smith backs lehmann
Brisbane: Australia’s Steve Smith has firmly backed national coach Darren lehmann following some harsh criticism from Shane Warne. Warne attacked former teammate lehmann on Sydney radio on Saturday, saying the Australian coach had too much say over onfield matters. He even suggested lehmann had decided when Australia declared against India in the Boxing Day Test, when Smith was standing in for injured skipper Michael Clarke. “He’s got to be a little bit careful — he’s got to stop walking out on the MCG and declaring,” Warne said on radio station 2GB. “He’s got to remember that that’s the captain’s job and not the coach’s job.” But Smith denied that lehmann had too much influence and insisted he had decided when to declare, not the coach. “I think Boof (lehmann) was sitting on the sideline where he tends to sit to watch the match,” Smith said. “I was up the top trying to call the guys in but they couldn’t see me. I think he said ‘look up there, he’s calling you in’. I think they showed him on the TV doing it but I was up the top calling them in — it was me.”
hossain sent home: reports
Sydney: Bangladesh pace bowler Al-Amin Hossain will be sent home from the World Cup after breaking a team curfew in Brisbane, media reports claimed on Sunday. Team manager Khaled Mahmud told ESPNCricinfo that Al-Amin had failed to return to the team hotel before the 10:00pm local deadline on February 19. “Normally if a player has to stay outside after 10pm, he has to take the management’s permission,” Mahmud was quoted as saying. “He will be sent home soon.”
2019 wc Set to feature 10 teams
Melbourne: ICC’s Chief Executive Officer Dave Richardson on Sunday said that the game’s governing body is all set to prune the number of teams from 14 to 10 for the next Cricket World Cup, scheduled to be held in England in 2019. There is a possibility that the ICC World T20 will be made a 16-team event which would encourage some of the lower rung teams to get a taste of competitive cricket. The members of the ICC Executive Board will be meeting here on Monday for a “Strategic Review Meeting” in which the members are likely to agree to a 10-team format rather than existing 14 team structure, which makes it a cumbersome seven-week long tournament with a number of inconsequential matches. “The way we are going, I believe we need to ensure that there is more competition amongst teams at the highest level. If we get a 10-team World Cup, all 10 teams must be capable of winning,” Richardson said.
akram wants pak to buck up
Christchurch: Wasim Akram told his compatriots on Sunday they had to win the next game in their World Cup campaign or get ready for an early flight home. Pakistan have been well beaten in their opening two group matches to India by 76-runs and by an even heavier 150-run loss to the West Indies. Pakistan next face Zimbabwe on March 1, which Wasim warned will be a “make or break” for them. “I am very optimistic that they can win but if they don’t they have to go back home early,” Wasim said. “They must feel for the people who come to the ground in numbers and millions are watching back home,” added Wasim.
WI chief blasted for retweet
Sydney: West Indies cricket chief Dave Cameron was blasted on Sunday for apparently retweeting a demand for outspoken opener Chris Gayle to be given “a retirement package”.In the latest controversy to hit the World Cup team, West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) president Cameron’s behaviour was condemned as “unacceptable” by players’ representatives. The drama unfolded during the Windies’ match against Pakistan at Christchurch on Saturday when Gayle was out for four, stretching his run without a century in ODI cricket to 20 matches. One fan tweeted: “Gayle goes... Can’t buy a run. let’s give him a retirement package ... CanRst fail repeatedly and still front up based on reputation”. Cameron then apparently retweeted the post even as the match was ongoing. The West Indies Players Association (WIPA) immediately denounced Cameron. later, Cameron seeking re-election, apologised for the retweet and deleted it from his account.