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Former Surrey coach and England middle-order batsman Chris Adams has been appointed as a consultant for Sri Lanka for their upcoming tour of England

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Apr-2014Former Surrey coach Chris Adams has been appointed as a consultant for Sri Lanka for their upcoming tour of England. SLC had conducted a search for a coach with English experience since losing Paul Farbrace’s services last week, and have settled on Adams, who played 331 first-class matches, scoring 48 hundreds, in addition to his five Tests and five ODIs.The appointment was made on the recommendation of a three-man panel comprising chief selector Sanath Jayasuriya, head of coaching Jerome Jayaratne and chairman of the cricket committee Ranjit Fernando – the same trio that had also recommended Marvan Atapattu be appointed interim coach.Both the consultant and interim coach appointments were rubber-stamped by the SLC executive committee on Monday, an official release said. Ruwan Kalpage’s interim role as assistant coach was also confirmed until the end of South Africa’s July tour of Sri Lanka.”Chris can give us lot of tactical input as to how the wickets will play and more importantly on the opposition players,” Jayasuriya told . “He has been in the English system for quite a long time and he can offer us lot of things throughout the tour.”Guys like Marvan, Ruwan and Chaminda Vaas, who are in our coaching staff will benefit by his presence. Vaasy is a guy who has lot of experience of English conditions having played numerous seasons of county cricket, and we can’t forget that too.”Adams had become Surrey coach in 2008, but a poor start to the 2013 county season following a string of mediocre results in previous years, contributed to his mid-season removal. Sri Lanka’s former coach Graham Ford eventually replaced him, after Alec Stewart had borne the coach role temporarily in 2013.One of Wisden’s five Cricketers of the Year in 2004, Adams had been a highly successful captain at Sussex, whom he led to their first County Championship title in 2003, then again in 2006 and 2007, as well as to limited-overs titles. Known for his bruising strokeplay, Adams had hit 19,535 first-class runs at 38.68.He will be hoping to help Sri Lanka outwit an England side coached by Peter Moores who Adams formed a strong partnership with at Sussex as captain and coach. Moores, subsequently also a Championship winner with Lancashire, was reappointed as England coach last week – having previously held that position between 2007 and 2009.Sri Lanka will hope Adams’ local knowledge, gleaned over 20 years as a player and five as a coach, will aid them in their travels, particularly in the Tests at Lords and Headingley. They play one T20I, five ODIs and two Tests against England, starting on May 22.

Three USA players have said they are definitely withdrawing their availability for USA’s scheduled tour to Uganda in October over safety and security concerns

