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Brad Hogg will face another last-minute battle to resume his Test career after he was named in a 12-man squad alongside Shaun Tait for the first match against India. Hogg lost a bowl-off to Stuart MacGill for the opening game of the Sri Lanka series, but he is now in a different fight as the selectors decide whether to field an all-pace attack at the MCG on Boxing Day or include his left-arm spin.Steve Waugh has pushed for Hogg’s inclusion and Harbhajan Singh would love him to play, believing he is significantly inferior to MacGill or Shane Warne. “Brad deserves the opportunity to once again represent Australia in Test cricket,” Andrew Hilditch, the chairman of selectors, said.Hogg, who has not appeared in a Test since 2003, has been an outstanding performer in Australia’s one-day sides, but he has struggled in first-class fixtures since taking eight wickets against Victoria, adding another five victims in three games. With MacGill out following wrist surgery for at least two matches, and probably the entire series, Hogg has an opportunity to play a string of games.However, containing India’s batsmen during 25 overs a day is a much harder task for Hogg than attacking them during a one-day international when they are obliged to hit out. India’s plans could involve going after Hogg or sitting on him – and his hard-to-pick wrong’un – while waiting for a loose delivery. The threats are much easier than the dangers provided by Tait.India have come from a series on their low-bouncing pitches and they have only three days to acclimatise during a match against Victoria at the Junction Oval. Tait’s pace has been fierce against New Zealand over the past week and Australia will wait to analyse the drop-in surface at the MCG before making a call. Originally in the opening squad for Sri Lanka, Tait pulled out with injury and is looking to play his first Test since 2005 after regaining his spot from Ben Hilfenhaus.Australia already have three bowlers who complement each other, with Brett Lee providing the pace, Stuart Clark the consistent steep bounce and Mitchell Johnson the left-arm variety. If four fast men were employed Michael Clarke and Andrew Symonds could break things up with their part-time spin, but it is a risky option against players who mastered MacGill and Shane Warne in previous series.Australia squad Matthew Hayden, Phil Jaques, Ricky Ponting (capt), Michael Hussey, Michael Clarke, Andrew Symonds, Adam Gilchrist (wk), Brad Hogg, Brett Lee, Stuart Clark, Mitchell Johnson, Shaun Tait.

Michael Yardy, the Sussex allrounder, has been handed the England A captaincy for the tour of Bangladesh after he was overlooked for the main one-day squad in Australia. He will lead a party which includes Yorkshire’s exciting leg-spinner Adil Rashid and young paceman Stuart Broad.Yardy was expected to be named in England’s one-day squad after featuring against Pakistan at the tail end of the summer and playing during the Champions Trophy in India. But Monty Panesar’s inclusion in the limited overs set-up for the first time has pushed Yardy out of the picture so this tour is an ideal opportunity for him to restablish his credentials.Two notable omissions are Owais Shah and Robert Key, who were touted as candidates to replace Marcus Trescothick in the Ashes squad before Ed Joyce’s call-up. However, David Graveney says this is more to do with handing experience to a young group of batsmen rather than ending the international hopes of Shah and Key.”Owais Shah and Robert Key remain very much in the selectors’ thoughts,” he said, “and their non-selection reflects the fact that they have already had extensive experience of touring with England A and the National Academy squad and provides valuable opportunities for other players.”Michael Carberry, Will Jefferson and Nick Compton, who enjoyed a prolific 2006 with Middlesex, are the top-order batsmen to benefit from the selectors’ desire to explore their options.The most eye-catching selection, though, is that of Rashid, the 18-year-old legspinning allrounder who made a dramatic entrance into first-class cricket with Yorkshire last season. He has recently recovered from a stress fracture of the back which meant he missed the Under-19 tour of Malaysia.Broad, who made his ODI debut against Pakistan in August, has the chance to develop his game further and is joined in the pace attack by Tom Smith, Graham Onions and Amjad Khan, the 26-year-old Danish paceman who has fulfilled his qualifying period with Kent.”We are also giving an opportunity to Michael Carberry and Will Jefferson,” Peter Moores, the National Academy Director, said, “two players who have been around for some time but have shown the attitude and ability to move on to higher honours. The squad will also offer another chance to Alex Loudon and Tim Bresnan, who have both been in the England set up during the last 18 months.”The squad arrives in Dhaka on February 14 for a tour that includes two four-day games in Mirpur and Bogra and three one-dayers against Bangladesh A.England A squad Michael Yardy (capt), Ravi Bopara, Tim Bresnan, Stuart Broad, Michael Carberry, Nick Compton, Steve Davies, Will Jefferson, Amjad Khan, Alex Loudon, Graham Onions, Matthew Prior, Adil Rashid, Tom Smith

