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The Warriors and the Lions, the two South African franchises who competed in last year’s Champions League Twenty20, have confirmed they have not received their prize money from the tournament

Firdose Moonda31-Jan-2011The Warriors and the Lions, the two South African franchises who competed in last year’s Champions League Twenty20, have confirmed they have not received their prize money from the tournament. The amount, totalling US$ 1.5 million for both franchises, was due to be paid out on the last day of January.”We have not received any notification of the money yet,” Cassim Docrat, chief executive of the Lions told ESPNcricinfo. “We understand that it takes a while to reconcile everything although we were told that the money would be paid at the end of the month.”Signs of a delay in the processing became evident last Tuesday at the launch of the Standard Bank Pro20, the competition which produces South African’s two CLT20 candidates. Alviro Petersen was asked if he was enjoying his CLT20 money, to which he replied, ‘I’m still waiting for my wallet to fill up.”At the time, both Docrat and Dave Emslie, chief executive of the Warriors franchise, were not concerned about the non-payment, because they expected the money to arrive by the end of the month. “The tournament ended in September and we think it’s a very acceptable time period for payment to be made,” Emslie said.The Federation of International Cricketers’ Associations’ (FICA), however, disagrees. “It’s simply unacceptable that three of the most financially affluent cricket boards in the world can seemingly sit on their hands for four months with no apparent sense of obligation to pay this prize money in a timely manner,” Tim May, FICA’s chief executive, said. The CLT20 is jointly owned by the BCCI, CSA and CA and the total prize money owed by them totals US $6 million.May said that FICA has been told that payment “may be made in late January or early February.” He added that participation fees, which were due to be paid no more than 20 days after completion of the event on September 26, 2010, had also not been paid. “We will be assessing our various options regarding recovery of these outstanding amounts for the 2010 event should the monies not be received within the next couple of weeks.”The two South African franchises will receive notification from CSA when the money is successfully transferred from India. On receipt, it will be divided among all six local franchises. The Warriors, who reached the final of the CLT20, will be awarded the biggest share. Despite their imminent riches, Warriors captain Davy Jacobs is in no hurry to receive his cheque. “We will get it at some stage. The later, the better,” he said. “By then we would have forgotten all the silly things we want to do with it and will spend it properly.”

A round-up of the fourth day of matches from the sixth round of the Regional Four Day Competition

Cricinfo staff23-Feb-2010Shivnarine Chanderpaul was at the forefront during Guyana‘s first win of the season, and for three years in the WICB regional first-class championship, as they beat Leeward Islands by five wickets at the National Cricket Centre in Couva. Chanderpaul followed up his first-innings century with 32 not out, as Guyana, chasing a modest 98 for victory, reached their target before lunch. The result never appeared to be in doubt, although they lost Assad Fudadin and wicketkeeper Derwin Christian continuing from their overnight score of 49 for 3. But Chanderpaul was there to provide the final touch.”It is always good to win, and it will be a big boost to the team’s confidence going into the final round,” said Chanderpaul. “You needed to apply yourself and be patient which is a problem for most of our batsmen.”Apart from spending time in the middle, Chanderpaul was also pleased that his thumb injury, sustained during West Indies’ tour of Australia in December, hadn’t played up. “I’m feeling okay with my injury,” he said. “Victory against Zimbabwe in the coming series will be a psychological boost to the team and the fans in the Caribbean. We have to lift our game and play more intelligent cricket.”Offspinner Amit Jaggernauth starred with the ball to hand Trinidad & Tobago (T&T) a 155-run victory over Windward Islands in Port of Spain. Jaggernauth picked up 5 for 47 as Windwards, chasing 373 for victory, were cleaned up before the lunch interval. T&T had early success after the Windwards resumed from their overnight 129 for 5, with Imran Khan trapping Shane Shillingford leg before for 1. But from then on it was the Jaggernauth show as the Windwards lower order found the mixture of offspinners and googlies too hot to handle. The result helped T&T climb to third on the points table, whereas Windwards hit rock bottom.

