Youngsters will raise our fielding – Dhoni

Twenty20 internationals often go through an identity crisis. They are neither World Twenty20, nor leagues like IPL and BBL where every game takes you towards a larger goal. On international tours, Twenty20s – often one or two in number – run the risk of being seen as just exhibition games.Not for India this time. MS Dhoni has said that the two Twenty20 internationals against Australia will not be used as glorified nets for the bigger triangular ODI series that follows. He said the presence of youngsters will make the team more energetic on the field.These might be India’s last two Twenty20 internationals before they split up to play for their respective IPL teams and go into September’s World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka, an event where they have been knocked out in the first round in their last two attempts.”We don’t get to play too many T20 international games,” Dhoni said. “Usually it’s one match on a tour. It’s good we have two games. We’ll try to make the most out of it. We’ll look to play the XI best suited for that particular occasion, not thinking about the ODIs.”The first occasion for India will be at Sydney’s Stadium Australia, a multi-purpose venue originally built for the Olympics. India have no clue what to expect from the ground. They practised there yesterday, but could only do fielding drills because the practice pitches – in a corner, almost under the roof – were damp. Today India, like Australia, shifted base to the more traditional SCG. Dhoni said that shouldn’t be much of a handicap because Australia too haven’t played much at the venue.”I don’t think there are many who have played there,” Dhoni said. “It remains quite the same for the home team as well as the touring team. That’s something pretty even. Of course we would like to spend a bit of time there. We had to shift the practice session because the wickets were damp there, and we weren’t able to practise. We will see exactly how it is. The outfield will be important. It is not a cricket ground, which means the sand content is more. Hopefully it goes out well.”Dhoni, though, is looking forward to what the fresh faces will bring to the team. “Our one-day side looks very different from our Test side,” Dhoni said. “The new boys who have come in are a lot more noisy, which really helps lift the dressing-room atmosphere. They love to pull each other’s leg, which means it gets more and more lively. I don’t think it’s very difficult [to stay positive despite a disastrous tour so far].” He likened the difference they brought to shifting from Kishore Kumar to Sean Paul.When asked who he would rather work with, the Bollywood legend of the old or the new-age Jamaican rapper, Dhoni picked the middle path. “I am someone who keeps adjusting. That’s one good thing. A mix of everything is good. From classical to rap music. Good to have these boys around.”However, Dhoni spoke of the importance of having young legs in the side. “We have really improved as a fielding side, especially in the ODIs where we have seen a mix of players who are experienced and the youngsters coming in. So on an average out of four fielders three of them can really stop the batsmen from taking a quick single. And the opportunity of getting a batsman run out is very critical in an ODI or a T20.”When it’s needed at the slog overs, they can field at the boundary without much hassle. It really helps me in the sense that I don’t have to be too worried about placing the right fielders at the right position. They do it amongst themselves. They are very good. They know where they need to be at the right time. It helps me think on the right things, where I can put emphasis.”Dhoni said it wasn’t going to be easy to forget how the first half of the tour has gone down. “It’s not easy,” he said. “We play with a lot of emotion. Indians are known to be emotional people. But it’s not something we haven’t done in the past. We have been able to do this. In England when we went into the ODIs I felt the boys performed really well apart from the rain that affected our bowling performance because of the wet ball. Apart from that the fight was good over there. Not really worried. Hopefully it will go our way.”

Scorchers prevail in tight match


ScorecardHerschelle Gibbs and the Perth Scorchers handed Shane Warne’s Melbourne Stars their third defeat in four matches•Getty Images

The Perth Scorchers successfully defended 136 against the Melbourne Stars at the MCG, to win a match that had its fair share of dramatic moments by eight runs. The win puts Marcus North’s Scorchers at No. 2 on the points table after the fourth round of games, while Shane Warne’s Stars are languishing at second-to-last with just one win.The Scorchers chose to bat and were steered through most of their innings by Herschelle Gibbs, who top scored with 69 off 48 balls – he fetched the Player of the Match award for this effort. When he was out in the 14th over, the scoreboard read 108 for 3, and the Scorchers seemed set for a weighty total. However, they failed to produce the typical late-overs surge, and a manic collapse in the final over of the innings – they lost five wickets in the over, three to run outs – meant they were left with a middling total to defend.Their bowlers were up to the task, knocking over Cameron White, George Bailey and David Hussey cheaply, and not allowing Rob Quiney to score freely. With their top order not delivering, the Stars were left chasing around ten runs an over in the final few, and could not get home despite a fighting, unbeaten 53 off 43 balls from Matthew Wade.

