Pakistan police arrest gang linked to threats against Zulqarnain Haider

Pakistani police say they have arrested a gang of bookmakers who were allegedly behind death threats sent to wicketkeeper Zulqarnain Haider.

Haider fled the Pakistan team hotel in Dubai last November hours before a one-day international against South Africa. He flew to London where he applied for asylum after saying that an unknown person had threatened him for not co-operating in fixing the one-day series.

"We arrested eight bookmakers yesterday and some of them have confessed they had the threatening calls made to Zulqarnain," said Nasir Qureshi, a senior investigating officer.

The bookmakers were from the Sambrial area near Sialkot in the eastern province of Punjab.

Haider has now returned to Islamabad after receiving reassurances from Pakistan's interior minister, Rehman Malik, about his safety and security. Qureshi said the arrested men appeared to be well-connected and deeply involved in gambling on international matches.

"We have recovered around 250 mobile and landline sets from them, some ammunition, records and computers," he said.

Haider is still in Islamabad and is awaiting security clearance from authorities to go to his hometown of Lahore.

The 25-year old wicketkeeper has been told to appear before the Pakistan Cricket Board disciplinary committee to respond to charges that he left the team without informing the team management, which was a violation of his contract.

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Duncan Fletcher's last hurrah with India will be a different challenge | Mike Selvey

It looks as if the succession was in hand all along. Gary Kirsten had an enduring relationship with Duncan Fletcher as a young player for Western Province so is as familiar with his ethos and methods as any and, of course, in the primary position to make a judgment on who may be most suited to take on the unique task of coaching India, perhaps the most challenging role in the game outside actually playing.

Kirsten's success as national coach gave him absolute credibility with the players, administrators and supporters alike and his recommendation, which Fletcher's appointment appears to be, would carry consequent weight.

For Fletcher, this will be one last grand coaching hurrah. His failings with the England side in Australia in 2006-07 and in the 2007 World Cup, disasters both, should in no way camouflage the debt owed by England cricket, which even now is reaping the benefits of the structures he put in place.

His success in regaining the Ashes in 2005 from one of the most powerful teams ever to take the field remains one of the outstanding England achievements in any era. But there was success in Pakistan and Sri Lanka, in the sort of conditions in which England traditionally struggled to compete, and in South Africa, too. He also drew a Test series in India. So he brings with him a considerable CV, more substantial in fact than that of the man he succeeds.

Why he feels he needs the challenge at 62 is another matter. Since leaving the England job he has filled his time with consultancy positions, at Hampshire, and with the South Africa and New Zealand sides. It has helped to keep him in the loop. Has he missed the more permanent contact and influence that he could bring to bear?

Presumably the Indian authorities made him a financial offer he would find hard to refuse, although clearly he took the job strictly on his terms rather than be required to fit into a system that did not meet with his approval. The retention of Eric Simons, the bowling coach who also worked with Fletcher at Western Province, is testament to that.

Fletcher may give the impression of being a curmudgeon, and at times an autocrat, but Kirsten and of course MS Dhoni will recognise and appreciate someone whose qualities tend to involve working in the background. He has never craved attention, believing that as it is the players ultimately who win or lose games, then it should be they who have the profile.

He was always keen to set up a business-style structure – whether it was at England or Western Province, or Glamorgan before that – in which the captain was viewed as the chief executive and himself as managing director. If there were ever any doubts that whoever was appointed it would be Dhoni, along with Sachin Tendulkar, who ran the show, then they have been dispelled by Fletcher's advancement.

His first task will be to form a relationship with Dhoni. With England his bond with Nasser Hussain was immense, but those who believed that Hussain's departure would preclude a similar relationship in the future, underestimated Fletcher's pragmatism: that with Hussain was seamlessly replaced with an equally strong relationship, with Michael Vaughan.

Whatever it was to the two England captains, to Fletcher it was always business. He will, no doubt, operate on a similar basis to Kirsten which, given the nature and stature of the players he had, was consultative. He did not reside in India for any length of time, but commuted as and when necessary. It is unlikely, then, that Fletcher will uproot from his Cape Town home.

Now he faces a challenge of a different kind to that he faced when he took over England more than a decade ago. They had reached the bottom of the heap and it was by instilling the team values, with the aid of a determined captain who sought respect before popularity, that he gradually helped drag them up. This is different for, as it stands, India are the top-ranked Test side and World Cup holders.

There is an analogy, of sorts, with the situation in Australia when Steve Waugh handed on the captaincy to Ricky Ponting. Waugh chose his moment well for, although Ponting would enjoy great success with an established side, it was always going to fragment. Fletcher will enjoy being associated with one of the finest of all batting line-ups, but will do so in the knowledge that it is rapidly ageing.

So he may see his main role not as maintaining the performance of the star players, but of bringing on the next generation, not just batsmen but bowlers, where there appears to be a dearth of emerging talent.

He will do so knowing that, as with West Indies fast bowlers, things in all probability will never again be the same. He will also know that a decline during his tenure is almost inevitable.

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Reece Topley tells Essex: Sorry I can't play today - I've got to revise for my exams

“The biggest thing is not to get too ahead of myself,” he says. “I read something on the internet last night that said I could be an England Lions player this winter. That’s too much. I’m still 17. I’ve only played three championship games.” Sorry, Reece.

But while Essex take the field on Tuesday, Topley is preparing to take AS Levels in media studies, sport studies and PE.

You might mischievously point out that they sound very much like the subject choices of a young man with his career already lined up. But there will be no slacking in lessons, no wistful staring out of the window at the playing fields. Not while his father is a teacher there.

Don Topley was an Essex player for a decade, as well as the coach of Zimbabwe, before retiring in 1994 and moving into education. Now, though, he is the very embodiment of a proud parent.

“Oh, he’s very able,” Don says. “From the age of dot, he’s always played sport. He represented Essex under nines, captained them. He’s a very talented rugby player, football player...”

“Shhh,” says Reece, sighing at his dad’s immodesty.“He won’t say, but he is.”

Standing at 6ft 7in with size 13 feet, Reece’s progress has not gone unnoticed.

The England and Wales Cricket Board snapped him up for its fast bowling programme at the age of 13, and for the past two years the England team have invited him to Loughborough so they can practise batting against left-arm pace.

You might remember, a couple of years ago, a 15-year-old lad being conked on the head and being taken to hospital as a result of a flying Kevin Pietersen straight drive. That kid was Reece Topley.

“He ended up in Leicester Hospital,” Don remembers. “He was about 6ft 5in and he was in a children’s ward. The beds were too small.”

But Reece has never been one to be cowed by distinguished company.

His first Test net wicket, at the age of 14, was Alastair Cook, clean bowled at the Essex indoor school. Cook responded by breaking the bowler’s finger with a crunching drive the very next over. Now the two share a dressing room.

“I just try and pick his brains now and then,” Reece says. “But to be honest, I do that with all of them. People like Matt Walker and Dave Masters are very experienced county players.”

After the game against Northamptonshire at the weekend, Reece sought out Chaminda Vaas, one of the great left-arm fast bowlers, to ask for advice.

That, if anything, is the most exciting thing about Topley.

It is not just his talent, which is considerable, but the fact that despite his tender years, he has already developed the mentality of an elite sportsman — the ambition, the hunger, the surpassing desire for improvement, for new tricks.

Don reveals that Reece is working on an away-swinger as well, although he will not be unveiling it for Essex just yet. Instead, it is quivering school batsmen who will be facing England’s brightest young fast bowling hope for now.

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The story of Billy the Kid, down but not yet out on the county circuit | Andy Bull

In sport talent alone is not enough. Even when it is coupled with character there is no guarantee that a player will make it. If you don't believe me, turn to page 158 of the new Wisden Almanack.

RETIREMENTS it reads CAREER FIGURES – Players not expected to appear in county cricket in 2011. Run your finger down through the fine print to 'S'.

B.M. Shafayat M 119 Runs 5,828 HS 161 100s 9 Avge 30.04. There was a time when they used to call Bilal Shafayat 'Billy Sapphire' around the County Ground at Trent Bridge because he was such a gem of a player. And it wasn't all that long ago. He is only 26 now. He should be in the prime of his career. He could have been playing for England. But last Saturday the man who was once described by the Daily Telegraph as "the most naturally talented English batsman since David Gower" was batting at first drop for the Birmingham club Wellington against Knowle and Dorridge in the first round of the Williamson Trophy.

How did it come to this?

"I have natural talent," Shafayat says. "But that only takes you so far. It is really a mental game, and I suppose that is what I am going through at the moment. What's happened over the years, it has been tough. It has been a period of maturing, growing up and, to be honest with you, of becoming an adult." They say this could be a golden age for English cricket, that there have rarely been so many talented young players coming through around the circuit. Everywhere you look there are young twentysomethings scoring runs and teenagers taking wickets. They would all have a lot to learn from Shafayat's story.

"I sort of knew that Notts were going to let me go halfway through last season," Shafayat says. "I had a very good start [he made 159 against Durham MCCU], and some of the senior players were coming up to me saying 'you could get 10 first-class hundreds this year'. That's no word of a lie. I was feeling brilliant. But I had six games where I wasn't able to get a big score. Then I was left out.

"In the second team I did very well, I got three big hundreds straight away," Shafayat remembers. "There was a chance to get back in to the first team but the manager overlooked me and picked a youngster. And then I thought, 'Yeah, maybe I've just missed the boat. I think I know where this is heading.'" Where it was heading was the manager's office, and one of the most difficult conversations of Shafayat's career. "I hope things work out, Billy, and all the best for your future career."

