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Mitchell McClenaghan has signed up with the Sydney Thunder ahead of the 2017-18 Big Bash League. The left-arm quick, who has played 48 ODIs and 28 T20Is for New Zealand, recently opted out of his NZC central contract in a bid to pursue a career playing in T20 leagues around the world.McClenaghan was part of Mumbai Indians’ title-winning squad in the 2017 season of the Indian Premier League, and followed that up by playing for St Lucia Stars in the Caribbean Premier League. He is also set to play for Durban Qalandars in the newly launched T20 Global League in South Africa shortly before he joins his Thunder team-mates in the BBL.It was while playing in the CPL that McClenaghan decided to sign for the Thunder, he told .”I spent some time at the St Lucia Stars with Shane Watson and got to know his outlook on the game and hear his passion for Sydney Thunder and the organisation,” McClenaghan said. “I’ve admired watching his career and seeing how it’s progressed. I enjoyed playing alongside him in St Lucia and I think I’ll learn a lot from him during my time with Thunder.”I grew up in Australia and watched a lot of Aussie cricket and to have the opportunity to play in the Big Bash is something I’m really looking forward to. The Big Bash is a fantastic spectacle, the atmosphere is amazing and skill levels are incredible.”McClenaghan joins a bowling group that includes quicks Pat Cummins, Clint McKay and Gurinder Sandhu as well as the legspinner Fawad Ahmed. Michael Hussey, the Thunder’s director of cricket, said signing another frontline bowler had been “top priority” ahead of the 2017-18 season.”I’m looking forward to seeing Mitch in action for Thunder, he’s a bowler with experience playing in high pressured games at both domestic and international level,” Hussey said. “We’ve been monitoring his situation with New Zealand Cricket and are pleased to be able to bring him to the Big Bash for the summer.”

Allrounder James Neesham and batsman Neil Broom will not be a part of the New Zealand side for the upcoming limited-overs tour of India in October. The pair were left out of the initial squad of nine announced by coach Mike Hesson on Sunday. Six players will be picked from the New Zealand A squad currently touring India.

NZ’s initial ODI squad for India

Kane Williamson (capt), Trent Boult, Colin de Grandhomme, Martin Guptill, Tom Latham, Adam Milne, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor

Both players were part of the Champions Trophy side earlier this year but did not fare too well, even as New Zealand failed to advance to the knockout stage, not one of their three matches yielding a win. Neesham scored 47 runs in three innings, with a highest of 23, and went wicketless in his seven overs in the tournament. Broom, meanwhile, scored 61 runs, averaging 20.33.Hesson was specific in his critique of the areas that Broom and Neesham needed to improve. In Broom’s case, Hesson pointed out that he would have to work on the skills required of a batsman at No. 5, given the third and fourth spots in the line-up are already settled.In 15 innings following his comeback to the ODI side, Broom batted at No. 3 and 4 five times, racking up 329 runs with one century and two fifties. His stint at No. 5, however, has been more subdued: 273 runs in ten innings with two fifties.”It will be disappointing for James and Neil, but we’ve talked through the areas that we’d like to see them work on and if we see development, they’ll certainly both come into the reckoning come the home summer,” Hesson said.”Neil was really effective for us batting at three or four last season, but we have quality, established batsmen in those positions and we’d like to see Neil develop his game further to show he has the skills to bat at five.”The mandate for Neesham, meanwhile, is dominant performances in domestic cricket and greater consistency across skills. The allrounder had made his international comeback during New Zealand’s tour of India last year, having been out of the game for a significant period before that due to a back injury. While his batting returns since then have been steady lower down the order – 573 runs in 22 matches at an average of 30.15 – he has not been consistent with the ball, taking 14 wickets in 19 innings with an economy rate of 6.65.The allrounder recently turned out for Kent in the Natwest t20 blast, finishing as the side’s second-highest wicket-taker with 14 dismissals, while accumulating 203 runs.”Jimmy needs go back and really dominate domestic cricket with both bat and ball. We know Jimmy is a talented player, but we’ve spoken with him around improving the consistency in all areas of his game.”Hesson said that with New Zealand A playing in India, it made sense to pick a squad in parts, and believed the open places would spur competition among the A squad. The trial for the wicketkeeper’s slot is already underway – New Zealand A have taken three wicketkeepers, Tom Blundell, Glenn Phillips and Tim Seifert, on the India tour and Tom Latham has returned early from county duties with Durham to undertake specialist wicket-keeping training.”The nine we’ve picked have made up the core of our ODI team for a while and all of them have experience playing in India,” said Hesson.”With a number of our top guys already playing in India, it’s helpful to be able to select the squad in two parts. With six spots left, there’s an obvious incentive for the players in New Zealand A to perform and put their best foot forward.”The series against India gets underway next month, with the first ODI in Mumbai on October 22, while the T20I series will be played between November 1 and 7. The team is set to depart for India on October 12.