Jamie How smashed 95 as Central Districts beat Canterbury by seven wicketsin their State Shield match at McLean Park in Napier today. The hosts passed Canterbury’s 162 in the 40th over. How was run out in the 33rd over with the hosts 137 for 2, but the captain had already ensured a victory that put Central firmly on top of the State Shield ladder. Mathew Sinclair hit the winning runs to finish not out on 23. How’s innings was remarkable for the fact that the opening 49 runs of his opening partnership with Geoff Barnett all came from the bat of How. Canterbury, stacked with international stars, were woeful when they batted. Lance Hamilton, who finished with three for 33, made early in-roads removing both openers, Shanan Stewart and Nathan Astle with just 17 on the board. Canterbury were soon reeling at 48 for five when Chris Cairns fell to Hamilton trying to fiddle the ball to third man. Chris Harris top-scored with 63.Otago easily dealt with Wellington with a six-wicket victoryin a dull match in the capital. Chasing 227 for 8, Otago reached the target in 45.1 overs with Neil Broom (48) and Gareth Hopkins (9) the not out batsmen. In the chase Aaron Redmond was the top scorer with 63, while Jonathan Trott, who earlier took 3 for 33, scored 43. Wellington’s innings never got going, despite skipper Stephen Fleming’s 45. A middle order collapse was averted by Matthew Bell who scored a patient 67 not out.

Test-match centuries are becoming second nature to Andrew Strauss. Today’s 147 at the Wanderers was his third in four Tests this series, and his fifth in 11 since making his debut at Lord’s last May. By the close, however, his untimely late dismissal had taken the gloss off a fine day for England, as he readily admitted afterwards."I was guilty of getting out at a bad time," he said, after falling to the second new ball with just eight scheduled overs remaining. "It’s tricky to change your mode of batting from the old ball to the new so I was disappointed with that, and to lose [Graham] Thorpe as well. But it was a pretty good day, so we mustn’t don’t lose sight of that."After winning their first toss of the series, England had to endure a typically tricky period in the first hour of the day, but they came through unscathed and were set up for the day. "There was a bit of lateral movement in the first hour," said Strauss, "and Shaun Pollock is always going to be there or thereabouts. But after that, the ball started coming onto the bat better and it became easier to drive, and the outfield gave pretty good value for shots as well."The backbone of England’s innings was provided by a second-wicket stand of 182 between Strauss and Robert Key, who made 83. "I enjoy batting with Rob," said Strauss. "We were at the academy together and we made a big stand against the West Indies at Lord’s, so I’m familiar with him. He’s pretty miserable out there really! He’s always complaining and moaning about everything in life – not enough sun and what have you. But he’s laid-back at the crease and good fun to bat with."Strauss, as everyone now knows, was born in Johannesburg, but he emphasised that he had left the city at such a young age that it was difficult to get carried away by the significance of a century in his home-town. "Every hundred is a great occasion," he said, "and this one is no different. This is an important game – we are one-all with two to play, and it was important to get stuck in to push ourselves into a position of ascendancy."When I kept playing and missing at Pollock, I thought I must have done something right in a past life," he added. "But when you’re in good form you’ve got to try and ride the wave for as long as possible. We all know what bad form is like – you start wondering where your next run is coming from. But I’ll just watch each ball as hard as possible and drag this form out for as long as possible."Generally, it’s been a pretty good day," he concluded. "There’s a tinge of disappointment that it finished in the manner that it did, but if we get over the first hour tomorrow, there’s no reason why we can’t get a good score. From the position we’re now in, we’ve got to go 400-plus, I should think."

