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Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim is willing to allow the top order batsmen to take their time in the middle in T20s, as long as they push harder after getting set

Mohammad Isam in Mirpur15-Mar-2014

Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim is willing to allow the top order batsmen to take their time in the middle in T20s, as long as they push harder after getting set. Mushfiqur had factored in the slow pitches in Bangladesh which do not always allow batsmen to go for their shots early.”The top three batsmen usually set up the game in T20s,” Mushfiqur said ahead of Bangladesh’s opening qualifier against Afghanistan in Mirpur. “The No.4 also has to join in. I think these batsmen have a lot of responsibilities. The wicket wasn’t easy in the practice game against Ireland, making us to start slowly. We targeted 140-150, though Shakib [Al Hasan] and I took it further. If the openers give us a good start, the pressure lessens on the middle order. We would hope for such a start tomorrow, and then from the middle, we will finish it well.”It was difficult to play shots from the word go in Fatullah, as the wicket was slow. We are willing to give batsmen time in the middle as long as they recover the scoring rate after getting set. The middle and lower order can do that recovery work but the top order can also do it after making a slow start.”Either of Anamul Haque and Shamsur Rahman will be vying to open with Tamim Iqbal, with the former ahead due to a recent ODI century against Pakistan and a half-century against India. However, Shamsur has opened for Bangladesh in their last six T20s.Shakib and Mushfiqur usually bat at three and four, but there has been talk of slotting in either Mominul Haque or Sabbir Rahman in the top order too. “If either of Sabbir and Mominul plays, we will try to accommodate them in the top order,” Mushfiqur said.”We have enough batsmen and allrounders so we will take a decision on the team after taking a final look at the wicket. The decision will also depend on what balances our team, and in addition, we have a flexible batting line-up so we will be sending batsmen according to the situation.”Putting Shakib and Mushfiqur just after the openers has worked for Bangladesh, but if there has to be a choice between Mominul and Sabbir, it should be the latter. Sabbir has played just one T20 international, against Sri Lanka in Chittagong, but has been successful in domestic cricket in the last 12 months. He also played a match-winning innings for the Bangladesh side against Afghanistan in the 2010 Asian Games gold medal match, and has played similar sort of innings throughout his career. Although Mominul’s overall strike-rate is higher than most in the Bangladesh team, he has only played four T20s.Bangladesh’s line-up will become slightly more streamlined as Mushfiqur returns as wicketkeeper, having recovered from a finger injury. He kept against Ireland, and says that he missed captaining from behind the stumps.”I was feeling great yesterday (in Fatullah against Ireland). I can manage the pain that I am playing with. I can see the team very well from my favoured position. I hope to keep tomorrow as well,” he said.Mushfiqur firmly believes that Bangladesh has earned the amount of expectation that lies on their shoulders. They could be thrown out of the tournament if they lose to Afghanistan but he will take inspiration from home conditions and support.”I don’t think there is a lot of pressure on us. There is always going to be pressure at the international level. The Bangladesh team has earned this expectation and pressure for playing well in the last two years.”We hope to perform up to expectations. Along with pressure, we have the home ground and support. I hope that with all these advantages, we can start off with a win,” Mushfiqur said.

Persistent rain in Potchefstroom has led to the cancellation of Australia’s scheduled warm-up match against a South African Invitation XI that was due to start on Wednesday