Bethell set to become England Men’s youngest-ever captain during Ireland T20Is

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Aug-2025Sonny Baker has won his maiden England call-up for the forthcoming ODI series against South Africa, while Jacob Bethell’s rapid rise continues after he was named captain of the T20I side to tour Ireland immediately after.Bethell is set to become England’s youngest men’s captain when he deputises for Harry Brook in three T20Is. Still only 21, Bethell will beat the mark currently held by Monty Bowden, who was 23 and 144 days when he led England against South Africa at Cape Town on the Test tour of 1888-89.Related

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South Africa will arrive to play three ODIs and three T20Is next month, which will conclude England’s home season. Brook will then sit out the three-match trip to Ireland, along with four other all-format players – Jofra Archer, Brydon Carse, Ben Duckett and Jamie Smith – as part of workload management.Assistant coach Marcus Trescothick will also take the reins from Brendon McCullum for the games in Malahide.Baker impressed with England Lions over the winter, which led to him being awarded an England development contract. Capable of bowling around the 90mph mark, he has caught the eye with Hampshire and Manchester Originals this summer.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

He joins an ODI squad that is largely unchanged from the group that beat West Indies 3-0 in Brook’s first series as permanent white-ball captain earlier in the summer. Gus Atkinson, Luke Wood and Tom Hartley drop out, though Wood is included in both T20I squads and Hartley will travel to Ireland. Atkinson will likely build up his red-ball loads ahead of the winter’s Ashes.Rehan Ahmed returns to the ODI group and is included in all three squads after a prolific summer with the bat. Baker is also in the Ireland T20I squad, as is Matthew Potts, who debuted in the format against West Indies.”Jacob Bethell has impressed with his leadership qualities ever since he has been with the England squads and the series against Ireland will provide him with the opportunity to further develop those skills on the international stage,” England men’s selector, Luke Wright, said.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

“Sonny is a player we have identified for a while and he was impressive during the England Lions tours last winter. He has carried that form into this season in white-ball cricket with Hampshire and Manchester Originals and deservedly gets his opportunity.”England ODI squad to face South Africa: Harry Brook (capt), Rehan Ahmed, Jofra Archer, Sonny Baker, Tom Banton, Jacob Bethell, Jos Buttler, Brydon Carse, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Saqib Mahmood, Jamie Overton, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jamie SmithEngland T20I squad to face South Africa: Harry Brook (capt), Rehan Ahmed, Jofra Archer, Tom Banton, Jacob Bethell, Jos Buttler, Brydon Carse, Liam Dawson, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Saqib Mahmood, Jamie Overton, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Jamie Smith, Luke WoodEngland T20I squad to face Ireland: Jacob Bethell (capt), Rehan Ahmed, Sonny Baker, Tom Banton, Jos Buttler, Liam Dawson, Tom Hartley, Will Jacks, Saqib Mahmood, Jamie Overton, Matthew Potts, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Luke Wood

India seamer impressed in short spell in 2023 season and is set to return for final five games

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Mar-2024Jaydev Unadkat, the India left-arm seamer, will return to Sussex for the final five games of their 2024 County Championship campaign.Unadkat played the most recent of his three Tests against West Indies in Trinidad in July last year, whereupon he joined Sussex for the final portion of their first-class season. He featured in three of their final four County Championship games, taking 11 wickets at 24.18 to help Sussex to a third-place finish in Division Two.His best performance came against Leicestershire on his home debut at Hove, where he overcame an ankle injury to return figures of 6 for 94 in the second innings to seal Sussex’s third win of the campaign, by just 15 runs.”It was at Hove last season when we won a last-day thriller against Leicestershire, that gave me a sense of belongingness to county cricket, and to Sussex as my home,” Unadkat said.”When Farby [head coach, Paul Farbrace] offered me a contract this season for the last leg of the championship, I was sure I wanted to come back and hopefully win games with the guys.”While my first county season was good, I can’t wait to be back and push for that promotion this summer which everyone at Hove is rooting for!”Farbrace added: “We are all delighted that Jaydev is returning to The 1st Central County Ground for the final five Championship matches of the coming season.”Jaydev lived up to the expectation that not only would he show his class on the field, but he would also be a fantastic person and be part of what we are all trying to achieve.”Jaydev is a lovely guy who did everything he could to help our players and share his fantastic knowledge.”

