Justin Cordy has replaced Jock Campbell as the new strength and conditioning coach of the Australian side.Cricket Australia officials said Cordy, who is currently employed by Australian Football League (AFL) club Western Bulldogs in Melbourne, will start work with the Australian team in the next four weeks. Cordy formerly worked as fitness adviser to the Bangladesh Cricket Board and was the fitness coach to the Australian team in the recent International Rules Series against Ireland.Michael Brown, Cricket Australia’s General Manager of Operations, said Cordy’s experience and formal qualifications in physiotherapy and exercise science would be important in managing the training of the Australian players ahead of the next Ashes series against England in 2006-07 as well as the World Cup in 2007.Campbell retired after a successful stint as Physical Performance Manager with Australia, a post he held since November 2000.
Sri Lanka’s selectors are traditionally a secretive breed, all too often afraid to make public comment and reluctant to explain their decision-making. Thus, the current chairman’s astonishing broadside at the team management, during which he labelled senior players “selfish”, was as remarkable as it is deeply worrying. Asantha de Mel’s attack came out of the blue and will have left the players, quite understandably, fuming.In one sense the willingness of de Mel – a member of the Sidath Wettimuny selection committee that ruffled feathers after the 1999 World Cup when it sacked Arjuna Ranatunga, Hashan Tillakaratne, Roshan Mahanama and Aravinda de Silva – to go public might be applauded. For too long we have known too little about the machinations and thinking behind selection. But this time his communication was not constructive. Whether borne out of frustration or malice, it is likely to widen the gulf between the selectors and the players.de Mel’s central argument was that Marvan Atapattu and the team management have been blocking the blooding of youngsters while on tour (the management select the playing XI on tour while at home the selectors have the final say). The team management – made up of the captain, coach, vice-captain and manager, with input from senior and influential players – have, according to de Mel, been too reluctant to experiment with young talent and thwarted an attempt by the selectors to build for the future.The accusation that the management’s decision-making has been prompted by selfish motives is very serious indeed. It also appears wide of the mark. Atapattu has frequently and publicly indicated a desire to blood youngsters at appropriate times. Moreover, they have been slotted in Zimbabwe (April), the Asia Cup (July) and against South Africa (August) whenever they have been assured of qualification before a dead-rubber game. But Atapattu, quite rightly, is also concerned about winning to maintain the momentum of the team.de Mel cites the case of Thilina Kandamby, who he obviously believes has been given a raw deal by the management. Kandamby, he argues, should have been given the opportunity of batting at No. 3 against Zimbabwe ahead of Tillakaratne Dilshan, the unfortunate casualty of de Mel’s crusade. But Atapattu reasoned instead that, with crucial games approaching against Pakistan, the team’s interests would be better served by Dilshan being in top form. Dilshan’s good touch in the final, when he scored 39 precious runs at a good rate, vindicate that decision.de Mel alludes to Australia’s policy of rotating their players, a strategy that he wants Sri Lanka to emulate. But a closer inspection of Australia’s selection shows that they do not simply throw caps at exciting rookies in one-day internationals or in Tests. When Michael Clarke made his Test debut his talent was so obvious that he had already signed one of the largest endorsement deals in Australian history. He was forced to bide his time and earn his call-up. International caps should not be handed out like toffee apples at a local fair.While Kandamby has shown flashes of exciting potential, especially for the A team during the past year, the fact remains that his record thus far is decidedly patchy. Kandamby has scored just one century in 70 first-class innings. His first-class average is poor, just 28, and his domestic one-day average is also low. What has he done to demand a run in the international side? Very little, is the unavoidable answer. Atapattu could be easily forgiven for having reservations about playing him, even during dead-rubber games.In addition, it is also difficult to understand the urgency of blooding talent in the middle order. The middle order is not stacked full of old cronies about to bow out of the game. During the past year they have also been one of the keys to the team’s successes. The likes of Atapattu, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene and Dilshan have gelled into a very strong combination. Why try to tamper with something that does not need fixing?The key issue faced by the one-day team at the moment is the make-up of the top three and, ironically, it has become increasingly obvious that the selectors’ faith in Avishka Gunawardene, a batsman who plays and misses with alarmingly frequency and is technically ill-equipped on all but the most docile pitches, has