Harris will serve as the team’s bowling coach, while McMillan has been hired as a fielding coach

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Dec-2018Kings XI Punjab have appointed Ryan Harris, the former Australia quick, as the bowling coach for the 2019 IPL season. Harris replaces Venkatesh Prasad, who was in the position last year but resigned recently. Harris was the head coach of the Australia Under-19, who were runner-ups in the World Cup earlier this year.Kings XI, who finished seventh last season, also roped in former New Zealand batsman Craig McMillan as a fielding coach. McMillan, who is also the batting coach of New Zealand, is currently in the UAE for the ongoing Test series against Pakistan.”Having quality coaches like Harris and McMillan will be a great asset to the team,” Mike Hesson, who recently took over as head coach, said. “They have both performed as players on the big stage and have made the transition into quality coaches. They will be excellent additions to the coaching team.”The other appointments by made the franchise to bolster the support staff were that of Brett Harrop (physio), Sridharan Sriram (batting coach) and Prasanna Raman (high-performance coach).Apart from the ouster of former head coach Brad Hodge and Virender Sehwag, who was the tean Mentor and Head of Cricket Operations, Kings XI released eleven players, including Yuvraj Singh, Aaron Finch and Axar Patel, and traded Marcus Stoinis for Royal Challenger Bangalore’s Mandeep Singh. That has left them with the highest salary cap (INR 36.20 crores) among all franchises ahead of the auction.

Plenty of exchanges have been picked up during the first two Tests as the role of the host broadcaster becomes increasingly dominant

Sidharth Monga in Perth18-Dec-2018The use of stump mics by the host broadcasters has come under the scanner after a heated exchange between India players Ishant Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja has made its way to the public.ESPNcricinfo has accessed the video in which the stump mic has captured the players abusing each other during a break in play when Nathan Lyon was having his helmet checked after a blow on the head. The players are seen waving hands at each other, and Ishant can be heard telling Jadeja – in colourful language – not to throw tantrums or else.On Tuesday evening, a team spokesman played down the incident: “The Indian team management clarifies that the incident between Ishant Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja was in no way a ‘fight’ and happened at the spur of the moment on the field. The management confirms that all is well between them.”

What was said between Ishant and Jadeja?

Ishant: “Don’t wave at me, okay? If you need something…”

Ishant: “He is telling me from behind to go fast.”

Jadeja: “Even I don’t like it. I am also a part of the team. Why are you talking so much?”

Ishant: “Don’t wave at me. Don’t show me your anger. I will take your anger and shove it up your arse.”

Jadeja: “You keep yours to yourself.”

Ishant: “I will shove your anger up your arse.”

Jadeja: “Don’t give me this b******t.”

Ishant: “You also don’t talk to me.”

This is not the first time the stump mic has been turned on loud for the players this series. A few of Virat Kohli’s exchanges with opposite number Tim Paine have been heard the world over. As has been Paine’s sledge to M Vijay after Kohli’s dismissal, asking the batsman how can he possibly like his captain as a bloke. Host broadcasters have often asked the commentators to not talk when an India spinner is bowling so they can turn up the volume and let the world hear Rishabh Pant’s chatter.Ironically it was the Australia team earlier this year that felt targeted by the host broadcaster in South Africa. In order to get the stump mics turned down, they innovatively indulged in some ambush marketing in the vicinity of the stumps mics. Before that, now-banned captain Steven Smith had expressed his annoyance at stumps mics when the BCCI website had released an audio of a spat between Matthew Wade and Jadeja in India.”It annoyed me that they had to sieve back through the archives and find those moments, particularly painting a bad light on our team when both teams were guilty of doing the same things. That was disappointing,” Smith had said then. “I think the broadcasters are told over and over again that they need to turn the stump mics down but they keep putting a lot of pressure on and keeping the stump mics on, which is unfortunate.”