Firdose Moonda03-Feb-2014Persistent rain in Potchefstroom has led to the cancellation of Australia’s scheduled warm-up match against a South African Invitation XI that was due to start on Wednesday. Instead, the tourists will train at the indoor centre in Centurion, which is also the venue of the first Test, and hope the weather clears so they can get some outdoor practice as well.Australia arrived in South Africa last Wednesday and went straight to Potchefstroom, their preferred practice venue on every visit to the country, but rain has played havoc with their plans. Their first practice session last Friday was moved indoors because of wet weather. They managed outdoor training on both Saturday and Sunday but with downpours forecast for the rest of the week, decided not to risk staying in the university town with the possibility of no cricket.The team will move to Johannesburg today and will use the facilities at SuperSport Park from Tuesday. South Africa have also assembled in the city and their planned three-day game against a composite XI will go ahead at the Wanderers, despite the rain.”Unfortunately, with persistent heavy rain forecast for Potchefstroom we have had to look at alternative arrangements to ensure the team gets the best preparation possible ahead of the first Test,” Gavin Dovey, Australia’s team manager, said. “CSA have been very accommodating in assisting us relocate to Johannesburg, providing us with more flexibility with our training options, specifically adequate indoor training facilities to counter any the bad weather.”Although showers are predicted for every day this week, South Africa will stick to their plan of getting match-time to combat what was described as a penchant for starting slowly in Test series. They have the advantage of the Wanderers drainage, which displayed its quality just three days’ ago.On Friday, heavy rain throughout the day made it seem unlikely the domestic T20 match between the Lions and the Cobras would take place. But, the skies closed as the start neared, the game began on time and a full fixture was possible.The new arrangements mean only South Africa will have match time under their belt ahead of the three Test series, which starts next Wednesday, although their break from the whites has been longer. South Africa last played Test cricket five weeks ago against India while Australia’s Ashes ended less than a month ago.This is the second time this summer a touring team’s practice match has been cancelled in South Africa. In December, India’s two-day fixture had to be called off because of a soaked outfield at Willowmoore Park in Benoni. Although there was no rain on the day of the match and the pitch was heavy, an unusually high water table meant the playing surface was not ready in time.

Neil McGarrell, 41, has been named USA’s captain in a 15-man squad for the 2013 World Twenty20 Qualifier next month in the UAE. McGarrell, who played four Tests and 17 ODIs for West Indies between 1998 and 2001, made his debut for USA in 2012 against Canada, and takes over from Steve Massiah, who had been captain for seven years. Massiah was retained in the squad along with Orlando Baker, who captained USA to an 8-0 record in a stand-in capacity at the 2013 ICC Americas Division One Twenty20 tournament in March.Adam Sanford, 38, and Imran Awan are also making their way into the squad as fast bowlers. Sanford, who played 11 Tests for the West Indies from 2002 to 2004, played for USA in a series of trial matches against Bermuda this past weekend, and is set to make his official debut for USA in their opening match against Canada in Abu Dhabi on November 15. Awan, once considered one of the fastest bowlers in the Associate world, hasn’t played for USA since 2010 after struggling with his accuracy.USA’s lack of experienced pace bowlers was apparent earlier this year during the ICC World Cricket League Division Three competition, where they finished third. Seamer Usman Shuja, who was dropped ahead of WCL Division Three, was not brought back into the squad for the tour to the UAE, though he had been included in a list of 28 probables in September. Timroy Allen has decided to return for USA after announcing his retirement following the end of WCL Division Three in May to focus on work and family commitments. Allen has subsequently been named vice-captain for the tour.Three players from USA’s tour of Bermuda for WCL Division Three earlier this year are not in the squad for the qualifier. USA’s batting will likely struggle in the absence of Sushil Nadkarni and Rashard Marshall. Nadkarni had to withdraw due to work commitments, and it is believed Marshall was unavailable for the same reasons. Medium pacer Naseer Jamali is the third player not retained. Only five players who played for USA at the ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier in 2012 – Baker, Muhammad Ghous, Elmore Hutchinson, Japen Patel and Steven Taylor – will be traveling back to the UAE in November.Besides Sanford, the only other player in the squad yet to play in an official match for USA is Srinivasa Santhanam. An allrounder originally from Tamil Nadu, Santhanam now plays for Microsoft Cricket Club in Seattle. The Pacific Northwest, and Microsoft CC in particular, has been a growing source of talent for the USA in recent years, with former USA spinners Samarth Shah and Saurabh Verma also hailing from the club, while Naseer Jamali plays in the Seattle area.USA has been placed in Group A along with Canada, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Namibia, Uganda and the UAE. USA finished 12th at the qualifier in 2012, but posted a noteworthy upset of Scotland at the event. The top six teams in this year’s qualifier will advance to the 2014 ICC World Twenty20 in Bangladesh.USA Squad: Neil McGarrell (captain), Timroy Allen (vice-captain), Danial Ahmed, Imran Awan, Orlando Baker, Barrington Bartley, Akeem Dodson (wk), Karan Ganesh, Muhammad Ghous, Elmore Hutchinson, Steve Massiah, Japen Patel, Adam Sanford, Srinivasa Santhanam, Steven Taylor (wk).

