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He played four Tests for Australia and was within 11 runs of a century on debut in 2014

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Apr-2021Tasmania batter Alex Doolan, who played four Tests for Australia, has announced his retirement.He finishes with 6824 runs in first-class cricket, of which 5978 came in the Sheffield Shield putting him eighth on the list for Tasmania.His best Sheffield Shield season came in 2012-13 as he made a push for national honours by scoring 876 runs at 51.52.His four Tests came in 2014 – all away from home – and he got within touching distance of a century on debut when he fell for 89 against South Africa at Centurion. That would remain his one half-century and he lost his place after the first Test against Pakistan in October 2014.The season after losing his Test spot was a lean one where he averaged just 18.94 but in subsequent campaigns he was a consistent contributor for Tasmania and made his career-best 247 in the 2017-18 summer and last season scored twin centuries in the match against South Australia.However, with the emergence of some new batting talent he became a fringe player this season although was handed a hasty recall for what became his last first-class match when he was summoned to Melbourne on the morning of the game against Victoria after Tim Paine withdrew through illness. He was still collecting his luggage at the airport when the innings started.”It wasn’t tough at all really,” Doolan said of the decision to retire. “I had two weeks off over Christmas while the Big Bash was going on, and it was just a bit too good to refuse, so I made the call then and I’ve been very comfortable with it ever since.””I’ve probably come into the last three or four seasons thinking maybe [it will be my last] you just never know. But selection definitely didn’t sway it at all. Once you’ve reached over 30 and you’re no longer in the frame to play at the highest level you’re always on borrowed time a little bit.”I thought I was contributing really well to the team but the team has also progressed to a point now where there are a lot of young guys coming through, filling those spaces and looking to take the next step as well, so you can’t play forever, and sometimes it’s just time to get out of the way and let the next crop come through.”

The batsman, who top-scored with 63, has defended Pakistan’s decision to bat first in Karachi

Danyal Rasool in Karachi19-Dec-2019Asad Shafiq has defended Pakistan’s decision to bat first upon winning the toss despite the side being bowled out for 191. Shafiq, who top-scored for the hosts with 63, said he “hadn’t ever” seen the ball spin the way it did on the first morning here in Karachi, where the Sri Lanka left-arm spinner Lasith Embuldeniya made hay, snapping up four wickets.”I wasn’t expecting turn on day one here, and like I said, I’ve never seen that happen in the first two days,” Shafiq said. “There was a little bit
of moisture, but the Sri Lankans used the conditions really well. The fast bowlers bowled very well after lunch, and the spinner didn’t leak any
runs. So they kept up the pressure from both ends.”We lost a few early wickets today and that put us under pressure, but after that [Babar Azam and I] struck up a good partnership. What we needed to do was prolong that partnership because the team only really benefits if these partnerships become big stands. That was our goal, but we must give credit to the Sri Lankan bowlers, especially the spinners. We weren’t expecting the ball to turn at all, and all the cricket I’ve played here, I haven’t really seen the ball turn like that on the first two days.”Shafiq should know. Hailing from Karachi, he’s played more cricket at this venue than at any other during his career, and while this may be his first Test at his home ground, it was apparent he was in his comfort zone.Looking the most assured Pakistan batsman on the day, he came to the crease with the side in trouble at 65 for 3, and dug Pakistan out of that situation to the relative comfort of 127 for 3. When Babar Azam, who, despite his half-century, never seemed as commanding a presence on the pitch as Pakistan have become used to seeing, fell to extra turn, Shafiq continued to anchor the innings, keeping the inevitable collapse at bay.But he found himself marooned with the tail, and while it is a scenario Shafiq should be familiar with – he has batted at No. 6 for much of his career and scored more Test hundreds from that position than anyone else – batting in such a situation doesn’t come naturally to him. Shafiq is much happier to keep the limelight at arm’s length, and would rather work away quietly at his own game than take charge of a situation; he even said today that he preferred to ask the tail-ender how many balls they were happy facing than trust himself with that decision. Those may not be the most useful attributes when batting with the tail, however, and just as was the case in Brisbane last month, it brought about Shafiq’s own downfall.Azhar Ali hears the death rattle behind him•Associated Press