Peter Della Penna02-Sep-2014Three USA players have said they are definitely withdrawing their availability for USA’s scheduled tour to Uganda in October over safety and security concerns, while three others have said they are considering pulling out depending on how the situation continues to unfold. All three players who are committed to withdrawing played for USA in 2013 and can be termed as first-choice players for the national team, while two of the three who are considering withdrawing are also key players who could expect to be picked for the tour.The development comes ahead of a USA Cricket Association (USACA) board meeting this week to decide whether USACA will approve of sending a squad to participate in the six-team ICC WCL Division Three from October 26 to November 2. The event is part of the 2019 World Cup qualifying structure and the top two teams will be promoted to WCL Division Two in January.ESPNcricinfo has communicated with 16 players about the Uganda tour, all of whom have played for the USA. Seven of the 16 rated safety and security as a major concern for touring Uganda while four stated they had received pressure from family members not to go on the tour. The majority of players felt the ICC would provide adequate security for the team if the tour went ahead, but four players felt that USA’s squad would not be provided with any additional security compared to the other teams, while two felt there would not be enough security to convince them to go.”2010, that’s the safest tour I’ve been on and I felt safe on that tour,” one player told ESPNcricinfo. The player was referencing enhanced security for the team ahead of their first-ever match against Afghanistan on the 2010 tour to the UAE for the World T20 Qualifier. Those security arrangements were specially made by then USACA chief executive Don Lockerbie.”For every two players we had one security guard. If five or six of us went out, we had at least three security guards so we could go anywhere we wanted and would feel okay and not have to worry about anything but not on the other tour.” The player said that on a subsequent tour to Dubai for another World T20 Qualifier, USA had far less security to the point where he did not feel comfortable leaving the team hotel on his own. As such, he did not feel confident about any guarantees made by tournament organisers regarding security for the team in Uganda.The player was less concerned about general safety in the country and is more worried about Ebola virus as well as USA’s players being the target of a terrorist or kidnapping plot. In particular, the player mentioned the recent murder of an American journalist carried out by ISIS militants in the Middle East as something that factored into his decision to not travel to certain countries while representing a national team.”I listen to a lot of talk radio and politics. You’re going over there to represent America. Yes it probably won’t happen but I personally think about the worst situation. Anything could happen so it’s better to be safe than sorry. You will be wearing the uniform. The flag will be there. Word starts going around. It’s kind of sad that James Foley probably had nothing to do with this whole stuff. He was just a regular journalist and he got caught up in it. That’s probably the same mindset that he had, ‘What would they want with me? All of the politics that are happening here, I don’t have anything to do with it,’ but he actually got dragged into it.”Anything to do with America, there are so many people that really don’t like us so you just have to be really careful. Once you have anything to do with America, then more than likely you will be a target. I don’t look at it as whatever they have happening in the Middle East is the only branch. I think copycats and someone who has the same beliefs that they do will try to capitalise on whatever is going on.”Another player said he had been in regular contact with several players from Nepal on the issue, including one player who could be described as a key first-choice player, and that they held concerns mainly over Ebola virus but also some security concerns. Two other USA players said they would make themselves available for selection if the tournament is moved to Singapore, Malaysia, Nepal or the USA. One of those two will not play otherwise while the other is undecided on whether he will accept a squad invite if the tournament is not moved from Uganda.Most players are in favour of a USA team going on tour whether or not they themselves wind up traveling. Only two players said that anyone from USACA had reached out to them to get their opinions on the issue while many players said they had not had any communication with USACA since USA’s last tournament in November 2013. Of the two who want the tournament moved, one said the lack of a professional contract and support structure for USA was a consideration to not go to Uganda. Taking time off from work and risking personal safety for little to no pay was not worth the trip and that if a first-choice team can’t go, then USACA should consider calling off the tour.”Everybody wants to play for the USA. You would like to have your best team participating in the tournament and you’d like to win,” the player said. “If certain players want to go anyway and the USA qualifies, I’d be happy, but I won’t go. If USA can’t select the best 14, no I don’t think they should go because at the end of the day, it’s a product. If you send a product out there and the product is no good, then it’s going to reflect badly on you. To leave my job and go over there for how long and they won’t pay me, as much as I want to represent the USA, it doesn’t make sense. It’s not worth it, not at all.”The ICC has previously said in emails sent in August to the six participating countries that “there are currently no major concerns identified or any specific threats to the tournament, teams, match officials, match venues or hotels.” ESPNcricinfo contacted the ICC in August to ask if there was any contingency plan in place should USA or any other country withdraw from the event, but a spokesperson declined to comment.

France's conveyor belt of young talent paid off in the summer as Les Bleus lifted the World Cup – but who are the stars of the future?

Getty1Timothy Weah (PSG)

It’s not easy making a breakthrough as a young player into one of the world’s biggest clubs, but Timothy Weah, son of former Ballon d’Or winner George, is threatening to do just that. He turned out three times for PSG last season, playing 122 minutes in total, and in the Trophee des Champions clash with Monaco last week he notched his first senior goal and played the full 90 minutes. The USA international, just 18, is beginning to justify the hype.

AdvertisementGetty2Martin Terrier (Lyon)

Perhaps no one has caught the eye in pre-season quite as much as Lyon attacker Martin Terrier. OL swooped to sign the 21-year-old from Strasbourg last January before loaning him immediately back to the club to finish the campaign. He impressed with Racing, scoring three times and creating four more in Ligue 1 but suffered from injuries in the second half of the season. He appears to have hit the ground running at Parc OL and should supplement the likes of Nabil Fekir, Mariano Diaz and Memphis Depay nicely.

Getty Images3Oumar Solet (Lyon)

Centre-back has been a problem position for Lyon for several seasons now and they are hopeful that 18-year-old Oumar Solet can one day grow into the player to finally act as a solution. Signed from third-tier Laval in the summer for little more than €500,000, he could prove one of the bargains of the summer. Bruno Genesio has already given him game time in pre-season, where he looked comfortable against Inter in a 1-0 friendly defeat.

