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It is only the weak who bay for blood from the stands when the matador is on the floor and the bull is about to gore him.A depleted Indian team was palpably demolished by an upbeat Sri Lankan side at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground where an innings and 77 run victory clinched for the home side not just the third Test, but also the series. So once more, the Indian team has given its detractors enough and more room to bring out the refrains, `we should have won that series’, `the captain must go’, `India does not know how to play under pressure’, `we depend too much on Tendulkar…’ The vocabulary of the cynic is better stocked than the cricket talent in this country, one must say.The usual suspects will creep out of the woodwork, Raj Singh Dungarpur, Bishan Singh Bedi, Erapalli Prasanna et al and go after the Indian team. A new series, a new venue, but the same damn tragicomedy playing over and over again.But spare a thought for Sourav Ganguly.After all, sacking himself is not an option he is considering. The youngsters in this series have failed to deliver, almost without exception. If one were to drop them all for the forthcoming away series against South Africa, who would replace them? To say that India are not in the same situation as Australia would win you a prize in a competition of understatements. A national selector said a fortnight ago that there were not more than twenty cricketers to choose from who were likely to deliver the goods at the highest level. With Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, Anil Kumble, Javagal Srinath and Ashish Nehra injured, India are, by his calculation, down to their final fifteen.To be perfectly honest, that is not hard to believe at all.The situation then is starkly clear, the problems well defined. The solution however, still eludes everybody. The coach of the Indian team, John Wright, was visibly frustrated after India’s thumping loss. Speaking to pressmen soon after the match, Wright admitted, “We did the basics badly.” Candid admission Wrighty, but one even a layman could have made. As coach of the most followed cricket team in the world more is expected of you. “We need batsmen who can bat consistently throughout the day, and bowlers who can bowl equally fast in the morning and evening,” he continued.There are two ways this can happen. Firstly, by hook or by crook lure the Glenn McGraths and Steve Waughs of this world away from their countries and get them to turn out for India. Since that is not happening, the only option is to make mightier cricketers of the present lot. Addressing specific issues individually might simplify matters.The fast bowling department is certainly one that has shown promise in recent times. On his day Zaheer Khan is spunky enough to get the ball whistling past the ears of batsmen. On his day Venkatesh Prasad is capable of the most subtle deception despite his age. On his day Harbhajan Singh the `Turbanator’ can take the pants off the best batsmen in the world without them noticing it… But, it’s not enough if you can do it `on your day,’ is it? While they wait for the inspiration, these cricketers must at least be professional.About a month ago there was a rather unknown Sri Lankan fast bowler steaming in and bowling the ball all over the place at the nets at the MRF Pace Foundation in Chennai. Sure he was big and strong and could generate dangerous bounce. But that was only when he managed to land the ball in the general direction of the stumps, and that wasn’t nearly often enough. Then Dennis Lillee happened to him. Arguably the greatest ever fast bowler the world has seen, and almost certainly the best fast bowling coach ever, Lillee straightened out this young man in the matter of a fortnight. In the very next series he played, Dilhara Fernando took the attack to the Indians.If Wright is serious about getting this team in shape before they leave for South Africa, he must insist that India’s pacemen arrive in Chennai on the 14th of September. Lillee will be conducting one of his regular camps and the team can only benefit if its senior professionals interact with him.The second vital step that must happen lies with the physio, Andrew Leipus. Is it simply bad luck that in India a couple of new cricketers are added to the injury list every tournament? Sounds extremely unlikely. India need to take a long hard look at the base level of fitness that players have.Will the think-tank do either? Disappointingly, one has to say that it is at best extremely unlikely. Rather than honestly try to fix the faults, the team will go back to their lives, wait for the tour of South Africa and the inevitable Indian performance abroad will ensue…

Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews has said that offspinner Sachithra Senanayake’s reduced potency following remedial work on his action was among the reasons he had not been picked so far in the series. Sri Lanka’s bowling has ailed against Pakistan so far, prompting calls for personnel changes, but Mathews felt they were already using their best bowlers.Senanayake was suspended for exceeding the 15-degree flexion limit last year, but has since been cleared to bowl after remodeling his action. In eight matches since returning to ODI cricket, he averages 41.11 with an economy rate of 5.23. He had averaged 34.82 with an economy rate of 4.62 prior to his suspension.”Sachithra has bowled well, but after his remedial work, his effectiveness has slightly decreased,” Mathews said. ” The other thing is, Pakistan have seven right-handers at the top and are also a team that plays spin well. Dilshan is there to provide offspin. There is a chance Sachithra will play, but in all three matches so far, our spinners didn’t get much out of the track. If we look at their spinners, they have bowlers who turn it a lot. Yasir Shah would turn it on any track. Sometimes we have to do the best with what we are good at. We have to figure out how to do well with the bowlers we have.”Lasith Malinga’s apparent decline has also been worrying for Sri Lanka. Malinga had surgery on his ankle last year, and has since suffered a variety of other complaints. He averages 36.93 and has an economy rate of 6.04 in ten matches this year – his worst numbers since 2009. Mathews said Malinga continued to deserve a place in the side despite leaking runs at eight an over on Sunday.”It’s not at all an issue to drop a senior, but we know Lasith’s capabilities. He understands his game. He feels that he hasn’t performed well and that he needs to do a lot better for the team. You need to give guys chances as well. As soon as you have a couple of bad games you can’t throw away these players because they are quality players. They are experienced enough to handle their game. I’m pretty sure he’ll come out firing tomorrow.”We’ve talked about his performance with Lasith. We are confident he’ll play in the way the team needs him to play. The quick bowlers didn’t do well in the three matches – not just Lasith. We didn’t have a bowler who could take wickets. We can’t make major changes.”With the spin stocks appearing bare, there have also been calls to recall Rangana Herath to the side. However, Mathews said Herath’s omission was largely self-imposed.”We talked with the selectors about Rangana Herath. As he wants to play Tests for a while, we got a message that one-dayers are a bit tough on his body, given his injuries. He talked with the selectors and told them his stand. He’s someone who’s very valuable to us in Tests. He can’t be particularly athletic in ODIs with his knees the way they are. He told the selectors and myself that, and so we’ll look at him when the Tests come.”

Changes in Bangladesh T20 squad

In: Imrul Kayes, Mahmudullah, Al-Amin Hossain, Anamul Haque, Kamrul Islam Rabbi
Out: Rony Talukdar (dropped), Soumya Sarkar (injured), Shakib Al Hasan (given paternity leave), Sohag Gazi (dropped), Rubel Hossain (recovering from injury)

The Bangladesh selectors retained the same 14 players that made up the squad for the third ODI against Zimbabwe to play the ensuing Twenty20s. Still, it is a first call-up to the T20 team for Kamrul Islam Rabbi, who is yet to make his international debut.However, there are five changes when seen against the last Bangladesh T20 squad to take the field – against South Africa in July. Shakib Al Hasan has not been named, which means he will remain with his family in the United States. Soumya Sarkar is injured, Rubel Hossain is also recovering from calf trouble while Rony Talukdar and Sohag Gazi have been dropped.The selectors have included Imrul Kayes, Mahmudullah, Al-Amin Hossain, Anamul Haque and Rabbi into the T20 squad to fill those vacancies. Kayes and Al-Amin have produced good performances in the three ODIs against Zimbabwe, while Mahmudullah reclaimed his place after missing out the T20s against South Africa due to a finger injury. Anamul hasn’t played an international match since the World Cup this year.Bangladesh T20 squad: Mashrafe Mortaza (capt), Tamim Iqbal, Imrul Kayes, Liton Das, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah, Sabbir Rahman, Nasir Hossain, Arafat Sunny, Jubair Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman, Al-Amin Hossain, Anamul Haque, Kamrul Islam Rabbi

Five years ago Wasim Jaffer left Trent Bridge uncertain. In India’s second Test of their previous tour, he’d endured a double-failure (0 and 5) and unsure of his place for the next match at Headingley. He was eventually left out for Sanjay Bangar, who went on to play a pivotal role in the side’s series-levelling win, and began a period of exile that was to last four years.Nottingham proved a happier experience for Jaffer this time. His half-century set the base for India’s imposing total, and he followed it up with two handy scores against Sri Lanka A in Leicester. Looking back at his previous tour to England, he termed it a life-changing experience and felt he’d “matured” in the intervening period.”I was four years younger then,” he said matter-of-factly when asked the difference between the previous tour and this one. “That tour changed me completely. I learnt quite a lot. I went back to domestic cricket and corrected whatever mistakes I’d made. It made me determined to make a comeback and I’m more mature now.”He was exposed on the previous tour mainly because of his tendency to neither getting forward or back, stuck in a position that cricketers refer to as half-cock. He was in a similar muddle at the start of this tour as well, unable to make a meaningful contribution against Sussex and England Lions, but has looked far more assured in the Tests.His 58 in the first-innings at Lord’s provided a launching pad for the team to build on – the fact that they didn’t is another issue – and his 62 at Trent Bridge did the same. For a batsman who gorges on domestic attacks once he’s settled, he ought to be disappointed with giving it away. His two innings here were classic examples, spooning catches to the infielders while trying to go over the top. As he himself admitted: “I need to convert stats into a big one. We all know how important The Oval Test is and we’re in the right frame of mind.”Jaffer was happy that the side had got a chance to play another set of tourists – Sri Lanka A – instead of taking on a county. “All the A teams that tour get these games which are very important. If I would have come as an A tour player I would have taken this very seriously. The competition is very strong compared to county cricket.”His half-century allowed India to hold on to a draw in their three-day match, though a late stumble caused a few flutters. “We thought they would set us a rate of 4.5 or five an over and we would have gone for it,” he said when asked about Sri Lanka’s delayed declaration. “But they set us a higher rate and it was tough. We went for it initially but later had to play out. Yuvraj [Singh] and [Mahendra Singh] Dhoni got out and Rahul [Dravid] was supposed to bat later. But even when he was out the wicket was playing well. Gautam [Gambhir] was batting well and Ramesh [Powar] can bat. So the mood in the dressing-room was okay.”