 
ALSO READ: Sanjay Manjrekar: Turn the stump mics downUnaware of this latest video leak, Kohli had said after the Perth Test that he felt under no pressure to behave differently because of the stump mics. “With the stump mics and cameras and all these things, honestly when the bowler is bowling you aren’t thinking whether the stump mic is on or the camera is on or not,” Kohli said. “And when you are facing that ball, literally there is no one in the stadium apart from you and that ball. So, these things are totally irrelevant, and you are actually not aware of them when you are on the field. It’s never bothered me, it’s never been something that’s of importance to me to be honest. For me it’s irrelevant.”However, India might have reason to be aggrieved with two of their more experienced players for this indiscretion in the vicinity of stump mics. The ICC had clearly communicated to the member boards that starting November of this year, the previous restrictions on the stumps mic when the ball was dead were removed. Audio could now be transmitted anytime. Moreover, their board had done the same with Wade having a go at Jadeja back when Australia toured India. It would be naïve not to be mindful of retaliation.The duo might not be charged for breaching the ICC Code of Conduct, though. Usually players are charged for any abuse heard on TV, but ESPNcricinfo understands there is discretion and common sense used in these matters. This audio was not broadcast on the live feed, but only find its way to the media after the match. As such, the broadcasters haven’t had to apologise for abuse on their broadcast.The host broadcasters’ role was also under the scanner when between the two Tests footage reached newspapers showing how many no-balls from Ishant had not been called in the Adelaide Test. There was no comparative study against any other bowler, Indian or Australian. Even when it comes to ball-tampering, the host broadcasters play a big role, providing video evidence without which the ICC cannot act. No home player has been penalised for ball-tampering ever since the ICC formalised the playing conditions.

The batsman said Sydney Thunder had dominated all through at the Gabba, so he hoped that ‘at the end of it all we’ll get full points out of the game’

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Jan-2019Sydney Thunder’s Callum Ferguson is hopeful his side gets full points out of the no-result in Brisbane on Thursday. The game was called off with Brisbane Heat in trouble at 2 for 10 in three overs, chasing 187, after two of the Gabba’s floodlights failed due to a power outage.Points were split, one apiece, between the sides, meaning the Thunder were denied what seemed like a prime opportunity to go second on the points table. Ferguson told Fox Sports after that game that he hoped the team would be awarded two points in hindsight, given their dominant position in the game.”It’s enormously disappointing, we’ve felt like we’ve dominated the fixture for 23 overs and then the lights go out,” Ferguson said. “It’s a pretty frustrating situation, we’re hopeful that at the end of it all we’ll hopefully get the full points out of the game, but it’s hard to know at this stage.”Obviously they’ll be a lot of water to go under the bridge in the next few days.”Both Ferguson and the Thunder’s coach Shane Bond said they felt the light available to them from the light towers which were still working was enough to keep playing in – bowling only spin – but the umpires disagreed. As per the laws, if the Thunder bowled two more overs, getting to the five-over mark, it would have constituted a completed game. Then, the result would have been determined via the Duckworth-Lewis method, making the Thunder favourites after the Heat’s poor start.”We felt like the light was good enough for us as fielders to be able to keep playing,” Ferguson said. “Obviously it’s a bit darker than normal so we did suggest we could just bowl spin, we were happy to concede that.”I’m not sure with what happened from the discussions there, I wasn’t involved in them but from our side of the fence we were keen to get something happening.”While waiting to see if the lights came back on, Bond had reportedly said similar things: “We think it’s safe enough to play. We said we’d bowl our spinners because we want a game of cricket – obviously we’re in a stronger position. The umpires have said… we think it’s unsafe.”The Cricket Australia website quoted a CA spokesperson on the incident, saying: “This is being looked into as a priority. Further updates will be provided in due course.”The power outage was not confined to only the Gabba, but affected a significant part of Brisbane.

Allrounder given break alongside Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler after busy international winter

George Dobell26-Feb-2019Moeen Ali will join Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler in sitting out the T20I leg of England’s tour of the Caribbean, after it was announced that he will fly home after the final ODI in St Lucia on Saturday to rest up ahead of the IPL.Sam Curran, who is also due to play in this year’s IPL but has not been a part of the limited-overs squad, has been called up in place of Moeen.Moeen, who finished as England’s leading wicket-taker in Test cricket this winter after returning to the side during the India series last summer, is – like Stokes and Buttler – a key part of England’s squads in all three formats.He was retained by Royal Challengers Bangalore for the 2019 IPL, which gets underway on March 23. Stokes and Buttler, who were omitted from the T20 squad when it was originally announced last week, are both on Rajasthan Royals’ books.

