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Fast bowlers James Pattinson and Peter Siddle have signed for Melbourne Renegades for the next two seasons of the BBL

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Jul-2013Fast bowlers James Pattinson and Peter Siddle have signed for Melbourne Renegades for the next two seasons of the BBL. The franchise also re-signed the former Sri Lankan offspinner Muttiah Muralitharan for one year and confirmed two-year deals with legspinner Fawad Ahmed and batsman Alex Doolan.Both Pattinson and Siddle are expected to be on national duty for the 2013-14 Ashes and may only play for the franchise after the fifth Test ending January 7. The BBL, extended from this season, will run from December 20 to February 15.”I want to get back into playing short-form cricket,”Siddle said. “To have that opportunity again in four over bursts, having a crack and getting the pace up there. I think it’ll be a lot of fun.”The Pakistan-born Ahmed, was recently granted Australian citizenship, clearing the way for a possible call-up to the Test squad for the Ashes. Though originally part of the touring squad in England, he is currently with the Australia A squad in Zimbabwe. Ahmed played one game for the Renegades last season.”I worked really hard with the Renegades last season. It was a good six or seven weeks and they really helped me through BBL 2,” Ahmed said. “I [then] got an opportunity with the (Victoria) Bushrangers and it really clicked. For me, I was nervous at one stage but it was a good summer.”The Renegades have now signed 15 of 18 players for the forthcoming season, with the final three places to be filled by December 6.

Gautam Gambhir and Yuvraj Singh have been dropped from the India one-day squad for the Champions Trophy

ESPNcricinfo staff04-May-2013India squad for the Champions Trophy

MS Dhoni (capt & wk), Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Dinesh Karthik (wk), M Vijay, Rohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin, Irfan Pathan, Umesh Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ishant Sharma, Amit Mishra, Vinay Kumar
In: Shikhar Dhawan, Dinesh Karthik, M Vijay, Irfan Pathan, Umesh Yadav, Vinay Kumar
Out: Ashok Dinda, Gautam Gambhir, Shami Ahmed, Yuvraj Singh, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane

Gautam Gambhir and Yuvraj Singh have been dropped from the India one-day squad for the Champions Trophy. Dinesh Karthik earns a recall after a gap of almost three years, and Umesh Yadav returns from injury.Shikhar Dhawan, who grabbed the headlines during the home Tests against Australia and has done well in the IPL since recovering from a hand injury, has made the 15. Allrounder Irfan Pathan, seamer Vinay Kumar and batsman M Vijay also make a comeback.Apart from Gambhir and Yuvraj, four other players who were part of the squad for India’s previous one-day assignment, the home ODIs against England in January, miss out: batsmen Cheteshwar Pujara – who is injured – and Ajinkya Rahane, and fast bowlers Ashok Dinda and Shami Ahmed.That leaves the squad with Dhawan, Vijay, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina and Rohit Sharma as specialist batsmen. Karthik will be the back-up keeper behind MS Dhoni – though he is capable of fitting into the XI as just a batsman as well – while the spin department has a mix in offspinner R Ashwin, left-armer Ravindra Jadeja and legspinner Amit Mishra. Given the conditions in England, India were expected to go in with a five-man pace attack, and that is what they have done: Irfan, Umesh, Vinay, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Ishant Sharma complete the 15.Gambhir managed 127 runs in five ODIs against England, and 34 runs in three against Pakistan before that. Yuvraj has one half-century in eight one-dayers since returning to the side following the completion of his cancer treatment.Dinesh Karthik gets a chance in India colours after close to three years•AFPThere is, however, hope for Gambhir to be recalled for the tri-series in the West Indies, also featuring Sri Lanka, following the Champions Trophy. Gambhir has been included in the probables for the tour, along with Manoj Tiwary, Praveen Kumar, Shami Ahmed, Ambati Rayudu and Rahul Sharma. The selectors will pick from the 21 probables, which includes the 15 picked for the Champions Trophy.Seniors Virender Sehwag and Harbhajan Singh have not been able to force their way back in. They, along with the injured and out of favour Zaheer Khan, were not even in the 30 probables announced for the Champions Trophy.Karthik has been the mainstay of the Mumbai Indians batting so far in the IPL, with 331 runs in 10 games at a strike rate of 140. He had a solid first-class season before that, scoring 577 runs at 64.11 for Tamil Nadu.Dhawan has previously played five ODIs for India, the last of which was two years ago, but only generated widespread interest on hitting the fastest century by Test debutant in Mohali in March. Following that he missed the final Test of the Australia series, in Delhi, and the first couple of weeks of the IPL due to injury, but has scored two unbeaten half-centuries in three games on return.Umesh was ruled out with a stress reaction in his back during the home Tests against England last year, his last game for India being the Ahmedabad Test in November. Yadav resumed bowling in the first week of March, and then played the domestic T20 tournament, the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. He has been Delhi Daredevils’ leading wicket-taker in the IPL so far, with 13 scalps at 20.92, and has particularly impressed with his tidy bowling at the death.Irfan last played for India at the World T20 in Sri Lanka last September-October, and then picked up a knee injury in the Ranji Trophy ahead of India’s home season. Vinay had not made the Indian team since a hamstring injury ruled him out of India’s limited-overs tour of Sri Lanka in July 2012.There had been speculation as to whether Mishra would miss out to a pace bowler for the tournament in England, but he has retained his place in the squad following a solid showing for Sunrisers Hyderabad – apart from being their leading wicket-taker so far with 16 in 10 games, he has produced handy cameos with the bat for the side.Dinda, on the other hand, has had a woeful IPL till date for Pune Warriors, being the tournament’s most expensive bowler at the death. So far, a fifth of IPL 2013’s sixes have been hit off Dinda.Rahane could not take advantage of the opportunities given to him in the one-day series’ against Pakistan and England, totalling 55 runs in four matches – of which 47 came in one innings against England in Rajkot.

