Yuvraj Singh opens cricket conservatory

Following the footsteps of his colleague Virender Sehwag, cricketer Yuvraj Singh, too, on Saturday set up a cricket academy called 'Yuvraj Singh Center of Excellence' at Pathways World School in Gurgaon and Noida. School and college students will be trained under Yuvraj Singh among other coaches.

Singh said, "I have been playing cricket since childhood. I joined various academies, but they were not excellent in terms of facilities and training." He said he would be in constant touch with the coaches at the academy through the Internet and help in chalking out plans to enhance the budding talent. Singh added, "I will also invite other cricket icons to my academy to guide the youngsters."

He said, "We are trying to help the budding cricketers. The academy will also help children from humble background. If we come across a talented boy from such a family, we will accommodate him and try to nurture his talent."

BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla and Haryana Cricket Association secretary Anirudh Chaudhry were also present.

In October, Sehwag had opened a world-class training institute — 'Sehwag Inter-national School' in Jhajjar.

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India squad next to England on Sept 29

The Indian squad for next month's first two one-dayers next to the visiting England side will be picked in Chennai on Thursday, according to the BCCI sources.

"The team for the first two ODIs next to England will be chosen in Chennai on September 29," BCCI source said on Monday.

The selectors will also decide the three teams - India Red, Indian Blue and India Green - to take part in the N K P Salve Challenger Series in Nagpur from October 10-13, the sources added.

The first two India-England ODIs are to be held in Hyderabad (October 14) and Delhi (October 17).

The squad for the outstanding three ODIs is likely to be picked at the end of the first two matches. The remaining ties are to be held in Mohali (October 20), Mumbai (October 23) and Kolkata (October 25).

England is also scheduled to play a one-off T20 International next to India in Kolkata on October 29 before departure home.

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BCCI will not do any inquisition

New BCCI president BCCI has lined out any post-mortem of India's miserable tour of England in which the side unsuccessful to win a single international match.

"The tour did not go as intended. We did not have our best team from the start. A lot of players were injured.

We have faith in the team. There is no reason why we can't get back (no. 1 spot) there. We have not formed any committee (to do a post moretem)," said Srinivasan at the end of the Board's 82nd AGM on Monday.

The Indian squad was whitewashed 0-4 by England in the Test rubber and lost the ODI series 0-3, besides losing the lone T20 clash against the hosts.

The Chennai-based businessman remind that the same team had climb the peak of ODI and Test cricket before the England tour by winning the World Cup in April and achieve the no. 1 Test rank that it kept for more than a year in its hold.

"Our cricketers have achieved whatever there was to accomplish. Two months ago they were heroes having won the World Cup; they were the number one Test team. They had one bad series. (Now) they need our support," he said.

Srinivasan did not agree with the view that surplus of cricket affected the team's performance.

"BCCI does not support the view of too much cricket, because accepting a few, not all play all the three formats and those who did were not the ones who were injured.

"We have taken stock of the cricket being played around the world and there is not much differentiation between other teams. Yes, we did not do well but we have faith in the team, they will bounce back," he declared.

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Indecision loom over Kochi players

The conclusion by BCCI to terminate the Kochi Tuskers Kerala franchise for breach of contract has left 28 thin cricketers in the lurch.

Although the BCCI has stated that in case the franchise fails to pay up the players' dues, they would encase the bank guarantee and pay their salaries.

However, a larger question in this background is what and how will be the future of these players, which include top names like former Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene and Indian players like Parthiv Patel, S Sreesanth, Ravindra Jadeja, Rudra Pratap Singh, to name a few.

Will these players feature in the fifth edition of IPL? That's a million dollar question as of now with BCCI express their want to go with nine-team for the next edition.

"It's a tough situation, certainly. The new IPL governing council needs to put in a lot of consideration into how they will handle the delicate issue of the future of these players," a BCCI official, who attend the AGM on Monday, said.

He admits that it will be a tough ask to restore the players in other teams.

There are a few options and the BCCI is deliberate on the pros and cons of each of them.

While a section of members are in favour of re-auction for the players, there are others who are pointing out at the soft underbellies it might have to go in for an auction.

"Why would the nine other franchise be ready for sale of these players (though all of them are not capped)?" the official questioned.

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RP's enclosure in ODI squad baffling

If world champions India are to win the ODI series next to England, the bowlers will have to do something odd, says Wasim Akram.

India’s bowlers will be below the scanner when the ODI series starts this weekend at Chester-Le-Street. India’s Test disgrace was mainly due to an insufficient bowling attack and if it continues in the same vein, Dhoni’s team will be in big difficulty.

I doubt what RP Singh is doing in the ODI squad. He was totally off-colour in The Oval Test match and it will be a miracle if he can do something special in the ODIs. It was good decision to comprise young Jamshedpur quickie, Varun Aaron, because India need fresh pair of legs in both batting and bowling.

Much will depend on the spinners and Amit Mishra has to realize that his main job will be to pick wickets. I was dissatisfied with Mishra’s bowling in the Test matches and Dhoni may not be inclined to play him. Mishra has a lot to learn. It may not be a bad idea for BCCI to hire someone like Shane Warne for some time and teach Mishra how to turn the ball better and with more control!