Jackson Bird claimed three wickets but Trent Copeland pushed the total beyond 300

Alex Malcolm20-Mar-2019Half-centuries from New South Wales openers Daniel Hughes and Nick Larkin helped the Blues push beyond 300 on a vital opening day against Tasmania in Hobart.Needing a victory to all-but assure a spot in the Shield final against Victoria the Blues were sent in on a Bellerive pitch that has been brutally tough to bat first on all season, but Hughes and Larkin weathered the incessant swing and seam movement to post a 99-run opening partnership.Hughes was particularly fluent, striking 11 boundaries as he passed 50 for the sixth time this season. He fell to an incredible reflex catch from Matthew Wade at first slip. Hughes edged a ball off the back foot from Jackson Bird straight to Alex Doolan at second slip, Doolan spilt the chance but Wade’s stunning reflexes scooped the rebound inches above the turf.Larkin’s vigil last much longer. He absorbed 153 balls for his 67 and lost his stand-in skipper Kurtis Patterson in the process before he guided an outside edge straight to Doolan at second slip off Simon Milenko.The allrounder also picked Moises Henriques in the same spell before Bird returned to remove debutant Nick Bertus to leave the Blues vulnerable at 5 for 189.But youngsters Jason Sangha and Jack Edwards steadied with a 74-run stand before both fell to the second new ball.Sangha was trapped lbw by Bird for a patient 37 to give him three wickets for the day and do his Ashes hopes no harm. Edwards struck six boundaries in a brisk 44 before edging Riley Meredith to first slip.That would be Tasmania’s last wicket of the day as debutant wicketkeeper Baxter Holt and Trent Copeland added an unbeaten 46 in less than 10 overs to take the Blues past 300 at stumps. Copeland reached 30 not out from just 31 balls with five boundaries and will have a licence to press further on day two.

James Hildreth and Lewis Gregory fired for Somerset before the rain set in with Sussex struggling

Valkerie Baynes at Hove24-Apr-2019Chris Jordan said before the start of the season he was keen to show what he could do with the bat and for a while it looked like he might get his chance – until the rain set in.With Sussex in dire trouble at 48 for 4 chasing 284 to beat Somerset at Hove, England World Cup hopeful Jordan was the next man due in. However, by the time the forecast showers arrived – right on schedule at 4pm – the hosts were 62 for 4 from 16.3 overs and, just as the covers were removed for the resumption after a delay of an hour and 45 minutes, the heaviest rain of the day made itself at home for the evening.Play was abandoned with Sussex well shy of the revised target of 131 and Somerset winning by 68 runs on the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method to make it three wins from as many matches.Jordan, who had gone wicketless in the first two Royal London Cup matches of the season and made 26 runs in his only batting appearance – against Surrey on Good Friday – made a welcome return to form with the ball against Somerset.It was perhaps a timely boost in his last match for Sussex before joining the England one-day squad for the upcoming matches against Ireland and Pakistan, where he has a chance to change the selectors’ minds after missing the preliminary World Cup squad.Jordan took 2 for 42 off eight overs to curb the damage caused by James Hildreth (81 off 92 balls) and Lewis Gregory (50 off 28). But it was in a losing cause after the Sussex top order capitulated in the face of two excellent catches from Craig Overton, who also dismissed danger man Phil Salt lbw.With the threat of rain looming, Sussex won the toss and sent Somerset in to bat, preferring to chase should DLS come into play later. Stiaan van Zyl entered the Sussex side as a replacement for Luke Wright, a late withdrawal because of a stomach bug, while George Bartlett came in for Dom Bess as Somerset opted for an extra batsman in the conditions.Despite a return to wintery temperatures after a short stretch of glorious spring weather, the match was well attended by an appreciative crowd, their cheerful enthusiasm belying closed body language as they huddled from the cold with arms and legs firmly crossed in unison.The Sussex bowlers kept the visitors reasonably well contained with a total below 250 looking likely, but some smart scoring by Hildreth, Tom Abell and particularly Gregory lifted the score to 283 for 8 when Bartlett was run out on the last ball of the innings after a cameo of 19 off nine balls.James Hildreth rocks back to cut•Getty Images

