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Michael Clarke has confirmed he will not play in the Big Bash League this year, having pulled out of his commitment to play for the Melbourne Stars

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Sep-20152:22

‘We stand by Clarke’ – Melbourne Stars president

Former Australia captain Michael Clarke has confirmed he will not play in the Big Bash League this year, having pulled out of his commitment to play for the Melbourne Stars. Clarke was to captain the side in the BBL this summer after signing a two-year contract in April, but following his retirement from Test cricket he has decided he needs some time away from the game.”Right now for I just think my body and my mind need some time away from the game of cricket,” Clarke told radio on Wednesday morning. “It’s been a big part of my life and I just think that with my retirement from international cricket now I just need to take myself away from the game of cricket for a little while and just see what that’s like to actually be without it.”You push yourself to the max when you’re playing sport at the highest level and now I’ve pressed stop on that part, in regards to international cricket, I just think my body and my mind just needs that break.”Clarke said he hoped to return to the field at some point in the future and would always remain involved in cricket in some way, having launched his own cricket academy last year. There is a chance he could yet play for the Stars in 2016-17.”I’ve got a two-year deal at the moment so hopefully it all turns out okay and I come back and play next year,” Clarke said, “but even if they decide they don’t want me to play, hopefully I can help the club have success in another way.”

CA’s head of science and medicine says not sharing equipment is also part of the overall risk

Andrew McGlashan20-May-2020Disinfecting cricket balls during a match could be part of the future as the game looks to adapt to the risks posed by Covid-19. Maintenance of the ball has become one of the key topics as the sport tries to map a way back from its pandemic shutdown given shining has traditionally involved saliva which is deemed a significant risk of transmitting the virus.Earlier this week the ICC cricket committee recommended a ban on using saliva at international level but said that sweat would be permitted as it was deemed lower risk.Guidelines issued by the Australian government on a return for sport from community to elite level banned the use of saliva and sweat at training. Cricket Australia’s head of science and medicine Alex Kountouris said that it was a constantly evolving picture as more was learned about the virus, but the option of using disinfectant – which was done in Australian rugby league before the shutdown and will be considered in other football codes – is likely to be discussed.”Disinfecting the ball is a consideration. [We] don’t know the impact on the ball as we haven’t tested it yet,” Kountouris said. “The ball being leather it’s harder to disinfect because it’s got little nooks and crevices so we don’t know how effective it’s going to be, we don’t know how infected the ball is going to get and we don’t know if it’s going to be allowed. It is an absolute consideration. Everything is on the table and everything is being considered.”From an Australian cricket perspective, probably other countries are going to play before us so we’ve got a chance to work with the ICC and the other countries to see what they come up with and take whatever steps we need to for making sure there’s a lower risk.Kountouris feels that some habits, like players licking their fingers then touching the ball, will be difficult to break•Getty Images

“The sweat, saliva and the ball itself is only one risk factor. There’s a whole bunch of other stuff: hygiene, sanitising, physical distancing, not sharing equipment are going to be part of the overall risk. So we’re going to take our time and consider all those factors then work with the ICC to try to come up with whatever the final outcome is for elite cricket and community cricket.”Professional cricketers in Australia will be returning to training over the next couple of weeks – the CA contracted players finished their annual leave on Monday – with guidelines in place to manage the risk factors although they will vary from state to state depending on the level of activity allowed as restrictions continue to be eased.ALSO READ: Darwin open to being testing ground as cricket returns to AustraliaThe baseline is that equipment should not be shared – that is less of an issue at elite level – and that training should be done on a ‘get in, get out’ principle to minimise contact.Kountouris acknowledged that some habits ingrained in players, such as licking their fingers then touching the ball, will be difficult to break.”There’s going to be a steep learning curve and hopefully we’ve got time to practice some of that stuff but there are going to be mistakes at some point,” he said. “I don’t think we’ve worked out how we are going to deal with those mistakes, what the outcome will be. I imagine we are going to take a common sense approach and understand that people make mistakes and things are not going to be perfect. But if we can do most things right, most of the time, we are going to be okay.”He added that Cricket Australia “was not even close” to considering when the national squads would be able to join up for any training camps – there are suggestions the men’s limited-overs tour of England could take place in September – and they will monitor the country’s response to easing of restrictions over the next couple of months. However, there is increasing confidence that if the current progress is continued then the season will be able to start as scheduled in September.”We’re at the moment really happy with the fact that we can get back to training. So, a month or so ago, things looked bleak. The country has done really well,” Kountouris said. “From a sport perspective, there’s obviously a long way to go. If things don’t go wrong here, of course we are on track to gradually move through each of the different stages.”It’s dependent on whether we are allowed to travel, domestically, and whether borders are open between countries and we don’t have an outbreak and a cluster. There’s a whole bunch of factors but certainly if everything goes well, we are on track and we’re quietly confident that things will go to plan and we’ll be ready at the start of the season.”