The ODI series will be a test of character for India’s young batsmen. The sooner they learn to accept liability, the better it is for India. India’s Generation Next must make a start in England because the golden generation of Indian middle-order batting is drawing to a close. Tendulkar, Dravid and Laxman are all above 35 and they will eventually retire in a couple of years.

It’s time for Raina to learn from his mistakes. He looked completely out of sorts in the Test series. It looked as if he did not know how to hold the bat, leave alone score some runs. It was extremely sad to see such a talented batsman struggling like this.

The younger generation of Indian batsmen needs to realise that they have to spend more time playing first-class cricket rather than concentrate all their energies on T20 cricket. The BCCI has to ensure this too. T20 version is meant only for entertainment purposes! But if you want to become great batsmen like Dravid, Tendulkar or Ganguly, then you have to score big runs consistently at the Test match level. Only then will you be considered a legend.

Can the Kohlis, Rainas and Rohit Sharmas make themselves count? This is the time to stand up and deliver because England are on a high and will come really hard at the world champions.

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"BCCI in charge for India's debacle"

Former Pakistan Test Captain Mushtaq Mohammad has responsible the Indian Cricket Board (BCCI) for the disaster of the Indian team in England.

"The BCCI is very much accountable for poor planning of this tour. They consideration their cricketers were machines and are being treat like machines.

They (the players) can't play day in day out, they are human beings and they do get tired both physically and spiritually and they do need rest," Mushtaq said.

The 67-year-old had no uncertainty that the Indian players looked tired in the ongoing tour.

"I have watched India play in all the matches so far and what I have found is that they look tired. It is not only surprising but very disappointing too.

"You got to have eagerness to compete in any kind of rivalry. Mentally and physically, they are very exhausted and it is showing on their faces and bodies. You can tell a lot by how a player thinks and reacts to different situation, but due to weariness they have no answer to England," he said.

Mushtaq also said that the Indian bowlers, in particular, look worn-out with a lack of backup options.

"The bowlers look as if they have over-bowled. From the series in the West Indies, they came in a straight line to England and went on to play the four-match Test series without any training."

The former cricketer said that the Indian batsmen were not given a chance to familiarize themselves with the tough English playing conditions.

"Indian batsmen never had a chance to resolve down and score runs. They only played one three-day warm-up game and directly away went on to play the Test series. This is one of the reasons why the Indian batting has failed.

"For any major series such as this one, if you do not have proper training, it is bound to come back to hurt you and this is accurately what has happened," Mushtaq said.

Stating that he was astonished to see India's famed batting line-up, which has got the standing of 'the best in the world' has unsuccessful to reach 300 in any innings so far, Mushtaq said, "They must realise that Test cricket is very rough and it's not over in a day and you have to survive and battle for five days. One of the best batting line-ups in the world has failed miserably and let down all their fans and supporters."

Mushtaq, who has played 57 Tests and 10 one-dayers, also answerable the Indian players for giving competitions like IPL more preference than playing for the country.

"I also blame the players for running after the money in the IPL. They had put their body throughout all kind of strain and pain and didn't think about the tour of England, which was a very important tour. I expect they learn their lesson that too much IPL and needless cricket spoils the ranking of the team," he said.

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India to utilize DRS for home matches

India will be using the Decision Review System (DRS), comprise the audio tracker and Hot Spot, for the first time in all the 13 home international games later this year.

India has always been very voiced in its disapproval of the DRS but it seems the BCCI is warm up for the technology as it will use the DRS for the first time when it hosts England in a two-sided series in October.

The ICC's new guidelines makes it obligatory to use DRS in Tests and ODIs and Warren Brennan, CEO of BBG Sports, which owns the Hot Spot camera technology, said BCCI has asked for the cameras for India's home season.

Brennan told ESPNcricinfo that four Hot Spot cameras would be in use for the five ODIs next to England and three Tests alongside the West Indies, while two cameras would be in place during the five-match ODI series against the West Indies.

The BCCI doesn't have faith and dependability on the ball-tracker technology which is being used in the DRS. It was also not influenced of the system as it is very expensive.

Infact, Senior batsman Sachin Tendulkar and India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni also share apprehension about the correctness of the technology.

Previously, "clear stump mikes", a Super Slo-Mo camera and ball-tracking technology were used in the DRS but under the new system, infra-red cameras will replace the ball-tracker system.

Under the obligatory use of DRS, teams can make two ineffective appeals against an umpire's decision per innings, in all format of the game.

Earlier this year, the DRS, without the Hot Spot cameras, were used during the 50-over World Cup in the sub-continent.

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ECB threaten to ban county from CL T20 except paid up front

The England Wales Cricket has in danger to stop its county teams from challenging in this year's Champions League Twenty20 in India unless the organizers of the event, the BCCI pay them the participation fees in go forward, according to a report.

The ECB insist that the two counties -- one out of Lancashire and Leicestershire, and one out of Hampshire and Somerset -- will have to take delivery of the money to cover their costs from the BCCI before travelling to India for the tournament in September, a report in the Daily Telegraph stated.

