The Australia fast bowler has not been able to curve the ball as he once did since returning from a foot injury in September

Daniel Brettig29-Jan-2017Never has Mitchell Starc been more destructive with the ball than on his only previous visit to Eden Park. In a World Cup pool match, his scorching, swinging yorkers fetched him a career-best 6 for 28 and very nearly allowed Australia to defend a puny total score New Zealand in front of a raucous crowd.Two years on, Starc has returned to Auckland in strong physical shape, but still trying to rediscover the curl through the air he showcased that afternoon. It has been a source of puzzlement to many that he has not swung the ball anywhere near as much since his return from ankle and foot surgery, and Starc conceded he and the assistant coach David Saker were none the wiser as to why – despite plenty of tries at working it out.There was hope, however, that the favourable atmosphere of Eden Park will help Starc to get the movement he is seeking once again. Such a turn of events would be encouraging for Australia as well, with the Test series in India weeks away.”It’s interesting. I along with David Saker, the bowling coach, we’ve looked at a lot of footage and my action hasn’t changed at all,” Starc said. “So it’s probably an indication of the cricket balls we’re using this summer, but at the same time it’s a completely different ball we’re going over to India with, the SG.”I think reverse swing is going to play a much bigger part than natural swing over there, as we’ve seen in the last few series that we’ve gone to India. So it’s key to try and get that ball swinging as much as we can naturally up front, it doesn’t generally swing for too many overs, then trying to get that ball to go reverse while it’s still relatively hard. They’re things we’re starting to talk about now as a group.”Starc was happy to admit that while he has harvested wickets consistently while keeping himself fit through a taxing summer schedule, he has not yet been able to return to the aforementioned peaks of 2015. That meant he has plenty more to aim for over the three ODIs in New Zealand and later in India.”It’s been up and down over the last six months,” he said. “Probably still haven’t been where I hope to be in terms of consistency in my bowling as opposed to where it was 12 months ago before I broke down, but looking back to Sri Lanka [where he took 24 wickets in three Tests], that’s a blueprint I’d like to take into India, the way I approached my bowling there and the sorts of plans we talked about in those conditions.”So it’s something I can call upon over the next couple of months when we look forward to that challenge. But there’s still a lot I can improve on over the last six months. I think the way I’ve been able to manage my body through the training accident a few months ago, it’s been pleasing to get through six Test matches this summer, it’s nice to do that for the first time.”The other thing Starc hoped for was a few more runs to defend in Auckland than the last time around. Tallies of 148 and 151 in Australia’s past two visits mean the batsmen have plenty of improving to do, and Starc said there had been team discussions about not surrendering to the siren song of the Eden Park’s short boundaries.”We’ve spoken about giving ourselves a bit more time,” Starc said. “You have those smaller boundaries in the back of your mind but you’ve always got a lot more time than you think, especially in 50-over cricket where you don’t have to score 300 in the first 40 overs – you can probably make it up at the back end.”So somewhere like here where it’s probably going to swing and maybe nip a little bit, just give yourself a chance to get in, see some balls as batsmen, and give yourselves a chance at the back end. We’ve been pretty good against Pakistan at scoring runs late in the innings and the way to do that is to have wickets in the shed. So it’s probably not been our best two outings with the bat here on the last two occasions, but it’s a chance to rectify that and put a good total on the board to start off the series.”

South Africa face a dilemma over the workload on Kagiso Rabada early in a year crammed with commitments for the young fast bowler

