Warne hails flower as new England coach

LONDON: Andy Flower has all the qualities to do well and England made the right decision by appointing the former Zimbabwe captain as the head
coach, said spin legend Shane Warne.

Hailing Flower's appointment as the new coach of England, Warne, who doesn't believe coaches have much of a role in international cricket, said the England and Wales Cricket Board got the designation right as well.

"England have taken a step in the right direction by appointing Andy Flower, and I think the new job title as team director is the right one," Warne was quoted as saying by 'The Daily Telegraph'.

"At international level, the 'coach' shouldn't be coaching - players don't need to hear about high left elbows and all that rubbish," said Warne, who had repeated run-in with former Australian coach John Buchanan during their days together.

Instead of trying to coach players at this level, Warne said the job is more about communication.

"Basically, you want a good communicator who creates an environment where players feel comfortable and can play their own way knowing they will get support.

"Flower is a quality individual who earned the respect of everybody in the game with the way he played and for what he did off the field," said the flamboyant spinner who leads defending champion Rajasthan Royals in the second edition of Indian Premier League in South Africa.

Warne felt Flower's would be a calming influence on the England team.

"I think he will be a big calming influence in the dressing-room. He is one of those people who will be hard, but very fair. And being quite young, an Essex player until recently, means he is in tune with the modern game. He has all the qualities for the role," said the Australian.

Source: TOI

Chappell betrayed our trust - Sehwag

In a candid interview with PTI, Virender Sehwag has said that former India coach Greg Chappell betrayed his trust by disclosing information to the media and selectors but described the incumbent Gary Kirsten as 'the best I have ever seen.'

He said that Chappell made him change his batting style. "He had his view on my front-foot play, my footwork. The thing with him was that whatever you shared with him, it was promptly disclosed to media and selectors. He talked and that hurt the trust. I wasn't comfortable with him."

Sehwag wasn't all praise for the then psychologist either. "I never went alone to psychologist Rudi Webster. In a session with Webster, we all had our chunk of time. I am one who believes that if you open up your thoughts to someone you trust, you feel lighter and thus better. But I found out that Webster couldn't keep things confidential."

Sehwag felt that Kirsten was the best coach because he never tried to force things upon the players. "He is the best coach I have ever seen. He doesn't force things on you. His basic premise is: you all are international cricketers and you know how to succeed and how important it is to succeed. So I won't thrust myself on you. But whenever you need me, for practice, throwing balls, sharing ideas, worries, I am always there."

© Cricbuzz

Kirsten reveals secret of Yuvi's return to Test form

Mohali (Punjab): India's cricket coach Gary Kirsten has revealed that Yuvraj Singh rediscovered his form in the Chennai Test against England after being asked to "pretend" that he was playing a one-day knock.

Comeback man Yuvraj, who flopped in the first innings with 14 runs, more than made up for it with a quick-fire 85 in the second essay as India clinched a memorable six-wicket victory.

"Yuvraj has felt the heat but you need just one innings to turn it around. We told him to pretend he was playing a one-day innings, and to play positively," Kirsten told 'Neo Cricket'.

Kirsten said even when England were on top, he was confident of an Indian win.

"England were on top but we still felt that we could win. Then it was up to England to make a plan. We went into the fifth day saying that we could do it," he said.

"We were sure that we could make it. I had seen Sehwag play and knew what he was capable of and Sachin was of course equally good," he added.

India chased down a record 387 target in the match riding on Sachin Tendulkar's magnificent 41st hundred. Kirsten said even when not in best of forms, Tendulkar is a confidence-booster in the dressing room. "The players were nervous but when you have Tendulkar at the crease, playing as he did, the nervousness seems to disappear," said Kirsten.

Kirsten said the reason why India had been putting up one dominating display after another is the fine current form of all the team members.

"Our batting line-up is getting decent scores and there is great balance in the bowling line-up," said Kirsten. "It's been amazing being part of this setup and it's been really big for me," he added.

© Copyright 2008 PTI. All rights reserved.

We want to beat India by 150 runs: Lawson

Dhaka: After crushing Bangladesh by 70 runs, Pakistan coach Geoff Lawson says his team would now look to extend its 12-match unbeaten run by routing arch-rivals India by a bigger margin.

An elated Lawson said Pakistan just had to play their natural game without allowing the pressure of the contest to get to their nerves.

"We do not want to treat the match as a must win one and put ourselves under pressure. We want to play our own game,"

Lawson said about the match, a win in which would assure Pakistan a place in the finals.
On what the team's strategy would be against India, obviously stronger opponents than Bangladesh, the Australian said it was not meant to be discussed in the media.

"I would prefer to discuss strategies against India with my players rather than telling the media. I would like to score a 150-run win over India on Tuesday," he said.

Lawson was all praise for his bowlers and said the team won because of a coordinated effort.
"We analysed our matches against Bangladesh so far in the recent past and decided on our strategies to success. Our batsmen, particularly the top order and the bowlers did a fantastic job. It was a total coordinated effort," Lawson said.

Source: http://www.cricketnext.com/news/we-want-to-beat-india-by-150-runs-lawson/32061-13.html

Dhoni's men hope to make it unlucky 13th

Dhaka: With the euphoria of Indian Premier League all but settled, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his team will have to quickly get back into the One-day mode to snap Pakistan's 12-match winning streak when the traditional rivals face off in the cricket tri-series here on Tuesday.