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Gettyimages4Stanley N’Soki (PSG)

It’s not certain that 19-year-old Stanley N’Soki (pictured left) will still be at Paris Saint-Germain when the season begins, as the likes of Arsenal, Marseille and especially Newcastle hover. He is not yet tied down to a professional deal, but one imagines that after his impressive display against Monaco in the Trophee des Champions it has to be a top priority. He impressed down the left for the Ligue 1 champions on his full senior bow, even lending an assist, yet his more natural position is centre-back.

Deepak Parekh, the chairman of Housing Development Finance Corporation, India’s leading housing finance company, has been named special advisor to Sunil Gavaskar

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Apr-2014Deepak Parekh, the chairman of Housing Development Finance Corporation (HDFC), India’s leading housing finance company, has been named special advisor to Sunil Gavaskar, the interim BCCI president for IPL affairs. Gavaskar and Parekh went to the same school, St Xavier’s, in Mumbai.This is Gavaskar’s first major appointment since the Supreme Court put him at the helm of the BCCI last month. Parekh, widely respected in business circles, is an independent figure involved in the IPL’s functioning and enters its administration structure without any stake in Indian cricket. While the BCCI media release makes no reference to the IPL’s ongoing corruption scandal, Parekh’s presence in its Governing Council marks an acceptance of the fact that the IPL, in its current state, requires professional crisis-management skills.Parekh, 69, has been involved in several high-profile crisis resolution groups, including the revival of software major Satyam after a financial scandal in 2009 and the crisis involving India’s largest mutual fund, Unit Trust of India, in the late 1990s. Besides HDFC, Parekh is on the board of several companies including Glaxo Smithkline, Siemens India, Exide and Mahindra & Mahindra.”I am delighted that Deepak has accepted my invitation to come on board as a special advisor and special invitee to the Indian Premier League Governing Council,” Gavasakar said. “With a diverse combination of skills and experience, this appointment will result in a well-rounded senior management team at the IPL – one that will set the direction for a better and bigger league.”Parekh, who has served on several government-appointed advisory committees, looked forward to his new role. “I am excited to be invited to be a part of the IPL. I look forward to fulfilling this challenging new role on the IPL’s senior leadership team as an advisor to Mr. Gavaskar, as we look to strengthen the Indian Premier League.”

A round-up of IPL-related news on May 5, 2014

ESPNcricinfo staff05-May-2014Kolkata Knight Riders coach Trevor Bayliss has said Robin Uthappa will stay at the top of the order for his team, at least “at this stage” of the tournament. Knight Riders have been constantly shuffling their openers, using Jacques Kallis, Gautam Gambhir, Manish Pandey, Manvinder Bisla and Robin Uthappa in the role, without too much success. In their previous game, against Chennai Super Kings, Uthappa opened and was top-scorer with 47 off 38.Bayliss said Kallis and Gambhir’s patchy form contributed to the uncertainty at the top: “We started off this IPL season with a plan in place that Jacques Kallis will open the batting with Gautam,” he said. “Robin was given the role of batting in the middle order and getting us home. But the top order, and especially the opening pair, has been our weakness and we decided to promote Robin up the order in the last game as he has a lot of experience of opening the batting. He performed quite well, and at this stage, he will stay there.”Orthodoxy is over-rated – Pietersen
Kevin Pietersen is set to open a cricket academy in Dubai later this year, but don’t expect his coaches to be consumed with tinkering with the kids’ footwork and other nitty gritty. Speaking to the , Petersen said the academy would not “over-emphasise on technique”. “Orthodoxy is over-rated, definitely,” Pietersen said. “Sure, you must have a solid defence, but I think a lot of coaches over-emphasise on technique.”My academy is going to be different. It’s going to be based on the way a kid plays when he comes in. I’m not going to change his game. I want to coach individuals with unique talent to fulfill that talent, and not try to change anybody or teach him how his foot must be in line with the ball. But there are a few key things to batting which are really important, in terms of the head and not really your foot movement, which I think I want to drill into the kids. But it’s not going to be technique-based coaching, but more about discovering your inner style of play.”Hard for Anderson to fire under circumstances – Doull
Mumbai Indians have a penchant for going all out to secure the services of the player who is the flavor of the season at IPL auctions. This year, it was New Zealand allrounder Corey Anderson, fresh from breaking the long-standing record for the fastest ODI century. The franchise bought him for Rs 4.5 crore (US$ 750,000 approx), but he is yet to deliver a winning hand for them, having got into the 30s only twice in six games this season (he did win a surprise Man-of-the-Match award in his previous game, though, for scoring 35 off 25 and taking 1 for 17 in two overs).Former New Zealand pacer, Simon Doull, said it’s not surprising he has not delivered, given the enormous pressure on him. “It was always going to be hard for Corey to fire in his first IPL, as Mumbai Indians paid a lot of money for him, which added the pressure on him,” Doull said.Daredevils trip squad
Delhi Daredevils have reportedly trimmed their squad of 23 down to 20, sending domestic uncapped players Jayant Yadav, Milind Kumar and HS Sharath home. “Milind, Sharath and Jayant have gone home for the time being. If they are required they would be called back by the franchise,” an IPL source reportedly told .