West Indies A tightened their grip on the four-day game in Mysore after their spinners ran through India A’s lower order on the third day

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Sep-2013
ScorecardVeerasammy Permaul took 5 for 85 as the home side capsized•BCCIWest Indies A tightened their grip on the four-day game in Mysore after their spinners ran through India A’s lower order on the third day. The home side lost their final seven wickets for 61 runs as Nikita Miller and Veerasammy Permaul showed off the depth in West Indies’ spin stocks and wrested a 184-run first-innings advantage.Miller, who bowled an unchanged spell of 26 overs either side of lunch, told the , “It’s a pitch where you don’t want to bowl too slow because the batsman will have enough time. You want to bowl slightly fast. That was the plan and we executed it.”We don’t want to give the Indians the upper hand,” Miller said. “So, we are looking at getting some more runs on the board, get a decent lead and take it from there.”Manpreet Juneja, the Gujarat batsman, followed up his recent impressive outings against New Zealand A with an 84 that steadied the hosts but his dismissal sparked a collapse that put the visitors in charge. India had moved on to 184 for 3 before Juneja was trapped lbw by left-arm spinner Permaul. The rest of the batsmen were clueless against the spinners, with only the wicketkeeper-batsman Rohit Motwani providing any resistance. He was unbeaten on 28 as the visitors ripped through the tail to secure a lead that big enough to allow them the option of enforcing the follow-on, an option they didn’t take.That lead was stretched further by an aggressive 68 from Kieran Powell, who dominated an opening stand of 112 with Kraigg Brathwaite. Offspinner Parvez Rasool, who was the most successful bowler in the first innings, then struck twice as West Indies ended the day on 130 for 3, ahead by 314.Juneja, however, remained undaunted by the prospect of a tall final-day chase. “I think it is possible (India A win),” he said. “West Indies is on top as of now. If we have a decent target in sight, we might just go for it.”

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Nas últimas semanas, o futebol brasileiro passou por momentos de muita cobrança e fiscalização por melhores condições para atletas de categoria de base mediante ao trágico incidente ocorrido no Ninho do Urubu, o Centro de Treinamento do Flamengo.

Com isso, situações como a existente no Tubarão, equipe do interior de Santa Catarina, podem servir de exemplo como uma boa gestão no aspecto dos cuidados com as categorias de base.O clube abriga 92 garotos na base em seu CT e está em dia com todas as licenças do Corpo de Bombeiros, tendo conseguido a regularização junto à prefeitura da cidade de Tubarão no último dia 16 de fevereiro.

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Os corredores do alojamento possuem sistema de alarme, extintores e hidrantes, tudo conforme as exigências. Em 2018, o Tubarão até contratou uma empresa para testar o alcance dos alarmes em caso de emergência.

Reformado em 2016, o prédio que abriga os garotos da base do Peixe tem três andares. Os apartamentos onde os atletas ficam alojados estão no segundo e no terceiro andar, tendo no máximo quatro atletas das categorias sub-15 e sub-17 e três ou dois da sub-20 por apartamento, sendo que os dos atletas mais velhos possuem ar-condicionado.

– Precisamos oferecer as condições necessárias para esses atletas se desenvolverem dentro do clube. A categoria de base sempre foi a ‘menina dos olhos’ do Tubarão e a estrutura que podemos oferecer hoje para os garotos é prova disso – afirmou o presidente Luiz Henrique Ribeiro. O CT também conta com psicóloga, pedagoga e assistente social.

