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Despite pulling out of the West Indies squad for the forthcoming Test series against South Africa, Chris Gayle will turn out for his South African franchise, the Lions, in Sunday’s Ram Slam T20 competition playoff and, if they win, next week’s final

Firdose Moonda02-Dec-2014Despite pulling out of the West Indies squad for the forthcoming Test series against South Africa, Chris Gayle will turn out for his South African franchise, the Lions, in Sunday’s Ram Slam T20 competition playoff and, if they win, next week’s final.Gayle sustained a back injury while in South Africa, which will make batting for long periods of time difficult but he should be able to manage the demands of the shortest format. “His back is not holding up very well and I can’t see him managing five days. I’m not surprised he has had to pull out of the Tests. Still, he has committed to playing for us in these games,” Geoffrey Toyana, the Lions’ coach told ESPNcricinfo.Gayle will be rested for Lions’ Wednesday fixture against the Knights, which will determine who will host the playoff. That will bring to three the number of matches Gayle has missed in the Lions’ campaign as he has battled with his fitness. Gayle sat out matches against the Cobras and Knights on November 14 and 16, little over two weeks ago, but recovered enough to return.The extent of Gayle’s injury became evident on Sunday in Bloemfontein, where Lions lost to Dolphins. “We were getting into the car to drive back and he was really battling to get in. We could see he was struggling,” Toyana said.He has also battled with bat in hand recently, with scores of 11, 3, 8 and 6 from his last four matches, after making an explosive start to the tournament. Gayle scored the competition’s first century, off just 55 balls, in East London, sandwiched between two fifties, one on debut for the Lions. He is the competition’s third-highest run-scorer with 242 runs from seven innings at 40.33 and Toyana said he has “had a big impact” on the Lions’ change room.”Although he is quite a quiet guy, he has really made a difference to some of the younger guys with helping out and offering advice, and just in general to the dressing-room morale,” Toyana said. “We think he has really enjoyed himself here and that he may want to come back to play for the Lions.”Gayle had previously been linked to another South African franchise, the Dolphins, whom he had signed with in the 2011-12 and 2013-14 seasons. He never played a game for them after injuries kept him out of both campaigns. This time, however, he has been a key member of a Lions’ outfit looking to restore glory after trophy-less last summer that gave Toyana second-season blues.Toyana enjoyed a breakthrough first season in charge, when the Lions shared the 2012-13 one-day cup and won the twenty-over competition, to qualify for the Champions League T20. They are hoping to repeat that this summer but will need victory over the Knights in the playoff to guarantee a top-two finish. Toyana knows that even if they manage that, it is unlikely Gayle will be available for the Lions for the CLT20 but, if he is, “that would be fantastic.”Gayle will leave South Africa after the Lions’ campaign ends but may return later in the summer. West Indies are due to play three Tests, three T20s and five ODIs from December 17 before heading to the World Cup.

Tim Southee believes New Zealand will face another long day in the field after their poor show with the new-ball on the first day

Andrew McGlashan in Wellington14-Mar-2013Tim Southee has blamed New Zealand’s insipid new-ball bowling in Wellington on the first day as the major reason why the home side are facing another long stint in the field, after Brendon McCullum had stuck to his pre-match promise of bowling first.Having sent down 170 overs in the second innings in Dunedin to try and force a victory, they had only two scalps to their credit after another 90 overs of toil. With Jonathan Trott unbeaten on 121 and Kevin Pietersen on 18, another hefty stint in the field will test New Zealand’s resolve.”It was a tough day. I don’t think we started particularly well with the new ball in favourable conditions, and the little period after lunch wasn’t great either,” Southee said. “There was a little in it early and I don’t think we used that to our advantage. We were chasing it from there. But between that we showed patches where we managed to dry up [the runs], and if we’d grabbed a couple of wickets, it could have been a different story.”New Zealand’s quicks bowled 114 overs between them in the second innings at University Oval, and were given a very gentle time of it between matches with almost no bowling on the warm-up days. After the early success of removing Alastair Cook, there was no further joy for the seamers, and it was left to Bruce Martin, the left-arm spinner, to tie up an end and eventually remove Nick Compton for 100, which ended a second-wicket stand of 210.Southee added that backing up after long spells in the field was something bowlers had to be prepared for. “It’s part of Test cricket and you almost have to enjoy it,” he said. “It’s tough, but it can be very satisfying when you get the rewards. The bodies have recharged and we are ready to go again. It’s a big day tomorrow and it’s [all] about enjoying it.”Yet, while England’s total of 267 for 2 suggests that there was only one decision a captain should have made at the toss, Jonathan Trott confirmed that they would have likely taken the same approach. “I think we would have done the same. Alastair is probably very lucky, or very happy, that it didn’t land on heads.”

