All posts by h716a5.icu

Andrew Flintoff deserves a chance to try and find out if he can still hack it, for his body was broken in the service of England

George Dobell31-May-2014It would be easy to be cynical about the return of Andrew Flintoff. It would be easy to dismiss his comeback as a publicity stunt, or the symptom of a mid-life crisis. It would be easy, and probably quite legitimate, to point out that his return will displace a younger man in the Lancashire team who might have been working towards this opportunity his whole career.But none of that stuff matters. Not really. Not in the grand scheme of things.The purpose of the relaunched NatWest T20 Blast is to fill grounds and inspire new supporters and players. And the fact is that Flintoff, even aged 36 and nearly five years into retirement, remains one of very few Englishmen to have broken out of the confines of cricket to become something approaching a household name.His return will guarantee wider media coverage for the tournament and should help bring more people to games. In the context of an event fighting for limelight amid a football World Cup and myriad other rivals, Flintoff’s return is cause for celebration.There is a lesson here, though. Flintoff’s fame was cemented by his Man-of-the-Series winning performance in the Ashes of 2005; a series in which he bowled with pace and skill, batted with bravado and skill and showed the sort of grace in victory that portrayed the game in a flattering light.But crucially, that Ashes series was the last shown on free to air TV in the UK. So while other players since have had periods of outstanding form, none have quite gone on to make the crossover from cricket to mainstream media personality. Flintoff’s all-round excellence was one reason for his popularity and fame, but that fact that he had a larger stage and a bigger audience was also relevant.The fear has to be that, for all the benefits of the finance pumped into the game by selling TV rights to one subscription broadcaster, it is almost impossible to replace the reach of a free to air coverage.It is almost impossible the recapture the public imagination in the same way as it was in the summer of 2005. And for that reason, the English game is still looking for new heroes to replace those that have retired.The interest generated by Flintoff’s return only underlines the difficulty the modern game has in appealing to a new audience and remaining relevant. It also underlines the need the game has to exploit the stars it has; the failure of the ECB to fully utilise Kevin Pietersen this way remains a regret.Who knows if Flintoff’s body can handle the demands of a return? Who knows if his batting – so modest towards the end of his career – can prove destructive or his bowling rediscover the pace it once had? But, had his body not failed him, Flintoff would have been a T20 specialist long ago.He deserves a chance to try and find out if he can still hack it, for his body was broken in the service of England. It was broken when bowling 40 overs in an innings against South Africa at Headingley in 2008; when bowling 68.3 overs in a match against Sri Lanka at Lord’s in 2006. It was broken in finding one more spell, again and again, on the flattest of pitches and with the softest of balls, in helping England back to respectability after years of mediocrity.He deserves a bit more credit than he is sometimes given. And, if there were times when he had to let off steam… well, all that bowling must have been thirsty work.

Ed Cowan recounts being dragged out of the bar to field as a substitute in a Test, picks his best pub quiz team, and lists his various nicknames

Interview by Jack Wilson16-Oct-2014You have played 18 Tests. How do you feel your Test career has gone?
In a few words: not as good as it should have. It is bloody hard work and I loved every moment. If I had my time again I would have changed a few things, but one thing I do know is I can look myself in the mirror and know I gave every ounce of effort to every minute of my 18 Tests.Where do you see your chances now?
I am of the opinion that if you score enough runs, you can make any case an irresistible one. But I think in my case that needs to be a lot of runs. I am enjoying the challenge of rising to that benchmark.Do you take heart from the fact that Chris Rogers and Brad Haddin – four years older than yourself – are still playing?
Absolutely – as I said, it is hard to argue with big runs regardless of age.Your maiden Test ton was watched by a special fan. What was it like scoring a century in front of your daughter Romy?
Not just little Romy but my whole family, including my late mother. It was a huge treat to have them there and be able to share the moment with me. They, after all, are the ones who have sacrificed as much as I had to to get there.Tell us about the time you fielded as a substitute for Australia. You were in the SCG members’ bar when they called you up.
Despite it being 11 years ago, people love to ask this question. Yes, I was in the bar but, of course, was only drinking lemon, lime and bitters. Who drinks beer at the cricket?And you didn’t keep the gear, I gather?
No, I always feel even training gear is sacred to the team. It symbolises who they are and the work they put in together. It wasn’t for me to swan in and take the gear.On a night out, which of your team-mates would be the last at the bar to buy a round?
The last at the bar to be “able” to buy a round would have to be Daniel Marsh. He drinks pints to my 10oz when we have a beer together. But who has the shortest pockets? That honour is undoubtedly reserved for Tim Paine.