The inquiry committee into the spot-fixing scandal involving three Rajasthan Royals players will press charges pertaining to match-fixing and bringing disrepute to the game under the BCCI’s code of conduct

Nagraj Gollapudi19-May-2013The BCCI inquiry committee appointed on Sunday to probe the alleged spot-fixing scandal involving three Rajasthan Royals players will press charges pertaining to match-fixing and bringing disrepute to the game under the BCCI’s code of conduct.The former head the ICC’s Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU), Ravi Sawani, who is chief of the BCCI’s anti-corruption unit, was appointed solely to lead the inquiry panel. Sawani’s investigation will be completely independent of the ongoing probe by the Delhi Police. ESPNcricinfo understands that Sawani cannot investigate the three players – Sreesanth, Ankeet Chavan and Ashok Chandila – until they are released from police custody and any further judicial proceedings they might be charged under.Currently the trio, along with a former Rajasthan fast bowler Amit Singh, who was named as an intermediary, and a host of bookies are being held under a five-day police custody in Delhi.It is also understood that Sawani is expected arrive at a decision – especially on the charge of bringing the game into disrepute – much quicker than the investigation being currently carried out by the Delhi police, which is likely to involve a lengthy process before any verdict is reached, though no time frame has been set yet for the commission. “We have our own procedures and the BCCI’s standards of evidence are not as stringent as the courts. We can be much quicker,” a BCCI official told ESPNcricinfo.All charges will be investigated under the BCCI and IPL’s code of conduct. However, one big constraint Sawani could face is the evidence required to prove the charge of match-fixing. “The issue would be whether Delhi police will share the information on players they have with us or not. That is absolutely the key to proving specific offences pertaining to spot-fixing and match-fixing,” the official said.As for the charge of bringing the game into disrepute, the code of conduct will be Sawani’s main weapon to prove the offence. The procedure would be the same as Sawani followed during his investigation last year of the five players who were involved in the sting operation, involving one-on-one interviews in person with each player. He also has sole discretionary powers to determine whether the player can be allowed legal counsel or not during his interviews.On conclusion of the inquiry, Sawani will present his findings to the BCCI’s disciplinary committee, which will decide the final action against the players involved.

