Showing posts with label squad. Show all posts
Showing posts with label squad. Show all posts

Friday, 6 September 2013

Rankin and Morgan in England squad

Boyd Rankin and Eoin Morgan are in the England squad to play against their former team Ireland in Tuesday's one-day international at Malahide.

Bready paceman Rankin took a wicket on his England debut in a Twenty20 game against New Zealand in June.

Rankin could make his England ODI debut against the Irish, who he played 37 times for, while Morgan, who captains the team, is a former Malahide player.

"It is exciting to see him with three lions on his chest," said Morgan.

"The opportunity is endless and if he achieves his potential, hopefully we will see him in a white Test shirt sooner rather than later."

Morgan is also hopeful of forcing his way back into the Test set-up having not played for England in the longer-format of the game since the series against Pakistan in Dubai in February 2012.

"It is just weight of runs and lack of form has led me to where I am, being dropped," he continued.

"I think one-day runs can help. It was the prime reason I got selected in the first place."

The 26-year-old is England captain in the absence of Alastair Cook, who is being rested.

Bowler Steve Finn is among six England players with Test experience.

One-day specialists Ravi Bopara, Jos Buttler and Luke Wright are included, while the highly rated Ben Stokes, James Tredwell and James Taylor will all be out to impress with an Ashes tour coming up in the winter.

There are call-ups for Michael Carberry, Jamie Overton, Gary Ballance and Danny Briggs.

There promises to be a number of intriguing personal battles with Ireland's county players coming face-to-face with their colleagues.

There's the prospect of Middlesex pair Paul Stirling and Tim Murtagh against Finn and Morgan, Ed Joyce tussling with Sussex stars Wright and Chris Jordan, and George Dockrell aiming to get the bragging rights over Buttler and Overton.

There's also the very real possibility of best friends and Warwickshire team-mates William Porterfield and Rankin coming head-to-head from the very first delivery of the biggest cricket match ever to be hosted in Ireland.

It's a return to a familiar hunting ground for Morgan - he began his Leinster senior career with Malahide as a mere 13-year-old back in 2000.

Indeed, he was part of the Malahide side which captured the Irish Senior Cup in 2002.

Morgan will find the new international venue at Malahide barely recognisable from the club venue of a decade ago.

The ground has been transformed into a 10,000 capacity venue for the blue-riband fixture, and the game is on course to be a sell-out.

Ireland squad : William Porterfield (captain) (Warwickshire), George Dockrell (Somerset), Trent Johnston (YMCA), Ed Joyce (Sussex), John Mooney (North County), Tim Murtagh (Middlesex), Kevin O'Brien (Railway Union), Niall O'Brien (Leicestershire), Eddie Richardson (North County), Max Sorensen (The Hills), Paul Stirling (Middlesex), Andrew White (Instonians), Gary Wilson (Surrey).

England squad: Eoin Morgan (captain) (Middlesex), Gary Ballance (Yorkshire), Ravi Bopora (Essex), Danny Briggs (Hampshire), Jos Buttler (Somerset), Michael Carberry (Hampshire), Steven Finn (Middlesex), Chris Jordan (Sussex), Jamie Overton (Somerset), Boyd Rankin (Warwickshire), Ben Stokes (Durham), James Taylor (Notts), James Tredwell (Kent), Luke Wright (Sussex).


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Wednesday, 4 September 2013

David Warner and Mitchell Starc left out of Australia squad for ODI series against England

“Like all selection matters, it was a tough decision, but like all players he understands the situation and knows he needs to get back to playing Ryobi Cup and making a heap of runs that we can’t ignore,” Lehmann said.

“I spoke with David at length about what he needs to do and I’ve been impressed with his attitude since I’ve come into the Australian setup.”

Warner might have been overshadowed in the T20s by Aaron Finch, whose 156 off 63 balls at the Ageas Bowl on Thursday was the stuff of hitting fantasy, but England’s bowlers will be pleased to see the back of him as he is also a dangerous batsman.

