Mark Gillespie, the New Zealand fast bowler, has been diagnosed with an uncommon nerve disorder in his right shoulder that threatens to delay his World Cup entry. The problem, which New Zealand officials called acute brachial neuritis, was the result of a throat virus Gillespie suffered before leaving for the Caribbean last week.Gillespie’s bowling arm became numb during the long flight to the West Indies and he will return to a specialist in Barbados on Friday. News of Gillespie’s nerve inflammation was a double blow for New Zealand, who suffered their first defeat to Bangladesh on Tuesday.New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming had hoped Gillespie’s problem would be a short-term issue, but the bowler is likely to miss Friday’s warm-up against Sri Lanka. A New Zealand spokesman said Gillespie was on medication and he would have a greater idea of his playing prospects when he returned to the specialist.Fleming said New Zealand were shaken by the upset loss to Bangladesh in their opening warm-up game. The side came to the Caribbean with high hopes of progressing deep into the tournament after a cleansweep of Australia, but they face some rebuilding after being humbled by the No. 9-ranked Bangladesh.Despite the painful two-wicket defeat, which was sealed by Mashrafe Mortaza’s two sixes off James Franklin, Fleming refused to offer any excuses. “There’s not a lot we can say, I guess it’s a result that just shakes you up,” Fleming told Reuters. “We just didn’t play well. It gives us some headaches and I suppose you can say it’s a wake-up call before the tournament starts.”Nothing went right. We batted poorly at the beginning and did not assess conditions that well. We knew it was going to be tricky at the start and we fell flat on our faces. We were always there in the game. We fought back after a poor start and if we had reached 250, we would have won the game. But they fielded brilliantly, they just kept coming at us. We just couldn’t shake them.”It was a morale-boosting win for Bangladesh ahead of their first round matches against India, Sri Lanka and Bermuda. “It was a very good win and naturally we are pleased,” said captain Habibul Bashar. “We are moving in the right direction.”
ScorecardWhat a difference a day makes. Last night, Zimbabwe were celebrating a comprehensive eight-wicket win over Kenya in the opening ODI of the five-match series. After months of internal turmoil, it seemed that Zimbabwe cricket was on the mend. But a crushing 79-run defeat in the second game at Bulwayo reopened all the doubts as to whether this raw Zimbabwe side has what it takes to compete at the highest level.It was the highly experienced Steve Tikolo, Kenya’s captain and a man with more ODIs under his belt than Zimbabwe’s top nine combined, who laid the platform for the win with 98 off 75 balls after Kenya had slipped to 24 for 2. Tikolo departed on 173 for 4, and yesterday Kenya’s tail had folded limply. Today they feasted on a tiring attack, and 19-year-old Tanmay Mishra, who made his international debut yesterday, impressed most with 46. Zimbabwe’s bowlers looked ill-at-ease, and Blessing Mahwire, who should have provided a cutting edge, was so wayward he was not even called on to bowl his quota of overs.A crowd of about 1000 – double that of yesterday, despite dark clouds which have hung over the city all week – were quietened by the loss of two quick Zimbabwe wickets, but then Piet Rinke continued the attacking form he had shown 24 hours earlier with a 47-ball 54. But he was the second of three wickets for Peter Ongondo – who finished with 3 for 26 – and the lack of experience and match practice showed as Zimbabe’s raw middle order crumbled.The crowd, which had got behind the home side throughout, were rewarded with a determined 53 from Supersub Keegan Meth, but all that did was to delay Kenya’s celebrations and reduce Zimbabwe’s margin of defeat.But make no mistake, this was a comprehensive loss and one which only underlined what a massive task Zimbabwe have ahead of them. Even if they win this series, their next hurdle is a seven-ODI series in the Caribbean, and a West Indies side with problems of their own are hardly likely to go easy.Kenya and Zimbabwe now trek back to Harare where they play three matches in four days, starting on Wednesday. There appears little between the sides, but much depends on whether Zimbabwe can overcome inexperience and a chronic lack of time in the middle. The weather – this has been a very wet few months in Zimbabwe – may also have a part to play.