England bowler Tim Bresnan will travel to the USA shortly for a second operation on his troublesome elbow, which ruled him out of the tour to New Zealand

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Feb-2013Tim Bresnan, the England bowler, will travel to the USA shortly for a second operation on his troublesome elbow, which ruled him out of the tour to New Zealand.When he was left out of the squads for New Zealand, the national selector, Geoff Miller, said that further surgery might be required. Bresnan underwent his first operation late in 2011 and has struggled to regain top form since, finishing 2012 with two wicketless Tests in India following a lean series against South Africa, and has often appeared down on pace.Andrew Gale, Bresnan’s captain at Yorkshire, confirmed the latest development: “He’s going out to America in the next week or so, and he’ll be there for a week or two to have an operation and then some rehab on his elbow,” he told the .Bresnan’s most recent appearance for England was successful, when he took 4 for 45 in the final ODI against India, and Gale was hopeful he would be back to full fitness early in the season. There is an outside chance of him featuring on Yorkshire’s pre-season tour of Barbados.Bresnan will have his eyes set on being available for the New Zealand series at home, which starts in late May, but a more realistic aim could be the Champions Trophy where England are keen for him to take the No. 7 slot in the one-day side to enable them to play five frontline bowlers in home conditions.In his absence, Chris Woakes has a chance to establish his credentials in New Zealand. Woakes is part of all three squads for the tour, but will have to move ahead of Stuart Broad and Graham Onions to earn a Test place.

Australia sealed a tight win over New Zealand on the third day at the Bert Sutcliffe Oval in Lincoln

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Apr-2013
Scorecard
Australia sealed a tight win over New Zealand on the third day at the Bert Sutcliffe Oval in Lincoln. New Zealand began the day on 153 for 4, and would have hoped to save the game on what was the final day but were bowled out for 241. They slipped to 175 for 6 and then lost their captain Tim Seifert, who had held the innings together until then, making 97. Having collapsed to 196 for 9, New Zealand were helped by an unbeaten 33 from No.11 Harley Jenkins, who stretched the lead to 206.Australia had limited time to chase down 208 but did so successfully, with three wickets to spare. They were 38 for 3 at one stage but didn’t stray from their objective of winning the game. Opener Jaron Morgan made 72 in 89 balls and was ably supported by the middle and lower orders, with valuable contributions from each batsman. Tom Andrews made 31, Cameron Valente guided the chase after Morgan fell with an unbeaten 36, and there was assistance from Guy Walker, Matthew Short, and Jake Doran, who scored at better than a run a ball. The chase was completed in 44.5 overs.In the first innings, both teams declared after batting for 80 overs. New Zealand made 385 for 9, with the openers Rakitha Weerasundara and Henry Collier being among four batsmen to hit half-centuries. Australia responded strongly, scoring at better than five an over, making 420 for 4, thanks to hundreds from Short and Sean Willis.

Danish Kaneria, the Pakistan legspinner, has been found guilty of corruption by an ECB disciplinary panel in relation to the spot-fixing case involving Mervyn Westfield