“Alex Doolan reads and religiously and has incredible knowledge on all things that I deem irrelevant”

Who is the worst person to share a room with?
Thankfully I am wise enough to call ahead and take the lottery out of it, ensuring that I always room with Alex Doolan. He buys the chocolate and I do the washing.The short straw in the Tasmania team rooming list is always James Faulkner. There’s too much chat in the third person to keep anyone sane.If you needed four team-mates, past or present, to make up the best pub quiz team, who would you choose?
Greg Mail, the former New South Wales opening batsman and the smartest cricketer I have played with. Alex Doolan reads and religiously and has incredible knowledge on all things that I deem irrelevant. Pat Farhart, the former New South Wales physio, for his ’80s music “title and artist” ability and, to round it out, Jordan Silk for his deep love of sports statistics.And who would be the furthest away from it?
Sam Rainbird. Not much behind the great salad.Which team-mate would you least like to be stuck in a lift with?
Probably Hilfy [Ben Hilfenhaus]. He can’t sit still for more than ten seconds without getting bored.Who has the worst habits?
Probably me, to be honest. I have a terrible habit of being incredibly messy in the changing room and taking over people’s space. As well as losing my phone. And my wallet. And my keys.If you were stranded on a desert island and could take three items with you, what would you bring?
A fridge, a pack of never-ending Tim Tams, and a snorkel.If you could have one superpower, what would it be?
To be in two places at once. Then I could play cricket all year and be at home with my beautiful family.Where did the nickname Fred come from?
It isn’t my nickname. A bit like when ESPNcricinfo had me down as an offspin bowler and 175cm tall. I am at least 178cm. I get Teddy a lot, and a new one this year that is a little random: “Spicy”.Who is the toughest bowler you have ever faced?
Probably Morne Morkel. I didn’t feel like I could really score unless he bowled one on my hip.Who is the best batsman you have seen?
Hands down, Ricky Ponting.If you were selecting a dream T20 team, who would be the first name on the team sheet?
Seriously? Considering I came fifth in the official BBL fantasy cricket competition last year? The big show Glenn Maxwell.In all your years playing first-class cricket, you have bowled 24 balls. Describe your bowling to us.
I should have had two wickets: Heath Streak lbw to a zooter and Jesse Ryder caught at mid-off. Instead, the next five balls went for 28 to ruin my economy. I apologise to all four captains for letting me bluff them into giving me a bowl. My first over in first-class cricket was legspin but then the other three were to left-handers so I bowled slow medium-pace.

Stats highlights from yet another day of a commanding batting performance from Pakistan in Abu Dhabi

Shiva Jayaraman09-Nov-2014178 Runs Pakistan’s openers added before Mohammad Hafeez was out for 96. This is Pakistan’s highest for the first wicket against New Zealand, beating the 172-run stand between Rameez Raja and Shoaib Mohammad in Karachi in 1990.13 Number of 150-plus partnerships by Pakistan’s openers. Hafeez and Ahmed Shehzad’s latest entry was Pakistan’s fourth-highest for the first wicket in Tests. Pakistan have had three double-century opening partnerships, with the highest being the 298-run stand between Aamer Sohail and Ijaz Ahmed against West Indies in Karachi in 1997. This was also Pakistan’s highest opening stand in over 14 years. Imran Nazri and Mohammad Wasim had added 219 runs against West Indies in Bridgetown in 2000.10 Century partnerships by Pakistan’s top-two in the first innings of a Test. Hafeez and Shehzad’s was the second-highest opening partnership for Pakistan in the first innings of a Test, after the 249-run stand between debutants Abdul Kadir and Khalid Ibadulla in Karachi over 50 years ago. The last century stand at the top for Pakistan was in 2005, when Salman Butt and Yasir Hameed added 102 runs against Australia at the SCG.3 Centuries for Shehzad in eight Tests. Before Shehzad, no Pakistan batsman had managed to hit three tons by his eighth match as an opener. Shehzad has scored 575 runs in 13 innings this year at an average of 47.91. Among openers, only David Warner has more centuries than him.2 Instances since 2000 that a Pakistan opener has batted through the first day of a Test. Before Shehzad today, it was his opening partner, Hafeez, who had been unbeaten on 172 against Sri Lanka in Colombo in 2012. Mudassar Nazar has achieved this the most often for Pakistan – five (excluding rain-curtailed days) times.96 Runs Hafeez scored before getting dismissed – his first fifty in his last 14 innings as an opener. He had scored only 150 runs in 13 innings at an average of 11.53 since his last fifty at the top of the order. Overall too, Hafeez was having a bad run coming into this Test, averaging just 16.43 since 2013 with one fifty from 17 innings.101 Dots bowled by Ish Sodhi in 23 overs (138 balls) he bowled in Abu Dhabi. He finished the day with a respectable economy of 2.95. Sodhi and Mark Craig bowled 40 overs of spin in the day giving away 127 runs at an economy of 3.17. In contrast, Australia’s spinners had conceded 146 runs for one wicket in 36 overs on the first day of their Test against Pakistan at the same venue last month.248 Balls Corey Anderson went wicketless between dismissing Hafeez and Marlon Samuels, his last Test victim at Seddon Park in December 2013. Anderson’s 12 Test wickets have come at 30.58 runs apiece and at a strike rate of 63.5.8 Number of times Pakistan’s openers have scored 90 or more in an innings. Before today, the last instance came at the Oval in 2006. On that occasion though, neither man could get their centuries with Hafeez, again, getting dismissed on 95 and Imran Farhat on 91.14 Hundreds by Pakistan’s top-order in 2014 with Shehzad’s unbeaten 126. This is the second-highest ton tally by their top-order in any calendar year after the 19 centuries scored in 2006.4 Times since 2000 that Pakistan have got to 250 runs before the fall of their second wicket. Before today, the last time was against Sri Lanka in Colombo in 2012 when their second wicket fell at 365. Overall there have been 17 such instances for Pakistan.

