Anil Kumble has announced his retirement from one-day cricket but said that he will be available for Test matches.”It’s been a long, 17-year journey at the international level,” Kumble told reporters during a press conference in Bangalore. “Hopefully I will finish my Test career on a brighter note.”Kumble took 337 wickets at 30.89 in 271 one-dayers . His last game was against Bermuda at the World Cup where he took 3 for 38 in India’s 257-run win.”One-day cricket is not a bowler’s game, so I was always grateful when any wicket came my way,” he said. Kumble, 36, made his one-day debut in 1990 against Sri Lanka at Sharjah.Rahul Dravid, the Indian captain, acknowledged Kumble as one of India’s greatest cricketers. “What Anil has performed for India over the last decade and a half has been legendary,” Dravid said. Kapil Dev, the former Indian captain, said that Kumble had gone further than anybody could have imagined. “I never thought he had so much ability, but with time and determination he went beyond anybody’s imagination.”The Indians, who were knocked out in the first round after losing to Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in group B of the preliminary league, returned home on Thursday. “I wanted to go out on a high after the World Cup, but that obviously did not happen,” said Kumble.Kumble is renowned for taking all 10 wickets in a Test innings against Pakistan in New Delhi in 1999, only the second bowler to achieve the feat after Englishman Jim Laker. His best one-day performance was 6 for 12 against West Indies at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata during the Hero Cup tournament in 1993.
The Indian board (BCCI) has decided not to allot any of the matches of the forthcoming ICC Champions Trophy to the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB), saying CAB put ‘unreasonable conditions’ for hosting matches in the tournament.”The CAB has lost the chance of hosting Champions Trophy because of putting unreasonable conditions,” said Lalit Modi, the BCCI’s vice-president after a meeting of the board with ICC representatives in Mumbai.Modi explained that the BCCI wanted to distribute the matches equitably among all the regional centres, but the CAB’s demand for specific matches was a hindrance. “It wanted specific and later-stage matches, presumably the semi-final and final, which was uncalled for,” he countered, adding that the CAB did not want to host matches before October 23.He added that the CAB also wanted to know which specific matches they were being allocated so that they could take a decision whether they were going to host those.A further stumbling block was that the Bengal board did not want the Champions Trophy matches to be included in the grounds rotation policy, but the BCCI refused.Modi argued that several southern centres – such as Hyderabad, Chennai and Bangalore – were also interested in staging games, but the weather at that time was against them.He ended by passing the ball back to the ICC, telling reporters that while the BCCI had agreed in principle to host the tournament, the ICC had to decide on venues in addition to the three already agreed. “They [the ICC] want world-class facilities for holding the matches,” he said, “so, it’s up to them to decide on alternative venues.”
Faisalabad Wolves triumphed in Pakistan’s inaugural Twenty20 competition after they overcame the Karachi Dolphins in a dramatic finish. Chasing 159 for a win, the Wolves were on course for a comfortable victory but the loss of two wickets in the last over produced a thrilling climax and resulted in a penultimate-ball finish.Mohammad Hafeez and Asif Hussain had blasted quickfire 30s to put the Wolves on a comfortable path to victory. Mohammad Salman, the wicketkeeper, also chipped in with a vital 23 at the closing stages as the Wolves pocketed Rs 300,000 [US$5,000] at the end of a entertaining tournament.Earlier, Moin Khan had celebrated the news of being in provisional squad for the West Indian tour with a plucky 49. Agha Sabir, the opener, contributed a patient 37 but the Dolphins were pegged back by some accurate bowling by Saeed Ajmal, the offspinner, who ended with 3 for 29 and was eventually named the Man of the Match.