A round-up of the action from the third day of the eighth round of matches in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy Division One 2011-12

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Nov-2011An improved batting performance in the second innings could not help Sialkot avoid an innings defeat to Rawalpindi at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. After having crumbled to 97 to concede a lead of 307, Sialkot made 288, with half-centuries from Mohammad Yasin, Nasir Iqbal and Mohammad Ayub. But no one went on to make a big score, with Yasin’s 78 being the highest score of the innings. Sadaf Hussain and Rashid Latif too four wickets apiece for Rawalpindi.Habib Bank roared back into contention against State Bank of Pakistan, skittling them out for 185 and starting strongly in their chase of 246 at the Diamond Club Ground in Islamabad. Having conceded a lead of 60 yesterday, Habib Bank’s bowlers came hard at State Bank, with Sarmad Anwar leading the way with four wickets. Rameez Raja made 54, but apart from Rameez Alam’s 31, there was little support. State Bank were 91 for 6 at one stage but the lower order dug in to carry them to 185. Ahmed Shehzad started Habib Bank’s chase with an aggressive 77, hitting 14 fours off 89 deliveries. Habib Bank ended the day on 147 for 3, needing another 99 for a win.Wajid Ali stretched Abbottabad‘s first innings to 288 but they still ended up conceding a 49-run lead to Islamabad at the Abbottabad Cricket Stadium. The lower order hung around with Wajid who hit 15 boundaries in making an unbeaten 94 off 150 deliveries. Nasrullah Khan claimed the last four wickets to finish with 6 for 95. Afaq Raheem and Umair Khan extended Islamabad’s advantage further with a 129-run opening stand before Nabeeullah struck twice, removing Raheem for 66 and Raheel Majeed for 11. Umair was unbeaten on 72 at stumps with Islamabad on 198 for 2, an overall lead of 247.Naseer Akram and Aqeel Ahmed triggered a collapse to dismiss Karachi Blues for 248 but the visitors were well in front against Faisalabad at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad. Karachi had begun well, with Shahzaib Hasan and Asad Baig making fifties upfront. At 153 for 2, Karachi were sitting on a lead of 260 and looking good for much more. Naseer and Aqeel then struck repeatedly, with only Wajihuddin managing to resist for a while with his 41. Naseer finished with 6 for 71 while Aqeel had figures of 4 for 55. Mohammad Sami struck early as Faisalabad’s chase got off to a poor start. They ended the day on 18 for 1, chasing a stiff 356.Hammad Azam helped National Bank of Pakistan recover to set Pakistan International Airlines a target of 259 at the Jinnah Stadium in Sialkot. National Bank had slipped to 86 for 5 but Nasir Jamshed (66) helped Azam revive the innings. Azam played an attacking knock, smashing 12 fours and three sixes in his run-a-ball 93. Najaf Shah was the most successful bowler for PIA with three wickets. PIA started well in their chase, reaching 84 for 1 in 14 overs with Agha Sabir unbeaten on 41.Water and Power Development Authority put up a strong display in their second innings, reaching 270 for 2 against Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited at the National Ground in Islamabad. Rafatullah Mohmand made a breezy 117 while opener Ahmed Said dug in with a patient unbeaten 76 off 221 deliveries. Mohmand hit 17 fours and a six in his 141-ball knock after opener Asif Khan had fallen for 22 to Iftikhar Anjum. With ZTBL having taken a first-innings lead of 123, WAPDA ended the day 147 runs ahead.