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Mar-2015David Warner, though, remained unfazed and punished the short-pitched bowling by using the pull to maximum effect•Getty ImagesHe raced to 100 off 92 deliveries•AFPSteven Smith provided ample support at the other end, as the pair added 260 runs, Australia’s highest ever ODI partnership•Associated PressDavid Warner’s 178 was the highest individual score by an Australian in World Cups•Getty ImagesAfghanistan finally saw the back of David Warner when he skied a Shapoor Zadran delivery to Mohammad Nabi, but he had laid the platform for a late flourish•AFPSmith too fell five runs short of his fourth ODI ton, as Afghanistan looked to limit the damage•Getty ImagesBut that was always going to be difficult once Glenn Maxwell got going. He smashed 88 off 39 balls, entertaining the WACA crowd to a range of innovative shots. Australia compiled 417 for 6, the highest score in a World Cup•Associated PressAfghanistan failed to gather any momentum in the chase, and lost half their side for just 94 runs•Getty ImagesNawroz Mangal gave the Afghanistan fans something to cheer about when he hit back-to-back sixes off Mitchell Marsh•AFPBut he had to depart after Finch pulled off a stunner at slips•Associated PressMitchell Marsh and Steven Smith narrowly avoided a collision while taking a catch at third man•Getty ImagesNo Afghanistan batsman offered a resistance, as Australia wrapped the game up with 12 overs to spare, winning by 275 runs, the second largest margin in ODI history•Getty Images

A changed XI was not the only difference for New Zealand as they closed out the group stage under rather difficult circumstances

