fast bowler at the ground. Plans to shift major international matches to the Burswood Stadium and a drop-in pitch mean all pacemen are running out of chances.”I’d love to play Australia, I’d love to get that chance,” Wagner said. “I had a training session yesterday at the Melville club and they told me it was the last two Tests at the WACA or something like that because they’re talking about a different ground. That’s a bit of a shame because it’s quite a nice ground, I loved watching it growing up, a lot of history over there and I’d love to play there. It’s pretty awesome, a very special place for fast bowlers.”Just watching cricket here over the years, I think overseas teams have come here and bowled a bit too short. They get carried away with the bounce and the pace sometimes. Sometimes you’ve got to bowl a touch fuller length, sort of top of the stumps. For us I think the thing is to not get carried away with it. Hit consistent areas and ask good questions for longer periods of time and things will happen.”Even though Southee bowled soundly in the morning at nets to prove his fitness after suffering from an irritated disc in his back at the Gabba, Wagner is still a chance to play. The New Zealand coach Mike Hesson has forecast a five-man bowling attack for the WACA Ground with the spinner Mark Craig batting at No. 7, meaning the pace options for McCullum will be many and varied. New Zealand are also sustained by the knowledge they are chronically slow starters to Test series, but invariably improve as they go on.”As a bowling unit we’ve always complemented each other quite well over past times and our success over the past two years or so is we’ve bowled in partnerships and other guys have stepped up too,” Wagner said. “I think that has made Tim and Trent bowl really well in the past. It was just a little bit inconsistency and a bit of a tough start.”We have had that in the past as well, our first Test we haven’t always started that well and we’ve picked it up as the series has gone on. Lucky for us it’s a three-match series, there’s a lot more cricket left to be played and hopefully we can set it back from ball one in this next Test.”Overall the team will be better for that hit [in Brisbane], being out in the heat and humidity and bouncy wickets, just adapting to everything, it’s now for us to go out and set it right in the second Test from day one.”One man Wagner may be asked to confront should he get the nod to play, is David Warner, the dominant batting force of the Gabba Test and now one of only three batsman ever to have thrice scored a hundred in each innings of a Test match. That sort of scoring can force opposition teams to re-think their strategies, but Wagner said it was simply a matter of being tighter for longer.”I think we still stick to our guns and our plans. If we execute it better for longer periods of time, I’m sure we’ll get more rewards,” he said. “I think our attack is up there with the best in the world. When Tim, Trent and Dougy and the rest of them all get it right – they’re pretty good bowlers. If we can be more consistent for long periods of time, we’ll definitely show that. The boys are up for the task and the challenge in this Test.”Richard Wagner’s operatic Ring Cycle is a 15-hour affair. Success for Wagner and New Zealand this week will require a similarly sustained effort.

Full scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsFile photo: Collins Obuya completed his fifty in 34 balls•ICC

Collins Obuya’s half-century and some tidy bowling helped Kenya quell Oman’s chase by seven runs and register their second straight win in the World T20 Qualifier in Edinburgh.Sent in to bat, Kenya were off to a steady, if not racy, start, their openers, Narendra Kalyan and Irfan Karim, adding 29 runs before Rajeshkumar Ranpura accounted for Karim in the sixth over. Two overs later, Kalyan was trapped in front by Zeeshan Maqsood to reduce Kenya to 33 for 2.Obuya and Nehemiah Odhiambo then joined hands to raise 39 runs in 4.5 overs. After Odhiambo’s dismissal, Obuya put on 52 in 5.5 overs in the company of captain Rakep Patel, who scored 21 off 15 balls, to increase the run rate.Obuya brought up his fifty off 34 balls with a six off Ranpura in the 18th over, but he perished three balls later. Kenya scored 45 in their last five overs to finish with 143. Debutants Munis Ansari and Maqsood picked up two wickets each along with Ranpura, who gave away only 17 runs in four overs.Oman’s reply was stifled by some thrifty bowling from left-arm seamer Lucas Oluoch and left-arm spinner Shem Ngoche. Oman managed to score only 25 in the Powerplay, with two maidens from Oluoch, and were on 49 for 3 after 10 overs, Ngoche picking up two of the wickets while Oluoch bowled four overs on the trot, giving away only 10 runs.Oman struggled to get any partnerships going at the top of the order with Jatinder Singh, with 31 off 34 balls, making the only substantial contribution. They, however, gave Kenya a scare at the back end as No. 7 Amir Ali smashed a 20-ball 30 to bring Oman closer to the target. With 24 required off the last over, he was dismissed by Odhiambo off the third delivery, effectively ending Oman’s hopes. Ngoche finished with figures of 3 for 25.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details2:51

