Sports Bulletin

BIPIN DANI South Africa's 19-year-old fast-bowler Thando Ntini, who took one-month coaching sessions from Rohit Sharma's childhood coach Dinesh Lad, says he is very much satisfied on being coached by a well-experienced coach and a lot of improvement in his own technique.  Speaking exclusively over the telephone before returning to his country on Wednesday, he said, "Coach Lad is phenomenal at what he does and understands the player very well. I have already seen plenty of improvements but excited for plenty more growth".  Incidentally, Thando Ntini is a son of Makhaya Ntini, who played 101 Tests, 173 ODIs and 10 T-20Is.   Thando Ntini had been in Mumbai since April 29.  "I had decided on coming to India to work on my cricket as it’s the biggest hub for producing and growing young cricketers. Also India has top coaches who shaped better both my knowledge and my game on and off the field".  The national academy program ( South Africa Emerging ) was not happening this year so I took matters into my own hands to upskill myself and not just sit at home". "This was also a great opportunity to get out of my comfort zone and be in a completely new space and environment and train and learn outside my country", he signed off.   

BIPIN DANI There has been no move to move the next edition of the Asia Cup out of Sri Lanka, it is learnt. According to highly placed sources, the Asia Cup is likely to be played in Sri Lanka soon after the Lanka Premier League (LPL) this year.   Owing to the ongoing crisis and frequent power cuts and widespread shortages in Sri Lanka, the speculation was rife that it would be shifted to the UAE or Bangladesh.  However, according to the discussions the SLC officials (the president and the CEO), who were in India to watch the IPL final had a few meetings with the BCCI officials and it is learnt that they were able to convince the officials to host the Asia Cup as scheduled in Sri Lanka. The BCB president Nazmul Hassan Pappon too was in India and had not voiced his concern if the tournament was held in Sri Lanka and has not even pushed for the shift of the Asia Cup to Bangladesh. The possibility of shifting the Asia Cup in the UAE is ruled out considering the extreme hot conditions in August in the UAE. At present the SLC is concentrating on the forthcoming bilateral home series against Australia and Australia A teams. The Asia Cup is still a few months away.  The media reports of Sri Lanka playing two T-20I matches against India in the UAE to raise funds are not confirmed yet and no such matches are planned before the completion of the Asia Cup, it was confirmed by one of the officials aware about the scenario.    

BIPIN DANI Sri Lanka's former opening batter Charith Senanayake has been appointed as the manager for the "A" team. The 59-year-old Senanayake will manage the home team against the visiting Australian "A" team to play two one-day and two four-day games in Sri Lanka during a bumper all-format Aussie tour in June-July. Managing the Sri Lankan team and players has not been the first time Senanayake would be doing so. He was the manager of the national team which beat Australia 3-0 in a Test series. More importantly, he was instrumental in swapping captains at the 2012 T-20 World Cup, following which the ICC was forced to change the rules.  In 2012, Sri Lanka switched the captaincy in its last World T-20 group match against England to avoid Mahela Jayawardene being banned for repeated slow over rate after the win against West Indies, and faced one match suspension. To ensure this, it was Senanayake, who asked Sangakkara to toss the coin (the scorecard mentioned Sanga was the official captain) but Jayawardene to lead the team on field. Unlike now, the ICC rules then didn't make any reference to switching captains before any international match.   Senanayake has also worked with current coach Avishka Gunawardene and toured Jamaica, Bangladesh previously.