Andrew McGlashan in Hamilton13-Mar-20152:33

‘Found another way to win’ – Southee

There was a groan around Seddon Park when Brendon McCullum won the toss and asked Bangladesh to bat. As Trent Boult hooped the new ball the signs were it could follow a familiar pattern as New Zealand’s earlier successes, but this time the script was not pre-written and provided the co-hosts with a set of challenges they have not faced in the tournament.They were required to change the team due to an injury; took limited new-ball wickets; came under pressure at the death; bowled a full fifty overs; had two in-form batsmen go early; faced quality spin; and were left with two bowlers to finish off the chase. The fact that list was so long highlights, with the exception of the collapse against Australia, how blemish-free the group stage has been.Not every question asked of them was answered as emphatically as they would have liked – especially the late dismissals of Luke Ronchi and Corey Anderson in a messy finish – but each facet of their game has now been tested ahead of the quarter-finals. Martin Guptill has the team’s first hundred and the middle-order showed some punch. Unlike the Australia match, there was no top-order batsman present to seal the chase but hefty blows from Daniel Vettori and Tim Southee were enough.”It just shows you we found another way in a game,” Southee said. “That’s testament to the side, we were challenged in different ways and were able to come through it. It shows the qualities of the side that we can win in different circumstances.”All the guys learnt from the Aussie game and the pressure that comes with an nervous run chase. The bowlers work extremely hard on their batting in the nets. There’s a lot of faith in us so it was nice to repay that for the batsmen.”Mitchell McClenaghan bowled like a man who hadn’t played for a month•Getty ImagesThe first issue New Zealand had to confront was before a ball was bowled. They have steadfastly stood by their first XI during the tournament, which is understandable given the results, and they would not have changed here if they had not been forced to.The performance of Mitchell McClenaghan, who replaced Adam Milne when his shoulder did not recover in time, showed the other side of the balancing act between continuity and ensuring players have middle time. He bowled like a man who has not played for a month, initially whipped out of the attack after one over which went for 11 then bowled in two blocks of four, and numerous times could not stay on his feet – although that is not a new issue for him.In his 35-match ODI career, during which time he was joint second-fastest to fifty wickets, he has shown his expertise at the death but this time, through rustiness and the pressure applied by Bangladesh, struggled to stem the tide in the final ten overs. There is only so much that bowling in the nets, day after day, week after week, can replicate. By Milne being sidelined for this game it means he now will not have bowled in the middle for nearly two weeks come the quarter-final, but this was not a display from McClenaghan to prompt any late changes to the favoured first XI.There were also some curious tactics by McCullum as the innings came to a conclusion with McClenaghan’s remaining overs not fitting what were left in the innings, meaning Elliott bowled two of the last three overs. On a day where he was expensive sharing McClenaghan’s overs was understandable, but McCullum left it late. New Zealand insisted it was not a miscalculation, just an extension of McCullum’s attacking instincts. The final ten overs cost 104, not carnage compared to some matches in this tournament, especially in Australia, but the fiercest treatment New Zealand had felt.Recent history favoured New Zealand in their chase – last year they hunted down 279 against India with considerable ease – but the promised early foray by spin from Bangladesh provided handsome rewards. McCullum’s ultra-aggressive approach has carried his team, both in runs and in spirit, but this was one of those occasions when his dismissal, picking out long off, felt like a waste.A waste then became an aberration when Kane Williamson, who was laid low with a sickness bug in the lead-up to this game, cut to point. At 33 for 2, and an uncertain Ross Taylor at No. 4, the challenge was laid.Guptill, who opened his scoring with two sixes off Shakib Al Hasan, rose to it with his sixth ODI hundred and New Zealand’s first of the tournament. There was a tight lbw shout on 19 and an edge wide of the keeper on 68, but his timing and placement was otherwise immaculate.”Today was one of those days when everything went in the gap and I scored quite freely,” he said. “Those days are few and far between sometimes so when you have them to need to make the most of it. I always felt I’ve been around the corner through the whole summer. It was nice everything clicked.”Taylor was less convincing, and does not suggest a player full of confidence, with his 56 off 97 being his slowest 50-plus score in ODIs. But the stand of 131, which was New Zealand’s highest of the tournament, proved a solid riposte to the early setbacks.”Brendon and Kane are having good summers, but them getting out early and us able to put a hundred stand on – myself and Ross – then Grant coming in with the great cameo and Corey as well, just shows the depth we’ve got in the line-up and can fight in any situation,” Guptill said.Either Taylor, Elliott, or Anderson should have finished the chase and in the end it was left to Southee to strike the final blows of New Zealand’s group stage clean sweep. A day that began with groans ended with cheer. There has been plenty of it so far. Now an era-defining two weeks looms.

The years of Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene making millions happy together were more fulfilling than a final piece of silverware could ever have been