Yasir Arafat, the Pakistan allrounder, has been brought in by the Perth Scorchers as a replacement for West Indies’ Dwayne Smith

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Dec-2013Yasir Arafat, the Pakistan allrounder, has been brought in by the Perth Scorchers as a replacement for West Indies’ Dwayne Smith. Smith, who had not flown to Australia ahead of the Scorchers’ opening game on Sunday, is expected to miss the entire Big Bash League due to personal reasons.Arafat has not played for Pakistan in over a year – he last played in the World Twenty20 in September 2012 – but is something of a travelling Twenty20 specialist. He has played domestic leagues in England, New Zealand, Bangladesh and Scotland, apart from turning out for Khan Research Laboratories in Pakistan. He has played 165 T20s in all, scoring 1025 runs at a strike rate of 119 and 207 wickets with a best of 4 for 5.Should Smith become available to play during the course of the tournament, the Scorchers can apply to the BBL technical committee to have him reinstated in the squad. Their other overseas signing in an 18-man squad is South African pacer Alfonso Thomas.The Scorchers began their campaign with a three-wicket loss to the Brisbane Heat in an away game. Next up for them is a home game against the Melbourne Renegades on Boxing Day.

Two top BCCI officials – board secretary Sajnay Jagdale and treasurer Ajay Shirke – have resigned their posts following the widespread criticism of the board’s handling of the corruption issues in the IPL

ESPNcricinfo staff31-May-2013The leadership crisis within the BCCI seems headed towards its endgame with two senior officials – secretary Sanjay Jagdale and treasurer Ajay Shirke – resigning from their posts following widespread criticism of the board’s handling of the corruption issues in the IPL. Jagdale and Shirke are second and third in the board’s hierarchy and their resignations, while opening up an administrative vacuum, is seen as a message to the president, N Srinivasan, who has insisted on staying in his post in the face of expert and public opinion.Jagdale also said he would not serve on the three-man commission appointed to conduct the inquiry into Gurunath Meiyappan, India Cements, and the owners of Rajasthan Royals. “I had already requested the president not to keep me there. I had never wanted to be there,” he said.”Justice T Jayaram Chouta, one of the two High Court judges on the panel, said the commission would now not be able to function because one of its members had resigned.”I have resigned from the post of the secretary of the BCCI,” Jagdale, who took office in September 2011 when N Srinivasan became BCCI president, told . “I am deeply hurt with the recent developments in Indian cricket. Let some new faces come and take the responsibility.” Jagdale had played 53 first-class matches for MadhyaPradesh, and was a national selector too.”No, there was no pressure, nobody influenced me. I felt deeply hurt, nothing else, there is no [other] reason behind it,” Jagdale told CNN-IBN, when asked if Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association president Jyotiraditya Scindia – who was the first of the BCCI’s senior politicians to speak out – had influenced his decision. “I was hurt as a former cricketer, as an administrator, as a cricket lover, I hurt like any of the millions of cricket lovers in India.”Jagdale did not offer opinion on whether Srinivasan should step down as president. “This was my decision, I leave it for Mr Srinivasan, he has been in the game for a longer period than me,” he said. “He is capable of taking his own decisions.”Shirke had said on Thursday night that he was not happy with the way the BCCI had handled the issues of spot-fixing allegations against three Royals players and betting charges against Gurunath, a top Chennai Super Kings official and Srinivasan’s son-in-law. “Yes that’s true [I have resigned],” Shirke, who also began his term when Srinivasan became president, said. “I have spelt out my reason and don’t want to comment any more. I have already spoken to the media at length, therefore I have resigned.”There is a possibility that there will be more resignations on Saturday morning from the five BCCI vice-presidents, including that of Arun Jaitley from the north zone and Sudhir Dabir from central zone. Insiders say that Chitrak Mitra from the east has let it be known that he will not quit while the other two vice-presidents, Shivlal Yadav from south zone and Niranjan Shah from the west, remain undecided.ESPNcricinfo understands that senior BCCI officials had been in constant discussion with Srinivasan, asking him to step aside from his office as board president until the three-man commission completed its inquiry into his son-in-law Gurunath, the Super Kings owners India Cements, and the owners of Rajasthan Royals. Srinivasan, however, had paid no heed to their advice.Late on Friday, Srinivasan agreed to call for a working committee meeting next week to discuss the corruption issues plaguing the IPL. The date of the meeting is yet to be confirmed, but ESPNcricinfo understands it will be held over the next weekend.

