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Brian Lara: ‘Shivnarine Chanderpaul has had a rough period so far as captain and we want to rally round him and bring a smile to his face’ © Getty Images

After a decade of “modest success and devastating failure”- to use his own, much-quoted phrase of seven years ago – Brian Lara believes the Test series against New Zealand that starts on March 9 could be the long-awaited turning point for West Indies cricket.”I can sense that there is a hunger in the team,” Test cricket’s leading run-scorer told a wide-ranging media conference yesterday. “I can sense that the guys are embarrassed after their performance in the one-day series [won 4-1 by New Zealand]. I sense that this three-Test series could be the turning point and I sense, even in myself, a desire to win,” he added.Similar sentiments were expressed by Bennett King, West Indies’ coach, a day earlier. “We’re looking forward to Test match cricket,” King said. “We believe we can make an impact. The belief within the group that they can perform against the Black Caps has been very firm.”Irked by the New Zealand media’s denigration of the West Indies’ showing in the preceding National Bank Series of ODIs, Lara charged on his arrival last Friday that it showed a lack of respect for a team with a greater cricketing legacy than New Zealand. He regarded it as significant that the team pulled off its only victory the following day, an encouraging augury for the Tests.The match holds special meaning as it is, to the day, the 50th anniversary of New Zealand’s inaugural Test victory, over the West Indies at the same Eden Park in 1956. When informed that the surviving members of New Zealand’s team on that occasion would be special guests and asked whether he would prefer not to “rain on their parade”, Lara quipped: “I’d love to.”Lara’s optimism, like King’s, is based on hypothesis rather than on the team’s record of eight defeats against one victory in the last 11 Tests and their eighth position in the ICC Test rankings, against New Zealand’s fifth. But, like King, he is encouraged by the attitude of the young players. “We’ve got quite a few young guys in their early 20s – Fidel Edwards, [Denesh] Ramdin, [Jerome] Taylor – who are eager to get out there and represent West Indies,” he said. “They’re full of talent,” he noted. “It’s just a matter of getting together as a team, winning situations at different times in the match and seizing the opportunity when it presents itself and going with it.”Lara has been proclaimed here as West Indies’ main hope of competing in the Tests but, he noted, that doesn’t produce a winning formula. While he said he felt “ready”, in spite of the month-long break from the game after the end of the Carib Beer Cup, he was conscious of the contrast between his personal success and the team’s overall failure.”You go on Cricinfo and you see there’s somebody who has the most double-centuries in defeats and that’s myself,” he said. “It’s all about a team situation, getting everybody to perform, the bowlers geared up to take 20 wickets, the batsmen to get 400-500 runs in the first innings, 600-700 over the match.”Stressing that his motivation was always team success over individual records, Lara said it was no different this time. “When I go on tour, I’m not going to score 300-400 runs or two Test centuries,” he explained. “I’m going to try to win as a team and to drink champagne with the team. Unfortunately, it hasn’t been a regular occurrence but all along it’s been my motivation to turn the corner and start winning again,” he added. “To leave Napier [after the last Test] as the winners of this series would be the greatest thing.”It would also be a boost for beleaguered captain Shivnarine Chanderpaul who replaced Lara last March after Lara’s withdrawal from the team for the first Test against South Africa over the sponsorship dispute with the West Indies Cricket Board. “Chanderpaul has had a rough period so far as captain and we want to rally round him and bring a smile to his face,” Lara said. “We’re looking forward to that.”But, as Lara observed, it is easier said than done against opponents who “want to show that they can dominate the series and who are talking that way.” New Zealand’s selectors have been roundly criticised here for the choice of an inexperienced top three in the order and the omission of Lou Vincent, one of their two century-makers in the ODIs. One opener, Jamie How, and the No.3 Peter Fulton are yet to play a Test. Hamish Marshall, who will open with How, has had nine in which he has scored two hundreds and averaged 48.58, but he has never gone in first. King’s response was that the West Indies bowling is equally inexperienced in Test cricket. Although he is a seasoned one-day cricketer, with 35 matches to his name, Ian Bradshaw, the left-arm swing bowler, is yet to play a Test. Edwards, the 24-year-old spearhead of the attack, has 20, and the other fast bowlers, Daren Powell 15 and Jerome Taylor three.Lara called the enforced absence of Dwayne Bravo’s wicket-taking medium-pace bowling, because of a strained left side sustained during the Twenty20 International here February 16, “a big negative to our strength”, even if the all-rounder is chosen only as No.6 batsman. He was unconcerned with the make-up of the New Zealand team. “We’ve got to focus on the 11 guys who play on Thursday and see what we can do,” he said. “If they feel they’ve got the right team, that’s the one we’ve got to match up to and the one we’ve got to defeat.”The first significant rainfall of the tour forced West Indies to practice indoors yesterday and kept the covers on the special prefabricated, drop-in pitch all day. When inspected on Monday, it carried a substantial covering of grass and King said the head groundsman informed him it would be fast and bouncy. Given the sluggish pitch of variable bounce in Saturday’s ODI, that appears unlikely.

