All posts by csb10.top

Associate Member Bermuda picked up two prizes in the ICC Development Program Annual Awards, making them the success story in this year’s competition. They were awarded the Best Overall Cricket Development Program and the Photo of the year titled “It’s a Catch”.A happy Reginald Pearman, president of the Bermuda Cricket Board, said: “I am excited and proud that Bermuda cricket has won these distinguished awards, which confirm that we are making progress in the right direction when it comes to our strategic goals. I am particularly pleased with the growth in our junior membership and the fact that our women’s team participated in the Women’s World Cup Qualifier in Stellenbosch and our youngsters appeared in the Under-19 World Cup in Malaysia makes me even more proud.”Jos Heggleman won the Volunteer of the Year Award for his outstanding contribution to the game in the Netherlands, while the Hong Kong Cricket Association won the Best Cricket Promotion and Marketing Award for the Hong Kong Cricket Sixes.Cricket Indonesia’s Tetrapak U-19 Development Program was declared the Best Junior Cricket Initiative program. Deutscher Cricket Bund did well in the Global Awards, picking up the Best Women’s Cricket Initiative prize for their U-19 Women’s Tournament in Oldenburg, Germany. The best Spirit of Cricket Initiative in Partnership with UNAIDS was won by the Mozambique Cricket Federation’s National Commission for School Cricket.John Wright of Ireland and Laurie Pieters of Namibia won Lifetime Service Awards for their long and dedicated service to cricket development not only in their home countries, but also internationally, given both have served on several ICC committees.Wright, the honorary secretary of the Irish Cricket Union for 10 years until stepping down this year, said: “I am extremely delighted to receive this award. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time in cricket and I must admit that it is very pleasing to be acknowledged and honoured for your services. It’s been a privilege to be part of the ICC Development Program and I wish it best of luck in the future”Ray Mali, the ICC president, who served as one of the four global judges alongside former ICC presidents Ehsan Mani and Malcolm Gray and MCC chief executive Keith Bradshaw, said: “This whole process has shown once again the outstanding work being done in the development of cricket around the world. It was immensely difficult to select the winners but those lucky enough to be chosen reflect the contributions they have made to our wonderful worldwide sport. Everyone involved, winners and those not chosen, deserve immense credit for their efforts.”Best Overall Cricket Development Program Bermuda Cricket BoardBest Women’s Cricket Initiative Oldenburg U-19 Women’s Tournament (Germany)Best Junior Cricket Initiative Tetrapak U-19 Development program (Indonesia)Best Cricket Promotional and Marketing Award – Hong Kong Cricket Sixes (Hong Kong)Best Spirit of Cricket Award in Partnership with UNAIDS – National Commission for School Cricket (Mozambique)Photo of the Year Award “It’s a Catch” (Bermuda)Volunteer of the Year Jos Heggleman (The Netherlands)Lifetime Service Award John Wright (Ireland) and Laurie Pieters (Namibia)Each Global award category is allocated US$2000 of equipment to be received by the winning national cricket body.

Michael Lumb, the left-handed middle-order batsman, has chosen not to renew his contract with Yorkshire and is to join Hampshire in 2007.”I have thoroughly enjoyed my time with Yorkshire,” Lumb said, “but felt the opportunity to take on a fresh challenge to reignite my desire to play at the highest level was too much to turn down. I would like to thank everyone involved with Yorkshire for the help and support they have shown me over the years and sincerely wish the club well for the future.”Lumb, 26, made his debut for Yorkshire in 2000 but has struggled with consistency and was dropped in 2005, although he did show renewed signs of his class with a career-best 144 in 2006.”We are very disappointed to lose a player of Michael’s undoubted ability and potential,” Stewart Regan, Yorkshire’s chief executive said. “Despite lengthy talks to persuade him his future was at Headingley, we fully respect his decision to leave.”

Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the Indian wicketkeeper, says that rotating players will help counter the burnout issue and prolong the careers of players.”When a rotation policy is there, there is no issue of burnout. We get enough rest in between [matches] to recharge our batteries,” Dhoni told Press Trust of India. “It [rotation] gives every player a chance to excel. If the same eleven are playing continously, the players will get burnt out.”Rotation allows other guys in the 14-15 member squad a chance to gain experience so that when the right time comes they can also excel. There should not be any insecurity. It [rotation] is for their own good, for a long career you need to preserve yourself.”Dhoni’s comments came a day after Virender Sehwag, the Indian vice-captain, told reporters that several players, including Rahul Dravid, the captain, had asked the Indian board reduce the number of matches. “There is too much cricket,” Sehwag had said. “Players need a break because they may burn out. They need time for fitness also, time to think about their game and to recharge their batteries. If we want to win the World Cup, we need every player to be fit.” However, Dhoni said that he was unaware that the issue had been raised with the board.Amid the debate, Harbhajan Singh, the Indian offspinner, suggested that players worried about being consumed by too much cricket could opt for rest. “I don’t mind playing as much cricket as possible because I love the game,” he said. “In fact, I don’t think there is too much cricket in BCCI’s schedule in the current season. If any player feels it, he can always request the Board to give him rest. Instead of adopting a compulsory rotation policy, players should voluntarily ask for rest if they want so.”Harbhajan added that as far as he was concerned, no amount of cricket was too much.

Indian fast bowler Sreesanth revealed the story behind the famous impromptu dance after he had hit Andre Nel for a six during the first Test in Johannesburg. “It just happened. I myself wondered when I saw it (later on TV). My brother and friends had e-mailed me about it.” Recalling the incident, Sreesanth said: “As soon as I walked in to bat, Nel said ‘I can smell blood. You do not have the guts.’ Showing his emblem on the shirt, Nel said ‘I am playing for this. You are a scared fellow, rabbit. I will get you next ball’.”Before delivering the next ball, Nel had also asked Mark Boucher to stay back and had also moved the short leg fielder. I being a fast bowler myself, knew Nel was going to bowl a bouncer. I just took my chance and prayed to God. I stepped out to connect the ball which flew over the ropes.”Sreesanth said he was very lucky to get some valuable tips from great fast bowlers like Wasim Akram and Allan Donald during the South African tour. Sreesanth said he had a session with Akram, who had advised him on how to use the reverse swing. “Akram has told me some small points. It was really helpful. It was nice of him.” Sharing an interesting coincidence, Sreesanth said: “This year on January 1, I had a session with Akram while last year the same day I had a session with another Pakistan fast bowler Waqar Younis in Kochi.”Sreesanth said he wants to use his performance in South Africa as a stepping stone for achieving greater success in the forthcoming series. “I cannot sit back on laurels. I cannot sit back and relax. I have to work with the same intensity and even more. I am still learning,” Sreesanth said. While expressing satisfaction over his performance in South Africa, during which he scripted India’s first ever Test win in the country by claiming eight wickets in Johannesburg, Sreesanth revealed that he had set a bigger target for himself. “My dream was to capture 25 wickets in the series. I thank God that I could get 18 wickets and equal Anil Kumble and Srinath’s record [in South Africa]. They are the legends in Indian cricket and to hold the record along with them is a great feeling.”Looking back at the tour where India lost both the one-day and the Test series, he said, “It is not always easy to perform well outside the country and especially in South African conditions. We tried our best. It was a team effort. May be in some points we were not good enough.” He also said the presence of Sourav Ganguly in the team helped the players. “He performed exceptionally well especially in tough situations. He is a mature player and performed well. He played a big role.”On reports of players damaging the dressing room during celebrations after the Wanderers Test win, Sreesanth said: “I do not know. That day we had a good party. I do not want to comment on that.”