Shafayat is a good guy. As the Notts coach Mick Newell said when the club let him go, "his attitude and approach have been exemplary". Shafayat is honest enough to admit the truth. "If I had scored enough runs in the last two years Notts would have kept me. It was black and white with them. 'If you perform you stay, and if you don't you go'. There was no real flexibility or any leniency in it. And in the last two years I did not score enough runs."

That did not make it any easier to accept. "Me being me, I had always been the first pick of every side from a very young age," Shafayat says. "But this was like being left against the wall as the last boy to be picked for a school football team. Hearing those words, 'All the best for your career', that's not nice."

If you know your cricket, you will know that Shafayat is not just another county pro who could not quite cut it. Eight years ago he was the captain of England Under-19s, and, as the BBC said at the time, "one of the most exciting talents in English cricket". There were a lot of good players in his Under-19 team: Alastair Cook, Tim Bresnan, Luke Wright, Samit Patel, Ravi Bopara, Liam Plunkett. Shafayat was the star.

In 2001 he became the youngest Championship player in Nottinghamshire's history when he played against Middlesex. Aged only 16 he came in at No5, just after some whippersnapper called Kevin Pietersen had been trapped lbw by Phil Tufnell. 177 balls later he was bending down to kiss the turf to celebrate his fifty. It was an ostentatious flourish, typical of a young man who had every right to be cocksure about his talent.

In 2002 his star grew brighter still. He made 118 and 201 not out in a single U-19 Test against India. In 2003 he led England U-19s to Australia. In the first Test at Adelaide produced an all-round performance for the ages. In the first innings he scored 108 out of 331. In the second he added 66 out of 366. And in the fourth he took six for 54 with his brisk medium pace. "He stood head-and-shoulders above his team-mates" said Wisden. "He won the Test almost single-handedly, driving like a dream." A nation which had been starved of success against Australia for over a decade had seen the future.

And it looked glorious. The next year he was picked for an England 'A' tour. The test started right after he got back from that 'A' Tour. Notts gave him a single first-class game that year, at the fag end of the season. "I was 20. They wanted me to be patient. I was told to be patient and my chance would come." Things are different now. The circuit is full of younger players being given early opportunities, simply because the ECB now gives extra funds to the counties to pick players who are under 25. Shafayat is 26. Sides who claim to be adhering to noble ideals by fostering young talent are not being entirely honest about their motivations. "Now it seems slightly different. It's the wrong time to be over 25 because there is a financial incentive for counties to play under-25s."

If that system had been in place in 2004, Shafayat's career might not have taken the twist it did. Frustrated by the lack of opportunity at Notts, he moved to Northamptonshire to work with Keppler Wessels. After two solid seasons there, ("1,000 runs in my first year, and just under 1,000 in the second when I was doubling up as wicketkeeper") he was lured back to his old club after being promised a shot at nailing down the No4 slot in the order. That never really materialised.

Instead he was pushed up to open, a tough job at Trent Bridge, where the ball moves about so much early on. Even then he was being talked about as a future England player, frequently tipped as the one to watch in the season previews. But two sound seasons were followed by two lean ones. He scored in stutters and splurts, his form slumped. The journalists found new players to fete.

All these thoughts are still fresh in his mind. When I called him he seemed almost to second-guess why I wanted to talk to him. For the first time in nine years he is starting a season without any kind of county contract. And he has been asking himself the same questions that I wanted to put to him.

"I'm still figuring out what I struggled with," Shafayat admits. "I think I'll learn over the next 12 to 18 months. From what I can gather at the moment, it was doing it over and over again under the immense pressure that I felt was on myself in every game. That was it more than anything. It felt as if every game was so important, and as though I was playing for my spot. When you're young you compete with others without knowing it, but you're certainly not put under any extra pressure by the management or by people around you. But the expectations grow as you get older. People expect you to perform day-in, day-out."

That may sound a legitimate explanation to you and me, but Shafayat's self-diagnosis is more complicated. If this reads like he is feeling sorry for himself, it should not, because he does not. "Sportsmen thrive under pressure. I enjoyed that pressure. But it also takes a toll, especially if you are not performing. It is a domino effect. You go from one innings to another thinking 'oh, there's another performance that I have missed out on.' You don't get time to step away from it all and try and correct the mistakes you are making."

Right now, Shafayat seems a little lonely. Not in his family life; he has a wife and three children, the youngest of them two weeks old. But lonely professionally. "There are times in county cricket at certain counties when there are not enough helping hands there to teach you, to show you where you are going wrong. Up to 19 I felt I was fearless and had all the talent in the world. Things came very easy. But then there is a point where you do become an adult and people expect you to perform at that level all the time. There is no manual that anyone gives you. Sometimes you have to work things out for yourself. And sometimes that takes a while. The support outside cricket has been brilliant. Within the circuit, that's where you find out who your friends are."

Nobody loves you when you're down and out. All of a sudden a lot of the things he took for granted as a pro, such as his kit sponsors, have gone. "I understand that. Everything is a business. They are only with you while it benefits them. And I guess the same goes for some journalists as well. That's the way the world works. But you see friends leaving you, or the people you thought were friends at that time when you were doing well. I guess that's the way it works in sport and in life generally, and those are the times when you have to stay strong. And you realise who your friends are."

High up among those friends is the Professional Cricketers' Association. "I can't speak out enough for them. They have been phenomenal, telling me where to go, who to speak to, what to do, getting things back on the road, how to start earning again. And they give me hope, they remind me that I am only 26, so if I can get another place now, there's eight to 10 years of cricket left in me, and within that I still think I can play international cricket. That keeps me going."

This winter Shafayat was playing for Habib Bank in Pakistan, playing alongside the likes of Azhar Mahmood, Younis Khan and Shahid Afridi. "It has given me a different angle, a different view of my career. I feel as if I have moved forward in my own game." He is a devout Muslim, always has been, and along with the players' union and his family, it is his faith that has helped him stay strong. He also loves boxing, and has taken inspiration from his heroes there. "Look at Ali, at Tyson. I read books about them, and they motivate me. If you go down it is a matter of coming back.

"Everything is a blessing in disguise, I really believe that. What I am going through now is for the better. It will become part of me. I am 26. I'm not exactly where I wanted to be, or where I was heading to be with my career when I was young. But this has sure made me a lot hungrier to succeed." His optimism is impressive. But bubbling underneath it there seems to be some self doubt. There is bound to be.

But he is battling it, keeping it at bay. "If I had signed another contract at Notts maybe I would have carried on making the same mistakes." With county finances as they are, it is going to be hard to find a new club. Shafayat knows that. "I used to have offers coming left, right and centre, but it is not exactly the same now." But in a way he is one of the luckier ones. He is fit, and has his family, his faith and his talent. A lot of good cricketers get released and don't have those things to fall back on. This week he is playing a trial match for the Sussex second XI against Middlesex. He has played one game for them already this season, making 51 and 141 against the Somerset seconds.

"They've called me for a second look, which is positive", he says. "It will be fine. It will be fine." I sense he is telling himself that as much as he is telling me. "God willing, everything will work out if I keep working hard. God is watching and he does reward you for your efforts. Whatever happens over the years, hopefully my claim to fame won't just be my Under-19s career. I am sure there is a lot more to come."

Wish him luck. He will need it. Because in sport talent alone is not enough.

The following is an extract from our free weekly cricket email, the Spin. To subscribe click here.

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England's Michael Yardy close to making comeback from depression for Sussex

Yardy will step up his recovery today when he has a nets session with first-team colleagues and while unlikely to figure in the County Championship home game against Lancashire that starts on Tuesday, he could return to front line action at Hampshire next week.

That would represent the passing of a major milestone in the 30-year-old’s fight against depression that saw him return home just before England’s World Cup quarter-final last month and Robinson is certainly bullish about his skipper’s recovery.

“He is going well. Every week he has practised more. The first time he came in once and last week he came in three times and this week he was in every day, including Saturday, and so he is getting close,” Robinson told Telegraph Sport.

“I think this week will be too early. Whether he is in a situation to play the week after we will just have to wait and see. At the moment he hasn’t practised with the group but he is due to on Monday.

“We would love to have him back because he is a quality player and he gives character and backbone for a team that has that anyway but he has got experience and so we miss him, of course we do.

“But it is just like anybody being injured. You have to give them time to heal properly and what you don’t want to do is rush them back so that they have a recurrence of the injury. It’s the same for Yards.

“So we have just got to keep talking to him and keep giving him time. He is increasingly his workload and he is doing more and more as he feels stronger and more able to do it.”

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Sri Lanka cave in over idea of asking IPL to release players by 5 May

Sri Lanka's resolve to make a stand against the Indian Premier League and demand the return of their players by 5 May to prepare for the England tour has lasted all of 48 hours. The country's sports minister, Mahindananda Aluthgamage, adamant that the players must return, has now said he will "ask" the selectors to allow the Sri Lanka players in the IPL not to join the squad in London until 18 May.

In Sri Lanka, where what the government says goes, that is "ask" as in "tell". Sri Lanka's selectors will politely accede and Sri Lanka's IPL players will now join the rest of the squad about a week before the first Test. Speculation will abound over what threats, or indeed favours, have been discussed for such an about-turn. Aluthgamage is now quoted by Agence France-Presse as saying: "We have excellent relations with the government of India and the Indian cricket board. We don't want to upset or embarrass India."