Dear Mr Braithwaite,I refer to your letter of invitation dated March 19, 2005, and would like to express my gratitude for your kind invitation which permits me the opportunity, again, to join the West Indies team.As you are aware, I have devoted my whole life to all aspects of West Indies cricket. It is in these circumstances that I am bound to say that I have found extreme difficulty in formulating an appropriate response to your invitation.On the one hand, if I were to accept the invitation, then I would feel that I have abandoned part of the core of players who have represented the West Indies with me over recent years and all of whom are teammates.On the other hand, if I were to decline, then I feel I would be repudiating my deep feelings for the West Indian supporters and the furtherance of the game.What I would like to see is the best team selected to compete in the forthcoming series.I would also like to see an amicable resolution to the outstanding issues in an atmosphere of mutual compromise and respect, which would all redound to uplifting the morale and pride of the West Indian people who are so passionate about the sport.I do not wish to be put in a position where I consider that my response to your invitation would be indicative of a selection of one option and the rejection of another.In circumstances where neither my loyalty to the players nor my loyalty to West Indies cricket can be denied, I confirm that I am ready, willing and able to continue participating in West Indies cricket, provided that, even at this late stage, the best team will be selected with an assurance from all of the parties that the outstanding issues would be brought to the table and discussed.I wish to state unequivocally that it is my intention to ensure the survival of West Indies cricket. That is my primary consideration.Sincerely,Brian Charles Lara

Veteran broadcaster Tony Cozier has delivered a stinging broadside at what he called the “lack of decorum” in the West Indies squad during the recently-completed tour to Zimbabwe and South Africa.Writing in the Barbados-based Nation, Cozier, who reported on both series, said that the management of the tour party left a lot to be desired. It was, he said, clear that it was “divided and deficient, not only in relation to such cricketing issues as fitness and practice but, just as importantly, to standards of dress and demeanour.”He went on to bemoan the slovenly appearance of some members of the squad – officials as well as players – who were seen “in caps and armhole-shirts in the lobbies and bars of their five-star hotels and in elegant restaurants.” He singled out Kenny Benjamin, the side’s assistant coach, and Ronald Rogers’ the trainer, as being seen during national anthems before matches as being the only ones in shorts. And Corey Collymore (“with his unkempt hair and beard”) was the worst of the players. “A man is a man and I am my own man,” was Collymore’s response.”Anyone chosen for the West Indies, in whatever capacity, should appreciate, or be made to appreciate, that he is no longer his own man but rather a representative of an institution with a long and proud tradition, “Cozier fumed, “and millions of people whose very psyche revolves around it.”Cozier’s criticism will hardly come as news to seasoned followers of West Indies cricket. As long ago as 1995 Wes Hall reported at the end of the England tour that a meeting had to be held to address “unacceptable behaviour of some members of the team”. That was the series when Winston Benjamin was sent home for disciplinary reasons.Several subsequent tours have ended with thinly-disguised complaints from managers and officials about the poor approach of some players. Last year’s Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack described the West Indies A tour of England as “a bad-tempered, unproductive meander around the backwaters of English cricket rather than an exhilarating fast stream to the top”.