ScorecardEthy Mbhalati took the first Standard Bank Pro20 hat-trick, wrecking the Eagles innings and taking the Titans to an emphatic 61-run win in their crunch match at the De Beers Diamond Oval in Kimberley.Mbhalati took 4 for 12 and was splendidly supported up front by Andre Nel, who took the key wickets of Loots Bosman (6) and Morne van Wyk (11) as the Eagles crashed to 67. Rain had interrupted their innings on 54 for 8 after 11.1 overs, their target being adjusted to 129 in 16 overs by the Duckworth/Lewis method.The Titans had earlier scored 132 for 8, a total which did not seem sufficient on a ground that usually produces a feast of runs. But that was before Mbhalati barged through the Eagles middle-order, moving the ball off the seam and bowling with tremendous accuracy.The Eagles slumped to 28 for 4 as Mbhalati removed Dean Elgar (1) with the third ball of his third over and Jacques Rudolph (7) with the last delivery. Captain Boeta Dippenaar failed to repair the damage and was caught off the first ball of Mbhalati’s next over. Ryan Bailey was cleaned up by a superb delivery first ball to give the seamer, who has had a top-class limited-overs season, a historic landmark. The Eagles were then in tatters at 33 for 6 and Pierre Joubert took two wickets in seven balls before rain intervened.On an unpredictable pitch, Gulam Bodi was the one Titans batsman to ride the rough seas, scoring 62 off 53 balls, before his dismissal sparked a collapse of four wickets for three runs in seven balls. Albie Morkel was the other batsman to hit out, scoring 18 off 12 balls.Dillon du Preez, Jandre Coetzee and Roger Telemachus each claimed two dismissals, while Ryan McLaren and Thandi Tshabalala restricted the batsmen well, conceding just 19 and 20 runs respectively in their four overs.
ScorecardA fine bowling performance by the Warriors ground the Lions to an 18-run defeat in a rain-affected Standard Bank Pro20 match in Potchefstroom. The Lions were restricted to 87 for 8 and lost on the Duckworth/Lewis method after their target was reduced from 120 to 106 following a floodlight failure.Two run outs – one of them off a deflection at the non-striker’s end – in the first three wickets to fall put the Lions on the back foot as they set off in pursuit of the Warriors’ 119 for 7 from 16 overs.Spinners Arno Jacobs and Johan Botha ensured there was no escape for the Lions after the damage had been done at the top of the order.Opener Blake Snijman risked a single to Zander de Bruyn at mid-on and was run out by a direct hit.Wayne Parnell, the South African Under-19 captain, had Alviro Petersen lbw for five to reduce the Lions to 16 for 2 but the innings fell apart in the space of three balls at the turn of the sixth over. First, Vaughan van Jaarsveld’s fierce, straight cross-bat slog was deflected on to the non-striker’s wicket by Botha to remove Justin Ontong for 14. Two balls later, van Jaarsveld was bowled by Jacobs as he tried to cut a straight ball. That reduced the Lions to 36 for 4 and the innings was effectively dead in the water.To make matters worse, there was a ten-minute stoppage for a floodlight failure with the Lions requiring 53 from four overs with four wickets in hand, which was revised to 39 from two overs on resumption – which proved beyond their grasp.The Warriors’ 119 did not look all that formidable as only de Bruyn’s unbeaten 34 and an explosive 28 from Athenkosi Dyili came at more than a run-a-ball. The Lions chipped away regularly and never allowed the Warriors to build any momentum and de Bruyn and Dyili had to make their contributions in isolation.Dyili hit five fours and a six in his 14-ball knock before being bowled off an inside edge while de Bruyn hit the accelerator only in final two overs, helping his team to 26 runs with the help of Rusty Theron.

The person hoping most that Shane Watson’s injured hamstring will prevent him from playing in the third Test is Damien Martyn. A slow start to the series has put his place in doubt for a home-ground appearance in Perth if Australia insist on picking an allrounder or five frontline bowlers.Watson’s all-purpose skills have been highlighted by the Australia selectors as essential to this Ashes campaign and they are desperate to trial him, but his leg problem flared before the first Test and he was ruled out of a Queensland one-day match on Wednesday. Martyn was the side’s best batsman during the Champions Trophy triumph in India last month but since returning home he has failed to contribute in the opening two Tests.Dropped after the 2005 Ashes series, he has again struggled with scores of 29, 11 and 5 and all three dismissals have come from catches behind the wicket. His fourth-ball departure as the Adelaide game closed – it followed a thumping, lofted off-drive – may have been his last moment as one of the country’s most gifted Test players.The re-emergence of Michael Clarke, who struck a sensible 124 in the first innings and was 21 not out as Australia took a 2-0 lead, means he will almost certainly hold his place for Perth. “We’ll keep our fingers cross and hope Watson’s okay, which he should be,” Ricky Ponting said in Adelaide. “Then it will be a tough call for the selectors.”Michael has played brilliantly in this game, his hundred in the first innings, at a difficult time, was full of class. He looked a million dollars throughout the innings. If Watson does come up fit there will be a tough call to be made.”Martyn returned to the Test outfit in South Africa and added a nerveless century in the final match to seal a 3-0 series win, but he has been unable to muster anything of note in the current campaign. In Brisbane he glided Ashley Giles to slip and in Adelaide he was twice caught at gully, edging Matthew Hoggard in the first innings and stepping away and slicing Andrew Flintoff in the second.Australia needed to keep the run-rate rattling as they chased 168 in 36 overs, but Martyn’s swift dismissal was a sad way to end the innings, and perhaps his career. The squad will have a couple of days off before heading to Perth to prepare to face England at the WACA from December 14.

