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Glenn McGrath: eager to tour … but is it a gamble the selectors will make?

Glenn McGrath has made a last-gasp plea to Australia’s selectors to try and convince them that he his fit for the Sri Lanka series. The squad is due to be announced on Friday.McGrath has been out of action with an ankle injury since July, during which time he has undergone two operations. He was due to make a comeback for New South Wales at the weekend but pulled out.”I have had a number of excellent net sessions over the past week and the ankle feels fantastic,” he said. “I have been training hard over the past month with my personal trainer and I am the fittest I have been for a long time.”I’ll speak to the selectors this week and find out just what they are thinking. It would be nice to have a chat with them and see what is expected of me.”McGrath’s inclusion would have been a gamble even if he had played for his state, but without any meaningful work-out, the selectors are unlikely to take the risk. And although he reportedly came through a 40-minute net without any side effects, his withdrawal from the weekend’s game is likely to count against him.But Ricky Ponting refused to rule out the possibility. “You’d want him in the team but you’d like to know he was 100 per cent fit as well,” Ponting said. “I doubt he’d able to say that without a game under his belt and I don’t know if the selectors are thinking about that … but sometimes you have to take the player’s word for it. Being the champion bowler he is you’d have to consider it.”Warren Craig, McGrath’s manager, was as keen to promote his client’s cause. “He’s ready to play and then it’s up to the selectors as to whether he’s got enough cricket behind him to select him,” he said. “He’ll be playing for his club and seeing where it takes him.”

Khoda guides Rajasthan to shores of respectabilityA Gagan Khoda hundred saw Rajasthan end the opening day of their five-day Ranji Trophy KnockOut against Bengal at a respectable 242 for five.Playing at the KL Saini Ground, Jaipur, Rajasthan decided to bat after captain PK Krishnakumar won the toss. Khoda and the other opener, Vineet Saxena, had only put on 33 before Saxena was out lbw. The next two batsmen also departed early before Khoda found an able ally in his captain. The two put on a patient 143 runs for the fourth wicket before Krishnakumar was dismissed for a well-made 64 off 166 balls.Khoda went on to raise his hundred in the company of Kuldeep Singh. He was looking good for many more when he run-out for 114 off 261 balls. The Rajasthan opener’s hundred meant the home team had put themselves in line for a respectable total against the Rohan Gavaskar-led visiting team.For Bengal, new-ball bowler Laxmi Rattan Shukla claimed two wickets. Kuldeep Singh, batting on 23, and wicket-keeper Rohit Jhalani, yet to open his account, were set to resume battle for Rajasthan on Thursday.Debutant Malhotra scythes through Assam line-upHosts Punjab established early domination over Punjab at the end of the first day their match against Assam at the Punjab Cricket Association stadium at Mohali. First, they dismissed the visitors for a meagre 170 after inserting the latter in; this they followed up by racking up an impressive 130 for three in reply before stumps were drawn.The star of the day, most obviously, was 17-year-old Ishan Malhotra, a right-arm fast bowler born in Jammu and Kashmir. He scythed through the Assam batting-order in an impressive bowling display that saw him return 7 for 59 in the 17 overs that he bowled. His new-ball partner H Puri, another debutant, also bowled commedably, chipping in with two wickets. Assam’s plight would have been pathetic but for a 44 from wicket-keeper Syed Zuffri and a 33 from J Gokulakrishnan.The Punjab reply got off to a great start with openers Ravneet Ricky and Manish Sharma putting on 64 runs before Sharma was out after a rapid-fire 50 off 64 balls. India discard Yuvraj, who followed, did not last for long. The home team captain Pankaj Dharmani also had to return after a brief stint when Gokulakrishanan trapped him in front of the wicket. Punjab, though, continue to remain in the driver’s seat; Ricky is looking good on 46 and there is a fair bit of batting to follow with the Assam score on the horizon.Pagnis ton boosts RailwaysA century from opener Amit Pagnis saw Railways run up a healthy 291 for five at the end of the first day of their match against Delhi at the Karnail Singh Stadium, Delhi on Wednesday.Raliways lost opener JP Yadav early after their skipper had opted to bat in the morning. But Pagnis and TP Singh then got together, putting on 143 runs for the second wicket. The departure of Singh, who made an aggressive 84, proved a temporary setback. Yere Goud though proved an able replacement. Pagnis duly completed his hundred making 132 off 213 balls with 21 fours and a six before falling to part-timer Mithun Manhas. Goud followed soon after being dismissed after a patient 34. When stumps were drawn, skipperAbhay Sharma and Murali Kartik were holding fort.Bowlers dominate opening day of Tamil Nadu-Mumbai tieThe opening day of the Tamil Nadu-Mumbai encounter was not a happy one for the batsmen – as many as 14 of them fell with just 198 runs being scored.In the morning, Tamil Nadu’s joy at winning the toss quickly evaporated as batsmen after batsmen began the long trek back to the pavilion. Paras Mhambrey claimed two wickets while left-arm spinner Rajesh Pawar claimed four as the home team were skittled out for a paltry 182. Sridharan Sharath, who made 31, and skipper, who made 26 before being run-out, were the only two batsmen to offer any resistance.Tamil Nadu’s opening bowler Laxmipathy Balaji though brought his team back into the contest with three wickets for five runs in his 4.5 overs. Mumbai, then, were 16 of three at the end of the day.Gujarat bat themselves into a strong positionGujarat batted themselves into a strong position at the end of the opening day of their match against Andhra at the Sardar Patel Stadium, Motera, Ahmedabad.After winning the toss, H Joshipura and ND Modi got the home team off to the best possible start. The duo piled on 224 runs for the first wicket before Modi was dismissed just eight short of what would have been a deserved century. Joshipura, who followed almost immediately, though had the satisfaction of notching 113 well-made and patient runs against his name. When stumps were drawn, NK Patel and skipper Mukund Parmar were batting on 11 and 7 respectively.Hyderabad in commanding position against HimachalHyderabad had a satisfying opening day against Himachal Pradesh at the Gymkhana Ground, Secunderabad. The hosts dismissed the visitors for 192 runs before reaching an impressive 69 for no loss in reply.In the morning, Himachal opted to bat. Opener Nischal Gaur, who made 99, played a lone hand as the home team bowlers led by Narendra Pal Singh ran through the remaining batsmen like knife through butter. Singh, who claimed five for 27, and Venkatapathy Raju, who claimed two wickets, were the pick of the home team bowlers.The Hyderabad openers, Daniel Manohar and A Nand Kishore, then, consolidated the home team’s position, batting soundly on their way to 28 and 39 respectively from 61 balls each.