The Somerset total looked to be about on par, with Surrey having posted 274 for 9 on same pitch last week and Sussex successfully chasing down the target in the penultimate over to win by two wickets.But a woeful start to the Sussex pursuit turned things around very quickly.Salt, who scored a towering 137 not out off 106 balls against Kent on Easter Sunday, started ominously by pulling Josh Davey’s first ball to the boundary. But his stay was short-lived when the hulking Overton trapped him lbw for just 7 in the second over.Van Zyl received a second life when, on just 4, he was put down at slip off Overton’s bowling, but he too lasted only a short while longer after cracking Davey to midwicket where Overton took a brilliant catch diving to his left.When Harry Finch was bowled by Gregory, Laurie Evans was shaping up to steady the innings until he hit Tim Groenewald towards deep backward square leg and Overton pulled off his second impressive catch of the innings.Jordan was pleased to be among the wicket-takers, and was confident his team would move on quickly from the result, after opening the season with two wins.”Maybe all being even and there not being rain about, maybe it goes a little bit different but that’s life and we’ve got to take it on the chin,” Jordan said. “On a personal level, I’ve not been up to the standard I’d like to be and that’s just being brutally honest.”I had a decent game against Surrey with ball and bat without getting any wickets but then it didn’t quite come together against Kent but that can happen at times in cricket. It’s just nice to get a little bit of rhythm today and pick up a couple of wickets.”Azhar Ali knitted the Somerset innings together in the face of some sound bowling from the home side. He and Hildreth put on a century partnership which was broken when Danny Briggs tempted Azhar down the wicket and Sussex captain Ben Brown whipped off the bails for a stumping.Jordan returned to the attack in the 40th over and struck with the fifth delivery, removing Hildreth who attempted to drive at a short ball and skied a catch to Finch at extra cover.Abell was eventually caught at short third man by Will Beer off Mir Hamza for 44 and Hamza picked up his third wicket when he had Overton out lbw with a ball that kept low.Jordan was belted through the covers for four by Gregory, who brought up his half-century with two off the next ball, putting the bowler under pressure as he sought quick runs to finish Somerset’s innings. Jordan stood up to the challenge though, and, three balls later sent Gregory’s middle stump cartwheeling with a delivery that was full, straight and fast.When Bartlett was run out via a sharp throw from George Garton, there was a sense the match could be a close one if the weather held out. The rain – and Somerset – had different ideas.

Pair of 22-year-olds dominate second day at Old Trafford while Keaton Jennings falls just shy of a century