AB de Villiers has confirmed he wants to reduce his workload across all formats of the game and discussions will take place with Cricket South Africa in May as talk about his future swirled amid a report that he was considering retirement from Test cricket.De Villiers was responding to a story in the newspaper which claimed several former team-mates and friends revealed that de Villiers was contemplating quitting because of unhappiness with the South African system.In a pre-play television interview with Mike Haysman before the third day in Durban, de Villiers explained his concerns about the amount of cricket on his schedule, reaffirmed his commitment to the country but did not categorically deny the newspaper’s claims.”There are a lot of rumours flying around I hear, but for the last two to three years the only talk I’ve been doing is to keep myself fresh and to have a bit of rest here and there,” de Villiers said. “It’s always been the most important thing for me to enjoy my cricket. It’s just important to look at the schedule moving forward, that’s the talk in the camp and for me maybe not to play all kinds of cricket.”De Villiers admitted he is being stretched, especially as his workload is not limited to international cricket. “If I play all the IPL games the whole season, I do get a bit tired towards the end of the season,” he said. “That’s the only thing that I’ve been talking about in the last while. To keep myself fresh and to keep enjoying the game. I love representing my country and nothing has changed.”After the day’s play Mohammed Moosajee, the South Africa team manager, said that there were ongoing discussions about how to find de Villiers a break and a plan for the next year would be drawn up after the World T20 but for the rest of the season he will continue in all three formats.”When any international cricketer plays for 10 or more years, there is a concern about what happens when they stop playing,” Moosajee said. “AB is in constant contact with Russell [Domingo] and selectors to find opportunities to give him a break. He is still very much committed to playing for his country, it’s to look at the schedule for 12 months and see where we can give him time off.”That discussion will take place when new contracts are announced in May. Until the end of the season, he is committed to playing all forms. It’s all about getting the perfect balance. And getting the time to take time off.”Since his debut in 2004, de Villiers played 98 straight Tests before missing the July tour to Bangladesh for the birth of his first child. He also skipped the ODI leg of that series after he was banned for the first match for an over-rate violation and given time off after that. The South African management have been careful with ensuring de Villiers gets enough time off and have left him out of some bilateral series, such as the one to Australia last November, but they have also continually added to his job.De Villiers was forced to keep wicket in Tests after publicly stating he did not want to when Quinton de Kock rolled his ankle against West Indies last summer. He has since had to take over again after de Kock and his replacement, Dane Vilas, were both dropped. De Villiers has also had to bat a place higher than normal, No.4, because of the fragility of the current line-up and apart from Dean Elgar, has been the only batsmen to find form in the last few months. The burden may simply be getting too heavy.However, suggested it was a combination of exhaustion and irritation with internal policies, chiefly the transformation plan which is well-intentioned but threatening to derail some aspects of South African cricket. De Villiers was deeply affected by the selection controversy of the World Cup semi-final, which saw Vernon Philander picked ahead of Kyle Abbott.Similarly, Graeme Smith was reported to have been unhappy when the selectors insisted on Thami Tsolekile playing in the Test XI. CSA denied that Smith had threatened to quit over the fracas but three months later, Smith cited family reasons for his premature retirement.No comments have yet been made about the other two players who are also rumoured to be considering calling it quits. wrote that Dale Steyn, who has suffered several injuries since turning 30, and Philander, who is looking to county cricket, could also bid farewell to international cricket after the England series. Morne Morkel, the bowling partner, to those two was not asked about either of those but laughed off suggestion of de Villiers’ possible retirement.