“I didn’t play with the tail too long today, but whenever I do, I look at my partner and ask how comfortable they are,” Shafiq said. “If they say they’re happy for me to take the single on the first or second ball, then I try and give them more confidence. Others may be uncomfortable against one type of bowler or another – maybe a left-arm seamer or a fast bowler – and in those cases I try and take as much strike as possible.”It’s actually tricky to score like that, because the fielders spread out when the set batsman is on strike. So I try to sneak in a boundary when they come up around the fourth ball and move the scoreboard forward that way.”But as the man who spent more time out on the crease than any other batsman, Shafiq was confident the conditions would continue to offer enough to the bowlers to ensure Sri Lanka won’t be allowed to get away on day two.”We didn’t think there’d be so much turn and seam on day one,” Shafiq said. “There was a little bit of grass on the pitch; the fast bowlers are still seaming and swinging the ball, and that remained the case right through to the end of the day. Our bowlers are bowling well too, and I think if they continue that tomorrow, we can get them out within the total that we put up.”Shafiq also offered steadfast support to his struggling captain Azhar Ali, whose two-ball duck left him without a half-century in his last 12 Test innings, of which he hasn’t reached double figures in eight. Shafiq even deflected some of the criticism onto himself, saying it was the job of the set batsmen to go on and make convert half-centuries into hundreds.”When Misbah [-ul-Haq] and Younis [Khan] played with us, we saw how they converted those fifties into hundreds. I am not doing that right now, but I’m trying my best,” Shafiq said. “As for Azhar, he’s the best batsman in the side. He’s performed for Pakistan for so long, but he’s going through a bad patch. We’re all supporting him and are confident he’ll manage to get out of it.”

Sri Lanka catching has been woeful over the past two years, particularly in limited-overs cricket

Andrew Fidel Fernando in Colombo27-Oct-20181:39

Social Story: Denly’s back!

The 10-ball period in which Sri Lanka dropped three catches – all of them off England top-scorer Jason Roy – was when the hosts lost the one-off T20I in Colombo, according to captain Thisara Perera. Roy was spilled in the deep three times, and the first two chances off the bowling of Lakshan Sandakan were particularly straightforward. He would make 34 runs off 11 balls after that first reprieve.Although in the recent ODI series, Sri Lanka had been half-decent in the field, they have in general caught woefully over the past two years, particularly in limited-overs cricket. Three different head coaches – Graham Ford, Nic Pothas and now Chandika Hathurusingha – have attempted to turn Sri Lanka’s fielding around, but have not been decisive in correcting the malaise.”It’s hard to keep saying every time that when we drop catches, we lose the game. But that was the most important thing in today’s game also,” said Thisara. “That was a bad patch for us. It’s the batsmen that scored the most runs for them whom we reprieved. We could have kept them to under 160 if we took those three or four catches.”The other definitive period of the game, for Thisara, was the first three overs of Sri Lanka’s chase, when Joe Denly dismissed both the openers, and had the hosts 16 for 2.”We also gave away two wickets in the first few overs, and lost a lot of momentum there. If we had kept those wickets in hand, we might have been able to chase 188, especially given the outfield was a little greasy.”Later in the chase, Adil Rashid would effectively seal the match for England, with a four-over spell that claimed three wickets and conceded only 11 runs. Though Thisara is not a part of the Test set-up, he felt Rashid was hitting ominous form just ahead of the Tests.”Moeen Ali and Rashid are bowling really well. They are bowling good lengths, which is the main thing. It will be really difficult for us in the matches coming up as well. They are going well in Asia.”

Sri Lanka pursued 388 – the highest successful chase on the island – with fifties from Niroshan Dickwella and Asela Gunaratne

The Report by Andrew Fidel Fernando in Colombo18-Jul-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
6:06