Bangladesh’s cricketers hit out at arrangements that saw them fly economy class even as their hosts flew executive class on their flight to Multan ahead of the third Test on Wednesday.While the entire Pakistani squad flew executive class, only Dav Whatmore, manager MA Latif, physio John Gloster and trainer Dean Woodford were allotted executive class seats. According to , Bangladesh’s liaison officer explained the arrangement by saying that the list of the touring squad had been received late.One Bangladesh cricketer, who remained anonymous, said: “We have never heard of such silly excuses. Whenever any foreign team tours Bangladesh, we book the best hotel for them. We even compromise with our comfort by moving to a cheaper hotel to accommodate the guests. The Pakistani authorities should have had the decency to do the same.”Whatmore was more vocal. “This is not a good gesture. If there was any problem, the home team should have taken the economy class and offered the executive class to the Bangladesh team. I have never seen anything like this in my life.” Whatmore had even offered his and Woodford’s seats to Khaled Mahmud, Bangladesh’s captain, and his deputy Habibul Bashar. “If required I will sit in the economy class and leave my seat to my captain. It’s a matter of prestige.”But a spokesman for the Pakistan Cricket Board denied that the Bangladesh side had been victimised. “There is a player contract with the Pakistan team that stipulates domestic travel for the team be executive class. The plane to Multan was a small one with only 25 seats thus the manager and officials were flown executive class.”He added that on the longer flight between Karachi and Peshawar, made on a bigger Airbus, both sides flew executive class.International Cricket Council regulations stipulate that touring teams must be flown in at least economy-class for internal flights, while overseas and long-distance flights must be undertaken in a higher class.

Delhi won their Ranji Trophy league match against Jammu & Kashmir by amargin of 200 runs, picking up eight points at the Feroze Shah Kotlagrounds in Delhi on Tuesday.Set a target of 469, Jammu & Kashmir never looked to go after it andcould only hope for a draw. When their in-form batsman, KavaljitSingh, fell after making 90 with the score on 193, having spent 310minutes at the crease, Delhi sniffed a chance to bowl their rivalsout.They did not mess it up. Sarandeep Singh (4-60) and Amit Bhandari(3-76) combined to destroy Jammu & Kashmir’s lower order, bowling themout for 268. Some resisting efforts from the lower middle-ordernotwithstanding, Delhi finally won in a canter.

Shashank Manohar has emerged as the latest favourite to be the next BCCI president, a position he vacated only four years ago, after receiving the endorsement of the powerful Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the political outfit that not only runs the federal government in India but also has a wider say in the running of the Indian cricket board. Sharad Pawar, Manohar’s mentor and predecessor as BCCI president, is understood to have pulled out of the reckoning and told his supporters to back Manohar.On his part, Manohar declined to divulge details of his meeting with Arun Jaitley, the federal finance minister and former Delhi association chief, which he termed as a “private conversation”. He also said he would wait for his group’s opinion before making up his mind.However, he acknowledged that he met Jaitley on Thursday evening in Delhi. Also present at the meeting were BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur, also the head of the BJP’s youth wing, and Ajay Shirke, former BCCI treasurer and current president of the Maharashtra Cricket Association.A BCCI official, speaking off the record, said a formal announcement was likely by the BJP camp soon to make public that Manohar was their “unanimous choice” candidate to stand for the elections for the president’s post necessitated by Jagmohan Dalmiya’s death on September 20.This fresh development also means N Srinivasan, the current ICC chairman, is likely to be an isolated figure within the BCCI with the BJP clearly wanting to maintain a distance from him given his recent legal issues. Srinivasan had met Pawar in Nagpur on Wednesday evening and assured him support from his camp. Pawar did not commit to any deal, but informed his supporters who, as reported on Friday, were a disgruntled lot.At the Delhi meeting, called by him, Jaitley made it clear that the BJP was willing to support Manohar but not Pawar. The other possibility was Rajiv Shukla, the IPL chairman, who has expressed his desire to fight the elections. Shukla, however, did not have adequate support. Manohar and the rest asked Jaitley himself to stand for the top job in BCCI, but he refused and made clear his preference for Manohar.According to the BCCI official, till Friday Pawar was banking on the 18 votes he felt he was assured – 12 from the Srinivasan camp and six from his own group of supporters. But with the key members of his own camp – including Maharashtra, Saurashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Vidarbha – not in favour of Srinivasan, the official said, Pawar realised he was standing on weaker ground. The BJP’s antipathy towards Srinivasan was also made this clear to him.If Manohar does indeed step into the ring as candidate, all aspirants from the East Zone will now have to retreat. According to the BCCI’s rotation policy it is the turn of the East to have the first say in nominating a name for the interim president’s position, whose tenure will end in 2017. Immediately after Dalmiya’s death, majority of the six members of the East Zone had stated that they did not want an outsider and would work towards picking one of their own. But that seems highly unlikely now.