Tim Bresnan has become the third England player in quick succession to insist that he will recover from injury in time for the Ashes series. Bresnan’s optimism about his recovery from an elbow operation follows equally upbeat assurances from Graeme Swann and Kevin Pietersen with the first Test against Australia now less than 100 days away.Bresnan’s second operation on his right elbow caused him to miss the tour to New Zealand, but he is aiming to play in Yorkshire’s friendly against Lancashire, beginning on April 16, and proving his fitness in championship cricket ahead of the first Test of the summer against New Zealand in mid-May.The latest top international to chat at length on Alison’s Tea Break, soon to be published exclusively on ESPNcricinfo, Bresnan admits he knew that his elbow trouble had left him down on pace for much of the previous year but was reluctant to face the consequences of another operation.”I was lacking a little bit of pace for the last year, which was something I didn’t really want to admit to myself,” he said. “One day I’d bowl brisk, and the next day I’d just have nothing. I knew it was the elbow but you’re in that position ‘I’m still doing a job but am I doing it to the best of my ability?’ And the answer to that question was probably ‘no’.”I’m actually excited now about the future, whereas, because I was bowling in a little bit of pain, it’s always in the back of your mind that you’re not giving it the full beans because it might hurt you.”It took a heart to heart with Graham Gooch in India for Bresnan to realise he had to speak up about his elbow pain, in order to avoid his career flatlining.”You just can’t get away with it against India. Here against the West Indies, absolutely fine, because it’s swinging, bit of reverse, maybe a bit of nibble. In India: nothing. There’s no hiding.”I think the time during the first Test when Sehwag just picked me up off a good length and hit me for six, I just went: ‘Wow, I’m not bowling quick enough here’. I think it was Goochie in a way who just said: ‘Look mate, I can tell you’re not right. I don’t know what you’ve been saying to the medical staff but you should be at a place now where you’re approaching your peak but you’ve just levelled off a bit’.”Now that he’s looking to make a comeback in the England side, Bresnan explains what sort of bowler he wants to be, why he can be more than the dependable workhorse in the side, and what it is that is motivating him.”I’ve only got six or seven five-fors. You never put me down for a truck load of wickets but stick me down for three an innings, which in anyone’s money is solid going. But if I want to be remembered as a cricketer, I was erring towards the stage where I was like, I don’t really want it to be that, I want it to be like: ‘He can win you games’.”Bresnan also takes a tongue-in-cheek ‘Yorkshire Test’ to see just how close to his roots he has remained, despite the global jet-setting life of an international cricketer. The results may be a little surprising.

England batter is still on an ECB central contract but hasn’t featured in red- or white-ball set-up since June

Vithushan Ehantharajah26-Mar-2025Jonny Bairstow says it would be stupid not to push for an England return this summer and is targeting big runs for Yorkshire in a bid to end his international exile.Thursday will mark exactly nine months since Bairstow’s last appearance in an England shirt, during the T20 World Cup semi-final defeat to India. That summer began with his axing outright from the Test side as part of a revamp of the red-ball side following a 4-1 tour of India, in which Bairstow earned his 100th cap in the fifth and final Test at Dharamshala.Since then, England have overlooked Bairstow when opportunities have arisen for a wicketkeeper-batter.While Jamie Smith started the 2024 Test season with the gloves, his absence from the New Zealand tour for the birth of his first child saw Essex’s Jordan Cox brought into the squad. When Cox broke his thumb ahead of the first Test, Durham’s Ollie Robinson was drafted in as a replacement, with Ollie Pope keeping for the series.Smith was also installed behind the stumps for the Champions Trophy, replacing Phil Salt across the limited-overs formats. Salt himself had taken on the role when former white-ball captain Jos Buttler opted to give up keeping.Bairstow’s situation is especially complicated because he remains on an ECB central contract, which is only set to expire this October. Speaking at Headingley during Yorkshire’s pre-season media day, the 35-year-old refused to address whether he had received any clarity from head coach Brendon McCullum or men’s managing director Rob Key but is adamant a return is not out of the question.”Yes, because I’m still contracted,” Bairstow said, when asked if a recall was still realistic. “I’d be stupid not to. The whole purpose of everything is to try and play for England, and that will be the challenge for the whole group. Everyone wants to go on and do that.”As an ‘exile’ and someone who hasn’t played for however long, it’s something that of course you want to get back to. And that comes by scoring runs.”[It’s] Not my fault I got given a two-year contract, just to stay at the periphery. I was in at Yorkshire doing everything I can pre-season-wise, I went on pre-seaon with Yorkshire, starting the summer with Yorkshire, putting my best foot forward for the guys in the dressing room and seeing what the best for us as a group is. That bit is completely out of my control.”It’s not my choice. I can load the gun, but I won’t be the one pulling the trigger. We’ll wait and see on that.”Bairstow was integral to a remarkable 2022 summer that launched the Bazball project under McCullum and newly installed Test captain Ben Stokes. His four centuries in five innings, which included twin hundreds against India at Headingley, drove a philosophy of unwavering positivity with the bat.It was a hot streak that was only curtailed by a devastating broken leg, which subsequently kept Bairstow out until the 2023 season, when he returned for the Ashes. As well as ruling him out of the final Test that summer against South Africa, and tours of Pakistan and New Zealand, he missed the opportunity to pick up a second global title as England triumphed in 2022’s T20 World Cup. Previously he had been integral to 2019’s 50-over success as one of the most dominant ODI openers in the format’s history.Having been told he was left out due to a run of low scores, Bairstow believes he has the capacity to change that opinion. And with India touring for five Tests this summer, and an Ashes to follow in the winter, he feels his record against both opponents should hold him in good stead. Particularly with a hundred on each of his last two tours of Australia.”It was just mentioned around form, really,” he said of the initial conversation following his axing. “That’s obviously subjective, people’s opinions and what have you – and that’s fine.”This is obviously a big summer with India, then Australia coming up. My numbers against those two teams, especially in England and Australia, have been good on the last couple of tours to Australia. The last time India toured here, I was not too bad. We’ll wait and see what happens.”First and foremost my job is to concentrate on Yorkshire, and making sure we get off to a good start to the year. I’ll let the rest take of itself.”Bairstow will begin the season for Yorkshire following the club’s promotion to Division One, with Joe Root and Harry Brook set to play some part in the first six rounds of the Championship ahead of the summer’s opening Test against Zimbabwe on May 22.Earlier this week, reported Bairstow will be handed Yorkshire’s red-ball captaincy, filling the vacancy left by Shan Masood, who took on the role for two years before moving to Leicestershire.Conversations between Bairstow and the club around the captaincy have been ongoing since last summer. His potential participation in the IPL, and then PSL, are understood to be the reason why Yorkshire have delayed confirming his appointment, with the season due to start next week. Bairstow’s late father, David, captained the county between 1984 and 1986.