Andrew McGlashan in Wellington24-Feb-2017South Africa face a dilemma over the workload on Kagiso Rabada early in a year crammed with commitments for the young fast bowler.Rabada, who took 2 for 31 in Hamilton, missed the match in Christchurch due to a slight problem with his left knee, but had an extensive bowl at the Basin Reserve on Friday with the knee taped. He has been carefully managed in the early days of this tour, also sitting out the T20 at Eden Park, having played all five matches the preceding one-day series against Sri Lanka.There will be a significant number of overs for Rabada in the months ahead. After this one-day series there are three Tests against New Zealand, followed a by the IPL for which Rabada landed a INR 5 crore (USD 750,000 approx) deal with Delhi Daredevils. Then comes the Champions Trophy and a marquee four-Test series against England. Throwing further ahead, South Africa’s 2017-18 home season will their busiest ever.If South Africa had managed to haul themselves over the line at Hagley Oval there is a decent chance Rabada would have been wrapped in cotton wool for the remainder of the one-day series. That could still be the case, with South Africa keen to assess their other bowling options before the Champions Trophy, but his cutting edge would be missed.”He has been stalwart for us for a while now,” JP Duminy said. “He has been our main strike bowler in most formats and it’s always a great strength for us to have him in our attack. It will be good to see him back.”In 2016, Rabada sent down almost two hundred overs more than any other South Africa bowler across all formats – 431.3 overs, with Kyle Abbott next on 239.1 – and made the joint-most appearances with 32 alongside Quinton de Kock and Faf du Plessis.South Africa also have to meet quota targets over a season which includes an average of two Black African players in an XI. Rabada and Andile Phehlukwayo are part of the one-day squad, while Temba Bavuma will be alongside Rabada in the Test side.Although Rabada’s return would strengthen South Africa’s attack, they have pinpointed the batting – and a failure of anyone to play a major innings – as the reason they could not chase down 290 in Christchurch. The top six all reached double figures, but de Kock’s 57 was the top score and he fell to an ill-judged leg-side heave.Dwaine Pretorius, at No. 7, almost turned the game with his 27-ball 50 and with Phehlukwayo down at No. 10 there was enviable depth to the order, but Duminy said that does not always translate into success.”It can sometimes be a bad thing. Even though we bat deep it doesn’t mean the top order shouldn’t take responsibility. It’s a great thing to have but there’s still a lot of responsibility from the top six or seven to make sure we put in those performances for the team.”However, he was not overly concerned about South Africa’s first reversal in 13 ODIs and suggested it was a timely reminder of the level of performance they need to achieve.”It was kind of inevitable at some point we’d lose a game. It’s something we have spoken about, that it doesn’t put us in any different situation in terms of where we’re trying to go as a team, our preparation and our goals. We’re trying to work towards the Champions Trophy and it’s probably a good thing to go through a few losses along the way to bring us back down to earth and understand there are certain things we still have to improve on.”

Former England captain Graham Gooch has committed £50,000 to funding PCA-run courses for all 18 English counties on gambling awareness education

