Australia call for ‘Dutch’ Nannes

Determined to find the right combo after miserable outing in the recently concluded World Twenty20, Australian national selectors have decided to call upon Australian born Dirk Nannes to join its Twenty20 squad to play against England following the Ashes. Michael Hussey and Nathan Bracken have been dropped while Ricky Ponting has been rested from playing two Twenty20 games and the start of the ODI series, as part of the work load management that Cricket Australia follows in his case.

Dirk Nannes made the international scene when he played for Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Delhi Daredevils in the 2009 edition in South Africa. Nannes impressed everyone with his penetrative bowling performances and even managed to keep veteran Glenn McGrath out of the playing eleven for the whole tournament. He later represented Netherlands at the recent ICC World Twenty20 event in England and continued to impress everyone.

On his call-up to the Australian team, Nannes said, “I was sitting at home and the phone rang and it was Michael Brown. He normally calls either if you’re selected or you’ve done something wrong. I was scratching my brain to work out what I’d done wrong because I had no idea there were even Twenty20s in England.”

Nannes is now hoping that he can perform well to keep his Australian cap and also is looking forward to play in the next World Twenty20 tournament in West Indies in Australian colors. “If I keep playing well, who knows, maybe I’ll get selected. But at the end of the day if I’ve still played for Australia that’s something that I’m absolutely rapt with and hopefully I do well.”

On his decision to rest Ponting, the chairman of selectors Andrew Hilditch said, “Ricky Ponting is having his workload managed and will return home to Australia after the fifth Test at the Oval and will miss the ODI against Scotland, the two Twenty20s and the start of the of the ODI series against England.”

“This is the last opportunity we have to give Ricky a break until next year, with the ICC Champions Trophy, ODIs against India and of course a full domestic summer against the West Indies and Pakistan to finish 2009. The plan for him to return to Australia before rejoining the team is considered the most appropriate course of action,” he added.

Michael Clarke will captain the team while wicket-keeper Brad Haddin has been appointed his deputy.

ODI squad: Ricky Ponting (Captain), Michael Clarke, Shane Watson, Michael Hussey, Callum Ferguson, Brad Haddin(Wk), Tim Paine, James Hopes, Cameron White, Mitchell Johnson, Brett Lee, Nathan Hauritz, Peter Siddle, Nathan Bracken, Ben Hilfenhaus.

Twenty20 squad: Michael Clarke (Captain), David Warner, Shane Watson, Callum Ferguson, David Hussey, Adam Voges, Brad Haddin(Wk), Cameron White, Mitchell Johnson, Brett Lee, Nathan Hauritz, Ben Hilfenhaus, Dirk Nannes.

Mendis to Play for South Australia

Sri Lankan mystery spinner Ajantha Mendis is all set to represent Australian domestic team South Australia in the coming Big Bash T20 tournament later this year. His spin counterpart, and the world’s most successful spinner, Muttiah Muralitharan is also set to sign a deal with Victoria.

Mendis is said to be happy about the opportunity to play in alien conditions, and is excited about the challenge. His manager Roshan Abeysinghe said, “He is very excited at the opportunity because it’s extra exposure for him and a learning opportunity to bowl on Australian tracks. He hasn’t played in Australia so it will be a great opportunity and a chance to learn a different style because he has played a lot of cricket on the subcontinent.”

The signing of Mendis has however raised a few concerns about his secrets being decoded. “The mystery can be found out anyway with technology but it can’t be mastered like facing him in a match. We are concerned about it. We don’t want him to be overexposed at any cost but maybe the Twenty20 is fine, where he can only bowl four overs at the most,” Abeysinghe said.

On recruiting Mendis, Jamie Cox, South Australia performance manager said, “Mendis is a proven Twenty20 player famous for his unique bowling style that routinely confounds batsmen. With three home games and one in Sydney and with the importance of quality slow bowling highlighted at the recent World Twenty20, we believe this gives our playing group a massive boost in their quest to qualify for the Champions League.”