Alan Gardner and Andrew McGlashan22-Jun-2012Danish Kaneria, the Pakistan legspinner, has been banned for life from any cricket under the jurisdiction of the ECB after being found guilty of corruption by a disciplinary panel in relation to the spot-fixing case involving Mervyn Westfield.Westfield, a former Essex pace bowler, was also charged with bringing the game into disrepute to which he pleaded guilty and was given a five-year ban, although he will be allowed to play club cricket after three years.Kaneria’s career now seems at an end. Although his punishment was handed out by the ECB, the ICC’s anti-corruption code states that decisions based on a domestic board’s regulations should be upheld by boards around the world, including the PCB, which will now complete its own integrity committee hearing.Haroon Lorgat, the ICC chief executive, said: “It is opportune that the ICC Board meets this week in Kuala Lumpur and I will ask the Board to remind all members to put in place appropriate mechanisms to ensure that the sanctions imposed on both players in this case are appropriately recognised and respected outside of the ECB’s domestic jurisdiction.”The PCB indicated ahead of the judgment that they would honour any sanctions handed out by the ECB to Kaneria, who is Pakistan’s fourth highest wicket-taker – and leading spinner – in Tests.In his ruling Gerard Elias QC, chairman of the ECB’s cricket discipline commission, said: “We regard Danish Kaneria as a grave danger to the game of cricket and we must take every appropriate step to protect our game from his corrupt activities.”Summing up Kaneria’s role, Elias said he exploited his position in the game. “As a senior international player of repute he plainly betrayed the trust reposed in him in his dealings with fellow team-mates and we regard his persistent efforts to recruit spot fixers as being a seriously aggravating factor in his case.”With regard to Westfield, Elias said consideration had been given to the evidence he provided to the hearing, his plea, and his agreement to help with educating cricketers to the danger of spot-fixing in the future, but added that if the offence had been committed in 2012, the ban would have been nine years.”Let no one underestimate the seriousness of failing to perform – or agreeing so to do – on ones merits,” Elias said. “We bear in mind the fact that his conduct occurred in 2009, that he was targeted and pressurised by a senior team-mate. To the ECB’s charge he pleaded guilty at the first opportunity and is entitled to significant credit for that.”An ECB statement said: “ECB welcomes today’s decisions by the disciplinary panel following the hearing held in London. This sends a very clear message to everyone involved in the sport that corrupt activities will not be tolerated and those individuals who are alleged to have breached the ECB’s anti-corruption regulations will be fully investigated and where appropriate made subject to the full ECB disciplinary process.”Both players were charged in April, in the wake of Westfield’s imprisonment in February. Kaneria was implicated in spot-fixing during Westfield’s trial at London’s Central Criminal Court but denied the allegations.At the ECB hearing, which lasted for four days, Westfield gave evidence against Kaneria, revealing details about how the former Pakistan legspinner introduced him to an Indian businessman know as Arun or Anu Bhatt. Kaneria, who had been warned about Bhatt’s alleged connections to illegal betting, admitted putting the two in contact but claimed he had been trying to distance himself from Bhatt.However, phone records showed extensive contact between Kaneria and Bhatt in the days leading up to the September 2009 Pro40 match that Westfield accepted money to underperform in. Kaneria’s defence that Westfield was not a credible witness, due to his previous conduct, was also rejected.The disciplinary panel, which also included David Gabbitass and former England allrounder Jamie Dalrymple, concluded: “Danish Kaneria knowingly induced or encouraged Mervyn Westfield not to perform on his merits in the Durham match.” He was accordingly found guilty of both charges brought by the ECB, of attempting to induce Westfield to underperform and of bringing the game into disrepute.The panel were highly critical of Kaneria’s evidence. “We consider that in many respects the evidence of Danish Kaneria simply does not stand up to scrutiny and is plainly lies,” read the summary of their findings.As reported during the trial, Westfield was identified as a squad member susceptible to an approach. Kaneria told him, “You are young and it is hard to make money; I have a way that you can make money quicker”, which led to the setting up of meetings with two “Asian businessmen” and a deal being struck for the match against Durham. Further details emerged of various meetings that took place, including at an Essex nightclub and at a hotel before the match in question, when Westfield agreed to concede a set amount of runs from an over.Conclusions of ECB panel

Danish Kaneria knew the activity which Anu Bhatt was engaged in

Kaneria acted as a recruiter of spot fixers for Anu Bhatt

That Kaneria approached a number of what he saw as potential targets at Essex

Kaneria introduced Bhatt to Westfield with the intention that Westfield should be recruited into spot fixing

Thereafter, Kaneria cajoled and pressurised Westfield into becoming involved, well knowing that he was young and vulnerable

Kaneria was present at the meeting in Durham with Westfield and the two Asian men – one of whom was Anu Bhatt