Against a side that contains close to half of the nation’s modern-day Test team, Tasmania’s two finest modern-day batsmen constructed a remarkable partnership to lead their side out of trouble on the opening day of the Pura Cup clash with New South Wales in Hobart. On a glorious spring day at the Bellerive Oval, Ricky Ponting (144*) and Jamie Cox (106) added a dazzling 242 run stand for the third wicket to pilot the Tigers to a mark of 5/279 by stumps.There has been enough talk of betting in cricket circles of late, certainly. But, on Melbourne Cup Day, it was probably fair to observe that, at a score of 2/0 early in the piece, the Tasmanians were at long odds of finishing in such a position. Set within that context, then, the stand between the two stylish right handers was significant in itself. The fact that the quality of the strokeplayembedded within it was of the highest class therefore only added to its appeal.Although Ponting was held scoreless for a relatively lengthy period on his arrival at the crease and again in mid-afternoon, his chanceless innings provided a more than ample demonstration of his talents. There was barely a false stroke in a hand in which shots were timed with almost complete perfection and despatched to virtually all parts of the ground.”It was hard work early,” said Ponting of the circumstances that confronted him when he walked to the crease a little over ten minutes into the day’s play.”The ball swung most of the day; even with the old ball, there was quite a lot of swing there.”Cox, still surely not out of the reckoning in the clamour for Test opening spots at present, also played a typically attractive innings. His driving through the off side was a particular highlight and his judgement of when to play and when to leave deliveries on and outside the line of off stump was impeccable.After weathering the pair’s onslaught, the Blues, and more particularly left arm speedster Nathan Bracken (3/85), did eventually strike back sharply in the last hour. Bracken beat a driving Cox with a yorker forty-five minutes before stumps. Five balls later, he wrought similar damage upon the castle of Daniel Marsh (0). And then, from the first delivery of his next over, he attracted a thickedge from the bat of the sadly out of form Shaun Young (5) as the all-rounder forced at one seaming away.Notwithstanding the complete absence of cloud cover, conditions were especially difficult for batting early, with the ball seaming and swinging noticeably. This was underlined when Dene Hills (0) and Michael DiVenuto (0) lost their wickets inside the opening three overs of the match. Both players were caught behind off the bowling of Brett Lee (2/68) – wicketkeeper Brad Haddin snaring a brilliant catch low and to his left to remove a defending Hills and then effecting a regulation dismissal as DiVenuto launched a loose slash at a shorter, wider delivery. At that stage, it looked as though the visitors had backed a winner bydeciding to insert the Tasmanians on the chocolate-coloured pitch.For the Blues, Bracken and Don Nash (0/30) were clearly the pick of the bowlers on a day when their more illustrious teammates in Lee and leg spinner Stuart MacGill (0/53) both struggled to impress. The luckless Nash’s line, in particular, was tight and unerring all day. He was unlucky not to finish with a wicket – indeed, a dropped catch by Steve Waugh at slip off hisbowling (when Cox had only 41 alongside his name) proved very expensive.

