Pietersen left off England contract list

London: There was no place for Kevin Pietersen among the 10 England players awarded central contracts on Friday by the England and Wales Cricket Board for the 2013 season. Pietersen has been in England exile since being dropped following the second Test against his native South Africa in Leeds last month.

But the ECB did not completely close the door on Pietersen being added to the list for what will be an Ashes year, saying in a statement Friday: "In respect to Kevin Pietersen discussions are on-going and they remain private."

Officials, already frustrated by availability rows, were furious when it emerged Pietersen had sent "provocative" texts to South African players -- some allegedly critical of then England captain Andrew Strauss.

That meant the 32-year-old batsman missed the final Test against the Proteas at Lord's and the subsequent one-day series, which ended in a 2-2 draw with one no-result after the tourists' seven-wicket win at Trent Bridge on Wednesday.

Pietersen, who last month reversed his retirement from limited overs internationals, will also miss England's defence of their World Twenty20 title in Sri Lanka later this month, despite being man of the tournament when they won the 2010 edition in the Caribbean.

Strauss announced his retirement last week, although he insisted it had nothing to do with the latest row involving Pietersen, his predecessor as England skipper. Alastair Cook, already leading the one-day side, was named as the new Test captain.

He now has a role in deciding Pietersen's future, although there appears to be little time for the ECB and the player to reach agreement if, as anticipated, the squad for the tour of India starting in November is announced next week.

"Over the next couple of weeks, it's certainly an issue which we as the ECB will have to get resolved," Cook said Wednesday. "There is stuff which needs to be talked about behind closed doors. That will happen."

Pietersen has been contracted to the ECB since 2006 and is in the top bracket of the pay scale, with a deal reportedly worth £250,000 ($400,050) a year in basic salary but rising substantially with win bonuses and appearance fees.

The contract ties the player to the board and he can only play in tournaments such as the Indian Premier League with a release agreement from the ECB.

Pietersen's desire to play more often in the lucrative Twenty20 IPL has been central to his recent dispute with the ECB and, in an interview with the latest edition of the Cricketer magazine, he said of the IPL: "Every board has accepted it apart from the ECB. Some part of international cricket may have to give as the IPL is not going away.

"No one in their right mind would turn down the contracts I've been offered."

Cook, Ian Bell, Jonathan Trott and Eoin Morgan, the former Ireland international who has yet to nail down a Test place, were the four batsmen awarded central contracts Friday. Pacemen James Anderson, Stuart Broad, Steven Finn and Tim Bresnan were also included, as were off-spinner Graeme Swann and wicket-keeper Matt Prior.

Four other players - batsman Jonathan Bairstow, all-rounder Ravi Bopara, one-day wicket-keeper Craig Kieswetter and seamer Graham Onions -- were awarded lesser, incremental contracts.

National selector Geoff Miller said: "Contracts are on-going recognition for those players who have regularly been selected for England and have performed consistently, as well as players who we feel could play an important role for England over the next 12 months."

BCCI rule change could brighten Jaitley’s chances says Dalmiya

Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) president Jagmohan Dalmiya on Friday said in clear terms for the first time that Arun Jaitley’s path would be cleared to become the next BCCI president if the concerned constitution amendment is passed on September 15.

It is well known that Dalmiya and Jaitley are extremely close, and the latter played a prominent role in the CAB chief and the N Srinivasan- Shashank Manohar group patching up some time ago.

According to the present rules, the BCCI president shall be elected on the principle of zonal rotation amongst its five zones. It will be the east zone’s turn to nominate a person in 2013 — a year before the three- year term of the incumbent, Srinivasan, expires — to be chosen president- elect for one year.

According to this proposed amendment, to be taken up at a special general body meeting in Chennai, if two full member associations of the zone whose turn it is to nominate the presidential candidate approve a person from any other zone, he can become BCCI president. One of the conditions is that the candidate should have attended two AGMs, and here Jaitley qualifies easily.

A three-fourth majority of the members present and entitled to vote is required to amend rules.

“What they are going to do is to revert to the earlier system. It would be no more zonal rotation. It would make Jaitley’s chances much better,” Dalmiya told Mail Today. “The last time it [constitution] was changed was in 1986.” Interestingly, Dalmiya, 72, also said that now the president could remain in the seat for more than the current stipulation of three years. “After the amendment, the person can remain president for three or five or ten years,” he said. Asked specially if that was going to be so, he said: “Why not? It all depends what your approach is.” When pointed out that it would be the east zone’s turn to have the presidential candidate, Dalmiya said: “ East zone mein kya hai (what is there in east zone)?” BCCI’s Rule and Regulations 15 ( iii) for ‘ election of office- bearers and vice- presidents’ says that the president shall be elected on the principle of zonal rotation.