Australia storming towards 3-0 lead

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsMitchell Starc dismissed Gautam Gambhir and Sachin Tendulkar in the second innings to send India hurtling towards defeat•Getty Images

David Warner’s 180 powered Australia to a strong lead before their bowlers set about routing India a second time on day two of the third Test at the WACA ground. Australia were cut down for 369 after an opening stand of 214 between Warner and Ed Cowan, but any gains made by India’s bowlers were frittered away by their batsmen, who limped to 4 for 88. They were still 120 runs short of making Australia bat again, and a handful of wickets away from surrendering the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.It was the left-armer Mitchell Starc’s turn to be the visitors’ chief tormentor, swinging the ball at high pace while also gaining some steepling bounce. Peter Siddle and Ben Hilfenhaus also struck to maintain their summer jaunt through the visitors’ batting, while Ryan Harris beat the bat often.Rahul Dravid and Virat Kohli were India’s last faint hope, but it seemed a forlorn one given how the ball continued to swing, seam and bounce. The failures of the other top-order batsmen opened the question of whether or not Rohit Sharma will debut in Adelaide.Starc defeated Gautam Gambhir with a ball that pranced at the batsman and looped to gully off the bat handle, and then pinned Sachin Tendulkar lbw with in-swing. Tendulkar was unhappy about the decision, shaking his head as he walked off then reacting with dismay to replays that showed the ball clipping leg stump. Virender Sehwag was undone by a Siddle delivery that lifted and left him, while VVS Laxman made another duck on a wretched tour, edging Hilfenhaus’ outswinger into the cordon.For all of India’s woes, their bowlers had again found a trace of brittleness in the hosts’ batting. Australia lost all 10 wickets for 155 from the time Cowan was the first man out, underlining the value of Warner’s innings, among the most brazen played by a Test opener, and his partnership of contrast with the more restrained Cowan. However it reflected poorly on the batsmen that Siddle’s 30 was the next best score.Yadav claimed five wickets for the first time in Tests, striking three times in a hostile morning spell, then Ishant, Zaheer Khan and Vinay Kumar chimed in across the afternoon to limit the hosts’ lead to 208.Resuming at 0 for 149, Cowan and Warner played in more or less the same vein as the previous evening. If Warner reined in his game at all, it was only in a nod to better bowling from the visitors. He was still inclined to swing for the fences every now and then, and crashed another straight drive over Ishant’s head for his fourth six.The first chance of the innings arrived at 193, Warner touching a well-pitched delivery from Zaheer only for it to be dropped by Kohli at first slip. Cowan accumulated soundly at the other end, reaching his second half-century of the series and rotating the strike intelligently. It was he who raised the 200 stand, pulling Yadav to the square-leg boundary to take Australia’s openers past that mark for the first time since Simon Katich and Phil Jaques did it against West Indies in 2008.Thoughts had turned to the possibility of a Cowan century when Yadav moved around the wicket and produced a delivery that moved back a shade to burst between the opener’s bat and pad and disturb the stumps. Cowan was crestfallen to have left the middle, but the following passage would show that batting was not as easy as it had seemed.Warner was struck a painful blow on the elbow, requiring the physio’s attention for the second time in his innings, and Marsh fell cheaply for the fourth time in as many innings this series. He played at a delivery that left him and snicked to Laxman at second slip. Ponting managed one back-foot cover drive before he too was undone by Yadav, who found just enough swing and seam from the off to flatten the former captain’s middle stump.The merry progress of Warner continued in a stand of 48 with his captain Michael Clarke, before the opener finally miscued a loft to offer an outfield catch. Much as Warner cussed, the end of the innings reflected the crazy brave manner of its construction.Clarke received a fine delivery from Zaheer, angled in then moving subtly away, and a similar ball also accounted for Brad Haddin, the wicketkeeper’s duck raising further questions about his place in the side. Michael Hussey battled for fluency and was oddly subservient to the cleaner hitting of Siddle in another brief stand, before Vinay collected his first wicket when Hussey cut to gully.Siddle’s fluent stay was ended when Yadav beat the outside edge to flick off stump, Harris perished for 9 when he lobbed a pull shot to square leg, and Hilfenhaus could not contain himself against Sehwag’s off spin. But bad as Australia’s batsmen had done once Warner departed, India would do worse.