Andrew Fidel Fernando at the SCG18-Mar-2015The 10 balls that preceded Kumar Sangakkara’s final ODI innings were ugly. Promoted to open in the latest of Sri Lanka’s surprise moves before this quarter-final, Kusal Perera went after the South Africa quicks like a man with an axe. His innings, replete with violent swipes, a near run-out and three streaky runs, ended predictably, via an edge to the keeper. It was a horror start – a gory chainsaw killing.And so Sangakkara arrived inside the first five overs of the innings for the first time since he began his run of centuries – no visible nerves, just the regular swivel of hips with the bat horizontal in front of his chest, and the double-windmill warm-up for each arm.The last time Sri Lanka played a World Cup quarter-final, Sangakkara didn’t need to bat at all, so dominant were they in Colombo. But here, at 3 for 1, the most fluent batsman of the tournament till then had reason to be cautious. When Dale Steyn delivered a maiden to a scratchy Tillakaratne Dilshan, he had another reason. Then Kyle Abbott, the bowler Sri Lanka would have feared least, sent down the strongest reason so far. A good length ball, pitching just outside off, jagged away off the pitch like the slips had a magnet for it. Sangakkara drove and missed. He looked down at the surface, then back up at the bowler.All through his innings, Sangakkara had reason after reason to shelve the attacking cricket that has made him the world’s darling at this tournament. His outside edge was beaten again, he mishit a few, and then when he nailed one – really slammed it out of the middle of the bat – South African fielders seemed to materialise out of thin air to stop the ball inside the ring.There was no fairytale finish but their careers gave Sri Lankan fans plenty of joy over the years•ESPNcricinfo LtdUsually Sangakkara is a nervy runner at the start of his innings. In this game, he didn’t even have time to take those few characteristic steps down the pitch before being sent back, so quickly were his shots being shut down. Each failed stroke, each dismissal at the other end, was like a line of twine being thrown over him. Pretty soon he was caught in a web. His first run came off his 16th ball. The boundary that took him to 10 was hit off his 43rd.”I walked in to bat and I was trying to hit the ball into the gaps,” he said of his innings. “But sometimes you time one and it still wouldn’t penetrate the field, so it becomes frustrating. But you just make the best of that situation and keep fighting, keep working, and get to a stage where you can really launch. With the new rules, you can always catch up. You can be three and a half or four runs an over for the first 30, and the next 20 you can get 200 runs. But to do that, you have to have wickets in hand.”But as each promising partnership was cut short, as he was abandoned at the crease one by one by men who pride themselves on their big-match bottle, Sangakkara found himself cornered. Here was a batsman who had in recent years mastered the science of ODI risk-taking, made meek beyond recognition by circumstance. He hit Sri Lanka’s fastest World Cup hundred, off 70 balls, 18 days ago. Off 70 balls on Wednesday, he had only 24.Only when the web grew so dense that just slivers of light trickled through, did Sangakkara finally strike out. His ten runs off the 36th over raised the mildest hope. But for him, his team, and for Mahela Jayawardene, who will never play internationals again, a fourth World Cup semi-final on the trot was a step too far.It will seem like a sad end to a great cricketing partnership, that Sangakkara and Jayawardene were last seen on a cricket field complaining to each other at keeper and slip, than thrilling a nation at either end of the pitch. It will seem unfair, that these two, who have so deftly traversed administrative waters to keep their team afloat amid chaos, will become the first Sri Lankan greats to retire without a World Cup. Saddest of all, their last stand was a limp, inconsequential 24-ball affair, when so often their associations have been so energetic, so muscular.Against South Africa, Sangakkara’s innings was the antithesis of his dynamic latter-day avatar, but both men played innings they don’t deserve to be remembered by. But even through the obvious disappointment, there were smiles at the end of it all. Perhaps the pair will reflect in days to come that the years of making millions happy together was more fulfilling than this final piece of silverware could have been. Maybe they will know that it is the lifetime of grace and excellence they have given the game and their country that is their legacy, and not this short, stinging night.

Plays of the day from Chester-le-Street where England won the series in dramatic style

Alan Gardner20-Jun-20152:44

McCullum pleased with Santner, Wheeler finds

The hang time
With England’s target reduced to 192 from 26 overs, Mitchell Santner was asked to open the bowling. His second ball was slightly short and Alex Hales rocked back to plaster it through square leg; though the shot was in the air, it looked set to clear the man. That man was Kane Williamson, not the tallest, but he produced a leap reminiscent of Durham favourite Paul Collingwood to grab the ball one-handed above his head.The chin music
Batsmen getting peppered is one thing but the wicketkeeper taking a blow off a spinner quite another. When Santner lured Joe Root out of his crease, the ball turned and bounced so much that it hit Luke Ronchi on the chin. Extra credit, then, for snatching the ball on the way down and breaking the stumps before Root could regain his ground. Only afterwards did Ronchi stop to wipe away the blood that was beginning to ooze out.Joe Root was stumped after Luke Ronchi gathered a rebound off his chin•Getty ImagesThe introduction
Andrew Mathieson was expecting to play for Sidmouth in the Devon Premier League this weekend. Instead, he made his international debut for New Zealand. As if that wasn’t enough, he then took a wicket with his first ball – a short wide delivery that Jason Roy top-edged straight up in the air – making Mathieson the second New Zealand bowler, after Shane Thomson, to do so in ODIs. Incidentally, Sidmouth’s fixture was against North Devon, who were missing Craig Overton due to his call up by England.The costly drop
Santner’s three wickets had put New Zealand on course for victory but he lacked composure at a pivotal moment in the chase. Jonny Bairstow was battling to keep England alive, having made his maiden ODI fifty, but it all looked to be over when he ramped Matt Henry towards third man. Santner had plenty of time to steady himself under the catch but made a mess of the take, desperately trying once, twice, three times to gather as he slumped to the ground and the ball rolled away.The valiant effort
Adil Rashid has caused Ross Taylor a few problems this series, despite the New Zealander’s prolific form. With Root stationed at short extra cover, in Taylor’s eyeline, the batsman tried to do what he does best: hit his way out of difficulty. An uppish drive went quickly to Root’s right but although he anticipated it well he could only palm a tough chance away one-handed.The uppercut and thrust
A slightly more forgiving surface for the bowlers put a check on the rampant scoring, with New Zealand becoming the first side not to pass 300 batting first. Martin Guptill adapted well during his half-century, the highlight of which was an insouciant uppercut straight over the wicketkeeper off Mark Wood, to which the Durham bowler could only say “shot!” Wood responded by searing one past Guptill’s outside edge at 90mph; “bowled” may well have been the comment in return.The back of the bat
Grant Elliott struggled against Steven Finn in the Powerplay at Trent Bridge, despite going on to make 55 off 52, and he found himself in a similar position here. One unsuccessful attempt to get Finn away nearly resulted in an unusual dismissal – a bouncer was on Elliott quickly and he missed with a pull, the ball thudding into his shoulder and then hitting the back of his bat as it swung round. The rebound sent the ball in the direction of Jonny Bairstow but it landed a few yards short.