Have N Srinivasan and Niranjan Shah acted disruptively and subversively in the BCCI’s efforts to implement the Lodha recommendations, as the Committee of Administrators (CoA) complained to the Supreme Court? Did the pair “hijack” proceedings at the BCCI’s crucial June 26 special general meeting (SGM), where another delaying tactic – the creation of a special committee – was agreed upon?As the BCCI continues to dawdle over the implementation of the Lodha Committee’s recommendations – most of which are now pending for over a year – Srinivasan’s influence in that movement has come under attention. As per the minutes of the SGM on June 26, seen by ESPNcricinfo, Srinivasan and Shah had a prominent voice against what appeared to be a majority view of BCCI members, who wanted to find some middle ground between rejecting and implementing the recommendations.The SGM was significant because of its single-point agenda: deliberation on the implementation of the Lodha Committee recommendations. It ended with the formation of a seven-member committee to put together “critical points” on the major reforms BCCI members were opposed to, which will then be presented to the Supreme Court.The CoA subsequently submitted a status report to the court saying the SGM was “hijacked” by disqualified administrators like Srinivasan and Shah, who had a “vested” interest against adopting reforms because it would mean ceding the “control” they held for decades over their state associations, and by extension, the BCCI.Both Srinivasan and Shah attended the SGM as representatives of their respective state associations, even though they were in breach, as per the eligibility criteria set by the Lodha Committee, having exceeded the 70-year age-cap which is meant for the representatives also.The SGM was dominated by three voices: the BCCI secretary Amitabh Choudhary, Srinivasan and, as a moderating voice, Jyotiraditya Scindia, representative of the Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association. The meeting began with Choudhary bringing members up to speed with developments since the SGM on October 1 last year, which was the last time the recommendations were discussed by the state associations.Although the members were in favour of adopting “80-85%” of the reforms then, there was a recognition that some were just “insurmountable” and needed reconsideration.The CoA was sympathetic to that assessment. According to Choudhary, the CoA “shared misgivings” over three recommendations: one-state-one-vote, the three-year cooling-off period for an administrator and the reduction in the size of the selection panel.The CoA also said the court could be asked to modify those recommendations that could not be adopted by the BCCI. In the SGM in June, Choudhary repeatedly stressed on the importance of showing to the court the progress the BCCI had made in implementing reforms. He said that the court could take some drastic action if that wasn’t the case. “Beyond that I see only peril,” Choudhary warned.Srinivasan remained unaffected. Attending as a representative of the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA), Srinivasan seemed to argue that the strength of the objections of state associations gave them legal leverage. He said that 19 state associations had already filed petitions against the original court order of July 18 last year. “I think we have to see what is the practical situation,” Srinivasan said, as per the transcript of the SGM minutes. “The practical situation is 19 members of this BCCI have filed affidavits in the Supreme Court. They have filed affidavits where they have challenged the orders of 18th July and they have asked many reliefs.”So we cannot today, irrespective, even if there is somebody having a gun to my head saying I will shoot you, I cannot change that affidavit. That affidavit, you know, it’s in the Supreme Court. I cannot today say I change something.”Srinivasan also pointed out that both Anurag Thakur and Ajay Shirke were sacked by the court as BCCI president and secretary respectively in January for failing to implement the court order. If the BCCI were to now “dilute” its position, it would be letting them down.”The president of the BCCI, Anurag Thakur, and Ajay Shirke, the secretary, were found fault with saying you fellows did not do anything to implement,” Srinivasan said. “Now if I agree to any suggestion to modify or dilute stand we have taken, then we are completely letting down Anurag Thakur and Ajay Shirke because that means they could have done something, they did not. CoA has persuaded these people to change. So, our original decision on these two fellows are right. I am sorry gentlemen. There is no way in which we should alter anything because that will hit our former president and secretary.”In its last hearing on July 14, the court served notices to Srinivasan and Shah, asking them to explain why, despite being disqualified, they attended the SGM•Getty Images

