Cricket

Ottis Gibson leaves England to coach West Indies

2010-02-03T08:22:00.000Z

West Indies hope Gibson can bring about "gradual improvement"
Ottis Gibson has been appointed as the new head coach of West Indies after resigning from his post as England bowling coach.

The England and Wales Cricket board says it has granted Gibson's request to be released from his contract.

The 40-year-old represented West Indies at Test level but had been part of England's coaching team since 2007.

He will take charge of the West Indies for the home series against Zimbabwe, which begins at the end of the month.

West Indies Cricket Board chief executive Ernest Hilaire confirmed the move to a Caribbean radio station.

"He will be the head coach of the WICB, not just head coach of the senior team," Hilaire told CBC.

"He will have responsibility for coaching right across all of our representative cricket teams. This will give him an opportunity to stamp a particular style of coaching, a West Indies way, across all the teams.

"This is really important because by the time our players reach the senior team, they should be the finished article, and they really ought to be focusing mainly on their strategy, tactics, how they win games, and being able to execute."

Former fast bowler Gibson, who was born in Barbados, played two Tests and 15 one-day internationals for West Indies.

Give your reaction to Gibson's appointment
He ended his playing career with county side Durham in 2007 and was immediately appointed as a bowling consultant by England, which led to a full-time staff job with the England and Wales Cricket Board.

Gibson had a crucial role last summer when England beat Australia to regain the Ashes, with James Anderson and Andrew Flintoff among those to pay tribute to his influence.

Last month, Radio Jamaica carried a report that he was set to succeed John Dyson, who was sacked as West Indies coach last August.

The following day the ECB denied that any deal had been agreed, but last weekend confirmed that Gibson had been given permission to hold talks with the WICB.

Gibson handed in his resignation on Monday and England coach Andy Flower said: "Ottis has been a valuable member of my management team and we will all be sorry to see him leave.

"However, we recognise that being offered the chance to be head coach of your country was an offer that would be hard for Ottis to resist. We wish him well in the future.'

Gibson told BBC 5 live: "Judging by what we did in the summer, winning the Ashes back, I think England are on the verge of doing something really special.

"It would have been nice to be a part of that but West Indies is in the blood and once they came calling and I couldn't say no."

We are not asking Ottis to turn around the West Indies fortunes and make them a winning team overnight

WICB chief Ernest Hilaire
Gibson now faces the task of trying to restore West Indies to their former glory after a troubled few years.

"The ability's still there, the talent's still there," he said. "There's been a lot of off-the-field stuff that has created unnecessary problems for the team.

"If we can get ourselves focused and have a period of stability, the team have showed, like in Australia just now, that we can put some good results together.

"There's some obvious talent there and that just needs to be found and nurtured. That's going to be the key role for me over the next couple of years."

Gibson will be assisted in his new job by David Williams, who is in charge of the West Indies team for their current tour to Australia.

And together, they will have the responsibility of trying to improve the team's performance.

West Indies are eighth in both the Test and one-day rankings and Hilaire acknowledged that Gibson had been handed a "long-term project".

He added: "We are not asking Ottis to turn around the West Indies fortunes and make them a winning team overnight. There has to be a gradual chain of development.

"He is a new era coach, and someone who has been exposed to all of the technologies and new approaches to coaching.

"We are hoping that he will bring to this task an understanding of West Indies cricket. He will have all requisite knowledge and skills."

England, meanwhile, must find a replacement for Gibson and England and Wales Cricket Board's managing director Hugh Morris said: "Now Ottis has confirmed his departure, Andy Flower and I will begin the process of identifying the right individual who can join the England set-up and build on the foundation laid by Ottis.'

Graeme Swann & Stuart Broad set up England victory bid

2009-12-29T15:59:00.000Z

Second Test, Durban:
South Africa 343 & 76-6 v England 575-9d (day four, stumps)
Play resumes Wednesday: 0730 GMT
Coverage: Listen to Test Match Special on BBC Radio Four Longwave, Radio 5 live sports extra, the Red Button and BBC Sport website; text commentary online and on mobile phones. Also live on Sky Sports
Match scorecard

England will need to take just four wickets on the final day in Durban to win the second Test and seal a first victory in the city since 1964.

A remarkable wicket-taking burst from Graeme Swann (3-22) and Stuart Broad (3-18), which saw four wickets fall for seven runs, left South Africa 76-6.

They were still 156 runs behind when bad light and rain ended play early.

England had earlier declared on 575-9, 232 ahead, with Ian Bell making 141 from 227 balls and Matt Prior 60.

As South Africa then reached a fairly comfortable 27-0 from their first nine overs in their second innings on a wicket with a reputation for going flat, the draw looked the likeliest result by a long way.

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It brings a wry smile to every Englishman's face when the cameras focus in on Mickey Arthur as the precession of SA wickets continues! Hilarious.

ViewFromTheKop
But Swann removed Ashwell Prince with his second ball, thanks to a sharp catch from Bell at silly point, and clean bowled Hashim Amla on the stroke of tea.

Jacques Kallis, so often the bane of English supporters, suffered a temporary aberration as he chose to leave a Broad inswinger which ripped out his off-stump.

AB de Villiers, who watched that dismissal from the pavilion, failed to learn the lesson. He padded up to another Broad delivery, England pleaded for lbw and umpire Amiesh Saheba upheld the appeal.

A referral failed to save De Villiers' bacon as replays showed the ball bending back to clip the top corner of off-stump.

A hurried chat between skipper Graeme Smith and the incoming batsman JP Duminy failed to stop the momentum. Duminy tentatively prodded at a ball he could have left and the inside edge crashed into his stumps to give Broad two wickets in two balls. The hat-trick ball was a good one, but Mark Boucher defended it safely.

