Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has officially launched the recruitment process for a new head coach for the national team, placing an advertisment on their website. Tom Moody’s term as coach ends after the ongoing one-day series against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi.While negotiations continued with former fast bowler Rumesh Ratnayake about the possibility of him assisting during the Bangladesh tour in July, SLC were seeking applications from interested coaches to be submitted by July 1 so they could secure an international coach to prepare the team for the 2011 World Cup.”The suitable candidate should be a Level III qualified coach and should be energetic, organised and highly motivated with excellent communication skills,” the SLC media release said on their website (www.srilankacricket.lk).”The selected individual will be required to train national squads for the participation of tournaments and tours. He will also be required to work at specialised clinics and harness the selected players to be competitive in the international arena and will be responsible for building a winning team.”SLC also sought the help of Moody, who is set to join Western Australia, to headhunt some select coaches.”Tom has come up with a few names and we are also conducting our own research to have an appropriate candidate who can continue the good work Moody has done with the national team so far,” said Jayantha Dharmadasa, the SLC chairman.The early frontrunner for the position, John Wright, apparently ruled himself out. Other interested candidates include Jamie Siddons, Dave Houghton, Greg Shipperd, Terry Oliver, Trevor Bayliss and Graham Ford.Siddons is assistant coach of the Australian team and a senior coach at the Center for Excellence in Brisbane. Houghton, the former Zimbabwe captain, is presently coaching Derbyshire. Shipperd is the coach of Victoria while Oliver had success coaching Queensland. Baylisss made his mark as head coach of New South Wales and Ford who coaches Kent was a former coach of South Africa.
Having taken an age to sign him, it appears likely that Daniel Vettori’s stint with Warwickshire might be limited to just a single match, after it was confirmed today that he is suffering from a stress fracture to his back. He will return to New Zealand to undergo treatment immediately.Vettori, the New Zealand left-arm spinner, bowled 31 overs in Warwickshire’s draw against Middlesex at Lord’s last week, before his back injury flared up again – the same which has dogged his Test career so far.”Dan was looking forward to being part of a successful [Warwickshire] set-up this summer but clearly now he will need to focus his energies on getting healthy,” Mark Greatbatch, director of coaching, said.”We wish him well for a speedy recovery and share his disappointment at having to return home so soon. We all hope it is not too long before he is back in action.”
John Wright, the former Indian coach, has said that the time for honorary selectors may be up, and has urged the Indian board administration to bring in professionals. “I have no problems with the selectors because they’re all trying to do a tough job,” said Wright in a frank interview with . “What I have a problem with is the system, whereby they’re voted in every year and they’re voted in by a geographical region. I don’t think that situation is healthy.”Wright said he had witnessed several passionate selection meetings, and noted that since selectors performed in an honorary capacity, they would be changed often, regardless of whether they were competent or otherwise. This process, he said, had to change because a large part of a team’s showing depended on the actions of the selectors.”Every year, generally, you have a new convenor and a different make-up on your panel, so the continuity is difficult. Sanjay Jagdale has been an outstanding selector and because his time is up he is no longer in that position. That to me just doesn’t make sense.”I feel that the system of picking your national selection panel may have done its course,” he continued, “and I would urge the BCCI to study the situation. I have a personal opinion that it should be a professional position, the way it is in a number of countries. You can have the best coaching system and your best coaches, but if you don’t get your selections right, you’re making it very difficult for yourselves.”Wright added that a selector who toured with the team could help matters, because he would be in a position to interact with the captain and coach on requirements and decisions. As for feedback on players at first-class level, utilising the services of coaches could be helpful. “I think there are some good coaches out there in the first-class system, and they should be used. I hope they establish a pathway for coaching in domestic cricket. There’s a new group coming through, guys like Paras Mhambrey, Venkatesh Prasad, Robin Singh. If you can get a system going where they feel there’s a career there, then that could be helpful.”Wright added that you could not rule entirely out a situation where coaches became surplus to requirement and the team was “taking responsibility for those decisions.”Which leads us to the Ian Chappell situation, where if a captain doesn’t really want anyone else around, then fine.”
Bangladesh have dropped Javed Omar and included three new faces into their one-day international squad to face England.Omar scored only 50 runs in four innings in the recent Test series against England, and he has been replaced by the young and talented Nafis Iqbal, who England know all about already. He gave them the run-around with a stylish 118 for Bangladesh A, and later called the bowling `ordinary’. Iqbal, 18, also captained Bangladesh in the Under-19 World Cup 18 months ago.Meanwhile, Mashrafe Mortaza was forced to pull out after he injured his knee in the second Test at Chittagong and he has been ruled out for five weeks. Anwar Hossain Monir comes in for cover. Jamal Uddin, an offspinner, was called up in place of Enamul Haque Jr while Mohammad Moniruzzaman, a batsman, was also included.Khaled Mahmud has been retained as captain.The three-match series begins at Chittagong on Friday, while the last two matches are day-night games in Dhaka on November 10 and 12.Squad Khaled Mahmud (capt), Habibul Bashar, Khaled Mashud (wkt), Hannan Sarkar, Rajin Saleh, Alok Kapali, Mushfiqur Rahman, Mohammad Rafique, Tapash Baisya, Mohammad Moniruzzaman, Anwar Hussain, Mohammad Jamaluddin, Nafees Iqbal.
