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Dave Richardson, the ICC chief executive, has said that the issue of neutral umpires is once again up for debate in the light of events leading from the first Ashes Test

Nagraj Gollapudi18-Jul-2013David Richardson, the ICC chief executive, has said that the issue of neutral umpires is once again up for debate in light of events leading from the first Ashes Test, with the workload on the four neutral officials available for the England-Australia Test being scrutinised.With the ICC recently pushing the pair of Billy Bowden and Asad Rauf to the associate panel, the ICC elite panel, which comprises 12 officials, is left with only four umpires available for the Ashes considering the other eight are from Australia and England. And it is these four – Aleem Dar, Marais Erasmus, Tony Hill and Kumar Dharmasena – who are scheduled be rotated over the next six months to officiate in the remaining eight Ashes Tests.”Whether we need to re-debate the whole neutral umpires point again, which we have done on numerous occasions, perhaps with DRS, maybe the need to have neutral umpires is not what it used to be. I don’t think umpires ever cheated but the perception of them cheating was a problem,” Richardson told the BBC’s .Last year, Simon Taufel, a former elite umpire, who is now the ICC umpire training and performance manager, told ESPNcricinfo, that neutrality was not an issue anymore.”The elite panel has the 12 best umpires in the world and they do the majority of international cricket, but you do have to provide opportunities for other umpires coming through from home boards to show their skills and ability, allow them to work on their game. So it is always a balancing of the development. There is no perfect system,” Taufel said.Steve Waugh, former Australia captain, agreed with Richardson’s view. “I would welcome that,” he said. “Players would be comfortable with the best umpires umpiring the biggest games. With the DRS system around, the eyes of the world are on their decisions. It is a good thing for the game. And as Dave said, it does put a bit of pressure on the four umpires.”It would be good to see an Australian umpire, for whom, like a player, this would be the pinnacle of his career – umpiring a Test match at Lord’s. Right now it is difficult for him to do that. Just like an English umpire would like to be umpiring at Lord’s.”For the moment Richardson said the ICC had more resources at hand in case it became necessary to appoint separate umpires for the remainder of the Ashes series in England or Australia later in the year. “We are not restricted those four. We have got 26 other international panel of umpires who would be eligible to be appointed if we needed them.”These are guys nominated by their home boards and form almost the second tier of umpiring. People like Billy Bowden haven’t been relegated to the wilderness. He could argue he is the thirteenth-best.”Waugh said that during Tuesday’s MCC world committee meeting, one of the suggestions was to allow the umpires getting a couple of reviews to facilitate correct decisions. “We tossed up the idea whether the umpires should have two reviews themselves. May be that is something to look at in the future. The bottom line is there have been more good decisions over the last couple of years because of the system in place. In general it works well in conjunction with good umpiring.”

Sri Lanka batsman Kumar Sangakkara is set to join the Jamaica Tallawahs for the final stretch of the Caribbean Premier League

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Aug-2013Sri Lanka batsman Kumar Sangakkara is set to join the Jamaica Tallawahs for the final stretch of the Caribbean Premier League. The 35-year-old replaces Pakistan top-order batsman Ahmed Shehzad, who will join the Pakistan squad in Zimbabwe.”I did not expect to be playing the CPL this year, but when Muralitharan telephoned and asked whether I might be interested in playing for the Jamaica Tallawahs, I jumped at the chance,” Sangakkara said. “To play alongside Murali again will, of course, be a great privilege and it will also be very exciting to bat with Chris [Gayle] rather than being his opponent. The Tallawahs have had a great season thus far and I hope I can make a positive contribution as we seek to win the inaugural tournament.”Sangakkara is the fourth Sri Lanka player to join the CPL following the signings of Muttiah Muralitharan (Jamaica Tallawahs), Mahela Jayawardene (Trinidad & Tobago Red Steel) and Lasith Malinga (Guyana Amazon Warriors).Jamaica are currently placed third in the points table and have booked a semi-final berth. Their match against T&T on Sunday will decide their semi-final opponent.The other T20 franchises Sangakkara has played for are Deccan Chargers, Kings XI Punjab, Kandurata Maroons and Sunrisers Hyderabad. He was a part of the winning squad of Kandurata in the recent Sri Lanka Super Fours T20 Tournament.He has 3481 runs in 138 T20 matches at an average of 28.53 and strike rate of 124.76, and has 20 fifties to his name.

