Brad Hodge produced a belligerent century and Shane Harwood delivered a stinging performance as Victoria demolished Western Australia at the WACA

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Oct-2010Victoria 4 for 319 (Hodge 134*, Finch 81) beat Western Australia 206 (M Marsh 44, Harwood 6-46) by 113 runs

ScorecardBrad Hodge started another season in style with an unbeaten 134•Getty Images

Brad Hodge produced a belligerent century and Shane Harwood delivered a stinging performance as Victoria demolished Western Australia at the WACA. Hodge smashed 134 off 125 balls to rush the visitors to 4 for 319 before the Warriors fell for 206 to suffer a 113-run defeat in their first match under Mickey Arthur, the former South Africa coach.In between the two stages of Hodge’s brutal innings, Harwood ruined the home side’s top order with four wickets on the way to a career-best 6 for 46 off 7.4 overs. The performance was particularly satisfying for Harwood, 36, as he was returning from major shoulder surgery that threatened his career.There were no problems over his pace or bounce as his sharp lifting deliveries ended the stays of Wes Robinson (2), Shaun Marsh (18), Liam Davis (33) and Adam Voges (32). The brutal five-over spell left the hosts at 4 for 88, 53 runs behind their opponents after 20 overs, and the game was almost over.Hodge, who resumed on 58, and Aaron Finch, who was 54, quickly made sure of the result as they took advantage of Western Australia’s wayward bowling. Finch fell for 81 off 75 balls – he peaked with three fours from a Brett Dorey over – but Hodge kept going and showed that he remains a master at the age of 35.In his first innings he hit the debutant Michael Beer for a straight six before slog-sweeping another next over from Aaron Heal. His century came with a glide to third man – he celebrated with a couple of push-ups – and after crunching Ashley Noffke (0 for 82) for fours through cover and midwicket, he then showed more muscle by clearing the sightscreen in the final over of the innings. Andrew McDonald also beat the rope twice in his unbeaten 30 off 20 balls.Western Australia required an almost impossible 232 from the final 25 overs, but Luke Pomersbach and Luke Ronchi gave it a go during a 46-run stand off 31 balls. However, Ronchi fell on 28 to a miscue to midwicket and next ball John Hastings (3 for 50) had his second when Pomersbach (16) found mid-off.Mitchell Marsh showed flashes of brilliance in his 44, including hitting Harwood for six to long-on, but he gave him his fifth wicket aiming another big shot. Next ball Harwood picked up his sixth, ending the match with the lbw of Beer. Peter Siddle played his first game in Australia after over-coming back stress fractures and showed decent pace in his 0 for 53 off nine overs.

IPL 4 will have yet another new franchise within the next month, with this team likely to be from the north of the country

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Nov-2010IPL 4 will have yet another new franchise within the next month, with this team likely to be from the north of the country. The IPL governing council that meets on Wednesday in Mumbai will formally discuss marketing contracts, but all informal discussion will centre on the next step to be taken due to the inability of the consortium that bought the Kochi franchise to resolve their ownership dispute. An IPL governing council member told ESPNcricinfo that any settlement within the Kochi franchise looks unlikely before the November 27 deadline set for them by the board, and said that, “a tender for a new franchise would once again be open the next day, by November 28.”The moment the new tender is announced, we’ll give within ten or fifteen days time for people to make their bids,” he said. “The final announcement as to who wins the bid will be made after an open financial bid, so that there are no disputes later.”The earliest a player auction could then be held, he said, would be the first week of January, making it almost a two-month delay from the originally announced period of late November. The IPL governing council also seemed to be in agreement, he said over the location of the new franchise. “The next tender will be given to a group bidding for a city team from the north,” he said. The termination of both the Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab meant that the geographical break-up of the IPL was unevenly distributed towards the west and the south of India. Of the eight teams, only Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Daredevils belong to “northern” India.The auction is not the only variable in the IPL calendar. There are two cases in the Bombay High Court, filed by the expelled Rajasthan and Punjab franchises, that could plausibly derail the league’s plans. Rajasthan and the BCCI have agreed to an arbitration proceeding to settle their dispute.Ironically the new IPL Player Regulations list sent out to the franchises earlier this week, specified the new catchment areas of the eight franchises, and included the two new franchises, Team Pune and Team Kochi. Within a month, this list may have to be reworked again. Given the environment of uncertainty, IPL executives have been travelling around the country in the meantime, meeting up with the franchises and assuring them of plans already in place for the fourth season, regardless of all the uncertainty that has plagued the league in the last six months.The uncertainty began with Kochi and the ‘sweat equity’ issue, which led to the resignation of an Indian cabinet minister linked with the new franchise, and was followed by the suspension of the IPL’s ‘commissioner-chairman’ Lalit Modi for alleged financial improprieties. And it continued with the surprising termination of two established franchises, Rajasthan and Punjab, and the continuing inability of the Kochi consortium to get its house in order.

