West Indies crash out-of-form Sarwan


West Indies have drop knowledgeable but out-of-form batsman Ramnaresh Sarwan from their 13-member squad for the third Test against India. Kieran Powell has been name to take Sarwan's place in the squad.

The 21-year-old left-hander is the Leeward Islands opener and a normal member of the West Indies A team.

There are no other changes to the squad from the second Test in Barbados which broken in a draw. India holds a 1-0 series lead in the three-match rubber.

Powell has played two one-dayers for the West Indies, both in the Champions Trophy in South Africa two years ago.

In all, he has 5 runs to his name from these two global matches after he made a duck against Bangladesh, and 5 against India.

Sarwan has had a miserable summer with the bat and made only 29 runs from four innings of the first two Tests next to India. He was no better next to Pakistan in the ODI series, making 54 runs from four innings of two Tests.

"Ramnaresh is having a hard time and it is best for him to make way and allow a player in better form to contribute to the team totals," said Clyde Butts, Chairman of the Selection Committee.

"We have no doubt about Ramnaresh's class as a batsman, he has established himself innumerable times in the past and we are certain that he will return stronger in the near future," Butts added.

"Kieran is young but has been on the first class circuit for some time and is a former Windies Under-19 World Cup player. He did well for the West Indies A and scored an imposing hundred against England Lions in the WICB Regional four-Day Tournament but got injured subsequently."

Powell has been working for the past several weeks at the Sagicor High Performance Center in Barbados under Head Coach Andre Coley and Batting Coach Carl Hooper.

The Third Test will be played at Windsor Park from July 6. This is the first time a Test is being hosted in Dominica although it has staged four one-dayers -- two each against Bangladesh and South Africa -- in the past.

West Indies squad:
Darren Sammy (capt), Adrian Barath, Carlton Baugh, Devendra Bishoo, Darren Bravo, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Fidel Edwards, Kirk Edwards, Kieran Powell, Ravi Rampaul, Kemar Roach, Marlon Samuels and Lendl Simmons.

Cook: Broad appearance still not a worry


England have troubles to address if they are to fight back in the NatWest Series, but captain Alastair Cook is not panic yet about Stuart Broad's form.

Broad was wicketless once more at Lord's - he has yet to strike in three 50-over fixtures next to Sri Lanka so far - having learn before start of play yesterday that he must also fork out 50% of his match fee for losing his temper at Headingley.

Broad will head for his home ground of Trent Bridge on Wednesday nursing series figures of none for 154. But after England's six-wicket beat at HQ, centurion Cook said of the fast bowler's barren run: "I think it's just one of those things."

Cook saw sufficient in Broad's labors - particularly when bowling to man-of-the-match Dinesh Chandimal (105no) - to help him keep the faith.

"In a pair of overs when he was bowling forcefully at the guy who got a hundred, he hit the gloves and got the ball to bounce up.

"He had a short-leg in, and they just kept avoid him. "At the instant it's not fairly going for Broady, a bit like the Test matches. "But this is what cricket does, and if he get five-for next time on his home ground it will be welcome."

As for Broad's financial punishment from International Cricket Council match referee Alan Hurst in Leeds, it seems both bowler and captain have established he was at fault for apparently swearing at umpire Billy Bowden over a not-out lbw decision.

"He oversteps the mark," said Cook. "But when he bowled forcefully he made it painful - that's what Stuart does well. "Broady's always played that way. That's part of what's made him get so far in the game so quickly.

"Occasionally he has overstepped the mark. But when you're wrong you're wrong, you put your hands up - and he admits that."

Broad's woes are not the only mark of bother for England at present following yesterday's six-wicket defeat.

Their critics also point to natural accumulators Cook and Jonathan Trott's tricky co-existence at numbers one and three in a limited-over batting line-up - while there is also the question of whether an extra spin alternative may serve them better in the bowling attack.

"We're going to appraisal this game, like we always do, and we'll try to pick the best side to win the game," said Cook, looking onward to Nottingham.

"If it's going to fly throughout we want four quicks. We're happy with that, but we can change that side."