Nasir Hossain has played six innings in 12 ODIs for Bangladesh this year, never batting higher than No. 7. It is a position from which, given the nature of limited-overs cricket, one doesn’t always get a chance to build an innings. He has faced only 143 balls in ODIs in 2015, an average of less than 25 balls per outing. In his last two matches against India A, Nasir has faced a total of 167.On Friday in the second one-dayer against India, Nasir went out to bat at with Bangladesh A at 82 for 5 after 18.1 overs. He had plenty of time to get his eye in, build an innings and stretch the score as much as he could, with the only risk being a lack of batting partners. And that’s what he did. He started out playing second fiddle to No. 5 Liton Das, who was middling the ball better than the top-order batsmen, built a solid base as the sun shone more and more, and after Liton fell, launched an attack in the company of the tail-end batsmen.Nasir had been waiting for such opportunities to score big and bat under pressure. He later said he didn’t have a clearly defined plan when he walked out but knew that he wanted to bat out 50 overs.”I like batting at No. 7, I’ve batted there for the national team so I’m happy to do it here also,” he said. “When I was there, the wicket was good for batting, I just wanted to bat throughout. I always enjoy batting with Liton. There was no particular plan when I went out to bat, we were just looking to build a partnership and play till the end. So we played accordingly and the plan clicked.”Nasir had enjoyed Liton’s company in the first one-dayer too, when the pair added 120 runs from a score of 87 for 5 to give India A a scare in their defence of 322. Nasir followed that innings of 52 with a century today to steer the team out of a storm and then, with returns of 5 for 36, ensured they reached the shore, too.His only moment of weakness with the bat came in the 23rd over off Karn Sharma when he went for an aerial drive. Luckily for Nasir, the ball landed wide of a diving Gurkeerat Singh at deep cover. Those mistakes were corrected the next time he came down the track. It was against Karn again in the 28th over, but the ball was middled better and hit well wide of long-on for four.But Nasir knew that one small mistake, one mis-hit, would expose the tail. So he reduced the risks but still found the boundaries. There was a late cut off Gurkeerat in the 31st over, a back-foot punch off Rishi Dhawan along the ground soon after Liton was dismissed, and a sweep to bring up his fifty off 54 balls in the 37th over.The tougher parts came with the tail-end batsmen. Nasir’s 50-run, seventh-wicket partnership with Arafat Sunny had taken the score past 200. Arafat fell in the 43rd over, but Nasir chose to wait before switching gears. It was only once Shafiul was run out, in the 46th over, that Nasir floored it.He followed his nudge to third man for four with a single to keep strike. And on 76, he targeted Suresh Raina, who had conceded only eight runs from his two overs, with a slog sweep off the first ball and then a cover drive over the in-field. Two balls later, he unleashed another powerful drive to sprint to 88, and made his way into the nineties with a boundary in the next over.His celebration on reaching the three-figure mark was not as dramatic, a manner perhaps similar to his first ODI hundred, but he knew he had done what he was expected to do, and what he was eagerly waiting to accomplish.”Every partnership was very important, the one with Liton was a big one, but runs with Sunny and Rubel were equally important to post 252,” Nasir said. “The pressure was always there but I wanted to bat all 50 overs, I didn’t have a target in mind.”He batted for over two hours when the chips were down, something he enjoys and something he was first selected for back in 2011.”I really enjoy batting when the team is under pressure,” Nasir had said after his maiden ODI century nearly four years ago. “When four or five wickets are down, I love batting in those situations. I really don’t know why but I really enjoy it.”

The Ugandan government has instructed Interpol, the international police, to hunt down the two international players who defected to live in Adelaide. They want Jimmy Okello and Patrick Ochan deported after the pair fled the ICC World Cricket League final in Darwin in June.However, the players, both 19, have defied the demand for the arrest, instead playing for West Torrens, their adopted club.Uganda’s Minister of State for Sports, Charles Bakabulindi, said it was “indiscipline of the highest order for sportsmen to disappear in countries where they are representing their nation. We cannot simply sit and watch as our sportsmen who go to developed countries simply disappear in those countries.”We have to react because they damage the image of our country. We have requested Interpol to arrest them and deport them back.”Ochan said he wasn’t aware of the developments, but that he wasn’t too concerned as he was applying for refugee status. “I am not worried,” he told the newspaper. .”But I don’t want to be sent back home. I want to stay and improve my cricket here.”He and Okello are both orphans and say it would be too hard to go back to Uganda. “There are a lot of wars, people fighting too much in the north – sometimes you survive, sometimes not. It’s a hard life over there.”An Australian Federal Police spokesman said no request from international authorities had been received, and the pair are not, as yet, listed as wanted on the Interpol website.