The BCCI has invited Cricket South Africa president, Chris Nenzani, for discussions on the proposed bilateral series, whose details are yet to be agreed upon and finalised

Amol Karhadkar08-Oct-2013The BCCI has invited Cricket South Africa president, Chris Nenzani, for discussions on the proposed bilateral series, whose details are yet to be agreed upon and finalised.”I have formally invited Mr Nenzani to come down to India and discuss the nitty-gritty of the series,” BCCI secretary Sanjay Patel said. “The date and venue will be finalised once all formalities are completed.”Patel, however, made it clear that the BCCI had not invited CSA chief executive Haroon Lorgat, whose appointment is believed to have led to the breakdown of relations between the two boards. Lorgat and Patel had met on the sidelines of the ICC chief executives’ committee meeting in Dubai last month, but had failed to reach a consensus over itinerary.Though an agreement has been elusive so far, Patel was confident the tour would take place. “We are very positive about the tour and don’t see any reason to take the extreme step.”He elaborated on what the BCCI’s grouse with the schedule announced by CSA was. “All that we are aggrieved about is the fact that we were taken for granted and the itinerary was announced unilaterally. Besides, our priority is the Board’s and our players’ interests. My boys are not machines, they need a break. Who are you (CSA) to tell them they should be on the road for more than three-four months?”

Shane Warne and Sachin Tendulkar are reportedly planning a new Twenty20 competition for retired international players

ESPNcricinfo staff15-May-2015Shane Warne and Sachin Tendulkar are understood to be planning a new Twenty20 event for retired international players that would involve two teams playing each other in a series of exhibition matches.Although the plans are not concrete yet at least the organisers – whose identity has not yet been revealed – have a shortlist of 30 players in mind. It is understood that they have identified, among others, Brian Lara, Rahul Dravid, Jacques Kallis, Ricky Ponting, Anil Kumble, Brett Lee, Adam Gilchrist, Muttiah Muralitharan, Andrew Flintoff, Glenn McGrath and VVS Laxman.The plan is understood to involve a series of matches around the world over a three-and-a-half-year period, with the USA to host the first series in September. The idea, it is learnt, is to take the matches to places where fans are starved of good quality cricket. The USA, Canada, Singapore, Hong Kong, UAE are some of the venues the organisers are exploring.A report in the newspaper said the proposed tournament – which it said would be called the Cricket All-Stars League – had offered contracts worth US$25,000 a match to ex-players to be involved in it.The seeds for this venture are believed to have been sown last year during Lord’s bicentenary celebrations, where Tendulkar and Warne led teams in a 50-over match. Subsequently both players and their management teams fanned around the cricketing globe to check if recently retired players were interested in playing in Twenty20 matches which would be competitive in nature.The organisers are also keeping powerful boards like the BCCI, Cricket Australia and ECB in the loop and are expected to make a formal announcement in the next two months to make the plans public.An ICC spokesman said it had not yet received any communication and had seen nothing other than what had been reported in the media. “There is a process in place with regard to activities such as this and the ICC will deal with it once it is approached,” the spokesman added.Lee’s manager, Neil Maxwell, said Lee had received an offer and would be seeking permission from Cricket Australia to play.”I can’t see anything wrong with it,” Maxwell told Fox Sports. “It’s a group of retired blokes playing a game of cricket.”The reports come as the Indian Essel Group also considers launching a T20 league, although the two ventures are unrelated.There has been no comment from Warne or Tendulkar, although in January, Warne tweeted that “Sachin & I have an exciting announcement soon”.