“The zonal term will be for a period of three years. The zonal rotation would be: (1) West Zone; (2) Central Zone; (3) South Zone; (4) East Zone; and (5) North Zone,” it says.

A senior BCCI official justified the need to amend the constitution. “Times have changed and things have become complex.

The government is hostile towards the BCCI regarding the IPL and other issues,” he said. “The BCCI has been put in so many legal tangles, and Jaitley is one of the best legal minds to tackle them.”

Aamer rues that ‘one mistake’

Karachi: Pakistan’s banned pacer Mohammed Aamer is hoping to be allowed back in international cricket in 2015, when he will complete a minimum five-year ban for his role in the 2010 spot-fixing scandal that shook the game.

The 20-year-old, appearing in his first television interview on Wednesday, insisted he has learnt from his mistakes.

“No one can understand the hurt I go through when I watch the Pakistan team playing anywhere. I want to be with them. But there is nothing I can do now except to keep my chin up and hope for the best. It is a huge punishment to realise that I had the world at my feet and I messed up my life because of one mistake,” the left-arm pacer said.

“I don’t know what is going to happen but I am targeting a return in 2015. I have nets in my home and I go to the gym. I am keeping myself motivated. I know I can achieve anything with hard work,” he added.

The youngster also asserted that before the spot-fixing scandal, he had never been involved in any kind of corruption.

“Even in 2010 what happened was that I was forced into a trap to avoid an unpleasant situation. Some people see it as greed, may be it was that. But apart from that incident, I played honestly,” he said.

Aamer, however, declined to blame his former captain Salman Butt, who also served a jail sentence for his involvement in the scandal, or anyone else for his predicament.

“It was my mistake… I regret it and I have apologised to my people. But now I want to move on and start a new life,” he said.

“I don’t want to indulge in any blame game or mud-slinging because already the image of Pakistan cricket has been damaged a lot because of this controversy. I think it is time we move on. No one can change anything and I can’t change what I and my family has gone through,” Aamer added.

Aamer is presently serving a five-year ICC ban for his role in the scandal that broke out on Pakistan’s tour to England.

Aamer and teammates, Butt and Mohammed Asif were all banned by the ICC anti-corruption tribunal in early 2011 and in November the same year, they were given different jail sentences by a crown court for cheating and corruption under British laws.

Their bans became applicable from September 2010 when they were first suspended after the fourth Test at Lord’s between Pakistan and England in which Aamer and Asif bowled deliberate no-balls.

Aamer said he wants to make amends for letting his people down.

“I want to do a lot for Pakistan whenever I come back. I know I can give a lot of joy and pride to my countrymen if I get a chance again,” he said.

“Frankly speaking I don’t want to see any other player go through what I have gone through. I died when the police handcuffed me. I have conveyed to the PCB and ICC I am available to them in any manner they want to use me to send out a message to others that corruption does pay,” he added.

The youngster, who completed 50 Test wickets in 14 Tests, said he was happy the ICC was using his videos to educate players in the cricket world and especially in the youth World Cup.

Aamer also denied allegations that he accumulated wealth and purchased property of millions due to his corrupt practices when he was playing. “Whatever is reported in the media is not true. When we won the T20 World Cup in 2009 I earned around Rs 13 million with which I purchased a home and car. I earned in millions from other endorsements and logo sponsorship deals."

“Today cricket pays a lot and players don’t need to fall into any trap.”

He also made it clear that he was not paying anything to his legal team. “They are assisting me and fighting my case on legal aid under British laws. And when I requested for legal aid I had to submit all my bank statements, tax returns and details of assets to seek legal aid so I have nothing to hide from anyone.”

Aamer also admitted that education was necessary for sportspersons. “Today I regret I couldn’t continue my higher education but once I get this ban out of the way I will try to complete my college education, age is on my side.”

Ganguly keen to become India's coach

Retired former skipper Sourav Ganguly has expressed his desire to coach the senior National Cricket Team. Dada, as he is popularly and fondly known as, is currently involved in broadcasting as a television commentator but is willing to take the leap onto the field as and when his services are desired by the BCCI.