A huge Rangers transfer claim has emerged over Gio van Bronckhorst’s outcast centre-back Jack Simpson’s future in Glasgow… 

What’s the talk?

According to Football Insider, the central defender has instructed his agent to find him a new club at the end of the season.

The report claims that he made the decision after a meeting with the club, after failing to secure an exit from Ibrox on deadline day.

Buzzing

Rangers fans will surely be buzzing with this news as it suggests that the former Bournemouth man will be on his way out in the summer.

They will be pleased with this as he has been a failure of a signing who is not contributing anything on the pitch at the moment. He has not played a single match outside of the Scottish Cup since Gio van Bronckhorst arrived in November, suggesting that the Dutch head coach does not deem him good enough for his side.

The ex-Feyenoord boss has selected John Lundstram at centre-back ahead of him – against Motherwell recently – and this shows how far down the pecking order he is. Connor Goldson, Leon Balogun, Calvin Bassey, James Sands, Filip Helander and Lundstram are all ahead of him and his game time – or lack thereof – has reflected this.

Former Scotland international Frank McAvennie previously blasted the defender, saying:

“Hibs are on fire and they really know what they are doing. They will fancy their chances. They know Simpson is the weak link. You expect he will start with the Goldson issue.

“He’s not had a great time of it so far, he barely played last season. We’ll see what happens but I expect Boyle will run rings around him.”

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These comments suggest that he struggled when he was given an opportunity under Steven Gerrard, which could be why van Bronckhorst has been reluctant to select him. The Dutchman has been able to see him in training over the last few months and has seemingly not seen enough from the Englishman to believe that he can make an impact on the team.

Therefore, fans will be buzzing to see him leave the club in the summer as he is not good enough for Rangers and is currently wasting a space in the squad that could be filled by a player with the potential to make the starting XI in the Premiership. It is now down to Ross Wilson to get the best deal possible for Simpson and to get him out of the door as quickly as possible.

AND in other news, Rangers played a blinder with move for “outstanding” gem whose value has increased 75%…

	Ian Bell was struck a nasty blow on his right wrist but a hospital x-ray later revealed he hadn’t broken a bone © Getty Images

England suffered an injury scare on the opening morning of the first Test at Hamilton when Ian Bell had to be sent to hospital for precautionary X-rays, after taking a sharp blow to the right wrist while fielding at short leg. Fortunately the scan revealed no broken bones, only heavy bruising, and Bell later returned to the ground with his arm in a sling.The injury occurred midway through the 11th over of the first day’s play. Ryan Sidebottom dropped short and New Zealand’s opener, Matthew Bell, climbed into a fierce pull shot. Bell, standing only yards from the bat, put his hands up in self-defence and the ball crashed into the fleshy area on the outer side of his wrist.Bell fell to the ground immediately and was in clear pain as he was led from the field, with his wrist visibly swollen. It was England’s second visit to the A&E department of Waikato Hospital in as many days, after Phil Mustard suffered a broken nose during net practice on Tuesday, and had a break been diagnosed it would almost certainly have spelled the end of Bell’s tour.Instead he was scheduled to take no further part in the day’s play, and a decision will be taken at a later date as to whether he will bat in England’s innings. “He’s been X-rayed and he’s been MRIed as a double-check,” said Peter Moores, England’s coach. “It’s deep bruising and he’s been icing it every half an hour. Hopefully by tomorrow morning we’ll be able to see where he can bat. At the moment the medical staff are hopeful that, if they treat it all night, he’ll be able to bat tomorrow.”Because the injury is an exterior one, and sustained during play, he will not be required to bat down the order to compensate for his time off the field, although it is likely that England will take as much time as possible to allow the swelling to go down. “It’s a lucky escape as it just missed the bony part of the wrist,” said Moores. “Lucky or unlucky, whichever way you look at it.”