Return of international cricket to Pakistan might have been fraught with threat of violence, but the first ODI in the country in six years brought about the most non-violent 375 you could imagine, setting up a 41-run win

The Report by Sidharth Monga26-May-2015
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
1:30

A run feast at Lahore

The return of international cricket to Pakistan might have been fraught with threats of violence, but the first ODI in the country in six years brought about the most non-violent 375 you could imagine, setting up a 41-run win. In an incredibly cool and calculated innings, hardly a shot was hit in anger as Azhar Ali, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik and Haris Sohail chipped and chopped an innocuous attack to the highest total in Pakistan.However, the thinness of Pakistan’s attack, the flatness of the pitch and the fact that Zimbabwe’s batting is much stronger than their bowling, became apparent in the chase with only Wahab Riaz looking like taking a wicket. Elton Chigumbura scored a chancy century, Hamilton Masakadza a fifty, but the chase only kicked into life towards the end, by which time the asking rate had reached 15 an over, a task too tall with four Wahab overs to contend with.Considering Mohammad Sami and Anwar Ali’s struggle with the ball, Pakistan will be thankful their batsmen posted the total they did. This was the first time all of their top four scored fifty or more, and the first Pakistan innings to feature two 150-run stands. Malik’s 112 off 76 was his fastest century. Pakistan hit 35 fours and 10 sixes in all, but that masked the lack of frenetic hitting and powerful strokes you associate such big scores with.Azhar and Hafeez began sedately before opening up in a 170-run stand, Pakistan’s third-highest opening partnership at home. The duo missed out on what looked like certain centuries, falling within eight balls of each other, but Malik and Sohail took over from where they left, and added some more intent as you would expect after a strong opening. Playing for the first time in two years, Malik posted his first score of more than 43 in five years, at once reminding you why he had been dropped and why quite a few have been disappointed with an unfulfilled career.Azhar and Hafeez were Pakistan’s fourth opening combination in their last five ODIs, and the tentativeness showed in their start – eight runs in five overs on a pitch that never misbehaved. In the sixth over though, Azhar, the captain playing his first international at home, took the first risk, playing across the line of a ball outside off, placing it wide of mid-on for three. That shot was the release as he raced away to 21 off 24 with Hafeez labouring to five off the same number of deliveries.Zimbabwe’s attack didn’t have the necessary threat to hold the openers back. Hafeez got going with pick-up shots for four and six off Tinashe Panyangara in the ninth over. Azhar reached his fifty first, and Hafeez was on his heels and when he hit the remodelled Prosper Utseya – now bowling little legrollers – for successive fours in the 22nd over, Pakistan’s run rate had crossed six an over never to come back down again. Those two shots summed up the touch play this partnership relied on: first a mere push between mid-off and extra cover, and then waiting for the expected flatter delivery and back-cutting it between point and short third man.Utseya managed to get both the openers out, but looking at how Malik and Sohail went he must be wishing he hadn’t. It was Malik in this partnership that made a slow start, but from the moment he skipped out and lofted Sikandar Raza for a straight six in the 33rd over, he galloped along. With Malik looking in rare touch, Sohail could take it easy and settle in. As with Hafeez and Azhar, it was more about clever placement and missing the infielders rather than manic hitting for Malik.Forty-one came off the Powerplay, and at 263 for 2 in 40 overs Pakistan were set to break the Lahore record of 357, what with 10 an over in the last 10 almost the norm in modern ODI cricket. Except Pakistan are one of the teams that usually buck the trend. Not here. In Malik and Sohail they had right amount of placement and power, in Zimbabwe they had a flat attack, and the two carried the party on. Clean hits cleared the fence, mis-hits fell to ground, Zimbabwe missed quite a few yorkers, the fielding was poor, and 112 came off the last 10. In the 49th over Malik raised the first international century in Pakistan in six years. Sohail, who relied on some power hitting over the leg side in his 89 off 66, ran out of time, but time was a bigger problem for Zimbabwe who were about 40 minutes behind schedule in finishing their 50 overs.They didn’t show much more urgency in the chase, looking for the most part content with batting out the 50 overs of their own. Chigumbura and Masakadza added 124 for the third wicket, but they did so in 20 overs, which meant the asking rate had reached 14.5 for the last 17. Chigumbura, who survived a plumb lbw shout and benefited from two dropped catches, brought brief interest to the chase. He raced away to a maiden ODI century, in the process hitting Sami for a hat-trick of fours and then for 22 in another over. Wahab, though, proved too good for him, troubling him with bouncers before cleaning him up with a quick yorker, and ending the game in the process. Pakistan, though, will be worried at how ineffective their second string of bowlers were.

