Australia talk up improved West Indies ahead of final Test in Sydney

With the series easily won and a dead Test still to play, Australia coach Darren Lehmann on Wednesday talked up the West Indies for finally finding some fight.

The tourists have failed to bowl out Australia once over the first two Tests, having long lost their world-beating reputation as the "Calypso Kings".

But Lehmann noted that they played well while still losing by 177 runs in Melbourne.

"I was really pleased the way they fought back, yeah, after being six for 90 day two and then obviously bat really well on day three," he said.

The West Indies crashed to an innings defeat in Hobart and lost the series on Tuesday in Melbourne, but captain Jason Holder and former skipper Denesh Ramdin (in pic) both made battling half centuries. AP

The West Indies crashed to an innings defeat in Hobart and lost the series on Tuesday in Melbourne, but captain Jason Holder and former skipper Denesh Ramdin both made battling half centuries.

"I thought they played really well and that's what they're gonna need to do going forward to improve as a side, they know that now... Back end they took the game to us," Lehmann told reporters.

Sydney Morning Herald cricket commentator Malcolm Knox also celebrated the West Indies finding their heart despite another defeat.

"Finally, the tourists showed some grit and in so doing mounted an argument for why their mooted demotion from Test cricket's top division would be a retrograde step," he wrote in a column published Wednesday.

"The longer they play in Australia, the more they learn and the better they get."

Lehmann said Australia were still weighing up selection options ahead of the final Test starting Sunday in Sydney, with bowler Peter Siddle notably carrying an ankle injury.

But ominously for the West Indies, Lehmann stressed Australia could still improve.

"I still think there's areas on any given time we need to improve on... no-balls this game for example," he said.

"I think our fielding was a lot better this game than it was in the previous couple of Test matches.

"Our batting's been very good all summer.

"It's coming together nicely but you're always aiming for perfection and trying to strive to be the best team you can be."

Dinesh Chandimal to captain Sri Lanka in New Zealand T20s

Colombo: Dinesh Chandimal will captain Sri Lanka in the T20 series against New Zealand in place of regular captain Lasith Malinga who has been forced out due to an injury, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) said on Tuesday.

The 32-year-old Malinga could not recover from a knee injury that he sustained during West Indies' tour of Sri Lanka in October and November and was ruled out of the series.

Dinesh Chandimal. AFP

The two T20 Internationals will be played on 7 January in Mount Maunganui and 10 January at Auckland.

Chandimal had led Sri Lanka in the T20 format till Malinga took charge in 2014.

Sri Lanka came up with a disappointing performance in the ongoing series where they lost the Tests 0-2 and are currently down 0-2 in the five-match ODI series.

Former captain Arjuna Ranatunga blamed the administrators for the defeats.

"We only developed individuals as super players, never thought about building a decent team. Selectors did a lot of mistakes with selections," said Ranatunga, the current Minister of Ports and Shipping.

Ranatunga is vying for a Vice Presidency in next week's election to appoint office bearers to SLC.

His younger brother Nishantha and the deputy speaker of parliament Thilanga Sumathipala are the main contenders for the Chairman's position.

The election is to end the SLC rule under a politically appointed interim committee who took office in April this year.

Axar Patel says competition doesn't affect personal rapport with Ravindra Jadeja

In-form Axar Patel feels fully ready for his second tour of Australia and is not losing sleep over the close competition between him and Ravindra Jadeja for the number one left-arm spinner's role in the five ODIs Down Under.

Patel could not have made a stronger case for his inclusion in the playing eleven for the first ODI on January 12, after he helped Gujarat win their maiden Vijay Hazare Trophy by lapping up 19 wickets in nine matches at 14.63.

File image of Axar Patel. AFP

However, it will be hard for M S Dhoni to pick him as R Ashwin's spin partner over Jadeja, who made a roaring return to international cricket in the Test series against South Africa and is now in both the ODI and T20 squads for the Australia tour.

"There is always going to be competition when you are playing for India but it has not come in the way of the personal rapport I share with some of the team members. Jaddu bhai (Jadeja) is back so there is going to be competition as most likely there will be only one left-arm spinner in the playing eleven. But that is how it is. It is nice that he is back in all formats. We are both from Gujarat and it is always fun to be in his company," Patel told PTI.

The selectors are trying out different players for the three T20 Internationals in Australia and Patel, who earned his India cap courtesy a stellar showing in IPL 2014, is disappointed to miss out from the T20 squad.

"It is disappointing obviously. The World T20 is around the corner and it would have been good to play three matches in Australia. Having said that, my thinking is that if I keep doing well in ODIs and domestic cricket, it is a matter of time before I make a T20 return. There is nothing to worry as there is still some time left for the World T20," he said, referring to the tournament to be played in India.

The 21-year-old has copped constant criticism, a chunk of it from Sunil Gavaskar, for sticking to a flatter trajectory, maintaining that flighting the ball is not his forte.

Patel asserts that there is no reason why he should change his bowling style though he has started making a conscious effort to toss up the odd ball.