Mitchell Johnson is currently so obsessed by the Ashes that when he is bowling at Australians in the nets he is seeing English batsmen

Peter English in Brisbane23-Nov-2010Mitchell Johnson is currently so obsessed by the Ashes that when he is bowling at Australians in the nets he is seeing English batsmen. “So when Shane Watson came in I was thinking of a Kevin Pietersen-type,” he said. “But I didn’t bounce him!”Johnson is desperate to move on from his awful Ashes campaign in 2009 and is altering his vision to turn his dreams into reality at the Gabba from Thursday. He had a strong work-out in Brisbane on Tuesday using an unconventional approach.”I was trying to bowl the length I want to bowl, particularly to their top order,” he said. “Every batter who came in I was thinking of English batters.”I’m thinking about [the series] all the time. I’ve come off a pretty good couple of weeks and I’m raring to get out there and bowl fast.”In this series he will not worry if he doesn’t swing the ball and will instead focus on speed. He has already said he will target Andrew Strauss with short deliveries, but he has almost given up on being the all-round bowler who dominated South Africa two summers ago. On that tour he moved the ball into the right handers, angled it away and roughed up Graeme Smith, Jacques Kallis and Co with his bouncers as well.”I went through a stage where I thought I could try to work on swinging the ball,” he said. “I can do it on a short run in the nets. It’s different to come in off the long run. I’m happy with where I am with my bowling – running in, bowling fast.”In the Ashes contest four years ago Johnson was 12th man for the entire series, but having experienced the build-up and the pressure of the 2009 campaign he is feeling more settled this time. “It’s about harnessing that energy until Thursday,” he said. “I came out of South Africa [in 2009] bowling really well and I thought it was just going to happen throughout the last Ashes. This time I’ve really worked hard.”Like most of the Australians, he has played down the side’s recent losing streak of seven games in a row in all forms, and he thought there were good signs in the 2-0 defeat in India. He also believes that while the home team has been under scrutiny, it is England who will face more heat.”We talk about the pressure on us, but there’s a lot of pressure on them,” Johnson said. “Last time they were beaten 5-0, now they’re holding the urn, so there’s a lot of pressure of them to perform and eyes on them.”

Pakistan’s limited-overs captain, Shahid Afridi, has said he is ready to testify before the ICC tribunal hearing the case of the three Pakistan players

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Jan-2011Pakistan’s limited-overs captain, Shahid Afridi, has said he is ready to testify before the ICC tribunal hearing the case of the three Pakistan players who have been provisionally suspended by the ICC for their alleged involvement in the spot-fixing controversy. Afridi had already spoken to the ICC ahead of its decision against Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Asif and Salman Butt.”I have already said what I had to say and what I saw,” Afridi told Pakistani daily . “I could not have lied before the ICC because they already had enough information about the case. I have a clean conscience … I was asked about Mazhar Majeed [the central figure in the controversy] and his brother Azhar so whatever I knew I told the ICC.”The ICC’s tribunal is set to hear the case in Doha from January 6-11, before delivering the final verdict on the trio’s future. They have been suspended from the game since the time the controversy first erupted, after the released a sting video in which Majeed allegedly claimed to have bribed the Pakistan trio to bowl pre-planned no-balls in the final Test against England at Lord’s.Waqar Younis, Pakistan’s coach during the England tour, is also set to testify along with Afridi in Doha.