Mendis will join his Sri Lankan teammate Lasith Malinga who has already inked the deal with team Victoria. On the other hand, signing of Muralitharan will mark the return of the off-spinner to the land of Kangaroos after the infamous incident where he was no-balled for ‘throwing.’

Commenting on the deal, Kushil Gunasekera, manager said, “Both parties have mutually consented that they would go ahead and make this contract materialize, but the contract has not been signed yet. It looks like it will happen. Cricket Victoria is interested in Murali, and Murali is keen to play for them.”

Dravid Surprise Champions Trophy Inclusion

The national selectors, headed by Srikkanth, threw up a surprise by naming Rahul Dravid in the 30 member probable for the Champions Trophy to be held in South Africa this September. The list also included Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Zaheer Khan and Suresh Raina – the four players who missed out the short trip to West Indies due to injury.

Dravid made his last ODI appearance in October 2007 against Australia in Nagpur, but later was kept out of the team to give youngsters a chance. However, his inclusion comes as a result of the recent struggle by many Indian batsmen against short pitched deliveries during the World Twenty20 and the West Indies tour. The former Indian captain played a key role in helping his Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore reach the final, scoring 271 runs at a strike rate of 116.

On the other hand, Irfan Pathan once again failed to make the cut, an alarming move by the selectors. The move puts Irfan’s career in jeopardy as he now has the task of grinding it out during the coming domestic season regain his place. Joining him on the sidelines will be another speedster Sreesanth, who played for India a year back.

Probables: MS Dhoni, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh, Rohit Sharma, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Suresh Raina, Yusuf Pathan, Abhishek Nayar, Ishant Sharma, Zaheer Khan, RP Singh, Praveen Kumar, Harbhajan Singh, Pragyan Ojha, Ravindra Jadeja, Dinesh Karthik, Munaf Patel, R Ashwin, M Vijay, Amit Mishra, Ajinkya Rahane, Dhawal Kulkarni, S Badrinath, Ashish Nehra, Virat Kohli, Bhuvneshwar Kumar Singh, Wriddhiman Saha, Pankaj Singh.

ICC World Twenty20 Preview: South Africa

SOUTH AFRICA – Group D

Alongside India and Australia, South Africa start the tournament as favourites, with the added challenge of erasing their chokers tag. The Proteas benefited greatly from the recent Indian Premier League, where many of them played a major role, pleasing captain Graeme Smith. AB DeVillers and Jacques Kallis are in prime form, along with emerging spinner all-rounder Roelof van der Merwe.

Jacques Kallis: Kallis was dropped for the previous World Twenty20, however, since then he has earned his place. His Indian Premier League performance, and role as opening batsman and bowler, has certainly enhanced his stature as a quality player in this format. His success in IPL 2009 is already showing, as he opening the batting with Smith in their warm-up game against Pakistan.

AB DeVillers: He is in the form of his life and put on a great show in the Indian Premier League with many match winning performances. His contribution with the bat is vital.

X-Factor: South Africa’s new sensation Yusuf Abdulla announced his arrival in the big leagues against Australia. A performance he followed up with 14 wickets from 9 matches in IPL 2009. He was one of the front-runners for the purple cap before he was replaced by Brett Lee.

Dark Horse: Roelof van der Merwe is yet another player who made a name for himself in the recently concluded Indian Premier League. He isn’t afraid to flight the ball and was effective throughout the tournament, scoring quick runs with the bat too.

Team:

Captain: Graeme Smith

Johan Botha, Yusuf Abdulla, Mark Boucher, AB DeVillers, Jean-Paul Duminy, Herschelle Gibbs, Jacques Kallis, Albie Morkel, Morne Morkel, Justin Ontong, Wayne Parnell, Robin Peterson, Dale Steyn and Roelof van der Merwe.

Coach: Mickey Arthur

ICC World T20 Preview: Australia

AUSTRALIA – Group C

World champions in both Tests and ODIs, Australia’s jittery performance since the retirement of greats like Gilchrist, Hayden, McGrath and Warne has reinvigorated the race for the top spot in international cricket. As it stands now, the Aussies have done well to build a squad that is good enough to win their first World Twenty20 title.