كشف إريك تين هاج المدير الفني الهولندي لفريق مانشستر يونايتد الإنجليزي، عن رأيه حول مركز ماركوس راشفورد الأفضل ما بين المهاجم والجناح.

راشفورد هذا الموسم سجل 29 هدفًا حتى الآن، محطًمًا كل أرقامه السابقة، ليؤكد بلا شك أنه المصدر الرئيسي للخطورة والأهداف في مانشستر يونايتد، بعدما لعب في دور الجناح الأيسر والمهاجم.

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شبكة “سكاي” البريطانية، نشرت فيديو للمدرب الهولندي، يتحدث خلال مؤتمر صحفي عن مركز راشفورد الأفضل، وقال: “أعتقد أنه يستطيع اللعب في كلا المركزين، في بعض الأحيان يعتمد الأمر على المنافس، وأي دور يناسب راشفورد في المباراة”.

وأضاف: “المهم بالنسبة لي هو تأثيره، يمكنه جلب اللاعبين حوله، ويضع نفسه في وضع صعب ومن ثم تجده أمام المرمى بكل سهولة، أنا سعيد وراضٍ عن دوره كمهاجم، ولكن أيضًا عندما يلعب في الجهة اليسرى، له تأثير كبير على نتائجنا”.

واختتم: “لقد أثبت ماركوس راشفورد أنه قادر على اللعب في كلا المركزين، يمكن القول إن الجناح الأيسر هو المكان الأكثر خطورة، لكنه عندما يلعب في مركز المهاجم، يسجل العديد من الأهداف أيضًا ولا يتأثر”.

اختار روبي سافاج لاعب مانشستر يونايتد الأسبق، قائمة من 6 لاعبين للمنافسة على جائزة أفضل لاعب في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز للموسم الجاري 2022-2023.

وخلت قائمة سافاج من لاعبي فريق ليفربول الإنجليزي، بما في ذلك المصري، محمد صلاح.

اختيارات سافاج اعتمدت على الفرق المنافسة على اللقب، وجاءت أغلبية القائمة المختارة بين لاعبي آرسنال ومانشستر سيتي.