Sri Lanka's opening tour game against Middlesex on 14 May will now have minimal purpose, but it is the final warm-up game against England Lions, which begins in Derby on 19 May, that Sri Lanka's top stars including Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene are now likely to be plunged into a day after reaching the UK. That match is only a week before the first Test starts in Cardiff.

Presumably the Sri Lankan selectors' threat to summon back Lasith Malinga from the IPL on 5 May so his fitness can be assessed for Test cricket, even though he has not been named in the Test squad to tour England, will now also be quietly dropped.

Aluthgamage denied that Indian pressure had influenced the change of heart. The decision to call back the players early was made by a new selection panel, headed by Duleep Mendis, in order to give the players time to prepare for the series. In a matter of days, Mendis has overstretched his hand.

The England and Wales Cricket Board has no intention of getting involved. If Sangakkara and company turn up in Cardiff half an hour before the start they will probably blame the traffic on the Severn Bridge.

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County Championship: match previews

Lancashire v Somerset, Liverpool

Sri Lanka all-rounder Farveez Maharoof is set to make his delayed debut as Lancashire’s overseas player. Slow left-armer Simon Kerrigan is also added to the side that beat Sussex in the season opener at Aigburth..

Somerset have kept faith with an unchanged squad despite suffering the second heaviest innings defeat in their history and being dismissed for their lowest total since 1968 against Warwickshire.

Yorkshire v Nottinghamshire, Headingley

England seamer Ajmal Shahzad is still recovering from a hamstring injury that forced him to return early from the World Cup so Yorkshire have named an unchanged squad, which includes slow left-armer David Wainwright and seamer Oliver Hannon-Dalby.

Nottinghamshire, who are unchanged after starting their title defence by beating Hampshire, will face former England left arm seamer Ryan Sidebottom who left them during the winter.

Worcestershire v Warwickshire, Worcester

Worcestershire, who have secured the services of batsman Moeen Ali for two more years, have named the same side trounced by Yorkshire two weeks ago.

Former Pakistan batsman Mohammad Yousuf will make his Warwickshire debut as their locum overseas player. Richard Johnson stands by in case former England wicketkeeper Tim Ambrose fails to recover from a buttock muscle injury.

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Division Two

Derbyshire v Middlesex, Derby

Australia left-hander Usman Khawaja is expected to make his Derbyshire debut having missed two matches with a thigh injury sustained playing club cricket the day before he flew to England. Garry Park is likely to make way.

Middlesex’s former Australia opener, Chris Rogers, who captained Derbyshire last season, will play against his old county after X-rays showed that his finger was not broken while fielding against Essex.

Glamorgan v Surrey, Cardiff

Former Glamorgan batsman Tom Maynard makes a quick return to the Swalec Stadium following his acrimonious departure during the winter. Paceman Jade Dernbach has recovered from a calf strain and joins a Surrey squad again comprised entirely of uncapped players.

Batsman Stewart Walters, released by Surrey during the winter, has been added to the Glamorgan side that beat Gloucestershire along with seamer Huw Waters and former England off-spinner Robert Croft.

Northamptonshire v Essex, Northampton

Essex have called up former captain Mark Pettini because Tom Westley has commitments at Durham University. South Africa paceman Lonwabo Tsotsobe will make his debut but 17-year-old Reece Topley will return to the Royal Hospital School in Holbrook after this match having taken a five-wicket haul in each of his first two Championship matches.

Northamptonshire, fresh from an innings victory over Kent, are expected to field an unchanged side.

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Ireland could get World Cup 2015 reprieve after ICC president calls for executive board to reconsider changes

At the end of the recent World Cup, the ICC announced the next tournament in New Zealand and Australia would feature just ten teams, made up entirely of the world governing body’s full member nations. The associate teams such as Ireland and Holland were told they would not be able to take part in the World Cup until 2019 at the earliest when a qualification system would be put in place.

The decision was heavily criticised and the ICC has reacted by announcing it will look again at the structure of the next competition with the option of expanding the tournament to 12 teams, which would include two associates, a strong possibility.

“It is encouraging that the president has reopened this issue but there is still a way to go,” said Warren Deurtom, chief executive of Cricket Ireland.

“This is a positive step but we're cautious about it because it is the same 10 people having the same debate about the same issues. We (the 95 associate and affiliate members) have asked to assist in that process and requested for our elected representatives to meet the ICC president and/or the vice-president to put our case, so that they can see the strength of our resolve on this matter.

"There is a long way to go and it is down to how much momentum can be kept up, either through the media or through the public, who have been strong and unanimous in their views."

The decision will be discussed at the ICC’s annual general meeting in Hong Kong at the end of June but the associate nations were given hope when Sharad Pawar, the president of the ICC, said, “I have given this matter further serious thought and will request the board to consider this topic once more. I can understand the views of the Associates and Affiliates and ICC will seek to deal with this issue in the best way possible.”

Ireland spearheaded a campaign for the ICC to overturn the decision after producing the shock result of the last World Cup when they beat England in Bangalore by recording the highest ever run chase in the tournament’s history.

Cricket Ireland has grown significantly over the past four years since the team made its first big impression by beating Pakistan at the 2007 World Cup.

There have been significant moves in recent months to cut the 50 over World Cup from its recent level of 14 teams. That move was expected by the associate nations but what caused anger and resentment was the decision not to include a qualification process for the 2015 competition, which would have at least given them a glimmer of a chance of reaching the tournament proper.

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Sri Lanka name Tillakaratne Dilshan as captain for England tour

Tillakaratne Dilshan will take over from Kumar Sangakkara as the captain of Sri Lanka for next month's tour of England. Sangakkara decided to step down after the team lost to India in the World Cup final.

"We are proud to announce the appointment of Dilshan as the national captain in all three formats of the game for the tour of England," Sri Lanka Cricket said in a statement. "The national selectors have postponed the appointment of a vice-captain since the prospective candidates are nursing injuries and their availability for the forthcoming tour is still in question."

The 34-year-old Dilshan, who is an opening batsman, was the leading run-scorer in the World Cup with 500 at an average of 62.50. He has led Sri Lanka once before, on a tour of Zimbabwe in June last year, when his team won a one-day tri-series which also featured India, but this is the first time Dilshan has been picked to lead his country in a Test series.

The chairman of selectors, Duleep Mendis, said the tour squad would be selected after Dilshan returns from the Indian Premier League where he is representing Royal Challengers Bangalore. Sri Lanka have told all their IPL players to return home by 5 May to prepare for the tour.

The squad are due to leave for England on 10 May for a series of three Tests, five one-day internationals and one Twenty20 international. The first Test in Cardiff starts on 26 May.

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Moeen extends Worcestershire stay

Worcestershire batsman Moeen Ali has signed a two-year contract extension to keep him at New Road until the end of the 2013 campaign.

The 23-year-old left-hander, whose current deal was due to run out at the end of this summer, scored more than 2,000 runs in all competitions last season when he represented England Lions.

New Road director of cricket Steve Rhodes said: “Moeen played exceptionally well during 2010 and was a major part of our four-day promotion push.

“The development of younger players is paramount to the club’s future and I am delighted to have a talented all-round cricketer, such as Moeen, commit his future to the club.

“At Worcestershire, it can be difficult to hang on to our good, young players. However, we have signed up Richard Jones, Alexei Kervezee and others on long contracts, so getting Moeen to agree as the final piece of the jigsaw was crucial.

“We now have a nucleus of talented youngsters who will be playing together for the next few years - that can only be a good thing for Worcestershire.

“Moeen told me very clearly that he is happy here and he has been given the opportunity to bat up the order, develop his bowling and field in the positions he prefers.”

Rhodes added: “The deadline in the final year of his contract when other counties could put in 28-day approaches has only just been reached, so it never got to the stage where teams came in for him.

“We have been working all winter to reach a positive decision for us at Worcestershire and for Moeen himself. It has taken a while, but everyone is happy to have finalised it.”

Moeen, who moved to New Road from Warwickshire, said: “I have been at the club since 2007 and have thoroughly enjoyed my time here. I have been looked after very well.

“I am grateful for the opportunities I have had, which have allowed me to develop both my batting and bowling in all forms of the game, and I hope to progress over the coming years and help the club achieve future success.”

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Amjad eyes England recall

Find out how the counties are shaping up for the new season - check out our exclusive interviews and features from around the country

Amjad Khan hopes some eye-catching performances for Sussex could lead to an England recall

Sussex new boy Amjad Khan has no regrets about moving from Kent and hopes it will be the springboard he needs to return to the international set-up.

The pace bowler’s solitary Test came in 2009 during England’s tour of the West Indies at the Queen’s Park Oval, where he failed to shine with match figures of 1-122.

He played an international Twenty20 soon after but has not been called upon since. However, Amjad has not been deterred and believes that a change of scenery will improve his chances of regaining an England place.

The 30-year-old, who spent 10 years with Kent, is also confident that his move to Hove, where he will lead the attack, will help to fulfil another ambition of winning domestic titles.

He told ecb.co.uk: “I think it was the right time to leave. I’m desperate to win trophies and I’m equally as desperate to get back into the England set-up.

“If you look at Sussex’s history, they’ve won God knows how many trophies in the last 10 years and they’ve produced a lot of England players, so it was a no-brainer to come here.

