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“But he obviously has to go and have a scan at some point,” Warner said of Natarajan’s knee issue

Hemant Brar21-Apr-2021T Natarajan’s knee issue is keeping him out of action at IPL 2021, but he has not left the bubble to have a scan yet as that would mean he would need to quarantine for seven days to re-enter the team’s bubble. Sunrisers Hyderabad captain David Warner said as much after Natarajan missed a second game in a row, against the Punjab Kings on Wednesday.”He obviously has got a sore knee,” Warner said at the post-match press conference. “Given the circumstances in these bubbles, if he goes and gets a scan, he obviously has to sit out for seven days; he has to go back into quarantine. We are just monitoring at the moment. The physios are doing their best to analyse from a face point of view. But he obviously has to go and have a scan at some point.”In Natarajan’s absence, his replacement Khaleel Ahmed picked up 1 for 24 and 3 for 21 against the Mumbai Indians and the Kings respectively.Last month, Natarajan had missed the first three T20Is against England as well because of knee trouble. He was picked for the fifth T20I in which he went for 1 for 39 in four overs. He also played the final ODI against England in Pune, registering figures of 1 for 79 from ten overs.Natarajan had risen to prominence in the last IPL, where his yorkers made him a difficult bowler to score against in the death overs. After that his life took a fairy-tale turn: he was picked as a net bowler for the Australia tour but ended up making his debut for India in all three formats. Overall, he has played one Test, two ODIs and four T20Is for India.

Dhawan, who was first-choice opener prior to a grade two injury to his shoulder, will report to Bangalore for rehabilitation

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Jan-2020Prithvi Shaw could be in line for an ODI debut in New Zealand having replaced the injured Shikhar Dhawan for the three-match series set to begin on February 5. Both teams play a five-match T20I series prior to that, for which Sanju Samson has been picked as the BCCI confirmed Dhawan, who was first-choice opener before a grade two injury to his shoulder, will report to the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore for rehabilitation.Shaw, who made a Test century on debut in 2018, is already in New Zealand with the India A team and has been in excellent form. The 20-year old opener struck a compelling 150 against New Zealand A in a warm-up game on Sunday to follow a double-hundred for Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy. He did suffer a minor injury scare a few weeks ago, having fallen on his shoulder while fielding, but judging by that hundred in Lincoln, which included 22 fours and two sixes, there appears to be little discomfort.Prithvi Shaw has been called up to India’s ODI squad for the first time•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Shaw has been on an upward track since his return from doping violation in November 2019. His first innings back was a half-century which he celebrated by pointing at his back and then making a talking gesture. The BCCI, while imposing a back-dated sanction, said Shaw had accidentally taken a forbidden substance commonly found in cough syrups. Should he make it to the XI during this three-match series against New Zealand, he will make his ODI debut in the same place where he led India to the Under-19 World Cup title in 2017. Outside of his inclusion, India kept faith in the same squad that beat Australia 2-1 at home.Samson, meanwhile, has been on the fringes of national selection for several years. The wicketkeeper batsman played his first international in July 2015 and that had been his only game for India until earlier this month when he made the squad for the T20I series against Sri Lanka. Both Samson and Shaw may yet be confined to the reserves considering India still have Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul to open the batting and Rishabh Pant to keep wicket.Sanju Samson has replaced the injured Shikhar Dhawan in India’s T20I squad•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Mohammed Shami is the only other addition to the T20I squad that beat Sri Lanka 2-0. He has shown great improvement in his limited-overs skills, some of which were display on his last tour of New Zealand when he picked up nine wickets from four ODIs. He joined a fast-bowling line-up which includes Jasprit Bumrah, Navdeep Saini and Shardul Thakur. India were spoiled for choice in the spin department as well with Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar all part of the squad for the five-match T20I series.

