Mumbai Indians will have the advantage

Mumbai Indians bowling coach, Shaun Pollock, said his team has the knowledge and will have the plus over Somerset at the slow tracks of M A Chidambaram Stadium.

Mumbai have played two matches in Chennai, while Somerset have not played any game on this path and Pollock feels his team would have the advantage of knowing what to wait for on this pitch.

"It's attractive, to say the least. Our game alongside New South Wales was very difficult. We've played two games and managed to experience what the circumstances are all about. We know what to expect," he said at a press conference.

"I think we've to just adjust on the day. I mean we don't quite know how the pitch is going to play awaiting we reach your destination and see how the first five or six deliveries behave. It's going to be odd, because we've played two games and we'll adapt pretty well, I think," he added.

Pollock ruled out promote struggling all rounder, Andrew Symonds, who has scored just 26 runs in four innings, up the order, saying the Australian's role is that of a finisher.

"I don't think a semifinal is the time to get (a player's) self-assurance going and rhythm (back). You want your best batsmen at the crease. I believe that's the key in T20 cricket," he said.

"You want the guys who are in good nick at the top of the order. Andrew knows what his role is, that of a finisher, that's why he comes down the order."

The South African bowling coach backed Symonds to come good in the last two games for Mumbai.

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We won't miss Chris Gayle in Bangladesh

West Indies coach Ottis Gibson is not worried at all with the nonappearance of Chris Gayle as he believes his young players will deliver in Bangladesh.

Gayle and Gibson are not in good terms with each other. The relationship soured after Gayle, who has shaped a stir with his exploit in the ongoing Nokia Champions League Twenty20, gave a contentious interview on Jamaican radio station, KLAS Sports, in April, when he slam the coach as well as West Indies Cricket Board officials.

Gibson answers with a stern "No!" when asked whether Gayle's absence will hurt their probability.

"We are not going to miss him because he is not here," Gibson said at a media meeting, as West Indies held an afternoon preparation session at the Sher-e-Bangla Stadium in Mirpur.

Gibson added: "Some people will think we need him, but we consider we are building a team. Of course, like I said, we need senior players that are dedicated to mix with the young people and guide the youngsters.

"We believe we are building a team and we are seeing signs of development from the players. I know they are all able and ready to take this opportunity."

Gibson echoed West Indies captain Darren Sammy's opinion that Bangladesh could be a hard proposal in their own backyard.

"We appreciate that in the Bangladeshi line-up they have several left-arm spinners, so that clearly means they will be including heavily on their slow bowlers," he said.

"We were in Dubai last week prepare and we had the chance to play next to some good spinners there."

He continued: "A lot of our deliberations and our training methods are geared towards combating spin bowling.

"Everyone knows that Bangladesh, in these circumstances, will be tough, but we consider we have done the work that will allow us to do well against their bowlers in these conditions."

West Indies play a Twenty20 and three one-day internationals, along with two Tests.

They will be hopeful to avenge an embarrassing home series beat to the Bengal Tigers when the two sides met in the Caribbean two years ago, at the same time when several leading players, as well as Gayle, took action over the terms and conditions of their contracts.

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No blistering Spot in India-England series

The contentious Hot Spot will not be used in the five-match ODI series between India and England, the head of the company behind the technology has established.

BBG Sports chief decision-making, Warren Brennan, said that his company has determined not to bring the Hot Spot technology for the upcoming ODI series after it did not find BCCI's support.

"BBG Sports is dissatisfied at how the Hot Spot perform in the UK during the England vs India series. There were a number of incidents where we were hoping for better outcome from the technology," Brennan said.

"Following the commentary by Mr Srinivasan on September 20th, in relation to Hot Spot and the DRS process, BBG Sports supposed it did not have the support of the BCCI and promptly determined not to bring the Hot Spot to India for their upcoming home series," Brennan added.

During India's ODI series in England in August, Hot Spot had proved uncertain during referrals of several appeals for caught-behind and was then criticized by the BCCI.

In July, the BCCI had agreed to a negotiation with the ICC wherein the technology was made obligatory in the use of DRS while ball-tracking technology was made optional.

But upon taking over as BCCI president, N Srinivasan reverted to the Board's original stance against the DRS, following Hot Spot's performance on the England tour.

"It is not needed for me to dwell on the accuracy of Hot Spot; it was there for everybody to see. The BCCI will, at the next ICC meeting, raise the issue. We want to return to it because we feel that Hot Spot is inadequate. We do not wish to use the DRS in its present form, even in its minimum standard," Srinivasan had said after the BCCI's Annual General Meeting last month.

Brennan hopes that the Hot Spot technology will carry on to be used in the series outside the subcontinent.

"BBG Sports has sustained to invest in Hot Spot technology and has purchase four new Hot Spot cameras in the past six months which we believe could get better the system dramatically," he said.

"These new cameras will be put to good use for series in South Africa, New Zealand and Australia this southern summer," he added.

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