Hawke’s Bay have won the chance to reverse their Hawke Cup-deciding match against Hamilton when the two meet in a challenge in Hamilton at the weekend.After the competition was revamped to remove metropolitan associations from the challenge format, an elimination series was played last summer and in the match to decide the holder of the Cup, Hamilton beat Hawke’s Bay.Now Hawke’s Bay has won the Central Districts elimination series to qualify while Manawatu will have a play-off game with the runner up from Zone One on March 9-11, to decide who will play the Hawke Cup challenge match on March 23-25.Final points in the CD competition were: Hawke’s Bay 38, Manawatu 35, Wanganui 24, Marlborough 23, Wairarapa 19, Taranaki 18, Nelson 13, Horowhenua Kapiti 8.
Sri Lanka’s impressive start to the Coca Cola Champions Trophy continued tonight at the CBFS Stadium in Sharjah, with an overwhelming victory over a lacklustre Zimbabwe side. Indeed, the Southern African team was so convincingly outplayed, that the game became a rather drab affair. Sri Lanka eventually bowled out Zimbabwe in the 49th over, to win the match by 123 runs.Sanath Jayasuriya snatched the initiative from Zimbabwe in the first fifteen overs of the match with a swashbuckling half-century, which brought back memories of the heady days of the 1996 World Cup. Jayasuriya, who was reinstated with his erstwhile opening partner, Romesh Kaluwitharana, blazed 88 runs from just 66 deliveries.However, Zimbabwe’s fate was sealed after a penetrative spell of fast bowling by Nuwan Zoysa and Chaminda Vaas. Requiring 277 runs to win the match the Zimbabwean opening batsmen, Douglas Marillier (11) and Alistair Campbell (20), were given no freedom to play their strokes, and, in contrast to Sri Lanka, the innings stagnated in the early overs.The pressure eventually told. Marillier, who had crashed the ball to the boundary the previous ball, was surprised by some extra bounce from Chaminda Vaas and was caught in the gully. Stuart Carlisle (0) was trapped LBW next ball.Nuwan Zoysa, somewhat unlucky to not have already claimed a wicket, induced a faint edge from Andy Flower (0) five balls later and a thick edge from a frustrated Campbell (20), which was brilliantly caught by Mahela Jayawarden at slip.Zimbabwe had crumbled to 35 for 4 in the 14th over. Worse, the ever-eager Mutiah Muralitharan couldn’t wait to loosen his spinning fingers, and, with the type of glee normally associated with natural predators, set upon his opponents. Within two overs he had induced a daft reverse sweep from Guy Whittall (1) and had pushed Grant Flower right back on to his stumps.The Zimbabwean cause now hopeless, the innings meandered on without direction, the batsmen torn between the desire to win the match and the need to protect their net run rate.Earlier in the day, Zimbabwe had won the toss and elected to field. To their credit they fought back valiantly after Sri Lanka had raced to 105 from the first fifteen overs. When Kaluwithrana (25) was run out and Jayasuriya had his leg stump uprooted, the middle ordered faltered; Jayawardene (5) was bizarrely run out after straying from the crease unaware that Flower had the ball in his grasp, Sangakkara (4) misjudged the length and was clean bowled, and Russel Arnold (18) celebrated his birthday with a top edged sweep.Were it not for some pyrotechnics from Chaminda Vaas (23) and Kashalya Weeraratne (14*) in the last three overs, and a typically measured half-century from Marvan Attapattu (58), Sri Lanka would not have scored in excess of 250.Zimbabwe’s hope will now rest in the mathematician’s calculator. They have to beat India tomorrow convincingly and pray that Sri Lanka don’t take the pedal off the gas when they play India on Friday.Sri Lanka will take much pleasure from their performance, but know that there are issues to be addressed. Firstly, what to do about the third seamer, Kaushalya Weeraratne, who has proved expensive and one dimensional on the flat Middle Eastern tracks. Secondly, the inconsistency of the middle order
Liverpool striker Divock Origi is reportedly a ‘concrete target’ for Serie A giants AC Milan ahead of a likely move away from Anfield this summer.
The Lowdown: Origi likely to leave Anfield
The 26-year-old has become a cult hero during his time as a Reds player, scoring some genuinely iconic goals in the Jurgen Klopp era.
Origi has become an increasingly bit-part figure this season, though, making no starts in the Premier League, and Luis Diaz’s January arrival has only made him even more peripheral.
It seems likely that the Belgian will enjoy a fresh challenge at the end of the season, with a new update suggesting as much.