Arnold: Zimbabwe were tactically superior to Sri Lanka

A lively 121-run stand for the sixth wicket between Asela Gunaratne and Niroshan Dickwella was the centerpiece of a great escape for the hosts, and a sapping defeat for a daring Zimbabwe side.Zimbabwe had never beaten Sri Lanka, of course, but also, the 388 they had set had also never been chased either by Sri Lanka, or by anyone on the island. In the end, Sri Lanka achieved the target with four wickets in hand – Gunaratne having prodded his team sensibly onward. He was on 80 when the winning runs were hit. Dickwella had made 81. Graeme Cremer, who had raised Zimbabwe’s hopes when he dismissed both Kusal Mendis and Angelo Mathews within the first hour of play, was left with four wickets to his name, as his team failed to claim the chances that might have punctured Sri Lanka’s resurgence. Once the initial disappointment fades, however, Zimbabwe may reflect that they have played with incredible courage here, and at least have that ODI series trophy to take home with them.Three denied or missed wicket opportunities, all of them involving wicketkeeper Regis Chakabva, will haunt Zimbabwe. First, with Dickwella on 37 and Sri Lanka on 237 for 5, Chakabva whipped off the bails and appealed, after Dickwella had overbalanced, missing a ball from Sikandar Raza. It was a close decision: no part of the crease was visible behind Dickwella’s boot. However, no part of the boot appeared to be behind the crease either, so on balance Dickwella should have been given out. But third umpire Chettithody Shamshuddin would rule him not out, and Dickwella would go on produce one of the game’s definitive performances.Zimbabwe should have had Dickwella again on 63, when Sean Williams induced an edge with a sliding delivery, only for Chakabva – who had kept immaculately until then – to fumble the chance. Sri Lanka had at the time been 102 runs from the target. Finally, after Dickwella had eventually been dismissed, Gunaratne would also be reprieved by Chakabva. Running down the track at Cremer on 54, Gunaratne failed to reach the pitch of the ball, and had it turn and beat him down the leg side. Chakabva could not gather cleanly, and Gunaratne made it back into the crease. Had he been out at that point, Sri Lanka would have been seven down, with Rangana Herath and Dilruwan Perera new at the crease, 50 runs still to get.But aside from that indiscretion, Gunaratne was a calming influence on the chase. He was always on the lookout for risk-free runs, rarely failing to take the most sensible option on offer, hitting boundaries only off the wayward balls, and running hard for his partner – strained hamstring and all. Where others were largely reliant on the sweep for their runs, Gunaratne also had in his repertoire the short-arm pull, which could fetch him runs in a wide arc between midwicket and fine leg. While he was at the crease, there was a steadiness to the chase.Niroshan Dickwella was put down by Regis Chakabva on 63•AFP

Not for Dickwella, however, was restraint or control. He swept and reverse-swept merrily, often venturing down the pitch to the spinners, and getting pad or boot to ball on the occasions he could not hit it with his bat. His innings featured only six fours, but that is partly because the energy and ambition he brought to the crease forced Zimbabwe to post more men on the fence than they would ideally have liked. Even before lunch, the rhythm with which Zimbabwe’s bowlers had operated in the early overs, seemed slightly upset.As the stand with Gunaratne grew after the break, nerves appeared to enter Zimbabwe’s game for the first time in two days. Dickwella brought up his fifty off the 69th delivery he faced, clubbing Chris Mpofu to the midwicket fence. He slowed down after the milestone, but had nevertheless changed the outlook of the match. He was caught behind off the glove attempting to reverse-sweep Sean Williams, but Sri Lanka needed only 64 at that stage, and in the end, no further wickets fell. Dilruwan Perera contributed a shaky 29. It would be enough.But how Zimbabwe had shaken Sri Lanka in the morning. Mendis, who had batted with such assurance on day four, attempted to sweep a wide and full Cremer delivery, and wound up sending a top edge to mid-on. That was only the sixth over of the day. When Angelo Mathews then chipped a return catch to Cremer eight overs later, with 185 runs still to get, the chase was in crisis. Zimbabwe ringed the new men, and only an innings as risk-riddled as Dickwella’s could loosen their grip on this game.Relief will be Sri Lanka’s first emotion to the victory, but perhaps there will also be contentment that three of their less experienced players played important roles in the chase. Gunaratne and Dickwella have 12 Tests between them, and the only other man to cross fifty was 22-year old Mendis. While the bowling attack requires substantial inspection, the batting, at least appears in half-decent shape.

Former Test wicketkeeper Courtney Browne has replaced Clive Lloyd as West Indies’ chairman of selectors, effective immediately

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Jun-2016Former Test wicketkeeper Courtney Browne has replaced Clive Lloyd as West Indies’ chairman of selectors, effective immediately.The WICB confirmed the move on Thursday evening but did not announce whether Lloyd, who had been in the role since August 2014, had stepped down of his own choice or been sacked.Browne, who played 20 Tests and 46 one-day internationals for West Indies, has been on the selection panel for almost six years and has been given a two-year appointment as chairman.The WICB also announced that from October 1, Lloyd would move to a new role as a “special ambassador”, in which he would be responsible for acting as a spokesperson for the board at special events.”The time as Chairman was quite rewarding and I am hoping my contribution would have added value to the current system,” Lloyd said. “I made every attempt to serve with distinction and I was pleased to contribute to the game again. I look forward to the new role. The details of that arrangement will be discussed and will be released shortly.”