"Obviously, I have interest in coaching but only time will tell what can happen in future. If the BCCI feels that I can be a good coach, I will be ready. I feel I can create a difference in terms of the ability, form and development of the players. That will be the way for me to repay the game," Ganguly told news channel Aaj Tak.

Ganguly has been known to favour foreign coaches but he now believes it is the right time for an Indian to take over-- someone who knows the inner setup. "Different captains and different coaches brought in the culture within the team where the players believed they could do well abroad.

But Indian cricket is well aware of the modern techniques now. Don't forget we won the World T20 in 2007 and the CB Series in 2008 under Lalchand Rajput," Ganguly said.

Ganguly is often credited for nurturing and building a young set of talented players and bringing the best out of them, especially overseas.

Incumbent coach Duncan Fletcher has taken a lot of flak after India's pathetic showing in England and Australia where they were whitewashed in the Test series. Ganguly could be the answer if and when the BCCI decide a change is required in the position.

Cook says Pietersen row must be 'resolved'

England captain Alastair Cook has said the international future of Kevin Pietersen needs to be "resolved" in the next few weeks.

Pietersen has been in England exile since being dropped following the second Test against his native South Africa in Leeds last month.

Officials, already frustrated by rows over his desire to play less one-day cricket, were furious when it was revealed he'd sent "provocative" texts to South African players -- some allegedly critical of then captain Andrew Strauss.

That meant the 32-year-old missed the final Test against the Proteas at Lord's and the subsequent one-day series, which ended in a 2-2 draw with one no-result after the tourists' seven-wicket win at Trent Bridge on Wednesday.

Pietersen will also miss England's defence of their World Twenty20 title in Sri Lanka later this month, despite being man of the tournament when they won the 2010 edition in the Caribbean.

Strauss announced his retirement last week, although he insisted his decision to quit wasn't prompted by the latest row involving Pietersen, his predecessor as England skipper.

Cook, already leading the one-day side, was named as the new Test captain.

He now has a role in deciding Pietersen's immediate international future ahead of the tour of India, starting in November.

"I haven't really been thinking about it too much, with the one-day series on," Cook said of the Pietersen stand-off.

"Over the next couple of weeks, it's certainly an issue which we as the ECB (England and Wales Cricket Board) will have to get resolved.

"It is a situation which does need to get resolved. There is stuff which needs to be talked about behind closed doors. That will happen."

England, after Cook won the toss, were bowled out for just 182 on Wednesday as South Africa recovered from two straight losses at The Oval and Lord's.

The Proteas' top order stumbled for the third match in a row when they slumped to 14 for three.

But an unbroken stand of 172 between man-of-the-series Hashim Amla (97 not out) and Proteas captain AB de Villiers (75 not out) saw South Africa home with more than 15 overs to spare.

One consolation for England was that, despite this defeat, they remained top of the 50-over world rankings having won 12 of their last 14 completed matches.

Amla, who made a brilliant 150 in South Africa's 80-run win in the second ODI in Southampton, was named man-of the-match and series.
That followed on from his corresponding award in the Proteas' 2-0 Test series win over England where he scored a South Africa record 311 not out at The Oval.

Amla's combined tally for both series was a colossal 817 runs at 116.71 and there could be more to come in the upcoming three-match Twenty20 series starting on Saturday.

"He's in some serious form," Cook said of Amla. "It was 14 for three; we knew we were one wicket away from causing a few nerves in the camp.
"But with those two (Amla and de Villiers) in, they showed what a good batting wicket it was -- and they gave us no chances."
Meanwhile Amla was left to reflect on his latest impressive display.

"I'm just enjoying it, and I think today's innings was probably one of the most enjoyable -- because we were in a spot of bother," he said.
"I played at Nottinghamshire for a season, so it's almost like a home ground to me."

Pakistan may boycott ICC awards ceremony

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is under pressure to boycott the annual ICC awards ceremony after the game's apex governing body refused to include Saeed Ajmal in the final list of nominations for any category.

"Ajmal deserved to be shortlisted for either the Test cricketer of the year or ODI player of the year award. The way the ICC has ignored him is unjust and the PCB must convey its reservations by boycotting the awards ceremony in Sri Lanka," Pakistan's former captain, Rashid Latif told PTI. "How can they ignore Ajmal when he has performed brilliantly and led Pakistan to a shock 3-0 clean sweep over the world's top Test side England this year," Latif asked.

Other former players also expressed their discontent with the decision of the ICC.