Pakistan routed Bangladesh by 70 runs in the tri-series opener on Sunday night to extend their unbeaten streak to 12 matches and it would be a tough task for Dhoni's young Indian side to halt the arch-rivals.

Pakistan coach Geoff Lawson has already sounded the war bugle when he said that his wards would look to thump India by a bigger margin to make it 13 wins in a row.

India, severely under-strength because of pre-tournament injury woes, would be in for further trouble as opener Virender Sehwag is a doubtful starter due to high fever. Besides, the team is still awaiting the arrival of pacer S Sreesanth's replacement Manpreet Singh Gony.

With seniors like Sachin Tendulkar, recovering from a groin injury, and Harbhajan Singh, serving a ban for slapping Sreesanth during the IPL, not in the ranks, it would be anything but easy for Dhoni's young brigade against Pakistan.

The team had a feel of the ground and the conditions on Sunday and put in three hours at the indoor nets after rain prevented any outdoor practice session.

The short tri-series, being seen as a warm-up for the Asia Cup late this month in Pakistan, is crucial for the Indians as it provides an opportunity for players like all-rounder Yusuf Pathan, spinner Piyush Chawla and Gony to show their worth in absence of the seniors.

With the pitch at the Sher-e-Bangla Stadium likely to assist the batsmen, India's new-look bowling attack, to be spearheaded by Irfan Pathan and Ishant Sharma, will be severely tested.
No doubt, the Indian team has the batting strength to score heavily on a strip like this but it remains to be seen how their bowlers contain hard hitters like Salman Butt, Kamran Akmal, Misbah-ul-Haq, Younis Khan and Muhammad Yousuf.

The much-anticipated contest meanwhile faces a major threat from the weather gods. The opener itself was truncated because of intermittent drizzle and this match too could see rain interruptions.

As for the Pakistani attack, the medium-pacers, particularly young talent Wahab Riaz, were impressive in last night's win over Bangladesh. But with Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif missing from the attack, it remains to be seen how Sohail Tanvir and his bowling colleagues fare against India's star-studded line-up.

In the batting department, though Butt, Yousuf and Misbah looked in good nick, Pakistan's line-up still sports a vulnerable look and even Bangladesh, with their limited options in the bowling department, shot them out in 39.3 overs.

Source: http://www.cricketnext.com/news/dhonis-men-hope-to-make-it-unlucky-13th/32060-13.html

'Transition to ODIs from T20 will be smooth'

Press Trust Of India
Posted on Jun 09, 2008 at 15:15 Updated Jun 09, 2008 at 20:35

Dhaka: India coach Gary Kirsten ruled out any Indian Premier League hangover on the team and asserted that the transition from Twenty20 to One-Day cricket would be smooth for his wards in their tri-series opener against arch-rivals Pakistan here on Tuesday.

Talking to reporters ahead of the match, Kirsten said the team think-tank have done enough to ensure that the players swiftly adjust into the One-Day mode.

"It is something we have given some considerations and thoughts too. We need to make sure that our game plan and strategies are designed for 50 overs cricket. It is different to what they did in IPL. So, we worked hard during the last two days to get things right," Kirsten said.

The Indian players just finished their assignment in the 44-day IPL and had hardly any breathing space as they flew in here for the tri-series.

Asked if they were made to play too many matches, Kirsten said, "That is the reason that the selectors have chosen a pretty young side for this tournament and the Asia Cup.

Source: http://www.cricketnext.com/news/transition-to-odis-from-t20-will-be-smooth/32062-13.html

India, Pakistan set to spice up dull series

Digvijay Singh Deo CNN-IBN

Dhaka: India versus Pakistan: a cricketing rivalry that sets pulses racing anywhere in the world at any time. And in Dhaka on Tuesday the two teams will face off in the shadow of the high of the IPL. But India's coaching staff is hopeful that the IPL hangover is well and truly over.

The mood in the Indian camp is relaxed yet gung-ho about a battle with old rivals Pakistan. The weather gods haven't been kind but the management hasn't allowed it to dampen the spirits.
"There is no issue of motivation about the intensity the guys are going to play with. They know they are representing their country, it's a big game," coach Gary Kirsten says, dispelling murmurs of lack of commitment.

Virender Sehwag missed the practice session due to a light fever but he is expected to be fit and available for selection. The lack of experience isn't worrying the team too much. This is a building block after what the young guns achieved in Australia.

"There are still some senior players who are available to play One-day cricket for India, and certainly they are going to be considered. I think every team in the world needs to go through this transition, repairing," Kirsten adds.

Pakistan didn't break any sweat in thrashing the hosts and opted to have a rest day. They are on a 12-match winning streak and a young team is ready for India.

"We have won 11 (now 12) in a row which is a record for Pakistan, but we would like to take that much further. And hopefully with a win in this tournament it would be the ideal start," says Pakistan coach Geoff Lawson.

The advantage of having a young side is that they are fearless and they don't care too much about the opposition. Pakistan are on a hot streak and come into this match after having registered 12 successive wins on the trot. But India are keyed up and the stage is set for a classic before the final.

Source: http://www.cricketnext.com/news/india-pakistan-set-to-spice-up-dull-series/32067-13.html