There could be an interesting finish on the fourth day of the match betweenthe CFX Academy and Mashonaland A at Country Club in Harare. Mashonaland A,after leading by 73 runs on first innings, failed in their second inningsand the Academy were left with 223 to win. However, Mashonaland A seizedthe advantage by taking two Academy wickets for 18 runs by the close.It took the Academy batsmen two overs to score the four remaining runs toavoid the possibility of a follow-on, without losing either of their tworemaining wickets. Pete Rinke and Nyasha Chari soon looked settled, playingsome well-judged strokes and handling the second new ball capably. Rinke on48 survived a low chance to first slip off Amos Maungwa, before reaching hisfifty off 163 balls. After the drinks interval, though, they showed signsof losing concentration, hardly surprising as with their regular diet ofone-day cricket they would rarely, if ever, have been required to bat for solong.Aided by some poor fielding, however, they stayed for almost two hours untilcaptain Henry Olonga in desperation brought himself on to bowl for the firsttime today and had Chari (24) playing the ball on to his stumps via theinside edge. The declaration came soon afterwards, with Rinke on 84, at 273for nine, 73 runs behind. This gave the Academy two overs’ bowling beforelunch, during which they scored five without loss.After the interval Mashonaland A quickly lost Brendan Taylor (4), wellcaught low in the gully off Jordane Nicolle. Mark Vermeulen, whose noisybehaviour on the field during the Academy innings had excited adversecomment, also scored only four before essaying a wild swipe across the lineto be bowled by Arnold Rushambwa, and Mashonaland A were 30 for two.With the removal of the scorer of more than half of their first-inningsruns, Mashonaland A looked vulnerable and the batting lacked conviction.Opener Andre Neethling was next to go, caught at the wicket off Rinke for25, and was immediately followed by Alester Maregwede, caught at mid-ontrying to pull Nicolle. Mashonaland A were now 54 for four.Elton Chigumbura and Andrew Durham dug in but, on the stroke of tea, Innocent Chinyoka came on and bowled out Durham for 3, leaving Mashonaland A in considerable trouble, 63 for five at tea. Chigumbura, aged 15, was theonly specialist batsman left, but he handled the pressure well.Mashonaland A have a long tail, and things worsened for them when the stubborn Norbert Manyande (9) was run out by a brilliant direct hit from Chinyoka, fielding near the long-leg boundary, attempting a second run. Chigumbura compiled an impressive 39 before being caught at slip off the ubiquitous Chinyoka, the score at this stage being 127 for seven.With their long tail, Mashonaland A were not expected to last much longer,and they did not disappoint the Academy, although Shepherd Makunura scored auseful 21 not out. The eventual total was 149, leaving the CFX Academy 223to win.Henry Olonga, perhaps fired up by his team’s poor batting, opened the bowling with a fiery spell, but failed to break through. David Mutendera took the wickets, trapping Chinyoka lbw for 6 and then forcing night-watchman Arnold Rushambwa to play the ball on to his stumps without scoring. Mashonaland A will therefore enter the final day as favourites.

The big surprise of the day at the NatWest Series game between Australia and Pakistan at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff, yesterday, came when the Australian team sheet was made public. On the list was one Number 58, Brett Lee.Although it was known to all and sundry that Lee, who hadn’t bowled competitively since an elbow operation in February, was training with the Australian team in England, he was not chosen as a member of the one-day squad and was expected to commence his playing comeback in a Second XI game for Nottinghamshire next week.Lee’s return to the Australian team was fast-tracked, however, after injuries to Nathan Bracken (shoulder), Jason Gillespie (hamstring) and Damien Fleming (calf muscle) made the new-ball situation in the one-dayers desperate.