George Dobell23-Mar-2017A contribution from Graham Gooch has helped the PCA fund gambling awareness courses at all 18 first-class counties.Gooch, the former England captain, has run a scholarship scheme designed to encourage the development of young players for many years. It has, in the past, led to the likes of Alastair Cook spending time abroad to work on his game.But this year, to mark their 50th anniversary, the PCA appealed to its members – both current and former professional cricketers – for extra contributions to help them increase their annual funding from £400,000 to £600,000. Gooch responded by offering £50,000 from his scholarship fund with the proviso that it would be used for a specific project rather than split across several. The PCA suggested the gambling awareness scheme and Gooch agreed.”There are a lot of dangers in the world for young people now and I am particularly interested in helping out with the education of young cricketers with all the worries and concerns of online gambling and getting into bad habits,” Gooch said. “If we can educate people, make them aware of the pitfalls and get insight from people who have been down that route and fallen foul then hopefully they can be warned about the potential dangers.”Gooch’s donation helped the PCA fund not just courses – to be run by Paul Buck, whose gambling addiction resulted in a 32-month jail sentence of which he served 11-and-a-half months – but a helpline for those who feel they might be struggling with gambling addiction.The statistics are alarming. Gambling is the fastest growing offence in the UK that leads to a prison sentence – 1,444 custodial years over the last five years – and the fastest-growing addiction both in the UK and across the world. A recent study from Lincoln University suggests there are 1.1 million gambling addicts in the UK. Bankruptcy, divorce, depression and suicide are all common consequences. Gambling addiction has also been reclassified to full addiction status, the same as heroin, by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual.Professional cricketers, with time on their hands and a relatively large amount of expendable income at a young age, are considered a high-risk category. That means they – or the young male ones, at least – are considered three times more likely to be “problem gamblers” than people in the general population. With one in four males between the ages of 18 and 24 “likely to have some form of gambling problem” according to PCA chief executive, David Leatherdale, it is, as he says, “definitely an issue.”The world has changed a great deal in recent years. Not so long ago, sporting events were sponsored by tobacco companies – the John Player Special League was the NatWest T20 Blast of its day – and cigarettes were distributed free of charge in press boxes. In 1994, for a bit of fun, the Warwickshire committee made an accumulator bet on their team winning all four domestic trophies. They ended up with three.Since those days, there has been a crackdown on tobacco advertising and some tightening of regulation as regards alcohol sponsorship and advertising, though the ECB retain several sponsorship deals with companies that sell alcohol. Most of all, there is greater awareness of the dangers of match-fixing and an absolute ban on players or officials betting on the sport.But gambling advertising has filled the void left by the departure of tobacco sponsorship. It has grown by 1,300 percent over the last decade with the growth in the use of smart phones making it easier than ever before. According to statistical survey data, eighty-seven percent of first-class players in England have gambled on some other form of sport in the last 12-months and 67 percent in the last month.Gambling is fully legal in the UK and there are no rules prohibiting cricketers from gambling on other sports. Buck says it is “normalised” to the extent that perimeter advertising at many sporting events offers in-game betting and, at a recent awareness session at a PCA rookie camp, 20 of 22 players admitted to having an online gambling account. It was the two who did not admit to having one that worried the people taking the session.”Personally I have never been a gambler,” Gooch continued. “But I do like going to a horse racing track and having a bet there. I’ve also hosted Ladbrokes in hospitality boxes at Test Matches so I don’t have any issues with gambling.”But sportsmen, in particular, do find themselves with time on their hands. When I played, people would go to a betting shop if they wanted to have a flutter. Now the temptation to bet online is great. In the social media world it’s very easy to get into that. You have to be very careful that it doesn’t consume you and cause major problems for you and your family down the line.”Both Buck and Leatherdale believe that cricket is “ahead of the game” in trying to prevent the problem growing. “Cricket is a long way ahead of the other sports we work with, football and rugby, in this regard,” says Buck. They hope that by showing young players where uncontrolled gambling can lead, they can shock them out of potentially bad habits.There will be practical help too. While no debts will be paid off, players will be given psychological help where appropriate and given assistance in restructuring their finances where possible. The key, though, is intervening before that stage is reached. And, thanks in part to Gooch, the PCA have a decent chance of achieving that aim.

MSK Prasad expressed surprise at the circumspection over MS Dhoni’s inclusion in India’s 15-man squad for the Champions Trophy, calling him an invaluable asset to the team