Paul Edwards at Old Trafford15-May-2019
Nearly thirty years ago that fine writer Neville Scott collaborated with Geoff Cook on a book entitled . Subtitled “An Anatomy of Professional Cricket” it examined, among other things, the tests a player had to survive if he was to prosper in the county game. Despite the various revolutions and fandangos cricket has experienced since its publication Scott and Cook’s book retains its value. One has only to watch Rob Jones bat or Luke Wood bowl to be reminded of its wisdom and insight.Both Jones and Wood are finding their way in the game yet these 22-year-olds dominated much of this second day at Emirates Old Trafford. Jones’ 152-stand with Keaton Jennings had given Lancashire the opportunity to establish unassailable dominance until Wood, who had removed Joe Burns some five hours earlier, produced a couple of inswingers to account for Liam Livingstone, bowled for a third-ball duck, and Jones, who was leg before on the front foot for 67.But the wickets of Jones and Livingstone were no more than the filling in an unpalatable post-tea sandwich for Lancashire’s batsmen, four of whom fell to the second new ball. Their side’s collapse from 188 for 2 to 209 for 6 had begun Ben Sanderson produced a fine lifting delivery which brushed the shoulder of Jennings’ bat on the way to Ricardo Vasconcelos. Jennings had made 97 in over five hours and had shown typically firm resolve on a pitch which permits few liberties. Ten overs after his departure, Vasconcelos was called into action again when Steven Croft edged Jamie Overton wide to the keeper’s right.The flurry of wickets ceased when Tom Bailey joined Dane Vilas and this pair had shared an unbroken stand of 67 by the close. That gave Lancashire a first-innings lead of 46 with power to add on the third morning. But as spectators made their way home from Old Trafford this evening it would not be surprising if a few of them were reflecting on the technical excellence of Jones and Wood, two cricketers born three months apart who share a green and white dream.This is Jones’s 15th first-class match. He has been in and out of Lancashire’s team since making a brave century against Middlesex in only his third appearance in 2016. He won a regular place in the eleven about halfway through last summer but his place on the team-sheet is now secure. There is no case against selecting a player who makes a century and a 67 in successive games.Wood, who has a contract at Nottinghamshire, has played over twice as many top-level matches as Jones but has recently been loaned to both Worcestershire and Northamptonshire. His ability to swing the new ball testifies both to his ability and to the strength of seam bowling at Trent Bridge, whose coaches have given him the chance to play elsewhere. The ball which had Burns caught behind in the third over of the day was pushed across the Australian opener whereas that which bowled Livingstone curved in deliciously before plucking out the off pole.Jones also has the attributes of a formidable cricketer. His forward defensive is cricket’s equivalent of a government bond and his driving through the off side possesses the same technical accuracy as his less flashy strokes. Wood could have testified to the latter a few hours before he took his wicket. But this was a day on which batsmen had to wait for their opportunities against an accurate attack. Both Jennings and Jones did so during their 63-over stand and it was a particular shame that Jennings fell three runs short of his century. On the other hand, he would have been dismissed for five runs fewer had Sanderson accepted a simple chance at short fine leg off Rob Keogh just before tea.Jones still has much to learn. The coaches at Old Trafford will tell him as much and he will take it in. He was dropped on 47 when he failed to cover Overton’s bounce and Temba Bavuma grassed a two-handed slip chance many good club cricketers would describe as easy. Four overs later he reached his fifty off the same bowler with a scurried single which was immediately upgraded to a three by a couple of buzzers. And one wondered at tea whether Jones might make the most of his escape to score his second century in three championship innings.Wood put an end to such notions but the exploits of both these young players were a reminder there are times when we should set aside the easy allegiances of birth, upbringing or partiality. It is Maytime in England. Rob Jones and Luke Wood are attempting to cross the narrow line. The heart dances at the thought they might succeed.

‘He is not new to us. Yes, he’s bowling quickly, but there’s nothing we’re not accustomed to’ – Floyd Reifer

Andrew Miller10-Jun-2019As if Friday’s fixture in Southampton was not tantalising enough, there will be an extra piquancy in England and West Indies’ World Cup match-up, given the reunion between Jofra Archer and the team for whom he might already have been a mainstay.The Barbados-born Archer, 24, has been one of the stars of the tournament to date, having qualified to play for England in April after the ECB chose late last year to reduce its residency period from seven years to three.And though he is hardly an unknown quantity on account of his exploits in T20 leagues around the world, he’s undoubtedly benefited in some of his early outings from a certain surprise factor – not least his ability to bowl in excess of 90mph from an ambling run-up that scarcely requires him to break sweat.But according to Floyd Reifer, West Indies’ head coach and fellow Bajan, there will be nothing about Archer that can take his players by surprise on Friday – and he should know, having played alongside him in club cricket while he was still a West Indies youth prospect.”To be honest, we knew Jofra for a long time,” said Reifer. “He is from Barbados, where we are from. We knew him from the U15s, U17s, U19s so he is not new to us. Yes, he’s bowling quickly, but there’s nothing that we are not accustomed to. We are looking forward to the challenge. So we will see how it goes on Friday.”Jofra Archer bowled with venom, picking up three key wickets•Getty Images