‘Misbah one of the best finishers’ – Waqar

It was, in the end, a tale of two captains. And while Pakistan’s Misbah-ul-Haq enjoyed the best of times, Eoin Morgan continues to endure the worst.Misbah may never win over all his doubters. A nation that wants its cricketers to look like film stars and sound like rock stars may never entirely warm to his cautious words and dour voice. He could invent time travel and his critics would say Shahid Afridi would have done it quicker and with better hair.But as a batsman and captain his record is exceptional. After taking command of a disgraced team, he has rebuilt – despite many setbacks out of his control – and remained while others have fallen away. Here he proved, yet again, his worth with an innings of class, composure and skill that saw his depleted side gain a confidence-boosting win over an improving opposition. His willingness to embrace responsibility is what renders him a special player.Encouragingly for Pakistan, Umar Akmal lent him mature support. Moderating his undoubted talent with some of the calm of his captain, he helped Misbah add 133 runs in 22 overs for Pakistan’s fifth wicket in a stand that all but sealed the game. Akmal’s talent has never been in doubt and if he can learn to harness it like this, his side will have developed a world-class player.

We can repeat 1992 – Waqar

Waqar Younis hailed Misbah-ul-Haq as one of his country’s best ever one-day finishers after Pakistan beat England by four-wickets in their final World Cup warm-up match at the SCG.
Misbah, the Pakistan captain, came to the crease with his side precariously placed at 78 for 4 and compiled a masterful, unbeaten innings of 91 to take his side to victory with seven balls to spare.
“He reads the game really well,” Waqar said. “He reads the scoreboard really well and as a captain he also takes the responsibility. Sometimes, when you lose early wickets, he gets enough time and he is a big hitter also. I don’t know if I should say it, but for Pakistan, for someone batting at No. 5 or No. 6 he’s definitely at the top.”
Waqar was also delighted by the contribution of Umar Akmal, who helped Misbah add 133 runs in 22 overs for Pakistan’s fifth wicket in a stand that effectively won the match.
“We all know that he is a real talent,” Waqar said. “He’s been around the team for the last five or six years now, being in and out of the team. Sometimes we give him gloves; sometimes we play him as a batter. It’s tough for him but he looks in good touch, he batted well the other day also. We needed a couple of good partnership heading into the tournament.”
So encouraged was Waqar by the performance that he suggested Pakistan could emulate the achievements of the 1992 side and win the World Cup.
“What happened in 1992 can happen again,” he said. “That’s the beauty of this game. It’s a lovely game and there are a lot of ups and downs and I think that it could be anybody’s World Cup.”

When the pair game together, it seemed England had the game under control. Pakistan were 78 for 4 and almost half the overs had gone.But Misbah had the chase under control from the start. Content to pat back the good balls, he waited for the deliveries in his area and simply walloped them over the top. Both his sixes came when carting England’s offspinners over midwicket, while three of his five fours went in the same direction. It was not pretty, but it was hugely effective.That Afridi, with a brace of boundaries, finished off the game just gave the large and good-humoured contingent of Pakistan supporters more cause for joy.This was not a completely assured performance, though. While their relatively inexperienced bowling attack looks pretty well equipped to cope with the challenges ahead, the top-order batting retains a brittle look. Here Nasir Jamshed and Ahmad Shehzad paid for a lack of foot movement and Younis Khan, frustrated by his slow progress, snatched at a hook and top-edged a catch to long leg, where Gary Ballance took the first of two perfectly judged catches.Pakistan’s ability to develop bowlers is remarkable, though. Sohail Khan and Ehsan Adil, with just nine ODIs between them, hit the pitch hard and, in Sohail’s case, produced a perfect yorker to account for Jos Buttler, while Yasir Shah continued England’s struggles against legspin; his googly was too good for Ravi Bopara. It would still be a surprise if Pakistan won this World Cup, but for a country starved of home internationals to remain as dangerous as this is testament to the passion and talent that remains.Equally, England will not be too distraught by this result. After resting Ian Bell, Chris Woakes, James Taylor and Steven Finn, all of whom are fit and likely to play on Saturday, they saw their leading seamers, James Anderson and Stuart Broad, return impressively, Joe Root play a fine innings and a few of their reserve players – Ballance, in particular – prove their readiness if required. These warm-up games are not, after all, about the result as much as the performance.But the continuing travails of Morgan will concern England. It is an irony unlikely to be lost on Alastair Cook that England dropped one captain due to his poor form with the bat only to replace him with a man in even more wretched form.Yes, Morgan scored a century only four ODI innings ago. But his scores since then read 0, 2, 0 and 0, and he has been dismissed five times from the last 19 balls he has faced. He has passed 5 only once in his last seven ODI innings.This was not an ODI, of course. It was not even a List A game. But his dismissal, somehow managing to guide a full toss to slip as he attempted a lap, suggested a man who was pushing a bit much and thinking a bit hard about his game. Is it coincidence that he has hardly scored a run since the absurdity of the blackmail incident? He says not. But a World Cup match against the hosts at a full MCG does not appear the ideal place to relax and rediscover his form.The contributions of Root and Ballance were far more encouraging. While Root hit only four fours and one six – a slog-sweep off Yasir – he produced a busy innings, running quickly and playing spin unusually well for an England batsman. And while Ballance took 10 balls to get off the mark and, after 15 deliveries, had scored only 1, he did not panic. Gradually he settled to play the cuts and drives that will become familiar to cricket watchers around the world over the next decade. He must be close to displacing Bopara in this side.Some late hitting from Chris Jordan took England to a total that was, on this tired and two-paced pitch, perhaps slightly better than par. But they missed another frontline seamer in Pakistan’s reply and, after improved discipline in the tri-series, conceded nine in wides or no-balls.They will also reflect that several of their dismissals were pretty soft. Alex Hales failed to capitalise on the investment he had made in the start of his innings by turning a delivery to midwicket, Ballance picked out the fielder on the midwicket fence and, if Morgan had only allowed the ball to come to him rather than attempt something premeditated, he could have driven it with ease. Root, too, fell trying to reverse scoop the pace of Sohail, though only eight deliveries remained by that stage.