Nagraj Gollapudi08-May-2017″How many of us still believe that MSD is the best wicketkeeper in the world?” When MSK Prasad, India’s chairman of selectors, asked for a show of hands in response to that question, about three to four hands went up out of 25-odd people. Prasad expressed surprise at the circumspection over MS Dhoni’s inclusion in the 15-man squad for the Champions Trophy, after he was asked if there was concern among the selectors over Dhoni’s spot in the squad.”We all believe he is still the best wicketkeeper in the world,” Prasad said. “We are only talking and focusing on his batting form. He is an invaluable asset to this team. When it comes to crunch situations, [with] his inputs, I think he has got one of the best brains. He is the best person to guide Virat [Kohli].”Prasad’s praise is not misplaced, considering Dhoni still is a key player for India as far as strategising goes. But as a batsman, he has struggled recently in limited-overs cricket. In 13 ODIs since January last year, Dhoni has scored 443 runs at an average of 34.07, compared to his career average of 51. He has struck them at a strike rate of 86.69 and has one century and one fifty.In this period, Dhoni has played both at No. 4 and 5, but his strike rate is 10th among 17 players. As a No. 4 during that period, Dhoni averages 30 and strikes at 76.14. Batting one position lower, the average and strike rate climb to 36.62 and 93.31 respectively.So far this IPL, Dhoni has compiled 235 runs for Rising Pune Supergiant at an underwhelming strike rate of 114.07 – his worst across seasons – which has further strengthened concerns over his quick scoring ability. Just last season, he was striking them at 135. Dhoni has also scored at less than run a ball in six out of 12 innings so far this IPL.This dip in Dhoni’s form has coincided with the soaring mettle of Rishabh Pant, the 19-year old Delhi Daredevils wicketkeeper. Pant, who was also an emerging player last domestic season, has lit up this IPL with his enterprising strokeplay, scoring 281 runs from 11 innings at an impressive strike rate of 172.39.Nonetheless, Prasad felt Dhoni remained the best option right now to play for India. “Not many people realise that in the last 10-12 years, whatever MSD has played for the country, he never had a bad day as far as his gloves is concerned. We always treat him more like a batsman, but the phenomenal stuff he does behind the wickets, not many people appreciate. According to me, he is still the best wicketkeeper in the world.”As for Pant, the selectors named him as one of the five standbys who will travel to England in case India seek a replacement. According to Prasad, the selectors did deliberate on Pant, but felt he did not fit into the “combinations”, although he will be groomed. “We are completely impressed the way Rishabh Pant is playing. It is just some combinations where he missed out. He is one cricketer whom we are looking at for the future. We will groom him, nurture him and back him.”

Eoin Morgan largely exonerated his batsmen despite a record-breaking collapse at the start of the third ODI against South Africa

George Dobell at Lord's29-May-2017Eoin Morgan largely exonerated his batsmen despite a record-breaking collapse at the start of the third ODI against South Africa.England were 20 for 6 after 30 deliveries – the first time in history a side has lost six wickets in the first five overs of an ODI – as they struggled against a fine attack in conditions offering assistance to bowlers. While Jonny Bairstow engineered a partial recovery, he could not prevent England slipping to their first defeat in nine ODIs.But Morgan, the England captain, felt the wicket was more to blame than the batsmen and praised South Africa’s seamers – Kagiso Rabada and Wayne Parnell – for harnessing conditions expertly.Suggesting the pitch was not suitable for ODI cricket, Morgan hinted that the toss – which was won by South Africa’s captain, AB de Villiers – was disproportionately important and went a long way towards deciding the game.”I’d be disappointed if we did come across surfaces like that in the ICC Champions Trophy,” Morgan said. “To win or lose the game on the toss in a major tournament is hard to take. Any side batting first has the potential to lose the game.”I don’t think it was an ODI wicket. It makes it one-sided which I don’t think is good for anybody. There was a lot of live, green grass on the wicket.”We saw the shots they played when they batted. We couldn’t play shots like that early this morning.”But South Africa bowled beautifully. They did not give us anything to hit and if they did we managed to nick it. Credit goes to South Africa, they came back really well.”While Morgan did accept that England might do well to reflect on the platform they built at the start of their innings in the second ODI in Southampton – they were 42 for 1 at the end of the first 10-over Powerplay- he did not think his batsmen had taken an overly aggressive approach in conditions that might have necessitated a more calculated game plan.”You earn the right to play positive cricket,” he said. “And we do need to keep our feet on the ground. But we didn’t play too aggressively. A lot of our shots were defensive shots. When it moves around like that, you nick the half-volleys.”The good news for England is that they can expect much more batting-friendly conditions on the grounds used for their Champions Trophy game. But there may be some disquiet in the camp if they find themselves inserted on an overcast morning on a pitch showing any sign of moisture.Still, Morgan is unlikely to admit any such fears at this stage – his team has been built on a commitment to attacking cricket that will only be inhibited by doubts – and will instead hope his batsmen can put this reverse out of their mind and continue to play the fearless cricket that has served them so well in recent months.Morgan also hinted that England will keep faith with Jason Roy in their Champions Trophy side.Roy endured a miserable series against South Africa, scoring just 13 runs in three innings. And with Bairstow continuing his fine run of form with another half-century – his third in his four most recent ODI innings – there might be a temptation to bring him into the side in place of Roy.But despite admitting telling Bairstow he was not selected was “the hardest thing,” Morgan remains committed to selecting Roy for the start of the Champions Trophy and agreed that last minute changes to the side – something of a characteristic of England going into global tournaments in recent times – might send out an unhelpful message.”It’s the hardest thing telling Jonny he’s not playing when he’s done nothing wrong and he scores a huge amount of runs,” Morgan said. “I’m very, very impressed by him. He never lets us down. Whenever he comes in he scores runs and he continues to bang on the door.”But as regards selection, Jason is the No.1 pick at the moment. Him and Alex Hales have been our 1 and 2 for quite a long time. They have had ups and downs but ultimately they have played in the fashion that we have played as a team and they have been very important to that.”England remain confident that all the first choice players who missed this match will be fit for Thursday’s opening Champions Trophy encounter against Bangladesh. Moeen Ali and Ben Stokes could, according to Morgan, have played on Monday if required, while the seamers, Mark Wood and Liam Plunkett, were just rested to ensure they remain fresh. Chris Woakes, too, was said to have “pulled up really well” with Morgan anticipating he will be “fully fit for Thursday.”Whether, in the case of Stokes, that means as an allrounder or a specialist batsman remains to be seen. Such is his long-term importance to England, they will be loathe to risk his fitness.”He can run around in the field like a mad man,” the coach, Trevor Bayliss, told Sky Sports. “And when he got his hundred over the weekend, he didn’t even feel it. I’s just when he’s bowling at full tilt. Hopefully that means it’s not much and hopefully an extra day or two and it’ll come good.He’s a very important part of the team. He brings energy to the team. And, as we saw, he can hold his position in the team as a batter as well, so I’m sure he’ll be there on Thursday.”