The future of Shaun Marsh, the quest for an allrounder, Matthew Wade’s chances and the fast-bowling back-up were all areas addressed by Trevor Hohns

Andrew McGlashan09-Jan-2019There was another Australia squad with plenty to digest as the selectors brought in a new-look top order to try and overcome the batting woes for the Sri Lanka series. Shaun and Mitchell Marsh, Peter Handscomb and Aaron Finch have been dropped – their Ashes hope now hanging by a thread – with Joe Burns, Matt Renshaw and the uncapped Will Pucovski taking their place. National selector Trevor Hohns addressed the media to cover various issues, both in terms of the immediate selection and the bigger picture, and here’s how he reacted to the major talking points.Hohns: “Shaun hasn’t done what we’d like him to have done over the last period and I am sure he would say the same thing. As far as the Ashes go that’s a long way off, he now has the opportunity in one-day cricket to get some form back. But the door is certainly not closedHohns: “Joe Burns has a good record in Test cricket and has been in good form leading up to when the Big Bash started. Matt Renshaw on the other hand is very, very highly regarded young player, he’s scored a lot of runs in England when he went over there and played county cricket. With the Ashes in mind it’s probably time now to get him back and around the group.”Hohns: “With Matthew Wade it’s fantastic to see him scoring a lot of runs. It wasn’t long ago that he was in our Test squad, he struggled and we dropped him. He was wicketkeeper at that stage, he’s playing as a wicketkeeper-batsman for Tasmania and it just so happens we have a wicketkeeper-batsman in our Test side who is the captain. If Matthew wants to be considered as a straight out batsman it would be nice to see him batting a little higher up for Tasmania and that conversation has been had.”Mitchell Marsh takes a breather•Getty Images

Hohns: “There’s always talk about having an allrounder in your side. My only answer to that is if the allrounder isn’t performing and you don’t have a good allrounder, well maybe we shouldn’t have one and go back to the stock standard six batsmen, four bowlers. But if you have a match-winning allrounder, they’re like gold. If we can unearth one, that’d be fantastic.”Hohns: “They are definitely our best three fast bowlers, I don’t think anyone would argue that. Whether they are operating as the best unit, I’m sure there’s some improvement that can be had there. There are fringe bowlers there’s no doubt about that and three of those are in the CA XI squad. We also have Jhye Richardson who is seen as a very bright prospect. But we think it’s essential that we have Pete around. He’s such an experienced campaigner and he’s great around the group.”Hohns: “Of course a lot will depend on the availability of Smith, Warner and Bancroft for that matter as well. Our players right now and through the Indian series had a great opportunity – we saw it like that and we hoped that they would see it like that – to make it difficult for us if and when these players come back and are available. There are still positions available of course, particularly given the revamp of the squad for now. So these guys now have the opportunity to cement a place or at least make it difficult for us to leave them out going forward.”

Ashes aspirants Hilton Cartwright and Marcus Stoinis made thirty-somethings each to push the hosts’ lead to 294 by stumps on the third day in Perth

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Oct-2017
ScorecardGetty Images

Ashes aspirants Hilton Cartwright and Marcus Stoinis each made thirties to help tighten Western Australia’s grip over Tasmania in the rain-hit day-night fixture in Perth.It was the bowlers who set things up for WA, dismissing Tasmania for 231 from an overnight 6 for 134. Ben McDermott stayed unbeaten on 45 off 63 balls, including eight fours. Debutant seamer Matthew Kelly impressed with 4 for 58. He claimed three of the four Tasmania wickets to fall on the third day. Jhye Richardson also chipped in with 3 for 30, helping Western Australia secure a 92-run first-innings lead.The batsmen then stretched it to nearly 300 by stumps. After being reduced to 3 for 39, Cartwright and Stoinis added 60 for the fourth wicket. The stand ended when Stoinis was dismissed for 32 in the 35th over, and three overs later Cartwright exited for 38. Richardson and Nathan Coulter-Nile then put on an unbroken 57-run stand in 52 balls to close out the day.

Darren Sammy smashed 59 off 35 balls to lead St Lucia Zouks to a crucial victory against St Kitts and Nevis Patriots at the Darren Sammy National Cricket Stadium

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Jul-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsDarren Sammy made his highest CPL score and entertained his home crowd•CPL/Sportsfile