Charith Jayampathi spearheaded Sinhalese Sports Club’s defence of a formidable total against Nondescripts Cricket Club to secure the Premier Limited Over Tournament title

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Dec-2013
ScorecardCharith Jayampathi finished with 4 for 49•ESPNcricinfo LtdCharith Jayampathi spearheaded Sinhalese Sports Club’s (SSC) defence of a formidable total against Nondescripts Cricket Club (NCC), taking four wickets to secure the Premier Limited Over Tournament title at the Premadasa Stadium.Defending 278, Jayampathi knocked over NCC’s openers inside seven overs, and then dismissed Sandun Weerakkudy to reduce them to 44 for 3. Jehan Mubarak steadied the chase with a half-century but he was run-out soon after the debutant Lahiru Udara was dismissed for 42, leaving NCC on 128 for 5. The lower order could not stage a fightback and NCC were dismissed for 224 in 45.1 overs. Jayampathi finished with figures of 4 for 49 in 10 overs.SSC’s match-winning total of 278 for 9 had been set up by a steady first-wicket stand of 69 and Chamara Kapugedera’s 70 from No. 4. Debutant opener Vishva Wijeratne was the second highest contributor with 49. SSC, however, had slipped to 224 for 6 in the 44th over – when Kaushal Lokuarachchi was out obstructing the field – before Dhammika Prasad’s 26 off 22 balls provided a brisk finish.

India have lost the series, and the No. 1 ranking, but they will want to reacquaint themselves with the winning feeling, something New Zealand will want to deny the visitors