The battle for control of the US cricket administration was always likely to turn really ugly following the cancellation of Project USA, and it seems that the gloves are now well and truly off.In one corner, Gladstone Dainty and his existing USA Cricket Association elite; in the other, the swelling ranks of the clubs and regional bodies who have had enough.What triggered an escalation in the hostilities was the announcement earlier this week by Polam Reddy, president of the Southern California Cricket Association, of a meeting caled by the Council of League Presidents (which is made up of the 25-odd cricket leagues that constitute the bulk of USACA membership) next month in Dallas to discuss the future of cricket in the USA.That struck a nerve with Dainty.Cricinfo has been given details of a remarkable telephone conversation yesterday between Dainty and Reddy in which there was little attempt to disguise the level of animosity between the pair. Dainty was livid that the meeting had been called, claimed that Reddy had no authority and also tried to maintain that Reddy’s recent election had been blocked by the USACA. In an email circulated to the USACA, Reddy said the conversation ended with Dainty threatening to "destroy me for not respecting his position."The president of the North Texas Cricket Association and the USACA regional director of the Central East Region have informed Dainty that they are the co-sponsors of the Dallas meeting on April 16. Furthermore, they have stated that any action on Dainty’s part to interfere with the proceedings would be viewed with the greatest concern and would immediately lead to criminal proceedings against him. They are also telling him that the authorities in Dallas had been informed about Dainty’s threat, and would be prepared to take any needed action to allow the proceedings to go on undisturbed."If Dainty is there we will ask him one question," Reddy said in an email. "Only one. We will ask him to tell us, in one sentence, what positive thing he has ever done for US cricket. After the long period of silence which will follow our question, we then, as courteously as possible, ask him for his resignation then and there."The Dallas meeting has been given the blessing of Bobby Refaie, who himself is at the centre of the storm after being suspended as USACA secretary by Dainty.In a letter to CLP members, Refaie said that it was time for everyone to unite to take cricket in the US forward. “It is your clubs that are the real members of this organization, not the USACA executives or board of directors,” he said. “You and your member clubs are the ones that stand to gain or lose by what is done in your name.”The continuing lack of any action from the USACA to what was an entirely avoidable situation appears to be hastening the enforced departure of Dainty and his associates. It is bewildering that they appear to want to remain after all the highly personal criticism that has been hurled in their direction and their apparent unwillingness to face the crisis.Although Project USA is dead, there are still large ICC development grants up for grabs but they will not even be considered while the present regime remains in place. Nothing can change until there is change within the USA. And surely, now that’s just a matter of time?
While many are calling for an increase in the use of technology to assist umpires, Dennis Lillee has slammed the way that television coverage has taken on board some of the devices. He is particularly incensed by “Hawkeye”, a system used to predict where a ball which hits a batsman’s pads would have travelled.”I have no problems with technology that assists in helping umpires adjudicate correctly on run-outs and stumpings, but I am afraid Hawkeye and his mate, the Snickometer, are pure gadgetry,” Lillee wrote in his column for the Geelong Advertiser. “Some of Channel Nine’s graphics regarding where the ball supposedly lands and travels after it bounces are an insult to one’s intelligence.”Hawkeye is purely a guide for armchair buffs, yet it seems a hell of a lot of experienced commentators take it as the be-all and end-all. Blokes with that experience — and most of them are former Test captains — know full well that every ball does not continue through at the predicted height.”From a fast bowler’s perspective, there is no way Hawkeye can tell if a delivery is going to skid a bit more than normal or hit a crack, or a damp or worn patch, or a bit of grass on the wicket. Batsmen struggle with the unpredictability of bounce, so how on earth is Hawkeye going to know what every ball is going to do, how it comes out of the hand or is angled?”Lillee’s comments come in the aftermath of the leg-before decision given by Steve Bucknor against Sachin Tendulkar in the first Test at Brisbane. Bucknor was roundly condemned for what many pundits thought was a dreadful decision, but Lillee thinks otherwise. “When I first saw Jason Gillespie thump the ball into Tendulkar’s pads my immediate thought was ‘He’s out’,” Lillee wrote. “I found the hullabaloo surrounding Tendulkar’s dismissal quite disturbing.”