“For the fans and spectators, it is hard to make a connection because you’re not sure who is playing”

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Nov-2022Steve Waugh feels that the cricket-watching public, at least in Australia, “has almost overdosed” on the game, and it has reached a point where the interest levels are on the wane.”There’s a lot of cricket, it’s hard to follow as a spectator, it’s very hard to keep up with it,” Waugh said on SEN’s show. “The three one-dayers against England [earlier this month, which Australia won 3-0] seemed pretty insignificant, really. I mean, what were they playing for? There wasn’t big crowds, I think the public has almost overdosed on cricket.”Related

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Australia have a rough few months coming up. They are getting ready for the two-Test series at home against West Indies, which will be followed by three home Tests against South Africa in December-January. After a short gap, they travel to India to play four Tests and three ODIs in February-March before playing Afghanistan in three ODIs, also in March. There are a number of T20 leagues through this whole period, including Australia’s own BBL, and the IPL, where many Australian players are set to be involved, will start late March. They then have the Ashes series in England, and possibly the World Test Championship final before that, followed by limited-overs assignments in South Africa and India before the 50-over World Cup in India in October. The cricket doesn’t stop after that either, with fixtures against India and Pakistan before the end of the year.”You want the special series to be iconic, like the Ashes, and against India when they come out here,” Waugh said. “It’s hard to follow the Australian side because every time they play they have a different team on the field. For the fans and spectators, it is hard to make a connection because you’re not sure who is playing.”I don’t know if it’s anyone’s fault but you need that consistency in the Australian side. You want to know who’s in the squad every game, you want to be following it closely and it’s really hard to do that right now.”Prior to the series, Australia had a disappointing run at the men’s T20 World Cup, at home, failing to qualify for the semi-finals after a heavy loss to New Zealand and a washout against eventual champions England. Waugh called the performance by the defending champions “a massive shock”, where “no one really stepped up and took the bull by the horns”.When asked if that was at least in part due to the changed, and changing, landscape of cricket, where players take part in leagues around the world, and play in different styles under different captains and coaches, Waugh didn’t disagree.”It’s a bit unsettling, with different captains and different styles and, you obviously perform better under some and you think you’ve got better ideas than others and, yeah, it would be hard to be, I guess, the captain of the Australian side,” he said.”There was pretty much one captain [when he played], and you knew what the style was, and how you’re going to play, and you knew the personalities. Yeah, they are all over the place and [it] probably is a bit unsettling.”

Downplaying the idea that his form has dipped, the India legspinner says the team had communicated their confidence in him ahead of the SL tour

Varun Shetty08-Jul-2021India legspinner Yuzvendra Chahal has said we will “see a more confident Yuzi” during India’s limited-overs tour of Sri Lanka starting on July 13 in Colombo. Chahal, alongside Kuldeep Yadav, was a key member of India’s ODI squad in their lead up to the 2019 World Cup. Since that tournament, however, neither has had an assured spot. This was reflected in BCCI’s annual contracts list for the year as well, with Chahal and Yadav both demoted to Grade C, from Grade B and A respectively.Since the end of the 2019 World Cup, Chahal averages 37.12 in ODIs and has gone at an economy rate of 6.45. Those numbers must be qualified with the fact that he has played in only five games during that period – which coincided with the Covid-19 pandemic – but his being benched during the entirety of India’s three-match ODI series at home against England in March was a reminder of sorts of his diminished importance in the squad. But Chahal said the team management had communicated their confidence in him.Related