The Preview by Sidharth Monga30-Jan-2014Match factsFriday, January 31, 2014
Start time 1400 local (0100 GMT)Kane Williamson’s chip over extra cover has been one of the most delightful things to watch in the series•Getty ImagesBig PictureThe series is gone, the No. 1 ranking too for now, but how are we doing with the memory of winning a match? India need to be reminded of that feeling.Their long sojourn away from Asia began with the tour of South Africa in December and now halfway through the New Zealand tour, they are yet to win a match. They must be reaching a stage where they start to doubt themselves and everything around them. When they are reminded of their previous long trips outside Asia. Especially worrisome will be that except for the Wanderers Test they have never really been ahead in a contest despite whatever encouragement they can draw from the rearguards that ran New Zealand close in three ODIs.This might be a dead rubber, but India need to reassure themselves they can win before they go into the Test series. That this is not the same nightmare of 2011 playing itself out again. Somehow, through individual brilliance or through dogged teamwork, India need to win a match. New Zealand need to do everything within their powers to convince India that they are indeed back on the treadmill of defeat. They will not want to be very generous with resting players. They will want to maintain that psychological hold over Indian bowlers, they will want to keep denying the Indian batsmen easy runs, and with that any confidence going into the Tests.Form guide (last five completed matches, most recent first)New Zealand WTWWL
India LTLLL
In the spotlight Kane Williamson has been beating India at their own game. He is superb against spin, he is never hurried, he clams the whole innings down, he doesn’t take undue risks, and has been setting up solid platforms for the hitters to go big. Actually he has spoilt the big hitters with his accuracy: if he scores 50 or more in Wellington, he will share the second-longest streak of fifties for New Zealand with Roger Twose and Martin Guptill, and will be only one behind Andrew Jones.MS Dhoni is one run short of 8,000 ODI runs, and will be the fastest to that mark for batsmen who bat so low down the order. Amid all the chaos around him – the ordinary bowling, the struggling batting – Dhoni has displayed a Williamson-like consistency scoring 40, 56, 50 and 79 not out. Can he conjure something to take his side one step ahead and actually register a win?Teams newsNew Zealand have called up uncapped Canterbury quick Matt Henry, who took a first-class five-for last week. There might be a few bowlers with niggles, but Nathan McCullum also said they were pretty keen to “nail the series 4-0”, so don’t expect changes just for the sake of it. Tim Southee is likely to be rested, meaning that Hamish Bennett will keep continue to keep his place in the team.New Zealand 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Jesse Ryder, 3 Kane Williamson, 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Brendon McCullum (capt.), 6 James Neesham, 7 Luke Ronchi (wk), 8 Nathan McCullum, 9. Kyle Mills, 10 Tim Southee/Hamish Bennett, 11 Mitchell McClenaghanIndia, averse to change for so long, suddenly pulled two out of the bag, which unsettled the batting line-up a little. However, Dhoni later said that Virat Kohli at the top of the innings was probably a one-off, and that Ajinkya Rahane was not going to open in ODIs. This might mean a return for Shikhar Dhawan. India might also look to give Ishant Sharma a go in order to get him into rhythm before the Tests.India 1 Rohit Sharma, 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Ajinkya Rahane, 5 MS Dhoni (capt. & wk), 6 Stuart Binny/Ambati Rayudu, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 R Ashwin, 9 Varun Aaron/Ishant Sharma, 10 Mohammed Shami, 11 Bhuvneshwar KumarStats and trivia Since the introduction of the new field restrictions in October 2012, India have conceded 300 or more 11 times, five more than Australia who are second on the list. Over the same period, Australia have scored 300 or more 10 times; India have managed eight such scores. Of the 60 wickets that have fallen in this series, only one – Guptill in Hamilton – has been lbw. Expect a lot of orange shirts: Tui has extended its “catch a million” to the first two people – it used to be one – in the crowd who catch a six one-handed. This is also the last chance to “catch a million” in this New Zealand summer.Quotes”It would be lovely. When we set out for this series, just a win would have been fantastic, but the way we have played in this series, to be as consistent as we have been, 4-0 will be a fantastic result.”

“I don’t think there is a big difference in what the sides are doing. It is about small things. We are making little errors. It is just that we panic a bit, and we have to reduce that percentage. I don’t think there is any major problem why we are not clicking in batting and bowling.”

Part two of ESPNcricinfo’s four-part Ranji Trophy team previews

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Oct-2013Mumbai: Likely to face a challenging seasonBy Nagraj GollapudiWhere they finished
As Ranji Trophy champions. However Mumbai’s journey was not a smooth one: they could muster only two outright victories in eleven matches.Abhishek Nayar is establishing himself as Mumbai’s go-to man•BCCIBig Picture
Until Zaheer Khan delivered an inspired match-winning, and season-turning, spell against Madhya Pradesh in the penultimate group match, Mumbai’s ride last season had been wobbly. Once they reached the semi-finals, however, Mumbai’s determination and much-talked-about aura was restored as they cruised to win the 40th Ranji title comfortably.Their troubles have not been washed away in the new season. If Mumbai are honest, they will admit this is likely to be one of their most challenging seasons. Their weakest suit is their bowling. Ajit Agarkar’s retirement and Ramesh Powar’s decision to play for Rajasthan has left a void that cannot be filled immediately. In the last decade, Agarkar and Powar were pillars on which Mumbai’s success story was built. Both men not only bowled tireless spells, but also returned to the crease to deliver match-saving cameos and, occasionally, match-winning ones. Along with another stalwart, Wasim Jaffer, the trio was the bridge that connected the new generation to the ethos of Mumbai cricket: cuss out the opposition.So far only Dhawal Kulkarni, from among the newer lot, has shown the capability of coping with the rigours of domestic cricket. However, Mumbai’s chief concern will be their inexperienced spin attack led by the left-arm spinners, Iqbal Abdulla and Vishal Dabholkar. Abdulla, three short of 100 wickets for Mumbai, has remained inconsistent despite chances over the last few years while Dabholkar has just played four matches so far. It is something opponents will aim to capitalise on.Mumbai would do well to take advantage of the presence of Sachin Tendulkar, Zaheer Khan, Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane and gain early momentum in the group stage.Players to watch
He is not attractive, but he can get under your skin – with bat, ball, and with his blunt sledges. A quiet man off the field, Abhishek Nayar showed his ability to make big noise when he finished as the second-highest scorer in Ranji Trophy with 966 runs and 19 wickets. So far this season, he scored two fifties and a century against the A teams from New Zealand and West Indies and also hit a fifty in the NKP Salve Challenger Trophy. In the absence of established players like Zaheer, Rohit and Rahane – due to fitness issues or national commitments – Nayar is steadily growing into the go-to man for Mumbai.Team speak
“To do well in Ranji Trophy, it is all about consistency. Along with that fitness and how we perform in the away games will be the three goals we will need to meet.” Abhishek Nayar, Mumbai vice-captain.Click here for the full squad.