Northants held off a plucky challenge by Worcestershire but fear for David Willey after he damaged an ankle in a collision with Jack Shantry

ECB/PA26-Jun-2015
ScorecardDavid Willey is in pain after a collision with Jack Shantry•Getty Images

An astonishing onslaught by Steven Crook and Rory Kleinveldt set up Northants Steelbacks to beat NatWest T20 Blast North Group leaders Worcestershire Rapids by two runs at New Road.The eighth-wicket pair thrashed 62 from 3.1 overs before Kleinveldt was caught on the straight boundary from the last ball of the Steelbacks innings after hitting six sixes in a match-turning 42 from 12 deliveries.Having lifted the Steelbacks to a formidable 193 for 8, the South African led the next phase with the first-ball dismissal of Moeen Ali before the Rapids were held to 191 for 6 as they narrowly failed to extend a three-match winning run.

Insights

In a tightly fought match Kleinveldt and Crook’s assault can be seen to be the difference between the two teams. While Worcestershire are a strong team who should push for a top four finish they may rue the absence of a high quality death bowler this season. Most counties in the country have one but Worcestershire generally seem a little short. They’ll hope that Saeed Ajmal’s quality in the middle-overs can make up for it, but as Luke Wright showed in Bristol any total at the death is gettable and teams need bowlers who can defend them.

Moeen’s exit capped a night of mishaps for England players. David Willey’s return from the one-day internationals ended in discomfort after damaging an ankle when bumping into Jack Shantry while making 31 from 12 balls at the start of Northants’ innings.Willey’s injury to his right ankle was a worry for Northants head coach David Ripley. He said: “We have got our fingers crossed. He has gone off for an X-ray just to check his bone. He’s kind of gone over a bit on his foot. He is booked in for a scan on Monday. Maybe it will be a twisted ankle and he’ll be back firing for us next week.”With Willey unable to bowl when the Rapids batted, Moeen bowed out tamely when driving to extra cover in his final county appearance before joining England’s pre-Ashes training camp in Spain this weekend.Perhaps it was a sign of the pressure that came from losing control in the late stages of the Northants innings. If Kleinveldt was the supercharged force, Crook was not far behind with an undefeated 56 which came from 35 balls as the Steelbacks kicked on from 131 for 7 in the 17th over.The transformation began when Kleinveldt launched a sequence of four, six, six from Saeed Ajmal’s last three balls. Shantry’s final over then cost 24 runs and Kleinveldt spoiled Ed Barnard’s figures with three consecutive sixes from the
closing over.The Steelbacks also made a flying start. Richard Levi made 19 from 11 balls until being caught at deep mid-wicket and Willey hit two sixes before limping out of his accidental collision with Shantry. After treatment, he cleared the rope twice more before top-edging Ajmal to short fine leg.The middle of the innings was less convincing with only Alex Wakely making significant progress against Worcestershire’s three spinners. After brilliantly running out Josh Cobb, Brett D’Oliveira bowled his four overs for 26 runs and one wicket.Worcestershire made a bold attempt to keep up with the rate in a partnership of 76 in just short of eight overs by Daryl Mitchell and Tom Kohler-Cadmor, but wickets began to fall, most damagingly when Colin Munro was caught at long-off in a brilliant over from Muhammad Azharullah.Still the Rapids kept going with an unbeaten 41 from 39 balls by Ross Whiteley and support from Ben Cox in a late stand of 54.However, man of the match Kleinveldt had the last word with two crucial overs in which he dismissed Cox and conceded only one boundary. With 14 wanted from the last over, Whiteley drove Azharullah’s first five balls for twos but could
only manage a leg-bye from the last.