Smith to take charge at Northamptonshire

Northamptonshire have appointed former Warwickshire batsman David Smith as their new chief executive. He will take up his role at Wantage Road in the new year having held the same position at Leicestershire.Smith scored 8,743 runs for Warwickshire between 1973 and 1985 and replaces Mark Tagg, who left at the end of October after eight years in the role.”I’m delighted to have been appointed,” said Smith. “The club has made real progress both on and off the field over the past few years. The ground development has improved the facilities on offer to all visitors to the County Ground.”Northamptonshire led Division Two of the County Championship for large parts of last season before missing out on promotion on the final day. They also appeared at T20 finals day in 2009. “This indicates a good quality playing staff,” said Smith. “I am looking forward to working with the coach David Capel and the board of directors to bring future success to the club.”After retiring, Smith spent nine years on the committee at Warwickshire before becoming chief executive at Leicestershire in January 2008. He also has other experience in the UK leisure industry, most notably with Blackpool Winter Gardens.Northamptonshire chairman Martin Lawrence believes Smith is the man to take the club forward. “We are delighted to have David on board,” said Lawrence. “His appointment ensures Northants have a bright future ahead and I would like to take this opportunity to welcome him to the club.”

Seamers put Saurashtra in sight of win

Seamers Jaydev Unadkat and Sandip Maniar put Saurashtra on top against Punjab, laying the stage for what could end up being a comprehensive win in Mohali. Staring at a first-innings score of 542, Punjab were in trouble at the start of the day, resuming their innings on 59 for 3. They found themselves in deeper trouble shortly after, slipping to 60 for 5. But Mandeep Singh and Amitoze Singh came to their rescue, adding 121 for the seventh wicket with half-centuries but their efforts weren’t enough. Too much damage had been inflicted early in the innings, and the deficit seemed insurmountable. Mandeep remained unbeaten on 85 but Unadkat polished off the tail to finish with 6 for 87.Punjab were bowled out for 278, conceding a lead of 264 and there was more trouble in the second innings. Maniar was the wrecker-in-chief this time round, nipping out three wickets to reduce Punjab to 44 for 4 after they followed on. To make matters worse, batsman Karan Goel had to retire hurt. With three points virtually in the bag, Saurashtra will be aiming for an outright win tomorrow.

Haryana captain Amit Mishra led by example to give his team a significant first-innings lead at the Moti Bagh Stadium, and his batsmen extended it to 363 with three wickets remaining at stumps. Baroda, having bowled out Haryana for 390 on the second day, were sitting pretty coming into today’s play, at 104 for 1. Opener Aditya Waghmode and Rakesh Solanki struck half-centuries and promised to lay the foundation for a lead, but the innings fell apart. Medium-pacer Harshal Patel broke the stand and Baroda slipped to 171 for 7. Mishra helped wrap up the innings, dismissing a well-set Pinal Shah for 35, and ensuring a lead of 176. Haryana began poorly in the second innings and left-arm spinner Swapnil Singh picked up four wickets, but Abhimanyu Khod made 71, supported by Sunny Singh’s 44. Mishra himself was unbeaten on 28 at stumps, and may look to eliminate any chances of Baroda pulling off a surprise in the chase.

Centuries from Mohnish Mishra and Naman Ojha put Madhya Pradesh in an excellent position to overhaul Bengal‘s first-innings score of 496 at the Jadavpur University Complex in Kolkata. MP were well-placed at 136 for 1 at the start of the day, and they consolidated that thanks to a stand of 199 between Ojha and Mishra. Ojha made his fifth first-class century, Mishra reached his fourth. Each hit a six and struck 29 fours between them in a stand that lasted 70 overs. There was a scare for MP when they lost Ojha and captain Devendra Bundela in quick succession, but Mishra and S Abbas Ali added an unbeaten 48 to finish the day on 344 for 3, still 152 adrift.