Worcestershire edged closer to their third County Championship win of the season as Glamorgan continued to take a pounding at New Road.

22-Jun-2013
ScorecardJack Shantry has so far taken eight wickets in the match•PA PhotosWorcestershire edged closer to their third County Championship win of the season as Glamorgan continued to take a pounding at New Road. At the start of the third day the home side needed 15 wickets for victory and by the close they had taken all but three of them with Glamorgan still 28 short of avoiding an innings defeat.Jim Allenby propped up the visitors with 82 in their first innings dismissal for 277 and weighed in with an unbeaten 53 when they batted again, trailing by 228.Worcestershire’s seamers maintained relentless pressure on a largely unresponsive surface and weather permitting they can now expect a quick wrap-up the win when the visitors begin the final day on 200 for 7.Fast-improving Jack Shantry led the Worcestershire charge with 8 for 132 in the match and Alan Richardson became the leading wicket-taker in the country when claiming his 40th victim of the summer.For Shantry it was a continuation of an impressive sequence on his home ground. Having posted a championship-best 7 for 69 in the last home match against Essex, he has now taken 15 wickets in three innings at county headquarters.Glamorgan were simply overwhelmed by the pressure of replying to a massive total of 505 for 7. There was just a glimmer of hope on the third morning when Allenby and Mark Wallace took their sixth-wicket stand to 114 but there was little to come when Worcestershire won three leg before wicket decisions in 10 balls.Alllenby was the first for young allrounder Joe Leach and there was a final flourish by Wallace (43) and Michael Hogan, with 37 from 42 balls, before Shantry mopped up the last two wickets.Although Glamorgan’s second innings was twice interrupted by rain, their batting was again fragile. The door was ajar straightaway when Will Bragg skimmed a drive of Chris Russell to Alexei Kervezee at point and Ben Wright was soon fighting a lone battle as a succession of partners failed to reach double figures.Stewart Walters was lbw to Richardson and Marcus North got a leading edge to short extra cover when Worcestershire brought on offspinner Moeen Ali, partly with eye on their over-rate.Moeen then sparked off another burst by Shantry when he held a stunning left-handed catch at short midwicket to dismiss Murray Goodwin but he dropped a slip chance from Allenby when he had made only 1. In Shantry’s next over Daryl Mitchell held a sharp slip catch to dislodge Wright for 63 and Shantry had spell figures of 4 for 25 in 6.4 overs when he removed Wallace and Dean Cosker.But a tiring attack was unable to make the final push as Will Owen (34 not out) joined Allenby in putting on an unbroken 71 in the last 15 overs.