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Punjab: Young and well-roundedBy Nikita BastianWhere they finished
Semi-finalists, after topping Group A.VRV Singh, returning from back injury, could be the ‘surprise package’ for Punjab this season•ESPNcricinfo LtdBig Picture
After a couple of ordinary seasons, when they finished in the lower halves of their groups, Punjab were arguably the most dominant side in the group stages last year. They won four of their first five games – two by an innings, one by eight wickets and the other by nine – and despite not winning any of their remaining group games finished almost 10 points clear of the next team. In the quarter-final, they piled up a whopping 699 for 3 with Taruwar Kohli hitting an unbeaten triple.Punjab’s strength was that, in a batsman-dominated competition, their bowlers were very successful. In their ten games, they managed to bowl out the opposition for below 300 eleven times. They took full advantage of the traditionally seamer-friendly conditions in Mohali, winning all their home games. Among the tournament’s top five wicket-takers, two were from Punjab. Siddarth Kaul was second on the table with 44, and Sandeep Sharma was No. 5 with 41.That’s not to say the batting was far behind. Three of their batsmen scored over 500 runs – Mandeep Singh (595), Uday Kaul (652), and the tournament’s leading run-getter, Jiwanjot Singh (995). The only glitch in their season was being bowled out for 59 against Mumbai, when Ankeet Chavan ran rampant with a nine-for.Coach Bhupinder Singh, the medium-pacer who played a couple of one-dayers for India in the mid-90s, said last year offered valuable experience for what is a “young team”. “This is a young bunch and they played good cricket last year, and they are richer by one year’s experience. I hope we are able to take the next step now, past the semi-finals.”Missing from Punjab’s squad is batsman Karan Goel, who’s out with a shoulder injury, but should be fit later in the season. Legspinner Rahul Sharma has also not made it for the first match, with Bhupinder saying Punjab has him in the reserves but views him primarily as a limited-overs option. Left-arm spinner Bipul Sharma has been dropped and is likely to shift to Himachal Pradesh. Then there’s Yuvraj Singh, who, while not named in the squad for the first game, “has promised to play if he’s not part of the Indian Test team [for the West Indies series]”. If Yuvraj plays, he will be the go-to man for the team’s young batsmen, while captain Harbhajan Singh will mentor the bowlers.Players to watch
The squad’s big addition this year is pace bowler VRV Singh, who last played first-class cricket in the 2007-08 season before being sidelined by a back injury. VRV Singh, 29, who has played Tests and ODIs for India, underwent surgery on his back, and returned to competitive cricket last year when he played in the domestic T20s. Since then, Bhupinder said he has been easing his way back into cricket, playing for longer and longer periods. “He’s bowling well and I think he can be my surprise package this year,” Bhupinder said. “He seems in good shape and is generating good pace.” Given that India always seem lacking on the bowling front, and that before the injuries arrived he was impressive enough to earn praise from the likes of Ian Bishop, the Indian selectors might well be keeping a quiet eye on how he does.Jiwanjot Singh, 22, was the tournament’s top-scorer in his debut season. He has since made it to the India A team and the North Zone team for the Duleep Trophy. He has played 15 first-class matches, but not a single recognised limited-overs game. That, Bhupinder said, is down to his style of play: “Jiwanjot is more suited to the longer version. He’s more into technical correctness. Batsmen from five, seven, ten years back, he’s more in that mould. Plays very straight and has a good defence.”Click here for the full squad.