Faf du Plessis is expected to return to the UK in time to captain South Africa in the first Test against England at Lord’s after going home for the birth of his first child

Firdose Moonda29-Jun-2017Faf du Plessis is expected to return to the UK in time to captain South Africa in the first Test against England at Lord’s after going home for the birth of his first child. Du Plessis’ wife Imari gave birth on Thursday, a week before the series opener, which should give du Plessis, who has never played a Test series in England before, enough time to travel back the squad.Du Plessis confirmed the arrival of his baby in a tweet: “Our biggest blessing yet came in a small package. So very grateful,” he posted.In du Plessis’ absence, Dean Elgar is leading the South Africans in their warm-up match against England Lions in Worcester. Theunis de Bruyn was included in the XI as a back-up batsman but South Africa also have Aiden Markram in the squad, who was initially said to be cover for du Plessis. With the skipper set to take his spot at No. 4, it is likely the only debutant at Lord’s will be opener Heino Kuhn, who replaced Stephen Cook in the squad.South Africa are still sweating over the fitness of Vernon Philander, who was unable to take part in the tour match as he recovers from an ankle injury. Though they are hopeful Philander will be fully fit in a week’s time, Chris Morris and Andile Phehlukwayo are in the squad as back-up.The touring party will be back to full strength with coach Russell Domingo, who had to rush home after his mother was involved in an accident, also expected to return later this week. This series is likely Domingo’s last in charge with CSA searching for a new coach. Domingo is understood not to have reapplied and interviews for his replacement have already been conducted. CSA has appointed a five-man panel, which includes Gary Kirsten and Eric Simons, to recommend a suitable candidate by July 21.