Sports Bulletin Report LONDON:-England Men's selection panel have named a 14-strong squad for the three-match ODI series of The Netherlands starting at Amstelveen on 17 June. Lancashire seamer Luke Wood and Gloucestershire paceman David Payne are the uncapped players named in the squad. This will be Wood's first call-up to the senior squad, and Payne has been involved previously in last summer's ODIs against Pakistan. White-Ball Head Coach, Matthew Mott, said: "I'm very excited to be coaching a strong squad for my first series in charge. We have tremendous depth with a blend of youth and experience. We want to continue to play in an expressive style and let our players showcase their skills and firepower. "Luke Wood deserves his call-up. He has been consistent for Lancashire over the past 12 months and we have been monitoring his progression. If given a chance to play, I'm sure he will make most of his opportunity. "This is a historic occasion for the sport and the first time England Men have played The Netherlands in an ODI series. We can't wait to head over to Amsterdam and put on a show for the thousands of fans travelling to support the team. "The ODI side has had limited opportunities and last played in July. However, with about 18 months to the next ICC 50 over World Cup in India, our preparation will start ramping up with nine matches over the summer and a busy winter ahead against strong opponents." The three-match ODI series, which are part of the ICC Cricket World Cup Super League, starts a busy summer for England Men with Royal London Series against India and South Africa scheduled for later this summer. England ODI Squad: Eoin Morgan (Middlesex) Captain, Moeen Ali (Worcestershire), Jos Buttler (Lancashire), Brydon Carse (Durham), Sam Curran (Surrey), Liam Livingstone (Lancashire), Dawid Malan (Yorkshire), David Payne (Gloucestershire), Adil Rashid (Yorkshire), Jason Roy (Surrey), Phil Salt (Lancashire), Reece Topley (Surrey), David Willey (Yorkshire), Luke Wood (Lancashire) ODI Series Schedule 1st ODI: The Netherlands v England, Friday 17 June, VRA Cricket Club, Amstelveen 2nd ODI: The Netherlands v England, Sunday 19 June, VRA Cricket Club, Amstelveen 3rd ODI: The Netherlands v England, Wednesday 22 June, VRA Cricket Club, Amstelveen

Ali Ahmed LAHORE:-The ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League One-Day Internationals between Pakistan and the West Indies have been shifted to Multan. The games will take place on the dates announced earlier i.e. 8, 10 and 12 June, with the matches starting at 1600 PKT time.  The training camp of the Pakistan cricket team will be held in Lahore from 1-4 June before the squad will move to Multan on 5 June. Haris Rauf and Shadab Khan, who are presently playing county cricket in the United Kingdom, will arrive on 1 June and will join the camp from the next day. The West Indies squad will arrive in Islamabad on 6 June and will travel to Multan on a charter flight. Series schedule with umpire and match referee appointments: 8 June – 1st ODI, Multan Cricket Stadium: Aleem Dar and Ahsan Raza (on-field umpires), Rashid Riaz (third umpire) and Faisal Khan Afridi (fourth umpire); Mohammad Javed (match referee) 10 June – 2nd ODI, Multan Cricket Stadium: Aleem Dar and Asif Yaqoob (on-field umpires), Ahsan Raza (third umpire), Faisal Khan Afridi (fourth umpire); Mohammad Javed (match referee) 12 June – 3rd ODI, Multan Cricket Stadium: Aleem Dar and Rashid Riaz (on-field umpires), Asif Yaqoob (third umpire), Faisal Khan Afridi (fourth umpire); Mohammad Javed (match referee) Pakistan squad for West Indies ODIs: Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Abdullah Shafique, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imam-ul-Haq, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (wicketkeeper/batter), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper/batter), Mohammad Wasim Junior, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shahnawaz Dahani and Zahid Mahmood. Player Support Personnel: Mansoor Rana (manager), Saqlain Mushtaq (head coach), Shahid Aslam (assistant to head coach), Mohammad Yousuf (batting coach), Shaun Tait (bowling coach), Cliffe Deacon (physiotherapist), Drikus Saaiman (trainer/strength and conditioning coach), Abdul Majeed (fielding coach), Ahsan Iftikhar Nagi (media and digital manager), Col (retd) Mohammad Imran (security manager), Dr Najeeb Soomro (team doctor), Talha Ejaz (analyst) and Muhammad Imran (masseur).

BIPIN DANI Sri Lanka's retired fast bowler Suranga Lakmal is scheduled to have his elbow surgery in London on Saturday. The 35-year-old right-arm fast bowler, who retired from international cricket and moved to England to play for the Derbyshire County Cricket Club sustained a right elbow injury. Speaking exclusively over the telephone from London, Suranga Lakmal said, "the surgery is scheduled to begin on Saturday at 7 in the morning. It will be performed by Dr. Ali Noorani, who is a specialist in shoulder, elbow and upper limb treatment". Lakmal's family is in England but his wife would not be there at the time of surgery. "I have two children (Sayon aged 7 and Liyon 5 months old) and my wife has remained at home. This is the first time an injury of this kind has happened but I am not scared of it".     Lakmal confirmed that he would miss the season with English county. "I will be out of action for at least 3-4 months ". "Lakmal has a plan to play Premier League Cricket in Australia after the recovery", his wife Dilani Chalanika confirmed. Lakmal and Dimuth Karunratne have been invited to play for Endeavour Hills Cricket Club in Australia.      Praise for Ashitha Fernando Lakmal kept the track of Sri Lanka's Test win against Bangladesh. "Ashirtha Fernando is a good bowler. He bowled good spells in this Test and I am sure he is the future of Sri Lanka". 