Steve Davies will now spend the next three weeks travelling around Australia knowing he’s not wanted in the subcontinent having previously been the favourite for the role

Andrew McGlashan in Hobart19-Jan-2011England have been very clear on their selection plans in recent times, but the one area that has caused them plenty of headaches is the limited-overs wicketkeeper and at the 11th hour they have gone back to Matt Prior for the World Cup. Steve Davies will now spend the next three weeks travelling around Australia knowing he’s not wanted in the subcontinent having previously been the favourite for the role.It has been one of the mysteries of English cricket in the last few years as to why Prior has never established himself in the one-day team despite having all the skills to be the ideal man. He will open the batting alongside Andrew Strauss, beginning in the second one-day international at Hobart, where his clean striking should make him perfect for the role. Yet from 55 ODIs, in 27 of which he has been used as an opener, he averages 25.38 and during his last stint in the side he batted in the middle order.England’s squad for the one-day series against Australia was named in mid-December and a month has proved a long time in cricket. Prior timed his Ashes form well, finishing the series with 85 in Melbourne and 118 in Sydney, then joined Victoria for the Big Bash which meant he was never far from Flower’s view.”The circumstances have changed,” Andy Flower, the England team director, said. “Matt Prior did very well out here for the Test matches. He is a combative aggressive cricketer and he fits our aggressive fielding unit. So those are the reasons why he’s been picked for the World Cup.”It was a tough decision,” Flower added. “We always knew the timing of the World Cup announcement would be tricky. It’s not ideal one game into a seven-match series. Steve Davies was picked in our last one-day series in England and he did OK against Pakistan.”We picked him for this series in Australia because of the conditions out here. But as we get closer to the World Cup we’ve made that adjustment and we want Prior to get a few games under his belt before we get out there so he’s going to be arriving in Hobart [on Wednesday].”Another aspect in Prior’s favour will have been his near-faultless work with the gloves during the Ashes series and he is now a world-class keeper. Davies is solid, but the subcontinent can be a tough place for wicketkeeper’s and in one-day cricket, where the smallest margins matter, it could prove valuable to have Prior’s class behind the stumps.This isn’t the first time Flower has been involved in significant selection calls around a global tournament. At the World Twenty20 in the Caribbean, James Anderson missed out for the entire campaign when it was decided Ryan Sidebottom’s left-arm angle and control of yorkers was a better option. Flower has a ruthless streak and Davies has just found that out.”Of course he’s disappointed, any player would be disappointed to be left out of the England side,” Flower said. “It means a lot to our players. They’re very difficult decisions to make because they affect people’s careers, but those are the harsh realities of playing professional sport and Steve and others that are left out will have to accept it.”The other marginally contentious positions in the final 15-man squad were the back-up bowlers, but it was widely expected that Ajmal Shahzad, preferred ahead of Chris Tremlett or Chris Woakes, and James Tredwell, the Kent offspinner, would get the nod.With England’s plans revolving heavily around two spinners they need a frontline option in reserve should illness or injury strike, and Graeme Swann will also miss the warm-up period to be at the birth of his first child, while Shahzad has impressed in his brief international appearances so far.”We wanted to make sure we not only had two frontline spinners or a third in case of injury or illness out there,” Flower said. “Spin will play a significant part in the World Cup, there’s no doubt. Shazhad was very impressive in the last game that we played in Melbourne. He’s been in and around our squad for a while now, just getting tastes of international cricket and hasn’t secured a spot yet. We think he shows a lot of potential. He can reverse swing the ball which will be important on the subcontinent and he’s a good competitor.”At the other end of the experience scale is Paul Collingwood, England’s most capped one-day cricketer, who was dropped for the first match against Australia following his poor Ashes and Twenty20 form. Andrew Strauss said Collingwood needed time away from the spotlight and Flower believes the allrounder, who is also on paternity leave in the build-up to the World Cup, still has a crucial role to play.”He missed out the last game but his experience, his credentials as a player, the energy he gives in the field and the quality of his fielding and obviously the all-round capabilities with bat and ball make him a strong contender,” he said. “The reason why he was left out in the first place was he was struggling recently and needs a little time to reassess but he’ll be back in the side.”Now that the final 15 has been named preparations can swing into full gear for the tournament which starts on February 19. England’s first match is against Netherlands, in Nagpur, three days later and Flower said there will be a duel focus to the rest of the one-day series in Australia.”It’s a balance of both,” he said. “This series is important in its own right. It is very important series for our preparation for the World Cup. Some of our training will evolve around subcontinent-type methods and certainly we’ll be working towards that. I think our one-day cricket has improved significantly over the last couple of years and I believe that we can do well.”