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Jharkhand: Eager to shine in the big leagueBy Vishal DikshitWhere they finished last season
Jharkhand finished second in Group C last year. Three outright wins and as many draws took them to the quarter-finals against Punjab. They were promoted to Group A for this season.Varun Aaron’s return from a lengthy lay-off will be keenly watched•AFPBig Picture
The beginning of Jharkhand’s season will be watched for the comeback of two players who have had fleeting international careers so far – Varun Aaron and Saurabh Tiwary. While Tiwary had a shoulder operation in August, Aaron has been plagued with injuries since he last played for India in 2011. Jharkhand also have a new coach in Subroto Banerjee and two new recruits – Bhavin Thakkar and Bhavik Thaker.Middle-order batsman Thakker last played a first-class game in the 2010-11 season, for Himachal Pradesh, and averages 35.62 from 37 first-class matches. Thaker, also 31, moved from Gujarat, who did not give him a chance in the last season, and averages 40.Their bowling, an area of strength, features one of the most promising spinners in the domestic circuit. Left-arm spinner Shahbaz Nadeem, captain of the side, was also their highest wicket-taker in 2012-13 with 42 wickets from nine games. He will be accompanied by offspinner Sunny Gupta who took four wickets against North Zone in the recent Duleep Trophy semi-final. Shankar Rao and Ajay Yadav will handle the pace attack. While Rao averaged 24.65 last season with 26 wickets, Yadav played only five matches and impressed with 23 wickets, mainly through his haul of 11 wickets against Services and 10 against Tripura.Jharkhand began their Ranji campaign last year with an outright win – an innings and 31 runs against Jammu & Kashmir – but will face a stiffer challenge in their first game against Delhi this year. While they shone in the lightweight Group C last season, the more accomplished opponents this season will test how far Jharkhand have progressed.Key players
Saurabh Tiwary amassed 602 runs in the previous season at an average of 46.30, including two hundreds and three fifties. However, his comeback is likely to be tough. He hasn’t played a professional match in more than five months and will be facing more potent attacks this season.Varun Aaron, on the other hand, hasn’t played since IPL 2012 due to the recurrence of a back injury. The bowler recently said he had made a “slight adjustment” to his bowling action and hoped that the tweak would help him last the season. Jharkhand will be hoping it works out that way, as a fully fit Aaron will make the side’s attack formidable.Click here for the full squad

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Haryana: Ajay Jadeja in the spotlightBy Devashish FuloriaWhere they finished
Eighth in Group B with one win in eight matches.Ajay Jadeja returns from the cold•AFPBig Picture
Last year, Haryana were bowled out for 55 on the first morning of their opening Ranji Trophy match – their lowest-ever Ranji total – against Vidarbha. In their second match, they were again bowled out for a lowly 66 but despite the batting debacles, the conversation every time teams played in Rohtak hovered around the seamer-friendly conditions in Lahli, their home ground.They say it’s the high water-table beneath the ground that provides the moisture to the pitch and open fields around the ground mean there is always the assistance of breeze. However, more often than not, it’s the traveling teams that have exploited the conditions better. It could be different this year, as the Haryana Cricket Association have roped in their former stalwart Ajay Jadeja as coach and captain.Jadeja came out of cricketing hibernation in August when he played Buchi Babu tournament for the team, at the ripe age of 42. Jadeja, and with the weight of 8046 first-class runs behind him, he will have the responsibility of not only leading the team with the bat, but also providing direction.Haryana’s first match this year will be under media glare for being the last first-class match for Sachin Tendulkar, Jadeja’s former India opening partner. For Jadeja, though, it’s a new start and he will have the tough job of setting the scene for the long season ahead.Key players
With Amit Mishra likely to be away on national duty and the batting being the weak link, Haryana will depend on key contributions from seamer Mohit Sharma, who relished the conditions at the home venue last year. He collected a rich haul of 37 wickets, that included three five-fors, at an average of 23.24. But Haryana may have to do without him for chunks of the season as he is not too far from being called up to the national team, at least for the limited-overs matches against West Indies and South Africa.Click here for the full squad.