"This ICC process to shortlist players is clearly flawed because cricket is all about performance, not personal likes and dislikes. Better if the PCB boycotts the awards function," former Test player and ex-coach of the national team, Mohsin Khan said.

"It will at least send out a strong message to the ICC. South Africa also did it in 2009 when their deserving players were ignored for the awards," Mohsin, who is also a former chief selector, said.

The annual ICC awards ceremony will be held in Sri-Lanka on September 15, just prior to the start of the World T20 in the emerald Island.

The omission has already led to the PCB writing letters to the ICC, expressing its dissent with the decision, and pointed out that Ajmal was the top wicket-taker in Tests in the qualifying period for the awards, taking 72 wickets in 12 games and was also placed second in the ODI top bowlers list. Former Test batsman, Basit Ali also criticised the ICC for ignoring Ajmal insisting that the PCB must not accept the decision tamely.

Injured Trott expected to be fit for India series

LONDON- England batsman Jonathan Trott will miss the rest of the domestic season but is expected to be fit for next month's tour of India after suffering a broken hand, the England and Wales Cricket Board said on Wednesday.

Trott was ruled out of the fifth and final one-day international against South Africa after his right hand was broken by a short ball from Dale Steyn at Lord's on Sunday.

He will also miss Warwickshire's final County Championship game on Sept 11, as well as their 40-over final against Hampshire four days later.

"Although initial X-rays were clear, a subsequent MRI scan revealed a fracture at the base of his third metacarpal," the ECB said on their website (www.ecb.co.uk).

"No intervention is required and the 31-year-old should be able to resume batting in three to four weeks and is expected to available for the tour of India next month."

ICC says 'too late' to add Ajmal's name in 'Test Cricketer of the Year' award shortlist

Islamabad: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has rejected the Pakistan Cricket Board's (PCB) appeal to add spinner Saeed Ajmal's name in the shortlist for the Test Cricketer of the Year award, saying it is too late to add his name now.

PCB had filed an official complaint to ICC over Ajmal's omission, but the governing body has confirmed that changes to the shortlist will not be possible now and the list remained final.

Ajmal, who made it to the nominations but lost out to Michael Clarke, Kumar Sangakkara, Vernon Philander and Hashim Amla in the shortlist, picked up 72 wickets from 12 Tests played in the qualifying period and the PCB had expressed its disappointment after he failed to make the cut.

"Ajmal was in the long list of nominations for three awards and this went to a voting academy," the Express Tribune quoted an ICC spokesman, as saying.

"They voted for these players and nominated their top four. This academy is representative of all countries and their votes were audited and verified by independent auditors. In that way, the process is already complete," he added.

However, Ajmal did receive a consolation, after he got a place in the ICC Test Team of the Year as the only spinner

Bangladesh bans Haque for spot-fixing

Dhaka: Former international player Shariful Haque has been found guilty of spot-fixing and banned from cricket indefinitely, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) said on Tuesday.

"The allegation made against the player has been substantiated," BCB president Mustafa Kamal said.

"We have decided to ban him from all cricketing activities until further notice. We will keep watching him and only if we are satisfied will his ban be lifted."

A BCB inquiry had looked into an allegation by former Test captain Mashrafe Mortaza that he was approached by off-spinner Haque about spot-fixing before the Bangladesh Premier League Twenty20 Tournament in February.

Mortaza said he was told he would be paid 15 to 20 per cent of the earnings from spot betting, in return for providing information about whether he would play in certain matches and even whether he would be wearing sunglasses.

Haque, who denied wrongdoing, played one one-day international against India in 1998 and is the first cricketer in Bangladesh to be punished for match-fixing.

He was part of the Bangladesh squad in the 1994 International Cricket Council (ICC) Trophy in Kenya and played three first-class matches.

Haque said he would fight to prove he was innocent.

"Allah is above us and I can swear on him that I have done nothing wrong," he told Reuters. "I am confident that I will be able to prove my innocence."

Cricket: Irish coup as McDermott signs

Ireland have pulled off a major coup with the signing of former Australia paceman Craig McDermott as their new bowling coach and consultant.

McDermott held a similar role with Australia until earlier this year and links up with the Irish squad at a pre-World Twenty20 Cup training camp in Sri Lanka.

McDermott's decision to quit after a year as Australia's bowling coach in May was a major blow for the Aussies as he had been cited as the main reason for the recent improvement of their pacemen.

The 47-year-old will now face his home country as Ireland have been drawn in the same group as the Australians at the World Twenty20, which begins on September 18.