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“My performance – I don’t think it was a dip [in form] or anything,” Chahal said ahead of the Sri Lanka ODI series. “You can’t perform in every match. I will try my level best. This series is very important to me.”I keep having conversations with the bowling coach. They [management] have given us confidence, and that’s why I’m here. If it wasn’t there, no one in the team [would be here]. My main focus at the moment is just this series – there’s been lesser cricket over the last year, but that’s not in our hands. Whatever series happens, we want to perform. After this series, my focus will be on the IPL, and only then the [T20] World Cup. Right now, I’m focusing on this tour only.”Chahal’s last ODI appearance was against Australia, in November 2020. Since then, he has played in 19 T20s across domestic and international cricket, and only two List A games for Haryana. But the spinner said he had been reminded by stand-in coach Rahul Dravid that he would be the senior spinner on this tour and that the coach wanted him to have a guiding influence on the younger players.”I’m playing an ODI series after so long, but we’ve already played here – two practice matches. [We’ve been practicing] early in the morning so that we get used to the heat,” he said. “It’ll be totally different compared to 20 overs where we’re on the ground for three, three-and-a-half hours.”A major difference between T20Is and ODIs is the fielding restrictions – with only four fielders allowed outside the 30-yard circle from the 11th to the 40th over of ODIs. Chahal said that while those restrictions might be hard on a spin bowler, they aren’t new.”I’ve played for five years, 50-plus matches, so I’m used to all this,” he said. “This is not an excuse or something. Now, when I bowl, I just focus on how to get batters out. That’s it.”I’ve a couple of variations and I’m focusing on that only, not using other deliveries. You will see a more confident Yuzi in this series. I’m just working on my angles and in general trying to bowl more.”

The defending champions didn’t make it, the strong contender choked. Now, we have the first all-Asian final