been misplaced. The jury is still out on Saman Jayantha too, and the selectors’ first priority should be to find a suitable partner for Sanath Jayasuriya, not fiddling with the middle order.To drop Dilshan after a moderately lean run in Test cricket –conveniently forgetting two brilliant hundreds against England and Australia during the last 12 months — because they want to force Atapattu to blood a youngster, which is what de Mel claims to have done, is not only incredibly unfair but extremely dangerous, not just for the team but also for Dilshan, potentially undermining his confidence at a vital stage of his career, just when he was overcoming the early-bird demons that had held him back when he first arrived. Unless he has committed some grievous behind-the-scenes sin that we are not aware of, he has every right to feel aggrieved.Sri Lanka are about to embark upon an extremely tough overseas Test series against a resurgent Pakistan team. They will do so now with a weakened batting order and an angry team management. The new player at No. 6, probably Jehan Mubarak, will also face massive pressure knowing that some of his team-mates are upset with the manner of his call-up. But, what is the hurry? Surely Mubarak or Kandamby could have been squeezed in at a more opportune juncture, like, for example, the injury to Ricky Ponting that gifted Clarke his first opportunity in Test cricket.At the moment, Sri Lanka are a side on the rise. After sitting in the doldrums for over a year – largely because of another selection blunder when Hashan Tillakaratne was appointed captain – the future is looking brighter. Atapattu has forged strong team unity and laid down high standards for his players. They now need support from the selectors and administrators to carry them further. de Mel, though, has rocked the boat. Only time will tell how damaging his committee’s actions will be.
Despite losing 28 overs to rain on the first day of their Frizzell County Championship match against Gloucestershire at The Rose Bowl, Hampshire made up for lost time by dismissing their visitors for 185.In overcast conditions Gloucestershire’s makeshift captain Craig Spearman chose to bat first in winning the toss and despite losing Spearman early on to an inswinger from Wasim Akram, they prospered before lunch.Rain held up progress shortly after lunch, and it started Gloucestershire’s downfall. Hampshire’s four seam bowlers, Wasim Akram, Ed Giddins, Dimitri Mascarenhas and Alan Mullally shared the spoils as they took advantage of the conditions as wickets fell at steady intervals.Despite an old fashioned tail end flurry, Hampshire would have been well satisfied with their bowlers.The sun came out as the day drew to a close, as Derek Kenway and John Crawley negotiated the final 12 overs without scare.
Pakistan, known to be bad chasers, proved everyone wrong byoverhauling Sri Lanka’s stiff 272 comfortably to earn amorale-boosting win by seven wickets in the dress rehearsalfor Sunday’s final of the Khaleej Times Trophy here Fridaybefore the biggest crowd of the competition at the SharjahStadium.And the men who made the task look so simple were rookieopener Naved Latif, playing his second one-dayer and thecool as cucumber customer, big man Inzamam-ul-Haq. Theyoungster was later named Man-of-the-Match.Both hammered centuries in their massive third wicket standof 219 after Pakistan had lost Shahid Afridi (11) and YousufYouhana (11) with the total 41. Naved reached his maidenhundred off 130 balls with eight fours and a six whileInzamam needed only 111 deliveries and hit 10 fours.When Naved eventually holed out to Prabath Nissanka on thedeep mid-wicket boundary Pakistan required only 12 runs foran emphatic victory. He faced 141 deliveries for his 113that contained nine fours and one six.Inzamam, during his innings, became the highest scorer atthis venue overtaking his teammate Saeed Anwar while endingup with an unbeaten 118. He slammed two sixes and ten fours.Sri Lanka sorely Muttiah Muralitharan their prime strikebowler. He might have made some difference and the islandersalso had a poor match in the field. They put down threesimple sitters which proved expensive in the end.Inzamam was dropped by Muralitharan when 69 and Naved wasmissed twice once by Russel Arnold off his own bowling andwicket keeper Kumar Sangakkara, who had replaced RomeshKaluwitharana, missed an easy catch behind the stumps.Earlier, Mahela Jayawardena’s elegant 88 off 83 balls thatcontained one six and six fours provided Sri Lankan the bigenough total Sanath Jayasuriya won the toss and elected tobat first in a match of no consequence.Given a solid start of 95 by Jayasuriya (36) and AvishkaGunawardena (57), the classy Jayawardena – certainly thebest Sri Lankan batsman – carted Pakistan’s wayward attackto all corners of the ground with a series of excitingstrokes.Jayawardena shared two profitable partnerships. First he wasinvolved in a stand worth 55 for the third wicket withGunawardena and latter 66 for the fourth with in alliancewith Russel Arnold.He was eventually got out going for a big hit in the closingovers off Shoaib Akhtar, the best of Pakistan’s modestattack minus Wasim Akram, who was given a rest. Thecontroversial pacer finished with the figures of three for45 from 10 overs.