South Africa’s World Cup ambitions could be damaged by the ongoing spat between CSA’s chief executive Gerald Majola and the body’s president, Dr Mtutuzeli Nyoka, according to sports minister Fikile Mbalula

Firdose Moonda23-Jan-2011South Africa’s World Cup ambitions could be damaged by the ongoing spat between CSA’s chief executive Gerald Majola and the body’s president, Dr Mtutuzeli Nyoka, according to sports minister Fikile Mbalula. “Anything that has to do with internal politics will have a negative impact on our campaign,” he said at a press conference in Centurion on Sunday.The minister met with the CSA board sans Nyoka, who was invited but chose not to attend because he had other plans, during the fifth ODI between South Africa and India at SuperSport Park to flesh out recent developments in the tussle between the top brass, especially because of its timing. “Government is concerned and shocked that on the eve of the important ICC calendar event the sport of cricket in the country is thrown into disarray by personality issues,” Mbalula said.The row between Majola and Nyoka intensified last week when, on Wednesday, Nyoka was served notice of a motion of no confidence being tabled against him. The presidents of all 11 CSA affiliates signed the document which was delivered to Nyoka in the form of a letter. On Thursday, Nyoka called Majola a liar during an interview with Johannesburg-based TalkRadio702. Nyoka said Majola had deceived him about bonuses that were paid out after IPL2.”Gerald lied to me, he misled me,” Nyoka said on air. “He’s the only person who told me, ‘Listen, I know you might have doubts about when and whether I’ve taken money or not. I want to relieve you of that burden and show you this document I’ve signed with the IPL. There is nothing here that says anything about me receiving millions’.”Majola and 39 other CSA staff members collectively received R4.7 million (US $7671, 428) in bonuses paid out after the IPL in 2010 and the Champions Trophy in 2009. CSA’s auditors, Deloitte, found a discrepancy in their financial statements in August last year and a commission of inquiry was put in place to investigate. The commission was initially supposed to be an external one, chaired by former Chief Justice Pius Langa, but was moved internally, something Nyoka was not in favour of. The internal commission, chaired by vice-president AK Khan, cleared Majola of any wrongdoing.Nyoka has indicated that he believes the internal commission was a cover-up and lacked credibility and said so while on radio. “The issue is not going to go away,” he said. “They will never be able to bury the truth. Sport belongs to the public. Cricket is not a secret society. We are not in Stalin’s Russia.”Majola’s only response has been to say that he is consulting with his lawyer about the allegation made by Nyoka on radio. CSA have rallied behind their chief executive, issuing a release of “reassurance” on Thursday. South Africa captain Graeme Smith came out in praise of Majola on the same day. “Gerald Majola has always backed the team to the hilt in every possible way,” Smith said. “The players have great faith in him and he must take his share of the credit for the successes we have enjoyed over the last period of time.”It was this comment by Smith that attracted the attention of the sports ministry. A report in the said Mbalula told a commercial radio station that Smith should stay out of “politics” and concentrate on the cricket. Mbalula said at his press conference on Sunday that Smith made the statement in response to a “question that came directly to him” and that he was “simply stating his support for the leadership.” Despite being satisfied with Smith’s reasoning for answering the question, Mbalula said that “it is advisable that the players do not get involved.”Mbalula also cautioned against panic on the state of the game in the country, saying that the “house is not coming down” and the problems in CSA are “not insurmountable.” The ministry’s involvement in the matter is set to continue and they will meet with CSA again on February 12. “CSA will present the ministry with a report on the actions of the president as well as the commission of inquiry that looked into the bonus scandal,” Mbalula said. That is also the date set for CSA’s special general meeting to finalise the proposed motion of no confidence in Nyoka, who had earlier told the that if he received written notice of a vote of no confidence, he would step down in a “dignified manner”, but has shown any sign of resigning since getting the letter.