Lee- unexpected appearance Photo CricInfo

In the end, despite Australia’s easy victory, it was not the happiest of matches for Lee. His ten overs brought one wicket – that of Shahid Afridi – but cost 85 runs. This set a new record as the most expensive ten overs by an Australian bowler in one-day international history. (The world record for ten overs is 97 runs by Asantha de Mel for Sri Lanka in the 1987 World Cup, while New Zealand’s Martin Snedden conceded 105 runs in 12 overs in the 1983 World Cup.)Lee’s last four overs went for 48 runs as Pakistan made their dramatic late-order fightback. A more unfortunate statistic is that Lee has conceded 157 runs in 18 overs in his last two ODI appearances, including the game against Zimbabwe on February 4 where he suffered the elbow injury that required an operation.Following the Cardiff game yesterday, the Australian camp announced that Andy Bichel would join the squad until Bracken, Gillespie and Fleming had recovered from their injuries. Bichel is playing for Worcestershire in county cricket this season, and in eight limited-over appearances to date has taken 13 wickets at 21.23 from 77 overs – and scored a century batting at number three.

The Athletic’s Phil Hay has delivered a significant update on Leeds United stalwart Luke Ayling.

What’s the story?

The journalist said: “I’m pleased for him (after Wolves) because he hasn’t had a particularly great season and I think, like with a few others, he’s probably going to come under consideration now about what needs to happen in the summer.

“He’s had two really good games, particularly the back end of the Wolves game; really, really influential. But there is going to now be that consideration in the summer of ‘what do we do with the squad?’

“On the basis of this season, using cold hard facts, what needs to change? He has given everything to this last four years, whatever you think about form.”

A Leeds cornerstone

Usually one of the first names on the team sheet, there’s no questioning that Ayling has been one of Leeds’ most trusted players over the past few years.

The £45k-a-week ace played the full 90 minutes in every single Premier League game last season bar one, and even that was when former Whites boss Marcelo Bielsa took him off to try and find a goal in the last 20 minutes against ten-man Arsenal.

In the past, Hay has emphasised how important Ayling is to the team, declaring: “The more you look at him and analyse him, the more you realise he’s integral to everything Leeds do.”

Speaking just last year, former Scotland manager Alex McLeish raved about the consistency that Ayling brings to the table on a weekly basis, saying: “We talk about Luke nearly every week, we always give him a mention. He’s such an enthusiast for the game. It’s a guy who clearly loves his football and his roles within Leeds United, not only as a full-back, he’s got the centre-back skills as well – he’s got versatility.

“He’s a really, really good example to any young player coming up because he’s been through the ranks. You see where he started and now he’s playing in the Premier League.”

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With doubts already surfacing over the long-term futures of Kalvin Phillips and Raphinha, seeing Ayling leave the club would be a hammer blow to the Elland Road faithful.

AND in other news – “We’re told…”: Graham Smyth drops big Leeds United update which will delight supporters

Habibul Bashar and Enamul Haque will be flying to New Zealand to take part in the two-Test series starting January 4, 2008 © Getty Images

Habibul Bashar, Shahriar Nafees and Enamul Haque are being added to New Zealand’s squad for the two-Test series starting January 4. The three players will depart on December 28 while four cricketers from the ODI squad will return home after the completion of the ongoing series.As expected, veteran wicketkeeper Khaled Mashud along with ace left-arm spinner Mohammad Rafique were ignored for the New Zealand tour with the selectors showing faith in the young wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim and allowing him to continue on tour. The Rafiqul Alam-led selection panel opted for Bashar, Bangladesh’s former captain, Nafees, left-handed opener, and Haque, the left-arm spinner, got the nod over Rafique for technical reason.”We had conditions in mind rather than going for only experience while taking the decision of leaving out two of our most important performers,” Rafiqul said. “Mushfiq is already accustomed to the conditions and his last Test performance in Sri Lanka was also not bad. That’s why we didn’t find any reason to send Mashud despite his good form in the national league and in addition we have yet to get a full fitness report on him.”In Rafique’s case, what we felt was that a spinner like Enamul who can bowl a little slower would be more effective than him. Enamul has already proved his worth as a longer-version bowler and his performance in the national league was also noteworthy.”On the other hand we still believe that Rafique has been completely out of sorts since the last home series against India and his performance in the domestic competition and attitude towards the competition also forced us to take the decision.”The former national player also explained the reason behind the selection of Bashar and Nafees, who got the nod because of his late comeback in the National Cricket League.”The time has yet to come to think about the Test fate of Bashar because we don’t want to forget his contribution as a Test batsman. On the other hand we always believe that Nafees is a very important player for us. We dropped Nafees from the one-day squad because of his woeful performances but he has returned among the runs lately to get back his place.”The second and final Test, also the last match of the tour, starts in Wellington on January 12.