Inter Miami are in pursuit of Houston Dynamo standout defender Franco Escobar as they look to bolster their defense.

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Inter Miami chasing Franco EscobarArgentine played under Tata at Atlanta UnitedHerons boss keen for reunionWHAT HAPPENED?

According to Cesar Luis Merlo, the Herons are looking to bring Escobar to South Beach to shore up their defensive issues. Tata Martino is looking to reunite with Escobar, who he won the 2018 MLS Cup with at Atlanta United.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The Herons defense has been a focal point of frustration during preseason, conceding sloppy and unnecessary goals across the seven-game stretch. In total, their goal-differential during the span was minus five, with 13 goals conceded.

Adding Escobar to the mix would immediately bolster the right-back position, while also allowing either 28-year-old or DeAndre Yedlin to insert as a right center-back in a back-three formation if needed. Martino opted for that in the first five games of preseason, but switched to a back-four for their final two games.

He has been a standout defender for the Houston Dynamo since arriving last January from LAFC. He made 41 appearances, scoring three goals in 2023.

DID YOU KNOW?

Alongside Escobar on the Atlanta United team that won the 2018 MLS Cup under Martino was current Newcastle United winger Miguel Almiron. The Paraguayan – to this day – has commanded the largest-ever transfer fee for the league.

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Buda Mendes – FIFA/FIFA via Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR INTER MIAMI?

The Herons open their 2024 season against Real Salt Lake Wednesday evening. USMNT Olympic hopeful Diego Luna will look to lead the Western Conference side to victory over the 2023 Leagues Cup champions and Lionel Messi.

Middlesex have beaten off significant competition from strong rivals to complete the signing of James Harris from Glamorgan

George Dobell24-Sep-2012Middlesex have beaten off significant competition from strong rivals to complete the signing of James Harris on a three-year contract from Glamorgan.Harris, a 22-year-old seamer of considerable potential and a more than useful lower-order batsman, had been the target of several other Test-hosting clubs in Division One of the Championship. Nottinghamshire described him as their No. 1 target, while Yorkshire were also keen to persuade him to join them. Glamorgan also say they made Harris a “substantial contract offer to retain his services”.His arrival underlines Middlesex’s ambition. They finished third in the top division in 2012 and, with a largely young and close-knit squad, must be considered title contenders for the next few seasons.”I’m thrilled to be joining Middlesex and being part of such a young, talented squad,” Harris said. “I’m really looking forward to playing my part in bringing team success and trophies back to Lord’s. The major factor in my decision to choose Middlesex was the coaching set-up and in particular the chance to learn as much as I can from people such as Angus Fraser, Richard Scott and Richard Johnson”Injury limited Harris to only four Championship games in 2012, but he claimed six wickets in an innings when he represented England Lions against Australia A at Edgbaston in August and won a place in the England Performance Programme Squad that will travel to India in November.His loss is a grave disappointment to Glamorgan. Harris developed through the club’s youth system and became the youngest man to represent the club’s second XI in 2005, when he was aged just 14 years and 353 days, going on to make his first-class debut aged just 16 in 2007. He remains the youngest man to claim a seven-wicket haul in the Championship, at 17, and became the quickest player to reach 100 and 200 first-class wickets for Glamorgan.Harris feels, however, that his best chance of fulfilling his ambition required him to move. Glamorgan finished sixth in Division Two of the Championship in 2012 while history would suggest that players at the club struggle to win recognition from England selectors.Middlesex’s director of cricket, Angus Fraser, said: “Everyone at Middlesex is absolutely thrilled that James has chosen to join the club. There were many other counties trying to secure his services and the fact he has chosen Middlesex highlights the progress we are making as a club.”James will add skill and quality to our attack. His record to date is excellent and he will only get better. I am sure the pitches at Lord’s will suit his bowling more than those in Cardiff. He can bat too, which is extremely useful. We are all looking forward to working with James and we hope his presence will help Middlesex push even harder for domestic trophies over the coming years.”