The New Zealand quick is back home and is hoping to be playing cricket again as soon as possible

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Mar-2020There’s been a few times that Lockie Ferguson had been down with a cold in the course of his career, but it was different this time. After reporting a sore throat to the New Zealand team management on Friday, he was sent for COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) tests and then asked to isolate himself in his hotel room. Now he’s back home with his family, who wasted no time checking up on him.”Certainly got a few texts on Saturday but I was quick to announce that it was only a few cold symptoms and happy to be home now,” he said upon arrival in Auckland on Sunday.Ferguson was in Sydney to play a three-match ODI series, but with the New Zealand government increasing travel restrictions, including a mandate that said people coming back from Australia had to go under self-isolation for 14 days, the series was called off a third of the way through.Well before that, news of Ferguson’s condition emerged, but the man himself thinks it was blown out of proportion.”No. Probably a bit over-exaggerated as to how I was,” he said. “I just sort of had very, very mild cold symptoms and the procedures were as they were and followed by Tommy [Simsek, physio] and the support staff. Completely understandable. So yeah, kinda had a day in the hotel room by myself.ALSO READ: How the coronavirus has affected the cricket world“It was strange certainly playing the game under the circumstances and with an empty crowd. For sure, that was an odd experience. At the same time, we were a little bit disappointed with how the game ended up. And yeah, that night I was sort of taken to get swabs and talked to the doctor there and fortunately all was good and yeah happy to be home.”Did Ferguson feel nervous at all, given how rapidly the coronavirus had spread throughout the planet? “Um, from my point of view, I just thought it was normal small cold symptoms,” he said. “Get quite rundown from time to time playing cricket and travelling a bit. So not too unusual for me. But as I said, Tommy our physio and the doctors followed procedure as is needed. So yes, been 24 hours in isolation but that’s okay. And I’ll be honest, I actually felt good the next day I woke up. I was fine.”New Zealand’s border restrictions were supposed to go in place at midnight on Sunday and while the rest of the team were able to return home on Saturday itself, Ferguson had to stay back in Sydney as precaution and could only travel on the day of the deadline.”We had pretty clear comms from our support staff. We knew if we got back tonight it’d be all good,” he said. “So when we got the negative test for the virus last night we just took it as we can and then it was nice to come home today. Fortunately, it was only the day. So not too bad. They went home last night and just had to stay the one more night in Sydney. Not too many issues there.”Ferguson understood the need for taking every safeguard but hoped he could get back to work as quickly as possible. “I think everyone in every industry is probably feeling it a little bit,” he said. “Not just us in sport. Certainly we want to play cricket but under these circumstances we are following the directions of people in much higher power than me. Yeah just taking it in my stride but looking forward to playing cricket soon. So I’ll get back with the Aces boys tomorrow and see what the plan is going forward.”

England’s overwhelming success in the Test series against India has been reflected in the latest ICC player rankings