Darren Sammy ran amok in the first match at the Darren Sammy National Cricket Stadium, at Gros Islet, since it had been renamed in the honour of West Indies’ World T20 winning captain. Sammy belted 59 off 35 balls, including five sixes and two fours, to lift St Lucia Zouks, coming off three successive losses, to a 35-run victory and knock St Kitts & Nevis Patriots out of contention for the knockouts.Coming in at the fall of Michael Hussey at a precarious 83 for 4, halfway into the 12th over, Sammy set to work by launching a straight six off legspinner Samuel Badree. He then hit Jonathan Carter for two boundaries in the following over. David Miller was bowled by a Krishmar Santokie cutter for 11 off 19 balls, but the dismissal hardly dented Sammy’s momentum.Sammy carted Santokie for back-to-back sixes before raising his first half-century off the tournament off 32 balls, with a drilled four down the ground. Sammy celebrated the landmark by kissing the turf and bowing to the crowd. He top edged fast bowler Alzarri Joseph to long leg in the final over, but by then Zouks had passed 160. Joseph finished well with three wickets off the last four balls of Zouks’ innings.Joseph had started positively as well, taking a tumbling catch at third man off Sheldon Cottrell to dismiss Andre Fletcher in the second over. He then struck with his first ball to limit the contribution of Johnson Charles, who has a stand named after him at this ground, to 25 off 14 balls. Carter got rid of the Australian pair of Shane Watson and Hussey, but Sammy ensured his side ended with a competitive 174.That total began to look bigger when Patriots’ openers – Lendl Simmons and Evin Lewis – fell within the Powerplay in the chase. JJ Smuts (30) and captain Faf du Plessis (48) counter-punched, but the scoreboard pressure was too much for the visitors. They lost their last five wickets for 13 runs and ultimately fell short by 35.Left-arm seamer Delorn Johnson was the pick of the bowlers for Patriots with figures of 3 for 37, while Sammy pitched in with the wicket of wicketkeeper Devon Thomas. The ticket prices had been slashed by 50% to celebrate the first game at the ground, and the crowd lapped up Sammy’s all-round show.The night had begun with Sammy and Charles walking through a guard or honour, and it ended with Sammy bagging the Man-of-the-Match award. The win dragged Zouks up from the bottom of the points table. They face Barbados Tridents next at the same venue on Saturday and Guyana Amazon Warriors on Sunday. Patriots have a week-long break before taking on Trinbago Knight Riders at Lauderhill on July 29.”It was a big day for Darren [Sammy] and it was important for the guys to get the win… It has been a frustrating campaign for the Zouks, and we have had rain, we played out games with breaks between games, it was tricky,” Morne Morkel, who took 1 for 29, said after the match. “As a bowling unit, we rely on a lot of rhythm. Hopefully, with us playing at home with back-to-back games, we will get that sort of rhythm.”

There will be no shock selections in England’s squad for the first Investec Ashes Test to be named at Lord’s on Wednesday

George Dobell30-Jun-20154:11

Great Ashes Moments – Jimmy and Monty save England at Cardiff 2009

There will be no shock selections – no Ashton Agar or Darren Pattinson – in England’s squad for the first Investec Ashes Test to be named at Lord’s on Wednesday.While the arrival of a new coach might provide a wildcard element to the process, it would be brave to the point of insanity if Trevor Bayliss started his new role by making dramatic changes to an England side that have won five and lost two of their last eight Tests. Especially as he has spent most of his first few days of the job in Spain.In truth, selection for the first Test is probably as predictable as at any time since Andy Flower was coach. Mark Wood has earned the right to go into the series as first-change seamer and Adam Lyth will open the batting. Gary Ballance will not be dropped after a couple of modest games and a couple of excellent deliveries.The only issue open to any sort of debate is the position of the spinner. While it seems highly likely that Moeen Ali will play in Cardiff, it is quite possible that Adil Rashid, the Yorkshire legspinner, will be included in the squad with a view to Bayliss taking a look at him in training and for him to gain more familiarity with the Test squad.

Probable England squad

Alastair Cook (capt), Adam Lyth, Gary Ballance, Ian Bell, Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler (wk), Moeen Ali, Stuart Broad, Mark Wood, James Anderson, Adil Rashid, Liam Plunkett/Mark Footitt