In a tournament that has already featured some tantalising match-ups, the expectations around Friday’s game have been heightened by the extraordinary feast of attacking batting and fierce quick bowling that lit up the team’s 2-2 series draw in the Caribbean earlier this year.In a see-saw series, England appeared to have struck a decisive blow in posting a hefty 418 for 6 in the fourth match in Grenada, a match in which Jos Buttler cracked a remarkable 150 from 77 balls.But their thunder was stolen in the series decider in St Kitts, where Chris Gayle set a personal seal on a brilliant campaign with 77 from 27 balls, after Oshane Thomas had bombed England out for 113 with figures of 5 for 21. And with a further trial by pace in prospect on Friday, England will doubtless be grateful to have their own spearhead to return the compliment to their opponents.”We are entertainers,” said Reifer. “We are here to entertain so the players come out and entertain us. But yes, we will have a good game. I’m sure Jofra will be chomping at the bit to come at us and we will be ready for him.”Archer’s decision to abandon his aspirations to play for West Indies came after he was overlooked for the Under-19 World Cup in 2014. Instead, he followed the advice of his friend and fellow Bajan-turned-England international, Chris Jordan, and took advantage of his British passport to forge a new career at Sussex. The rest, as they say, is history.Asked if he was disappointed that Archer would be playing against, rather than for, his team on Friday, Reifer laughed and said: “He made his choice.””Jofra is a tremendous talent, we all know that. Like I said, we are looking forward to the game on Friday.”He obviously had the pace [to play international cricket]. He had a few injuries as a young guy. But I’m guessing though he’s fully over those injuries and he is bowling very well for England.”West Indies’ own fast-bowling stocks were depleted for the South Africa game with the absence of Andre Russell, who has been managing a knee problem since the start of the tournament. But Reifer said that his non-selection had merely been a precaution, given the length of the tournament and his importance to the cause.”Yes, Andre will be fit enough for the game on Friday,” he said. “The game against England is a big game for us. We are looking forward to that game. Looking at the weather forecast, it was 90 percent rain today and they had rain over the last couple of days here as well. So it is just a precautionary measure where we are kind of wrapping him in cotton wool.”

Roberts also said that some players were counted twice on the way to reaching CA’s overall census participation figures

Daniel Brettig23-Jul-2019Kevin Roberts, the Cricket Australia chief executive, has conceded that club cricket is in “gradual decline” and admitted that there is widespread disaffection in the game’s grassroots following numerous signs of anger manifest in reports in the nation’s two major newspaper groups.In May, published a story revealing an old internal document in which Cricket Australia had called for a generational change in the leadership of clubs, spun to suggest that the governing body had “appealed for the dismissal of thousands of long-serving club volunteers”.This week, following the publication of CA’s annual cricket census figures that habitually trumpet an overall increase in participation, the journalist and columnist Malcolm Knox wrote reports suggesting that the governing body vastly over-inflated its figures, making the contention that registered club cricketers number only about 250,000.Roberts, who had declined to be interviewed by Knox before the publication of the story in the on Sunday and instead asked to speak this week after his return home from the UK, conceded a problem area though disputing the precise nature of the figures. He did so in an open letter to all registered club players and volunteers around the country.”Whilst I disagree with the conclusions reached and the figures provided by Malcolm, what came through clearly to me was the sense that some within the cricket community don’t feel they are being heard,” Roberts wrote. “We acknowledge that the number of registered players in traditional club environments has experienced a gradual decline over the past few years, even though total cricket participation continues to grow at a healthy rate.”Cricket clubs, like all club sport, face retention challenges in an increasingly time-poor society. As a volunteer, I also appreciate that leading a cricket club is becoming harder and new volunteers are not always lining up to help the club stalwarts. The commitment to supporting volunteers and making sure the game has a successful and sustainable future is one of Australian cricket’s top priorities under my leadership.”I understand it will take more than a letter from me to make everything better. It’s on me to lead ongoing consultation and action from all of us at Cricket Australia and the State & Territory Cricket Associations who serve their communities. We need to maximise the impact of the millions of dollars we’ve committed to improving community cricket facilities and the 68 new community cricket staff employed by State & Territory Cricket Associations to support clubs and volunteers.”ALSO READ: How many cricketers does Australia really have?Following the announcement of the census results, published a detailed breakdown of CA’s club participation figures, reflecting three consecutive years of decline in club cricket numbers – from 392,812 male and female, senior and junior players in 2016 to 365,076 this year.There has been a renewed focus within CA upon making its own participation numbers more accurate so that funding and resources can be better directed towards problem areas. At the same time, CA’s community cricket chiefs Belinda Clark (currently acting as the head of team performance) and Kieran McMillan have openly acknowledged that more needs to be done to bridge the gap between burgeoning school programs and clubs.”In recent years, we introduced modified junior formats to improve recruitment and retention, started offering free community cricket coaching programs and invested in growing cricket for girls,” Roberts wrote. “These commitments are starting to bear fruit. Providing improved digital support to reduce volunteer workload is another key focus into the future.”Having spent most of my life in cricket clubs as a player, coach, volunteer and parent, I’m passionate about clubs being the heart and soul of their communities. The initiatives I mentioned above are a positive step in the right direction, and we will continue to engage and listen to cricket communities, even if we don’t like what we hear.”Roberts also conceded that some players were counted twice on the way to reaching CA’s overall census participation figures – something he admitted was true even of his own daughter for the fact she plays both club and indoor cricket – but defended the wider methodology used.”When combining school participation programs and registered players, we reach the total participation figure of 1.65 million. Whilst this does include some players more than once, like my daughter who plays club and indoor cricket, it’s simply not true to suggest that total participation is inflated by double-counting most or all registered players,” Roberts said. “We are proud of cricket’s deep connection with local communities and the fact that cricket plays a part in the lives of so many participants across the country.”Like most organisations, we are working to improve our data. Junior clubs will have noticed this with all registrations being managed online this season, a process which makes it much easier for parents and players to register anytime, anywhere. I have had the privilege of meeting many of cricket’s employees, players and volunteers throughout my lifetime of involvement in cricket.”Cricket has helped shape who we are, and in some cases, has seen us become friends for life. Your passion and commitment to the game are key reasons why cricket is such a strong part of our nation’s fabric.”