Daren Ganga is confident that West Indies’ mix of youth and experience can prevail in England © Getty Images

Daren Ganga, the newly-appointed West Indies vice-captain, believes the team can turn around its form after a disappointing World Cup but filling the hole left by Brian Lara would be a huge challenge. Ganga said the players would need to adjust quickly to the different conditions in England.”We’re looking forward to playing better cricket as a team in the longer version of the game especially with the backdrop of the team’s performance in the World Cup,” Ganga said. “Also given the fact that one of our senior players in Brian Lara has left a big void with regards to experience in our side.”It’s going to be important for us to rally around each other and to ensure that we play together as a team knowing conditions in England are very challenging. It will require a big effort on the part of everyone to ensure that we remain competitive and focused on our objectives.”Ganga, who was not part of the World Cup squad, said leading the side along with Ramnaresh Sarwan, the new captain, would be a huge honour. “I’m looking forward to supporting Sarwan in every possible way to ensure that the team comes first and we represent our West Indian people with pride and honour,” Ganga said.”We have a very nice blend of young inexperienced players with players who have been around international cricket for a long time. This is going to ensure that we remain enthusiastic whilst we plan and execute efficiently against our opposition.”

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsSuperb bowling from Pierre Joubert and Mandla Mashimbyi led Northerns to the SAA Provincial Challenge title after defeating Western Province by the convincing margin of 100 runs. Chasing 284, Western Province slumped to 184 all out .Needing quick runs in the morning, Kruger van Wyk set about with purpose for Northerns and reached his hundred from 169 balls. However, it was Gerald Dros who gave the innings much-needed momentum with a quick-fire fifty from 38 balls, with five sixes and a four.This left Province a tricky total of 284 from 81 overs, yet they got off to the worst possible start when Alistair Gray fell to the second ball of the innings. With Mashimbyi and Francis Nkuna picking up two wickets each, leaving Province wobbling on 26 for 4, the impetus was with the Northerns bowlers.Only Ryan Canning delayed the inevitable with a brisk and aggressive half-century, but even his bold effort was in vain as Northerns’ bowlers wrapped up the game and the title in the 45th over. Joubert finished with the impressive figures of 3 for 10 from nine overs.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball commentary
How they were out

Shivnarine Chanderpaul added to his first-innings 92 with a 153 not out in the second dig that put West Indies well on the way to victory © Getty Images