What can you say of a man that makes 149 in a World Cup final? That he illuminated a game that ended in darkness? That he’s a once-in-a-lifetime player? That he made a difficult art appear ludicrously simple? That we shall never see his like again? Words alone could never do justice to the incandescence of Adam Gilchrist’s strokeplay, or capture the spirit of a man who batted almost ethereally on a pitch where other gifted players had to work hard for runs.Even if he’d gone for a first-ball duck, Gilchrist would still be one of the first names on the team-sheet when someone sits down to pick an all-time XI. There have been great batsmen, and great wicketkeepers, but few have coalesced the two skills together quite like the man who moved across the Nullarbor Plain to Western Australia because he wasn’t getting a game for his native New South Wales.At 35, Gilchrist’s halcyon years are behind him. The figures suggest as much, with just 656 runs at 27.33 in 25 one-day games before today and 815 runs at 30.18 in his last 20 Tests. But with the instinct of an ageing prizefighter up in lights at Madison Square Garden for the last time, he summoned all his skill and experience to deliver the knockout blows in this World Cup final.His ten previous outings in the Caribbean had fetched him just 304 runs, a figure swelled by half-centuries against the Netherlands and Bangladesh. Comparisons can perhaps be made to Sir Vivian Richards who had tallied only 79 runs in three innings at the 1979 edition before igniting like a Catherine-Wheel for 138 in the final.But where the Richards innings was a more measured affair, with Collis King supplying the pyrotechnics, Gilchrist blazed away from the moment that he picked up a Chaminda Vaas delivery and lofted it over the man at square leg. There was one chance, a tough return catch to Dilhara Fernando when he had 31, but apart from that and the odd miscue that fell safely, it was a resplendent innings, one that made Matthew Hayden, the tournament’s top run-scorer with 659 runs, seem like a jittery amateur.”It was a brilliant innings,” Mahela Jayawardene said afterwards.”Unfortunately, I was the opposition captain looking at it. He did the same to us in a VB Series final at Brisbane last year. Our guys stuck at it, but it was just brilliant hitting.”The century that Jayawardene referred to, on Valentine’s Day in 2006, was Gilchrist’s 14th for Australia. Since then, he had gone 33 matches without reaching three figures, and he acknowledged afterwards that he owed his team a special performance. “It’s been a frustrating sort of tournament for me,” he said. “I was part of some partnerships without really nailing down a big score.

“The standards that this group sets are so high and if you feel you’re not meeting them, you tend to put pressure on yourself and even doubt yourself. I got the belief to rise above that from my team-mates and the coaching staff. It’s amazing how much that can lift you.”On the field, the reprieve from Fernando was all the encouragement that he needed. Later in the same over, he swung one down to the square-leg fence, following up with a thunderbolt that nearly took Hayden with it to the boundary. But Fernando’s punishment wasn’t complete, and a free-flowing swing sent the next ball over mid-on and perilously close to a fire engine.A monstrous hit into the 3Ws stand behind the sightscreen at the Joel Garner End was the harbinger of bad times for Sri Lanka, and though Fernando nearly cleaned him up with a clever slower ball, any bubbles of hope were quickly dispersed with some stunning shots. A flat six over mid-off kept the fielder on the boundary interested for the longest time, but there was no hint of good fortune in the encore, a gorgeous drive straight past the bowler. When he subsequently edged Fernando for four in his next over, the rueful smile from the bowler revealed what many inside the stadium already felt. The game was up.”As far as I’m concerned, he hasn’t played a better one,” Ricky Ponting said. “He hardly missed the middle of the bat all day. Matty Hayden, who’s probably been batsman of the tournament, was looking shaky and scratchy and pretty ordinary at the other end. The one difference between the teams today was Gilly’s innings. To be able to go out and play like that in a final says a lot about the bloke.”It says something about the man too that he batted with a squash ball inside his left glove, advice from Bob Meuleman in Perth that he acknowledged with a special gesture immediately after completing a 72-ball century. And if such a bountiful cake needed any icing, it came in the shape of the tumbling catch that ensured Glenn McGrath, the greatest bowler of our age and a good mate, wouldn’t go quietly into the Barbados night.Long before the farce-tinged end, the Australian fans were celebrating by singing along to , the Men at Work classic. While Gilchrist was out there though, they weren’t watching a man at work. They watched genius.