One of those 19 affidavits came from the Saurashtra Cricket Association, represented by Shah. He reiterated the SCA stance in the SGM, pointing out that it did not agree with some of the recommendations approved by the court.In contrast, Scindia advised caution to the board members. He said the BCCI’s image to the outside world, not just the court, was “extremely negative” so anything the board said or did would be monitored closely. “There is no easy solution to this. I, for one, feel that today the highest court of the land has pronounced a verdict. We are seen on the outside as an organization that is very obstinate and very stubborn in terms of accepting even what highest court of land has adjudicated.”Scindia also disagreed with the idea of setting up a special committee that would shortlist the main recommendations the board members opposed. The idea, Srinivasan told the SGM, was mooted by Jay Shah, the Gujarat Cricket Association president.Scindia feared the court might view a special committee as just another “bureaucratic hurdle” put in place by the BCCI. “So the way forward for us is very clear,” Scindia said. “To me, it is bi-modal. It is either we go ahead and accept it or (b) if we don’t, then we formulate a process with which we say we are going to stick with the [board’s] earliest [position], which is what Srinivasan adjudicated, or you look at a mid-path. Those are the three options that are open to you, either you do nothing, or you accept it, or you look at something in between.”Srinivasan then claimed that the Supreme Court had told state associations while accepting their individual affidavits that if it found substance, it would refer the matter to a constitutional bench and that, ultimately, it could “recall” the original order.Choudhary denied this was the case, and stressed that the court had never made any such statement in writing at least. “They have said, I tell you, they have said: I will hear you. Let us not argue on this,” Srinivasan responded to Choudhary. But the BCCI secretary insisted: “The point is, sir, what you actually said is not a part of the order. So these are what we conclude from the body language of the judges or from the informal comments. None of these are part of the order.”Srinivasan interrupted. “Amitabh , the court, the newspapers, many informal comments are made. The media has picked and chosen what they wanted to highlight also. I do not, all I am saying is, this is what I heard, if you say this is not… I have no dispute. All I am saying is they are going to hear us.”Eventually, influential administrators like Rajiv Shukla – attending the June SGM as representative from the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Associaton – agreed that the forming of a special committee was a good starting point. Scindia, too, ultimately said he was fine if all members supported such a decision.In its last hearing on July 14, the court served notices to Srinivasan and Shah, asking them to explain why, despite being disqualified, they attended the SGM. The court is scheduled to hear the matter on July 24.

Despite being honorary and thus unsalaried, the BCCI’s office bearers have cost the board over INR 4 crore in various allowances over the last two years. The figure, and its break-up, was revealed by the Committee of Adminstrators (CoA) in its fifth status report submitted to the Supreme Court.Just over 40% of the total figure of INR 4.62 crore (US$ 720,748) – INR 1.87 crores (US$ 291,731) – was spent on allowances for just four office bearers, including the three senior-most figures currently: CK Khanna (acting president), Amitabh Choudhary (acting secretary) and Anirudh Chaudhry (treasurer). The fourth is former BCCI president Anurag Thakur who was sacked by the court on January 2 this year. The figures cover the period from April 2015 to June 2017.

BCCI’s allowances for office bearers

• Working days: INR 20,000

• BCCI meeting days: INR 30,000

• Overseas travel allowance(per day): US$750

The biggest beneficiaries of the allowance are the pair of Choudhary and Chaudhry. The board has spent INR 92, 72,519 (US$ 144,657) on Chaudhry and INR 71, 79,068 (US$ 111,997) on Choudhary. During his tenure as secretary, Thakur received INR 17, 99,982 (US$ 28,080) in allowances.Khanna, who took over as the acting BCCI president this March, has so far received INR 4, 86,755 (US$ 7593.6) as allowance for overseas trips – on just a single overseas trip, to England for the Champions Trophy. Ajay Shirke, who was the BCCI secretary between May 2016 and January 2 this year, is the only office bearer listed not to draw any allowance. The allowances are tax-free.The BCCI pays a sum of INR 20,000 (US$ 312) to an office bearer for every working day and INR 30,000 (US$ 468) per day for a board meeting. The daily allowance on an overseas trip is US$750. Not included in the allowances are other expenses that the office bearers were reimbursed for. Choudhary claimed INR 3,93,319 (US$ 6136) as Other Expenses and a sum of INR 13, 51,061 (US$ 21,077) as Stay Charges. His phone bill during the period was INR 43,000 (US$ 671).In comparison, Chaudhry’s phone bill was almost six times: INR 2, 37,145 (US$ 3670). Chaudhry claimed INR 3, 41,603 (US$ 5329) as Other Expenses and INR 11, 03,893 (US$ 17,221) as Stay Charges. He also charged INR 91,877 (US$ 1433) as credit card expenses. Thakur’s credit card expense was INR 1, 81,172 (US$ 2826) while he claimed INR 4, 20,463 (US$ 6715) as Stay Charges. The perks were not just limited to the office bearers, however. Their assistants also received allowances, though it is understood the assistants are on the payroll of the BCCI.The CoA has not objected explicitly about the figures, but has raised concerns again about the BCCI’s inability to implement reforms related to duties performed by the board’s professional management without the consent of the general body.Under the Lodha Committee’s recommendations, while the daily administration of the BCCI is to be handled by the CEO Rahul Johri and his team, policy-making is the preserve of the nine-member Apex Council which includes the three elected office bearers. According to the CoA, the “delineation” of powers between the Apex Council and the professional management was the norm in the corporate world and in cricket bodies such as the ICC, the ECB and Cricket Australia.The CoA said it would also allow a “smooth and efficient” functioning of the BCCI considering the professional management is housed at the board’s headquarters in Mumbai while members of the Apex Council are spread around the country.It pointed, as examples, to Khanna who is based in New Delhi, Choudhary who is in Ranchi while Chaudhry works from his office in Bhiwani in Haryana. “The BCCI currently incurs substantial expense in the form of air travel, hotel stay, ground transport as well as travel and other allowances to the honorary office bearers including when they travel to Mumbai in connection with the discharge of their duties,” the CoA said.