Yuvraj Singh, one of the key batsmen in the Indian one-day side, has been ruled out of their first game of the DLF Cup against West Indies on September 14.”He will land [in Kuala Lampur] on 14th morning,” Niranjan Shah, the board secretary, told Cricinfo. “He is down with fever and the doctor has advised him a few days rest.” Sources close to the team told Cricinfo that Yuvraj had an allergic reaction to the medicines prescribed for the fever.Yuvraj was part of the training camp at Bangalore and had been most appreciative of Greg Chappell’s innovative ways to involve players in training-sessions. He also toured Sri Lanka with the Indian squad for what turned out to be an abandoned tournament and last played a full match against Sri Lanka A at Colombo.Since October 2005, Yuvraj has been a lynchpin in India’s one-day set-up, rattling up 1128 runs at 56.40. It was a phase when he reeled off four centuries and eight fifties. India will not only miss his pivotal presence in the middle order but also not have his services with the ball, where his fastish left-arm spin has come in handy on several ocassions. India will hope to have him back for their second match of the series, against Australia on September 16.Meanwhile Greg Chappell, the Indian coach, said that the team would treat the tri-series as practice for the Champions Trophy. Chappell was also positive about the time that the Indian team spent in Sri Lanka where all the matches were washed out. “The players have such a hectic schedule that we don’t get such time off from the field often. So we utilised the break [in Colombo] to focus on other aspects of the game,” Chappell told . The humid conditions in Malaysia, Chappell added, were not a worry. “We are used to hot conditions,” he said.The first match of the tri-series between West Indies and Australia is on September 12. All matches are day and night fixtures.

In an effort to qualify for the next World Cup, in West Indies in 2007, Scotland are to appoint a full-time coach. Investment from Sport Scotland will help to finance the post.Roddy Smith, who became Scotland’s chief executive on Monday, said the full-time position will be filled by “the best candidate we can find and that the search will be worldwide.” Initially, the coach will be on a fixed-term contract until September 30 2005, after which there will be a review.To win qualification for the 2007 World Cup Scotland would need to finish in the top five at the 12-team ICC Trophy for non-Test nations, which is being held in Ireland in next July. Tony Judd, who is the current coach, works part-time. He thinks that making the post full-time has been overdue and it will be vital for them to qualify for the next World Cup.Judd remains until December 31, and is undecided whether to apply for the new position. “I will continue to do everything I can to support the teams training and competition programme until the end of the year,” he said. At present he is helping the Scotland side prepare for the semi-final of the ICC Intercontinental Cup against Kenya in Dubai starting on November 16.Smith paid tribute: “Tony has done a fantastic job in his part-time capacity…last year culminated in the Scottish side defeating a full Test-playing country [Bangladesh] for the first time, something for which Tony can be very proud.”

Brad Hodge unbeaten 154 outgunned Ian Ward’s 136 in the outstanding match of the latest round of National League matches, as Leicestershire held out for a one-run victory over Sussex at Horsham. Elsewhere, Shane Warne celebrated his unexpected early return from Zimbabwe with four wickets and a useful 48, as Hampshire beat Gloucestershire, while Scott Newman’s 106 gave Surrey a long-overdue victory to bring an end to their disastrous start to the season. At Old Trafford, Sajid Mahmood and Alex Wharf preserved Lancashire’s unbeaten record, and at Derby Somerset’s wicketkeeper, Carl Gazzard, cracked an impressive 157 to secure a 114-run victory.