“There’s some new challenges here that there definitely wouldn’t have been at Kent and, as a person, that develops you, so it really is exciting.”

Amjad is at a loss to explain the reasons for Sussex’s innings-and-55-run defeat to Lancashire in the first match of their LV= County Championship campaign, but he is determined to see improvements when they take on Durham this week.

“I think we’re looking to win and can challenge in all forms of the game,” he said. “We’ve had a perfect start to pre-season, couldn’t have done anything differently, so there’s no excuse. I think we have to re-evaluate, figure out where it went wrong and then look forward."

Amjad is also full of praise for Sussex cricket manager Mark Robinson, who wants the Denmark-born bowler to show his pedigree in the sorter formats of the game as well as act as a mentor to the up-and-coming youngsters.

Amjad added: “Mark Robinson has been brilliant this winter and sort of said, ‘We want you to play all forms and we want you to lead the attack. Some of the younger guys, you’ve got to take under your wing and share your experience'. I’ve tried to do that and I think I’ve done pretty well.

“It shows that he backs you really and we worked on a lot of specific stuff this winter. I worked very closely with Mark Robinson, especially with the white ball stuff, bowling up front, bowling at the death, gameplans - so hopefully that can translate to good performances in one-day performances especially.”

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Michael Yardy's battle with depression should act as a warning to administrators, says England's Matt Prior

Prior and Yardy are Sussex team-mates and have played cricket together since childhood. Yardy’s decision to return home before England’s World Cup quarter-final due to depression surprised many, but not Prior, who knew the extent of the problems afflicting the spin bowler.

“I spoke to him when we got back [from the World Cup] and it has hit him hard,” said Prior. “We have played cricket together since we were 12 so to watch him go through that was horrific. I know he made the right decision and I am proud of the decision he made because it wasn’t easy to leave at that stage.

“I believe it shows the strength of his character that he was a big enough person to say, ‘No, I can’t carry on and I need to deal with this’. I back him wholeheartedly to come back stronger.”

No date has been set for Yardy’s return but he is training again at Sussex and is expected to feature over the next couple of weeks.

The intensive winter schedule has been partly blamed for exacerbating Yardy’s condition, which follows the international retirement of Marcus Trescothick after suffering a stress-related illness.

Prior, who played in all forms of the game for England last winter, believes changes have to be made to prevent other players from suffering burn-out issues.

“I don’t think it is any coincidence that two England players have struggled with it,” he said. “Being away from home for 5½ months is a long time and is very taxing when you are playing so much.

“You are also involved in an intense environment and for that length of time it is exhausting physically and mentally. I believe there will be more issues if you have as intensive a schedule as we have just had. There will be more cases of injury or illness and something has to change.”

The winter’s toll on Prior was physical, with a shoulder injury an unwanted memento of the Ashes series. He jarred his left shoulder during the Adelaide Test and has had injections in order to be fit for the summer. He is due to return for Sussex against Nottinghamshire on May 10.

“I am sure it will be fine but I think it is one of those things I will have to live with for the rest of my career,” he said. “The thing that hurts is what I do for a living, which is diving. It is just one of those things I will have to manage and maintain.”

Prior’s position as England’s Test wicketkeeper is assured following another consistent winter but a World Cup which featured a lack of runs may limit him to one form of the game this summer.

“There is always someone else,” he said. “I will be working as hard as I can to be involved. You can look at batting and keeping stats but I also know what I bring to the team as well and that is something I have a lot of belief in.”

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Scyld Berry: Passing on the key to cricket's Hall of Fame

Graeme Swann’s grinning reaction was: “What, I don’t have to do anything else?” He had been part of England’s Ashes-winning team of 2009, he had just taken eight wickets to win the decisive Oval Test. But he wanted to be sure his award was in the bag.

I will never forget the joy at the annual dinner when Andy Flower, then England’s batting coach, presented a leatherbound Wisden to Ottis Gibson, then England’s bowling coach, after his superlative last season with Durham. Friendship seldom generates such warmth.

Such moments reminded me of the responsibility in holding the only key to the game’s Hall of Fame, as the decision is the editor’s alone.

But I felt just about qualified after being a cricket correspondent for 30 years — more than half for The Telegraph — and touring all the Test-playing countries, and getting to know the main players, journalists and administrators.

Another delight is the one common to most editing: the commissioning of an article that one wants to read and nurturing it until fruition. The piece in this year’s Wisden about the All-India tour of England 100 years ago — the strangest of all cricket tours – was three years in the making from conception.

It depends entirely on the nature of the piece whether the right author is a journalist, a current cricketer, a former player, an academic or someone else. In general, I tried to invite more players to write for Wisden.

Few former editors of Wisden have played any cricket, although John Woodcock was only prevented from doing so by ill health. But the founder, John Wisden, was one of the best bowlers of his day, and the early almanacks had an understanding of the game — not just what happened and when, but how and why – that had become rather lost.

I like to think Wisden is now what it says on the tin: a cricketers’ almanack — the Cricketers’ Almanack — as well as a cricket-watcher’s.

This year’s edition tells the cricket-watcher about the yips which afflicted Scott Boswell in a domestic cup final, between Leicestershire and Somerset in 2001, and the cricketer about how to go about curing such an attack.

The Guardian commented last week that the change in editorship had been made in ‘ill-explained circumstances’ — and I can only agree. When I was called into the Soho office last October, the then chief executive explained that I had been “a very good editor” but that after four years, my year-by-year consultancy agreement would not be renewed because another editor was wanted to run a new website; then added, “it might be the wrong decision”.

Ah well, the main thing is that the game goes on, and Wisden will be there to record it, although I remain to be convinced — but then I would, wouldn’t I? — that the new arrangements are in the best interests of Wisden, or its readers, or of cricket.

And there are those ‘down’ times in winter, in the demanding build-up to publication, when upholding Wisden’s standards of accuracy for almost 1,700 pages can be a weighty task. Has the umpire for the Test between Bangladesh Under-19s and England Under-19s been spelt the same as in the third one-day international between Bangladesh and New Zealand?

One year, when the typesetting was done in Colchester, and the staff were staying seven miles away near Flatford Mill, I walked there one icy morning across the meadows. It was then I realised the hard work is worthwhile.

Constable’s paintings are a part of English consciousness; and when I look at the photograph of E W Swanton’s battered copy of the 1939 Wisden, which helped to sustain him and not merely hundreds but thousands of other prisoners in Japanese war camps, I appreciate that Wisden is too.

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Kevin Pietersen keen to captain England again

 

KEVIN PIETERSEN threw his cap into the ring for England’s one-day captaincy last night and announced: “I’m ready to lead again.”

Three-times Ashes winner and Twenty20 world cup holder Pietersen’s first reign as skipper lasted just 150 days before he was forced out along with coach Peter Moores in January 2009.

Even by Lord’s standards, it was a botch-job and Pietersen admits he was “deeply hurt”.

But at England’s debrief after a triumphant winter in Australia, Andrew Strauss is expected to quit as 50-over captain next month – which would leave the door ajar for Pietersen again. And as KP modelled England’s new one-day replica shirt on a retail park in Enfield, he confirmed he was ready for another crack at leadership.

Pietersen, 30, said: “If the one-day job becomes available, I would ­definitely be up for it.

“A lot of water has passed under the bridge since I last did it and it’s something I’ve thought about in the past few weeks since the rumours surfaced about Andy Strauss stepping down.

“Second time around I think I could do a real good job as I’d be older and wiser, and would handle a few things a lot differently.

“I didn’t think I was too bad first time around – we had our moments against South Africa, and it took a century of freakish brilliance from Sachin Tendulkar to deny us a famous Test win in Chennai.

“So if the opportunity came up and I was asked I would say, ‘Thank you very much, I would love to have another go’.

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“I wasn’t too despondent about why it ended, or even how it ended, but I was certainly hurt by some of the negative publicity which followed. Some of the nonsense about a divided camp, and players being for or against me, was deeply hurtful and it took me a while to get over it.

“But time’s a great healer and I’m ready to do it again if the opportunity arose. I respected Andy Flower as a player, and as a coach I respect him more than ever now.

“He’s done an amazing job since he took over and he deserves all the plaudits.

“He has moulded the team in a very respectful manner, in an atmosphere where everyone is entitled to voice an opinion – whether you have played 100 Test matches or just one.

“It’s a happy ship, Andy keeps it on a very even keel, and my ­relationship with him is absolutely fine – both on a technical level and as a person.”

Flower expressed disappointment when Pietersen’s World Cup campaign was ended by what turned out to be a double hernia. The injury, at the end of an absurd schedule, was untimely because his move up to open in 50-over cricket showed promise.

But he was followed home by dark whispers of playing the drama queen, and hamming up the injury – even though it proved to be as serious as his Chelsea football chum Frank Lampard’s double hernia, which kept the England midfielder out for four months.

Pietersen, who plans a comeback for his new county, Surrey, in mid-May, said: “I’m no wimp and I’m not sure the people who called me that name would have been able to deal with the discomfort.

“At the World Cup I was on the strongest painkillers you are allowed to take, but I just ground to a halt.”

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Reece Topley, Essex's promising left-arm swing bowler, will benefit from another schooling session

Reece Topley has run in, bowled at around 80mph with his left arm, and swung the ball into right-handers on a full length. For Essex he has taken three wickets against Cambridge, seven against Kent, and five more against Middlesex: 15 wickets, at 17 each, to lead this season’s field.