Suddenly, the prospective debuts of Jamie Overton, Chris Jordan and Boyd Rankin, opening bowlers all, just got a smidgen easier and England’s experimental squad does not look quite as vulnerable as it did.

England’s batsmen, too, will be more optimistic after the return home of Mitchell Starc, said to be suffering from lower back pain.

Starc lacks consistency but he possesses true magic in his ability to swing both the new and old ball at pace, something only Mitchell Johnson can do among the current group and then only during the transit of Venus.

Starc, who recovered from ankle surgery to make the Ashes tour, is the latest casualty in a line of Australian pace bowlers to suffer injuries this past year.

Pat Cummins, James Pattinson and Ryan Harris are also recovering from various ailments and along with Starc could be doubts for the first Ashes Test which begins in Brisbane on November 21.

The nub of the forthcoming five-match NatWest Series are an England side with fresh faces against an Australian side with fresh legs.

There will be some old hands in Kevin Pietersen, Eoin Morgan, England’s captain, and Jonathan Trott to guide the greenhorns, but it will be an interesting exercise to see whether the England Performance Programme and the Lions can adequately prepare players for the big time.

There is a big prize at stake, even for older players such as Luke Wright and Michael Carberry.

The 2015 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand is just 18 months away and players excelling against Michael Clarke’s savvy and motivated side are likely to be looked upon favourably by selectors when they come to refine their choices over the coming year.

“It’s about taking your chance while some of the other players like Ian Bell, James Anderson and Stuart Broad are being rested,” said Wright, who last played international 50-over cricket in the 2011 World Cup.

“It’s a massive series for myself and Chris Jordan.

“It’s something we have worked towards for a long time. Since I got injured and lost my place I have been desperate to get back into it. It’s an opportunity to stake a claim.

“Ultimately, you want to be in that next squad when it comes to going to Australia and then each one going on to the World Cup. The only way to do that is to take your chance.”

Australia squad: Michael Clarke (capt), George Bailey, Fawad Ahmed, Nathan Coulter-Nile, James Faulkner, Aaron Finch, Josh Hazlewood, Phil Hughes, Mitchell Johnson, Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Clint McKay, Adam Voges, Matthew Wade (wkt), Shane Watson.


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Thursday, 29 August 2013

Stuart Broad: Michael Vaughan 'disrespectful' to suggest refunds after England ODI squad named without stars

Vaughan said on Twitter that England fans should be offered a partial refund after it was announced one-day captain Alastair Cook, batsman Ian Bell, off-spinner Graeme Swann and seamers James Anderson and Broad himself would be absent from the five-match NatWest Series, starting on Sept 6.

However, captain Broad has defended the decision, believing certain players in the squad need a rest and that their replacements will be more than a match for Australia.

"I think they're (Vaughan's comments) disrespectful to the side that's going to go out on the field," Broad said.

"There's guys who have performed throughout the county season to get a chance at the international level.

"As an ODI team, we're building towards that 2015 World Cup (where) you need to have a big group of players going into that World Cup with experience of international caps.

"They wouldn't be in the squad if they're not good enough play and that ODI squad will be very focused on beating Australia.

"I know if I was paying to go and watch, I'd want to go and watch England beat Australia, that's it."

Vaughan thought it unfair of England to sell tickets to fans that would have been under the impression they would get to see most of the Ashes winners in action.

Kevin Pietersen, Joe Root, Jonathan Trott and Steven Finn were the only players selected in the ODI squad that played some part in the Ashes.

Vaughan tweeted on Tuesday: "I would have only rested Captain Cook.. Plenty of time to rest from Sept 16th - Nov 21st!!!? Can't sell tickets then rest 5 star names!!!!

"No problems resting players but I think Supporters who have paid good money to watch the best should get a small refund..."