First Division

Darren Pattinson bowled his first over on the opening day at Trent Bridge at around 11.05 am and also bowled the final over at around 6.30 pm. During that time 20 wickets tumbled as Pattinson ripped Lancashire apart with a career-best 6 for 30 before Nottinghamshire were removed for 202. It was the second time in two matches that Lancashire had been involved in such a day, following their game against Durham last week. Pattinson took a five-wicket haul on his county debut in the opening match of the season against Kent, but had to move aside while Ryan Sidebottom and Stuart Broad were available. With those two on England duty, Pattinson had another chance and responded in destructive fashion. Lancashire’s top order – missing Mohammad Yousuf who has had some minor visa issues – slumped to 16 for 4, and later the last six wickets went for 12. In between Stuart Law (55) and Steven Croft began a recovery but Mark Ealham started the second collapse by having Croft caught by Graeme Swann. Wickets continued to fall as Nottinghamshire slipped to 43 for 3. Samit Patel produced the best innings of the day, adding 93 with Mark Wagh (55), and Patel’s 74 off 71 balls took his team into the lead before Gary Keedy – the first spiner of the match – grabbed two quick wickets. Croft then swiftly wrapped up the innings with his medium-pace, although the lead of 89 is useful on a lively surface. The pitch inspectors are on their way for the start of the second day.Chris Tremlett continued the promising form he showed for England Lions last week with five wickets as Hampshire had a productive first day against Surrey at The Rose Bowl. He removed Jon Batty for a duck and returned to have Scott Newman bowled via an inside edge when he appeared set. Mark Ramprakash, searching for his 100th hundred, was caught behind for 17 as plenty of Surrey batsmen made starts without capitalising. Mark Butcher, well caught by Sean Ervine at midwicket, and Usman Afzaal fell in the forties despite being dropped three times between them. Matthew Nicholson’s 40 gave the total some respectability and the day ended on a positive note for Surrey when Jimmy Ormond removed Michael Carberry in his first over.The Somerset top order enjoyed the conditions at Taunton and Sussex endured a tough day in the field. James Hildreth scored his first Championship century of the season as the visitors were made to toil in typically batsman-friendly conditions. Chris Adams put Somerset in, perhaps swayed by last week’s match when Somerset were 23 for 6 against Hampshire. Neil Edwards was within touching distance of his own century but, having advanced out of the crease against Ollie Rayner, was run out for 99 by some swift work from Chris Adams at slip. Marcus Trescothick hit 74 with 11 boundaries before becoming Corey Collymore’s first Championship wicket.Click here for John Ward’s report of the first day’s play between Durham and Yorkshireat Chester-le-Street where Michael Di Venuto dominated with an unbeaten 184.

Second Division

Chris Taylor and Steven Snell hit centuries to haul Gloucestershire out of a hole against Worcestershire at New Road. The pair added 222 in 53 overs for the sixth wicket after the top order had fallen against the new ball to leave them struggling on 85 for 5. Simon Jones struck twice in his first spell, but Taylor and Snell carried the game away from Worcestershire. Snell began his cricketing life on the Isle of Wright and has now been preferred ahead of Stephen Adshead in the Championship. He reached his first century off 179 balls while Taylor hit four sixes in his 137 before being caught behind off Gareth Batty. But the momentum was now with Gloucestershire, a point emphatically hammered home by Mark Hardinges’ 43-ball half-century during the final session.Jonathan Clare continued the impressive form, which has earned him a contract extension, and his unbeaten 70 boosted a mediocre batting performance by Derbyshire at Sophia Gardens. The Glamorgan attack made early inroads as James Harris helped reduce Derbyshire to 66 for 3. Chris Rogers made 69 before being caught behind off David Harrison, but Clare and Graham Wagg (32) started the fightback with a stand of 50. Robert Croft worked his way through the tail to end with four wickets, including his 900th for Glamorgan. Matthew Wood fell early to Wagg, but Gareth Rees gave Glamorgan a solid platform to their reply.2nd dayJacques du Toit hit his maiden first-class century as Leicestershire piled up 527, their highest total for nearly two years, against Northamptonshire at Grace Road. He built on the solid work from the top order on the opening day, adding 129 with Paul Nixon (79) for the seventh wicket. Even when Nicky Boje removed them both the problems didn’t stop for Northamptonshire as Jermaine Lawson clubbed 35 off 29 balls at No. 11. Niall O’Brien built a solid response after Lawson removed Stephen Peters with a leg-stump yorker, finishing the day unbeaten on 76.