Given Lions’ desperation for stability following a season in which they have lost five players to corruption-related bans, Cook’s all-format appointment comes as an obvious choice

Firdose Moonda07-Aug-2017South Africa’s discarded Test opener Stephen Cook is set for a bumper summer at home. Not only has Cook been included in the South Africa A side to play India A in a bid to reclaim his Test place, but he will also captain his domestic franchise, the Lions, in all three formats.At face value, that may present an immediate contradiction. If Cook is able to get back into the national team, he will leave his franchise without a leader. Considering Aiden Markram is the favourite to take over from Heino Kuhn as Test opener, and the Lions’ desperation for stability following a season in which they lost five players to corruption-related bans, Cook is an obvious choice. He has led the team in first-class cricket before, but had not been a regular member of the white-ball teams. Now though, he has been confirmed as a participant in all three formats.”We have been impressed with the manner in which Stephen has been able to head up the team […] it is aligned to our brand and is themed with discipline, diligence and a fighting spirit,” Dr Oupa Nkagisang, chairman of the Lions’ board said. “We are clear in our goal to improve on the performance of last season and to put the loss of experienced players behind us. On paper, we have a talented squad that can go head-to-head with the best out there and we are relying on Stephen and the coaching squad to ensure that the performance on the field resembles that.”The Lions went without a trophy last season and have struggled for consistency amid a glut of player departures. Apart from those who were involved in the Ram-Slam corruption saga, Lions also lost Quinton de Kock and Chris Morris to the Titans since both live in Pretoria; and Temba Bavuma has returned to his home in the Cape. For the coming season, they have acquired the services of Omphile Ramela and Beuran Hendricks from the Cobras, and Craig Alexander from the Dolphins. Cook hopes Lions’ transition phase is ending.”We have had time to recover from the movement of players and just seeing the incredible players coming through our ranks, the time is right for us to execute our skills and be a formidable opponent,” he said.Still, the Lions have some uncertainty over personnel as they enter the home summer. Their coach Geoffrey Toyana applied for, and was interviewed for the position of South Africa head coach, until Ottis Gibson’s name was mentioned. Up until that point, Toyana was considered to be the favourite for the post. Toyana has been with the squad during the pre-season, but he may still be lost to the Lions given he could become the national assistant coach. The Lions have recently appointed a batting coach, Justin Sammons, and there is talk the national under-19 coach, Lawrence Mahatlane, may be on their radar as well.

Mistakes in the ticket pricing policy for Pakistan’s home series against the World XI have led to lower-than-expected crowd turnouts at the Gaddafi Stadium in the highest-profile series held in Pakistan since 2009

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Sep-2017Mistakes in the ticket pricing policy for Pakistan’s home series against the World XI have led to lower-than-expected crowd turnouts at the Gaddafi Stadium in the highest-profile series held in Pakistan since 2009.Though Gaddafi Stadium has been anywhere between 80-90% full in the two T20s so far, attendances have paled in comparison to the turn-outs for the PSL final in March earlier this year, as well as those for the limited-overs series against Zimbabwe two years ago.A number of fans and quarters within the PCB have expressed frustration at the inordinately high pricing of tickets for the three games. The lowest-priced ticket is PKR 500 (approx. $5), but the jump thereafter is significant, to PKR 2500 (approx. $24), then PKR 4000 (approx $38) , PKR 6000 (approx. $57) and PKR 8000 (approx. $76).A significant chunk of tickets has had to be handed out as a result including, for Wednesday’s game, to schools. “We made a mistake in setting such high prices,” Najam Sethi, the PCB chairman, admitted.”We were misled by our experiences of what happened in the PSL when prices were unimportant and people paid the highest prices to come and watch (tickets cost as much as PKR 12000 or, approximately $114). These are three matches and the security is even more than that of PSL. We should’ve kept lower prices. We will learn from this experience and considerably and significantly reduce prices for the future.”Heavy security has not helped either. Fans have to cross through several security barriers and checkpoints before getting into the stadium. That, Sethi said, however, is necessary.”Of course the security was so tight, so tight that many people found it difficult to come, or were dissuaded to come. Some people set out but after an hour on the roads, they went back. But there is very little I can do about that. The Punjab government is relentless in providing top security.”