Lance Klusener, the former Test allrounder, wil captain the Nicky Oppenheimer Invitation XI in the first match of West Indies’ tour, a 45-overs game at Randjesfontein tomorrow (Dec 3). The first Test starts at Johannesburg on Friday week (Dec 12).Klusener’s side includes four other players with international experience for South Africa – the batsman Ashwell Prince, wicketkeeper/batsman Morne van Wyk, fast bowler Victor Mpitsang, and the left-arm seamer Charl Willoughby.The match is scheduled to begin at 10am. Tickets are available through Computicket outlets, or at the gate on the day.Oppenheimer’s XI 1 Hashim Amla, 2 Morne van Wyk (wk), 3 Ashwell Prince, 4 Goolam Bodi, 5 Benjamin Hector, 6 Lance Klusener (capt), 7 Albie Morkel, 8 Vaughan van Jaarsveld, 9 Garnett Kruger, 10 Victor Mpitsang, 11 Charl Willoughby. 12th man: Welcome Plessie.
What a week it has been for us here in Christchurch. after losing our first match to the Australians, we needed to beat both the New Zealanders and the English to qualify for a place in the semi-final of the tournament.Our midweek game against the Kiwis went very well and we managed to get a win against a team that perhaps seemed a little overconfident that they would progress to the next stage after beating England in their first match.Our final superleague match against England then suddenly became the most important match of the tournament for us as we had to beat them to advance to the semifinals. This was a nail biting affair that swung like a pendulum as both teams battled to get control of the game. England needed to win the match with a bonus point and hope that the Australians beat the New Zealanders if they were to advance to the semi-finals.They therefore had little choice but to chase our score ferociously from the start of their innings. this gave us a chance to force their batsmen to play high risk shots and allowed us to remove their top order batsmen at crucial stages of the game. Our victory came in the 41st over when Ryan Bailey (“Bails”) bowled their last batsmen.We had now qualified to play India in the first semifinal. This was to be the first match of the tournament to be televised live on the sky sports channel here in New Zealand. It was interesting to see our boys reaction to all the hype around this match and suddenly we realised again that we were playing in the world cup and had an opportunity to write the names of the squad in the history books.On the morning of the game, tensions were running high in our dressing room and it was no surprise to see a few of our team making more than one visit to the toilet before we had even started our warm-up. This soon settled and we set about our task to take on the Indian bowlers. The hype that had been created by the presence of the television cameras, did not fail to provide us with some anxious moments as we now had the use of modern technology to assist the umpires with stumping and run-out decisions.Despite all the excitement our boys excelled in this match and beat India by 112 runs. Davie Jacobs got the man of t he match and we were in the finals of the Under19 World Cup.Christchurch is a beautiful city on the south island of New Zealand. It is situated on the eastern coastline, and stretches inland. It is surrounded by open countryside that is extremely flat despite the existence of a very scenic cluster of hills just east of the city. This region is also well known for the quality of the grapes that are grown here and the locals claim that the white wine produced in these parts is as good as any in the world!Along with all the teams participating in the tournament we have been based at the Lincoln University campus which is also the home of the New Zealand cricket academy. This campus is about 20 to 25 minutes drive from Christchurch itself, so we have been a little isolated out here.However, the prospect of having some free time during this last week while we prepare for the final on Saturday, 9 February is a luxury we did not have earlier in the tournament as we were always practicing when we were not playing. I expect that the entire team is looking forward to this and no doubt some of the more interesting sites of this region will be explored by all.By the time I write my next postcard we will know if we are world champions or not, but for now we are savouring the victory that has taken us to the final.Until next time, Shane Jabaar (fizzer)
Man of the match Pieter Strydom ended the game tantalisingly poised on a hat-trick as Border wrapped up a comprehensive 125-run victory over the Dragons with 8.3 overs to spare.Strydom had Francois van der Merwe caught first ball to follow up his dismissal of Garth Roe to ice his man of the match cake. It gave him bowling figures of three for 19 from 7.3 overs to follow his innings top score of 79. His hat-trick ball will be in next Friday’s home match against KwaZulu-NatalBut really this was hardly a contest. The Dragons at no stage looked like overhauling Border’s 249 for six as they were bowled out for 124 to emphasise the gulf in class and experience.The depth of their resources was laid painfully bare as their attempts tocover up the lack of a fifth bowler were cruelly exposed by the home sideafter the won the toss.Light, Niewoudt and Morne Strydom went for 79 as the Dragons attempted to cobble together a fifth bowler to no avail.There were three half-centuries in the Border innings with Ian Mitchell laying the foundations with a measured 67 from 107 balls at the top of the order before Pieter Strydom and Craig Sugden cut loose.Strydom’s top score of 79 came in 58 balls and included seven fours and twosixes but was overshadowed for violence by Sugden’s 53 in just 32 balls.Against Border’s mean and battle-hardened attack that was more than the Dragons had within them as the innings failed to fire.Gary Outram – top-scoring with 29 – and Glen Hewitt (14) put on 30 for thesecond wicket but the pair both fell with the score on 66 to Tyrone Henderson and that was pretty much that.The win boosted Border back into play-off contention but they still need tobeat the Dolphins and Free State if they are to make the top four.