Danny Briggs, the left-arm spinner who was once hailed as the answer to England’s one-day spin bowling needs, has sought to re-energise a faltering career by switching to Hampshire’s south coast neighbours Sussex.He moves to Hove on a three-year deal with Luke Wright, recently announced as Sussex’s captain in all three formats, proclaiming that he remains the “best one-day spinner in the country.”But it is Briggs’ ambitions to develop into a Championship spinner that has provided the impetus for one of the close season’s more surprising transfers. He played only eight Championship matches for Hampshire in a season where they only avoided relegation on the last day of the season with the county preferring the extra batting skills of Liam Dawson and occasional forays with the up-and-coming legspinner Mason Crane.Hampshire’s director of cricket, Giles White, presented Briggs’ departure as all but inevitable. “Losing Danny is tough,” he said. “However this is the right decision for him and therefore he goes with our blessing. I have been lucky enough to have seen him grow into the cricketer and person that he is today and he has been a pleasure to work with throughout.”He understands the wider picture and in some ways it was inevitable, considering his ambition to progress in all forms of the game that it would lead to him moving on. I hope the move allows him the opportunity to further his career in the longer form of the game with a good club like Sussex. Danny is an extremely popular player, the team will miss him but I have no doubt that they will all wish him well.”Briggs must have been privately torn on the last day of the season as Hampshire’s survival was secured at Sussex’s expense, but arguably a season in Division Two for a county strongly expected to bounce back at the first attempt will allow him the chance to build his repertoire in less taxing circumstances, which after a few unrewarding seasons in four-day cricket may be no bad thing.Wright said: “Danny is a fantastic signing and one I am really excited about. We are signing a young England international spinner who is arguably the best one-day spinner in the country, and is young enough to develop into a top four-day bowler too. He is a hard worker and a tough competitor.”Briggs, released early from his Hampshire contract, has taken 191 first-class wickets in his 67 matches, with a best of 6 for 45 for the England Lions in 2011. His wickets have come at an average of 32.14, with an economy rate of only slightly over 3 runs per over.He made an England ODI debut against Pakistan in Dubai in 2012 – becoming the youngest Hampshire player, and the first Isle of Wight-born cricketer, to play for his country – and has also played seven times in the T20 international format.His ability in the shortest format helped Hampshire to a record six consecutive T20 Finals Day appearances from 2010 onwards. He set a club record of 31 wickets in 2010 as Hampshire won the trophy on home turf and became their go-to bowler in the shortest format, taking 119 wickets at an average of 19.4 from 94 matches.In the Championship, however, his lack of spin has counted against him. He will not find it easy at Hove, which possesses one of the smaller playing surfaces in the country.Briggs said of his move: “I’m excited for the opportunities that lie ahead. I’m really grateful that Hampshire are letting me leave early. I’d like to thank all the playing staff and the coaches that I’ve worked with.”
Jurgen Klopp admits Liverpool will be without Roberto Firmino ‘for a while’ after he missed the victory over Norwich City, coming after Diogo Jota was also absent from the Anfield win through injury.
The Lowdown: Firmino misses Reds win
The Reds picked up a crucial 3-1 win at home to the Canaries on Saturday afternoon after having fallen behind in shock fashion early in the second half.
Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah and Luis Diaz all scored to turn the game on its head with Man City’s defeat to Tottenham last night also blowing the Premier League title race wide open.
One player who was absent alongside Diogo Jota was Firmino, however, who was struggling with a muscle injury after the midweek win at Inter Milan.
[freshpress-quiz id=“375258″]
The Latest: Klopp says Firmino ‘out for a while’
Speaking after the game [via The Athletic], Klopp hinted that the 30-year-old could be out for a lengthy period, but at least says Jota’s injury wasn’t as bad as first thought – though refusing to give an update on the latter man’s return.