'Strange' end can't stop Sri Lanka


Angelo Mathews confused both his own captain and England's Alastair Cook with his resolve to ensure team-mate Dinesh Chandimal put a Lord's hundred.

Cook was even enthused to propose the "gods of cricket" might have view the bizarre end to this NatWest Series match with "revulsion", as Sri Lanka briefly in danger to blow certain victory for the sake of one batsman's personal attainment.

As it was, 21-year-old Chandimal finished an unbeaten 105 in a six-wicket win which came with 10 balls to spare as Sri Lanka went 2-1 up with two to play.

There was, however, a brief instant when Sri Lanka captain Tillakaratne Dilshan began to wonder whether Mathews was put his team under unnecessary pressure. The all-rounder broken up with one not out from 21 balls, having pat the 47th over of the innings back to Jade Dernbach for a maiden.

Word, in the shape of a substitute bat for Chandimal, came from the tourists' bandage room that sufficient was enough, and the number three respond by clubbing a six over long-on off Tim Bresnan to arrive at his hundred and put the result beyond lasting doubt.

Cook, who had earlier made a strong-minded 119 in England's under-par 246 for seven, said of Mathews' antics: "It was dissimilar. I've never seen that before.

"You'll almost certainly have to ask them precisely what they were doing, although I think it's quite clear.

"They're perfectly free to do it if they want. It's just slightly strange and you never know, the cricketing gods might look down in a bit of revulsion.

"It was receiving close, wasn't it?"

It was clear that Dilshan thought similarly, as aggravation forced him from his seat on the pavilion balcony.

Asked afterwards about Mathews' behaviour, he obviously still had mixed feelings.
"That bit dissatisfied me," he said. "But they are youngsters and they are learning every time in the middle.

"I'm actually happy Chandimal got a hundred, particularly at Lord's. "Angelo Mathews not attractive the singles shows we are working like a family, a team, a unit - and overall I'm really happy."

Cook had less to smile about, in spite of his own second ODI century, accepting England simply did not make sufficient runs.

"We had a bit of a slow start and lost a couple of wickets," Cook added. "Then I and KP [Kevin Pietersen] had a good partnership but we just kept losing wickets at the wrong time and were then forever playing re-building cricket.

"That's never a way of receiving a big score and we were almost certainly about 40 short. I thought 280 or 290 was defendable."

England requires winning at Trent Bridge on Wednesday to keep away from a series defeat, and Cook added: "We will review this game, where we think we can get better.

"Our batting line-up hasn't fired, hasn't scored enough runs in the last two games. "If we want to win games we're going to have to fire more time after time."

However, Cook does not acknowledge what some see as a potentially chronic problem with a limited-overs team which has to put up his and Jonathan Trott's naturally accumulative style of batting.

Son, new business stay Sachin busy


A new business venture and impart batting tips to son Arjun are two things that Sachin Tendulkar is currently focusing on before he starts intent on the upcoming England series.

The iconic batsman has been frequently visiting the MCC cricket conservatory to coach his 11-year-old son, Arjun - and transitory on tips to other people using the enclosed nets there.

An honorary life member of the association, Tendulkar, who has be staying at a possessions he owns near the Lord's, has been visit the conservatory for the past few days.

"He (Tendulkar) has been a usual visitor at the Lord's in new weeks," an MCC spokesman was quoted as saying in 'Sunday Telegraph'.

And when he is not coaching small Arjun, he is devote time in his new business undertaking in Winchester.

It's about cricket-themed pursuit centres where you will be clever to bat against an image of Tendulkar (or other, better international bowlers) that runs in and deliver a semi-hard ball at you; or bowl next to an image of him that deal with your relief after calculating the route and rotation of the delivery.

Tendulkar was accompany by his children Arjun and Sara.

Last week, Tendulkar, who was surveillance matches at the Wimbledon, interact with the legendary Roger Federer.

Though he has not had a single net session, Tendulkar will start preparation from this week for India's four-match Test series next to England. In London, Tendulkar has been able to calm down, with far fewer bodyguards than normal, the report said.

The champion batsman will be aiming for his 100th international century when India take on England at the Lord's Test, the 100th between the the teams, and the 2000th in the history of the game.