Toby Lester was not the most famous left-arm bowler on show, not with Ryan Sidebottom’s 11 for 76 leading Yorkshire to victory and messrs Starc and Johnson on hand for Australia but Lancashire valued his debut all the same

Paul Edwards at Old Trafford08-Jul-2015
ScorecardNick Browne stood firm as Essex’s middle order collapsed•Getty Images

Toby Lester was not the most famous left-arm new-ball bowler playing first-class cricket in England on Wednesday afternoon. At Cardiff the Mitchells, Starc and Johnson, were firing the opening shots in an Ashes battle which will be waged for six weeks; at Edgbaston Ryan Sidebottom was collecting match figures of 11-76 as Yorkshire took another stride towards retaining the County Championship.By contrast, unless you were a cricket fan from Blackpool or followed Second XI games closely, you may not have been too sure who Lester was until Monday morning. It was then that he was named in Lancashire’s side to play Essex at Emirates Old Trafford. And by the third evening of the game both Jaik Mickleburgh and Liam Dawson were acquainted with him. For he had castled them both with his swing to give Lancashire a strong sniff of victory in a Division Two game which had been cursed by rain for its first seven sessions.By close of play that sniff had been encouraged by, what for Lancashire followers, had been the delicious aroma of collapse after James Faulkner, a cricketer as well known in Brisbane as Bispham, had removed three key members of Essex’s middle order as the visitors displayed all the carelessness Lancashire’s batsmen had most diligently eschewed.Ravi Bopara edged a flat-footed slash to wicketkeeper Alex Davies; Jesse Ryder’s irresponsible cut found only the safe hands of Arron Lilley at backward point; and Ryan ten Doeschate was lbw on the back foot to his second ball when Faulkner brought one back off the seam. None of the trio reached double figures.Ten Doeschate’s wicket left Essex perilously placed on 81 for five with over 22 overs left in what was a remarkable day’s cricket, and had it not been for the good sense of James Foster and opener Nick Browne, whose unbroken sixth-wicket stand was worth 58 by close of play Essex would have been in very deep trouble indeed. Browne ended the day unbeaten on 78 and he and Foster will be key men again on the final morning, especially since the pitch is offering assistance to Lilley’s off-spin.Even on the third evening, though, it still seems more likely that the game will end in a draw but the outcome is nothing like as certain as it appeared when Lancashire declared on 402 for 8 in mid-afternoon. Croft’s players can go into the last day very encouraged by the way in which they have approached a match which will be remembered, in part, for its grey skies and frequent showers.”Manchester on a rainy day,” wrote RC Robertson-Glasgow, “is the nearest thing I know to an academic speech on Free Trade.” Perhaps so, but Croft’s batsmen never let the gloom infect their approach to matters. Instead, they played with resolution and enterprise, no one more so than the skipper himself, who reached his second century of the championship season off 210 balls and added 144 with Faulkner, who put a tricky few days behind him to concentrate on his cricket skills.Reece Topley accounted for Croft, Faukner and Jordan Clark during a penetrative spell with the second new ball early in the afternoon session but the skipper’s 122 and the all-rounder’s 68 had changed the temper of the contest. Lancashire’s dominance was reinforced when Lilley’s breezy 40 off 31 balls helped the home side to their fifth bonus point and Croft beckoned his men off the field as soon as it was reached.