Ben Stokes credited the belief the England coaching team have shown in him after thumping a fluent 92 in the first innings of the Investec Test at Lord’s

George Dobell21-May-2015Ben Stokes credited the belief the England coaching team have shown in him after thumping a fluent 92 in the first innings of the Investec Test at Lord’s.Stokes was promoted to No. 6 in the batting line-up and told to go out and play his natural, aggressive game. And he feels the added responsibility helped as he and Joe Root rescued England from a perilous position.”Batting at No. 6 is important to me, because I feel it gives me more responsibility,” Stokes said. “It’s nice to be given the confidence by the coach and the captain. Hopefully I can make it my spot.”Paul Farbrace said today ‘Do what you do; everyone backs you in the changing room, so don’t change anything just because you are in the Three Lions.'”International cricket doesn’t always last as long as you want it to. While I’m here I want to play the way I want to and know that I can be successful. Whenever I put an England shirt on, I try to play the same way I do for Durham, as that’s what got me here.”The last time Stokes played a Test a Lord’s in July last year he suffered a pair against India to round off a run of three successive run-less innings. He didn’t play another Test for nine months.He was naturally delighted to score his first Test runs at Lord’s and reflected that he was a far more mature player than the man who missed the World T20 in 2014 having broken his wrist punching a locker in exasperation at another cheap dismissal.”I bagged a pair last time I was here, so things couldn’t have got any worse really,” Stokes said. “It’s always nice to come back to a place where it hasn’t gone too well and then put a performance in for the team.”Punching the locker was a stupid moment and something, I hope, I’ll never do again, because lockers are generally harder than bones and wrists.

Australia’s captain Michael Clarke has denied the saga surrounding Shane Watson’s futile attempt to be fit for the Adelaide Test is a distraction for the team as they attempt to claim a 1-0 lead in the series against South Africa

Daniel Brettig in Adelaide21-Nov-2012Australia’s captain Michael Clarke has denied the saga surrounding Shane Watson’s futile attempt to be fit for the Adelaide Test is a distraction for the team as they attempt to claim a 1-0 lead in the series against South Africa. Watson was predictably ruled out on Wednesday morning after a series of fitness tests showed he was not yet close to full readiness for the rigours of a five-day match, even if he were to play as a batsman only.Clarke’s announcement of an unchanged Australian XI for the second Test ended any doubt in the mind of the No.3 batsman Rob Quiney, who took Watson’s place in Brisbane but has spent three days in Adelaide unsure of whether he would be playing or not. David Warner, too, has not been entirely certain of his spot after the national selector John Inverarity refused to guarantee it when he named Watson in a 13-man group for Adelaide. However Clarke was adamant the episode had not affected his team’s focus.”I think the intent was great that Watto plus support staff, plus the team want him back out on the park, want him playing because we know how important he is to our group as a player,” Clarke said. “I just think we’ve given Watto every chance and we feel, support staff, selectors and Shane as well, probably feels he’s a few days short of being at his best. I don’t think the speculation has had any impact on the team. The guys have all gone about their work as well as they can. Rob Quiney still did all his preparation, so I don’t think it’s had an effect on the team.”There have been rumblings for some time of various differences of opinion between Clarke and Watson, his vice-captain, most revolving around the allrounder’s choice of preparation for Test assignments and the role he is to fulfil when on them. Clarke seemed intent on scotching this particular brand of chatter, damaging as it can be to have words circulating widely that the captain and his deputy speak with something less than the same voice.”We have a great relationship firstly, I know there’s been talk of that being a bit different, but Watto and I, our friendship and our professional relationship when it comes to captain and vice-captain is as close as I can certainly ask for,” Clarke said. “We spoke daily, even before we flew to Adelaide as a team, and I was kept well and truly in the loop of where he was at preparation wise. Once we got here our intent was to give Watto every single chance as a very important player and vice-captain to play in this Test match, but unfortunately we’ve just run out of time.”Watto sees himself as an allrounder, he wants to be an allrounder. He knows the impact he has in this game with both bat and ball and he’s a huge part of our squad when he’s doing both very well. Our plans are to try to get him to 100% as quick as we can, knowing we’ve got eight days now before the third Test in Perth.”The other major decision Clarke and his fellow selectors had to make revolved around the balance of the bowling attack. Ultimately Clarke settled on an unchanged quartet of Peter Siddle, James Pattinson, Ben Hilfenhaus and Nathan Lyon, leaving Mitchell Starc carrying the drinks in Adelaide but favoured to be included for the third Test in Perth.Hilfenhaus had notable technical struggles in Brisbane, his arm low and his action not as precise as it had been when he was so successful last summer. But Clarke said he felt enough improvement from Hilfenhaus and his fellow pacemen as the Gabba Test unfolded to choose them again for Adelaide. Starc’s control over the red ball is improving with every innings, but it was also reasoned that the steadier Hilfenhaus will be more capable of bowling maidens on request during stretches of the Adelaide match that may be devoid of assistance through the air or off the pitch.”We had a lot of success last summer, there was rain in Brisbane but after day one I thought the bowlers came back really well,” Clarke said. “We took 14 of the South African wickets and they only took five of ours. I think we’ve got a good mixture of aggression but also bowlers who can bowl long spells and dry runs up if required on that wicket. Generally at Adelaide there are periods of the game where you have to bowl quite tight. As a bowling unit throughout that whole first Test we improved and I’m confident as a team we’ll be better for the hit-out in Brisbane and come out and perform better.”There was certainly talk about Starcy coming into the XI, he’s performed really well for NSW, he’s been bowling beautifully in the shorter form of the game and in the nets as well. I just think we feel at the moment our attack improved as the game went on in Brisbane. There were a few nerves in on day one and it was our first game together as a team for quite a while, so I think everyone will be better for that.”