ScorecardOn Thursday, Ireland’s Test status is expected to be confirmed at The Oval. At London’s other great cricket fiefdom, Paul Stirling provided more welcome news for Ireland: his maiden County Championship century. With Sam Robson serene at the other end in an alliance of 187 which could be match-shaping, the upshot was a perfect day for Middlesex’s bowlers, who had no need to take the field in the scorching sun.Stirling has long been a curious case in first-class cricket. The talent that earned him two ODI centuries against Pakistan before his 23rd birthday has not been in doubt. Yet the discrepancy between his first-class and limited overs returns for Middlesex – before this innings, he averaged 27.77 for the county against the red ball, but 41.46 in one-day cricket – has been infuriating.He has been shuffled around the order, struggled badly when used as an opener in 2015, and suffered from the sheer strength of Middlesex’s batting. Ireland commitments, which have limited his availability and made it tricky for a fringe player to return to the side, have been another complication.He chose an opportune moment to transfer his formidable limited-overs record to the red-ball game. Middlesex have had a curiously underwhelming start to their Championship defence since beginning the season with a round off; their opening five games have brought one defeat and four draws. And at Lord’s they had to confront Yorkshire’s bowling attack with a slightly cobbled-together batting line-up. They were missing three of their normal top five – Nick Gubbins, who’s with England Lions; Dawid Malan, who’s with England; and Adam Voges, who’s with the physio.A good time, then, for Stirling to play a breakthrough innings. In these conditions – the green tinge on the pitch was deceptive, just as in Middlesex’s last Championship game here – he does not need to adapt his limited-overs game much to excel in the first-class arena. His timing, punching the ball through the off side while scarcely bothering to move his feet, was impeccable. This was a distillation of how Stirling can use his natural strengths in red-ball cricket: he greeted Adam Lyth’s offspin by thumping him over mid-on for six and then, with the man moved back, calmly pushed his next delivery to long on for a single.”There’s a lot of people competing. It’s a tough gig to get in,” said Stirling. “I need to score a bit more consistently but I don’t want to take away from my instinct of playing attacking cricket which is the balance that I want to find. James Franklin just told me to take my tempo from one-day cricket into the red-ball game.”A straight drive off Ryan Sidebottom, punched past his follow-through, was the shot of a man too good to be playing his red-ball cricket in the second eleven. His own form, combined with Voges’ injury, means that Stirling will now get the opportunity to prove as much once and of all.Just before Stirling had the joy of a maiden first-class century at Lord’s, Robson completed his tenth at the ground, on which he averages almost 50. It was an innings of typically understated excellence; Robson’s purring cover drives, precise late cuts and sumptuous clips to midwicket have long since been staples of the Lord’s summer. There could be more to come in this innings, too: Robson, spilled sharply by Jack Brooks off his own bowling on 31, ended unbeaten on 152, his gluttony undimmed.Yorkshire were relatively blameless, such is the quality of the Lord’s pitch. Curiously, given that Middlesex took lunch on 82 for 2, it is on their bowling performance in the morning session that Yorkshire will reflect on with least satisfaction. It was a little too easy for Middlesex’s openers to leave the ball alone – something the recalled Nick Compton did plenty of while taking 24 balls over his first run – and set up a position from which Robson and Stirling could flourish.