The Latest: Milan interested in move for Origi
According to Milan News [via Sport Witness], Origi is a ‘concrete target’ for Milan as they eye up a younger alternative to 40-year-old Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
They have ‘identified’ the Liverpool striker and have also ‘already started’ making contact with his representatives over a summer transfer, with the report calling him a ‘serious’ target.
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The Verdict: Makes perfect sense
Origi will forever be remembered fondly by Liverpool supporters, having scored memorable Champions League goals against Barcelona and Tottenham, not to mention some crucial last-gasp winners in the Premier League. Indeed, Klopp himself has called the Belgium international a ‘monster’.
However, it makes complete sense for the 26-year-old to leave this summer and enjoy regular football elsewhere at a prime period in his career, in terms of age.
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There is simply no way for him to get constant minutes at Liverpool these days, but perhaps he has one last major contribution in his locker over the coming months.
In other news, Liverpool have reportedly made an unofficial bid for one player. Read more here.
Giles Clarke, the ECB chairman, has calmed speculation that England’s top players could be lured into the financially lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL).The IPL – which is officially sanctioned by the ICC, unlike the Indian Cricket League – has attracted some of the biggest names in world cricket. Dimitri Mascarenhas is the only Englishman to have signed up so far, largely due to the IPL clashing with the county season, but Clarke insists no player can be poached without the ECB’s consent.”We have a contract with BCCI,” Clarke told . “In that contract, they’re not allowed to take any English players of any kind to play in IPL if there is no ‘No Objection Certificate’ [NOC].”IPL will not play any player who has not received an NOC.”Clarke would be powerless to prevent the likes of Kevin Pietersen joining the non-sanctioned ICL, although any player who went down that path could be barred from playing Test or county cricket in the future. Two days ago, the ECB rejection the registration of five county players for their association with the ICL.”If they obtain a No Objection Certificate from their home board then we’re going to consider their cases,” Clarke said. “I don’t think we’re telling players they can’t earn a living. We’re saying here are the rules in our country. Our job is to nurture, to protect and to develop cricket in England and Wales. We make those judgements as to how we go about doing that. We do so with clarity, legally. If people from other countries have different views as to how we’re doing that, I’m sorry but they’re not in our country.”We’ll run the game according to our regulations and our rules and we expect them to comply. We have no interest in seeing rogue leagues in other countries develop. We have no interest in seeing rogue leagues in our country develop.”Some of England’s higher profile names, such as Pietersen and Alastair Cook, have poured water on the attraction of the IPL, committing their immediate future to England. Ali Brown, Surrey’s pugnacious batsman, also turned down an offer. However, earlier this month Lalit Modi, the Indian IPL commissioner, said the tournament’s second season could be moved in order to accommodate England players.
Martin Snedden has ended his role as New Zealand Cricket’s chief executive after six years in the job. Snedden will be replaced by Justin Vaughan, the former Test player, and is leaving to join the company organising the 2011 rugby World Cup.”I have enjoyed my time at New Zealand Cricket and admit to feeling some sadness that I am leaving after a long association as a player, board member and chief executive,” he said. Snedden began his international career as a medium-pace bowler in 1981 and played 25 Tests and 93 ODIs.”I would like to thank the management and staff of New Zealand Cricket, the major and district associations, our commercial partners and contracted players for their efforts and the support they have given me during my time as chief executive.” Vaughan, who is a qualified medical doctor, will take over in June.
If anyone doubted the progress that Bangladesh have made in the last 18 months, their improved performances against Sri Lanka and their emphatic wins in the opening two matches of the one-day series against Kenya should have made it clear that they are on the up.Habibul Bashar, their experienced captain who has been through the bad – and the very bad – times was keen to underline that his side is now looking up for their next victims rather than being worried about who might beat them. “I don’t want to compare our team with Kenya,” he said after the nine-wicket win at Khulna. “You all know we have defeated teams like India, Australia and Sri Lanka in the recent past. And I believe as a team we should compete consistently against the big teams and it is actually our ultimate goal.”As I have repeated often, our performance against Sri Lanka was quite decent and there was a clear sign of improvement within the squad. And I think that impressive performance has helped us to do much better against Kenya.”We have won the first two matches quite convincingly and we are looking forward to winning the remaining matches in the same fashion,” added Bashar, before curtly dismissing suggestions that Bangladesh should experiment in the remaining two matches at Fatullah. “I am totally against that,” he stressed. “I want to field my best side to finish the series on a high note ahead of the tough home series against Australia in April. We are all enjoying the game that’s why it would be unwise to break the rhythm.”We have improved in every department especially the way the top order has been batting in the series is refreshing for us. But what has impressed me most is the effort of the two new ball bowlers, especially Syed Rasel who has injected new blood in the attack. The right-left bowling combination has worked brilliantly since our Sri Lanka trip. Our new-ball attack was erratic in the past but the new pair has bought real discipline. It is now proved that if we bat to our potential we can give any of our opponents a tough time.”