Fast bowler Simon Jones will return to Glamorgan next season after signing a two-year deal with the county

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Oct-2011Fast bowler Simon Jones will return to Glamorgan next season after signing a two-year deal with the county. Jones heads back to Glamorgan, for whom he first signed as a 16 year old in 1998, after spending the last two seasons with Hampshire.Jones had spent part of the 2011 summer on loan to Glamorgan. During a six-week spell with them he played in 10 Friends Life t20 games and three CB40 matches, taking 13 wickets.”I’ve got very mixed emotions on leaving The Rose Bowl,” said Jones, whose time with Hampshire was hampered by a long-term injury. “I mean, what a place to play your cricket. It’s not just the surroundings or the playing area, it’s everything that is the Rose Bowl; the office staff, supporters, playing staff and ground staff – they all have special memories for me.”It’s only been two years, but I feel I settled in and thoroughly enjoyed my time. Rod Bransgrove is a special human being, whom I have immense respect and admiration for, especially for his love of the game and all he gave to bring Test cricket to the south. I feel sad to leave but need to be playing and not spectating.”Giles White has been a wonderful support to me always and I am grateful to him. To the lads I say good luck, enjoy and have lots of success. Hopefully I’ll see them next season.””It has been a pleasure to have Simon with us over the last two years,” said Hampshire manager Giles White. “He has been a model professional and shown a fantastic attitude in all that he has done. We will be sad to see Simon and the family leave but understand the obvious attraction of a return to Cardiff and wish them well in the future.”

David Warner has his sights firmly set on becoming the new Adam Gilchrist at the top of Australia’s one-day batting line-up

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Oct-2010David Warner has his sights firmly set on becoming the new Adam Gilchrist at the top of Australia’s one-day batting line-up. Warner, 23, is in India with the ODI squad and Australia’s selectors are keen to see how he performs in the 50-over format on the subcontinent, with a potential World Cup place up for grabs.Although Australia have largely used Warner as a Twenty20 specialist, he also played seven ODIs last year and once bludgeoned a memorable 165 in a one-day game for New South Wales. His all-or-nothing style might not always suit the pacing of 50-over cricket but he hopes he can play a similar role to Gilchrist, who was viewed by every opponent as a potential matchwinner.”I see myself as similar to Adam Gilchrist, more of an X-factor player, where I go out there and try to mimic his role as he played,” Warner told reporters in India. “He was aggressive, he might’ve come off one in five innings as well, but he changed the course of the game.”Everyone was talking about, ‘We’ve got to get Adam out, if we don’t get him out then he could put 100 on in 10 overs’. I look up to him as that kind of player, an impact player, where if I can get off to a good start, I can put the other team on the back foot and make them worry about how they’re going to get myself out, instead of the other players they should be worrying about as well.”The most recent of Warner’s one-day internationals came against Scotland last August, but that was a one-off encounter used as a warm-up for Twenty20s against England. During his six earlier games Warner made one significant score – 69 against South Africa in Sydney – but he said he had found it hard to adjust from Twenty20 in his initial steps on the ODI scene.”I felt that I had to keep going the same pace and one tempo, and that’s where I reckon I’ve matured now and I’ve learned to adapt,” Warner said. “There were little things there where I wasn’t in the right position, so that’s the thing that was out, but if I go back into the same situation I’m going to do the same thing because it was there to hit.”But in the end I was probably feeling a bit of pressure because I wasn’t scoring runs. I’m still going to play the same way I play, but not trying to go after every ball – I’ve got 50 overs, not 20. Now I reckon I’m mature enough that I can try to last 50 overs.”Warner’s opportunity in India was granted when the selectors decided to rest Shane Watson ahead of the Ashes, but rain washed out the first ODI in Kochi on Sunday. There are also concerns over the weather for the remaining two games, in Visakhapatnam on Wednesday and Margao on Sunday.