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Aug-2011England’s overwhelming success in the Test series against India has been reflected in the latest ICC player rankings. Ian Bell has moved into the top five for the first time in his career following his double-hundred at The Oval while Kevin Pietersen jumped five places to enter the top ten again.Bell, who made 504 runs at 84.00 in the series, gained four places to sit level with England team-mate Alastair Cook at third and with Jonathan Trott in the sixth position England can boast four batsmen in the top ten.The bowling list is also strong with Tim Bresnan climbing five spots to No. 11, meaning that England’s five bowlers used in the series sit in the world’s top 11. Dale Steyn, however, is still some way ahead of James Anderson as the best bowler.Things aren’t so bright for India, unsurprisingly, though Rahul Dravid’s reward for an outstanding series – where he made three centuries against a fine England attack – is a return to the top ten.The news is not so good for his team-mates, though, with Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, Gautam Gambhir and MS Dhoni all losing ground in a list that has South Africa all-rounder Jacques Kallis at the top and Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara second.Meanwhile in the ODI rankings fast-bowlers Mitchell Johnson, Doug Bollinger and Lasith Malinga have enjoyed spectacular rises following the recent Sri Lanka-Australia series.Johnson, who along with Malinga was the leading wicket-taker in the series with 11, has gained four places to No. 3 while Malinga, who recorded the third one-day hat-trick of his career in Monday’s ODI, jumped 19 places to claim the 11th spot.Bollinger’s nine wickets in the series has helped him return to the top 10, taking seventh position in the list that is still headed by England’s Graeme Swann..

Pakistan’s limited-overs captain Shahid Afridi has accepted an offer to lead one of the provinces in the inaugural edition of the Sri Lanka Premier League (SLPL) later this year

ESPNcricinfo staff11-May-2011Pakistan’s limited-overs captain Shahid Afridi says he has accepted an offer to lead one of the provinces in the inaugural edition of the Sri Lanka Premier League (SLPL) later this year.”It’s a good opportunity and I will try to make the most of it,” Afridi, 31, told Pakistani daily the . “There is a comfortable window for us [Pakistan’s cricketers] to feature in the league in Sri Lanka. We have a sufficient break from international cricket this summer.”The SLPL comes as a shot in the arm for Pakistan’s cricketers who have been ignored by the lucrative IPL since the inaugural edition in 2008. Afridi said that he has signed a three-year contract, worth US$35,000 for the first season of the SLPL, with the amount doubling in 2012. He is expected to be joined in the tournament by Pakistan team-mates Misbah-ul-Haq, Shoaib Akhtar, Abdul Razzaq, Umar Gul and Umar Akmal.The SLPL will be a seven-team inter-provincial tournament played over approximately 18 days in July-August. The teams will play each other once, with the top four teams qualifying for the semi-finals. All the games will be played at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo and the winner of the tournament will qualify for the Champions League Twenty20.Among the other international players who will be taking part are Kieron Pollard, Chris Gayle, Shahid Afridi, Daniel Vettori, Daniel Christian, Herschelle Gibbs and Kevin O’Brien.

Victoria retained control against the Sheffield Shield leaders but it could be tough to force a result at the SCG

Andrew McGlashan15-Feb-2020Wil Parker, the 17-year-old debutant legspinner, claimed two big scalps to keep Victoria on top against New South Wales at the SCG after Seb Gotch had scored his maiden first-class century.Victoria declared on 7 fo 431 shortly before lunch moments after Gotch had brought up three figures. The New South Wales openers departed after a half-century opening stand but Kurtis Patterson, playing his first Shield match since October, and Moises Henriques both looked in fine form as they added 102 deep into the final.Then Parker, who had bowled nicely in his first spell, returned to manufacture back-to-back breakthroughs. His maiden first-class wicket came when he slid a delivery across Patterson as he came down the pitch, the ball grazing the edge before Gotch completed the stumping. In his next over he then benefited from some significant fortune when Henriques bottom-edged a pull into his leg which ballooned to slip.Daniel Solway and captain Peter Nevill saw out the rest of the day but New South Wales have a lengthy tail so there was considerable work to do.Gotch and Travis Dean had resumed with Victoria well placed on 5 for 318 and carried their stand to 150 in 50 overs with Dean making his highest first-class score in 21 innings after retiring hurt yesterday following the blow in the box from Trent Copeland.Dean eventually fell when he top-edged a sweep off Steve O’Keefe while Gotch continued to carefully accumulate towards his hundred having twice fallen shortly previously in his career. The century arrived from 241 balls with a single off Liam Hatcher.Armed with a new Duke ball, Victoria’s seamers found early movement – Gotch had a difficult time behind the stumps – but it took a while to break through as Daniel Hughes and Nick Larkin settled in. Scott Boland claimed the first breakthrough when he trapped Larkin lbw then Will Sutherland, who began with four consecutive maidens either side of a brief rain delay, produced an excellent delivery to beat Hughes’ inside edge.Patterson, recovered from the quad strain which has disrupted his season, was soon into his stride has he played elegantly off front and back foot while Henriques continued the form he showed before the Big Bash. However, just when they were taking the competition leaders into a position of parity, Parker popped up to produce a moment he’ll remember.