West Brom defender Semi Ajayi has revived his career at the club in the second half of the season, having started the last nine games in a row despite making just 15 appearances in the 2021/22 Championship beforehand.
His speed and physicality have caught the eye in recent months, and after becoming an outcast under former Albion manager Slaven Bilic, current boss Steve Bruce has brought him in from the cold and helped him return to his best – but his recent form might eventually come at a cost.
What’s the news?
Former Premier League striker Kevin Phillips has claimed that the Baggies could be forced into selling their 28-year-old centre-back, who he believes could even be playing in the top flight next season.
When asked by West Brom News if Albion could lose Ajayi this summer, the 48-year-old replied: “I would say so. I think he’s a really accomplished centre-half, he has shown in these spells that he can deliver and it’s just getting that consistency.
“When a new manager comes in and you fall out or whatever, I think he’s shown that he’s got the quality, he’s a big, powerful centre-half with leadership qualities.
“So, I would assume that there would be interest in him, he would fit the mould of a lot of teams, maybe in the lower half of the Premier League, and definitely the top half of the Championship – he’s definitely a player that would attract interest.”
West Brom need to keep Ajayi
Ajayi has excelled in the Championship in previous years, including his 2018/19 campaign which saw him feature in all 46 of Rotherham’s matches, scoring seven goals in the process. That prompted the Baggies to sign him for £1.49m, and their promotion-winning 2019/20 campaign saw him score five goals in 43 matches, a very respectable return for a centre-back.
This year, the Nigeria international has made 2.9 clearances and won 5.1 duels and 1.3 tackles per game, while completing 80% of his dribbles and executing 1.6 long passes per match.
With superb athleticism and rapidly improving defensive skills, Ajayi – who last year was described by former England midfielder Trevor Sinclair to be “getting better all the time” – would be a huge loss to West Brom, and the Albion faithful will surely be hoping that they can keep hold of him for next season.
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Given the fine form that the Nigerian has shown, it could be disastrous for the Baggies to lose the 28-year-old if the lure of another club proves too attractive to resist.
In other news: West Brom dodged a huge transfer bullet over £48k-p/w “Rolls-Royce”
The Kolkata Knight Riders have signed Ajantha Mendis, the Sri Lankan slow bowler, till the end of the current season. Mendis, who shot into prominence in the ODI series against West Indies with his unusual action and crafty variations, flew into Kolkata yesterday.The agency which manages Mendis’ affairs was certain that their client will be able to deliver the goods. “Kolkata is a place where the pitches are generally slow and receptive to spin and a bowler like Mendis would be able to make the maximum use of the conditions,” the spokesman told the , a Colombo-based daily.Mendis, 23, made a sensational debut when he took 3 for 39 against West Indies in Port-of-Spain on April 10. He flummoxed Chris Gayle and Darren Sammy as the Windies batsmen struggled to pick his assortment of deliveries. Mendis, however, failed to take a wicket in his second match, and did not get an opportunity to bowl in the third.Meanwhile, Mendis’ compatriot, allrounder Kaushal Weeraratne, has been invited to join Kolkata in training for a week. Weeraratne has scored 97 runs in 13 ODI innings at 16.16, and taken six wickets. He is also the record holder for the fastest fifty in List A cricket, which he completed off only 12 balls while playing for Ragama against Karunegala in Sri Lankan domestic cricket in 2005-06.
