South African allrounder Albie Morkel has been withdrawn from the South Africa A squad for the tour match against the New Zealanders in Potchefstroom after sustaining a minor injury during the tour of Pakistan.Morkel has been replaced by Cape Cobras allrounder Rory Kleinveldt. The selection committee made another change, drafting in allrounder Blake Snijman for fellow Highveld Lions team-mate Werner Coetsee.”Werner hasn’t played any first-class cricket for four weeks and in the circumstances he has been granted permission to play in the amateur competition for North West this weekend,” said Joubert Strydom, the chief selector.The four-day match begins on November 1 at Sedgars Park.South Africa A (revised): Boeta Dippenaar (capt), Morne van Wyk (wk), Alviro Petersen, Neil McKenzie, Jean-Paul Duminy, Gulam Bodi, Rory Kleinveldt, Thandi Tshabalala, Lonwabo Tsotsobe, Friedel de Wet, Charl Langeveldt. 12th man: Blake Snijman
Former England batsman turned ICC match referee Chris Broad has laid into Kevin Shine, England’s bowling coach, accusing him of trying to turn his son Stuart into a “bowling clone”.Speaking to BBC Leicester, Broad lambasted Shine after suggestions were made to Stuart Broad that he should make some changes to his action.The aim was to try to lessen the chances of injury, but Broad senior was unimpressed. “I don’t believe you should have a whole host of clones playing in an England side so that they don’t get injured.”I can understand where Kevin Shine is coming from in that biomechanics are saying as far as injuries go you have to open up a little bit more save your back,” he continued. “But Stuart’s is a very natural action, it’s a very easy action and it’s a wicket-taking action. Injury is part and parcel of any game. A coach should work with the talent they have got in front of them, not change them into something that we see in a coaching manual.”I hope Stuart sticks to his guns and I hope the England set-up realise the talent they have and work with it.”
Ashley Giles, the England spinner, will miss the five-match one-day series against Pakistan, after it was confirmed that he would be flying home to undergo surgery on a long-standing hip-cartilage problem.Giles, who looked in some discomfort during an ineffective bowling performance in the second Test at Faisalabad, has not yet been ruled out of next week’s series-decider in Lahore, but England’s aim is to have him back to full fitness in time for the tour of India that gets underway next spring.His place in the one-day side will be taken by, Ian Blackwell, the Somerset allrounder, who has played in 23 previous ODIs, but none since the NatWest Series against New Zealand and West Indies in 2004.A fierce striker of the ball, and an increasingly effective left-arm spinner, Blackwell has struggled with a questionable attitude towards his fitness in the past, although at the age of 27, and now captain at Somerset, his time may finally have come.”Blackwell has had opportunities with the one-day squad before,” said David Graveney, England’s chairman of selectors. “Since his appointment as Somerset captain he has had to take on extra responsibility, and we believe he is now better equipped to fulfil his undoubted potential at international level.”The selectors have already decided that Ian Bell will be on stand-by to join the one-day squad should Michael Vaughan miss the series due to injury. Marcus Trescothick will continue to deputise as captain if Vaughan is unavailable.
Rashid Latif could face disciplinary action after leading his team off the field in protest of what he termed was “an unfit pitch”. Leading the Karachi Blues in a Quaid-e-Azam Trophy match against Faisalabad, the home side, Latif took the drastic step after Karachi had slumped to 33 for 4, and several of their batsmen had taken blows to the body.”I didn’t want any serious injury to take place,” Latif told The News, a Pakistan daily. “The pitch was not fit for a first-class match and the batsmen were getting bat on ball with difficulty due to the unusual movement and variable bounce.”I asked the players to come off after declaring the innings because the umpires were not allowing them to come off otherwise. Afterwards I gave in writing to the match referee that we could not continue the match on the pitch which was unfit and dangerous for the players.”Shafiq Ahmed, the chairman of the Domestic Tournament Monitoring Committee (DTMC), later announced that match referee Khalid Niazi had awarded the match to Faisalabad since Karachi had refused to carry on.Shafiq also refuted Latif’s claim that the pitch was not fit for a first-class match. “The pitch was not dangerous or unfit for play. It had moisture in it and there was a lot of grass on it but this can be expected in Punjab at this time of the year.” He stated that the Pakistan board would decide if disciplinary action would be taken against Latif and the entire Karachi team. “The umpires Rasheed Bhatti and Mian Aslam and the match referee will now send their report to the DTMC and the Pakistan board on the match and the incident and it will subsequently decide whether there is ground for taking disciplinary action against the Karachi team or its players.”