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Following the impressive display by their batting team-mates, Maharashtra’s bowlers came to the party and routed a woeful Rajasthan for 86 and 191 en route to an innings and 250-run win at Ratnagiri. Rajasthan, reduced to 42 for 4 at the close of the second day, crumbled against Anupam Sanclecha and Aditya Dole, the opening bowlers, and Sairaj Bahutule, the former India legspinner. Sanclecha removed Mohammad Aslam with his third ball of the day and added two more victims to finish with 5 for 54, while Dole and Bahutule shared the other five. Still 439 in arrears, Maharashtra could only muster 191 in their second innings, as Bahutule, opening the bowling, and Dheeraj Jadhav, known for his stylish batting more than his part-time offbreaks, seized seven wickets to complete a crushing victory, and help their side gain five points.
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After being dismissed for 145 in their second innings, Andhra’s bowlers took five Saurashtra wickets to keep their chances of a win alive going into the final day at Rajkot. Set 274 to win, Saurashtra slipped to 127 for 5 as Venugopal Rao, the host captain, lead the way with two key scalps and changed his bowlers around to good effect. Only Shitanshu Kotak, unbeaten on 57, offered resistance and held the key for Saurashtra. Sandeep Jobanputra, the left-arm fast bowler, and Rakesh Dhurv, the left-arm spinner, took 3 for 78 and 3 for 7 in Saurashtra’s impressive bowling effort.
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Chasing 122 to beat Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka slipped to 54 for 5 before stumps were drawn on day three at Kanpur. Karnataka’s bowlers combined to bowl UP out for 194 in their second innings, with Sunil Joshi (3 for 41), Chandrashekar Raghu (2 for 35), R Vinay Kumar (2 for 26) and KP Appanna (2 for 22) sharing the spoils. Shivakant Shukla top-scored with 47 in an inconsistent UP innings. Shalabh Srivastava and Praveen Kumar, UP’s opening bowlers, picked up two wickets each to keep their side in the hunt.
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Mayank Tehlan turned his overnight century into a maiden double, and Rajat Bhatia added three figures of his own as Delhi posted 493 against Baroda at the Feroz Shah Kotla. Overnight on 108, Tehlan began the day with a series of boundaries and though he lost Virat Kohli early, was offered solid support from Bhatia in a 149-run stand for the fifth wicket. Four deliveries after he stole three off Yusuf Pathan to get to 200, Tehlan fell to the same bowler, but Bhatia (106) ensured the effort was not lost and shouldered a feeble lower order before he was last man out. Pathan (4 for 103) and Rajesh Pawar (4 for 149) were the only bowlers to have any effect on Delhi.
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Gaurav Vashisht, Haryana’s young offspinner, took a career-best 6 for 24 to spin out Tamil Nadu for just 149 at Chennai. In a 25-over spell, which included 15 maidens, Vashisht ran riot over TN’s middle and lower order, after Joginder Sharma set the tone with three wickets at the top. In reply, Sumit Sharma and Ankit Rawat, Haryana’s openers, added an unbeaten 31 to extend the lead to 149 by stumps.
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Powered by Niraj Patel’s career-best 173, Gujarat took a 205-run lead over Hyderabad and removed two of the home side’s batsmen to finish the third day in Uppal firmly in the driving seat. Overnight on 109, Patel forged the lead with Bhavik Thaker (56) and despite a middle-order wobble, Gujarat posted a commanding 406. Pragyan Ojha and Inder Shekar Reddy, Hyderabad’s left-arm spin duo, accounted for eight wickets between themselves. In response to Gujarat’s total, Tirumal Suman and Anirudh Singh, Hyderabad’s captain, were dismissed.
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A 133-run sixth-wicket stand between Amol Muzumdar, Mumbai’s veteran batsman, and Wilkin Mota, the rookie allrounder, took Mumbai to within 81 runs of Punjab’s first-innings total on the third day at Mohali. Punjab began the day well, removing Vinayak Mane, Bhavin Thakkar and Sahil Kukreja (43) in the first session, and adding two more in the second, but Muzumdar joined forces with Mota, all of four matches old, to steady the ship. Muzumdar finished unbeaten on 86, while Mota fell to Ishan Malhatra on the last ball of the day. Amanpreet Singh, the right-arm medium-fast bowler, was the most successful home bowler with 3 for 54.