Below is the transcript of the conversation the Nagpur police say took place between Marlon Samuels and Mukesh Kochar, an alleged bookie, before the India-West Indies match at Nagpur on January 21. Samuels was staying in Room 206 of the Pride Hotel in the city. The transcript is verbatim from the police recordsBookie: Connect to 206Reception: 206, sir?Bookie: YesRec: Hello, room no 206, MarlonBookie: Hello, how are you Marlon?206: not clearBookie: Just relax buddy206: Just relaxBookie: Hello my son, that’s way I am here, came for my some work and amheld up206: OKBookie: Tomorrow night I am going back206: OKBookie: So how are things with you and how is the preparation?206: Preparation is good enoughBookie: Well, wish you all the best206: ThanksBookie: You play well206: (Not clear) Talking to RobinsonBookie: Robinson…Yes206: Yes, our fielding wellBookie: Ya, good that’s a high-scoring game206: Early in the morning… Batting move around the pitch…Bookie: an in the evening lower down206: Slow down…Bookie: What you think that, who will bat…206: Well…Bookie: Who, who?206: Dwayne (not clear) He’s is making a debut tomorrow…Bookie: New batsman, bowlers…206: All-rounder…Bookie: He are a good player…206: Making debutBookie: Ya, I can understand that Chris is in form…206: (Not clear)…Bookie: And how is your batting going on?206: My batting is good…Bookie: Big… a… tall score tomorrow206: (Not clear)Room no 206: (not clear)Bookie: When do you get down to bowl206: (not clear)Bookie: Which over you will be bowling206: One downBookie: Normally after 17th or 18th over206: By tomorrow… (not clear) than I can bowl… (not clear)Bookie: He is seamer or spinner206: SeamerBookie: He is a seamer, who will start bowling tomorrow206: DwayneBookie: Dwayne206: Dwayne, tail and BradshawBookie: Tail and Bradshaw, they will open. You will be as the third bowler206: Jerome Taylor, Chris Gayle will be 4th and 5th bowlingBookie: You have got a nice allrounder team nowBookie: As a first match, I want you to play well confident and don’t hurry up, don’t give the catches, play well, consolidate your position as well as possible if even if you can want couple of balls, it doesn’t matter, don¹t get run out.. don’t get excited, have astrong position206: (not clear)Bookie: After this you guys going to Cuttack, that’s another place206: (not clear)Bookie: I am going back, we will be in touch with you206: Most welcomeBookie: Whenever you come back to Bombay? Most probably may be I will come there for one or two days206: I want to stay there for couple of daysBookie: Yeah, after (not clear)206: YeahBookie: Let me know I am flying back tomorrow206: Not yetBookie: Yeah my flight (not clear) O’clock & from their I will fly back to Bombay206: (not clear)Bookie: Thank you very much chief206: (not clear)Bookie: All the best, after this I will have to work206: (not clear)Bookie: Ok good

Paras Mhambrey, former Mumbai player and currently Bengal’s coach, was disappointed with couple of decisions that went against his team © Getty Images