The attraction of Rashid is not just his bowling. It is what he represents. While offspinners appear – rightly or wrongly – to be associated with attrition, control and safety, legspinners evoke attack, positivity and aggression. Rashid’s selection may well reflect the public appetite to attack.But it remains likely that the selectors will keep faith with Moeen. While he did not enjoy a good Caribbean tour – he was a late addition to the squad due to injury and looked rusty throughout – his bowling in last summer’s victory over India was exactly what England required. He combined control with an element of threat, gaining sharp dip and demonstrating an arm-ball that was not so different to Graeme Swann’s. If he bowls as well this summer, he will be fine. If he bowls as he did in the Caribbean, he will be dropped.Rashid, by comparison, is significantly slower through the air and has not, to this point in his career, offered the same levels of consistency. He will turn the ball both ways, even in the first innings, and he may prove dangerous for tailenders, in particular.But the concern – and it is a reasonable concern – is that, with a four-man seam attack containing two fairly inexperienced and potentially expensive fast bowlers, it will be important for the spinner to maintain some control and bowl some tight overs in unhelpful conditions. In order to do that, he will require assistance from his captain. Alastair Cook has many positive qualities but he has yet to demonstrate a huge amount of imagination in the field. Rashid’s inclusion would represent quite a challenge for him.Rashid’s exposure to the England squad over the winter appears to have been helpful, however. He is bowling with just a little more pace and is conceding almost an identical number of runs per over as Moeen this season. He was one of the successes of the ODI series against New Zealand and is certainly a viable option. If his Test debut does not come this summer, it surely will in the UAE against Pakistan later this year.Adil Rashid could come into contention for the Cardiff Test after impressing in the ODIs against New Zealand•Getty Images

Despite the much-repeated myth that Moeen is a “part-time” bowler, it is not so. Since the start of the 2012 season, he has bowled more deliveries in first-class cricket than Rashid or even a county stalwart such as Gareth Batty. His bowling average in that time is also better than Rashid’s. Even this season, Moeen has bowled more overs in first-class cricket than Rashid and his record in Test cricket this year – 11 wickets in four Tests at an average of 41.63 – is not quite as grim as some might suggest.Could both play? It seems unlikely. Despite the warm weather and the fact that England picked both Monty Panesar and Graeme Swann for the Cardiff Test of 2009, it is more likely that England will rely on Joe Root and perhaps Lyth for additional overs if required. There is a distant possibility of omitting Ballance to accommodate both spinners but it would be a major surprise. It is 30 years since England picked two spinners in a home Test and won.Jonny Bairstow, plundering runs in all formats, can count himself unlucky if, as expected, he does not make the squad. But he is making a strong case as a batsman, averaging 106.00 in the Championship this year, and has probably moved to the position of first reserve ahead of James Taylor, Alex Hales or Eoin Morgan.The reserve bowlers, the likes of Liam Plunkett and Mark Footitt, will have to wait, too. While England will hope to play James Anderson and Stuart Broad in all five Tests, it seems Wood may require rotating. The presence of the allrounder, Ben Stokes, should ease the burden a little but Wood’s unique selling point – his explosive quality – needs to be preserved. Footitt, with his pace and his swing harnessed by the coaching of Graeme Welch, could yet prove to be the most influential left-arm pace bowler in the series. It would be quite a story.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board has accelerated its hunt for the next head coach even before the January 25 deadline for receiving applications, with the former West Indies captain Carl Hooper in the mix

Mohammad Isam and George Dobell14-Jan-2013The Bangladesh Cricket Board has accelerated its hunt for the next head coach even before the January 25 deadline for receiving applications, with the former West Indies captain Carl Hooper in the mix. The BCB is looking to fill the position before the tour of Sri Lanka in March.”We have sent out an advertisement seeking a coach and that (deadline) ends on January 25, but we are also looking elsewhere,” Jalal Yunus, the BCB media committee chairman, told ESPNcricinfo. “We know that Carl Hooper is interested in taking the job.”After retiring from international cricket in 2003, Hooper hasn’t had a major international coaching job. Two years ago, he was the batting coach of the Sagicor High Performance Centre in Barbados.The former Australia fast bowler Craig McDermott is also vying for the position. “Mark Greatbatch (former New Zealand batsman), who had applied when we last looked for a coach, is still interested, as is Craig McDermott,” Yunus said.McDermott is currently Ireland’s bowling coach and was understood to have been shortlisted for the role of Somerset coach that was eventually taken by Dave Nosworthy. McDermott had also served as Australia’s bowling coach before quitting last May. ESPNcricinfo understands that Mick Newell, Nottinghamshire’s director of cricket, remains interested in an international coaching position if the terms are appropriate. He had earlier pulled out of the race after initially showing interest when Bangladesh was looking to replace Stuart Law last year.Following Richard Pybus’ resignation in October, Shane Jurgensen, the bowling coach, took over as the interim coach during the home series against West Indies, Bangladesh’s last international assignment. Yunus said that if the BCB cannot find a suitable replacement ahead of the Sri Lanka tour, they will ask Jurgensen to continue.