Chris Rogers is set to be clear to play in the third Test of the Investec Ashes series in Birmingham after scans cleared him of serious damage following his retired hurt on the final morning of the Lord’s Test

Daniel Brettig in London20-Jul-2015Chris Rogers is set to be clear to play in the third Test of the Investec Ashes series in Birmingham after scans cleared him of serious damage following his retired hurt on the final morning of the Lord’s Test.On day two of the Test, Rogers was struck on the helmet near the right ear by James Anderson, and two days later had to leave the field as he complained of dizziness while standing at the non-striker’s end.There was considerable concern for Rogers due to a recent history of concussion – he missed both Tests of the West Indies tour after being struck on the helmet by the Dominican net bowler Anderson Burton – and the team doctor Peter Brukner sought independent medical advice in London the day after Australia’s 405-run victory at Lord’s.Rogers did not take the field after his dizzy spell but stayed with the team for their celebrations in the dressing rooms, after levelling the Ashes series at 1-1. Brukner said the signs of Rogers’ progress were promising.”Chris’s condition is certainly improving. He has had scans and seen a specialist since yesterday to help determine the cause of his dizziness,” he said. “The initial scans have cleared him of any serious damage and we await the results of further tests.”It appears the most likely diagnosis is a delayed ear problem related to being struck on day two of the Test match. We are confident that this is something we can manage in the lead up to the third Test at Edgbaston.”As a precaution he’ll be reviewed by the specialist in London again on Wednesday morning before re-joining the touring party. Chris was not scheduled to play in the tour match against Derbyshire, so he has time to continue resting ahead of the Test match.”Having made his highest Test score of 173 and then 49 in the second innings at the time of his retired hurt, Rogers is a central plank of Australia’s batting order in this series, though he has flagged he will most likely retire from international cricket after the Ashes.”He’s important for a period of time,” the coach Darren Lehmann said. “I think he’s made it clear he’s not going to come on the next Ashes tour, although he’d probably like to, as a tour host. He knows these conditions so well, he loves England and he helps our batters out, that’s the most pleasing thing.”He helps our batters and bowlers about conditions here and for example Middlesex and Lord’s, all the angles you’ve got to play with the slope. He knows them so well, he’s a very important part of this tour.”

Dane Vilas is unsure what he will be doing in a month’s time as he battles for a spot in South Africa’s senior team with Quinton de Kock