"Bowling flat with varied pace has been my strength. It has troubled batsmen more often than not. I don't think I will be as effective if I start flighting the ball more. I work hard on my bowling, I have even tried to bowl slower but in match time I am more comfortable bowling flat, varying my pace and length four out of six balls. If Daniel Vettori can be so successful with a similar approach, why not me? I don't know why I am criticised for this (operating on a flatter trajectory," he said.

He is also putting in the hours on his batting and it was evident during the Vijay Hazare Trophy where he scored 220 runs at 36.66 with a highest score of 75.

AB de Villiers and his workload: It'll be a crying shame if South Africa let him go the Pietersen way

South Africa using AB de Villiers as a wicket keeper is like retro-fitting a Lamborghini supercar as a snow plow. He is their best batsman and the man that holds the whole thing together now Jacques Kallis and Graeme Smith have walked away. And the South African team management are making his job even harder.

It is perhaps unsurprising that this move has led to discussions about his workload. It seems he wants to play less, and few can blame him. The amount of cricket that those who play internationally get through is unreal.

AB de Villiers in action during the recent Test series in India. AFP

It isn’t even the number of days on the field; there is all of time away from home. Even during home series the team are staying together in a hotel close to the ground. An international cricketer will spend somewhere in the region of 300 nights a year away from home. Now, let’s not get too upset about their plight. They are getting to do what for most cricket fans would be the best job in the world, and for the most part they are paid very well for it. What it does do is limit the amount of time that we will get to watch the very best play the sport at the highest level.

With the lure of hugely lucrative franchise T20 hanging around in the background players no longer have only one employment option. If de Villiers decided to walk away from international cricket he could do so in the knowledge that he could be employed around the world earning a similar level of income while choosing his own schedule and spending more time at home. You can see why that would be appealing for a man that has made his reputation in international cricket and has a young family at home. There is no coincidence that the point where players start questioning time away coincides with starting a family.

The talk of de Villiers’ retirement stem from an article from South African newspaper Rapport which said that “events in recent years have led him to seriously reconsider his Test future”. One of these incidents that the report cites is the controversy at the World Cup earlier this year where there was an allegation that racial quotas led to the selection of Vernon Philander over a fit and firing Kyle Abbott for the semi-final against New Zealand. The article says it is just one of the things that has led to de Villiers being unhappy with the current state of affairs

Morne Morkel has dismissed talk of de Villiers retiring, but there certainly seems to be some truth to him wanting to reduce the amount that he is playing. The South African management asking him to return to keeping wicket will only have added to that feeling of needing to play less.

For cricket as a whole this is a concern. At a time when the standard of the sport around the world is under a huge amount of scrutiny the best players walking away is a worrying. Of the ten full member nations, half are struggling to be competitive, that number will only increase if the level of fixture congestion leads to the best players in the world deciding that their home life is suffering. It has got to the point that it is not possible to maintain a healthy body and a healthy family life with the amount of cricket that is being played.

The very best players do not need international cricket once they have made a name for themselves. While performances in Test cricket builds your “brand” as a player, once that position as a household name is secure you can almost name your price in the world of franchise T20. Kevin Pietersen is a prime example of this. Pietersen made his name with England, but he doesn’t need that association anymore. He has played at the Caribbean Premier League, the South African Ram Slam and Australia’s Big Bash while having time to play golf, be a dad to his son and be at the birth of his new child.

ALSO SEE

• 
  South Africa vs England: Is AB de Villiers considering retirement from Tests?
• 
  Swashbuckling, fearless, inspirational: Factbox of New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum
• 
  World T20 loses a star: Brendon McCullum to retire from international cricket in February

You can see why others would glance at this enviously as they are ensconced in a Chittagong hotel room in the middle of an ODI series against Bangladesh.

As ever with cricket, the solution is simple but unlikely. The answer is that international teams play less cricket, with a calendar that has clear gaps that allow for franchise T20 participation and rest and recuperation. Boards eager for the television income that keeps them afloat are unlikely to accept their team playing less.

In addition to the talk of de Villiers’ playing workload Dale Steyn is struggling to stay fit and play every game at the age of 32, James Anderson is a year older and is having to have his workload aggressively managed, and that is just players talking part in this South Africa vs England series. If de Villiers does make the decision to walk away from South African cricket it will be the fixture list that is to blame and the fans of the sport that suffer.

The biggest threat to international cricket is low intensity games that do not feature the best players as they have been driven out of the sport by the amount of time they are away from their families and the toll it takes on their body. The warning signs are there, the question is whether these warnings will be heeded.

'People are still applauding': I won't quit, says defiant Van Gaal after United draw

Under-fire manager Louis van Gaal said he would not quit after Manchester United extended their run without a victory to eight games in all competitions with a 0-0 draw with champions Chelsea in the Premier League on Monday.

Sixth-placed United produced an improved display at Old Trafford, having limped to a 2-0 defeat at Stoke City on Saturday, enjoying two-thirds of the possession without being able to break down Chelsea's defence.

Manchester United manager Louis Van Gaal. Reuters

Asked about the constant media speculation over his job, Van Gaal told BT Sport: "I cannot have any influence on that. I can only work with my players and you have seen my players are fighting for me and they have given a good performance.