He explained:
“With Diogo, it looks a little bit better than we first thought. With Bobby (Firmino), we didn’t even know that he had something until he felt it only after the game (in midweek).
“We all thought it is a little thing, but it’s a muscle injury and we have to see how long it will take. I don’t know at the moment, but for sure not for the next game, so we have to see.”
He then added:
“Bobby Firmino has a muscle problem and is out for a while, so we have to keep the boys fit and create a spirit like the boys did today in the game.”
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The Verdict: Blow for Klopp, but at least there’s depth now
Losing someone of Firmino’s quality is always going to be a blow – Klopp has hailed him as ‘brilliant’, among other superlatives – but the key is that Liverpool are now in a situation where they have a plethora of top-quality depth in attack.
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The arrival of Diaz has left the Reds with more superb options in the final third, rather than having to bring in second-rate squad figures when key men are absent.
That being said, with Diogo Jota also currently out and some huge matches are on the horizon, so the hope is that Firmino makes a swift recovery and isn’t missing for too large a chunk of action.
In other news, a journalist has questioned one ‘wobbly’ Liverpool player. Find out who it is here.
Ere Sheshiah, the pathologist who conducted the autopsy of the Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer, claimed that cell-phone pictures showed that a third party was behind Woolmer’s death. On the first day of his testimony to an inquest in Jamaica, Sheshiah had maintained that Woolmer had died because of poisoning and strangulation.”After viewing the cellular phone pictures taken by Dr [Asher] Cooper [the first doctor to attend to Woolmer], I think definitely that there was a third party [involved],” Sheshiah said.He criticised the three pathologists – Nathaniel Cary of England, Michael Pollanen of Canada and Lorna Martin of South Africa – who had pointed out flaws in his post-mortem procedure and testified that Woolmer died due to natural causes. Sheshiah said that the review procedure was “unusual and unacceptable”, Cary’s opinion was not final, and that Martin gave her findings without seeing the histology and toxicology reports.Sheshiah also said that Woolmer was found with his head under the toilet bowl. “In my opinion, it is not possible for the disease to put him in such a position. This definitely speaks of a third party.”The fact that other pathologists had disagreed with his conclusion that the hyoid bone in Woolmer’s neck was broken, was also addressed by Sheshiah, who stood by his findings despite admitting that an x-ray showed it might not have been broken.Woolmer was found unconscious in his room at the Pegasus Hotel on March 18, a day after Pakistan’s shock defeat to Ireland in the World Cup. The police had initially backed Sheshaiah’s finding that Woolmer was murdered and released a statement in that effect, but after a review by Cary, Pollanen, and Martin, confirmed that Woolmer died of natural causes.The inquest, presided over by coroner Patrick Murphy and 11 jurors, is expected to end on November 9.
I’ll miss Glenn McGrath’s grumpiness because he was one of the most grumpyfast bowlers I’ve ever known. He was always chatting to himself. The onemoment that I remember most vividly is when he got out when needing fiveto win [at Sydney in 1993-94, where Fanie de Villiers took 6 for 43]. I’llnever forget that, his face and him standing in the middle of the groundat the SCG while Craig McDermott was already halfway to the pavilion.He was just standing there, couldn’t believe what had happened. Thatprobably stood out for me. But there haven’t been many things in McGrath’scareer that have gone that badly wrong.His wife has been very ill as well. He probably feels that it’s time tolook after his family. Both he and his wife have been ultra-positive aboutwhole thing. Deep down, he maybe thinks: ‘Right, I’ve done my bit.’ In myview, he’s done more than that. He did say a couple of months ago that hefelt he had another couple of years left in him. But sometimes, therealisation just hits you all of a sudden. A lot of batsmen around the worldwill say: Thank God. He’s been a very special cricketer, but maybe hefeels it’s the right time.He’s had a terrific career. He’s been a champion, not only for Australiabut for the game of cricket. To fill those boots is going to be almostimpossible. You won’t find a McGrath again. You won’t find another ShaneWarne either. They’re very special individuals.What made him special? Just his absolute skill and the way he wore batsmendown. Once you faced McGrath, he locked you in. You knew that every singleball would be a test. His areas were so much tighter than anyone else’s,and he constantly questioned your ability. Pollock is the only other guy Ican think of who comes close to him. He was accurate and he wore you down.Not many bowlers in cricket history have been as accurate as he is whilebeing able to boast of the sort of record that he has.He had a very uncomplicated action. It wasn’t heavy on the body and hedidn’t hit the crease as hard as most people do. He was a lot like WasimAkram, who also played for a long time. They just kissed the surface.Their actions were so basic that there was not much that could go wrong.Another guy like that was Courtney Walsh, who could have played till hewas 45 [laugh]. The body couldn’t do it anymore, but their uncomplicatedactions gave them a chance. You talk of elasticity and long levers – theytypified that.