The Preview by Sriram Veera01-Apr-2020

The Big Picture

The defending champions didn’t make it, the mercurial outsiders stumbled, the strong contender choked, the Ashes winners ran out of gas, and after six weeks of high drama, we have come to this: the first all-Asian World-Cup final. And they deserve to be there: five of the top six run-getters, two out of top five wicket-takers, the fielder with the most catches and the wicketkeeper with the most dismissals will all be on show. The two teams have rallied around two of the best modern-day captains: MS Dhoni and Kumar Sangakkara.Sangakkara is a fiercely ambitious man. Arjuna Ranatunga was almost the freedom fighter, infusing self-respect and clearing the colonial hangover, Mahela Jayawardene was the astute captain who brought so much tactical nous and cricketing intelligence, and Sangakkara is trying to add ruthlessness. Ranatunga pushed the boys to become men, Jayawardene made the men self-aware, and Sangakkara is trying to turn them ruthless. The evolutionary journey has produced a World Cup triumph, a runners-up finish and now, a chance to win it for the second time.Sangakkara’s dream, however, has been hit a nightmarish blow with the injury to Angelo Mathews. Even Muttiah Muralitharan won’t be 100% fit. Mathews’ absence severely affects the balance of the team and adds huge pressure on an already brittle lower-middle order, where Chamara Silva and Thilan Samaraweera haven’t exactly set the tournament alight. Silva, who dazzled in the 2007 edition, has proved combustible in this tournament. Samaraweera is there to manage a collapse, and he did that really well in the curtailed game against Australia. Neither has Mathews’ talent to turn a 225 score into 275.To state the obvious, Sri Lanka will now heavily depend on Tillakaratane Dilshan, the captain and Mahela Jayawardene if they are to put up or chase down a daunting target. They will now have to bat with the knowledge that the lower middle order might not withstand a top-order collapse. Dilshan, though, is in great form, Sangakkara has looked as gritty as ever and while Jayawardene is yet to really flow, he can be always be counted on to come good in pressure games. And Sri Lanka have a varied bowling attack to defend even relatively unsafe totals and the ability to restrict the opposition from piling up too much.MS Dhoni is a quietly ambitious man. Sourav Ganguly was passionate, Rahul Dravid was process driven, Anil Kumble led from the front with his grit, while Dhoni has been an intuitive captain. He is level-headed, and shrewd enough to marry passion and process. He has soaked up the pressure of being India’s captain, is smart enough to know the value of his own brand, and keeps his star-heavy team rolling smoothly with the aid of Gary Kirsten. India’s previous two victories, against Australia and Pakistan, have ironed out many of the flaws seen earlier in the tournament. However, those two wins also raise the question of India being emotionally drained. Do they have fuel left in them to raise their game one final time?The batsmen, who had perhaps tried too hard to compensate for the relatively weak bowling attack by trying to do too much in the end overs and collapsed in the batting Powerplay, seem more aware of identifying a viable target. Someone or other has taken charge during tricky chases. Yuvraj Singh showed tenacity in the chase against Australia, and Suresh Raina maturity in his shot selection against Pakistan.The poor performance in the early part of the tournament seems to have freed up the bowlers. Expectations are lower and the pressure is off in some ways, allowing them to show better discipline and skill. Munaf Patel has greater control over his legcutters and Harbhajan Singh has slowed up the pace to give himself a better chance to take wickets.In the last two years, Sri Lanka and India have won eight games apiece against each other. In the last year, the record stands 4-3 in Sri Lanka’s favour. In their last five encounters in India, though, the record stands 3-1, with one no result, in the home side’s favour. However, these two teams have played each other so often – tomorrow’s final will be the 30th time since July 2008- that they should know everything there is to know about each other.

Form guide

(completed matches, most recent first)IndiaWWWLW
Sri Lanka WWWWW

Watch out for…

Sachin Tendulkar has the records, the mountain of runs and memorable Man-of-the-Match performances but there are a few things that have eluded him: a Test innings like Brian Lara’s 153, a Ponting-esque record in World Cup finals and, indeed, a winner’s medal. He has openly talked about his thirst for that World Cup triumph and has played his part in India’s journey to Mumbai by being their top scorer. Will he achieve his dream tomorrow?Muttiah Muralitharan has written some great scripts for himself: a memorable last Test match where he took the last wicket to get to the magical 800, a fabulous performance almost on one leg in his last ODI at home and now, with one World Cup winner’s medal in the bag, he has the chance to end with another. He will fancy his chances against the Indian middle-order; he is likely to go around the stumps and aim for lbws with his off breaks and edges with his doosras. Can he script yet another great farewell?Virender Sehwag’s knock against Pakistan, defying the nerves of a World Cup semi-final, was vital in ensuring India could soak up the middle-over wobbles and reach a competitive score. If there is one man who can put up a nerveless display again in the final, it’s him. It will be interesting to see how he plays the Sri Lankan spinners. Will he continue to, as he has done during this tournament and perished a few times, try hitting the spinners almost solely through the off side?Mahela Jayawardene hasn’t scored much after that 100 against Canada but all along, and even ahead of the tournament, he has been talking about his itch to perform in the big games. He has the skills to tame the Indian attack and the elegance to do it in style. It was a hundred in the semi-final of the 2007 World Cup against New Zealand that proved a major turning point in his career. “That hundred gave me confidence that I can do it at this big stage,” Jayawardene said. “Ever since that moment I have probably lifted my game quite a bit and turned into a big-match player.” Will he turn up for Sri Lanka tomorrow?