Karn Sharma is still likely to be persisted with as the back-up spinner when the national selectors pick India’s squad on Saturday for the limited-overs leg of the series against West Indies

Amol Karhadkar03-Oct-2014

Despite being overshadowed by his legspin counterpart Amit Mishra during India A’s mauling of the West Indians at the Brabourne Stadium on Friday, Karn Sharma is still likely to be persisted with as the back-up spinner when the national selectors pick India’s squad on Saturday for the limited-overs leg of the series against West Indies.The selectors – all of whom watched Mishra and Karn spin their web around the West Indians in a warm-up one-dayer at the CCI – are likely to follow the convention of naming the squad for the first three ODIs when they will meet in Mumbai. Convener Sanjay Patel and captain MS Dhoni will join them over teleconference from Bangalore, the venue for the Champions League T20 final.While Mishra picked 3 for 26 in his first major game after having recovered from a back injury, Karn finished with 2 for 27. Still, Karn’s variations with the ball are likely to keep him in the squad to assist R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja.”They are legspinners and two different type of bowlers. It is important that they perform at that level. Amit has been doing well and Karn did exceptionally well in the one-day series in Australia [for India A] and was picked for the series against England. It is a good challenge for both of them to play together and perform,” India A coach Lalchand Rajput said after the team’s nine-wicket victory.The batting line-up is likely to remain the same as it was in England. M Vijay is set to continue as the reserve opener, with Rohit Sharma still recovering from a shoulder injury. The selectors, though, will have a task to prune the squad. In England, India’s limited-overs squad comprised 17 players. It will have to be cut to 15 for the home series.The obvious casualties will thus be two of the six pace bowlers who were in England. In such a case, Umesh Yadav and Dhawal Kulkarni will be the frontrunners to miss the bus. While Umesh played only one ODI in England, conceding 46 runs in six overs, Kulkarni also looked ordinary in his debut outing.It will also be interesting to see if the selectors persist with Sanju Samson as the reserve wicketkeeper-batsman or prefer to add a fourth spinner to the squad. Samson, who has shown a lot of promise with the bat, was a part of the India dressing room in England. However, he was not handed the India cap, even after India were leading the five-match ODI series 3-0.It is well-known that Dhoni has not preferred the inclusion of a reserver keeper in the squad for home one-dayers since it is easy to fly in a reserve wicketkeeper, if required. If the selectors feel the need to add a fourth spinner to the squad, as the second-string West Indian line-up struggled against spin during the warm-up game, then Mishra, Akshar Patel and Parvez Rasool will be the prime contenders for the slot.

Anandji Dossa, a cricket historian who was considered the doyen of Indian cricket’s scoring and statistics, died in New York on Monday

Amol Karhadkar23-Sep-2014Anandji Dossa, a cricket historian who was considered the doyen of Indian cricket’s scoring and statistics, died in New York on Monday. Dossa was 98. Last year, Dossa along with his wife had moved to the United States of America to be with their daughters.Dossa, a former cricketer who was a reserve in Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy squad but could not break into the side, made an immense contribution to Indian cricket by introducing the culture of cricket scoring and stats. He did live scoring for all major cricket in India for the All India Radio for the first three decades of independent India.He also groomed a spree of cricket statisticians and scorers. His famous scrapbooks, with newspaper cuttings of every India match from their first Test in 1932 until the 1990s, are an encyclopedia of Indian cricket in itself. He had a habit of noting down minor details in his scrapbook, a technique which has evolved into an integral part of cricket scoring.Dossa also authored many books, including (co-authored with Vasant Raiji), and (in Gujarati).Once he donated most of his collection to the Cricket Club of India, former CCI and BCCI president Raj Singh Dungarpur preserved it by starting the Anandji Dossa Library on the premises of the club.BCCI secretary Sanjay Patel paid tribute to Dossa, terming his contribution to the game “extraordinary”. “An era has ended with the demise of Mr Anandji Dossa. He was one of the game’s unsung heroes. His contribution to the sport was extraordinary,” Patel said in a release. “He was among those who made cricket and cricketers immortal, by collating and preserving the accounts of their achievements for posterity.”