Watch Out For:

Michael Clarke: In the absence of Ricky Ponting, Clarke’s leadership was solid against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi, navigating Australia to victory after being one down in the series. Additionally, he shouldered responsibility with the bat too by opening the innings, scoring a century in the fourth ODI to seal the series.

David Warner: Warner is an explosive opening batsman who will be trying to fill the boots of Matthew Hayden and Adam Gilchrist. He proved his worth in the Indian Premier League by providing blistering starts to his team, Delhi, in the absence of Virender Sehwag.

X-Factor: Shane Watson’s form with the bat and ball will be crucial for Australia, as it will make or break the balance of the team. Watson played a huge hand in the Rajasthan Royals victory in IPL 2008, earning the player of the tournament accolade for scoring 400 plus runs and picking up 17 wickets.

Dark Horse: Mitchell Johnson is a promising left-arm fast bowler who has proved himself with both bat and ball. His ability to pickup wickets at crucial times helps form a lethal combo for the Aussies, along with Brett Lee.

Team:

Captain: Ricky Ponting

Michael Clarke, Nathan Bracken, Brad Haddin, Nathan Hauritz, Ben Hilfenhaus, James Hopes, David Hussey, Michael Hussey, Mitchell Johnson, Brett Lee, Peter Siddle, Andrew Symonds, David Warner and Shane Watson.

Coach: Tim Nielsen

ICC World Twenty20 Squads

West Indies Cricket Team

The West Indies selectors have brought back Xavier Marshall and Dave Bernard for their World T20 campaign. Chris Gayle will lead the squad and wicket-keeper batsman Dinesh Ramdin will be his deputy. The West Indies were knocked out in the first round of the 2007 event after losing to South Africa and Bangladesh. This time they are pitted against Australia and Sri Lanka in the first phase.

Squad: Chris Gayle (Captain), Denesh Ramdin (wk), Lionel Baker, Sulieman Benn, David Bernard jnr., Dwayne Bravo, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Fidel Edwards, Andre Fletcher, Xavier Marshall, Kieron Pollard, Darren Sammy, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Lendl Simmons, Jerome Taylor

South Africa Cricket Team     

Veteran all-rounder Jacques Kallis makes a return to the T20 team after being omitted from the inaugural World Twenty20 team in 2007. Johan Botha, who was recently reported for suspect bowling action, has also been included and he will play subject to clearance from the ICC.

Squad: Graeme Smith (Captain), Johan Botha, Mark Boucher (wk), AB DeVillers, Jacques Kallis, Jean-Paul Duminy, Herschelle Gibbs, Albie Morkal, Morne Morkal, Yusuf Abdulla, Justin Ontong, Robin Peterson, Dale Steyn, Roelof van der Merwe      

Flintoff’s IPL Motives Revealed

England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff feels that participation in the Indian Premier League will help him to gain valuable insights into opposition players, knowledge which will come in handy during the upcoming World Twenty20 in June. “While I am out there I’ll be watching the likes of Dhoni, who has played a lot of Twenty20 cricket and Hayden who had a good performance in IPL last season. I will be speaking to a few of the Indian guys and see if I can pick up their brains,” said Flintoff.

Inversely, Flintoff will be guarded in regards to the information he gives away about his England colleagues playing in opposing franchises. “I think you’ll find players helping each other out and talking to each other, but the flip side of that is that other sides have England team-mates so you have to be a bit cautious about what you’re saying. Ultimately, it’s all about playing for England and passing on a bit of information about one of your players could be to the detriment of this team and that’s something you can’t do,” added Flintoff.

Flintoff, who was in and out of the England team during the recently concluded West Indies tour, said that his IPL stint will help him to stay at the peak of his game in the run up to The Ashes. Freddie, who was bought by the IPL Chennai Super Kings franchise, will be sharing the dressing room with the likes of Mahendra Sing Dhoni, Muttiah Muralitharan, Jacob Oram and Albie Morkal. 