The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) at Lord’s has given Cricket Australia permission to print its official Laws of Cricket (2000 Code – 2nd Edition – 2003) locally in Australia in a deal which will enable a far wider distribution than in previous years.It also means the resource has been produced in a more cost-efficient way by engaging local printers rather than having to import copies from the United Kingdom.Cricket Australia has printed 20,000 copies of the Laws of Cricket to be distributed as part of its National Umpiring Accreditation Scheme, through normal orders by states and territories, and also as part of the spirit of cricket initiative which sees the bulk of copies provided for the first time to coaches, umpires and captains.Cricket Australia Chief Executive Officer James Sutherland said it was important for everyone in Australian cricket to be familiar with the laws of the game, and with the responsibilities that these placed on participants."Umpires, captains and players have specific responsibilities which are spelled out in the laws, particularly for setting the tone for conduct of games," he said."The Laws of Cricket are the foundation on which the game has been built and we are grateful to the MCC for helping us to increase local circulation of this valuable resource."Local printing has allowed Cricket Australia to print a spirit of cricket message from Mr Sutherland on the inside cover of the booklets, reminding coaches, umpires, captains and players that while the laws of cricket are important, the way the game is played is just as significant.The MCC owns the global copyright to the Laws of Cricket and they are available from the MCC’s website, www.lords.org/cricket/laws.asp.
The ICC has appointed former Sri Lanka Cricket Captain and International Match Referee Ranjan Madugalle, to be its Chief Referee. This is a new position within the ICC, which did not previously have a Chief Referee."He is clearly regarded as the outstanding member of the existing panel. His record as a former captain of Sri Lanka and the high regard in which he is held throughout the cricket world make him an ideal appointment for this position," said ICC Chief Executive Malcolm Speed.The ICC recently took a decision to appoint five International Match Referees on contract, departing from the present practice of appointing Match Referees tour by tour. Madugalle is the first of the Match Referees to be appointed.As his first task, Madugalle will identify a panel of potential referees from whom the remaining four referees will be chosen. The final panel will be chosen by the ICC Chief Executive and Sunil Gavaskar, the Chairman of the Cricket Committee Playing.Madugalle played for Sri Lanka in 21 Tests and 65 one-day-internationals between 1979 and 1989, captaining the team from 1987-89. He has served as an ICC Match Referee since 1994, and has officiated in matches involving all Testplaying nations.He had the distinction of serving as the Match Referee in the 1999 World Cup Final in England, and the ICC Knockout Tournament Finals in 1998 and 2000. He served as a Match Referee in the 1996 and 1999 World Cups.Madugalle served on the ICC Panel on Illegal Deliveries from its inception until 2000, and was also a member of the ICC Sub-Committee to Review Umpiring and Refereeing Standards.He was a National Selector from 1990-92 and again from 1992-97. He is currently a Member of the BCCSL’s Cricket Committee.
JJ Smuts’ 101 cancelled out Grant Thomson’s 98 as Warriors edged Titans with a ball to spare in the Momentum One Day Cup opener in Centurion.Needing 14 off 12 balls, Warriors lost Simon Harmer and Sisanda Magala in a space of four balls but Andrew Birch and Bashreeru-Deen Walters, who hit the winning runs, saw their side home. The chase of 328, though, was set up by Smuts, who was the dominant partner in a 133-run stand with No.3 Yaseen Vallie. Smuts struck 14 fours and two sixes before right-arm pacer Ethy Mbhalati had the opener caught behind in the 24th over.Titans struck back, triggering a slide, as Warriors went from 160 for 1 to 230 for 6. Simon Harmer, who had taken two wickets earlier in the day, and Birch then took charge of the chase, crashing 89 in only 7.5 overs. Birch smashed five fours and three sixes in his unbeaten 28-ball 55.Titans, however, had begun well after being inserted. Each of the top three had bright starts but none managed to convert it into a big score. However, Dean Elgar and Thomson gave the innings some ballast and then impetus with an 87-run partnership. Simon Harmer broke the stand in the 39th over when he had Elgar caught by Somila Seyibokwe for 57 but Quaasim Adams became the third half-centurion for his team. Titans plundered 70 runs off the last five overs but they eventually came up short.
West Ham United recorded a vital 1-0 home win over Wolverhampton Wanderers with both sides chasing European qualification for next season.
Tomas Soucek’s second-half strike proved the difference between the two sides as the Hammers climbed to fifth in the Premier League table whilst Wolves remain eighth.
Although the Czech Republic international will get plenty of praise for scoring the decisive goal, teammate Pablo Fornals had an excellent afternoon for the Hammers and looked as though he could be getting back to his best at the perfect time for West Ham.
The Spaniard started the campaign excellently, scoring four goals and assisting two in his first 11 league appearances of the season, but has just one goal in almost four months of Premier League action.
Although he didn’t score or assist against Bruno Lage’s side, the attacking midfielder was certainly influential.
According to SofaScore, Fornals was the Irons’ joint-best player alongside Kurt Zouma, picking up a rating of 8.2/10 whilst making 74 touches, one of the most in his side.
Moreover, the livewire enjoyed an 80% passing accuracy alongside making two key passes and successfully completing three of four attempted dribbles.
However, it was the wide man’s defensive contribution that was so impressive, with the 26-year-old making five tackles and two interceptions whilst winning 75% of his duels as West Ham kept their seventh clean sheet of the Premier League season.