Kaneria was present when Westfield was paid out by the Asian men

It was confirmed that Kaneria had been warned for his links with Bhatt, a man described as being “heavily involved in illegal betting”, by the ICC’s Anti Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) back in 2008, from which Alan Peacock, the ACSU’s senior investigator, provided evidence. Kaneria was revealed to have first met Bhatt in 2005, although he said he came to regard the businessman as a “dangerous” man to be involved with.The panel, however, disputed Kaneria’s suggestion that his contact with Bhatt – who he also provided with tickets for the Durham match – was intended to discourage.”There is no doubt – and no suggestion to the contrary – that one of the Asian men referred to by Westfield was Anu Bhatt,” the summary said. “Indeed, Danish Kaneria admits introducing Westfield to Bhatt in Dukes nightclub and confirms in his evidence that Bhatt was in Durham and attended the match with tickets obtained by Kaneria for him.”Other evidence against Kaneria was provided by former team-mates at Essex, who recounted that he had on more than one occasion “sought to instigate discussion about spot or match fixing”. Criticism was also made of the “many other unsatisfactory aspects to Danish Kaneria’s evidence”, including his “detailed recollections” of events that he had previously been unclear about.In summing up, the panel said of Kaneria: “We utterly reject his account of the telephone calls and texts to and from Anu Bhatt during the vital days in question. Analysis of the length, sequence and timing of these calls simply does not permit of the innocent explanations given by Kaneria. If, as we find, he is lying about these calls and texts, there can only be one logical reason – to tell the truth would be damning.”Further, we reject as nonsensical Kaneria’s claim that his invitation to Bhatt to attend Dukes nightclub was in order to keep him at arm’s length or similarly that obtaining tickets for him in Durham was with the same object. Again, we have no doubt that to tell the truth would implicate Kaneria as the link in the chain between Westfield and Bhatt … We reject his basic account that he had nothing to do with any arrangement between Westfield and Bhatt – indeed we are sure that he facilitated it.”Westfield was jailed for four months after he admitted to underperforming in a Pro40 match against Durham in September 2009. Kaneria, Essex’s overseas player for several seasons, was named by the judge at the Old Bailey as the orchestrator of the plot but, although he was arrested at the same time as Westfield in 2010, he was never charged by the police on the grounds of insufficient evidence.In reference to Westfield, the findings said: “In summary, we are satisfied that in September 2009 he was both vulnerable and naïve – relatively unworldly and unsophisticated. He may well have been going through a phase of self doubt and anxiety – whether objectively justified or not – about his cricketing future.”The panel also recorded that Westfield “was essentially unwavering in evidence” given to support his account and that they felt he was “plainly telling the truth”. Westfield will be allowed to return to club cricket after three years, but will remain banned from any level of the county game for another two.

Worcestershire’s lower-order batsmen made the most of a window in the weather late in the third day against relegation rivals Lancashire at New Road.

17-Aug-2012
ScorecardWorcestershire’s lower-order batsmen made the most of a window in the weather late in the third day against relegation rivals Lancashire at New Road. The match was at standstill for more than five hours before Gareth Andrew and Ben Scott came out to add 27 runs and lever their side up to 251 for 7.Scott (14 not out) twice drove Kyle Hogg for four and when Andrew (12 not out) clipped the same bowler backward of square to register a second bonus point, Daryl Mitchell called his side in. With 27 balls still available before the 110-over cut-off, his declaration denied Lancashire an opportunity to try for the two wickets they needed for a third bowling point but Paul Horton and his new opening partner, Luke Procter, negotiated seven overs to the close.Allrounder Procter, promoted to the top of the order after Stephen Moore was left out, nudged the only boundary off Chris Russell as they made 10 without loss. Where the game goes from here depends on whether the captains are prepared to strike a deal. Otherwise the last day is set to be a battle for bonus points.Only eight overs were squeezed in before lunch but that was enough to dash Worcestershire batsman Neil Pinner’s hopes of making a maiden century some 15 months after being dismissed for a duck in his only previous Championship innings.Resuming on 79, the 21-year-old, who has been playing for Kidderminster Victoria in the Birmingham League, confidently clipped Glen Chapple’s third ball for two but this was the only action before a shower stopped play after two overs. After a 35-minute delay, Pinner added a single in the first over but 21 dot balls were logged before Worcestershire added another run.For Pinner, that proved to be the end of the road after batting for nearly four hours. As on Saturday, when he was out for 98 in Kidderminster’s game at Himley, a three-figure score eluded him. Having played so well, hitting 11 boundaries from 190 balls, he was leg-before for 82 when moving across his stumps as he shaped to turn a delivery from Chapple off his pads.It was a well-deserved success for Chapple, Lancashire’s 38-year-old captain, who eventually got through 31 overs with a return 4 for 60. Like his new-ball partner, Hogg (2 for 63), he beat the bat often enough to merit even better figures.