Team news

Ashish Nehra has been ruled out of the final and the Indian camp hasn’t made it clear whether R Ashwin or Sreesanth will play. This is what Dhoni said when asked a direct question: “That is a tricky one. If you see the Mumbai track there is a bit of pace and bounce for the seamers initially. Also if there is reverse swing going the third seamer can have an impact on the game. At the same time if the three seamers are bowling well I can easily manoeuvre the bowling. But with four spinners and two fast bowlers there is not much room to manoeuvre too much.”And just when you think that’s a clear hint Sreesanth will play, Dhoni adds, “If one of the fast bowlers has an off day it gets difficult. Still, not to forget, in whatever opportunities Ashwin got so far he has done really well. We have confidence in him. But we have not yet thought our bowling combination yet.”India (probable): 1 Virender Sehwag, 2 Sachin Tendulkar, 3 Gautam Gambhir, 4 Virat Kohli, 5 Yuvraj Singh, 6 MS Dhoni (capt & wk), 7 Suresh Raina, 8 Harbhajan Singh, 9 Zaheer Khan, 10 Sreesanth/Ashwin, 11 Munaf Patel.Sri Lanka have drafted Suraj Randiv into the squad but in Mathews’ absence they will most likely turn to Thisara Perera, who almost doubles his career average of 19, and has a strike rate of 146.98, when he plays against India. It remains to be seen whether they will take the brave decision to play Randiv ahead of Rangana Herath. Randiv has played 13 games against India, with 12 wickets at an economy rate of 4.57, while Herath has played just one game against India. Herath has been playing regularly in this tournament, though, while Randiv has been drafted in from the cold.Sri Lanka (probable) 1 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 2 Upul Tharanga, 3 Kumar Sangakkara (capt & wk), 4 Mahela Jayawardene, 5 Chamara Silva, 6 Thilan Samaraweera, 7 Thisara Perera, 8 Lasith Malinga, 9 Nuwan Kulasekara, 10 Muttiah Muralitharan, 11 Suraj Randiv/Rangana Herath..

The hot summer has transformed the nature of the pitch from the one on which Sri Lanka beat New Zealand. It’s a dry surface and the curator Sudhir Naik was quoted in Times of India as saying that 260-270 will be an excellent score batting first.There have been only ten day-night games at this venue and Sri Lanka achieved the highest successful chase, overhauling India’s 225 in 1997. The highest score by a team batting second under lights is 250. The chasing team has won four out of ten games under lights though.

Stats and trivia

The left-arm spinner expects Ireland to push Afghanistan much harder in the ODIs – “a format that suit us” – than they did in the T20Is

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Mar-2019Andy Balbirnie was the star of the Ireland show as they trumped Afghanistan by four wickets in the third ODI in Dehradun, his 145 not out helping the Irish go over the line with an over to spare to level the series. But Balbirnie needed support, and it came from somewhat unexpected quarters: George Dockrell, who has made his name as a left-arm spinner, added 143 runs for the fifth wicket with Balbirnie.”I obviously came into the team as a bowler, but these days it is important to keep improving all aspects of your game. I was a batter at under-age level, and I’ve been encouraged to keep working on my batting over the years, but the way I see it now is that all three aspects – my batting, my bowling, my fielding – they all have to be as good as they can possibly be at all times,” Dockrell told Cricket Ireland after hitting only his second half-century in 80 ODIs.”The game definitely has developed in the last number of years – you look at teams around the world and you see there are guys coming in lower down the order winning matches. That’s what you have to have – a batting line-up that bats deep. There’s not too many bowlers around the world these days who can’t play a little cameo with the bat, so it is more and more important these days that bowlers coming into the team are looking to add value with the bat as well as the ball.”At their new ‘home’ in the northern part of India, the Afghans would have backed their chances of going 2-0 up after three games – the second one was abandoned by rain – when Najibullah Zadran’s 104 not out and Asghar Afghan’s 75 helped them put up 256 for 8. Batting was expected to get tougher after that, but as Balbirnie and Dockrell showed, it was mainly a matter of application and approach.”There’s a different challenge here in India where we have a slightly bigger pitch, and the pitch has spun a little bit,” Dockrell said. “The wickets here in Dehradun are changing as the series is going on. Because the series is being played at the one stadium, we are reusing wickets, which has meant that they have tended to become a bit slower and a little bit lower.”The pitches have also seemed to offer a little more spin in the last couple of games, so it’s been about trying to deceive batsmen more with lateral movement than with depth.”And though Afghanistan swept the preceding series 3-0 and were tipped to outperform Ireland in the ODIs quite comprehensively, expect the Irish to put up a strong show in the format they are best at.”In the T20s the Afghans showed some pretty incredible power-hitting that we weren’t able to keep up with, it was a huge challenge trying to minimise their batsmen and their ability to strike the ball. We went in to those games with our plans – and back-up plans – to counteract their attack, but the biggest learning we had was the need to be able to adapt quickly,” Dockrell said.”The ODIs are definitely a format that suit us – there’s always good games when we play the Afghans in ODIs, and there has indeed been some good games so far in this series.”The fourth ODI will be played on Friday, and the fifth is scheduled for Sunday, with a Test to follow later this month.