India have a new captain for the seven-match home ODI series against Australia, but they are “extremely unlikely” to have a new coach by then. Although the Board of Control for Cricket in India had initially hoped to appoint a coach before the series, the chances of that happening now appear slim and the appointment of a cricket manager is more likely.The BCCI advertised for the post of coach on leading cricket board websites on August 27 and set September 15 as the deadline for interested candidates to write in. Cricinfo has learnt that the BCCI has received close to 20 applications in all, both from India and abroad, for the post.However, the committee constituted to decide on the next course of action to be taken in appointing the coach may not be able to meet on September 27, the date earlier fixed for this purpose. The committee – comprising former Indian captains Sunil Gavaskar, Ravi Shastri and S Venkataraghavan, the board secretary, Niranjan Shah, the joint secretary, Mohinder Pandove and the treasurer, N Srinivasan – was constituted to pick the next coach. However, Gavaskar and Shastri are both in South Africa, commentating on the ICC World Twenty20, and are only likely to return to India on September 26 or 27.A top board source said it is already on the look-out for a cricket manager for the seven-match series. Even if the committee meets on September 27 and reviews the applications it has received, and short-lists candidates for the post, it will not be able to complete the interview process before the Australia series, which begins in Bangalore on September 29.”We will probably have to appoint someone as cricket manager for the home series against Australia,” the source said. “We are looking for likely candidates and could consider some of the Indians who have applied for the coach’s job.”The most prominent among the Indians who have applied for that job is Chandrakant Pandit, who had successful coaching stints with Mumbai, India A and Maharashtra. Recently, though, he was not released from his duty at Maharashtra, and was replaced as India A coach by Paras Mhambrey.With India enjoying considerably more success than was expected in some quarters at the ICC World Twenty20 in South Africa, the possibility of Lalchand Rajput – doing the job of cricket manager – getting an extension for the home series cannot be ruled out. However, there have been rumblings in some sections of the board that too many plum posts are going to former cricketers from the West Zone. With Sharad Pawar, the president, Dilip Vengsarkar, the chairman of selectors, and Ratnakar Shetty, the chief administrative officer, all coming from West Zone, it has been whispered that former players from Mumbai are getting more opportunities as managers and coaches than others. The BCCI is keen to show that it is not parochial in its appointments.Richard Done, Tim Boon, Kepler Wessels, Terry Oliver, Dave Nosworthy and Martin Crowe are some of the applicants for the coaching position from overseas.Done was once head of the Queensland Academy of Excellence, and took over as an ICC High Performance manager in 2004 when Bob Woolmer joined Pakistan and left the post vacant. Done recently interviewed for the job of Pakistan coach but lost out to fellow Australian Geoff Lawson.Oliver succeeded Bennett King as the Queensland coach in 2002 after King took up the West Indies job, but it appears that his candidature will be ruled out as the advertisement issued by the BCCI stipulates that candidates should have played “at least first-class cricket.” Oliver, who played club and grade cricket in Australia, never played first-class cricket.There’s also Tim Boon, the former Leicestershire batsman, who has served as assistant coach of the England team, who now coaches Leicestershire. A while ago the BCCI received an application from Boon, although Paul Maylard-Mason, the chief executive of the Leicestershire County Cricket Club, issued a statement saying Boon was not in the race for the India job. Maylard-Mason insisted that Boon was committed to Leicestershire. Sources indicate that Boon has personally indicated his genuine interest in the India job, but the Indian board will be wary given their recent experience with Graham Ford.Wessels, the former Australia and South Africa international, it is learned, reached Indian officials through a senior Indian cricketer, expressing an interest in the job. Wessels has coaching experience in England, with counties including Northamptonshire but has not coached an international team.Nosworthy, who coaches Canterbury, has in the past coached teams in South Africa, where he played first-class cricket for Border and Northern Transvaal.Crowe’s case is a curious one. His application was first forwarded to the BCCI by “a well-wisher” and Crowe said he had no idea that his CV had reached the BCCI. Later, though, he conceded he could be interested in the job under favourable circumstances.