Australia took a long time to manoeuvre their position with the bat in Port-of-Spain but far less with the ball

The Report by Andrew McGlashan16-Apr-2012
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsMichael Hussey’s half-century helped Australia beyond 300•AFPAustralia took a long time to manoeuvre their position with the bat in Port-of-Spain but far less with the ball. Their total of 311, engineered on the second day by Michael Hussey and James Pattinson, was soon shown in its true value as West Indies stumbled to 49 for 3 at the close with the top order floundering against pace and spin.Hussey and Pattinson added 89 for seventh wicket as Australia batted through to tea on rain-interrupted day. Their effort was put into greater context when the last four wickets fell for 14 and the swift fall of batsmen continued when West Indies started their reply. By stumps the home side were already facing a daunting task to stay in contention in the match and the series. It seemed, as ever, that their hopes lay largely with Shivnarine Chanderpaul.Michael Clarke continued to show the innovative side of his captaincy by handing the new ball to the left-arm spin of Michael Beer, who was playing just his second Test, and he was an immediate threat with deliveries gripping to beat the outside edge. It was Ben Hilfenhaus, though, who struck first with a testing spell of outswing when a delivery straightened on Kriagg Braithwaite and would have clipped leg stump.Adrian Barath took 26 balls to get off the mark and was soon simply, yet beautifully, set up by Beer. Barath had driven on the up through the covers and Beer responded with a delivery that ripped past a defensive push before sending down the arm ball which trapped Barath on the back foot.Barath was absolutely right not to review, but the same can’t be said of Kieran Powell. He had played a couple of pleasing drives before facing Pattinson’s first delivery which swung back into him. Ian Gould gave the decision but replays showed it had pitched outside leg stump. With Australia sensing further inroads Darren Bravo and Chanderpaul did well to prevent a terminal collapse.West Indies’ bowlers cannot be faulted for their endeavours but were not always supported in the field. Hussey passed fifty from 136 balls but should have been removed before the landmark. He was given his second life by Carlton Baugh on 47 when he advanced down the pitch to the probing Shane Shillingford, and was beaten by turn and bounce, only for Baugh to be unable to gather the take to complete the stumping. It was not easy, but should have been taken. On the first day Baugh dropped Hussey on 5 and he made West Indies’ job even tougher.Smart stats

Australia’s run-rate of 2.30 is their lowest for a 300-plus score in Tests since 1990. Their previous lowest against West Indies was 2.51 during the 306 made in Antigua in 1999.

Michael Hussey’s strike rate of 35.26 during his innings of 73 is the sixth-lowest for a fifty-plus score by an Australian batsman against West Indies in Tests since 1990. It is also the second-lowest strike rate for Hussey for a fifty-plus knock.

Four bowlers finished with an economy rate under 2.00 after bowling more than 15 overs. In the first innings of the Trinidad Test in 1999 against Australia, three West Indies bowlers had bowled 15-plus overs with an economy rate less than or equal to 2.00.

Shane Shiilingford’s economy rate of 1.87 is the lowest for a bowler against Australia in Tests played since 2000 (min 25 overs bowled).

Kemar Roach went past the 50-wicket mark in Tests during his five-wicket haul. This is Roach’s third five-for and his first against Australia.

The run-rate during the 89-run seventh-wicket stand between Hussey and James Pattinson (2.28) is the second-lowest for Australia since 2000 (for seventh-wicket fifty-plus stands).

Australia opened the bowling with a spinner for only the ninth time since 1970. It is also the first time since opening with Bill O’Reilly in 1938 that Australia have opened the bowling in the first innings with a spinner.

Narsingh Deonarine, who is developing the knack of breaking partnerships, eventually ended Hussey’s stay when he lured him into a drive. Soon afterwards Pattinson’s equally valuable contribution which spanned 119 deliveries was cut off when a leading edge looped high into the off side to give Shillingford a hard-earned third wicket.Australia had lost a wicket without adding to their overnight total when Matthew Wade edged Kemar Roach to first slip. Roach and Edwards then gave Pattinson a tough welcome to the crease with a series of deliveries that beat the outside edge while Edwards also struck him on the forearm with a short ball, something Roach repeated later on, but Pattinson stood his ground to provide priceless support for Hussey.Hussey pulled a rare short delivery from Shillingford through midwicket but the offspinner provided another tough examination for the batsmen. Hussey needed all his skill to survive; sometimes playing from deep in the crease then trying to stretch forward and also employing the sweep.Pattinson picked off a loose delivery from Darren Sammy with a cut and then slashed another boundary past a diving third slip as West Indies were, once again, frustrated by the batting of one of Australia’s bowlers. Although plenty of turn was on offer, the lack of pace in the wicket made it hard work for the bowlers and a couple of edges created by Shillingford did not carry to slip. Edwards, meanwhile, would have just been happy to find the edge as Pattinson continued to play and miss.Occasionally the dot balls and maidens were punctuated by a boundary, the most empathic of which was when Hussey swept Shillingford into the stands over midwicket. Pattinson did not lose much in comparison as he showed a very solid defensive technique and the footwork to attack rare loose deliveries.Roach made swift work of the remaining resistance when he bowled Hilfenhaus off his pads and two balls later pinned Beer lbw. To many people’s surprise Beer was the man to deliver the next ball of the Test. It was the turn of Australia’s spinners, but their quick bowlers were an equal threat.