It won’t stay that way for long. Unlike Adil Rashid and his other rivals to be the leading wicket-taker of this early season, Topley this week has to go back to school — and, as he turned 17 only in February, he is not yet even in his second year of A-levels.

But school, after three consecutive matches in the first fortnight, is no bad place for Topley. He has to be allowed to grow in peace: he is 6ft 4 ins already and well on the way to being a second Bruce Reid, the Australian who was the tallest quick left-armer that international cricket has seen, and he doesn’t need any stress fractures from being over-bowled at this stage. He could do with a bit of work on his action too, as he falls away in delivery and does not maximise his height.

Topley is not alone either. This spring has seen English youth being given its head as seldom if ever before. Another teenaged pace bowler to watch — although in this case right-arm — is Liam Norwell of Gloucestershire, who echoes Andrew Flintoff, at least when he starts his run-up by holding the ball in both hands ahead of him and when he follows through, splaying his feet.

It is by design as much as accident that these local lads are being given a chance. Until recently, if a county had 30 grand to spare, they did not invest in local youth: much easier to get on the phone to an agent in South Africa and sign a tough cookie from Free State who wouldn’t break down, and if he had a British grandparent, so much the better.

But six years ago the England and Wales Cricket Board introduced Performance-related Fee Payments, one of the most sensible decisions they have made. By law, the ECB couldn’t stop the counties filling up their teams with Kolpaks and southern-hemisphere players who somehow acquired European Union passports, but they could incentivise them not to — and now they put between £10 million and £11 million a year into the pot by way of incentives.

At the height of this recession, or whatever the correct euphemism for the British economy being up the creek, most counties don’t need a second invitation to cash in. Selecting players who are qualified for England — preferably under the age of 22 — then getting them into an England side, whatever the format or age-group, gratifies the accountants.

Indeed it actually pays Essex to play Topley, or Gloucestershire to pick Norwell. A county can receive more money from the ECB for picking an English-born teenager than it pays out to that teenager. If a player under 22 plays every game, a county will receive £36,000, and can get away with paying him much less.

You can have too much of a good thing though. Taking a championship five-for in April, as Topley (twice) and Norwell have done, is not the same as bowling 20 overs day-in day-out in August. A county needs old-sweat batsmen and bowlers to hold the side together, as well as gilded youth.

For the moment though the future is bright. England, amazingly, have never produced a left-arm pace bowler who has taken 100 Test wickets. Bill Voce, as in Larwood and Voce, nearly got there — then the Second World War began, and he ended on 98. Ryan Sidebottom had a brilliant 2007-8 — then the injuries set in, and he ended on 79.

A left-arm swinger is gold dust. Chaminda Vaas was Sri Lanka’s pace attack for 15 years; Zaheer Khan carries India’s. The variety of angles that a left-armer can offer — from over and round the wicket — makes one essential in limited-overs death bowling. I couldn’t see England winning the last World Cup, because India do have a batting line-up that deserves the epithet of great, but an attack of Stuart Broad, Tim Bresnan, Graeme Swann and a fit Sidebottom could have taken England to the final.

So the future beckons for Topley, and the present isn’t too bad either, as he bowls a full and old-fashioned length that draws batsmen into the drive, and the Tiflex ball that is used in the second division swings copiously. As he grows stronger, he can develop the plan B of banging it in and pushing the batsman back, as Voce and Sidebottom learned to do. And maybe go one better.

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Sussex will get better - Nash

Chris Nash believes Sussex's loss to Lancashire in their opening fixture was a wake-up call

Batsman Chris Nash hopes Sussex can make a swift recovery from their heavy season-opening LV= County Championship defeat at Lancashire when they take on Durham this week.

Sussex were guilty of a collapse in their second innings when they slipped from 152 for three to 174 all out as veteran bowlers Gary Keedy and Glen Chapple rolled back the years with nine wickets between them.

The innings-and-55-run loss at Liverpool was a demoralising return to Division One for Sussex, who romped to the title in the second tier last year.

Opener Nash, who made 15 and 43 with the bat, admitted Lancashire were the superior side but he is confident they can learn from their failings at the Emirates Durham ICG.

He told ecb.co.uk: “Obviously you want to start with a good result and it really wasn’t ideal. We had a really poor collapse which was quite disappointing but we’ll try and take whatever positives we can and hopefully use it as a bit of a kick-start for our season.

“I think they outplayed us in every aspect and we can hold our hands up and say we were outplayed. We’ve got a few days off now and we’ll be working hard to make sure we are a bit more resilient come next week.

“I think it’s just getting us back into the way Division One cricket is played.

"Last year, a lot of cricket was three-day cricket, it was kind of bang, bang, lots of wickets, runs came quick, so I think it’s just a case of getting used to that more attritional cricket. Hopefully we can adapt quite quickly.”

Nash has high hopes for the campaign and is refusing to get too dispirited following one defeat, instead focusing on success across all three domestic fronts.

“We always set out to win every trophy we play in,” he said. “I think it’s been a good approach and in quite a lot of cases it’s been an approach that has worked.

"We aim to win everything; we never look to just stay in Division One. We’re looking to win the division and if we can get our game right we’ve got the players to do that.

“It’s something that we aim to do and hopefully if we can stay in three competitions until as late as we can we’ll hopefully win a couple.”

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Pakistan's Zulqarnain Haider 'set to withdraw UK asylum claim'

The former Pakistan wicketkeeper Zulqarnain Haider is reportedly set to withdraw his application for asylum, more than six months after fleeing to the UK following alleged death threats from illegal betting syndicates.

The Pakistan newspaper The News quoted a letter written by Haider to the home secretary, Theresa May, days after his brother Aqeel was quoted in the Pakistan Daily Mail saying that the interior minister Rehman Malik had given assurances over the safety of his family.

Haider reportedly wrote: "In light of the assurances that I have received, I feel that I no longer need sanctuary in the UK and have accordingly decided to withdraw my claim for asylum. I am aware that my asylum claim remains outstanding and has not been determined as yet. I am particularly thankful to the Scotland Yard for providing me excellent security and for remaining in regular contact with me to ensure my well-being."

In November of last year, Haider made an unexpected departure to the UK midway through a one-day series against South Africa, citing threats from underworld betting syndicates over fixing matches in that series. After claims that he would expose elements of fixing within Pakistan cricket, he announced his retirement from international cricket – having played one Test and four ODIs – prompting the Pakistan Cricket Board to impose a life ban. However, Haider says his actions were aimed only at encouraging policy change at a time when international opinion over Pakistan's handling of match-fixing was at its lowest.

The letter continued: "Anything that I have ever said has been aimed at bringing improvements and reforms to the board, not only to ensure greater professionalism and a commitment to transparency but in order that the board fulfil the rightful expectations of the nation."

Aqeel had hinted at a return to cricket for the wicketkeeper when he said earlier: "Now my brother will return to the country and will sit with the PCB officials and discuss about his future. If he is assured of his 'safe' place in the team, Zulqarnain is ready to revoke his retirement decision."

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Notts' Riki Wessels becomes last cricket recipient of entrepreneur visa

The England and Wales Cricket Board has successfully lobbied the Home Office to close the legal loophole that allowed Riki Wessels to join Nottinghamshire last week.

In a landmark case the son of the former Australia and South Africa batsman Kepler Wessels became the first cricketer to secure a Tier 1 Entrepreneur Visa, which effectively allowed him to bypass the ECB's tighter guidelines on signing non-qualified players. But the 25-year-old, on a two-year contract at Trent Bridge, will also be the last, following confirmation that as of this month the obscure visas no longer apply to sport.

While the ECB recognised Wessels's lawful right to work in the UK and endorsed his registration, it immediately wrote to the Home Office to express concern that its bid to limit imports to elite players had been compromised. It was agreed that the system was open to misuse. "That is why this government has changed the rules to prevent it from happening again," said the immigration minister Damian Green. "Sports people are no longer eligible for entrepreneur visas and have to apply through the appropriate routes, through the points-based system.

"They will not be granted a visa unless they have been properly endorsed by their respective governing body."

Wessels had been a victim of the clampdown on Kolpak players in February 2010, when his six-year spell with Northamptonshire was terminated on a technicality. Despite his long service at Wantage Road, he had only been on a working visa for three years, having arrived as a teenager on a working-holiday visa – the ECB's revised minimum requirement was four.

He would have returned to Kolpak status last December via marriage to a British woman but the wedding was called off; his determination to resume his county career took him down the entrepreneurial route. Applicants must set up their own company to trade in the UK, show £200,000 in a bank account, and employ at least two people to qualify. Wessels contracts himself as a player and has hired someone to run his personal website.

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Chopra hits double top

Varun Chopra claimed scoring a double century for Warwickshire against Somerset was one of the finest moments of his career, before joking that “the only way is down now”.

Chopra’s stunning 210 was the cornerstone of Warwickshire’s mammoth 642 at Taunton, while Chris Woakes played his part with a run-a-ball 109.

They helped the visitors take charge of their LV= County Championship Division One clash - against the side tipped by many to become champions, no less - before moving into a seemingly impregnable position by reducing Somerset to 147 for six after two days.

Chopra, a former England Under-19s captain, scored a hundred and a half-century on his championship debut in 2006 for Essex, with whom he won the Friends Provident Trophy two years later.

However, he ranks his contribution over the last two days amongst his proudest achievements.