South Africa have been given sufficient reassurances about security to be “comfortable” to remain in England following the terrorist attack in Manchester, according to team manager Mohammed Moosajee. Following the bombing at the Manchester Arena on Monday night, Moosajee admitted there were some concerns – especially because the team’s three-month tour ends with a Test in the city, where they are due to stay at a hotel close to the Manchester Arena – but he confirmed they are satisfied with the guarantees they have been given.”The players are uneasy,” Moosajee said. “There was a lot of chatter at the breakfast table and I’m happy to say we’ve had constant communication from the ECB and the security manager. There have been some reassurances and guarantees put in place that the security arrangements will be supplemented, starting today. We’ve been told there will be more visible policing at the stadiums, at practice sessions as well as the hotels that we will reside at.”The hotel we will stay at when we are in Manchester for the last Test match is walking distance away from where the events unfolded so there have been some genuine concerns and I think the process has started to make sure the players are reassured that arrangements are being made to try and keep them safe.”Among the measures is the provision of a full-time security liaison officer, who the ECB has provided and who will remain with the South Africa squad for the entire duration of the tour. South Africa also have their own security team traveling with them. “Most teams travel with their own security team,” Moosajee said. “There are guys that travel ahead and do their own recces and intelligence. We are comfortable with the advice we get from our security team.”The ICC has already put out a statement about security ahead of the Champions Trophy, which will be held in London, Birmingham and Cardiff from June 1-18, following the ODI series between England and South Africa.”We’re planning for all eight teams to be here,” said Steve Elworthy, the tournament director. “David Richardson [ICC chief executive] has been in contact with and has been emailing all the teams participating. There is certainly a communication channel open around this and that dialogue continues as we speak. It’s critical and paramount that we deliver a safe, impressive and exciting tournament for everybody involved.”Moosajee said the information South Africa received from their own intelligence, as well as that of the ICC and the ECB, meant they never entertained the thought of going home early, although they will continue to monitor developments.”If this had happened in another country in the world, that would be the first question people would ask: is the tournament at risk, is the series at risk? As long as people are feeding us the correct information and we trust our advisors – then as things stand, there was no mention of us even thinking of abandoning the tour. If the intelligence information provided tells us something else then obviously we will have to reconsider.”Along with condemning the attack as “abhorrent and despicable”, Moosajee also said the South Africa squad wanted to take a stand by not being intimidated in the aftermath of the incident. “I don’t think that as sportspeople, we should allow ourselves to be held ransom because otherwise you won’t have world events and you won’t have touring teams,” he said. “We’ve just got to make sure that we trust the system and we trust the people put in place to give us the necessary advice and reassurances.”

Offspinner Harbhajan Singh believes he has done enough to merit a comeback to the India side for the Champions Trophy next month.Harbhajan, who will turn 37 in July, last played an ODI for India in October 2015, and his most recent international appearance in any format came over a year ago, against UAE during the 2016 Asia Cup T20. He did well in the Vijay Hazare domestic 50-over competition, claiming nine wickets from six games at four an over and though his performances dipped in the inter-state T20 tournament, he has been excellent in the IPL. Conceding only 5.82 runs per over, Harbhajan has the best economy rate among those who have bowled at least five overs.”I have played and enjoyed those 15-16 years of top-level cricket, playing with the greats. I am enjoying the IPL and I am looking forward to making a comeback by doing well,” Harbhajan told ESPNcricinfo on the eve of Mumbai Indians’ game against Sunrisers Hyderabad. “If I have to look at myself in the mirror, I will say: ‘Look, you have done what you could have done. Is that enough for you to be selected?’ I would say yes because it’s not just about what I am doing here [in recent times]. I am talking about all these years when I played one-dayers.”I was called to play against South Africa [in 2015] and I was the [second] highest wicket-taker for India. After that I never played for India in ODIs. I don’t know the reason. In T20s, I have been part of the squad, but never got to play a game. Every year I do well in the IPL and I don’t get into the scheme of things in the last two-three years”.Harbhajan’s waning fortunes have coincided with the success of fellow offspinner R Ashwin and left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja. Amit Mishra, Axar Patel and Yuzvendra Chahal pushing for back-up spin slots has made it even more challenging for Harbhajan to gain a recall. For the Champions Trophy, Ashwin, who appears certain to recover from the sports hernia that has kept him out of the IPL, and Jadeja are expected to be India’s first-choice spin options. Harbhajan doesn’t mind taking the difficult road back.”That’s always been there, no? That there is someone in the team and someone coming into the team,” he said. “My competition is with me – how I can better than what I used to do. What other spinners do… good luck to them, well done to them. If X, Y, Z is playing for India, and he is bowling offspin or legspin, if he is good, he should do it. Likewise, if I am good, I am good.”In picking Yuvraj Singh for the ODI series against England on the back of solid numbers in the Ranji Trophy, the selectors indicated that good performances in first-class cricket would be rewarded. Harbhajan, though, sat the season out and doesn’t regret doing so for it allowed him to soak in the joys of watching his daughter Hinaya Heer grow up.”Playing four or five games wouldn’t have changed my life. If that has to happen, it will happen even now,” he said. “Whatever level [of cricket] you are playing, you should look to enjoy, and that’s what I have been looking to do over the last year and a half.”I didn’t play the last season [of first-class cricket] because whatever joy or enjoyment I used to get while I was playing cricket, that joy was in my arms. I thought there’s no need for me to be travelling every four days because this time with my daughter won’t come back again. This is a beautiful time, and I wanted to be there each and every day, each and every moment. Now, she has grown up, and can travel with me.”It’s not like there has been a drop in my commitment, but now I have reached a stage where I won’t get disappointed even if I am not selected. If I am not selected [for the Champions Trophy], I will be selected for another series. I will be selected somewhere or the other because until that time I will keep knocking the doors. I feel if you keep on performing, you can’t be ignored.”While Harbhajan admitted it wasn’t easy to motivate himself to go through the grind of domestic cricket, he knew it was his only way to get back into the Indian team.”You feel that domestic cricket will get easier, you will go there and run through sides just because you played at the international level, but it doesn’t happen that way,” he said. “Even if you are motivated, you still have to push your limits because sometimes these domestic players are better players of spin bowling than what the international players are nowadays.”He has also assured the selectors of his availability in all forms of cricket. “That’s the reason I am playing all the one-dayers, domestic T20s and now the IPL. If the selectors feel I should be part of [the team], I am ready because I am doing as well as anybody. There is no way I should think that I don’t stand a chance.”The national selectors will meet on Monday to pick the squad to go to England for the Champions Trophy which starts on June 1. “The selection committee is convening just for me,” Harbhajan joked. “Hopefully I will be there, if not, that’s not the end of the world for me. I am young and doing what everybody else is doing, maybe even better. So why not?”