England has a hectic schedule of international commitments – they play home Test and ODI series against the West Indies, followed by the World Twenty20 and then the all important Ashes against Australia.

Injured Jerome Taylor to Miss IPL

A road accident has forced West Indian speedster Jerome Taylor out of IPL this year. His place in the Kings XI Punjab side will be taken by South African Yusuf Abdulla, who made his international T20 debut against Australia recently. Commenting on the replacement, Mohali franchise owner Ness Wadia said, “We will be playing six matches in Durban, which is Abdulla’s home ground and he knows the ground better than anybody.”

The absence of Taylor may affect the team’s fast bowling department as they already miss the services of Sreesanth, and are likely to miss Brett Lee who hasn’t played a match this year due to a foot injury. However, the fiery pace bowler Lee is believed to have already reached South Africa to train with the touring Australian team. The Punjab team has roped in Dave Nosworthy, head coach of the Lions, to assist Tom Moody and have chosen Port Elizabeth as their base for the tournament.

Preliminary Squads for World T20 Announced

In the run-up to the World Twenty20, to be played in England this June, all the Test playing nations barring the West Indies have announced their provisional 30 member squads. Out of the eight countries, New Zealand is the only team to finalise their 15 member touring party. The staging of the Indian Premier League (IPL) pre the World T20 provides an ideal platform for many players to book a berth in their respective final squads.

The Squads:

INDIA   

Defending Champions, India has dropped Joginder Sharma the hero of the last edition’s final due to poor performances in the recently concluded domestic season. Fast bowler Sreesanth has withdrawn from selection due to injury, while Ajit Agarkar, who was part of the winning team last time, has been dropped.

Squad: Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina, Rohit Sharma, Yuvraj Singh, Yusuf Pathan, Irfan Pathan, Zaheer Khan, Ishant Sharma, Munaf Patel, Ravindra Jadeja, Pragyan Ojha, Harbhajan singh, Praveen Kumar, Dinesh Karthik, M Vijay, Ajinkya Rahane, S Badrinath, Robin Uthappa, Virat Kohli, Manoj Tiwary, Wriddhiman Saha, Abhishek Nayar, Amit Mishra, R Ashwin, RP Singh, L Balaji, Dhawal Kulkarni, Naman Ojha

AUSTRALIA

Andrew Symonds gets yet another chance after spending nearly six months in a rehabilitation program with Cricket Australia, while fast bowler Brett Lee and all-rounder Shane Watson return after injury.

Squad: Nathan Bracken, Michael Clarke, Callum Ferguson, Brett Geeves, Brad Haddin, Ryan Harris, Shane Harwood, Nathan Hauritz, Aaron Heal, Moises Henriques, Ben Hilfenhaus, Brad Hodge, James Hopes, David Hussey, Michael Hussey, Mitchell Johnson, Jason Krejza, Ben Laughlin, Brett Lee, Graham Manou, Shaun Marsh, Ricky Ponting, Rob Quiney, Peter Siddle, Andrew Symonds, Shaun Tait, Adam Voges, David Warner, Shane Watson, Cameron White

ENGLAND  

England selectors have surprisingly omitted Andrew Strauss, captain of the Test and ODI team, from the preliminary squad. Shaun Udal, the 40-year old off-spinner who captained Middlesex to the domestic T20 Championship win last year, has been included. The selectors will announce the captain after reviewing the team’s performance in the upcoming home series against the West Indies.

Squad: Kevin Pietersen, Kabir Ali, James Anderson, Gareth Batty, Ian Bell, Ravi Bopara, Tim Bresnan, Stuart Broad, Paul Collingwood, Stephen Davies, Joe Denly, James Foster, Andrew Flintoff, Stephen Harmison, Rob Key, Sajid Mahmood, Dimitri Mascarenhas, Eoin Morgan, Graham Napier, Samit Patel, Liam Plunkett, Matt Prior, Adil Rashid, Owais Shah, Ryan Sidebottom, Graeme Swann, Chris Tremlett, Shaun Udal, Chris Woakes, Luke Wright.