“It’s up there with my debut as the highlight of my career,” Chopra told ecb.co.uk. “It’s a career-best; I loved every minute of it but I suppose the only way is down now.

“It’s pleasing for both the team and myself to get off to a good start in the championship season. Once I got in I decided to keep batting for as long as I could.”

Chopra is more than halfway to matching the 409 runs he scored in nine games last season, his first since leaving his native Essex for Edgbaston.

Despite beginning the second day with 174 to his name, the 23-year-old revealed: “I thought I’d be shattered but I didn’t get a good night’s sleep. The adrenaline was still going from the day.

“It was nice to wake up and know you’ve got a few runs to your name.”

As for reaching 200 - the first player to do so this summer - Chopra added: “It’s a bit easier when you’ve got an extra hundred to your name.

“You don’t really get the opportunity much. There isn’t the pressure to get to that milestone; it was a matter of enjoying it.”

Although the figures suggest otherwise, Chopra admitted it was “a good challenge” facing Sri Lanka spinner Ajantha Mendis, who returned figures of 4-183 from 43.1 overs on a chastening Somerset debut.

“He’s a bit unorthodox,” said Chopra. “You don’t see too many bowlers with as many variations as he’s got.

“I enjoyed facing him and we’ve had a good gameplan to play him. I was lucky to get some runs against him, but he got me out in the end.

“It’s a great start to the season, and if I can build on that and have a good year and Warwickshire have a good year, then everyone’s happy.”

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Alastair Cook confident he can cut it in leading role for England if asked to be one-day international captain

“The pressure was to win every game in Bangladesh and we did that. You can only be judged on your results and the players did like me as captain.

“There is never an ideal time to take over. I know that. But I like challenging myself and if the opportunity arises in the near future I would like to try it but if selection goes the other way and they choose another captain if Straussy retires then so be it.”

Cook is tiring of all the speculation. He is friends with Strauss and does not want to be seen to be undermining a captain he respects. But at the same time ambition burns brightly in a 26-year-old veteran of 65 Tests.

“Since the World Cup people have been asking me this question,” he said. “At the moment Andrew Strauss is England captain. I don’t crave seeing him giving it up. I would love the opportunity to be captain if it comes off but if it doesn’t come up then so be it.”

Cook is careful with his words to the press so when he said last week that he felt his form had been “wasted” by not being picked for the World Cup, it was almost like a stinging rebuke for the selectors.

He admits the break has “refreshed me” and the “lads looked knackered” at the World Cup, but his status, captaincy ambitions and development partly depend on forcing his way back into the one-day team. He is using Strauss, the man he may replace, as inspiration.

“I would love to get back in that one-day side,” he said. “Over the last few years my one-day game has changed a lot. By not being in England squads I have had a chance to play more one-day cricket for Essex and added things to my game.

“Look at Straussy. His strike rate is great. He has taken his one-day game to another level and that has happened since he got back in as captain. I think I could do it but I also think we can score runs together at the top of the order at a decent rate.”

The 766 runs Cook scored in Australia earned him the Compton-Miller medal as the man of the series but more importantly than accolades, the self-confidence which appeared to have deserted him during a terrible 2010 summer, is back.

“At the end of last winter I had just come back from captaining England in Bangladesh and had scored runs. I felt good but this time it is different,” he said. “To have been part of an Ashes-winning squad and to have contributed a lot of runs has definitely given me a satisfaction and self-belief.

“The biggest thing for me was being man of the series. I have never done that before and in fact only had one or two man-of-the-match awards before in my whole Test career. To be man of the series and get two man of the matches in such an important series, if that doesn’t give you confidence, nothing will.

“Of course it will not be like that all the time. I know that. But to have that on your CV and know you delivered under pressure in tough conditions can only help.”

Does it bring a sense of belonging at the highest level? “Without a shadow of doubt. You always start on nought and all that stuff but there is confidence from what you have achieved.”

We were chatting in the Lord’s Tavern before Essex trained for their championship match against Middlesex, which started yesterday. He was interrupted twice by fans asking for a photograph. That is not a surprise given the location but it is indicative of his new found fame.

Soon after arriving home he was picked out by the television cameras watching the Wales v England Six Nations rugby match at the Millennium Stadium. He would have been there anyway, he says, but without the Ashes the television directors would not have bothered homing in.

Cook was also invited to present a gong at the National Television Awards ceremony at the O2 Arena but it is clear the celebrity lifestyle does not appeal to him as much as it does to some of his colleagues.

“Things have cropped up that would not have done six months ago and you have to be careful what you do,” he said. “I have been recognised a bit more and that shows the big support we have.

"People who were in England during the Ashes say it took over during the Christmas holiday period. Since coming back I have been surprised by the amount of people who were watching it.”

Thanks to Wisden, they are going to see an awful lot more of Cook.

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India and Pakistan set to resume cricket ties

The decision comes two weeks after Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Pakistani counterpart Yousuf Raza Gilani watched together as their respective teams played in the semi-final of the Cricket World Cup in northwest India.

Several Indian newspapers cited unidentified government sources as saying the question of precisely when and where the first cricket series between the rivals might take place would be decided by the two national cricket boards.

Although the Indian and Pakistani cricket teams have played each other in international and regional tournaments in recent years, the last series was held in 2007-08, when the Pakistani team visited India.

India broke off diplomatic and sporting links after 10 Islamist gunmen launched coordinated attacks on targets in Mumbai, killing 166 people in November 2008. India blamed Pakistan-based militants for the assault.

The Mint newspaper quoted one government source as saying India's cricket team would tour Pakistan next year, with a return series in India the year after.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said it had yet to be formally notified of the decision to resume cricket ties.

"We have not received any government announcement as yet, so the board has not discussed the matter," BCCI chief administrative officer Ratna Karshetty told AFP.

No international cricket team has visited Pakistan to play any match since militants launched a gun and grenade assault on the visiting Sri Lankan cricket team on March 3, 2009.

The attack saw Pakistan stripped of its right to co-host the just-concluded 2011 Cricket World Cup.

I.S. Bindra, principal advisor to the International Cricket Council, said the resumption of direct cricket ties was a "welcome step."

"It's a nice thing not only for India, but for world cricket as a whole that Pakistan will come into the mainstream of world cricket," he said.

Former Indian all-rounder Madal Lal also welcomed the move, but said the authorities would have to guarantee the safety of players touring Pakistan.

"It is always good for the game when India and Pakistan play each other," Lal said.

"But the Indian government must be very careful. They must ensure that the situation is conducive for cricket in Pakistan."

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The new golden rule of sledging: don't do it on Twitter

Oh Freddie, how could you? Six years ago, when England regained the Ashes, you made yourself a hero to millions, not just with your runs and wickets, but with your chivalry. You were a Corinthian, a white knight in flannels, a throwback to a better age. On my kitchen wall, I still have the iconic photo of you commiserating with Australian fast bowler Brett Lee after the nerve-shredding finale to the Edgbaston test.

Everything that makes people love sport can be found in your kindly face. You were generous to an opponent in a way no Premier League footballer could understand. Now, it seems, you have joined the superannuated yobs of sport, the Twitterati in armchairs who no longer play the game at the top level, but lob abuse at each other across the internet because they have got nothing better to do.

Cracking jokes on Twitter about the people of Burnley, calling them “dingles” – a reference to the intellectually challenged family in Emmerdale – and suggesting they give “six-finger handshakes”, was hardly Corinthian behaviour.

In fact, it was the sort of crude sledging that puts people off sport. There are Chelsea players who would not stoop that low.

I am not up in arms about your comments, like the PC Burnley worthies demanding apologies. It was just banter. People from Burnley probably crack similar jokes about Preston, your home town. But it was BAD banter.

In the pub, the gags would have been fine. Good old Freddie, everyone would have said, super lad, likes a laugh, likes taking the mick. In print, or on the screen, they come across as crass, flat-footed, mirthless.

That is the problem with Twitter. Unless the tweeter happens to have a Wildean pithiness of phrase, the medium does not lend itself to the kind of witty repartee that makes friends rather than enemies.

The tweeter sets a hare running, sends a second tweet expanding on his first tweet, then a third tweet clarifying his second tweet – until he comes across as intellectually sub-normal or, as you would say, a dingle.

You may have got a rise out of Burnley-born England fast bowler Jimmy Anderson, who tweeted back: “You live in Surrey and support Man City?” But do cricket fans WANT England fast bowlers forming a community of online twits, sharing their banalities with the world? Wouldn’t they rather they retained their mystique? (And, boy, Freddie, did you have mystique. You were a colossus of the game. Don’t kiss that goodbye.)

You should have learnt from your former England team-mate Michael Vaughan, who tweeted himself into trouble in 2010, after speculating on Twitter whether Carol Vorderman had had her breasts surgically enhanced. “She’s definitely treated herself to a couple of new friends. Big friends at that. And why not?”

Why not? Because the tweeter comes across as inane, a sad git in an armchair – like you, Freddie, with your off-colour tweets about Burnley.

You and Vaughan forgot the first law of sledging: that there is good sledging and bad sledging and, until you can tell the difference, you should keep your mouth shut.

Sledging on the field is as old as cricket itself. It has got out of hand sometimes, but at its best, has enriched the folklore of the game. And the sledges everyone remembers were funny, not just abusive. On the infamous Bodyline tour of Australia in 1932-33, the England captain complained that one of the Australian fielders had called him a bastard, whereupon the Australian captain turned to his team-mates and asked, “Which one of you bastards called this bastard a bastard?” One up to the Aussies.