Graeme Smith, the South Africa captain, is aware England will be hurting after their loss to Ireland and will look to come back in the game against South Africa on Sunday

Firdose Moonda in Chennai05-Mar-2011While Graeme Smith, the South Africa captain, was waxing lyrical about the merits of having a varied bowling attack and the advantage of an attacking spinner, an abrupt sound silenced him. It was an electronic sheep bleeting its way out of someone’s cellphone.”Well, that’s just beautiful,” Smith said before guffawing in his usual meaty fashion. If he’d been gearing up for a match against Australia, it may have been considered sabotage instead of a big joke, but with Smith’s new, relaxed attitude, there’s a good chance it wouldn’t have fazed him even then. Smith hardly moved a muscle in anger when he was asked about South Africa’s first real test of the World Cup.”England and South Africa is always a big game, it’s always been competitive,” Smith said. “I expect tomorrow to be no different.”After brushing aside West Indies and Netherlands, both of whom South Africa had lengthy unbeaten records against, they now face an England side that has beaten them in seven of the last eight completed one-day matches between the two teams, including in a series in South Africa. Smith refused to read too much into that bit of history, saying the reason for England’s success against his men was really, quite obvious. “They played better than us in those eight games.”Since England last played South Africa, they have lost almost as many one-day games as they’ve won – losing 12 and winning 14. They notched up series wins against Bangladesh, Australia and Pakistan but much of the good work was undone when they crashed to a 6-1 defeat in the post-Ashes one-day series in Australia, and have yet to settle at this World Cup. “They are a very proud team; they’ve had some really good ups in the last two years and their performances have been credible over the last while,” Smith said.More pressingly for England, they’ve just come off the event’s first upset: a three-wicket loss to their little brothers Ireland and although they don’t have the same instincts that scream ‘backlash’ like Australia do, they’ll still feel as though they have something to prove. That something could come against the team they knocked out of the 2009 Champions Trophy.Graeme Smith has not scored a one-day century since September 2009•Associated Press

Smith was aware England would be determined to fight back. “The Ireland game would have hurt them a lot. It was terrific for the spirit of the World Cup but they will be looking to bounce back.” This was not a man bracing for a backlash, it was a man who had anticipated it and who knew it was coming.There’s always been a psychological element to matches between these teams, intensified by the number of South African-born players in the England side. While that story has become old, with Smith saying it was “about the fiftieth time I’ve had to answer that question,” he did say South Africa would try to capitalise on whatever mental frailties conceding 959 runs in three matches may have caused in England’s bowlers. “Maybe we can take advantage of that lack of confidence,” Smith said, referring specifically to the opening pair of James Anderson and Stuart Broad.Smith and Hashim Amla will be the two batsmen best placed to hurt Anderson and Broad, but Smith has problems of his own. In his last 23 one-day innings, he has not scored a century and while he has a 92 and a 77 under his belt against Pakistan and India respectively, he has looked awkward in the tournament so far. “I’ve got starts in all the warm-up games, and it will be nice to turn one of those into a big score.” That was all he was willing to say, preferring to steer away from analysis of individuals and concentrate on the group.South Africa have the advantage of having been in Chennai just three weeks ago. It was the first stop on their tour and the place where the World Cup preparations started. Smith said he was looking forward to the warmer climate. “Being in Chennai is more like the real India, the warmth, after coming from the cold.” Delhi and Chandigarh, where South Africa played their first two matches of the tournament, had temperatures hovering between 20 and 25 degrees while Chennai was topping 35.India is also a place where South Africa have been more successful than England, winning seven out of 13 matches to England’s six out of 23 in the last ten years. That may not be on either captain’s mind going into the match, but it may be something they can keep in the bank for next time.

Vincent Barnes, Duncan Fletcher, John Buchanan and Richard Pybus are four other names understood to be on the six-man shortlist