BANGLADESH

Many new faces have been included in Bangladesh’s provisional squad including the likes of Shamsur Rahman, Ziaur Rahman, Marshall Ayub and Nasir Hossain. Bangladesh is yet to play international cricket this year and the ICC World T20 will be their first assignment. The team was robbed of a home series against Pakistan after the Bangladeshi government decided to call off the event following munity in Dhaka.

Squad: Mohammad Ashraful (capt), Mashrafe Mortaza, Tamim Iqbal, Junaid Siddique, Raqibul Hasan, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Naeem Islam, Abdur Razzak, Shahadat Hossain, Syed Rasel, Mehrab Hossain jnr, Imrul Kayes, Mahmudullah, Nazmul Hossain, Mahbubul Alam, Rubel Hossain, Dolar Mahmud, Ziaur Rahman, Tareq Aziz, Hanan Sarkar, Shamsur Rahman, Suhrawadi Shuvo, Sahgir Hossain, Marshall Ayub, Mohammad Mithun, Rony Talukder, Nasir Hossain, Arafat Sunny, Robiul Islam

PAKISTAN

Cricket marred Pakistan earlier put the ICC and BCCI in hot soup by including three Indian Cricket League (ICL) players in their 30 member squad. However, the next day PCB decided to drop Abdul Razzaq, Imran Nazir and Rana Naveed-ul-Hassan and replace them with Saeed Ajmal, Zulfiqar Jan and Mohammad Hafeez.

Squad: Younis Khan (capt), Salman Butt, Nasir Jamshed, Khalid Latif, Shahzaib Hasan, Ahmed Shehzad, Umar Amin, Misbah-ul-Haq, Faisal Iqbal, Fawad Alam, Shoaib Malik, Shahid Afridi, Sohail Tanvir, Yasir Arafat, Kamran Younis, Shoaib Akhtar, Umar Gul, Rao Iftikhar Anjum, Aizaz Cheema, Mohammad Aamer, Wahab Riaz, Imran Ali, Danish Kaneria, Abdul Rehman, Yasir Shah, Kamran Akmal (wk), Sarfraz Ahmed, Saeed Ajmal, Zulfiqar Jan, Mohammad Hafeez

SRI LANKA

Kumar Sangakkara will lead the side for first time as full time captain. A noted inclusion is that of wicket-keeper batsman Indika de Saram who has been called up after being initially overlooked.

Squad: Kumar Sangakkara (capt), Muttiah Muralitharan (vice-capt), Sanath Jayasuriya, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Mahela Jayawardene, Chamara Kapugedera, Jehan Mubarak, Chamara Silva, Angelo Mathews, Farveez Maharoof, Nuwan Kulasekara, Thilan Thushara, Lasith Malinga, Chaminda Vaas, Ajantha Mendis, Kaushal Weeraratne, Upul Tharanga, Isuru Udana, Dilhara Lokuhettige, Chintaka Jayasinghe, Nuwan Zoysa, Gihan Rupasinghe, Thilina Kandamby, Malinga Bandara, Dilhara Fernando, Indika de Saram, Thisara Perera, Gayan Wijekoon, Milinda Siriwardene, Lahiru Thirimanne

NEW ZEALAND

Blackcaps are the only team to have announced their final 15 member squad so far. Many of the players have picked themselves post strong recent performances against India in their home series, however Chris Martin, Grant Elliott and Tim Southee are notable exclusions.

Squad: Brendon McCullum, Martin Guptill, Jesse Ryder, Ross Taylor, Scott Styris, Neil Broom, Jacob Oram, James Franklin, Nathan McCullum, Daniel Vettori (capt), Ian Butler, Peter McGlashan, Kyle Mills, Brendon Diamanti, Iain O’Brien.