Former USA assistant coach, Asif Mujtaba, says that the lack of organisation and team chemistry has held the national side back from progressing in world cricket, despite an abundance of talent

Peter Della Penna09-Jul-2015Asif Mujtaba had a 22-year, first-class career in Pakistan and played 25 Tests and 66 ODIs for the national team between 1986 and 1997. After retiring from professional cricket, Mujtaba moved with his family to Texas. He was USA’s assistant coach at the 2012 World T20 Qualifier and for the last two years has been the head coach of the Central West Region team at the USACA T20 National Championships in Florida. Mujtaba sat down with ESPNcricinfo in Florida to talk about how he came to settle in the USA, what he thinks about the country’s talent base and how USA cricket can improve.What brought you to the USA?
Just life. I had the option (to decide) where to settle. I came with all my family especially for my kids’ education. That’s the main reason why I moved here in December 2006. I’ve been in Plano, Texas the whole time. I had been coming here since 2002, visiting relatives and friends every year, in Plano, Houston and San Francisco. I got my US citizenship in 2010. I had a residence permit since 1996 actually, but I never stayed here permanently.
If I had stayed back at home, I’d be more into cricket, more into professional aspects like coaching, media, commentary. I had a lot of opportunities there. But because of my family I thought it was better to move here. I don’t regret it.What has it been like switching from a career where you are performing in front of thousands of people to leading a fairly anonymous life in a different country?
It’s not hard. The person I am, I can adjust myself in any condition. I’ve never felt or thought, ‘Who was I? Who am I?’ I do not carry things with me. Whatever the situation is, I go with it. I do cricket coaching for fun. I’m not getting paid anything for it. I want to pass on whatever I have for the betterment of USA cricket. That is the only purpose. It is my passion to keep in touch with cricket. Now I am also doing youth coaching on Saturday and Sunday in Dallas. I still play the T20 league in Dallas because the game starts at 9 am and finishes at 1 pm but I get out in time to coach youth in the afternoon.What is the standard of cricket like in the areas you’ve coached and played in Texas?
We have very good talent all around the USA. The thing is we have to get them together to have better execution, placing things together in the right direction. There are good bowlers, good spinners, good batsmen. Everything is there but the guys are all working 9-5 Monday through Friday. It’s difficult for them to work five days and you ask them to train and be fit. They hear a USA team is being picked and then they start a bit of training. They aren’t used to regular training because they don’t have time.Something has to be put together: a pool of players and give them an incentive to be fit, a bonus or something. There needs to be a plan and structure. With all the talent there is in USA, they should not be playing in Division Three or Four. I have seen the teams in Division Three. USA has more talent but the other teams are very organised. In one year USA will pick one group of players and then the next tournament the team is totally changed. How can you build a team? There’s no team chemistry.You were with the USA team in 2012 as an assistant coach at the World T20 Qualifier in the UAE. You saw the teams USA went up against: Ireland, Scotland, Namibia. What things did you notice in terms of a team like Ireland, where their squad is consistent with paid professionals, vs USA’s squad?
USA beat Scotland. That’s what I’m talking about in talent. Ireland and Scotland success did not come in one year. I played professional cricket in Scotland from 1989 to 1993. They hired professional cricketers, overseas players in their clubs, and they played against each other and learned from them.… They are playing better cricket because of the structures. Any small kind of sponsorship they get helps and they work within their resources to work for the cricket. Unfortunately that is not happening here and that is a problem.In that Scotland game, for example, that was the last game of the group stage so they had six games to gel and build chemistry whereas USA lost to a weaker Uganda team in their opening match. How much preparation does the team need before a tournament begins?
You need it to see who does what. Suppose you go for a tournament and you know six months ahead. You need at least three or four weekends bringing the team together, have proper practice, not like a boot camp, but have good practice games and socialize. That will help. Now, they show up to a first game in a tournament and they don’t know what will happen if someone gets out. Can the guy behind me perform? The captain might not know and the coach might not even know who can perform. You need to see them in game situations to see how they react and what their mental approach is. You can’t select a team based on how they look in the nets. You need to see them under pressure. Those who can sustain pressure in game situations can perform and you can build a team around those players.