Australia have confirmed a 17-man squad for their upcoming four-Test tour of India with the allrounders Moises Henriques and Glenn Maxwell the only two uncapped members of the group

Brydon Coverdale31-Jan-2013Australia have confirmed a 17-man squad for their upcoming four-Test tour of India with the allrounders Moises Henriques and Glenn Maxwell the only two uncapped members of the group. The touring party also includes Steven Smith and Xavier Doherty, neither of whom has played Test cricket since their cameo roles in the 2010-11 Ashes debacle, along with Usman Khawaja as a potential No.6 and a five-man pace-bowling group.James Pattinson is back in the mix after making his Sheffield Shield return last week following two months on the sidelines due to a rib/side injury and will form the pace corps along with Peter Siddle, Mitchell Johnson, Mitchell Starc and Jackson Bird. The veteran Ben Hilfenhaus, who has not played since breaking down during the Hobart Test in December, was not selected, and nor was Steve O’Keefe, the leading spinner in the Sheffield Shield this summer.The large squad is an attempt to cover all bases as the Australians acclimatise to life without both Ricky Ponting and Michael Hussey, and with Shane Watson having given up the idea of being an allrounder for the time being. Now a specialist batsman, Watson is likely to slot straight back into the top order for the first Test in Chennai on February 22 after sitting out of international cricket since re-injuring his calf during the Boxing Day Test.”It is a large squad and we felt as though we needed that for flexibility,” John Inverarity, the national selector, said. “We’re certainly looking for a right-arm finger-spinner and a left-arm finger-spinner. Xavier [Doherty] has been bowling very well lately. The four contenders for that position [were] Jon Holland, Michael Beer, Xavier Doherty and Stephen O’Keefe. Two of those [Holland and Beer] are injured and we preferred Xavier Doherty to Stephen O’Keefe.”The presence of Maxwell and Smith also provides the option of allrounders who can bowl offspin or legspin respectively, although Smith has hardly bowled this Sheffield Shield season and has been included largely as a backup batsman. Smith, who is still only 23, played five Tests in 2010 and 2011 but struggled to justify his inclusion as either a batsman or bowler, but Inverarity said he had been impressed by the development of Smith’s batting.”Steve Smith has matured a lot,” Inverarity said. “A lot of his play this year he has played especially well, although he hasn’t gone through to the big scores. His score [of 72] just recently in the Shield match was very good against Western Australia in Sydney. We see him as a young player of the future, enormous potential and one thing in particular in his favour is he uses his feet really well and plays spin bowling really well. He will be there as a backup batsman and certainly to gain experience. We’re really hoping that he’s one of the players who comes through in the next couple of years.”Another man who fits that category is Henriques, who won his position thanks to Watson’s decision to concentrate on his batting. The selectors were keen to include a seam-bowling allrounder and injuries to Mitchell Marsh and Andrew McDonald, and a disappointing summer for Daniel Christian, left Henriques, who has averaged 77 with the bat and with the ball this Sheffield Shield season, as the leading candidate.”It’s a very good test for him,” Inverarity said. “We feel there’s a great need to have an allrounder there and Moises is a young cricketer of terrific potential. We’re hoping he really comes though. He’s got a lot of talent and we’re hoping that being around the Australian group brings out the best in him.”The balance of Australia’s side for the four Tests in India will depend on how the selectors decide to structure the attack, and while Inverarity said they were keen to have five bowling options in a match, he also indicated Usman Khawaja had a strong chance of playing the first Test in Chennai.”Usman is very much to the fore of our thinking,” Inverarity said. “I was in Canberra the other day when he got 69 [for the Prime Minister’s XI] against the West Indies and played really well. I think Usman is a very good chance of being in the first Test team.”Inverarity is also confident that David Warner will be part of that side in Chennai, despite suffering a fractured thumb after being hit by Johnson in the WACA nets on Wednesday while training ahead of the first ODI against West Indies. It appears unlikely that Warner will take any part in the one-day series, although Inverarity said he was expected to be fit for the Tests in India.”The chances are very good,” Inverarity said. “The early indication is it’s a slight fracture. The indications are he’ll certainly be okay for the Test starting on the 22nd of February, and what we’re looking to do is during the next couple of days get more feedback as to exactly when he’ll be able to come back … But I’d say the chances are that it’s unlikely that he’ll be playing the ODIs at this stage.”Some members of the Test squad will fly to India while the West Indies limited-overs series is still on, in order to better prepare them for the Indian conditions. The trip begins with two warm-up games in Chennai on February 12-13 and February 16-18. Splitting the squad is required because the West Indies series does not finish until February 13, when the teams play a Twenty20 in Brisbane.Squad David Warner, Ed Cowan, Phillip Hughes, Shane Watson, Michael Clarke (capt), Usman Khawaja, Steven Smith, Matthew Wade (wk), Glenn Maxwell, Moises Henriques, Mitchell Johnson, James Pattinson, Mitchell Starc, Peter Siddle, Jackson Bird, Xavier Doherty, Nathan Lyon.