"I am looking forward to working with (coach) Phil (Simmons) and his team at the World T20 in Sri Lanka," he said.

"Ireland has done well in the past World Cups and I am sure they will do again at this one. They have a well balanced squad and I am looking forward to getting stuck into preparing them for the World T20 in our training camp in Colombo.

"I see this as another opportunity for me to work with another international team and to further my coaching career."

McDermott, whose son Alister won a first call-up for Australia's current tour of the United Arab Emirates, is his country's fifth-highest Test wicket taker having claimed 291 scalps in 71 appearances.

Cricket Ireland performance director David Holdsworth hailed McDermott's signing and revealed the International Cricket Council had helped finance the move.

"I am delighted that we have brought Craig on board as part of our coaching set-up," he said.

"He is vastly experienced both as a top-class player and more recently specialist bowling coach.

"Craig's enthusiasm, experience and knowledge will add further strength to our coach support staff and we thank the ICC high-performance programme for their financial support towards achieving this.

"Having recently been bowling coach to the Australian team, his insights into their players will help the team prepare for our match against them on 19th September."

Pakistan unhappy on Ajmal overlook in ICC awards

Pakistan lodged a protest with cricket's governing body Monday over the exclusion of off-spinner Saeed Ajmal from the shortlist of an annual award, saying they hope his name will be included after a review.

The 34-year-old's name did not feature among the four nominees for the coveted 'Test Cricketer of the Year' award, despite being Test cricket's leading wicket-taker in the period under consideration.

South Africa's Hashim Amla and Vernon Philander, Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara and Australia's Michael Clarke all made the list.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) holds the annual awards ceremony to recognise the best players and umpire in international cricket.

The names are chosen by a 30-member jury comprising of former players, officials and journalists. This year's ceremony will be held in Colombo on September 15.

Ajmal took 72 wickets in the 12 month period, including 24 in Pakistan's 3-0 rout of then world number one Test team England earlier this year.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) spokesman Nadeem Sarwar said they have written to the ICC on Ajmal's omission.

"Yes, we have shown our concerns on Ajmal's name not shortlisted for Test player of the year award despite his excellent performance in Tests during that stipulated period," Sarwar told AFP.

"We hope that the ICC will reconsider this and include Ajmal's name," he added.

Graeme Swann was omitted from a shortlist in 2010 but was later included after England put up his case. South Africa also objected to the omission of their players and boycotted the 2009 ceremony held in Johannesburg.

Despite his omission from the award shortlist, Ajmal's name has been included in ICC's best Test team of the year.

England stars say Pietersen would be welcomed back

Kevin Pietersen has been given hope of a return from international exile after two England stars claimed the controversial batsman would be welcomed back into the squad.

Pietersen was dropped by England after falling out with captain Andrew Strauss and his team-mates following a series of behind the scenes incidents.

The 32-year-old enraged his colleagues, who were already frustrated by his rows with England chiefs over his desire to play less one-day cricket, by sending provocative text messages to South African players that contained criticism of Strauss and coach Andy Flower.

As punishment for his behaviour, Pietersen was axed from the final Test against South Africa, the subsequent one-day series and will also be absent from England's defence of their ICC World Twenty20 crown in Sri Lanka this month.

Meanwhile, Strauss announced his retirement last week, although he insisted that shock decision wasn't prompted by the Pietersen storm.

With Pietersen's England future hanging by a thread, the South Africa-born star reportedly met with Flower over the weekend in a bid to start the healing process.

And he has received a further boost from England batsman Eoin Morgan and Ravi Bopara, who both hope their old team-mate can return to the fold despite reports he was no longer welcome in the dressing room.

"I think everybody would like to see him back," Morgan told Sky Sports News.

"I think the general public love watching him play, and the cricketing world do as well."

Bopara added: "It'd be nice to see him back in England colours. He's a great player; we know he's a class player. I hope for him things turn out well."

Morgan also paid tribute to his former England and Middlesex team-mate Strauss, adding: "He's a fantastic ambassador for the game, a guy you always looked up to and admired for a very, very long time - both at Middlesex and England.

"I've had the pleasure of playing under him, and I'd like to say thank you to him for (helping me) learn a hell of a lot."

Rohit should take a cue from Virat: Manjrekar

Bangalore: Talented Rohit Sharma needs the kind of "mental discipline” that Virat Kohli possesses to score consistently. The bowling arsenal is a worry for India. Members of the support staff of the various national teams, like physiotherapists and trainers etc., have "little knowledge” and are making players do too much gym work instead of making them play cricket.