Australia’s coach Tim Nielsen believes Mitchell Johnson might be the man who can unnerve India’s strong batting line-up if he is picked for the Boxing Day Test. Johnson was impressive in his first two Tests against Sri Lanka last month but the re-emergence of Shaun Tait has left him uncertain of a place for the Melbourne match.However, Johnson has an excellent record against India in one-day internationals with 19 wickets at an average of 16 and he was the leading wicket-taker for either side in the recent ODI series in India. Nielsen said that would work in his favour when the selectors decided on their final 11 for Boxing Day.”He’s had really good success,” Nielsen said. “He’s knocked over their top order consistently over the last couple of years. When the selectors sit down and have a look at the best mix for a team against India I’m sure the fact Mitchell’s knocked over the likes of Tendulkar and Ganguly and Dravid consistently over the last couple of years will be a big tick in his box.”Tait was still recovering from elbow surgery when Australia played Sri Lanka, leaving Johnson as the obvious candidate to back up Brett Lee and Stuart Clark in the pace attack. But Johnson was left out of the ODIs against New Zealand as Australia wanted to give Tait some match time and Tait’s success meant Johnson was suddenly being mentioned as a possible 12th man for Boxing Day.”He’s been so good in the Test match arena especially,” Nielsen said. “The biggest challenge for him is not to think ‘what do I have to change to get back in’ it’s just to understand that 12 doesn’t fit into 11 [for the ODIs].”Australia have not decided whether to experiment with a four-man pace attack in Melbourne as the MCG pitch remains a mystery. Rain has bucketed down in Melbourne over the past few days, meaning the centre-wicket area is still under cover.
Group A With half-centuries from Imran Farhat and Rafatullah Mohamand Habib Bank Limited (HB) chased down Zarai Taraqiati Limited Bank’s (ZTB) 267 with two wickets to spare at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.Despite Aamer Bashir’s 81 and Adnan Raza’s unbeaten 55, ZTB could not set a high enough target. Abdur Rehman, the Pakistan left-arm spinner, took 3 for 54 and Shahid Nazir, Pakistan’s right-arm fast bowler, took 2 for 25. HB’s top order set up the platform for the chase as Farhat and Mohmand added 47 together and then Mohamand added another 79 with Hasan Raza. But Mohammad Khalil and Naved Ashraf triggered a lower-order collapse and four wickets fell for 39 runs. Nazir and Sajid Shah held their nerve and scored the required runs with three balls to sprae. Khalil and Ashraf got three wickets each for the game.National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) bowled out Pakistan Customs for 144 and reached the target for the loss of two wickets at the Sheikhupura Stadium.Tahir Mughal and Wasim Khan, NBP’s opening bowlers, sent back the first four Customs’ batsmen for 60 runs. Then Mansoor Amjad, a legbreak bowler, took three middle-order wickets for three runs though Customs’ managed to last out 47 overs for their paltry score. Usman Arshad top-scored for Customs’ with 35.Salman Butt and Qaiser Abbas set the tone of the chase adding 93 for the first wicket. Abbas was unbeaten on 72 when NBP reached the target in 34.4 oversGroup B Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGP) had an easy chase on their hands as Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) crumbled to 103 at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.Only two WAPDA batsmen – Masood Asim (30) and Aamer Sajjad (37) got to double figures. Three batsmen failed to score at all. Imran Ali and Tauqeer Hussain, SNGP’s right-arm fast-medium bowlers, took three wickets each.Yasir Arafat was not out on 50 when SNGP reached the target in 19 overs for the loss of two wickets.An 108-run partnership between Shehzad Malik and Azhar Ali got Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) a five-wicket win over Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) in Rawalpindi.PIA made 277 in their 50 overs with half-centuries from Agha Sabir and Faisal Iqbal. KRL had a setback early in their innings with two wickets falling at 43. But the Malik-Ali partnership was preceded by two fifty-run partnerships between Saeed Anwar jr (52) and Bilal Asad (68) and Asad and Malik(83*). Fazl-e-Akbar and Bazid Khan were the only two out of seven PIA bowlers who got wickets.