Delhi put up a better performance with the bat in their second innings but Tamil Nadu were still in with a good chance of pulling off a win at the Feroz Shah Kotla. Starting the day on 281 for 8, a lead of 69, Tamil Nadu lasted another 25 runs. Among the two wickets they lost was Abhinav Mukund, who was caught behind for 99. They finished with a lead of 94. In response, Delhi began well with the openers Unmukt Chand and Shikhar Dhawan adding 68. But they soon slipped to 70 for 3, Yo Mahesh dismissing Chand and captain Mithun Manhas in quick time. Milind Kumar and Yogesh Nagar stepped up, each hitting half-centuries, but were unable to push on. By the close, Delhi were 233 for 5, only 139 ahead though they’ll be encouraged by the ongoing 40-run stand between Pawan Negi and Puneet Bisht.

Karnataka are on the verge of picking up three points against Mumbai at the Brabourne Stadium after reducing them to 354 for 8 on day three. Mumbai finished the day 281 runs behind. Read the full report here.

Uttar Pradesh batted determinedly in their pursuit of a first-innings lead against Orissa at the Veer Surendra Sai Stadium in Sambalpur. Opener Tanmay Srivastava led the charge with 115 in a knock that included 14 fours. Former UP captain Mohammad Kaif made 88, and the pair added 191 for the second wicket following the early loss of Amir Khan. However, both fell in quick succession, in consecutive overs, and UP were soon 214 for 3. But Prashant Gupta and Parvinder Singh were unbeaten on 35 and 39 respectively, and took UP to stumps at 287 for 3, 195 behind Orissa.

Railways had the better of day three against Rajasthan at the Karnail Singh Stadium in Delhi but a difficult task awaits them on the final day. Half-centuries from opener Shivakant Shukla and captain Sanjay Bangar, and important contributions from the rest, took them to 274 for 4 in the first innings but they are still 247 behind Rajasthan. Shukla added 83 with Shreyas Khanolkar and 68 with Bangar before being dismissed. Bangar put together 89 with Yere Goud, who was unbeaten on 35. Vivek Yadav grabbed the three wickets that fell today but Goud and Mahesh Rawat were involved in a stand of 28 by the close, of which Rawat made 26. Can Railways overhaul Rajasthan’s first-innings score or can Rajasthan bowl them out? There’s also the possibility of Railways batting the day out without taking a lead, ensuring the teams share points.

Warriors stumble to the Rhinos

East Africa Premier League

Rift Valley Rhinos reignited the Twenty20 competition with a surprise five-wicket win over leaders Rwenzori Warriors in Kampala. The result cuts the Warriors lead to four points whereas two rounds ago they were a seemingly unassailable eight points ahead. Warriors never got going after winning the toss and batting, and only Roger Mukasa (32) hung around for any time as they were bowled out for 93. The Rhinos were wobbling on 58 for 5 before Ramesh Mepani (29* off 31 balls) calmly saw them home with two overs in hand.Nile Knights, unbeaten in five T20 games, took the chance to close the gap with a comfortable 33-run victory over Nairobi Buffaloes. The Knights made 140 for 9 – Collins Obuya picked up late wickets to return figures of 4 for 20 – and the Buffaloes lost too many early wickets to mount a serious challenge.Kongonis enjoyed a straightforward five-wicket win against winless Coast Pekee in Mombasa with 23 balls to spare.

Teams Mat Won Lost Tied N/R Pts Net RR
Rwenzori 8 6 1 0 1 26 +1.164
Nile Knights 8 5 2 0 1 22 +0.933
Rift 8 4 3 0 1 18 +0.115
Kongonis 8 4 4 0 0 16 +0.487
Buffaloes 8 3 5 0 0 12 -0.579
Pekee 8 0 7 0 1 2 -2.159

East African Cup

All three matches were rained off leaving the table unchanged.