BIPIN DANI Sri Lanka's Test captain Dimuth Karunaratne and recently retired fast bowler Suranga Lakmal have signed with Endeavour Hills Cricket Club (EHCC) to play Premier League Cricket in Australia. This was revealed by the Club president Arjun Rajendran.  Speaking exclusively over the telephone from Australia, he said, "we are excited to have Dimuth (Karunaratne) play a few games when he does not have Test commitments later this year and Suranga Lakmal will join after his (English) county engagements". The 34-year-old opening batter Dimuth will play for this club once the Test series against Australia and Pakistan are over, whereas the 35-year-old right-arm fast bowler Lakmal will join after his stint with Derbyshire is over. "These Sri Lankan players and other Asian players have been signed to first support our club's vision with building and strengthening the Sri Lankan and Indian community and that attracts more members and players". "Our club is very big. We have 10 junior sides, 6 senior sides and 4 veterans. All in all, ages 8 to age 80 play cricket. Our club has a very large Sri Lankan and Indian members and players. We have Dilshan as captain and coach. Lahiru Thirimanne played a few games. There are other players who have played First Class cricket in Sri Lanka also play for us", the president signed off.

BIPIN DANI The International Cricket Council (ICC) umpire Richard Kettleborough, who had a tough time in Bangladesh on the fourth day of the Test match could resume his duty on the last day. The 49-year-old Kettleborough had fallen ill on the fourth morning and had to return to the dressing room immediately after officiating in the few overs. "The excessive heat took a toll on him and had to be withdrawn", one of the sources said. His on field duty was taken over by the third umpire Joel Wilson and the reserve umpire Masudur Rahman had to move to the TV room. "Wilson officiated from both ends on the fourth day. Joel Wilson's onfield involvement was only temporary, so may well be only a scorecard footnote. Kettleborough was fine on the fifth morning and officiated in the Test the entire day".  Both Kettleborough and Wilson will swap their roles in the second Test beginning in Dhaka on May 23.

Sports Bulletin Report LONDON:-The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced that Matthew Mott has been appointed as England Men's White-Ball Head Coach. Mott, 48, has signed a four-year agreement and is expected to be in place for England's three-match ODI series against The Netherlands in Amsterdam next month. The ECB's selection panel of Chief Executive Officer Tom Harrison, Managing Director of England's Men's Cricket Rob Key, Strategic Adviser Andrew Strauss and Performance Director Mo Bobat unanimously agreed that he was the standout candidate for the role during the competitive interview process. Mott has led the Australian Women's Team since 2015 and during his seven years in charge has overseen one of the world's best winning records across international sport. Under his leadership, Australia Women have won consecutive ICC T20 World Cups, this year's ICC Women's 50-Over World Cup and are undefeated in four Ashes series. Mott has also helped Australia win 26 consecutive one-day internationals, a record in either the men's or women's game. Before taking up his post with Australia women in 2015, Mott worked as Head Coach of New South Wales - leading them to victory in the Champions League T20 tournament in 2009 - and then coached Glamorgan, reaching the final of the Yorkshire Bank 40 in 2013, before working as a consultant for Ireland during the 2015 ICC Men's World Cup. Managing Director of England's Men's Cricket Rob Key, said: "It is a real privilege to be able to announce Mathew Mott as the Head Coach of our men's white-ball team. He has had an incredible coaching journey with so many varied experiences that have brought him to this point where he was outstanding in the interview process and the perfect fit for our white-ball teams. "We are lucky to be able to appoint a Head Coach that has not only been involved in international cricket for the last few years but he has also worked in franchise cricket around the world. More importantly, what he has done with the Australian Women's team is what will be asked of him to achieve for our men's white-ball sides. "I'm confident that in Eoin Morgan and Matthew Mott, we have a formidable partnership that can push for more trophies in the coming years and that Matthew will be able to oversee any transition that team will go through in the future. "Furthermore, Matthew will also help us invest in English coaches getting them as much experience as possible over the next few years." Head Coach, Matthew Mott said: "I am delighted to accept the opportunity to take this white-ball role with England. Whilst I am Australian, I have deep connections, and several of my closest friends are in the UK, having spent considerable time in Scotland, Wales and England, both as a player and coach. "When this role became available, I was attracted by the chance to work with such an established and successful team under the astute leadership of Eoin Morgan and now Rob Key, whom I have always admired as an excellent cricket mind. "The idea of the split roles and the chance to work alongside Brendon McCullum in his red-ball role is an opportunity that I am incredibly enthusiastic about and certainly provides the right balance for my family as we embark on this exciting journey. "It was always going to take something special to leave the role that I have loved for the past seven years with the Australian Women's team. However, I genuinely believe that the time is right to play a role in helping the England Men's ODI and T20 group continue to evolve as one of the best teams in the world. "I am fully aware that this team has been functioning well and part of my initial plan is to work with the playing group and support staff on how we can firstly maintain, then enhance, the success they have started to build over the past few years. "Since the excitement of accepting this role, I, like many people around the world, have been trying to come to terms with the tragic loss of my great mate Andrew Symonds. The support of his beautiful family and close friends in the coming days will be vitally important, so I respectfully request some time to process his passing and the immense loss before making any further comment on the role at this stage."