The Australians have made sledging an artform. One of its finest exponents was the moustachioed fast bowler Merv Hughes. After a Pakistani player had told Hughes he looked like a big fat bus conductor, the Australian got his wicket, then ran past him with his hand up, shouting “Tickets please!”

But it has never been an Australian monopoly. One of the most fondly remembered sledgers was the late, great Fred Trueman, the Yorkshire fast bowler. A slip fielder who had let a ball through his legs off Trueman’s bowling immediately apologised: “Sorry, Fred, I should have kept my legs together.” “Not you, son,” snarled Trueman. “Your mother should have.”

If you want to get into sledging seriously, Freddie, you should learn from the masters. And you should certainly think twice about sledging on Twitter. It is a stickier wicket than it looks.

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John Buchanan named New Zealand director of cricket

The 58 year-old will take up his role in May.

The NZC have said Buchanan will establish New Zealand's new high-performance program, implement a consistent coaching philosophy across the country, build a talent identification system and oversee the national selection panel.

He was Australia coach for eight years from 1999, guiding the Aussies to three World Cup titles and a record 16 Test-match wins in a row.

"It's an honor to be appointed to this challenging role. It is a wonderful opportunity to build on the work that has been done," Buchanan said.

"New Zealand Cricket has a proud history and is a true honor to be given the responsibility. I want to be part of the next successful era and am committed to building sustainable high performance for New Zealand Cricket."

NZC chief executive Justin Vaughan said Buchanan's appointment gave the team an opportunity to improve on the world stage.

"He has a great cricketing pedigree and will provide outstanding leadership as NZC look to move forward," he said.

While Buchanan had an outstanding record of success with the Australia team, his methods were often seen as unorthodox and the value of his contribution was disputed.

Former captain Ricky Ponting rated his contribution highly but outspoken legspinner Shane Warne was often dismissive of his approach and input.

New Zealand recently reached the semi-finals of the World Cup, but that success followed a near-record losing streak in one-day internationals.

Under recent coaches John Bracewell, Andy Moles and Mark Greatbatch, New Zealand have dropped near the bottom of the world standings in both Tests and one-day matches.

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England's Graeme Swann warns of player burnout at top level

The England spinner Graeme Swann fears that international cricketers are in danger of suffering burnout, because of the amount of cricket being played.

The number of matches staged at the top level of the sport has been debated for several years. The England and Wales Cricket Board chief selector, Geoff Miller, recently said there was too much cricket, leaving players too little time for rest and recuperation. The England off-spinner echoed Miller's comments.

"We do play too much cricket," Swann said. "There are a lot of games that don't really matter at the end of the day and that even the fans aren't that bothered about. It needs looking at but it is still the best job in the world, as we get to travel around playing cricket. But I am glad I am not a fast bowler, put it that way. Poor old Stuart Broad missed out half the Ashes and the World Cup [having suffered a side strain, illness and a broken rib] because there was too much cricket played, so it is a shame for guys like that.

"It is physically a lot more demanding on the bowlers. Your body cannot physically stand being pounded every day. Your spine gives way and your stomach gives way after a while. For batters, it is a walk in the park. If ever there is a batter that complains about burnout they should be shot.

"I am sure it will be looked at in the future but for the minute we just need to turn up and keep playing. Besides, I've just had a kid so I get no sleep at home at the minute, so I'd rather be on tour. I get more rest there."

The Nottinghamshire player added: "Tours are long but we do get periods when families come out, which is great. In an ideal world [tours] would not be as long but I don't think there are any ways around it. I think the main thing is that after the tour there should be a brief period of respite at home. After the Ashes we had two days at home and then we were off to India [for the World Cup], which was unfortunate, but scheduling that is the only way it could work."

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Hampshire hold on for Durham draw thanks to stout century from Jimmy Adams

A welter of runs from Jimmy Adams in 2011 is unlikely to elevate him overnight to the England Test arena but will prevent his opponents from steam-rollering Hampshire’s matches for easy points as his stonewalling of Durham showed on Monday.

Had Adams not made his first century of the summer and occupied the crease for the best part of five hours, Hampshire would have slid to defeat but his resistance and the partnerships he nurtured made the draw possible.

It also helped that Durham’s captain Phil Mustard chose to deploy leg-spinner Scott Borthwick so late in the day when the rough had become the only source of help for the bowlers on a flat and increasingly slow track.

Adams and Liam Dawson had formed a solid opening partnership of 170, turning Hampshire fears of a humiliating loss into a vague hope of reaching the 490 required for victory.

Having bowled just one oever before lunch, Borthwick launched Durham’s first strike of the day immediately after the interval when his googly befuddled Dawson and the catch was smartly taken at short leg.

Dawson was filling in as opener for Michael Carberry, whose blood clot on the lung has created concern and uncertainty over his future. Dawson’s positive knock has guaranteed him a second go in the next game against Nottinghamshire.

Adams motored towards his century, which came up in 236 balls with 19 fours, but he too fell to Borthwick, who tempted him into a sweep to fine leg, where he was caught by Liam Plunkett.

It should have been a time for Mustard to up the ante but the loss of Steve Harmison from Durham’s attack, after he was hit on the hand on Saturday, meant there was no leverage.

Johann Mybergh took responsibility for the salvage operation with fellow Transvaal countryman Neil McKenzie. They eased Hampshire out of the danger zone and, at 345 for five with six scheduled overs remaining, the hands were proffered and the draw concluded, prompting Hampshire captain Dominic Cork to admit they had been lucky after being dominated by Durham for the best part of three days.

“Had Harmison been fit, they would have declared earlier on Sunday and would have backed themselves to bowl us out but now we have momentum going into the next game,” he said.

The contribution from all-rounder Ben Stokes, who Cork described as one of the best youngsters in the game, had also thwarted Hampshire’s progress after he took 6-68 and posted a century.

“He is a fantastic cricketer. With the bat he has both aggression and a sound defensive technique and he can also swing the ball. He’s a great fielder and a good catcher. What more can you ask for.”

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Leicestershire v Glamorgan: Matthew Hoggard hails his side's spirit as Jigar Naik bowls Leicestershire to victory

The team spirit that saw Leicestershire through a traumatic end to last season was evident again with a patient final-day display at Grace Road.

Last season Leicestershire’s players kept their focus while their chief executive and coach resigned, and chairman Neil Davidson followed in the autumn.

A record loss of £404,000 added to Leicestershire’s problems but the players still appear a happy and close-knit bunch under the captaincy of Matthew Hoggard.

“We have not lost our team spirit, it’s something that’s very important to us and something that we pride ourselves on,” Hoggard said.

“We had a lot of troubles off the field last year but on the field it didn’t affect us. That’s how you win games of cricket and the way you carry yourself through a long season is that camaraderie in the dressing room and the fun you have.

“We have done it fairly well over the last 12 months, hopefully it will get stronger and stronger as long as we are playing good cricket.”

Leicestershire required patience to end Glamorgan’s stubborn resistance with off-spinner Jigar Naik taking four for 16, just before the rain arrived, on his way to the second five-wicket haul of his career.

Leicestershire had been frustrated by a stubborn seventh-wicket stand between Ben Wright and Robert Croft, but Naik snared them in successive overs.

Croft clipped him to short midwicket and Wright, who had batted with common sense and application for his 65, picked out deep midwicket. Graham Wagg was bowled backing away and Naik wrapped up the win when Dean Cosker was taken at short leg.

Glamorgan have had off-field problems of their own following the departure of captain Jamie Dalrymple and coach Matthew Maynard during a turbulent winter and an attempt to oust chairman Paul Russell.

This was a sobering introduction for the new management team of South African captain Alviro Petersen and Australian coach Matthew Mott, though Mott was reduced to a watching brief for this match after visa problems delayed his arrival until last Wednesday.

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Essex v Kent: Robbie Joseph mops up the Essex to tail to wrap up victory quickly on final day

Robbie Joseph wrapped up victory for Kent in just 43 minutes as Essex’s tail submitted meekly in a match ruled by the bowlers.

The home side had started the day on 198 for six in search of 285 for victory but after moving the total on to 218, they lost the remaining four wickets for the addition of just nine more runs in six overs to be dismissed for 227. Joseph claimed three of those wickets to fall in the session.

James Foster started the day positively for Essex, striking Darren Stevens to the cover boundary and then Tim Phillips sent the ball racing to the ropes with a flourishing off drive to keep the hosts’ hopes of victory alive, but that bevy of runs saw Stevens removed from the attack to be replaced by Simon Cook.

Despite conceding four leg-byes, Joseph struck later in the same over when he had Phillips caught by Stevens at third slip for 12 as the left-hander went on the drive.

David Masters fell without scoring three overs later when he attempted to pull a delivery from Cook but only succeeded in top-edging a skier to wicketkeeper Geraint Jones before Joseph took the last two wickets in successive overs, including that of Foster to end the home side’s fading hopes.

The Essex captain had made 21 when he played forward and edged a delivery that swung away into the gloves of Jones while 17-year-old Reece Topley prodded forward to another superb outswinger to be caught by James Tredwell at first slip to complete a “pair” on championship debut.

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Lancashire v Sussex: Glen Chapple and Gary Keedy waste no time in wrapping up home victory

Sussex took a leaf out of the Rory McIlory textbook as they capitulated to a humiliating defeat after morning rain had opened the door to an unlikely escape route.