Teams Mat Won Lost Tied N/R Pts Net RR
Kongonis 8 5 1 0 2 24 +0.951
Nile Knights 8 4 1 0 3 22 +1.213
Rwenzori 8 4 2 0 2 20 +1.454
Buffaloes 8 3 2 0 3 18 +0.120
Rift 8 2 5 0 1 10 -0.675
Pekee 8 0 7 0 1 2 -2.071

Brilliant Ojha spins Surrey to win

Scorecard
A brilliant spell from left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha helped Surrey wrap up a comprehensive 333-run victory on the final morning against Division Two promotion rivals Northamptonshire. India international Ojha provided a masterclass from the Wantage Road End, recording outstanding second-innings figures of six wickets for just eight runs from his 16.3 overs, which included 10 maidens.This result, the heaviest in Division Two this season, throws the race for promotion wide open with Surrey and Middlesex – who went to the top of the table on Friday – both with two games still to play. Northamptonshire, meanwhile, are likely to need a victory from their final game at home against Gloucestershire starting on September 12 which, if results elsewhere go against them, still might not be good enough.Northants resumed this morning on 103 for 4, facing a tall order in order to save the game, with captain Andrew Hall (2) and nightwatchman Lee Daggett (4) at the crease. Hall survived a strong lbw shout in the sixth over of the morning off Ojha, who had already taken the key wickets of Alex Wakely and David Sales just before the close last night.Northants had added 12 to their overnight total when, in the very next over, Hall was out attempting a pull shot which he mistimed off Stuart Meaker’s delivery, and was caught behind by wicketkeeper Steven Davies for 13. Meaker was then almost celebrating another wicket when he found the edge of Daggett’s bat, but the ball flew between second and third slip and away to the boundary for four.Ojha soon had his third – and Surrey’s sixth – wicket of the innings in the eighth over and was handed it on a plate by Niall O’Brien – out for a pair, attempting to sweep, but only diverting it into the hands of Gareth Batty at short leg with the score on 119. The hosts struggled along on to 138 before Ojha claimed his fourth victim, bowling Daggett for 16.With the score on 149 for 7, Ojha then completed his five-for by dismissing James Middlebrook, with substitute fielder Zafar Ansari – on for the injured Tom Maynard – taking the catch at silly point for 12. With Stephen Peters still unable to bat due to a back injury, the ninth and final Northamptonshire wicket fell with the score on 152, Ojha bagging his sixth victim when trapping David Burton lbw for two.Surrey pocketed 21 points, with Northants just three.

Abhinav positive despite tough baptism

A solitary half-century, a near king-pair, an average shading 20.00 and three different opening partners in his first five matches – the numbers are indicative of how tough Abhinav Mukund’s baptism into Test cricket has been, but he is encouraged by the way he has come through.”The results don’t show how much progress I made,” Abhinav told ESPNcricinfo. “I have definitely got the belief that I could do well and there’s so much that I have learned. It was a tough couple of tours [West Indies and England], but I can take a lot of confidence out of them.”Abhinav was far from the reckoning at the start of the season but injuries to Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir gave him a chance in the West Indies alongside his Tamil Nadu opening partner M Vijay. His performance on that tour sealed the third opener’s slot for England ahead of Vijay, but Abhinav insists he will always look up to his “senior partner” in whose company he has amassed runs for his state.”I’ve been opening with Vijay since I started playing at the domestic level [so] it was really good to open with him in my first three Tests,” Abhinav said. “Both of us know that there is competition, but that doesn’t affect our equation. He has helped me a lot in the domestic set-up, where we have had long partnerships and spent a lot of time in the middle.”Abhinav dropped out of the XI with Sehwag returning for the last two Tests against England, despite his century batting at No. 3 in the tour game against Northants, and he played no further part in the tour. The setback did not affect Abhinav, who admitted that shoehorning him into the XI for Edgbaston would have upset the team’s combination.”I batted at No. 3 in the tour game only to give Dravid a break,” Abhinav said. “I wanted to get a few runs and put some pressure on the management. At the end of the day, I believe that opening batsmen should open. [However] I don’t really mind playing lower down the order if slots open up there and I can contribute.”Abhinav’s debut coincided with that of the new India coach, Duncan Fletcher, who he says has had a positive influence on his batting. “Duncan hadn’t seen me much before the West Indies tour,” Abhinav said. “There were a lot of pointers he gave me, small things. The wickets in West Indies were a lot bouncier than I expected – especially Jamaica and Barbados. He showed me how to play much closer to the body, which was very helpful for someone like me who has grown up batting on South Indian wickets. It is something that I can use when playing on wickets with bounce and movement.”Walking out with different partners on a regular basis did not, he said, affect his mindset. “You can’t control injuries, especially on-field ones as happened to Gautam,” Abhinav said. “I had played with Dravid before [in the West Indies], and opening with him wasn’t a big difference since he comes in at No. 3.”Abhinav’s biggest challenge in England came at Trent Bridge where he chose to take first strike in the second innings despite being on a king pair. “I really wanted to take the first ball, no matter what,” he said. “I wanted to back myself and taking first strike was a positive move. It was very important that the openers showed a sign of solidarity, since the team revolves around the start the openers make.”Like in the first innings, Abhinav edged his first ball into the cordon, but Tim Bresnan put down a simple catch. Abhinav could not cash in, though, and managed only three as India sank against a bouncer barrage.”It was a really good ball,” Abhinav said about the James Anderson outswinger that nearly gave him the ignominy of two first-ballers. “Considering it was a good ball, I could have got a king pair but I didn’t. At the end of the day, though, I didn’t get too many either. I should have carried on.”Abhinav’s batting has reminded several cricket followers of the former Tamil Nadu and India opener Sadagoppan Ramesh. Abhinav said his team-mates, including Sachin Tendulkar and Harbhajan Singh, refer to him as ‘Taki’, which used to be Ramesh’s nickname. “Apparently, even my mannerisms off the field are similar to his,” he said. “It is nothing conscious, since I haven’t seen Ramesh bat much. By the time I got my break into the Ranji side, he had moved on to other things.”