Paras Mhambrey came charging up towards the room where the analyst was recording the ball-by-ball of the Bengal innings. The Bengal coach looked understandably disturbed as Manoj Tiwary, one of his well-set batsmen, had been given out at a crucial juncture of the Ranji Trophy final in dubious circumstances. Tiwary, too, with his pads still on, accompanied Mhambrey. Both of them saw the video a few times and shook their heads. Tiwary even uttered “Aise toh satyanash karega kisi ka career.” (In this fashion careers will get spoilt).The Bengal camp’s ire was directed against umpire AV Jayaprakash who had ruled Tiwary lbw, to a delivery from Praveen Kumar that was sliding down the leg. At that stage Tiwary was fighting hard along with Laxmi Ratan Shukla to help Bengal move towards UP’s 387. Earlier, Rohan Gavaskar, too, had been trapped in front of the stumps off another Kumar delivery that was angled in from wide off the crease from round the wicket and was easily sliding down the leg side. The umpire at fault had been once again Jayaprakash.But with 39 runs still to get to the vital first-innings lead, Deep Dasgupta, Bengal’s captain, did well to hide his emotions at the end of the day when he said, “It is an important game and a couple of decisions went against us. It could prove crucial in the end. I don’t want to talk more about the decisions.” Instead he tried to focus on the positives. Dasgupta drew parallels to Bengal’s current position with another first-innings thriller that they contested against Madhya Pradesh at the Eden Gardens last year in their last league match. Chasing MP’s 392, Bengal were tottering at 106 for 5 when Sourav Ganguly (121), Debang Gandhi (77) and Shukla (81) had saved them from the ignominy. There again Ranadeb Bose, who was unbeaten on Tuesday evening with his 38-ball three, had made three valuable runs from 61 balls. “Both [Shukla and Bose] of them have had lot of partnerships and they are the best judge of the situation”, said a confident Dasgupta looking forward to the penultimate day of the final.He also took the opportunity to put some pressure on the young Piyush Chawla, who had taken four Bengal wickets by acknowledging the youngster’s good work, while at the same time, adding “It is not that he has completely fooled us to get his wickets, so we are not bothered about him.”A red-faced Chawla, not because of the opposition captain’s remarks, but after toiling hard in the day where he bowled 21 overs across three spells for his three wickets, meanwhile only said, “It is just a matter of two good balls, so no one has the advantage or disadvantage.”

Mohammad Sami: found some inspiration, at last© Getty Images

Indian fans know all about hoping for the best and preparing for the worst when it comes to entrusting someone to lead the bowling attack in the absence of the main striker. In Zaheer Khan’s absence, Ajit Agarkar has often failed to rise to the challenge of spearheading the attack. And Mohammad Sami, save for a brief passage of play after lunch on the third day, has gone the Agarkar way in Shoaib Akhtar’s absence.The similarities do not end there. Sami is a short man for a fast bowler, and relies on the ball skidding off the pitch, rather than hitting the deck hard. He swings the ball enough to trouble batsmen, but not enough to be a force when the pitch is slow and the ball is holding up. He steams in off a long run, and can’t bowl long spells on a hot, humid day.Yet when India began their second innings, Sami showed what he was capable of. He gave the captain exactly what was needed, getting the ball in the right spot from the word go, in stark contrast to the first innings, where he began with a trademark no-ball. For a change, he was not attempting to burst through batsmen’s defenses. Instead he settled into a good rhythm, and attempted to ask questions of the batsmen.The first thing he did right was keep the ball full and straight to Gautam Gambhir, who had got off the mark with a streaky edge. Gambhir got a delivery that was too good for him so early in his innings. It shaped in a touch, and late, and was on a perfect yorker length. Before he could move across to cover the swing, or bring the bat down in defence, the ball had snuck through.The early dismissal meant that Sami, who rarely looked like taking a wicket before that passage of play, had something in the bank to show. And, when Inzamam-ul-Haq set attacking fields, packing the off-side for Sehwag, Sami was able to bowl confidently, in the full knowledge that there was protection at hand. Once again, Sami’s composure – he did not get overly excited – allowed him to land the ball in areas that Sehwag could not resist. And duly, one meaty heave found its way to the stumps via the bottom edge.This was a far-cry from his performance in the first innings, when he bowled on both sides of the wicket, short and full, and offered every manner of goody to the greedy Indian batsmen. At one stage in the second innings he had figures of 3-2-3-2, and looked the part. The spearhead, it seemed, was not so blunt that it could not do damage.But even Sami would agree that he has done too little, in too many chances, to take his place in the team for granted. Had it not been for the injuries to Shoaib, Umar Gul and Shabbir Ahmed, Sami might have been at home, watching the game on television, wondering what he needed to do to make that transition from potential to performance, trying to unravel the enigma that he is. That is what Agarkar is probably doing at the moment.