Worcestershire have pulled off a significant coup by securing Moeen Ali on a new five-year deal

George Dobell25-Oct-2017Worcestershire have pulled off a significant coup by securing Moeen Ali on a new five-year deal.Moeen was of interest to several other counties – notably Warwickshire – but Worcestershire’s long-term loyalty to him, the promise of their young players and their presence back in Division One of the County Championship have convinced him to stay.While Worcestershire supporters may see little of Moeen over the next couple of years – not only is he established in the England sides in all three formats but he is expected to enter the next IPL auction – the decision to sign such a long-term deal suggests he is happy to spend the rest of his career at the club.And, even though transfers between counties are increasingly prevalent in county cricket, such a long-term deal will deter other clubs and ensure Worcestershire are well compensated.”We’ve had some fantastic wins this season and this is one of them,” Steve Rhodes, Worcestershire’s director of cricket, said.”Moeen is our England player and it’s important for us to have an England player. It’s also important for our dressing room, our players, our staff and our members and supporters and everyone involved at the club.”It sends a message to other clubs that our better players don’t feel the need to be elsewhere. They want to be on this journey to success and in Moeen’s case, he has stayed loyal to the club in signing this longer deal.”He is in such a rich vein of form internationally and on the back of a wonderful season, he is turning himself into one of the best allrounders in the world in international cricket. For us to sign someone of that ilk for five years is a real credit to all we do at Worcestershire. Whenever he comes back, it gives a big lift to the place.”Moeen is the 12th Worcestershire player to sign a new deal this year. So, while the club were disappointed to lose Tom Kohler-Cadmore to Yorkshire, they are delighted to have retained the services of such highly rated young players as fast bowler Josh Tongue (who signed a new four-year deal and won a place on the England Lions tour), Ben Cox and allrounder Ed Barnard.Worcestershire will hope Moeen’s commitment might also play a part in persuading Joe Clarke to stay. Clarke, another man who won selection to the Lions squad, is out of contract at the end of 2018 and, with his wicketkeeping opportunities blocked by the excellence of Cox, might be persuaded to try his luck elsewhere. As one of the most promising batsmen in the county game, he is unlikely to have any shortage of options. Worcestershire are understandably keen for him to stay and will hope Moeen’s example – proving England selection can be won while playing for the club – may play a part.”Moeen is such a loyal guy,” Rhodes continued. “He knows we were the vehicle that gave him the opportunities to impress people and get selected for England in the first place.”In his previous contract, the way we sold it to him was that you are batting three in the Championship, you are opening in the one-dayers and you are our number one offspinner and our vice-captain, you are doing everything.”Now it will be down to you putting in the performances. We will give you the opportunities to do that and because we did that, and he took those opportunities, he got selected by England, I think he feels loyal to Worcestershire.”Moeen said: “To commit my future and probably the rest of my career to Worcestershire is a fantastic feeling. It’s happy days.”I’ve been part of this club now for a very long time. We have some brilliant young players, probably the best young English players in the country.”It is a fantastic club and they have always been good to me and supported me and I’m delighted to sign. We are in Division One now and I don’t think we are far off now in all competitions and the young players are gaining more and more experience.”Steve Rhodes is a massive reason for me signing. He has always been good to me, he has always supported me and looked after me and even when I am away with England he is always sending me messages.”

Over two weeks of heavy rain in the city meant that the deciding T20I between the two teams was abandoned without even a toss

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Oct-2017The deciding T20I between Australia and India in Hyderabad was abandoned as a result of a wet outfield. Over two weeks of heavy rain leading up to the match meant the ground had taken in a lot of water. And even though there was at least two hours of clear weather before the first ball was due, the groundstaff were unable to make good enough progress for the game to begin.In fact, when the umpires went out for their inspection they found that some patches of turf were so soggy that large divots were created when they dug their heels in. It was reported that the pitch, the square and even the bowler’s run-ups were relatively fine but certain areas beyond the 30-yard circle were unsafe. As a result, play was called off at approximately 8.30 pm and the series ended with a 1-1 scoreline.”We are all very upset,” a member of the groundstaff said. “It has been raining for 21 days in a row now. There is no way we can fight against nature or God.” According to sources, pedestal fans had been used on the eve of the match to dry the outfield.While the official did not want to comment on the drainage facilities in the ground, there are murmurs about the fact that there are only enough covers to protect the square and that the majority of the ground ends up unguarded in the event of rain.