Norton Fredrick dies at 73

Norton Fredrick, the former Sri Lankan first-class cricketer, died on Wednesday at the age of 73, following a terminal illness, at his home in Wattala, ten kilometres from Colombo. Fredrick played for the All Ceylon team before Sri Lanka had Test status, and also for Bloomfield Cricket and Athletic Club in Sri Lanka. Although stocky for a fast bowler, he had all the ingredients that make a good quick – a short temper and speed.Fredrick’s four-year career with Ceylon was short but he made a big impact, and earned the nickname Fiery Fred, which he shared with Fred Trueman. Although not an orthodox quick, he generated a great deal of pace; his most potent delivery was the inswinger bowled with a high-arm action with which he beat batsmen regularly and bowled them through the gate, often hitting the bails.His most memorable match was an unofficial Test for All Ceylon against India, played in Ahmedabad in 1965, in which he ripped through the Indian top order in both innings to set up a historic four-wicket win for his country. It was the first time All Ceylon had won in India and Sri Lanka have never won a Test in India since becoming a Test-playing nation.Fredrick took seven wickets in the match in Ahmedabad – 4 for 85 in the first innings and 3 for 24 in the second – and his victims were Dilip Sardesai (twice), India captain the Nawab of Pataudi (twice), Farokh Engineer, Abbas Ali Baig and Hanumant Singh, who according to Frederick was the best batsman in India at the time. India were bowled out for totals of 189 and 66.For a fast bowler, Fredrick suffered remarkably few injuries through his career. “I never suffered from cramps until I got one holding on to a return catch given by Indian batsman Chandu Borde. Only then did I know what a cramp was,” Fredrick once said. He maintained his physique by doing wind sprints after practice for about an hour and parallel bar exercises.Strangely enough Fredrick never played cricket for his school St Joseph’s College, Colombo in the ten years he was a student there because he bowled with a round-arm action. “I bowled so fast that I used to injure children at Under-13 and Under-14 level with a tennis ball. But when I went for first XI practices the coach said that I had a square-arm action and dropped me from the team,” he once recalled.It was when Fredrick joined the Prisons Department as a welfare officer that his cricket career really started to take shape. He joined Bloomfield in 1959, took five wickets in his first match for them and never looked back. He played eight years of Sara Trophy Division One cricket for Bloomfield, helping them win the title in 1963-64 by taking 57 wickets. In his entire career for Bloomfield he captured 183 wickets, at an average of 16.58.In the four years he represented Ceylon (1964-1968) Fredrick played against Australia, the MCC, India and Pakistan, opening the bowling with Darrell Lieversz and with Ian Pieris; he played under the leadership of CI Gunasekera and Michael Tissera. Due to family commitments he was forced to end his career in 1968. He was a Sri Lanka Cricket-appointed match referee in later years and had a road named after him called Norton Place in his neighbourhood in recognition of the social service he and his wife did for the community. He had two sons, one of whom was an army officer who died during the civil war in Sri Lanka.