The former England wicketkeeper has become increasingly vocal about the situation at Sussex, but will he get the chance to try and bring success back to the club?

David Hopps17-Nov-2017No England wicketkeeper can have expended so much energy in the role as Matt Prior. So said the when he called time on his first-class career more than two years ago.Now Prior’s energy levels are hitting maximum again as he comes to the terms with the fact that he can no longer ignore. The vacant head coach’s role at Sussex is a job made for him.If not that precise role then something else where he can bark a few orders, lay down a few ground rules, and sort out a Sussex culture which he is adamant has become slack and unprofessional.Prior, who was part of a great Sussex era when they won three Championships between 2003 and 2007, told the Brighton on Friday: “I am passionate about Sussex cricket. I’ve spoken to a number of senior players in the last month or so, a number of coaches and staff. What I’m hearing is frightening.”Obviously things are not good. I think Sussex have become soft, if I’m honest. I don’t want to sound like I’m here as an enemy. I’m here as an ally.”Whether Rob Andrew, Sussex’s chief executive, will have the courage to recognise that Prior’s challenging persona can be channelled into something positive and long lasting remains to be seen – not many chief executives like the failings of their county to be be openly discussed.
Andrew told ESPNcricinfo this week that the decision on a new head coach will not be rushed.By the time he makes it, Prior’s blood pressure could be in need of daily checks. Until then, a thick-set figure will be seen pedalling away his frustrations, uphill into the wind, down Sussex’s country lanes.When Prior retired because of persistent Achilles problems, he turned to cycling for satisfaction, founding One Pro Cycling, Britain’s first continental professional cycling team.But since the removal as head coach of Mark Davis, by mutual consent, last month, so ending a 16-year association with the club, Prior has realised that he would love nothing more than to park his bike inside the cramped and characterful Hove ground where he spent much of his career.Prior was initially coy about his ambitions, perhaps even conflicted, but he is a passionate man and he has been unable to curb his excitement, especially on Twitter where his recent pronouncements have displayed his love for a county that has lost its way.Take this, for instance, the day before Davis’ sacking:”Some big changes going on at @SussexCCC – who knows what’s gone on behind closed doors. All I do know is the culture needs to be rebuilt!”Or this, four days later:”Damage was done long before Mark Davis was put in charge. So frustrating as been saying for a long time things need to change drastically.”
And, most recently, this:”For the number of people asking yes I am very keen to be involved with @SussexCCC & help the club get back to winning ways. I have spoken to a number of senior players & staff & what has been going & how a few individuals have behaved is quite frankly worrying. It needs to change.”That Prior has the experience – if not the coaching certificates – for Sussex’s top job is undeniable. He became an increasingly influential figure in the England dressing room in a career that encompassed 79 Tests and 68 ODIs between 2004 and 2014.Kevin Pietersen resented his senior professional role, and emphasis on the team ethic, deriding him as the Big Cheese in one of the most vicious personal attacks ever seen in a cricket autobiography, but then Pietersen was not the greatest fan of authority.Prior has seen Yorkshire and Lancashire make internal appointments in the past year, promoting Andrew Gale and Glen Chapple respectively as soon as their playing days were over.He has also shown in his cycling venture that he has an appetite for a challenge. The development of One Pro Cycling has not been an easy one – funding problems have caused the team to trim back plans to compete in world events, alongside Team Sky, and return to continental level and rosters have also been cut – but the extent of Prior’s sporting ambition has been clear. He knows what he wants to achieve and tends to take the direct approach to getting there.”I’ve learned about the real world – the world outside cricket,” he said.As a player, too, he has had the opportunity to study the various approaches of Peter Moores, both with Sussex and England, Duncan Fletcher and Andy Flower.As Moores turned a largely homegrown Sussex side into one of the best-drilled sides in the country, Prior commanded respect as an up-and-coming player for his drive and the enterprising way he played his cricket. The demanding leadership and sense of direction that Moores instilled in the club remains a strong influence on him.If he returned to Sussex in an influential capacity, he would not be content with a snooze in a deckchair behind the arm and an occasional burst of Sussex by the Sea.