It has been a lean phase for the Indian pacer, but he believes he has rectified his mistakes and is in the right rhythm for the West Indies Tests

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Aug-2019Umesh Yadav has dropped some way down the pecking order for India since the 2018-19 tour of Australia, the one-off appearance in a T20I against Australia in Visakhapatnam in February 2019 his only outing in national colours since then. But now, back in the Test set-up in the Caribbean, Umesh is upbeat and looking forward to “take on the challenge” and stay in the fray, remain part of what is a high-worth fast-bowling attack.”We are playing so many Test matches, we need good bench strength. We know we will all get our chances because there’s so much cricket,” he said after the Indians’ tour game against West Indies A in Coolidge in the lead-up to the first Test. Umesh returned 3 for 19 from ten overs in the West Indians’ first innings, Darren Bravo one of his victims. “The competition is good, and it’s good for us. That’s the way we think.ALSO READ – Umesh Yadav interview: ‘I will never look to bowl restrictively. If I have the ball in hand, I’ll go for wickets’“We keep trying to get better, and that helps the team too. It’s very important. If there is healthy competition, it’s exciting. One needs to take on the challenge and focus on the bowling.”In Australia, Umesh played just the one Test, in Perth where he picked up two wickets in a defeat, and was ignored for the rest of the games as India fielded Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami in all four Tests and Ishant Sharma in three in a 2-1 series win. Since then, it has been domestic cricket for Vidarbha and in the IPL with Royal Challengers Bangalore and, more recently, an outing for India A against West Indies A in Tarouba.”You need to get the rhythm right and start hitting the right lines and lengths. The idea is to prepare yourself and bowl the way you would in a match,” he said of the games in Tarouba and Coolidge. “After the Australia tour, I played the Ranji Trophy, and then the IPL. Yes, after the IPL, there has been a two-and-a-half-month break, which I used to rest. I thought I’d give myself some time, and work on the mistakes I had made in Australia and get my rhythm back.”For the West Indies Tests – India’s first in the World Test Championship cycle – the squad has a pace attack comprising Bumrah, Shami and Ishant, apart from Umesh, and spin options in R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav.Whether Umesh fits into the XI remains to be seen, but as far as he is concerned, his mindset is the way it should be.”A break helps, it’s only after a break that you can get your mindset right,” he said. “Sometimes, if you bowl a lot, little things start going wrong, the lines and lengths go a little wrong. It happens. I went to the academy in Vidarbha and met the coach Subroto Banerjee, and worked with him. He was very positive. That’s what I wanted.”It’s really all about the mindset. Sometimes negative thoughts creep in, and the idea is to take that out. That’s what I did, clear my thoughts.”