The 2015 County Championship had been all about the realities of battling the odds, and Leicestershire elite performance director Andrew McDonald is not one to change the mindset just yet. The Foxes may have finished bottom of Division Two in red-ball cricket, but McDonald was happy to see his side make significant progress across the board. More is expected this season as Leicestershire’s new signings prepare to inject their experience….
Mustafizur shields himself from pressure – Mashrafe
Mashrafe Mortaza on Mustafizur Rahman: “He believes in his variations, not what the batsman will do with them.” © AFP Mustafizur Rahman became the toast of Bangladesh last season when he took India down, becoming only the second bowler to take five-wicket hauls in his first two ODIs. His remarkable run in 2015 even led to a place in the ICC’s ODI team of the year. On the day before…
Patel replaces Borthwick for Yorkshire match
Samit Patel made a comeback to the England Test side in Sharjah © Getty Images Samit Patel has replaced Scott Borthwick in the MCC squad for the Champion County match against Yorkshire, in Abu Dhabi, next month. Borthwick has opted to extend his time playing New Zealand domestic cricket for Wellington where he currently has 211 runs in three Plunket Shield matches. Patel was brought into England’s Test squad for…
Dhoni's spasms may shake up India's batting combination
Play 02:47 ‘Every team member knows what needs to be done’ – Kohli In the lead up to the World T20, India’s success in the shortest format has been built on the success of their top order. They swept Australia 3-0 with Virat Kohli scoring 199 runs in three matches. He was dismissed only once. Rohit Sharma was not too far behind, making 143 runs at an average of 47.66…
Dhoni's spasms likely to shake up India's batting combination
Virat Kohli: “Now I play on instinct. I have come to terms with the fact that I can’t hit too many sixes, so I concentrate on hitting boundaries.” © AFP In the lead up to the World T20, India’s success in the shortest format has been built on the success of their top order. They swept Australia 3-0 with Virat Kohli scoring 199 runs in three matches. He was dismissed…
Tare plays down Mumbai's 'favourites' tag
Aditya Tare – “Yes, we’re in the final, but we have a lot to do as a team still, so you can’t really judge us at the moment” © PTI Cricketers often talk about how pressure changes the equation in a knockout clash. Most times, they want to “keep it simple” and “stick to the basics.” It wasn’t any different ahead of the Ranji Trophy final between Mumbai and Saurashtra…
South Africa sports minister offers CSA state assistance in fixing probe
Last month Gulam Bodi was banned for 20 years for attempting to fix matches during the Ram Slam 20-overs competition © Associated Press Fikile Mbalula, South Africa’s sports minister, has offered Cricket South Africa state services to assist in the ongoing match-fixing investigation if needed. The ministry also impressed on CSA the importance of concluding the matter thoroughly because of the criminality involved. “The minister explained the need for Cricket…
Kent sign Latham for 2016 season
Kent have secured their second overseas signing in the space of five days after clinching the signature of New Zealand batsman Tom Latham for the 2016 season. The 23-year-old, son of former Black Caps all-rounder Rod Latham, has been a mainstay in the New Zealand side across all formats since making his one-day international debut in 2012. He has so far scored three Test hundreds plus one ton and four…
Flintoff named PCA president
Former England skipper Andrew Flintoff has been named the new president of the Professional Cricketers’ Association. The 38-year-old, elected at the PCA’s annual general meeting held in Birmingham today, will succeed fellow Lancastrian and ex-England player and coach David ‘Bumble’ Lloyd. Flintoff becomes the seventh president in the PCA’s history and his term will include the 50th anniversary next year. “This is a huge honour, especially as it will be…
Kent sign Tom Latham for new season
Tom Latham in action during the series against Australia © AFP Kent have signed New Zealand opening batsman Tom Latham for the 2016 English season and he will be available for all formats. Latham, 23, is Kent’s second significant recent signing after they brought Kagiso Rabada to the club for a month in mid-season. Latham currently averages close to 40 in Test cricket with three centuries and also provides an…