You have played under a variety of setups over the past 12 years. How do you rate the current one?
This is probably the best setup I have been a part of. It may have something to do with my acquaintance with the boys. It is a setup I have seen over a period of time and so there is a familiarity. A lot has to do also with the way the youngsters respond to me, and to the seniors. When I say `senior’, I mean on the basis of cricketing experience, not age.The understanding of fitness in this setup is very high. Everybody works hard; everybody knows their responsibility. These are things that make the team look more together. The team thinks more professionally about the game.Professionalism is an important word, isn’t it?
Very important. Professionalism is when people start taking responsibilities, start thinking more about the team, start focusing on the objective; when words like accountability mean something.When do you think it really crept into the Indian team?
It has happened over a period of time. People have changed; we have learned from seeing the other sides. We have realised that every person has to take the lead. The realisation process, looking at someone successful and learning from them, that is what the team has gone through over a period of time.Is this pace trio – yourself, Zaheer and Nehra – the best you’ve been a part of?
I think so, yes.How much have the strides taken by Zaheer and Nehra impressed you?
It is amazing how they have graduated. Though Ashish took some time, I think his spell against England [in the World Cup] has really changed his mindset towards cricket. Such match-winning performances by Indian fast bowlers are a rarity. Indian conditions don’t allow fast bowlers to taste enough success. Fast bowlers go for 60-70 runs in 10 overs all the time here. They don’t feel that they are a real contributing factor in the side. When they find the right conditions, when they are able to play match-winning roles, they will become completely different bowlers.What is your approach to working with the young guys? They talk often about the advice received from you.
These guys are fast learners. To be honest, I don’t do anything special. The guys are learning on their own – they have the skills to listen and learn. They see other bowlers do well and they try and understand what’s working and implement it. It’s also a mutual exchange. It’s not about me being the Master and them learning. Everybody learns together. Everybody shares the idea.You said in an interview a while back that one of your main motivations to make a comeback was to give support to a guy like Zaheer …
It was not the only reason. But yes, as I said, the attitude in the team is that you have to help one another. The culture needs to be strong in the sense that if A doesn’t click, then B must. How do you develop this culture? It can only happen if youngsters who have strength and energy understand and implement what the people with experience think. If this exchange happens you can develop match-winners.How strong was Sourav’s persuasion in your comeback?
Well, it was not a persuasion as such. At some point, I was not on the same line of thinking as the selectors. They felt that I was done and over. And I respected that. Everyone has their own opinions and judgments. But it’s really the people around you, your team-mates, who inspire confidence in you. That’s probably the biggest motivating factor. The selectors may put you in the side but if the players don’t need you, then what’s the point? But my case was exactly the opposite.The team huddle came to symbolise India during the World Cup. What kinds of things are said there?
We take stock of the situation. We look at how things are going, who is the next batsman coming in, what will be the field setting, where do we stand at this point of the game. We just focus ourselves once again and remind ourselves of the goals set at the beginning of the match: are we on track?You also mentioned the level of fitness in the side. What’s a typical day of training like?
Well, there are three different phases to this. One is off-season training. The question there is how to look after your body when you are not playing. It entails a lot of running, sprints, aerobic and anaerobic exercises, a lot of endurance training, a lot of weight training. All of these need to complement one another. Then you get into match training – gearing yourself for the match environment. The third type of training is when you are in the middle of a series – maintenance training. You need to work on the body parts that are feeling weak. Rehabilitation is a crucial and complex part of training.How much has this entire process changed since Adrian Le Roux and Andrew Leipus joined the team?