Firdose Moonda03-Sep-2015There are 8678 kilometres between Bangladesh and Benoni and for Dane Vilas, it may feel even longer. Little more than a month ago, Vilas made his Test debut for South Africa in Dhaka. This weekend, he will play as the only international in Western Province’s Africa Cup T20 squad, after Wayne Parnell was forced to withdraw with a hamstring injury. And next month, Vilas does not know where he will be.Either he will be back with the South African squad as they embark on their longest-ever tour of India, or he will still be with his domestic team, who may either be playing in the Africa Cup knockouts or preparing for the franchise season ahead. In between, there’s not too much he can do to force his fate in either direction.”I am not sure,” Vilas told ESPNcricinfo when asked whether he knows what he needs to do to make sure he goes to India. “I am just going to plan and train as though I am going and then if happens, that’s great. There’s not a lot of cricket between now and then.”The only cricket in September is the Africa Cup, where Vilas and his rival, Quinton de Kock are both playing but their performances in the tournament will do little to sway selection. The Africa Cup is a semi-professional competition where Vilas and de Kock will be men among boys and not the right platform to decide whether either should earn the right to be a boy among the men of international cricket.South Africa A’s recently completed tour of India is a better measure for that purpose and those statistics suggest stiff competition between the two glovemen. De Kock found his form with three successive centuries but Vilas, who bats in the middle order, was also in good nick. He scored 50 in one of the List A matches and 75 in an unofficial Test. “We both did well on the tour so it’s difficult to speculate,” Vilas said.The selectors may have to make a decision based more on nuances than numbers and if that is the case, Vilas may have the edge over de Kock for now. Vilas is eight years older than de Kock and knows the rigour of establishing himself in an unfamiliar team.Five years ago, he left Johannesburg’s Lions franchise to join Cape Town’s Cobras. At the time, he was competing with Thami Tsolekile for a place in the Lions’ team and the Cobras were swapping between keepers in different formats and wanted some consistency. Vilas still had to prove himself, to take the gloves off Ryan Canning and Andrew Puttick and become a regular in the starting XI, but it was a task he stuck to with tenacity.”When I moved, I put more responsibility on myself to get into the team and to hold a regular place. It’s more difficult when you are out of your comfort zone, away from your family and friends and I guess it was a bit of a fast-track to growing up,” Vilas said.Once he had done that, it seemed Vilas had hit a ceiling. “My career has fallen in the time between Mark Boucher at the national side, Thami Tsolekile with the A side and then Quinton with the national side,” he said. “So you have to get a bit lucky and then if you get a chance, you’ve got to be able to take it.”When it became clear Tsolekile was no longer in contention for South Africa, because of the rise of de Kock, Vilas got a chance in the A side. His big break only came when AB de Villiers went on paternity leave, and then de Kock was dropped because of poor batting form. Vilas was the reserve gloveman in the Test squad that went to Bangladesh and was capped in Dhaka as a result.Despite a forgettable debut, since play was only possible for one day of the match, Vilas treasures the memory. “It was amazing – to get the call-up to be part of the squad and then to make my debut; it was everything I had worked for,” he said. “But it was also bittersweet because of the washout.”The rain robbed Vilas of the chance to show what he could do with the bat and only allowed for a brief glimpse of his skills behind the stumps, but he hopes it was enough to demonstrate his ability to adapt. “At least, I know what to expect from a conditions perspective – the ball stays lower and what I found different was that we were using the SG ball, which gets softer a lot quicker. You have to get used to the way it reacts off the pitch.”Vilas had time to get used to that in Bangladesh and on the A side’s tour of India, and he believes he can do the job if picked for the senior tour there. He also believes he can come good for South Africa for a sustained period, even though he is older than de Kock. “It’s probably better that I got selected now that I am older and know my game. It’s better for me in the long-term,” he said. “I am fit and strong and I am only 30, so I hope I’ve still got six or seven good years to give.” Whether they are in Bangladesh or Benoni.

Former USA vice-captain Timroy Allen, who top-scored in the first trial match, and fast bowler David Pieters were the standout players during Sunday’s trial matches at the ICC Americas Combine in Indianapolis

Peter Della Penna21-Sep-20153:15

‘A rare opportunity to work with Walsh’ – Allen

Former USA vice-captain Timroy Allen and fast bowler David Pieters were the standout players during Sunday’s trial matches at the ICC Americas Combine in Indianapolis. Allen top-scored in the first T20 trial match, which was played on the main turf wicket at the Indianapolis World Sports Park, before following it up with a fiery opening spell as his team defended a total of 102 to win by six runs.”In every trial scenario, they’re always going to look at techniques and all that but on the other hand you have the match situation and the position you have been put in. You have to do whatever it takes to get your team through,” Allen said.Allen also spoke highly of the talent at the trial and was impressed with the level of competition on display. “There’s a lot of potential here. For there to be these many guys here, and the amount of cuts they’re making, there’s going to be a lot of potential that get bypassed.”Pieters, who hails from San Diego, was the leading wicket-taker in the opening match with 3 for 15 in his four overs and also executed a run-out in the field. He gave credit, particularly, to being able to work with Courtney Walsh on Saturday during the skills assessment rotations.”That was amazing. I’ve never experienced anything like that. Just being in that personal space with him and having him actually challenge you. He wasn’t an easy coach. He wasn’t taking it easy on us at all. He wanted to push and get the best out of us and that’s exactly what he did. Just the way I ended with that session yesterday, hitting the cones that he wanted me to hit and getting a clap from him, I couldn’t have asked for anything better.”The 66 players will have another day of trial matches on Monday before final selections are made for phase two beginning on Friday.