These are some of the observations that "concerned” former Test batsman Sanjay Manjrekar has made on the current state of affairs in Indian cricket, and he particularly "fears” that the training methods being employed by the support staff are not right.

Manjrekar, who is here as part of the TV commentary team for the ongoing India-New Zealand second Test, said Rohit would've to score consistently to get back into the reckoning for the national team.

"It's one thing having talent and another getting runs, and there's another thing: getting runs consistently. And for that, only talent is not enough; there's a lot of mental discipline that comes in, and you see it in Virat Kohli,” Manjrekar told Mail Today. "Kohli has crafted Test match innings of quality, and it's not been so much about physical skill as it's about mental discipline.

That's where Rohit tends to take things a little casually, when he plays by instinct a lot. He has a very free-flowing game with a lot of on-the-up kind of shots.

When he's in full flow and in conditions where he's well set, he looks a world beater,” emphasised the 47-year-old explayer.

"But there are occasions — like Kohli does at the start of an innings — when he has to be a little restrained. All that comes by playing more and more cricket and setting high standards for yourself -which is just about run making.”

Rohit, 25, has promised a lot but has not delivered as much so far — and he has been a bit unlucky too. For instance, in early 2010 he got injured minutes before he was set to make his Test debut. He hasn't been able to break into the Test XI, though he has played 85 One-Day Internationals.

Giving the example of Sachin Tendulkar's "prodigious talent” as a youngster, Manjrekar said: "He was obsessed with getting runs so he used the talent well.

Sometimes he made sure that he was not getting too attacking and didn't take things lightly at all at any stage of his career because he was obsessed with the big scores — not one in three innings but was looking to get big scores in every innings.

"That's how mental discipline comes. Rohit needs to get into that kind of mould where he sets high standards for himself, sets run-only goals, and things should change for the better for him.

He'll have to keep getting hundreds one after the other. And while all that is happening, he'll learn some important aspects of batting discipline.” Concerned at the regular player breakdowns, Manjrekar, who played 37 Tests and 74 ODIs, questioned the methods physiotherapists and trainers have adopted.

"One of the biggest fears that I've is that the kind of people that are around cricket teams these days; the number of support staff is increasing. There are a lot of people out there with little knowledge — half-knowledge is what I call it — who are trying to get their own training methods in. Sometimes I wonder that there's too much focus on fitness and training of young bowlers rather than keeping it simple and making them bowl a lot,” he said.

"For example, pacer Umesh Yadav at this stage — and Javagal Srinath also told me this informally — needs only one thing, which is to bowl a number of overs. That's how bowing fitness is developed and that cannot be replicated by any amount of training and gym work. And that's what a lot of support staff tends to do – to pull cricketers into the territory they are familiar with and they themselves have not been bowlers and cricketers.

This is a tendency one has to be careful about.”

When Lillee got India's bowling upto speed

Chennai: For the past twenty-five years, Australian pace legend Dennis Lillee has played an important role in Indian cricket outside the system as the director of the MRF Pace foundation. It has produced bowlers like Javagal Srinath, Zaheer Khan, Munaf Patel while Chaminda Vaas, Brett Lee and Mitchell Johnson are also products of the academy.

On Sunday, Lillee ended his stint and passed on the baton to compatriot Glenn McGrath.

Lillee admitted the job would be challenging in India where there was no real tradition of fast bowling. "When we started, there were no facilities, there was no gymnasium and the bowlers did very little aerobic exercises."

He said pace bowlers in India were at best used like ribbon-cutters - to start the innings and scruff the ball before the spinners took over.

"Their technique was so flawed," Lillee recalled. "They had really faulty actions and we had to change the whole process of training. They were bowling twice a day with a lot of gap between sessions. Like that, you will end up as spinners or medium-pacers, and not as fast bowlers."

Lillee then started a process to get the right infrastructure with gyms, swimming pools and a small ground where the players could simulate match situations.

Zaheer Khan, who started serious cricket relatively late, is one of the best known faces of the academy. Lillee said, "Zaheer had a lot of things going for him. To start with, he was a left-arm bowler which is a distinct advantage. He also had the ability to swing the ball, especially into a right-hand batsman. Over the years, he has lost a bit of pace but has more than made up for that with smart thinking. When things are not happening for him or the conditions are not suitable, he tries different things, and alongside the likes of Dale Steyn, is one of the best in setting up a batsman for a wicket."