After two tough days against England Lions, the Sri Lankans put up a better fight having been asked to follow on but still face the prospect of defeat ahead of the first Tes

Andrew McGlashan at Derby21-May-2011
Live scorecardTharanga Paranavitana joined his captain with a hundred to help the Sri Lankans into the lead•Getty Images

After two tough days against England Lions, the Sri Lankans put up a better fight having been asked to follow on but still face the prospect of defeat ahead of the first Test. Tillakaratne Dilshan led a much more convincing display with a brisk 117 in an opening stand of 200 with Tharanga Paranavitana who built a composed 125. However, the Lions chipped away and by the close had six wickets for their hard work with the tourists 165 ahead.Although a defeat wouldn’t be ideal, it is always important for a visiting team to have an in-form captain and Dilshan will be one of the most confident Sri Lanka batsmen. This innings followed his 123 against Middlesex, at Uxbridge, and he was above a run-a-ball for the majority of his stay. England’s bowlers will have to be on the spot straight away with the new ball otherwise an innings can get a head start with Dilshan’s attacking play.He was given a life on 95 when Samit Patel spilled a chance moving to his right at gully, the second catch he has spilled in the game, and in the next over Dilshan went to his hundred from 92 balls with a sparkling cover drive which he repeated next ball.He was eventually removed by Steven Finn, who bowled a superb eight-over spell during the afternoon session having been loose in the morning, with a delivery that climbed and brushed the glove. Dilshan doesn’t have a particular weakness against the short ball, but can expect to be bombarded in the Test series. He showed today, however, that although that line of attack may eventually work, it can be a very expensive tactic.Dilshan’s innings included a top-edged six that eluded fine leg, but enough balls flew to the boundary to show he wasn’t afraid of taking on bouncers. He also rarely played a shot with half measures so when edges flew over or between the slips they were travelling far too quickly for the fielders .On a bright and breezy morning there wasn’t as much help for the quick bowlers as there was on the cloudy second evening. Graham Onions beat the bat during his opening spell and Jade Dernbach, who impressed with 5 for 44 yesterday, almost made the breakthrough when Paranavitana drove short of point on 21. Later in the session Paranavitana slashed through the slips, again off Dernbach, but it was much harder work for the bowlers.It was an important performance from the opening pair, who put on 59 in the first innings before a collapse set in. Paranavitana is the more understated of the openers but a resolute character, who began his Test career with a first-ball duck and now averages 37.He is the perfect foil for the dashing Dilshan and the left-right combination means bowlers are always adjusting. He didn’t offer a chance although became a touch nervous as the hundred approached and was almost run out on 99 before reaching three figures with a cut off Patel.The Lions bowlers had to work hard for their success but slowly they began to arrive during the afternoon. Finn claimed a deserved second scalp when Kumar Sangakkara edged into leg stump for 17 meaning he’s had precious little time in the middle ahead of the first Test. Mahela Jayawardene looked in fine touch during his 26 but recieved a good ball from Ajmal Shahzad that beat his defence. Stuart Law, the Sri Lanka coach, has said he has no concerns over his experienced pair going into the Test series.Paranavitana’s five-hour stay came to a slightly limp end when he tamely drove to point off Bopara which left the Sri Lankans four down and less than a hundred ahead. Bopara’s bowling is one of the factors likely to sway Test selection in his favour so an extended run won’t have done him any harm.Dernbach struck his first blow of the innings when Dinesh Chandimal edged to first slip and James Hildreth held his second catch to remove Prasanna Jayawardene as Onions got one to nip away. Thilan Samaraweera proved a tough obstacle having been missed on 6 when Jonny Bairstow couldn’t complete a stumping and reached fifty from 87 balls. Suraj Randiv, who made 76 in the first innings, flicked a tough chance to Dernbach at leg slip on 14 and the pair took their stand to 42. It could yet be an intriguing final day.