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England's Ashes winners rested for one-day series against Australia as five uncapped players named in squad

Before his back problems, Jordan looked as if he might become the next Andrew Flintoff – his bowling being both quick and aggressive and his batting delightfully uncomplicated.

If that ambition has been tempered he certainly has it in him to be the next Tim Bresnan, if not a cricketer of his own design.

He qualifies for England through a grandmother and for West Indies through birth.

Indeed, West Indies had been interested in securing his services but perhaps forgot to make another approach once it became likely that his back problem would not compromise him.

Given the same choice back in the early 1970s, Gordon Greenidge chose (wisely as it happened) to play for West Indies and became one of the greats.

But if Jordan delivers on his early promise it will be a coup for England.

Jordan is one of 10 players in England’s one-day squad who represented England Lions against Bangladesh recently, registering two wins and a loss.

With the selectors deciding to rest Alastair Cook, Ian Bell, Stuart Broad (though he will captain England’s T20 side this week), Graeme Swann and James Anderson after the Ashes, it always made sense to blood talented youngsters in the hope they might be fully formed by the next World Cup in 2015.

That learning process is why Kevin Pietersen has been retained and not rested alongside his Ashes team mates despite having a sore knee.

As he showed on the final day at the Kia Oval, few can match his batting versatility when the mood takes him and tyros such as Ben Stokes will assimilate a lot about one-day batting just by watching him and Eoin Morgan, England’s acting captain in Cook’s absence.

Pietersen is rested from the T20s and the squad to play Ireland, for which his place has been taken by Yorkshire’s Gary Ballance.

“Following a very intense period of cricket this summer we have decided to rest a number of senior players,” Geoff Miller, the national selector, said.

“This creates an excellent opportunity for players who have impressed in county cricket and for England Lions recently to test themselves at international level as we continue to build a squad ahead of the ICC Cricket World Cup, which is less than 18 months away.”

After his surprise selection in the final Test, the absence of Chris Woakes from the one-day squad seems something of a puzzle, as does, given the experimental nature of the squad, the absence of Jonny Bairstow.

According to Miller, both have been given ample opportunity in England’s one-day sides before and the pair have been returned to their counties, Woakes to rediscover his swing and Bairstow to do some wicketkeeping.

“Players just don’t get given caps, they have to earn the opportunity through good performances with their counties,” Miller said.

“Once they have done that they will be considered for the next step, which is to introduce them to the international environment to see how they fare.”

One player eager to prove himself after a small taste of Test cricket three years ago is Michael Carberry.

Picked for a Test tour of Bangladesh, on the back of being an organised opening batsman, Carberry has revealed his inner animal for Hampshire this season to gain selection to both England’s T20 and one-day squads.

Like Jordan, he has endured a period out of the game, following complications from blood clots, but seems at the peak of his form now, ready to target Australia and the World Cup there in 18 months’ time.

England ODI squad v Ireland: E Morgan (Middlesex, capt), G Ballance (Yorkshire), R Bopara (Essex), D Briggs (Hampshire), J Buttler (Somerset), M Carberry (Hampshire), S Finn (Middlesex), C Jordan (Sussex), J Overton (Somerset), B Rankin (Warwickshire), B Stokes (Durham), J Taylor (Nottinghamshire), J Tredwell (Kent), L Wright (Sussex).

England ODI squad v Australia: E Morgan (Middlesex, capt), R Bopara (Essex), J Buttler (Somerset), M Carberry (Hampshire), S Finn (Middlesex), C Jordan (Sussex), J Overton (Somerset), K Pietersen (Surrey), B Rankin (Warwickshire), J Root (Yorkshire), B Stokes (Durham), J Tredwell (Kent), J Trott (Warwickshire), L Wright (Sussex).