The likes of Irfan Pathan, RP Singh and S Sreesanth have also been part of the academy, but have not replicated the success of Zaheer. On Munaf, he said, "when he came here, I encouraged him to bowl flat out and I was very impressed. But once he made the team, he started to bowl in the 130's and I think he got some bad advice."

When asked what his legacy was, Lillee said, "My achievement would be that people understand what fast bowling is in India now, and the hard work needed to be a successful one. Today, India has a lot of promising fast bowlers than when we started out."

Strauss leaves 'huge void': Lee

Former Australia fast bowler Brett Lee said Andrew Strauss had left a "huge void" in the England team following his retirement from all cricket.

England's then Test captain bowed out on Wednesday, citing declining form as his main reason for calling time in his career.

But 35-year-old opening batsman Strauss retired with a fine record of more than 7,000 runs in exactly 100 Tests at an average of over 40 with 21 hundreds -- one shy of England's all-time record.

The Middlesex left-hander Strauss also led England to home and away Ashes triumphs, having also starred as a batsman only during their 2005 Test series win against Australia.

Lee, who as a new-ball bowler was well-placed to observe Strauss's merits, told BBC Radio Five on Sunday: "If you look as his record as an opening batsman -- 100 Test matches and an average of 40, it's absolutely phenomenal.

"He was a batsman we were fond of, we thought he was a great player. He was always the top of discussion for us -- 'what's the best way to bowl at Andrew Strauss?'

"He was a respected player and when you got Andrew Strauss out you knew you were bowling pretty well.

"He was a very competitive person with a very strong mind. A class act.

"He leaves a huge void in the England cricket team," added Lee of Strauss, who has been succeeded as Test captain by opening partner Alastair Cook, already England's one-day skipper.

Meanwhile England seamer James Anderson insisted the controversy surrounding Kevin Pietersen's ongoing exile from international cricket had played no part in Strauss's decision.

Pietersen has not played for England in any format since making 149 in the drawn second Test against his native South Africa in Leeds last month after it emerged he had sent "provocative" texts to Proteas players -- some of which were alleged to be critical of Strauss.

But Strauss himself dismissed suggestions the fall-out from the row generated by his predecessor as England captain had played any part in his decision and Anderson, in his Mail on Sunday column supported his former skipper.

"People have speculated that the Kevin Pietersen issue might have been a factor in Strauss' decision to quit. I don't think it has been ideal but he was thinking about this before that stuff started, so I don't think that has been an issue at all," Anderson said.

"That sort of thing just wouldn't influence a man like Strauss.

Anderson also praised Strauss for the manner of his retirement, which included sending a letter to all his international colleagues.

"What a way to go - leaving all of us a personal, hand-written letter," he added. "Each one was different and the full contents of mine will stay between him and me, but the gist of it was that he was proud of us and that he had many great memories to take with him. Class."

Katich helps keep Hampshire on course for double

Former Australia batsman Simon Katich scored an unbeaten 47 as Hampshire beat south coast rivals Sussex by eight wickets in the semi-finals of English county cricket's 40-over competition on Saturday.

Victory kept Hampshire on course for a one-day double following their victory over Yorkshire in the domestic Twenty20 final in Cardiff last weekend.

Hampshire will face Warwickshire in the Lord's final on September 15 after the Midlands county saw off Lancashire by 23 runs in Manchester on Saturday.

Luke Wright made a superb 122 for Sussex at Hove but could not prevent the hosts collapsing from 195 for three to 199 for eight as Zimbabwe's Sean Ervine took three for 36 and promising spinner Danny Briggs, a member of England's World Twenty20 squad, two for 32.

Fifties from Michael Carberry and James Vince saw Hampshire's reply get off to a strong start and any hope of a Sussex recovery was stifled by Katich, who faced 60 balls with four fours, and Jimmy Adams (44 not out).

Glenn McGrath takes over MRF Pace Foundation

CHENNAI: Former Australia fast bowler Glenn McGrath assumed directorial responsibilities at the MRF Pace Foundation here, taking over from countryman and legend Dennis Lillee, who served at the establishment for 25 years.

“It's a great honour for me to work with the MRF Pace academy. I know it won't be possible to replace someone like the great Dennis Lillee. His legacy will be hard to live up to, but I will try my best in my role as the Director at the Foundation,” said the 42-year-old McGrath.