West Indies enjoyed a magnificent day at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados, and had Pakistan running for cover, on the verge of defeat, at the end of the third day. Shivnarine Chanderpaul added an unbeaten 153 to his first-innings 92, and powered West Indies to 371, setting Pakistan an unlikely 573 for victory. From 1 for 2, to ending on 113 for 4 at stumps, forget the unlikeliest of victories, Pakistan were struggling just to find a way to eke out a draw. They still trail by 460.If Bennett King, the West Indies coach, had written a script for his team to follow, it could not have been too different from the way things panned out. Bang on the stroke of tea they were bowled out, with more runs on the board than needed, and an inexperienced Pakistani batting line-up to bowl at. Fidel Edwards, hero of the first innings, combined with a diving Chris Gayle at second slip to strike, sending back Salman Butt before a run was scored.But there was a spot of bother for West Indies as Edwards limped off the field in the middle of an over, with his right hamstring acting up again. Reon King stepped up to complete the over, and incredibly, another wicket fell. Yasir Hameed drove to cover, and sauntered down the pitch; the sprightly Younis Khan had already reached the other end, and Chanderpaul’s lob hit the stumps at the bowler’s end, sending Younis packing (2 for 1).Darren Powell then stepped up to the plate, and produced a fine delivery – pitching on off and leaving the righthander – to tempt Hameed into edging to the wicketkeeper (16 for 3). West Indies’ bowlers then lost their stride momentarily, spraying the ball a touch and struggling with no-balls, before a shower brought much-needed relief to Pakistan with the score on 46 for 3. It proved to be a false dawn. When the players came back out, after a break of close to an hour, Bazid Khan was trapped lbw by the second ball delivered. Corey Colleymore got a ball to jag back in off the seam, and Bazid was palpably lbw (47 for 4). Asim Kamal (38 not out) and Shahid Afridi (32 not out) then controlled the damage, taking Pakistan safely to stumps at 113 for 4.But it was West Indies determined showing with the bat that set things up in the first place. Chanderpaul and Wavell Hinds shepherded the game through a dull first session, but did virtually everything they could to consolidate on the gains of the first two days. Barring the fact that Hinds (52) was bowled going for a big heave at the end of the session, West Indies barely put a foot wrong. They went from an overnight 168 for 4 to 271 for 5. Hinds had played his part, and though never dominating the bowling, bucked down well to stitch together a 134-run stand with Chanderpaul.The fact that West Indies suffered a mini-collapse thereafter is of little relevance, other than that Pakistan’s tired bowlers had something to show in the wickets column. Chanderpaul had already made the most of a situation tailormade for him. There was no hurry to score quickly, the pitch was not doing an awful lot, and bad balls were by no means in short supply. Why, for a change a West Indian tail-ender even stuck around – Edwards made a career-best 20 and shared in a 46-run partnership. In his uniquely unorthodox manner Chanderpaul biffed his way to 153, hitting 10 fours and 2 sixes in the process.Pakistan’s bowlers had suffered heavily. Rana Naved-ul-Hassan toiled hard, but only troubled batsmen when the ball was new and swung. Kaneria had been distinctly below par while Shahid Afridi and Abdul Razzaq did not quite have the firepower to make a dent in the top-order. They could do nothing to stop Chanderpaul, and West Indies, as they marched relentlessly towards victory.

How they were out

Pakistan
Salman Butt c Gayle b Edwards 0 (0 for 1)
Brilliantly caught at second slip after flashing at a full oneYounis Khan run out (Chanderpaul) 0 (1 for 2)
Left stranded attempting a quick one to coverYasir Hameed c Browne b Powell 11 (16 for 3)
Tickled one that was shaping awayBazid Khan lbw b Colleymore 23 (47 for 4)
Caught on the crease by one that nipped back inWest Indies
Devon Smith c Akmal b Razzaq 10 (59 for 1)
Tried to cut a ball too close and too shortRamnaresh Sarwan c Akmal b Afridi 1 (64 for 2)
Bottom edge attempting to cutChris Gayle c Kamal b Kaneria 50 (65 for 3)
Bat-pad catch to short legBrian Lara st Akmal b Afridi 48 (137 for 4)
Just failed to slide his back foot over the line after missing attempted driveWavell Hinds b Kaneria 52 (271 for 5)
Attempted a big shot to a legbreak that spun in sharplyCourtney Browne c Akmal b Afridi 1 (274 for 6)
Outside-edged a sharp legbreakDaren Powell b Naved-ul-Hasan 5 (307 for 7)
Lost his off stump to a peach that swung away lateFidel Edwards c Akmal b Shabbir 20 (353 for 7)
Feathered a short one angled into his bodyReon King b Shabbir 5 (367 for 9)
Missed a straight yorkerCorey Collymore lbw b Razzaq 0 (371 for 10)
Deceived by a slower ball that was full and on middle stump

Tim Lamb: ‘We will make a decision at the right time, for the right reasons’ © Getty Images