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Wednesday, 21 August 2013

Jamshed, Irfan left out of Pakistan Test squad

Pakistan have left out Nasir Jamshed and Mohammad Irfan from the 15-member Test squad for the tour of Zimbabwe. The other players to miss out from the squad that played in South Africa in February are batsman Haris Sohail, wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed, batsman Taufeeq Umar and fast bowler Umar Gul, who is out due to injury. They have been replaced by fast bowlers Wahab Riaz and Rahat Ali, along with batsman Imran Farhat (who was not part of the original Test squad in South Africa), batsman Khurram Manzoor and wicketkeeper Adnan Akmal.

Pakistan announced their ODI and T20 squads too, selected by a three-man selection committee contracted to the PCB, but without a chief selector. The announcement was made via a press release without any explanations on the reasons for the changes in the squads, though ESPNcricinfo understands that Irfan has been temporarily relieved from the longer-format, while Jamshed has been restricted to the limited-overs squad to allow 27-year-old Manzoor to assume the opening slot. Manzoor last played for Pakistan during their 2010 tour of Australia.

Irfan's fitness has been a crucial factor in his cricketing life thus far, with concerns over his ability to bowl long spells. He is the tallest cricketer ever to play Test cricket at 7'1", and has played for Pakistan since their December 2012 tour of India. He was retained for both limited-overs squads, besides the three fast bowlers - Junaid Khan, Asad Ali and Anwar Ali. Sarfraz Ahmed, who was part of Pakistan's previous Test squad, lost his spot to Adnan Akmal. Sarfraz was decent behind the stumps, but averaged 13.83 with the bat in three Test matches against South Africa.

Wahab Riaz, who played four ODIs during the recent tour of West Indies, managed to take only two wickets and was subsequently dropped from the one-day and T20 squads, with Anwar Ali replacing him in both formats. Peshawar batsman Mohammad Rizwan, who was also part of the squad in the West Indies, has been left out because of his inclusion in the Pakistan Under-23 squad.

The selectors also recruited a new batsman, Multan-born Sohaib Maqsood, for the Twenty20 squad. Maqsood finished as one of the leading runs scorers in the President's One-day Cup, where he scored 427 runs at 71.60. He also scored 402 runs at 50.25 in the Quaid-e-Azam trophy, and was the top-scorer for WAPDA in the President's Trophy, finishing with 618 runs at 41.20. Anwar Ali, who first gained recognition with his swing bowling during the 2006 Under-19 World Cup, has only played one T20 International against Zimbabwe in 2008.

Moin Khan, whose appointment as chief selector was ruled out by the Islamabad High Court two weeks ago, has been named team manager for the tour. Fast bowling coach Mohammad Akram has also been asked to continue despite his contract running out in the middle of August.

Test squad: Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), Mohammad Hafeez, Imran Farhat, Asad Shafiq, Khurram Manzoor, Adnan Akmal (wk), Faisal Iqbal, Younis Khan, Azhar Ali, Junaid Khan, Wahab Riaz, Saeed Ajmal, Abdul Rehman, Rahat Ali, Ehsan Adil

ODI squad: Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), Mohammad Hafeez, Nasir Jamshed, Ahmed Shahzad, Asad Shafiq, Umar Amin, Umar Akmal (wk), Shahid Afridi, Saeed Ajmal, Mohammad Irfan, Junaid Khan, Abdul Rehman, Asad Ali, Anwar Ali, Haris Sohail

T20 squad: Mohammad Hafeez (capt), Nasir Jamshed, Ahmed Shahzad, Umar Amin, Umar Akmal, Sohaib Maqsood, Shahid Afridi, Saeed Ajmal, Sohail Tanvir, Mohammad Irfan, Junaid Khan, Zulfiqar Babar, Asad Ali, Anwar Ali, Haris Sohail

Umar Farooq is ESPNcricinfo's Pakistan correspondent. He tweets here

RSS Feeds: Umar Farooq © ESPN Sports Media Ltd.