The former exponent of corridor bowling acknowledged the role of the Pace Foundation in unearthing and guiding talent in the country. “MRF Pace academy's contribution to world cricket is immense. I have trained under Lillee at the foundation and have experienced the first-hand world class facilities on offer,” he said.

Lillee, after an extended stint in Chennai, said he would have fond memories of working here. “It was an extremely hard decision to leave the foundation. Chennai is like a second home for me. I will definitely miss being at the Foundation, working with the staff and trainees which was an integral part of my life for the past 25 years. It has been a long journey.

“We had to begin from scratch, building facilities and slowly developing into a world class academy. Our efforts and hard work have paid off and it pleases me to see bowlers trained at the foundation leading the Indian attack,” he said.

Lillee maintained that McGrath was the right person to succeed him and hoped the academy would continued to grow under its new helmsman. “McGrath is the perfect choice to carry the vision of the Foundation forward. I am happy for him and wish him all the best in his new role. I am certain that the MRF Pace academy will produce many more international fast bowlers under his guidance.”

Umpires turn to Skype for improvement

Bangalore: As part of a multi-faceted fast-track programme designed to improve the umpiring standards, a few top Indian umpires are using Skype as a tool to raise their standards, besides being asked to compulsorily speak in English for better communication during matches and learn the basics in handling computer.

The BCCI, whose umpires’ review committee has come up with these ideas, may also hire the top 10 umpires on full-time contract in order to meet their goal of having an Indian as part of the ICC’s Elite Panel. No Indian has been part of this panel for a few years.

All these steps are being taken ahead of the 2012-13 season, beginning this month.

The most innovative of these measures to improve is turning to Skype, through which umpires chat and can also make cheap calls. The top 11 umpires log on to Skype three days a week to share a variety of ideas and knowledge for their allround growth, as per the new ambitious programme designed by the three-member BCCI umpires’ review committee.

Former India captain and Elite Panel umpire S Venkatraghavan heads that which also includes former ex- Test umpires VK Ramaswamy and AV Jayaprakash, who came up with the idea to use Skype as a tool for better coordination and exchange of ideas.

“There’s definitely an improvement in the quality of umpiring in the last five-six years. And we are continuously updating the umpires’ education programme and assessing their performances through umpire coaches. We have taken several measures for raising the umpiring standards further,” Ratnakar Shetty, chief administrative officer of the BCCI, told MAIL TODAY.

These days the 11 top umpires log on to Skype at specified times to share their thoughts. “Members of each group are supposed to log on to Skype three days in a week at pre-decided times to discuss various topics, like how to improve communication between match officials, protocol, different situations and some common words that are used with TV director during the recording/ telecast of matches.”

That is not all. “Umpires who can’t converse in English have been told to attend English classes at good institutes and produce the certificate after completing the course. They’ve also been asked to do a certificate course in basic computer knowledge,” he said.

Shane Bond willing to become Black Caps' bowling coach

Wellington, Sep 1: Former New Zealand pacer Shane Bond has expressed his willingness to take up the role of bowling coach with the national team after current coach Damien Wright's tenure comes to an end after the World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka.

Bond, who took 87 wickets from 18 Tests, works with the NZC and Central Districts team as a bowling coach and has worked with current New Zealand bowlers Doug Bracewell and Adam Milne.

"I am interested in the role, but I want to know more. There's not much else to say really, until I see a job description," Bond was quoted as saying.

Former Australian coach and current director of New Zealand Cricket (NZC) John Buchanan seemed keen on giving Bond's name a serious thought.

"We'll go through the advertising process. We're aware that Damien Wright has to move on so we'll go through that process, but obviously someone like Shane Bond presents [himself] as one of the candidates that we're very interested in talking with," Buchanan said.

"We are very disappointed to lose a quality coach like Damien but can totally understand his reasons for having to step away from the job," the Daily Times quoted him, as saying.

PCB chief Zaka Ashraf appointed chairman of Asian Cricket Council

Lahore, Sep 1: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Zaka Ashraf has been appointed as chairman of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) development committee.

This is a coveted position that deals with development of the game of cricket in associate member countries of the ACC.

Pakistan did not have any committee chairmanship of the ACC in 2011, the Daily Times reports.

"The PCB chairman has called a meeting of the development committee in Pakistan in September.

"The meeting will help showcase Pakistan as safe for such forums to take place. Last time the ACC development committee meeting was held in Pakistan in 2006 in Islamabad," said a spokesman for the PCB on Friday.