وعبر صحيفة “ميرور” البريطانية، أوضح سافاج: “بالنسبة لي، يتلخص الأمر في هذا، إذا فاز آرسنال باللقب، فإن القائد مارتن أوديجارد يستحق، بسبب القيادة على أرض الملعب، وغالبًا ما كان العنصر المفقود لآرسنال منذ موسم 2003-2004، تحت قيادة أرسين فينجر”.

وأضاف: “وإذا قام مانشستر سيتي بتجاوز آرسنال في جولة للحصول على لقب الدوري الإنجليزي للمرة الخامسة في ست سنوات، فلا تنظر إلى أبعد من إيرلينج هالاند، بتسجيل 42 هدفًا في جميع المسابقات ولا توجد علامة على التوقف”.

وأوضح: “لقد جمعت قائمة مختصرة من ستة لاعبين للحصول على الجائزة، وأبرز ما فيها هو غياب لاعبي ليفربول، قبل اثني عشر شهرًا، كانوا يطاردون أربعة ألقاب بصورة غير مسبوقة وفازوا بكأسين محليين بعد موسم قاسِ في الدوري الإنجليزي ودوري أبطال أوروبا”.

وأشار: “هذا مقياس لمدى السرعة التي يمكن أن تتحول بها كرة القدم، قبل بداية الموسم، لم ير أحد أن آرسنال بطل محتمل، ربما يكون من المتنافسين الأربعة الأوائل، ولكن ليس الفائز باللقب”.

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وأردف: “ولا يمكن لأحد أن يتصور التراجع المفاجئ في حظوظ ليفربول، حتى لو لم يكن الوصول إلى المراكز الأربعة الأولى بعيد المنال بعد”.

وتضمنت قائمة سافاج لجائزة أفضل لاعب في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز 2022-2023:

مارتن أوديجارد (آرسنال)

يوضح سافاج: “أوديجارد قائد آرسنال الهادئ، مع 10 أهداف وسبع تمريرات حاسمة في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، وإذا نجح المدفعجية في الوصول إلى اللقب فسيكون ذلك أحد أكثر الألقاب إلهامًا لقائد في كرة القدم الحديثة”.

إيرلينج هالاند (مانشستر سيتي)

يقول سافاج: “إنه لأمر مثير للسخرية أن يتمكن من تسجيل 50 هدفًا، متجاوزًا 49 هدفًا لكلايف ألين مع توتنهام في 1986-198، ولم يفز بعد باللقب والأكثر سخافة أن بعض الناس كانوا يقولون، منذ وقت ليس ببعيد، إن مانشستر سيتي كان فريقًا أفضل بدونه!.

بوكايو ساكا (آرسنال)

وأفاد سافاج: “12هدفًا، 10 تمريرات حاسمة، بالتأكيد الاسم الأول في تشكيل آرسنال وربما إنجلترا الآن، هو جوهرة في تاج آرسنال، أتساءل كم سيكلف توقيعه الآن، 100 مليون جنيه إسترليني سيكون بالتأكيد السعر المبدئي في المزاد”.

ماركوس راشفورد (مانشستر يونايتد)

أشار سافاج: “لا يبدو أنه فقد الثقة، خلال التراجع المروع في الموسم الماضي خارج المراكز الستة الأولى، مع 25 هدفًا بالفعل هذا الموسم، يبدو أنه أكثر وضوحًا من أي وقت مضى”.

الكسيس ماك أليستر (برايتون) 

يتابع سافاج: “حتى لو لم يستمر برايتون في المنافسة بين الأربعة الأوائل أو الفوز بكأس الاتحاد الإنجليزي، فسوف يتذكر هذا الموسم لبقية حياته، الفوز بكأس العالم مع الأرجنتين لا يمكن أن يكون سيئًا، واتساقه مع مويسيس كايسيدو في خط وسط الفريق كان جزءًا كبيرًا من دفعهم نحو المنافسة في أوروبا”.

ليساندرو مارتينيز (مانشستر يونايتد)

أتم سافاج: “بعد بداية صعبة في مانشستر يونايتد، أثبت نفسه كمفضل لدى الجماهير، فائز آخر بكأس العالم مع الأرجنتين، على الرغم من أنه كان بديلاً لم يعتمد عليه في المباراة النهائية ضد فرنسا”.