ESPNcricinfo previews the first Test between South Africa and Sri Lanka at Centurion

Preview by Andrew McGlashan14-Dec-2011

Match Facts

December 15-19, Centurion
Start time 1030 (0830GMT)South Africa’s attack, led by Dale Steyn, will be a tough proposition for Sri Lanka’s batsmen•AFP

The Big Picture

When discussion turns to contenders for the top spot in Test cricket, South Africa feature prominently in the debate. Yet they haven’t won a home Test series since 2008 – and that was against Bangladesh – having watched leads evaporate against Australia recently and India last year. If they have serious aspirations to return to the top of the table they need to win this series against Sri Lanka.Everything suggests that should be well within their grasp. Sri Lanka have had a poor 2011 since reaching the World Cup final and have suffered three consecutive series defeats; against England, Australia and Pakistan. Although each was only a 1-0 margin there was a clear gap between them and their opposition. It’s a void that they’ll struggle to narrow against South Africa.There was always going to be a tough period in Sri Lanka’s history when Muttiah Muralitharan (not to mention Chaminda Vaas) departed the scene and the bowling attack is thin. However, in many ways the bigger concern is the form of the top order. With the honourable exception of Kumar Sangakkara the big names have failed to fire consistently. More is needed from Tillakaratne Dilshan, Mahela Jayawardene and Thilan Samaraweera.It will be a severe challenge for them against Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel and Vernon Philander, who made an impressive start to his Test career against Australia. They will be looking forward to the prospect of testing out the Sri Lankan batsmen on a bouncy, green Centurion pitch.South Africa, though, have to take this series by the scruff of the neck if their reputation isn’t to suffer. They have not always coped well when expectations have been high.

Form guide

(Most recent first)
South Africa LWDLW
Sri Lanka DLDDD

Watch out for…

Dale Steyn is the attack leader and Vernon Philander the new kid on the block, but don’t forget about Morne Morkel. He has moved to first change rather than being Steyn’s new-ball partner so when the Sri Lanka openers take strike they’ll have that nagging thought that Morkel’s steepling bounce is still awaiting them. Morkel’s Test record – 121 wickets at a touch under 30 – is impressive but there is a feeling it could be even better. Against a visiting team unsure of conditions, this is a chance for Morkel to make a mark.Tillakaratne Dilshan has been up and down the batting order this year as Sri Lanka try to find a combination that works. Against England, at Lord’s, he hit a fabulous 193 as opener but then moved down to No. 5 when Australia visited before returning to the top for the final Test against Pakistan where he hit 92. Like with Virender Sehwag there will be times when Dilshan produces something fairly unflattering against the new ball but he also has the ability to set a tone and lead from the front. He won’t back down against South Africa’s quicks and that should make fascinating viewing.

Team news

South Africa are expected to stick with the side that faced Australia which means no recall for Alvrio Petersen but Jacques Rudolph is on notice that he needs to convert his starts at the top of the order. However, perhaps most under pressure is Mark Boucher who needs a strong series to convince people that his career isn’t on the wane.South Africa (probable) 1 Graeme Smith (capt), 2 Jacques Rudolph, 3 Hashim Amla, 4 Jacques Kallis, 5 AB de Villiers, 6 Ashwell Prince, 7 Mark Boucher (wk), 8 Vernon Philander, 9 Dale Steyn, 10 Morne Morkel, 11 Imran TahirSri Lanka named a 12-man squad on the eve of the Test which included both spinners – Ajantha Mendis and Rangana Herath – but with conditions likely to favour the seamers it would be a gamble to have just two frontline pacemen. Their options are limited, however, with Nuwan Pradeep having flown home injured. Sangakkara, who split the webbing on his right hand in the warm-up match, will have a final fitness test but the signs were promising.Sri Lanka (probable) 1 Tillakaratne Dilshan (capt), 2 Tharanga Paranavitana, 3 Kumar Sangakkara, 4 Mahela Jayawardene, 5 Thilan Samaraweera, 6 Angelo Mathews, 7 Kaushal Silva (wk), 8 Thisara Perera, 9 Rangana Herath, 10 Dilhara Fernando, 11 Chanaka Welegedara

Pitch and conditions

The pitch was as green as Pakistan’s kit the day before the match so the pace bowlers on both sides will be licking their lips. The weather was overcast for training, with similar conditions expected through the game but no major rain forecast. However, there may be some afternoon thunderstorms as is common on the Highveld.