It has become much more scientific and methodological. Why do we need to run today? There should be a reason behind it. Do you run because everybody else runs or do you run because it’s an important ingredient of your training? We now ask the question why and also understand the answers. Why are we doing the sprint training today? These are the kinds of things that I think the players have understood very well.It must be worlds away from the time you began in international cricket. Could things have been different if the support system had been around earlier?
Maybe. If we had this kind of support 10 years ago, it could have been a different story altogether. But you can’t help it. It’s the past. We thought at that point of time that it’s the best cricket we could play.The important point is that things are changing. We now have the best physiotherapist we have ever had, and a fitness trainer too. What we lack is somebody like Sandy Gordon. A psychologist can make a big difference.Having these people in the set-up doesn’t mean India will be unbeatable – but they change the attitude of the side; they change everybody’s way of thinking. That’s why we need them – cricket is not a matter of batting and bowling skills alone.Would you agree there have been too many lost talents in Indian fast bowling in the past decade?
Yes, and I feel sorry for them because there is not much of a role for fast bowlers to play in India. Look at the wickets. You expect fast bowlers to just take the shine off the ball. That has been the attitude for the couple of decades that I have seen Indian cricket, and that is the reason you haven’t seen too many things happening for fast bowlers. Nor do I see dramatic changes in the future unless the wickets improve.The wickets haven’t improved since the time you started?
Nothing has changed. The danger is that when things don’t go well for a fast bowler, on a bad day, he will lose belief in himself, lose his motivation and his confidence altogether.Was the entire pitch-relaying scheme last year an eyewash?
It has done nothing. In fact, it has really slowed the wickets. The Mumbai wicket has slowed. The Kolkata wicket, which was probably the best Test match strip in the country, has gone down considerably. The Bangalore wicket was relaid only a few years ago, but they dug it up again. That too has been a very, very disappointing track.Any truth to the statement that these new wickets take some time to play at their best?
I don’t think so. The wicket depends on the binding factor and consistency of the soil. If anything, they slow down with time.Yet, despite the pitches, we are seeing more and more fast bowlers coming up.
The reason for that is we are playing more and more cricket outside India. If you keep fast bowlers on Indian pitches for too long, where they don’t derive much success, they will start looking mediocre.Does that also imply that most of the bowlers are really learning the craft after they make it to the international level?
Yes, that’s the problem in India. The gulf between domestic and international cricket is too high. You can’t really judge a bowler by his performances in the domestic tournaments on these wickets. The `A’ tours probably give a better idea of his calibre.Do you think there is a danger of bowling wickets making bowlers reliant on them, just as batting wickets tend to pamper our batsmen? It has, at times, been cited as a problem in England.
Adaptability is very important. In any case, wickets in India can never be as conducive to fast bowling as in England. In England, in the initial part of the season, there is a lot of help for the bowlers, but it flattens out towards the end of the season. So at the end of the day it’s a plus-minus situation. In India, it’s always a minus for the bowlers.Do you think we could do with a specialist bowling coach?
It should help. It depends on the sort of relationship he has with the boys and how he articulates his knowledge. That’s the key.How vital is an institution like the MRF Pace Foundation for us?
It’s a fantastic place. I would like to specially mention this point. MRF is the heart for fast bowling in this country. I have benefited enormously from them. It gives a shape to your body and your bowling. The advice from the coaches there has been invaluable for me. I’ve kept in touch with them right through, and during my shoulder injury they were of great help. These are the kind of things we need. It’s a dream for the fast bowlers in this country.