Firdose Moonda11-Apr-2011Gary Kirsten, Vincent Barnes, Duncan Fletcher, John Buchanan and Richard Pybus are understood to be on the six-man shortlist for the South Africa coaching job. Tom Moody and Stephen Fleming are also rumoured to be in contention for the position.Kirsten, who ended his tenure with India after winning the World Cup, is said to be the favourite, but has reportedly not submitted a formal application. Insiders have confirmed that he is on the shortlist and has been in contact with CSA chief-executive Gerald Majola. Kirsten had said he wanted to take some time off after his stint with India ended, which may be why he hasn’t officially applied.South Africa’s next series is scheduled for October, against Australia, which would allow Kirsten a five-month break. Kirsten is understood to have shown interest in the position and CSA may have placed him on the shortlist to keep him in the running, despite the fact that he has not applied. Majola said in an interview in Colombo that CSA would not consider anyone who wasn’t on the shortlist.Although Kirsten is the popular choice, CSA are also considering other candidates, including the long-serving assistant coach Barnes. He has been in the national set up for the past eight years, since the 2003 tour to England, and had applied for the head coach’s position when Mickey Arthur was appointed in May 2005. Barnes started off as the bowling coach and has been credited with being part of the reason behind the success of the likes of Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel and Lonwabo Tsotsobe. Barnes’ obvious advantage is that he has worked with the national squad for a significant amount of time and has been a part of their recent successes, such as the series wins in England and Australia.Fletcher has also been involved with the current crop of players, having joined as a batting consultant in the 2009-10 season. He previously coached England and was at the helm of their Ashes triumph in 2005. Buchanan also has much lauded international credentials to his name, having won three Ashes series and two World Cups with Australia. He is most recently known for his controversial coaching methods which involved a proposed captain-rotation policy at Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL.Pybus is the only one who is working in the South African domestic set up. He took Cobras to a double title this season, winning both the first-class SuperSport Series competition and the Pro20. Having previously been involved with Titans and the Border province, before the franchises were formed, Pybus has an intricate knowledge of local cricket and has seen many of his charges progress to national honours. He coached Mark Boucher, Makhaya Ntini, Steyn, both Morkel brothers and Paul Harris, among others. He is known for his diverse, out-of-the-box thinking and was also head coach of Pakistan during the 1999 World Cup.All six candidates, whose names cannot be officially released for confidentiality reasons, will undergo a rigorous interview process by a six-man panel appointed by CSA to choose the new coach. The committee consists of Majola, Andy O’Connor, chairperson of the cricket committee, Boeta Dippenaar, cricket association representative, Andrew Hudson, convenor of selectors and Corrie van Zyl, outgoing coach. Johann Coetzee, a human development consultant and consulting psychologist, was added to the panel last week and.Interviews will be held on May 16 and 17, and the panel will make its recommendations at a board meeting on May 28. CSA hope to appoint the new coach at the beginning of June.

Virender Sehwag acknowledged that players like him or Adam Gilchrist or Sachin Tendulkar could do anything if they batted for a substantial period

Abhishek Purohit06-May-2011Five days ago, Virender Sehwag had come up against a pitch in Kochi that was keeping so low that batsmen were being dismissed boot before wicket. Sehwag responded with 80 off 47 deliveries, when survival was a lottery for others. Five days later, Sehwag came up against his own team-mates in Hyderabad. His fielders forgot to hold catches. His bowlers chose no-balls to take wickets. His batsmen took turns at pressing the self-destruct button. Sehwag responded with 119 off 56, when it would have been easy to throw it away with a shot in anger and frustration.Delhi Daredevils needed 144 from 13 overs. They won with an over to spare, and the margin would have been wider had Sehwag not been dismissed in the 17th over. Twice in three games, Sehwag has shown that he is to Delhi what Sachin Tendulkar was to India for a large part of his career. The show begins and ends with Sehwag. The man knows it, and is candid enough to acknowledge that he is special. “Batsmen like Warner, or me, or Gilchrist or Tendulkar, can do anything if we play for so many overs,” Sehwag said. “I told my boys, just play fearless cricket.”Fearlessness is one of the foundations of Sehwag’s batting. Discretion, however, is not a measure that he applies in abundance, especially in the shorter formats of the game. When both virtues combine, his batting scales another level. On such days, his targeting of the weak links in the opposition bowling attack is almost predictable. Inevitably, Ishan Malhotra and Bharat Chipli disappeared for 43 in two overs.On such days, he also realises that the contest between him and the cream of the opposition attack need not be a gladiatorial showdown. Dale Steyn and Ishant Sharma were given the respect they deserved on a bouncy pitch, though Sehwag still managed four boundaries off them.Spin and Sehwag have a tempestuous relationship. It brings the best and worst out of him. Predictably, Amit Mishra was taken for 37 in 14 deliveries. Predictably, the two dropped catches also came off Mishra.”I was telling myself that just play through the spell of Steyn and Ishant. They don’t have a fifth bowler and I have played Amit Mishra a lot in the nets,” Sehwag said. “I knew I could come hard at them. I just thought let me play my shots and if we can get momentum, we can do this.”Despite their indifferent performance, Sehwag did not think it was correct to blame his team-mates for not pulling their weight. “We have played ten games, and I have clicked only in three. So I have not been consistent, and I can’t really blame the others. I have more responsibility. The others are not that experienced; only Venugopal Rao is a bit experienced. They will take time; it takes time to build a good team.”Even as Delhi’s campaign has now come down to them needing a win almost every time they step out on to the field, Sehwag has carried his heavy responsibility as lightly as only he can. In five days, he has overcome a minefield on one occasion and on another a team that seemed intent on scoring own goals. Today, he scored 102 more runs than his side’s next-highest scorer in the game, James Hopes. “That’s the kind of player he is mate,” Hopes said. “He is as good as it gets in world cricket.”