A round-up of Vijay Hazare Trophy matches on November 19, 2014

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Nov-2014An all-round bowling effort led by Shardul Thakur’s 3 for 25 and a swift Wasim Jaffer half-century – his fourth in five innings – helped Mumbai wallop Delhi by six wickets and go through to the quarter-finals of the Vijay Hazare Trophy.Mumbai’s decision to field bore early fruit as Thakur got rid of Unmukt Chand and Virender Sehwag for 6 and 9 in successive overs. Though Milind Kumar did his best to halt the one-way traffic with 64 off 94 balls, support was lacking at the other end. Only four other people managed to get into double-figures as Delhi were bowled out for 157, with 45 balls remaining. Left-arm spinner Iqbal Abdullah claimed 2 for 24 off his 8.3 overs and all of the five bowlers used conceded less than 5 an over.Delhi may have entertained a brief hope of a resurgence when opener Siddesh Lad was dismissed for an 11-ball duck, but Jaffer walked in and kept the score ticking over. His unbeaten 83 required 87 balls, with 11 fours and a six as he took Mumbai home with nearly 20 overs to spare and set a date with Karnataka on Friday’s quarter-final.Punjab captain Harbhajan Singh shone with bat and ball, first slamming a rapid half-century and then picking up two wickets, to help his team reach the quarter-finals after downing Gujarat by 28 runs in Rajkot.Having been inserted, Punjab were precariously placed at 70 for 3 before Amitoze Singh and Gurkeerat Singh Mann led a recovery with a 104-run stand. Gurkeerat was the more aggressive foil, blasting 72 off 69 balls, while Amitoze hit 75, with eight fours. Both batsmen fell in successive overs, but Harbhajan, coming in at No.6, smashed two fours and six sixes during a 25-ball 51 to lift the score to 255 for 8.Most of Gujarat’s batsmen made starts during the chase, but failed to convert it into a substantial score. The No.9 batsman Rohit Dahiya was the team’s top scorer with 53, but his knock was too little too late, as Gujarat were bundled out for 227 in 47.3 overs. Sandeep Sharma was the pick of Punjab’s bowlers, taking 3 for 39 to rattle Gujarat’s top order. Harbhajan chipped in with 2 for 51, while Yuvraj Singh, who had failed to fire with the bat, claimed 2 for 21.

On a challenging track in Lahli, the match between the Haryana and Punjab seems to be heading for an exciting finish after the hosts finished the second day 96 runs ahead in their second innings

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Nov-2013
ScorecardSanjay Budhwar picked up four wickets•ESPNcricinfo LtdOn a green track at Lahli, the match between hosts Haryana and Punjab seems set for a close finish. At the end of the second day, Haryana have a 96-run lead but are also five wickets down and the Punjab pacers, particularly, Sandeep Sharma and VRV Singh will be looking to knock the side over quickly on the third morning.No one team could claim the honours on the second day. Punjab began at 50 for 3 but lost overnight batsmen Sandeep and Uday Kaul off consecutive deliveries to pacer Sanjay Budhwar. Taruwar Kohli followed suit with only 11 runs added to the scoreboard.A doughty 86-run stand between Mayank Sidhana and Gurkeerat Singh rescued the innings and, more importantly, helped them take a small lead over Haryana. Gurkeerat raised his maiden first-class fifty, scoring 51 off 48 balls with eight fours, while Sidhana collected a 91-ball 43 with seven fours. Once Gurkeerat fell, however, the Haryana pacers wrapped up the last four wickets for 10 runs and Punjab were dismissed for 184, a lead of 21 runs. Seamer Harshal Patel picked up three of the last four wickets to finish with 4 for 60 and Budhwar also finished with a four-wicket haul.Haryana’s batsmen once again found themselves struggling against Sandeep as the pacer quickly dismissed Abhimanyu Khod and Rahul Dalal. Avi Barot was on his way to a second fifty in the match and was involved in a promising stand with Nitin Saini before Sandeep struck again, dismissing him for 31. VRV Singh added another blow to Haryana, dismissing Saini for 25. By close of play, Sachin Rana and Amit Mishra had added 31 for the sixth wicket. The pair carry the hopes of a Haryana line-up that will be looking to set a challenging target as they seek their second win.