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Jamshed, Irfan left out of Pakistan Test squad

Pakistan have left out Nasir Jamshed and Mohammad Irfan from the 15-member Test squad for the tour of Zimbabwe. The other players to miss out from the squad that played in South Africa in February are batsman Haris Sohail, wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed, batsman Taufeeq Umar and fast bowler Umar Gul, who is out due to injury. They have been replaced by fast bowlers Wahab Riaz and Rahat Ali, along with batsman Imran Farhat (who was not part of the original Test squad in South Africa), batsman Khurram Manzoor and wicketkeeper Adnan Akmal.

Pakistan announced their ODI and T20 squads too, selected by a three-man selection committee contracted to the PCB, but without a chief selector. The announcement was made via a press release without any explanations on the reasons for the changes in the squads, though ESPNcricinfo understands that Irfan has been temporarily relieved from the longer-format, while Jamshed has been restricted to the limited-overs squad to allow 27-year-old Manzoor to assume the opening slot. Manzoor last played for Pakistan during their 2010 tour of Australia.

Irfan's fitness has been a crucial factor in his cricketing life thus far, with concerns over his ability to bowl long spells. He is the tallest cricketer ever to play Test cricket at 7'1", and has played for Pakistan since their December 2012 tour of India. He was retained for both limited-overs squads, besides the three fast bowlers - Junaid Khan, Asad Ali and Anwar Ali. Sarfraz Ahmed, who was part of Pakistan's previous Test squad, lost his spot to Adnan Akmal. Sarfraz was decent behind the stumps, but averaged 13.83 with the bat in three Test matches against South Africa.

Wahab Riaz, who played four ODIs during the recent tour of West Indies, managed to take only two wickets and was subsequently dropped from the one-day and T20 squads, with Anwar Ali replacing him in both formats. Peshawar batsman Mohammad Rizwan, who was also part of the squad in the West Indies, has been left out because of his inclusion in the Pakistan Under-23 squad.

The selectors also recruited a new batsman, Multan-born Sohaib Maqsood, for the Twenty20 squad. Maqsood finished as one of the leading runs scorers in the President's One-day Cup, where he scored 427 runs at 71.60. He also scored 402 runs at 50.25 in the Quaid-e-Azam trophy, and was the top-scorer for WAPDA in the President's Trophy, finishing with 618 runs at 41.20. Anwar Ali, who first gained recognition with his swing bowling during the 2006 Under-19 World Cup, has only played one T20 International against Zimbabwe in 2008.

Moin Khan, whose appointment as chief selector was ruled out by the Islamabad High Court two weeks ago, has been named team manager for the tour. Fast bowling coach Mohammad Akram has also been asked to continue despite his contract running out in the middle of August.

Test squad: Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), Mohammad Hafeez, Imran Farhat, Asad Shafiq, Khurram Manzoor, Adnan Akmal (wk), Faisal Iqbal, Younis Khan, Azhar Ali, Junaid Khan, Wahab Riaz, Saeed Ajmal, Abdul Rehman, Rahat Ali, Ehsan Adil

ODI squad: Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), Mohammad Hafeez, Nasir Jamshed, Ahmed Shahzad, Asad Shafiq, Umar Amin, Umar Akmal (wk), Shahid Afridi, Saeed Ajmal, Mohammad Irfan, Junaid Khan, Abdul Rehman, Asad Ali, Anwar Ali, Haris Sohail

T20 squad: Mohammad Hafeez (capt), Nasir Jamshed, Ahmed Shahzad, Umar Amin, Umar Akmal, Sohaib Maqsood, Shahid Afridi, Saeed Ajmal, Sohail Tanvir, Mohammad Irfan, Junaid Khan, Zulfiqar Babar, Asad Ali, Anwar Ali, Haris Sohail

Umar Farooq is ESPNcricinfo's Pakistan correspondent. He tweets here

RSS Feeds: Umar Farooq © ESPN Sports Media Ltd.


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