Also: highest first-class scores in each position, and the lowest and highest chronological shirt numbers in the same Test team

Steven Lynch15-Dec-2015What was the greatest difference between the lowest and highest chronological shirt numbers in the same Test team? My hunch is that it would involve Brian Close… asked Phil Ribbons from England
You’re not too far out, as Brian Close comes in third and fourth on this particular list. He was England’s 344th Test player, and played in 1976 when Mike Selvey (No. 466) made his Test debut at Old Trafford, a difference of 122; Mike Brearley (465) had made his debut in the first Test, at Trent Bridge. However, Close is beaten by another long-lasting Yorkshireman. Wilfred Rhodes was England’s 121st Test player when he made his debut in 1899. And there was a difference of 133 between him and Les Townsend (No. 254) in the third Test of the 1929-30 series in Georgetown. Bill Voce (253) had made his debut in the first Test, in Bridgetown. Rhodes was 52 at the time – the oldest Test player of all – but still played in all four matches of that series, England’s first in the Caribbean. The biggest difference for a side other than England – 98 – happened earlier this year, when Shivnarine Chanderpaul (West Indies Test player No. 204) played alongside the debutant Shai Hope (302) against England in Bridgetown.No one scored a hundred in the India-South Africa series until Ajinkya Rahane made two in the fourth Test. Has there ever been a series with no centuries at all? asked Bilal Ahluwalia from India
There has never been a series of four or more Tests which did not feature at least one century: indeed the recent series between India and South Africa provided only the fourth instance of as few as two hundreds in a four-Test rubber. The fewest in a five-Test series is three centuries, which has happened nine times; there were also only three in the six-match India-Pakistan battle in 1979-80. There have been six three-Test series without an individual hundred, most recently when New Zealand visited India in 1995-96. It also happened in the Ashes of 1882-83 and 1888 – when Bobby Abel’s 70 was the highest score of the three Tests – and in the series between India and New Zealand in 1969-70, Pakistan and West Indies in 1986-87, and Pakistan and Zimbabwe in 1993-94.Was R Ashwin’s 31 wickets against South Africa the most by an Indian bowler in a four-Test series? asked Dr Bhatia from India
Yes, Ashwin’s 31 wickets in the recent series against South Africa was a new record for India in a four-Test series, breaking the record held by… Ashwin himself, with 29 against Australia in 2012-13. Anil Kumble took 27 in the four-match series against Australia in 2004-05. India’s record for any series is 35, by legspinner Bhagwath Chandrasekhar in five Tests at home to England in 1972-73. Vinoo Mankad (against England in 1951-52) and Subhash Gupte (against New Zealand in 1955-56) both took 34 wickets in a series, while Kapil Dev claimed 32 in six Tests against Pakistan in 1979-80. But arguably the most meritorious performance of all came from Harbhajan Singh, with 32 wickets in just three Tests against Australia in 2000-01. Bishan Bedi also took 31 wickets in the five Tests in Australia in 1977-78, the Indian record for an away series.Victor Trumper once smashed 293 batting unusually low, at No. 9 in a first-class match•PA PhotosWho has hit the most sixes in Tests and ODIs? asked Brian Hall from England
The Test record could well be about to change hands: during New Zealand’s Test against Sri Lanka that finished yesterday in Dunedin, Brendon McCullum hit his 100th six, to equal Adam Gilchrist’s record. Chris Gayle might yet become the third batsman to hit a century of sixes – he currently has 98. Jacques Kallis finished his career with 97, while Virender Sehwag clouted 91. The next current player is Misbah-ul-Haq, with 67. For the full list, click here. The leading six-hitter in one-day internationals is Shahid Afridi with 351, comfortably ahead of Sanath Jayasuriya (270), Gayle (238), Sachin Tendulkar (195), and McCullum and Sourav Ganguly (both 190). The leaders in T20 internationals are McCullum (91) and Gayle (87), well clear of Shane Watson (69) and David Warner (66). If you combine all three forms of international cricket, then Afridi leads the way with a grand total of 465 sixes, ahead of Gayle (423) and McCullum (378), with Jayasuriya fourth on 352.How many batsmen have scored two centuries in the same match for India? asked Venkat Raghav from India
Ajinkya Rahane’s double of 127 and 100 not out in the recent fourth Test against South Africa in Delhi made him only the fifth Indian to have scored twin centuries in a Test. The first to do it was Vijay Hazare, with 116 and 145 against Australia in Adelaide in 1947-48, in a match India still lost by an innings (Don Bradman scored 201, and Lindsay Hassett 198 not out). Sunil Gavaskar achieved the feat three times – 124 and 220 against West Indies in Port-of-Spain in his debut series of 1970-71, 111 and 137 against Pakistan in Karachi in November 1978, then 107 and 182 not out six weeks later against West Indies in Calcutta. Rahul Dravid did it twice, with 190 and 103 not out against New Zealand in Hamilton in 1998-99, and 110 and 135 against Pakistan in Kolkata in 2004-05. And finally Virat Kohli, in his first match as captain, scored 115 and 141 against Australia in Adelaide in December 2014.Following on from the recent question about triple-centuries from Nos. 6 and 7, what are the highest first-class scores from the other batting positions? asked Jeremy Hall from New Zealand
The highest by an opener is Hanif Mohammad’s 499 for Karachi against Bahawalpur in Karachi in 1958-59, while the best by someone down at No. 2 on the scorecard is Bill Ponsford’s 437 for Victoria against Queensland in Melbourne in 1927-28. Brian Lara’s 501 not out for Warwickshire against Durham at Edgbaston in 1994 – the overall first-class record – is the best from No. 3. The unsung Aftab Baloch, who made just two Test appearances for Pakistan, has the highest from No. 4 – 428 for Sind against Baluchistan in Karachi in 1973-74. Bill Ponsford pops up again at No. 5, with 429 for Victoria against Tasmania in Melbourne in 1927-28. Nos 6 and 7 were covered in the earlier answer, but the best from No. 8 is 268, by Cecil Maxwell – his only century of an otherwise unremarkable career – for Sir Julien Cahn’s XI against Leicestershire at West Bridgford in 1935. The highest from No. 9 is 293 by the great Victor Trumper, going in artificially low for an Australian XI against Canterbury in Christchurch on a private tour of New Zealand in 1913-14. The last two are more authentic: John Chapman made 165 from No. 10 for Derbyshire against Warwickshire at Blackwell in 1910, while last man Peter Smith, an occasional England legspinner, hammered 163 from No. 11 for Essex against Derbyshire at Chesterfield in 1947.Send in your questions using our feedback form.