No guarantees for Hayden investment

Matthew Hayden’s plans to become a part-owner of the Brisbane Heat Twenty20 franchise are far from guaranteed, despite the air of inevitability that hung over the announcement of his signature to play for the team in next summer’s expanded Big Bash League.So far only the Melbourne Renegades and the Sydney Thunder have got approval to seek minority private ownership of up to 49%, a process that is currently being overseen by the financial services company Credit Suisse.Other teams are presently allowed to negotiate unofficially with potential investors, but that moratorium will end once the Sydney and Melbourne deals are settled.In addition to playing, Hayden wants to align his company The Hayden Way with the Heat as part of what he breathlessly called “a leisure-tainment and entertainment package that has never yet been seen on our shores in cricket”.However Cricket Australia will have to be satisfied, when the time for private investment in the Heat is allowed, that Hayden’s company will provide a worthwhile return.”We don’t know what the timing is going to be, and it is subject to Cricket Australia approval,” a CA spokesman said. “At this stage The Hayden Way is keen, Brisbane is keen, and Matthew Hayden will be first in the queue to be a private investor in the Heat.”Speaking in Brisbane, Hayden made the case for using T20 to secure cricket’s future in Australia by appealing to a wider audience. He also said he had lost interest in international cricket against nations other than England and India, a stark statement from a CA board member.”There’s a lot of things cricket can’t control, the Future Tours Program being one of those, however we can control our domestic content,” Hayden said. “From a commercial point of view most definitely I see this being an enormous success, but it’s key is if it gets mums, dads, families coming to the cricket, enjoying a three-hour proposition, with not the trinkets and the charms but a true value proposition.”I love cricket and have been inspired by cricket my whole life. I love the baggy green, I love what it stands for. However short of the Ashes, and potentially the Indian summer, I’ve said for a long time that I’m largely un-invested in that particular competition. So for me having now first-hand witnessed what that [T20] means as an entertainment proposition, firstly in the IPL and now within the franchise, I know this is going to re-engage our fan base.”If kids, mums and dads and families rock up, then that is an investment they make which adds to them participating in our great game, then we’ll have done everything, both commercially and from a participation point of view.”I think most definitely people are losing interest within the tournaments. I’ll give you a prime example of that, the ICC champions trophy. Australia won that tournament, the first time that trophy’s ever been in the cabinet, and yet do we know about it, we had some idea but it wasn’t the same impact as what it could make. The World Cup is incredibly important within the game, but there are challenges in the landscape, it is a very cluttered landscape.”Australia’s T20 competition had previously been state-based, something Hayden said was part of the pathway towards the national team and not something he was interested in participating in as a player or investor. But, in a somewhat convoluted argument, he also reckoned that his return to the domestic scene would help to educate young players with his many years of experience.”The reason I’ve never been interested in this tournament until now is I’ve always seen it as a pathways program,” Hayden said. “It’s been sat within the stakeholders of the game being the states, and every spot I took up was an opportunity for a youngster to come in and take up that same spot, and I’d been a beneficiary of those wonderful pathway programs that have existed within our country.”Now however this is a different proposition, this is an entertainment package, and it is going to, whether we like it or not, and it already has, competed with all the other franchise sports, and there is going to be some rationalisation over the next two years. I’m looking forward to being part of seeing what best fits for cricket.”When you lose someone like a [Adam] Gilchrist or a [Shane] Warne or a [Justin] Langer or the Waughs, all these players, you lose 20, 30, 40 years of cricket experience. This is why I love the strategic direction of having guys like Darren Lehmann investing back into our great game, because there you’ve got a passionate cricket love who has got an incredible skill set as a player but can also pass information down to our youngsters, which is key to developing any culture.”John Buchanan said when he was coach of Australia and Queensland that his ideal scenario was to become redundant in that role, and he did that by lifting up the younger players into the more iconic positions. I think I can add that value to the dressing room as well.”