Kane Williamson’s recovery from a minor shoulder injury will cause him to miss part of the seven-match ODI series against Sri Lanka

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Jan-2015Kane Williamson’s recovery from a minor shoulder injury will cause him to miss part of the seven-match ODI series against Sri Lanka. The injury occurred when Williamson dived while fielding and fell on his shoulder during the first Test in Christchurch.New Zealand coach Mike Hesson said the team management had managed the injury over the course of the two Tests and the first ODI, and would now give Williamson a break. According to an NZC press release, he will be out for 7-10 days. This means he could potentially return in time for the fifth ODI on January 23.”Kane is obviously a very important player for us and we need to give his shoulder the time to fully recover,” Hesson said. “He’s played a lot of cricket of late and this window will allow him to get back to 100%.”

The ICC executive board would be “silly” to simply reject the recommendations of the Woolf report on cricket’s global governance as a result of Indian objections, the Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland has said

Daniel Brettig17-Feb-2012The ICC executive board would be “silly” to simply reject the recommendations of the Woolf report on cricket’s global governance as a result of Indian objections, the Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland has said.Cricket’s global governors were initially silent on the findings of the report, which recommended vast changes to the ICC’s executive board structure while also offering a wide range of measures to improve its conduct. The first to speak was the BCCI president N Srinivasan, who emerged from a meeting in Chennai to say his board’s working committee had rejected it. England board officials are also understood to have expressed reservations about Woolf’s findings.Despite India’s position as the game’s undisputed power-base, Sutherland said it would be hasty to presume that the report was now destined for the ICC’s dustbin, and encouraged ICC executive board members to strive for best governance practice when they met again in April.”Cricket Australia’s view on that is the members of the board of the ICC have commissioned this review, it has got some recommendations about what’s best practice and from that viewpoint it would be silly to just throw it out,” Sutherland said in Sydney. “No organisation should be satisfied that it can’t improve in some way by taking on recommendations to bring us closer to best practice.”I think there is a lot of really good stuff there and sensible stuff about best practice governance and that is what any cricket organisation, any proper organisation, would want. There’s also some practicalities of course in getting from one step to the next and they’re the challenges the directors and ultimately the members will need to tackle.”Before the next ICC executive board meeting is a chief executives committee gathering in Dubai in March, at which Sutherland will be present. While Sutherland said he would not be surprised if the Woolf report did not actually reach the official agenda of that meeting, he was in little doubt that its findings and their implications would be mulled over at length by global chief executives.But, in the end, the matter lies primarily with the executive board, he said. “It’s a [executive] board issue first and foremost. As I understand it, the board received the report and didn’t really have much discussion on it in the [previous] meeting; their next meeting is some time in April, so that is really the next stage. Cricket Australia will discuss it a little bit at our board meeting on the 27th – that is something that will be a little bit of a process.”