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Nov-2015Ravindra Jadeja joined in, scalping AB de Villiers for a duck the over after Ashwin got Amla. South Africa were reduced to 12 for 5•Associated PressJP Duminy was the most comfortable of all South Africa batsmen, compiling 35 that included two sixes•Associated PressThe Indian spinners, however, bowled out the visitors for 79 – South Africa’s lowest total since readmission to international cricket. Ashwin completed his 14th five-wicket haul.•Associated PressMorne Morkel got M Vijay early in India’s second innings – caught at slip for 5•Associated PressCheteshwar Pujara looked good with a solid 31, before falling to a straighter one from Duminy•Associated PressShikhar Dhawan was the next one to go, failing to build on his 39•Associated PressImran Tahir then caved into the Indian middle-order, picking up Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane and Wriddhiman Saha in quick succession•BCCISaha fell in a unique manner, gloving the ball onto wicketkeeper Dane Vilas’ boot in an attempt to play a sweep. The ball lobbed off the boot to present a simple catch to Hashim Amla at slip.•BCCIRohit Sharma then fought on alongside the tail, taking India past 150•BCCIAmit Mishra was the last man to fall, as India folded for 173, with a lead of 309•BCCIAshwin accounted for Stiaan van Zyl for the fifth time in the series, providing India with yet another early wicket•BCCIFor the second time in two days, Tahir was sent in as nightwatchman. The ploy did not work as he was dismissed by Amit Mishra for 8. South Africa ended the day at 32 for 2 with Elgar and Amla at the crease.•BCCI