National League Division One

Scorecard
Aussie imports overpower Gloucs The Times
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Loye sweeps Lancs to victory The Guardian
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Northants collect first points of the season The Telegraph
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Newman leads Surrey to first winThe Guardian

National League Division Two

Scorecard
Gazzard century leads Sabres’ victoryThe Times
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Klusener grabs last-ball win for Middlesex The Times
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Foxes steal narrow win over Sharks The Times
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Batty restricts Yorkshire The Times

In a controversial leaked report, the South African team has been accused of undisciplined preparation for the World Cup. The players mentioned included Herschelle Gibbs (accused of "bingeing") Allan Donald (excessive drinking) and Lance Klusener (poor fitness).The report filed to the United Cricket Board (UCB) by Andrew Gray, the South African team’s fitness trainer, was published by a Cape Town newspaper. Eric Simons, the team coach, is expected to issue a statement on behalf of the players on Thursday, after a team meeting on Wednesday night to discuss the controversy that erupted on the eve of the first Test at Chittagong.However, Gray, now with the South African team touring in Bangladesh, clarified that the report did not refer to preparations just before for the World Cup. He said the comments were made in December last year as part of letters to individual players in the World Cup squad. But Gerald Majola, the UCB chief, admitted to the South African media that some of the issues raised in the report were of great concern, and are being addressed as part of an ongoing process to improve the team’s performance.The report also allegedly accused Jacques Kallis of having a poor lifestyle outside cricket, branded Andrew Hall, Charl Langeveldt and Klusener as "fatties", and Shaun Pollock of being a chocolate addict.Reacting to the report, Klusener called it a "huge red herring". He told the Daily Mercury: “Our failure (in the World Cup) had nothing to do either with our condition or the way we prepared for the tournament. It had more to do with our skill levels.” He pointed out that all the players had passed a fitness test at Cape Town’s Sports Science Institute two weeks before the tournament.Reacting more sharply, Donald called the published report "absolute rubbish". He told the South African media: "Gray will never say that about the players. Prior to the World Cup, we were advised on how to prepare for matches and when we could relax a bit. We are all professional sportsmen. We’re not idiots who’ll drink too much before South Africa’s cricket matches.”Donald told News 24 that the South African players on tour in Bangladesh were very disappointed about the report. “I spoke to Corrie van Zyl (bowling coach) and he said that he felt like a boxer who was being knocked down as soon as he tried to get up from the canvas.”As a result of this load of rubbish the players won’t get any recognition for their achievements in Bangladesh. Everything’s blown out of proportion. I’m very frustrated. It’s almost unbelievable and it’s yet another attempt to further sink South African cricket.”

The Sri Lankan selectors left out veteran batsman Aravinda de Silvafrom the 16-man squad selected for the forthcoming Test series againstIndia, which starts on next Tuesday at the Galle International CricketStadium.This is not the first time the veteran batsman has fallen out offavour with the selectors. However the right-hander, who has played 98Tests and is just 48 runs short of 6000 runs, played in Sri Lanka’slast Test series against England and scored his 19th century of thecareer in the first Test at Galle.The selectors have added middle order batsman Hashan Tillakaratne tothe squad after the southpaw spent two years in the wilderness. He isexpected to make it to the final eleven and will bat at number five orsix.Opening batsman Michael Vandort, who made a 116 in the ongoingpractice game against India at P Sara Stadium has also been includedwhile Chamara Silva has been left out.Thilan Samaraweera finally gets into the squad, as the second spinner.Kumar Dharmasena is left out. Samaraweera is, however, unlikely toplay, as the Sri Lankans look set to play three fast bowlers.The selectors, who met last evening, have picked fast bowler RuchiraPerera and he will be contesting for the third fast bowler’s placewith Suresh Perera and Dulip Liyanage.Romesh Kaluwitharana, left out of Test series against England, finds aplace in the Test squad after some impressive performances in therecent one-day series.The full squad: Sanath Jayasuriya (capt), Marvan Atapattu, KumarSangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Hashan Tillakaratne, Russell Arnold,Romesh Kaluwitharana, Chaminda Vaas, Dilhara Fernando, MuttiahMuralitharan, Suresh Perera, Avishka Gunawardene, Michael Vandort,Thilan Samaraweera, Dulip Liyanage, Ruchira Perera.

Barbados’s Kensington Oval will be the venue for the historic first Twenty20 International in the Caribbean. The 115-year-old ground will host the match when the West Indies meet Australia on June 21 under lights.The floodlights at Kensington Oval are yet to be installed but two months ago, Miles Weekes, who is working under a contract with Kensington Oval Management Inc, the company formed to market, operate and maintain the facility said: “We are looking to have them in place by January.”In the fixtures unveiled by the West Indies Cricket Board on Friday, it also showed that Barbados will be hosting the third Test of the Sir Frank Worrell Trophy Series from June 12-16. There will also be an ODI at the 3Ws Oval of the Cave Hill Campus of the University of West Indies when the Vice-Chancellor’s XI face the visitors.Australia arrive in the region on May 12 and will play three Tests and five ODIs. Apart from Kensington, the other Tests will be at Sabina Park, Jamaica and Sir Viv Richards Stadium in Antigua. Before then, Sri Lanka will be in the Caribbean for two Tests – in Guyana and Trinidad – and three ODIs. The third ODI on April 16 will be at the Beausejour Stadium in St Lucia and will be a day/nighter.