The weather delayed the start until 1.10pm, leaving Sussex, trailing overnight by 78 runs with seven wickets in hand, 72 overs to deny Lancashire the victory their superiority over the first three days had merited.

Seventy-two overs? A tall order, maybe, on a pitch offering encouragement to the left-arm spin of Gary Keedy. But by no means an impossible task, given sustained application.

Instead, Sussex simply fell apart, at one point losing six wickets for 12 runs in 35 balls before a spell of token resistance by last pair Amjad Khan and Monty Panesar. The end came after just 63 minutes.

Lancashire captain Glen Chapple took four of the seven wickets to fall to give him figures of four for 49 from 19.5 overs and a match tally of nine for 117.

Keedy claimed the other three wickets for a second-innings return of five for 41 from an unbroken spell of 26 overs. He said: “It was a bizarre sequence of events. I’ve not played in many games where a side has been 23 for seven on a placid pitch.”

Well though the experienced Lancashire duo performed, however, the Sussex batting performance was simply abysmal. The debacle began in the second over of the day when Joe Gatting, having survived a confident shout for a catch at the wicket from Chapple’s first ball, pushed tentatively forward to the second and wicketkeeper Gareth Cross took a straightforward catch.

Ben Brown followed in Chapple’s next over, shouldering arms and losing his off stump. And when Murray Goodwin, advancing down the wicket to Keedy, edged a low catch to slip, Sussex were staring down both barrels.

Rana Naved adopted the gung ho approach, hoisting Keedy for a straight six, but that was never going to be a recipe for survival. He soon perished to a bat pad chance to silly mid-off, opening the door for Keedy to uproot Naveed Arif’s off stump with his next delivery as the all-rounder essayed an expansive off drive.

James Anyon, driving loosely at Chapple, was well caught by Tom Smith at second slip and the last pair’s contribution of 10 runs in eight overs merely delayed the inevitable until Chapple trapped Panesar leg before.

Sussex coach Mark Robinson did not offer any excuses. “This defeat is more about things that happened earlier in the match,” he said. “We had windows to get a proper foothold in the game but Lancashire stuck to a simple and disciplined game plan and ground their way into a winning position.”

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Australia's Shane Watson rewrites history books with 15 sixes in victory over Bangladesh

The explosive opener gave a superb display of power-hitting as he also cracked 15 fours in his 96-ball knock to help Australia achieve a 230-run target with 24 overs to spare for an unbeatable 2-0 lead.

West Indies' Xavier Marshall was the previous record-holder with 12 sixes against Canada in 2008.

Watson also scored the most runs (150) in boundaries in a one-day innings, breaking South African Herschelle Gibbs's record of 126.

"It was a nice day today as everything came off," said Watson, named man of the match.

"I had no idea (of the sixes record). I was pretty tired and didn't want to run too much. It was pretty hot and humid, so I tried to limit my running and it worked out nicely."

Watson's innings was also the highest by an Australian in one-day internationals, the previous best being 181 not out by Matthew Hayden. He completed his sixth one-day hundred off 69 balls, the third-fastest by an Australian after Hayden (66 balls) and Adam Gilchrist (67). The final one-dayer will be played in Dhaka on Wednesday.

"That's probably the best innings I've seen. He (Watson) hit the ball so cleanly from the start today," said Australia captain Michael Clarke.

Watson looked in excellent touch from the beginning, hammering three fours in the opening over bowled by Shafiul Islam. He raced to his half-century off 26 balls with the help of four sixes and five boundaries.

He then reduced Bangladesh's bowlers and fielders to a state of helplessness with his onslaught, once hitting four sixes in an over from left-arm spinner Suhrawadi Shuvo.

Watson dominated an unfinished 170-run stand for the second wicket with former captain Ricky Ponting, who contributed an unbeaten 37.

"He (Watson) batted really well and the credit goes to him," said Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan.

Bangladesh were earlier struggling at 88-5 before crossing the 200 mark, thanks to wicketkeeper-batsman Mushfiqur Rahim's unbeaten 81 off 80 balls which contained one six and nine fours.

Rahim's best came in the closing stages of the innings when he smashed two fours and a six off successive deliveries from paceman Brett Lee before hitting two boundaries in seamer Mitchell Johnson's last over.

He played a major role in steadying the innings after Johnson (3-54) and leg-spinner Steven Smith (2-34) had put the hosts in trouble, adding 79 for the sixth wicket with Mohammad Mahmudullah (38).

Shahriar Nafees was the only top-order batsman to offer resistance, scoring 56 off 73 balls with six fours. He fell after completing his 12th half-century in one-dayers, offering a simple return catch to Smith.

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Reece Topley displays his lofty potential for Essex with seven-wicket match haul on Championship debut

The talking point of the day was the performance of latest Essex ‘find’ Reece Topley, who took five wickets for 46 runs in the Kent second innings to finish with match figures of 29.4-5-114-7 on his championship debut.

The 17-year-old 6ft 7in fast bowler, who attends the Royal Hospital School in Holbrook, is taking examinations next month - and he posed a number of probing questions for a succession of Kent batsmen in this contest which is set for an absorbing conclusion.

Gaining significant swing movement, Topley claimed experienced internationals Geraint Jones and James Tredwell to add to those of Rob Key and Joe Denly on the previous day.

His performance allowed the hosts to dismiss Kent for 238 after the visitors had started the day 146 for three.

and they ended the day needing a further 87 runs to win the season opener but with only four wickets intact.

England players Alastair Cook and Ravi Bopara both played themselves in and seemed set to make the significant contributions that the home side were seeking, before both fell in the 30s.

Ashes hero Cook had timed the ball sweetly to move to 31 with six boundaries, putting on 60 with Billy Godleman before he became the first wicket to fall when trapped leg before wicket on the back foot by James Tredwell.

Bopara treated the crowd to trademark drives on both sides of the wicket and looked in menacing form until, with his score on 39 out of 161, he too was adjudged lbw when undone by a ball from Darren Stevens that kept low.

Stevens collected his third wicket of the innings when he had Tom Westley caught at first slip for 17, before Tim Phillips joined Foster to play out the remaining five overs of the day.

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Counties geared up for a tough season that will be all about survival | David Hopps

When England won the Ashes, the county circuit understandably allowed itself a period of self-congratulation. Often condemned for soft cricket, the counties could claim to have helped to deliver a disciplined England Test team, which had beaten the Australians in their own backyard.

Two divisions, greater intensity, better pitches – all were trotted out as proof of how England's domestic game should be seen in a new light. And yet it is impossible to approach the new season without a sense of foreboding. The emphasis will not be on betterment but on survival.

It is always possible to be optimistic. The county circuit survives despite unending predictions of its demise, its subtle and understated rhythms knitting the summer together for millions in a low-burn sort of way.

Ravi Bopara, Essex's vice-captain, turns out at Chelmsford on the opening day of the County Championship after shunning a £100,000 offer from Rajasthan Royals to replace Paul Collingwood in the Indian Premier League, a sign that India's financial inducements have not entirely taken hold of an England cricketer's soul.

Interest was also stirred by last year's memorable finish to the championship, with three counties still in contention at the start of the final day. The prospect that a young Yorkshire side, skippered by a young man, Andrew Gale, whose faith in the importance of county cricket is unquestionable, could again press Somerset deep into September as the Cidermen seek to break their championship duck is one to relish. An England & Wales Cricket Board poll suggests 29% of county supporters expect Yorkshire to prevail.

But the backdrop is bleak. Surely there has never been a worse set of financial figures than the latest produced by the 18 first-class counties? Only three counties managed a profit – a piddling profit, too – whereas the Test match counties revealed large losses. The overall picture is of a domestic game churning out match after match in a failing attempt to maximise revenue and alienating spectators and exhausting players in the process.

These horrific balance sheets should come as no surprise. Last summer a report by the consultancy firm Deloitte emphasised some unpalatable facts. The ECB's policy of competitive tendering between counties for the right to stage Tests had encouraged many to overstretch themselves in their desperation to stage the international matches on which they depend. The combined debt of the nine Test grounds last summer was £91m and rising. Ground improvement plans had been funded by excessive borrowing and the economic downturn is exposing every dodgy decision. India's presence in England this summer will bring the counties short-term help, adding maybe £800,000 to their annual ECB grant of about £1.5m, but relief will be shortlived.

One of the first signs of spring is the assertion by Steve Harmison, Durham's former England fast bowler, that the counties play too much cricket. His argument has never sounded more convincing. Many counties have cut playing staffs but those slimmed-down staffs will still have to play day in, day out until mid-September. If you fall asleep in the crowd at Grace Road, where Leicestershire's first-team squad numbers 16 full-timers, you may well wake up to find yourself fielding at third man.

"Less is more" is a theory the counties have never cared for, although next summer the fixture list will be trimmed, with Twenty20 matches reduced from 16 to 10 for fear of overkill. "It's a start," Harmison says. The championship remains at 16 four-day matches, while the unloved CB40 drones on to little purpose, while the counties still waver on whether to mirror ODIs, play it over 50 overs and begin to address England's World Cup failings.

So let the slog begin. Yorkshire will pip Somerset for the title, Surrey will take Division Two and Somerset will beat Durham in the final of Twenty20. And by Christmas, unless the ECB steps in to help, a county may well go into administration.

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