Stats and trivia

• Sri Lanka have played seven Tests in South Africa and only avoided defeat once with a draw in Durban in 2000 when rain washed out the fourth day.
• However, four Sri Lankan players from that Kingsmead Test are due to play in Centurion; Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Tillakaratne Dilshan and Dilhara Fernando – who took 5 for 98
• South Africa have won 12 of their 16 Tests in Centurion, the only defeat coming in the rain-affected 2000 match against England when Hansie Cronje set up the final-day run chase.

Quotes

“Whenever there’s a subcontinent team, it’s always the talk. That’s the reality that Sri Lanka face, that our pace bowlers are in their own conditions and want to exploit that.”
“If we can play our brand of cricket, we can beat any team in any conditions.”

Former Worcestershire and Northamptonshire middle-order batsman Jim Yardley has died in Canada. He was 64.

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Nov-2010Former Worcestershire and Northamptonshire middle-order batsman Jim Yardley has died in Canada. He was 64.In 260 first-class matches spanning 16 seasons he scored 8287 runs at 25.81 with five hundreds, and also held 232 catches mainly at slip.”He was not a prepossessing player, but he had guts, immense application, and an infinite capacity for scoring runs to and through third man,” wrote John Arlott. “A good sense of humour and a dedication the game enabled him to enjoy it and play it more effectively than men superficially greater gifts.”Yardley made his county debut in 1967 and became a regular in the Worcestershire side midway through 1968 despite failing to pass fifty all season. He only showed glimpses of his form in 1969 although again held down a regular place, but he repaid the county’s faith in 1970 with 762 runs at 40.In 1971 he passed 1000 runs for the only time in his career as well as hitting this maiden hundred when he made an unbeaten 104 against the touring Indians. He was capped in 1972 despite a wretched summer, slightly alleviated by some good limited-over performances.He was a key member of Worcestershire’s Championship-winning team in 1974 but after another ordinary summer in 1975 he was released and moved to Northamptonshire.In seven seasons at Northamptonshire his form rarely rose above the ordinary – he managed only one hundred in 107 first-class matches – but he was again able to hold down a regular place. However, by 1982 he was out of favour and after a season in the 2nd XI he retired.Although his one-day form was also mediocre – his highest score in 205 innings was 75 – he played in four Lord’s finals, winning once, the 1980 Benson and Hedges Cup.He emigrated to Canada in 2002.

New Zealand fast bowler has been ruled out of this year’s IPL as he is still in rehabilitation after surgeries on his left shoulder and right knee in late November

Cricinfo staff05-Jan-2010New Zealand fast bowler Kyle Mills
has been ruled out of this year’s IPL as he is still in rehabilitation after surgeries on his left shoulder and right knee in late November. He expects to start playing club cricket for Auckland only in late March, while the Twenty20 tournament begins on the 12th of that month. Mills was contracted to the Mumbai Indians franchise for US$150,000.The injury means Mills will also miss the home series against Bangladesh and Australia. His next target will be the ICC World Twenty20 in the West Indies at the end of April.”The knee’s fine,” Mills told the . “I’m back cycling to try to strengthen it but my shoulder is taking a wee bit more time to heal. That’s to be expected, though. The first eight weeks, I’ve had to take it easier on my shoulder but there’s more movement in it now. In the third week of January, I’m going to look at doing some specific strength work.”The expectation is that full movement will return. The shoulder’s the major operation but I thought I should do the knee as well while I can. The biggest issue early on will be fielding, in case I fall on it awkwardly.”Mills had described
the shoulder injury as a freak accident, which occurred after he dived for the ball which led to a torn rotator cuff. The knee injury, he said, was more a result of wear and tear over the last couple of years.Besides the World Twenty20, Mills has also set his sights on a contract with Gloucestershire over the English summer. “I haven’t had any official talks as yet this time around,” Mills said. “But if asked, I’d happily go across to play because I’ll be refreshed and looking for whatever cricket I can once I’m fit.”