Jonny Bairstow has been handed his first Test call up after injury ruled Ravi Bopara out of the opening match against West Indies at Lord’s starting on Thursday

Andrew McGlashan13-May-2012

Jonny Bairstow has been handed his first Test call up after injury ruled Ravi Bopara out of the opening match against West Indies at Lord’s starting on Thursday. Bopara picked up a thigh injury during Essex’s Championship clash with Kent and has suffered another setback in trying to relaunch his Test career.Bairstow, who is a wicketkeeper-batsman but will not be required to have the gloves in the Test side, had gathered momentum in recent weeks after scoring two hundreds for Yorkshire this season and he struck a confident half-century for England Lions against the West Indians in Northampton. Over a 50-match first-class career he averages 46.37 with a highest score of 205.He has had a taste of international cricket with six ODIs and six Twenty20 internationals, playing a match-winning innings in each format when he hit an unbeaten 41 against India on his ODI debut and then struck 60 during the Twenty20 series against Pakistan in the UAE.Geoff Miller, the national selector, said: “Jonny Bairstow has put in a number of impressive performances both for England Lions and Yorkshire and has been working hard on the England Performance Programme over the last couple of years. He is an exciting young player who now has an opportunity to experience the Test environment.”Bopara will be left to rue the second untimely injury that has stalled his prospects of adding to 12 Test caps. He was in line for a recall against Sri Lanka earlier this year after Eoin Morgan was dropped but picked up a side strain which prevented him from bowling and Samit Patel was preferred with England keen for a fifth-bowling option in hot conditions.This time it appears that bowling has caused the injury after he went off following one over against Kent and although he batted with a runner, making 19 from No. 8, it soon became clear that his chances of making the Test squad were receding.”He’s got this grade one tear. He’s got to rectify that before we can revisit it,” Miller said. “He was very much part of the discussion, but as soon as the injury occurred we had to go somewhere else. He’s got to be fully fit to do himself justice and do a job for the side. On this occasion, this is not the case. He’s got to go away and put himself back in the frame.”Bairstow replaces Samit Patel from the side that levelled the series against Sri Lanka in Colombo in April, which was England’s only Test victory of a disappointing winter to leave them clinging to the No. 1 ranking by a fraction of a point ahead of South Africa, who they play later this season. The batting failed in four out of the five Tests but the top five have been given a vote of confidence ahead of the new campaign.”This is an important period for us following a challenging winter where we learnt some valuable lessons and we are preparing for a highly competitive series against a West Indies side full of quality players,” Miller said. “We have selected a very strong 13-man squad which allows us to consider a number of options before making a decision about Thursday’s side.”Elsewhere, the squad is as expected with Graham Onions earning a place among five quick-bowling options. Onions has not played Test cricket since January 2010 after which he suffered a career-threatening back injury but has been back around the national set-up over the last year following his recovery. He is vying for the third fast-bowling slot along with Tim Bresnan and Steven Finn.Squad: Andrew Strauss (capt), Alastair Cook, Jonathan Trott, Kevin Pietersen, Ian Bell, Jonny Bairstow, Matt Prior (wk), Tim Bresnan, Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann, James Anderson, Steven Finn, Graham OnionsRavi Bopara must be wondering what he has done wrong after injury scuppered his chances of a Test place for the second time in two months. It is now getting to the stage where it feels as though he may never add to his 12 Test caps and that would be harsh given how long he has been on the fringes. The two Tests against India last year did not constitute a proper opportunity and although there is a suggestion he may not quite be good enough he is worthy of one more chance to establish a place.For now, though, that will have to be put to one side and instead Jonny Bairstow has been given centre stage. In choosing Bairstow, instead of a more experienced option such as Michael Carberry, the selectors have looked ahead to the future of England’s middle order. His talent is raw around the edges but the power and timing of his batting has stood out, coupled with a confidence to play his shots.England’s established top order needs to be put under pressure by the group of young batsmen emerging below them. The batting had a torrid winter, until the final Test in Colombo, and while that is being put down as a ‘blip’, competition for places – as is the case in the fast-bowling department – is the best incentive to perform.
Andrew McGlashan