It would’ve certainly been pleasing for Moyes to see a player with plenty of potential look back to his best after a tricky run in the side that has seen little goal contributions.
Since joining the East London outfit from La Liga side Villareal in 2019, Fornals has had a mixed spell in the English capital, making 111 appearances in all competitions whilst scoring 15 goals and assisting 14, a goal contribution every 3.83 matches.
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Now, Moyes will want to see more goals from the Spaniard, an area that’s clearly been lacking in the three seasons at The London Stadium.
The Hammers have a crucial handful of weeks coming up, with Sunday’s win over Wolves a great way to kick-start that run. Following an FA Cup fifth-round clash at Southampton on Wednesday night, the Irons take on Liverpool, Aston Villa and Tottenham in the Premier League as well as two legs against Sevilla in the Europa League round of 16, all before April.
Therefore, the Scotsman will be desperate for his offensive-minded players, such as Fornals, to contribute strong performances. Moreover, there is a particular emphasis on goal scoring with Michail Antonio the club’s only senior striker and as a result goals will have to come from other avenues if the Hammers are to be successful.
In other news: Sold for £23m, now worth 5x less: West Ham played a blinder with “heated” 32 y/o flop
Left-arm seamer Richard Ngarava has been named Zimbabwe’s new Test and ODI captain.Ngarava, 27, takes over from Craig Ervine, who stepped down from the role, according to a media statement from Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC). Allrounder Brian Bennett was announced as Ngarava’s deputy. Veteran Sikandar Raza will continue to captain Zimbabwe in T20Is.The new appointments were made following the Zimbabwe board’s fourth quarter meeting in Harare. “Ngarava has shown remarkable growth as a player and leader over the years,” ZC chairman Tavengwa Mukuhlani said. “He commands respect within the dressing room and has consistently delivered for Zimbabwe across all formats. We believe he is ready to lead the team into its next chapter.”Craig Ervine led with professionalism, resilience and dignity during a challenging period. ZC is deeply grateful for his contribution to the team’s stability and progress.”Ngarava has played 11 Tests and 145 white-ball internationals for Zimbabwe since making his debut in 2017. He is Zimbabwe’s highest wicket-taker in T20Is, with 108 strikes in 90 matches at an economy rate of 7.30. He also has franchise T20 experience, having had stints in the UAE’s ILT20, Lanka Premier League and Bangladesh Premier League.At 22, Bennett has scored centuries in all formats for Zimbabwe and is known for his attacking enterprise at the top.”Brian’s appointment as vice-captain reflects our confidence in his cricketing intelligence, maturity and long-term leadership potential,” Mukuhlani said. “He represents the future of Zimbabwean cricket.”
Lance Klusener, the former South African allrounder, has been left out of the Dolphins squad set to play the Eagles in the season-opener at Kingsmead from Thursday.Cassim Docrat, CEO of the KZN Cricket Union, said there was a “hitch” regarding Klusener’s eligibility to play, the Natal-based reported. This comes in the wake of Cricket South Africa’s decision to ban players involved with the Indian Cricket League (ICL). Cricket South Africa’s chief executive officer Gerald Majola had said anyone who joined the ICL would not be allowed to play in matches organised by the board.Klusener, who signed for the ICL, an unofficial league that intends to stage Twenty20 games across India, had lashed out at the board’s stand. Tony Irish, the CEO of the SA Cricketers’ Association, has taken up the matter with the board on Klusener’s behalf.Another star Dolphins cricketer, Dale Benkenstein, will also miss the four-day match. Docrat said Benkenstein is still in England but will be available for the second round of the competition.Meanwhile, the Inland selectors have named the squad from which the XI will be chosen for the opening SA Airways Challenge round against Boland at the Maritzburg Oval from Thursday. The Durban-based KZN Coastal side was also selected for their match in East London.TeamsKZN Dolphins Imraan Khan, Doug Watson, Wayne Madsen, Ahmed Amla (capt), Jon Kent, Daryn Smit, Johann Louw, Morné van Vuuren, Yusuf Abdullah, Quinton Friend, Saidi Mhlongo, Mafinki Serame. Coach: Yashin Ebrahim.KZN Inland André van Vuuren (capt), Ross McMillan, Clint Bowyer, Brad Moses, Lyndon Brown, Kivershan Padayachee, Michael Matika, Sashen Dorasamy, Garry Hampson, Murray Hampson, Lennox Lwana, Qasim Khurshid, Olly Humphries, Mbasa Gqadushe, Glen Addicott. Coach: Robbie Coutts.KZN Coastal Rivash Gobind (capt), Kyle Smit, Fabian Lazarus, Martin Bekker, Calvin Flowers, Cedric Mabuya, Chad Hauptfleisch, Viyaash Gobind, Andrew Tweedie, Dan Horsfall, Tyron Pillay, Keegan Africa. Coach: Sakele Simon.