In a match that was delayed by two hours due to wet conditions from overnight rains, Hrishikesh Kanitkar struck an unbeaten 79 to guide West Zone to a comfortable three-wicket win over East Zone at Delhi on Tuesday.When the match finally got under way, West Zone won the toss and opted to field first, hoping to use the conditions for some early swing and seam. Opener Debang Gandhi fell early, but a 97-run partnership between Rajiv Kumar and Pravanjan Mullick followed.Mullick got to 50 off 71 balls and promptly gave RF Morris a return catch to end his innings on that score. Rajiv Kumar brought up his 50 and did the same, falling on that very score.Thereafter it was all Laxmi Ratan Shukla, who hit a blazing 64 off just 30 balls before falling as the sixth wicket with the score on 200. Shukla hit nine fours and two sixes in his knock. West Zone did not take too much longer to mop up the tail, and East Zone were dismissed for 211 in 40 overs, 10 overs remaining unused.In such a situation, all West needed was one batsman to stand his ground and play a sensible innings. Vinod Kambli looked to be the one, but he made only 48 off 45 balls, with seven fours and one six, before falling to Utpal Chatterjee. West then found its responsible man in Kanitkar, whose 79 was a sedately paced knock featuring five fours and one six.West Zone brought up the target in only 38 overs, surviving an anxious situation of being 170/7 when Sairaj Bahutule fell.
A couple of fine performances by Services playerscould not prevent their team going down to a 29-run defeat at the hands of Jammu & Kashmir in theNorth Zone Ranji Trophy one day encounter at theHarbax Singh stadium in New Delhi on Thursday.Put in to bat, J & K were restricted to 175 fornine in 50 overs. Wickets fell at regularintervals with SV Ghag (3 for 30) and Arun Sharma(3 for 31) doing most of the damage. But perhapsthe most impressive performance came fromwicketkeeper Sarabjit Singh who brought off twocatches and two stumpings.Services too found runs hard to come by and theywere ultimately bowled out for 146 in 46.1 overs.The only batsman to put up a semblance of a fightwas SD Nadkarni. Going in at 40 for one in the15th over, Nadkarni scored a valiant 51 before hewas ninth out at 133 in the 44th over. Nadkarnifaced 80 balls and hit just one boundary. But hereceived very little support and the result wasthat J & K were able to pull off a creditablevictory.
Tottenham Hotspur could reportedly now ‘come back’ for Lautaro Martinez in the summer.
The Lowdown: Tried before
Spurs have reportedly tried to sign Martinez last summer, but he has of course remained put at Inter Milan, where he has scored 16 goals and provided two assists in all competitions this term.
Of course, he is a player that Antonio Conte knows well having managed him last season, even winning the league together, and it looks as if the Italian manager wants to work with him again.
The Latest: Could return
As per Tuttosport (via Sport Witness), the North London club could now ‘come back’ for Martinez after an ‘unsuccessful attempt’ last summer.
Fabio Paratci reportedly made a bid of €70m (£59m) to take advantage of Inter’s financial situation, but was ultimately told no.
However, the Serie A giants would now ‘think about’ accepting if the same offer was made this summer, and a call from Conte could be an ‘important magnet’ to bring him to Hotspur Way.
The Verdict: No-brainer
If Martinez becomes available at that price, it is surely a no-brainer for the Lilywhites to sign him.
Conte could then replicate the 3-5-2 system that he had at Inter by pairing the Argentina international with Harry Kane, after he previously played with now Chelsea star Romelu Lukaku, who has called him a ‘beast’ in the past.
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At just 24 years of age, Martinez has already scored a total of 111 senior goals for club and country combined, and so a new partnership with Kane would be such a mouth-watering prospect, with Son Heung-min dropping in just behind.
A player hailed as ‘spectacular’ by none other than Lionel Messi, the striker would certainly excite those at N17.
In other news, find out who THFC have now held talks over signing here!
Johmari Logtenberg, who it’s no exaggeration to call a batting sensation, has surprised the world of women’s cricket by suddenly giving up the sport for golf. More unexpected still is the fact that the cricket star, who averaged 422.50 in a domestic season and has been instrumental in the international set-up since the age of 14, has only just taken up golf on a whim and she doesn’t know if she will be any good at it.”I didn’t plan to play golf,” she told the Times of South Africa. “It was just a spur-of-the-moment decision”It seems an extraordinary move for the girl, still only 18, who had the cricketing world at her feet with two one-day international centuries and five fifties under her belt. Then again she didn’t earn any money from it – English counties offered to pay her travel expenses “I would have ended up playing for charity” – while a successful women’s golfer can earn a lucrative sum.With great hand-eye co-ordination, the one thing that perhaps will not raise eyebrows is that she’s already got a handicap of 12 despite these being early days where golf is concerned.She has enrolled at Gavan Levenson’s golf academy to improve her game further but if it doesn’t work out she hinted there would be a chance she could go back to cricket. “We’ll only see after this year whether golf is for me.”