The ECB's statement came after many of the participate teams in the first two CLT20 tournament have supposed that they have either not established their payment on time or in full.

Somerset and Sussex played in the opening CLT20 in India in 2009, but not a single team from England played in the next tournament, in South Africa in 2010, after an argument between the ECB and the Indian organizers over scheduling.

"The payment was late but was paid ultimately, within about five months, and it was paid in full less about 20 per cent Indian government tax," said Richard Gould, who was Somerset's chief decision-making when they participate in CLT20 in 2009 and is now Surrey's.

The CLT20 is at present chosen a window in ICC's Future Tours Programmed, unlike the Indian Premier League which is regard as a domestic competition.

The third edition of the event kicks off in Hyderabad on September 19 with the qualification matches.

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BCCI accept Kumble's idea

BCCI has acknowledged the proposal put forth by Karnataka Cricket Association president, Anil Kumble, to take in three warm-up games in their series vs Australia.

Kumble's proposal to twine in two more first-class games to the one that is previously scheduled ahead of the opening Boxing Day (Dec 26) Test at Melbourne came at the Board's working committee meeting in Mumbai on Monday.

"Kumble said that if only one first-class game is set, only 11 players will be able to play in it and he required all 16 touring members to have a spirited game before the start of the Test series by having more games. His proposal has been accepted," sources told PTI.

India played just one tour game against Somerset before sliding to extraordinary losses in the first three Tests. As a result, the visitors lost its No. 1 Test ranking that they had held on to for more than a year-and-a-half.

However, sources have knowledgeable that the BCCI will find it tricky to add more first-class games in the tune-up to the tour as there was hardly any time gap between the end of the home ODI series next to the West Indies and the exit of the team to Australia.

The BCCI has also written to Cricket Australia that the first-class game that is previously scheduled should not be abridged to a club-level affair as it clashed with the beginning of the country's "Big Bash" T20 tournament.

"The Board has before now written (to Cricket Australia) that it should not be concentrated to club-level cricket with the top players not playing," the sources said.

The lone warm-up game is to be played in opposition to Cricket Australia Chairman's XI from December 18-21 at Manuka Oval in Canberra, before the opening contest of the four-match Test series.

India plays the four Tests back-to-back from December 26, 2011 to January 28, 2012 at Melbourne, Sydney, Perth and Adelaide.

India are then set to play two T20 Internationals on February 1 and 3 at Sydney and Melbourne before taking part in a triangular ODI series also featuring the hosts and Sri Lanka between February 5 and March 8.

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Sehwag hail Fletcher appointment

Virender Sehwag reckon the BCCI did the right thing by appoint Duncan Fletcher India coach almost immediately after Gary Kirsten's departure. Sehwag reckon this will give the Zimbabwean sufficient time to settle down with the side.

"It's good for India. It's a good thing that the BCCI has found a substitute in quick time. It will noticeably help the players and the new coach to settle down early. He (Fletcher) will get sufficient time to do some home-work before our series next to England starts," Sehwag said.

Fletcher, a former England coach who guided them to the excellent 2005 Ashes victory, will not be able to join the Indians during next month's tour of the West Indies due to personal reasons but would be there when Mahendra Singh Dhoni's men tour England later this year.

The former Zimbabwe captain's meeting has evoked mixed reaction with some former greats including Sunil Gavaskar insist that an Indian would have been a better choice. Asked whether he has had any communication with Fletcher, Sehwag just said, "No, I don't know him."

Sehwag's breach partner Gautam Gambhir, on the other hand, is not even thinking about the new coach right now as he is entirely focussed on his role as Kolkata Knight Riders skipper in the continuing Indian Premier League.

"Right now, my attentiveness and focus is totally on the IPL. I am not thoughts about all these things. I will only think about all this once the IPL ends," he said.

As Kirsten's successor, Fletcher has huge prospect to live upto as the friendly South African left after captivating India to their first ICC Cricket World Cup title in 28 years besides being at the helm during some of the most unforgettable overseas triumph of the team.

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ICC desire to India players for WI tour

The ICC said it would be unacceptable if all of India's star cricketers skip the West Indies tour to rest after a confused schedule. Media information has said that players like Sachin Tendulkar, skipper M S Dhoni, Virender Sehwag, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan and Gautam Gambhir may be rested.

Senior players have already written to the BCCI to allow them to skip the West Indies tour, connecting three Tests and five ODIs and a one-off Twenty20 game.

The players have been playing continuously for the last two-and-a-half-months.

There was a gap of just six days between the ICC Cricket World Cup and the IPL and immediately after the end of the Twenty20 league on May 28, the West Indies tour is planned to start on June 4.

Players are keen to take rest but the ICC CEO Haroon Lorgat said it would not be good for the West Indies.

"I think it affect the brand of cricket. Everybody wants to see full strength sides. Same applies to the IPL and any of the FTP commitments. Because of the volume of cricket, every entity player has to be managed.

"One or two stars, asking for a rest is okay. If five or six stars do not want to go to West Indies, then I think, it's not appropriate execution of what has been dedicated to the FTP," Lorgat said in a news show.

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