West Indies T20I captain Carlos Brathwaite has urged newcomers Rovman Powell and Nicholas Pooran to continue doing what they have in domestic cricket ahead of the three-match T20I series against Pakistan in the UAE

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Sep-2016West Indies T20I captain Carlos Brathwaite has urged newcomers Rovman Powell and Nicholas Pooran to play their natural game ahead of the three-match T20I series against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates.Both Powell and Pooran had promising performances in CPL 2016. Powell, the 23-year old batsman from Jamaica, scored 228 runs in 13 matches for Tallawahs. Pooran, the 20-year old wicketkeeper-batsman from Trinidad, played for the Barbados Tridents and belted 217 runs in 10 matches at 27.12 and a strike rate of 197.27. Pooran also effected eight dismissals behind the stumps.”Go there, express yourselves, continue to be exciting and eventually win games for the West Indies. It’s a big task to represent the West Indies, and away from home is probably a little easier because you don’t have family in the stands with that extra pressure,” Brathwaite advised. “You’re just surrounded by your team-mates and it’s a good team to be in at the moment, so it’s just about going there and continuing to do the things that they did to get themselves here and do it for longer periods – it’s a higher stage, more pressure, but I’m sure they can continue with it and do well.”Brathwaite also credited the selectors for ensuring that youngsters got the best exposure possible. “The selectors were very big in ensuring that some young players are blooded and rubbed shoulders with some of the best T20 players in the world so we can continue our legacy of being dominant in this format, and those were two of the guys who fit the bill at this point in time,” he said.West Indies were in Dubai earlier this year when they held a preparatory camp ahead of the 2016 World T20, which they went on to win, so while they might know a bit about what to expect from the surfaces, Brathwaite acknowledged that the weather at this time of the year was a lot harsher.”It wasn’t as hot early in the year, but, apparently, we’re smack dab in the middle of their summer, so it can get very, very hot,” he said. “It’s for the players to prepare well, manage themselves well off the field, rehydration-wise, get enough rest, and each and every one of us is a professional and we know what our body needs to be an optimal thing to perform, so it’s just about us doing things we do off the field, planning well, preparing well, and evidently performing well when the games come.”The first T20I will take place in Dubai on September 23. The T20Is will be followed by a three-match ODI series, before the tour concludes with three Tests. This is the first series for West Indies after the WICB sacked coach Phil Simmons earlier this week. The team will be under the supervision of former West Indies fast bowler Joel Garner for this tour, along with assistant coaches Henderson Springer and Roddy Estwick.