"Even after this result, the fans were applauding so I cannot say I am very much concerned but in this football world you never know.

"I have full confidence in the board and in my players. When the players can give such a performance under this pressure, then it is not any reason to resign for me. Maybe the media wants that but I shall not do that," added Van Gaal.

The Dutchman said United should have been given two penalties after Chelsea midfielder Willian handled the ball and when Cesar Azpilicueta challenged his former team mate Juan Mata in the box.

"We hit the post twice when the keeper was beaten, had a big chance in the second half and two penalty cases ... so we are forcing the luck but don't have the luck we need," explained Van Gaal.

"Against Stoke I said in the first half we didn't dare to play but that's a big difference today, we dared to play and pressed a lot.

"We were the dominant team, we created chances, we shot on goal and only gave three chances away. Against a team like Chelsea ... that's not bad."

United supporters have been critical of Van Gaal, his tactics and the players in recent weeks but the Dutchman was heartened by their reaction on Monday.

"They applauded the players ... and they were enthusiastic," he said. "Of course, a lot of fans are disappointed because we need a win. I know that, the players know that, every member of staff knows that, the board knows that.

"People are still applauding, not everyone but most of them. The most important thing is the players can do what they have done today and then the fans can be satisfied."

Sangakkara, Jayawardene apologise for Enrique concert chaos after SL president's 'whip' threat

Colombo: An entertainments company owned by two Sri Lankan cricket legends apologised on Monday for an Enrique Iglesias concert where local women shed their underwear, sparking outrage from the country's president.

Live Events, owned by Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara, admitted that security "failed alarmingly" and apologised for the "negative experience" during the one-hour concert in Colombo on 20 December.

Fans had paid prices ranging from 5,000 rupees to 50,000 rupees ($350) for tickets to the show which was part of the Spanish star's world tour, "Love and Sex".

Enrique's Sri Lanka concert. Image Credit: Enrique.on

They did not directly refer to President Maithripala Sirisena's criticism that intoxicated local women had thrown their bras at the singer and kissed and hugged him.

"I don't advocate that these uncivilised women who removed their brassieres should be beaten with toxic stingray tails, but those who organised such an event should be," the president said on Sunday.

In conservative Sri Lankan society, public displays of affection, even among married couples, are frowned upon. Police are known to have arrested courting couples for kissing in public parks or seafront promenades.

Sirisena did not name the two cricket stars, but it was widely known that the concert was hosted by a company set up recently by the pair after Sangakkara retired from international cricket in August.

Live Events said they were considering refunding fans who were disappointed due to delays in starting the concert and the ensuing crowd chaos.

Those who had paid for the most expensive tickets were said to have been dislodged by people who bought cheaper tickets as security and crowd control arrangements failed.

"Although we know an apology or refund cannot fully satiate your disappointment, we wish to reiterate that we remain fully committed to all of you and our country," the cricketing duo said.

"A full and thorough internal inquiry is ongoing into all areas of concern."

They also denied allegations that they had dodged paying local municipal taxes amounting to nearly 30 million rupees ($215,000).

Mohammad Amir comeback: Watch Mohammad Yousuf, Rameez Raja make it personal on a TV debate

Karachi: The debate over whether tainted left-arm pacer Muhammad Amir should be allowed to play for Pakistan again has created a big divide in Pakistan cricket with former cricketers Muhammad Yousuf and Ramiz Raja engaging in a war of words on the issue during a TV show.

The two waded into each other and used some very personal, coarse and unrefined language against each on national television during a show on Geo Super channel.

Pakistani cricketer Mohammad Amir. AFP

The offensive exchange of words took place over the issue of Amir with Yousuf claiming Ramiz didn't know cricket, was a "Sifarashi" player and good only to be a teacher.

Yousuf went one step further when he made some personal remarks against the former Test captain turned commentator who lost his cool on air.

It drew a sharp response from Ramiz who termed Yousuf, who sports a beard, as a fake Mullah who tells lies and who caused havoc in Pakistan cricket.

The clips of the exchange soon became the talk of the social media with many former players, fans and critics expressing disappointment over the language used by both former stalwarts.

Pakistan's former test captain Rashid Latif said what happened should never have happened and was most unfortunate.

"I have played with both these players. They are looked upon with respect by the fans. It does not pass on the right message to anyone," Latif said.

Ramiz has been clear about his views on allowing Amir back into the national team.

"My views are clear to everyone but this is a decision that the Pakistan cricket board has to take and only time will tell whether they took the right decision or not," Ramiz said.

"I thought the PCB could have handled the Amir matter in a better manner," he said.

Two of Pakistan's senior players Muhammad Hafeez and national one-day captain Azhar Ali both refused to train with Amir in the national training camp in Lahore but later agreed to return on the intervention of the PCB chief Shaharyar Khan.

Ramiz said he was happy that the matter was resolved and Hafeez and Azhar returned to the camp. "But the Amir issue has reached a very delicate stage now."

Responding to remarks from Yousuf that Amir was the world's best bowler and that someone had instigated Azhar Ali, Ramiz said neither was Amir the world's best bowler nor did anyone instigate Azhar.

"I thought they took a brave stand," he added.