Misbah-ul-Haq has stepped down as Pakistan’s Twenty20 captain

ESPNcricinfo staff10-May-2012Misbah-ul-Haq has stepped down* as Pakistan’s Twenty20 captain and Mohammad Hafeez has been named his successor for the Sri Lanka series in June.Pakistan Twenty20 squad

Khalid Latif, Ahmed Shahzad, Mohammad Hafeez (capt), Shoaib Malik, Umar Akmal, Shakeel Ansar (wk), Shahid Afridi, Yasir Arafat, Umar Gul, Sohail Tanvir, Saeed Ajmal, Raza Hasan, Haris Sohail, Mohammad Sami, Hammad Azam, Nasir Jamshed
In: Mohammad Sami, Shakeel Ansar, Haris Sohail, Raza Hasan

Misbah had captained Pakistan in eight games. His last Twenty20 assignment was the three-match series against England in the UAE in February, which England won 2-1. Misbah scored 67 runs there, with a strike-rate of just over 80.Hafeez said he was looking forward to the additonal responsibility. “Representing Pakistan is always an honour and captaining it is more than that. Now being a captain, I don’t see any added pressure,” Hafeez said. “The strategy might be different but while implementing them I will take my coaches and the PCB on board to get the best results for the team.”Fast bowler Mohammad Sami, who last played for Pakistan in 2010, made a comeback. Sami had taken only one wicket in five matches for Karachi Dophins in the domestic Faysal Bank Super Eight T20 Cup in March, but had finished as the joint leading wicket-taker in the Bangladesh Premier League for Duronto Rajshahi. He was particularly successful against Dhaka Gladiators, claiming a hat-trick and then figures of 5 for 6 against them in two league games.The new faces in the squad include Sialkot Stallions batsmen Shakeel Ansar, who came into the limelight with his maiden Twenty20 hundred against Peshawar Panthers in March in the Faysal Bank Super Eight T20 Cup, and Haris Sohail who went through that tournament scoring 173 runs in four matches without being dismissed. Left-arm spinner Raza Hasan, who claimed 12 wickets in five games in the Super Eight T20 Cup for Sialkot, also made it to the squad.Pakistan will play two Twenty20s, five ODIs and three Tests between June 1 and July 12 in Sri Lanka.*This story has been updated to reflect that Misbah-ul-Haq has not announced an official retirement from Twenty20 cricket

Iain O’Brien, the former New Zealand bowler, has retired due to a chronic back injury. He hoped to resurrect his career in Wellington but decided his injury was too serious

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Jan-2012Iain O’Brien, the former New Zealand seamer, has retired due to a chronic back injury. He hoped to resurrect his career in Wellington but decided his injury was too serious.O’Brien, 35, made his international debut against Australia at Christchurch in March 2005 but after that series didn’t play another Test for two seasons. He returned in November 2007 against South Africa at Johannesburg and went on to play 22 Tests in all, taking 73 wickets at 33.27.Having been recommended to retire in 2003 after being told he had the back of a 60 year-old, O’Brien continued to play international cricket before retiring in 2009 after the World T20 in England. He wanted to settle in the UK and continue his career with Middlesex but employment problems prevented him from becoming a British-qualified player.O’Brien announced the news that his cricket “ride” was over in an emotional blog. “I’ve cried in changing rooms and hotels all around the world but how could I walk away,” he said of his experiences in coping with the injury. “I’ve got more out of my body than I should have. Time’s up.”He returned to Wellington and began rehabilitation with the hope of returning to international cricket. “I was doing everything I could to get back out for Wellington and if good enough, back into the New Zealand team,” O’Brien said. “That was the dream. That was the motivation.”I now know I’ll never play for New Zealand again. The motivation to keep going has dwindled. So, on that note I know it’s time to walk away.”