Watling, Labuschagne, Agarwal and Rahim also make substantial progress

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Nov-2019New Zealand left-arm quick Neil Wagner has moved up to No.3 among bowlers in the ICC Test rankings. He gained five places after bagging eight wickets, including a five-for in the second innings, to lead New Zealand to victory in the first-ever Test in Mount Maunganui. Wagner’s team-mate BJ Watling, who became the first New Zealand wicketkeeper to make a Test double-hundred, shot up 12 spots to be placed 12th among Test batsmen.Watling had soaked up 473 balls in Mount Maunganui – only Sri Lanka’s Brendon Kuruppu has faced more balls than the New Zealander among wicketkeeper-batsmen in a Test innings. Watling’s effort took his points tally to a career-best 693. Australia’s Marnus Labuschagne also reached career-best points of 684 and slotted in at 21 – nine places behind Watling.Labuschagne’s 185 in the Brisbane Test was central to Australia securing an innings victory over Pakistan. David Warner, who endured a horrid Ashes series in England, opened the home Test summer with 154 and consequently gained six places to move to 17th. Steven Smith continues to be the No.1-ranked Test batsman with 931 points. India captain Virat Kohli is hot on his heels, with 928 points, having hit a century in the first-ever pink-ball Test in India.England captain Joe Root, meanwhile, dropped out of the top ten for the first time since August 2014. India opener Mayank Agarwal replaced Root in the top ten, also achieving career-best points of 700. Ishant Sharma, who took nine wickets in the pink-ball Test in Kolkata, moved from 20th to 17th while Bangladesh’s Mushfiqur Rahim gained four places to reach 26th among batsmen after making a counterattacking 74 in Kolkata.

Allrounder moves on after four seasons with Middlesex

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Oct-2019George Scott will join Gloucestershire on a three-year deal after turning down a contract extension with Middlesex.The 23-year-old allrounder spent four years with Middlesex, and was a regular in both white-ball teams this season.”I think it’s a wonderful opportunity for me cricket-wise and I know Bristol is a lovely place,” Scott said.”It seems like there is an incredibly family feel here. I’ve met a few of the guys and I know Higgo [Ryan Higgins] well and it feels like a really nice atmosphere at the Club so I’m absolutely delighted to be joining.”Scott’s move closely mirrors the one that Higgins made two years ago. Both moves involved a young, seam-bowling allrounder who had grown frustrated at a lack of opportunities in the Championship side, and Gloucestershire will hope that Scott can follow Higgins’ lead in developing into a fine three-format player.Scott played nine of Middlesex’s games in the Blast this season, though faced only 70 balls and didn’t bowl, and played seven times in the Championship, taking three wickets and making 204 runs. He was an ever-present in the One-Day Cup as Middlesex reached the quarter-finals, and hit a 30-ball 63 in the season opener against Essex at Chelmsford.Angus Fraser, Middlesex’s managing director, said: “”It is always disappointing to lose a player that you have invested a lot into, but we have to respect George’s reasons for declining the offer of a contract extension. [He] is a cracking young man and we wish him well at Gloucestershire.”Gloucestershire head coach Richard Dawson said: “It’s great to have George joining us. He’s got huge potential as both a batter and bowler in all formats of the game. All the players and coaching staff are looking forward to him starting with us and we hope we can help him realise his potential in the years to come.”