Marlon Samuels is available for selection to the West Indies squad for the World Cup, though his participation would depend on the results of the investigation he is currently facing, the ICC has said. West Indies are to announce their squad later today.Brian Murgatroyd, the ICC spokesman, told reporters in Nagpur: “Marlon Samuels is available to be selected for the ICC Cricket World Cup at this stage, although obviously that situation may alter depending on the results of the ongoing investigation being carried out by the Anti-Corruption and Security Unit.”The Nagpur police have claimed that Samuels passed on team information to Mukesh Kochar, an alleged bookie, ahead of West Indies’ one-day match against India in that city last month.A four-member anti-corruption unit (ACU) of the ICC arrived in Nagpur on February 12 to conduct a probe into the allegations. The ACU headed by N S Virk, its regional security manager, met SPS Yadav, Nagpur’s Police Commissioner, who had contacted the Indian board (BCCI) with the initial details.Samuels admitted he has known Kochar for the past six years but did not believe he was a bookmaker. Kochar told the Indian media he was not a bookie and that Samuels was like “a son” to him.
Vince van der Bijl isn’t about to claim the credit for South Africa’s successful scramble to retain the services of Allan Donald, but the public will give it to him anyway.Alarm bells rang across South Africa at the weekend when Donald, the country’s most illustrious bowler with 330 wickets from 72 Tests, announced he had applied for the position of England bowling coach.That came hard on the heels of Gary Kirsten’s resignation as South Africa’s high performance manager. Donald, it seemed, had become disillusioned with his role as a specialist bowling coach in the same structure.The nation held its breath as van der Bijl, Cricket South Africa’s (CSA) general manager of professional cricket, and CSA chief executive Gerald Majola met with Donald in Johannesburg on Friday.The thought of Donald in an England shirt, coming on top of South Africa’s loss to England in last summer’s Test series and umpteen defections by South African first-class players to English cricket, would have been almost too much to bear. “That would have been enough to make anyone cringe,” Kirsten said. “He’s such a high-profile South African, it would have been a bit weird.”But if anyone could persuade Donald, whose wife is English and who built up a strong bond with England during his years with Warwickshire, to stay put it was the passionate, articulate van der Bijl. “C’mon Big Vince,” went the silent prayer.Mission accomplished: Donald said after the meeting that he remained committed to South African cricket. What did van der Bijl say to help Donald reach his decision?”You’ll have to ask him what made up his mind, all I can say is that we sat down and had an open conversation,” said van der Bijl, who nevertheless did not attempt to hide his satisfaction at Donald’s choice.”He knows what he can do for South African cricket, and I’m delighted he’s staying,” said van der Bijl. “He can be of great value because of his amazing wealth of experience in the heat of battle, he can impart that atmosphere and the attitude that is required to go to the top.”van der Bijl said Donald would also be involved when international bowlers lost form. The planning for Donald’s future role, van der Bijl said, was already underway. “We spent a bit of time mapping out the way forward for the high performance programme,” he said, “and the national academy for the coming off-season.”Donald said personal considerations had tipped the balance for him. “I made the decision to stay in South Africa based on family commitments,” he said. “I have three young children and to take them back to England and then back to South Africa again once that job is over would not be good for them.”Impatience, he conceded, had prompted him to consider switching his allegiance. “Maybe I was a bit hasty, but when the England job came up I wanted it desperately,” Donald said. “I hadn’t really thought about the long-term implications. My time will come coaching-wise, I must just be patient. But in the meantime I’m just going to get stuck in with the high performance programme, it’s all looking very positive.”Donald was satisfied with the outcome of Friday’s meeting. “CSA did indicate they would try and get me more involved with the national team and give me more of a hands-on role,” he said. “I’ll be chatting to [South African coach] Mickey Arthur when he gets back from Australia and hopefully I’ll be able to work with the national bowlers much more during the home Tests here.”