Sports Bulletin Report LONDON:-England Men's 6-member selection panel have named a 13-strong squad for the first two Test matches of the summer against New Zealand starting at Lord's on 2 June. Yorkshire batter Harry Brook and Durham seamer Matthew Potts are called up for the first time. Brook has been the standout batsman in Division one of the LV= Insurance County Championship. The 23-year-old, who made his England T20 debut in January in the Caribbean, has scored 758 runs at an average of 151.60, including three centuries and four half-centuries for the white rose county during the summer campaign. The 23-year-old Potts has been in impressive form in the LV= Insurance County Championship. He is the season's leading bowler, with 35 wickets and four five-wicket hauls, including his most recent return of seven for 40 in Durham's win over Glamorgan. The seam duo of Lancashire's James Anderson and Nottinghamshire's Stuart Broad return to the squad for the first time since the Australia Test series earlier this winter. Managing Director Rob Key said: "This is the start of a new era for our Test team under the stewardship of Ben (Stokes) and Brendon (McCullum). With a blend of youth and experience, we have selected an exciting squad that can compete with New Zealand in next month's Test series. "We have rewarded players in Harry Brook and Matty Potts who have had outstanding starts to the County season, and they deserve the opportunity to stake a claim at this level. "It promises to be a mouthwatering series, and I can't wait for the team to start against a very good New Zealand side. It is a fascinating prospect for everyone connected with the sport in this country." The three-match Test series forms part of the ICC World Test Championship. The England team will be looking to climb the rankings after a disappointing start to the second edition of the Championship. At the end of the two-year cycle, the top two teams will compete in the ICC World Test Championship Final due to be staged in the summer of 2023. The squad will come together for the first time next week in a camp before reporting to Lord's on 29 May ahead of the first Test on the 2 June. Selection Panel: The selection panel consists of Rob Key (Managing Director, England Men's Cricket), Brendon McCullum (England Men's Head Coach), Ben Stokes (England Men's Test Captain), Mo Bobat (Performance Director), James Taylor (Head Scout), David Court (Player ID Lead). Names of players: Ben Stokes (Durham) captain, James Anderson (Lancashire), Jonathan Bairstow (Yorkshire), Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire), Harry Brook (Yorkshire), Zak Crawley (Kent), Ben Foakes (Surrey), Jack Leach (Somerset), Alex Lees (Durham), Craig Overton (Somerset), Matthew Potts (Durham), Ollie Pope (Surrey), Joe Root (Yorkshire) Schedule (Test Matches) 1st Test: England v New Zealand, 2-6 June, Lord’s Cricket Ground, London 2nd Test: England v New Zealand, 10-14 June, Trent Bridge, Nottingham 3rd Test: England v New Zealand, 23-27 June, Headingley, Leeds