ScorecardThe Tamil Nadu team and support staff pose with the Deodhar Trophy•Andhra Cricket Association

Tamil Nadu clinched the 2016-17 Deodhar Trophy after Dinesh Karthik struck a 91-ball 126 to rescue his side, who were initially struggling at 39 for 3. Rahil Shah’s three crucial wickets – Shikhar Dhawan, Manish Pandey and Gurkeerat Singh Mann – eventually helped them beat India B comprehensively by 42 runs in Visakhapatnam.Karthik, who recently scored a match-winning 112 in the final of the Vijay Hazare Trophy to help TN qualify for the Deodhar Trophy, carried a rich vein of form entering the three-team tournament. After knocks of 88 against Kerala, 81 against Tripura, 77 against Baroda and 112 in the Vijay Hazare final against Bengal, Karthik struck 93 crucial runs against India A two days ago before completing his tenth List A century on Wednesday.He came in at No. 5, after Dhawal Kulkarni ran through TN’s top three, and partnered N Jagadeesan in what would seem like a rebuilding process. But Karthik had other ideas, taking the challenge to the opposition, hitting 14 fours and three sixes to set up a strong platform for TN. Jagadeesan gave scored a patient 55 as the two built a 136-run fourth-wicket partnership. India B’s Axar Patel, who went for over six runs per over, finally removed Karthik in the 39th over, but by then the wicketkeeper-batsman had taken their run rate past the six-run mark. TN scored another 62 runs off the last 11 overs to finish on 303 for 9 even as wickets tumbled towards the finish. Kulkarni took two late wickets to finish with 5 for 39.After India B captain Parthiv Patel fell in the fourth over of the chase, Dhawan (45 off 34 balls) and Pandey (32) took on the TN bowlers. They added 64 runs off 45 balls to give their team a solid start. But a flurry of wickets and an untimely injury to Pandey pegged India B back. Dhawan was the first to go, in the 11th over, followed by Ishank Jaggi six balls later, before Pandey retired hurt for 23 at the score of 93 for 3. Gurkeerat kept the chase ticking with a well-constructed half-century but with wickets falling at the other end, India B succumbed to the rising required run rate and were all out for 261 in 46.1 overs. Pandey did return to bat at 222 for 6 but was stumped for 32 off left-arm spinner Shah who finished with 3 for 40 from 10 overs.

Wicketkeeper Luke Ronchi has returned to New Zealand’s ODI and T20I squads for the upcoming series against South Africa after recovering from a groin injury. New Zealand named 14-man squads for the one-off T20I in Auckland on February 17 and the first two ODIs in Hamilton and Christchurch on February 19 and 22.Legspinner Ish Sodhi retained his place in the ODI squad, after having been included in the group for the final game of the Chappell-Hadlee Series, while opener Martin Guptill, who missed the last two games against Australia with a hamstring injury, was also named in both squads.Batsman Colin Munro was dropped from the ODI squad after making 3 and 2 in the Chappell-Hadlee Series against Australia.”Colin hasn’t quite shown the consistency he would like in the middle order and we feel Jimmy [Neesham] is deserved of an opportunity with the bat at six,” New Zealand selector Gavin Larsen said. “Having two frontline spinners in the side gives us flexibility and Ish is an aggressive bowler who in the right conditions can be a real threat for us.”It will be great to have Luke back in the mix. He’s the number one white-ball wicketkeeper in the country and brings considerable experience to the group.” Ronchi’s return meant there was no place for reserve wicketkeeper Tom Blundell.Fast bowler Adam Milne was picked in a New Zealand XI to play a practice game against the South Africans on February 14. It will be Milne’s first competitive game since his one-match appearance for Royal Challengers Bangalore in April 2016. Milne has been on the sidelines since then because of a hamstring tear and then an elbow injury.T20I squad: Kane Williamson (capt), Corey Anderson, Trent Boult, Tom Bruce, Lockie Ferguson, Colin de Grandhomme, Martin Guptill, Colin Munro, James Neesham, Luke Ronchi (wk), Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Ben Wheeler
In: Tim Southee. Out: Tom Blundell, Matt Henry, George Worker, Neil BroomODI squad: Kane Williamson (capt), Trent Boult, Neil Broom, Lockie Ferguson, Colin de Grandhomme, Martin Guptill, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, James Neesham, Luke Ronchi, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Ish Sodhi, Ross Taylor
In: Luke Ronchi. Out: Tom Blundell, Colin MunroNew Zealand XI squad: Glenn Phillips, Neil Broom, Henry Nicholls, Tom Bruce, Ross Taylor, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Todd Astle, Adam Milne, Matt Henry, Henry Shipley, Zak Gibson