The England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has given a broad hint that it will make a decision over next autumn’s planned tour of Zimbabwe when its management board meets on February 25. And, more importantly, it has indicated that it has shifted from its policy of only being concerned about cricketing issues, and is now prepared to consider "political and moral arguments".Reacting to weekend speculation over the future of the tour, Tim Lamb, the ECB’s chief executive, said that the tour was still on at the moment but that, "We will make a decision at the right time, for the right reasons and with the right people making that decision. We are well aware of the pressure that we will come under. It’s going to be a question of balancing the political and moral argument with our obligations to the international fraternity.”During the World Cup fiasco which culminated in England boycotting their match in Harare, but only after seemingly endless meetings and changes of heart, the official stance was that only the safety of the tour party mattered. At the time, Lamb said: "The ECB is not a political body and we do not take decisions on that basis. We do not believe that it is our role to make subjective moral judgements about the various regimes in the different cricket-playing nations. These are matters for elected Governments to consider and take a decisive and early lead. They are not matters for sports administrators."The change makes it almost certain that the tour will be cancelled. The political situation in Zimbabwe has continued to deteriorate under Robert Mugabe, repression of anyone opposed to the government has become increasingly brutal, and earlier this month Zimbabwe withdraw from the Commonwealth.”We are that much wiser now than we were then,” Lamb admitted. “But that is not to say this will be an easy decision. We still have our obligations to the ICC and the international community.”Wisden Comment by Martin Williamson
The ECB’s change of heart is not because it has suddenly become a more moral organisation. What it has done is realise that it’s sport-and-politics-don’t-mix line adopted during the World Cup just doesn’t wash, with either the public or, far more importantly, sponsors.Indecisive leadership a and total failure to tackle the issue until it was too late left the ECB looking weak and money-orientated back in March. The cost, image aside, was crippling to an English game hardly awash with money. The full ramifications have yet to be felt, and the ICC are still holding over £2 million as a result of the last-minute cancellation of the match in Harare.Perhaps the one thing that influenced the ECB the most was the broad hint by Lord MacLaurin, once chairman of the ECB and now heading Vodafone, it’s largest sponsor, that if England went to Zimbabwe then they could kiss Vodafone’s £3 million-a-year investment goodbye. Another factor is that, unlike the World Cup, the tour is not an ICC event, and so financial penalties for cancellation are unlikely.Cynical? Perhaps. But in cricket, it’s all about the bottom line.

With South Africa having conceded the psychological and public relations advantage to Australia during the current Test series already won by the home team, the United Cricket Board of South Africa has taken the unprecedented step of issuing a vote of confidence in team manager Goolam Rajah.In a statement released in Johannesburg on New Year’s Eve, UCB chief executive Gerald Majola says that: "Rajah was a long-serving manager and that the UCBSA wasconfident in him and in the manner in which he had conducted himself on thetour to Australia".The statement goes on to say that: "it was not fair for the media to compare the SouthAfrican team on tour away from home in Australia with the Australian team ontheir home soil".The statement makes particular reference to an article published in the Johannesburg Sunday Times at the weekend in which senior cricket writer Colin Bryden criticised the performance of Rajah on tour. Bryden, who is also the editor of the Mutual and Federal SA Cricket Annual, South African cricket’s official mouthpiece, said that Rajah "whose name might as well be Dr No for his contribution to public relations on tour, flatly refused all requests for photographs or coverage of the team’s Christmas luncheon. He wouldn’t even allow an SABC news crew, flown to Australia at some expense, inside the room."Bryden also said that: "The players started the tour suspicious of the media and this has grown into something approaching paranoia, which embraces anyone not actually in the team. Board members and selectors, too, are seemingly barely tolerated. Instead of offering wise counsel, or cracking the whip, the manager panders to the introspective urgings of the cricketers".Rajah has been in charge of the South African team since 1998 when he took the side to England. Previously he had been assistant manager with a UCB board member being appointed manager of the team on a tour-by-tour basis.Rajah’s tenure has not been an easy one. The match-fixing scandal broke shortly after he had taken the team to India in early 2000 while earlier this year six members of the touring party were disciplined after admitting to smoking marijuana during South Africa’s Test series against the West Indies in the Caribbean.That the UCB should have seen fit to publicly endorse the manager, even as the South African tour of Australia crumbles about the side, is unusual to say the least. Cynics will no doubt point to the votes of confidence given to English football managers shortly before their dismissals.Whether this will be the case in Rajah’s case remains to be seen. What is certain, however, is that the post mortems after the tour, following Australia’s comprehensive capture of the Test series, will focus on the roles played by Rajah, team captain Shaun Pollock, coaches Graham Ford and Corrie van Zyl and Rushdi Magiet’s selection panel.