Stuart Clark, the fast bowler who took 94 Test wickets for Australia, has stepped back from his playing commitments to focus on his new administrative role.

Daniel Brettig18-May-2011Stuart Clark never retired from Australian duty, and he has not retired from first-class cricket either. Instead he is prioritising a new administrative job at the head of the Sydney Sixers Twenty20 team, only to be called on by New South Wales in times of crisis.The decision to step back from the Blues arrived exactly a week after Clark had been appointed general manager of the Sixers, the sort of role he had envisaged for himself in the future, but not as soon as now. Having weighed up the various scenarios, Clark chose to help establish one of the eight new Big Bash franchises, while keeping his sharp eye on the progress of the Australian game.He will be observed from above as a prospective addition to Cricket Australia’s board or management, having occupied a position on the executive of the Australian Cricketers Association.Before the home summer, Clark is available to take part in the Blues’ last T20 Champions League campaign, at least partly because Brett Lee and Doug Bollinger may yet be tied to their Indian Premier League teams at the tournament. Club cricket will also remain part of Clark’s life, as he seeks to maintain a traditionally tough school against the notion that grass-roots standards have slackened off in recent years.”I couldn’t keep playing cricket fulltime and doing the job, it would just not be fair to the job or to the cricket,” Clark told . “I thought I’d always have an involvement in the game. Obviously I’d done quite a bit of study and all the rest of it, which has given me an idea about doing something in sport.”I never thought I’d end up doing it straight away I thought I’d probably get out of cricket, but this is just such a good opportunity that I thought I’d be silly not to take it. I’m really focused on this one and trying to get as much out of this job and seeing where it takes me. I’m not quite sure whether it (the future) is in cricket or out of cricket, wherever it may be I don’t know.”Clark’s career for NSW was speckled with tight spells and trophies, with his rich four years in the Australian team hanging neatly as the centrepiece of a career that had looked decidedly nondescript until his 30th year. Chosen for his first Test in South Africa in 2006, Clark took nine wickets and the match award on debut. In all he played 24 Tests and took his 94 wickets at the parsimonious average of 23.86, but after the 2009 Ashes the selectors decided to go with a younger batch of bowlers. He has claimed 393 first-class victims at 27.52, and captained New South Wales for much of last summer in the absence of Simon Katich.”At the age of 29 or 30 I thought I’d never play for Australia,” said Clark. “I had four years of playing cricket for Australia, I played Test cricket and achieved prettymuch everything I could. So I’ve got no grudges against anyone.”Clark’s firm relationships with many in Australian cricket has afforded him a handy start to the task of recruiting players for the Sixers. Less familiar are the commercial concerns of a team that may yet be 49 per cent the property of a private investor, opening up plenty of posers for team management.”It’s really demanding, I was in Melbourne yesterday with CA, I’ve got plenty of stuff to organise,” said Clark. “The easier stuff to organise at the moment is the playing stuff because I know the guys, I can speak to the guys, I know their managers. It’s the commercial part of it that’s taking a lot of time because from my understanding this is going to be a big event that takes a lot of planning.”As for the lack of melodramatic farewells, Clark assumed the posture of a dedicated numbers man.”It’s just not me mate, to be fair, I’m just not that sort of person,” he said. “I don’t want the big speech with the big farewell or anything like that. It’s not my style, not what my personality is. Cricket’s been good to me and I don’t need to do one of those speeches.”