Even now, I think he’s got a year or two left in him. But maybe the bodyjust doesn’t want to go through it anymore.I haven’t seen another bowler who worked away at you relentlessly and asked questionsevery single ball. It didn’t take him long to work you over. He wasn’tscared to make it public either that he’d be on your case. It made youthink. And he was very quick to back it up. He’s targetted a lot of peoplein his career and knocked them over, no problem whatsoever.Where do Australia go from here? Well, Stuart Clark is right there. He’smatured at the right time. He’s 31, and seems to be a lot like MichaelHussey. Australia have found someone in Clark who can take over the mantlefrom McGrath. He’s already shown that he’s a class bowler, but 560-oddwickets is a long way away. You won’t be able to replace that.
Sri Lanka will not make a request to the Indian cricket authorities for a change of Test venue following Saturday’s bomb blasts in New Delhi which left around 60 dead and several more wounded.The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) programmes and fixtures committee, which met on Friday, allotted Delhi, Kanpur and Chennai as the venues for the three Tests against Sri Lanka, starting on December 2.But Duleep Mendis, the CEO of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), said yesterday that the venues would remain as decided by the Indian Board. “At this moment of time we will not make any moves to alter the venues because we have not heard anything of a serious nature from the Indian Cricket Board,” said Mendis. “If at all there is some concern playing the Test in Delhi the Indian cricket authorities will advise us.”In releasing the venues, the BCCI had stated that the order of the venues would be decided later taking into account the travel plans of the Sri Lanka team. The BCCI also stated that SLC had not requested for a warm-up game before the Test series and as of now there were no plans to organise such a match.However, Mendis said that as far as he was aware, a warm-up match was part of the itinerary. “If it is not included in the itinerary we will make a request for it,” he said. “We made a similar request ahead of the on-going one-day series and were granted a practice game.”Although they have toured India previously on five occasions, Sri Lanka have not played a Test match in Delhi and the upcoming tour will see them play their first-ever Test match there. On their first-ever Test tour to India in 1982-83, Sri Lanka played a one-off Test at Madras and four years later in 1986-87, they played a Test match at Kanpur. Both Tests ended in high-scoring draws. Sri Lanka have yet to win a Test match in India. The 11 Tests played there have resulted in six defeats and five draws.
ScorecardSri Lanka A’s proud unbeaten record on their tour of England was in danger of being broken after the close of the third day of their tour match against Somerset at Taunton. After Neil Edwards and Ian Blackwell helped Somerset to 424 for 9 declared, Sri Lanka A then closed at 87 for 3.After Somerset resumed at 159 for 4, Edwards and Peter Bowler added 38 more in the morning before Edwards was trapped lbw by Kaushal Lokuarachchi for an impressive 93. But if Sri Lanka A then had any thoughts of wrapping up the remainder of the innings quickly, Blackwell put pay to that with another bustling innings.He muscled his way to 81 from 92 balls, featuring 11 fours and a six, and added 94 with Bowler, who was caught by Malintha Gajanayake off Gayan Wijekooon for 48. Aaron Laraman missed out on the run feast, bowled by Bathiya Perera for 1, but Gazzard joined in the fun with an unbeaten 44. He added 25 with Blackwell, who was stumped going for another big one off Suraj Mohamed, and then put on a stand of 74 with Gareth Andrew for the ninth wicket.Andrew scored a breezy 44, and then Richard Johnson, the last man in, scored 22 not out as Somerset declared on 424 for 9 at tea, with an imposing lead of 516.Sri Lanka A had the evening session to bat out, but they lost three batsmen. Ian Daniel fell early, caught by Wesley Durston off Johnson for 1, Johnson then struck again when Gajanayake was caught behind for 22, and Jeewan Mendis was caught off Laraman for 34. That left Jehan Mubarak and Perera holding things together, and it will be a matter of survival for them tomorrow standing 430 runs behind.