Swann has had a brilliant 12 months for England in Test cricket
Smith perilously avoided running himself out for the second time in the match as England continued to crank up the pressure, but was the next to go when Swann arrowed one past his bat and into his pads. South Africa's skipper used up his final referral, but it was a futile gesture as Swann won his fourth lbw appeal in the match.

In the circumstances, Boucher and Morne Morkel did well to survive a further 11 overs of Broad, Swann and James Anderson - the only blemish coming when Prior dropped Morkel off Swann in the final over of the day.

Thick cloud cover was in place when England resumed their innings on Tuesday morning with the scoreboard showing 386-5. Bell was on 55 and Prior 11.

The two compact right-handers were completely untroubled by the South African bowlers and confidently played their shots.

Prior moved into top gear against the occasional spin of Duminy, launching him for a four and a slightly fortuitous six in an over which saw England's wicketkeeper reach his half-century.

Duminy had his revenge when Prior chopped onto his stumps, but the two batsmen had by then added 112, putting defeat out of the equation for England.

Ian Bell's ninth Test century put the seal on a fine batting performance
Bell, whose place has been under intense scrutiny, reached his ninth Test century and first since July 2008 with a lofted on-drive for four off Paul Harris, but the run-up to lunch was otherwise a dull passage of play, with neither Bell nor Broad showing much adventure.

Thankfully, that all changed after lunch as Broad muscled Harris onto the grass banks for six in an over costing 15, before edging Duminy to slip.

Swann wasted no time playing himself in, pulling Makhaya Ntini for a huge six in making 22 from 14 balls, and Bell added two post-lunch boundaries before finally chasing a wide one from Dale Steyn. The declaration followed 10 balls later.

Wednesday, which should provide at least two full sessions of clear weather should they be needed, is likely to see Centurion man of the match Swann take centre stage once again.

It has been quite a 12 months for the Nottinghamshire man, who on Tuesday became the first English spinner to take 50 wickets in a calendar year.

Paul Collingwood, meanwhile, dislocated a finger in the warm-up on Tuesday and is unlikely to play any further part in the match. However an X-ray has confirmed there is no fracture and he may be available for the third Test in Cape Town from 3 January.

James Anderson plays down record England haul

2009-11-30T13:48:00.000Z

Anderson produced his best figures in one-day internationals
England match-winner James Anderson said his career-best haul of 5-23 in the fourth one-day international in South Africa was not his best bowling.

The 27-year-old Lancastrian captured a maiden five-wicket haul in his 120th international to put England 2-1 up with only one game remaining on Friday.

But he said: "I think I've bowled better and got less rewards.

"I bowled a few wicket-taking balls and catches went to hand but it was more the pressure we built up as a unit."

Anderson was also full of praise for his seam bowling colleagues as England dismissed the hosts for 119 in Port Elizabeth.

"Tim Bresnan's spell was fantastic from the bottom end and Stuart [Broad] got an early breakthrough as well which was a huge help.

"It was nice to get a wicket that was a little bit conducive to seam bowling - and thankfully I made the most of it."

Skipper Andrew Strauss was delighted for England's man of the match Anderson as his side rallied admirably from a seven-wicket reverse last Friday.

"We had a good chat about what went wrong in Cape Town," said Strauss.

"James Anderson was outstanding, creating pressure and bowling wicket-taking deliveries."

Bresnan (1-15), Broad (2-30) and Paul Collingwood (2-20) provided admirable support.

"It was a brilliant day for the bowling unit as a whole," the captain said.

"We wanted to clarify our plans against their batsmen and I think we got that pretty much spot on.

"The key was to start well and it was a good toss to lose if I'm honest. But I was pleased with how the bowlers reacted to the conditions.

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A superb performance from Jimmy Anderson and the England bowling unit as a whole on a normal pitch - which looked flat enough before the toss for Smith to bat on

jonnyb192
"You have got to adapt quickly and make sure that if there's anything in your favour then you use it. I think we did that."

Anderson, who removed Hashim Amla and JP Duminy in his first six overs before returning for a devastating second spell, said: "We had a chat after the last game because we didn't bowl as well as we could have done.

"We wanted to come here and bowl a lot better, and luckily we got a wicket that helped us with our plans."

South African skipper Graeme Smith, who fell in the second over to Broad, said his team had failed to adjust to the wicket.

"I'm generally very disappointed. We didn't assess the wicket and bled throughout the innings," said Smith.

"Jimmy Anderson came back and bowled a very good second spell, but if we had posted 220 or 240 that would have been a good target to defend.

"We have got a lot of young guys who need to learn how to make key decisions in the course of the innings and they just didn't do it.

"They're not all guys with 80 or 100 matches, it's more like three, four or five. They need to learn to analyse conditions."

The one man he exempted from blame was Alviro Petersen, who hit a third successive half century of the series to finish last man out for 51.

"Nobody else put in the hard yards with the bat," bemoaned Smith.

Tahir and Chopra sign for Bears

2009-10-28T11:13:00.000Z

Tahir and Chopra are Warwickshire's first signings of the winter
Warwickshire have stepped up their preparations for next season by signing Pakistani leg-spinner Imran Tahir and Essex opening batsman Varun Chopra.

Tahir, 30, who has 382 first-class wickets, will be the Bears' overseas player for 2010.

Chopra, 22, a former captain of the England Under-19 side, has signed a three-year deal at Edgbaston after leaving his home county.

He played 48 first-class and 34 one-day games for Essex.

Tahir claimed 96 first-class wickets for Hampshire during two seasons at The Rose Bowl - 44 of those coming in just seven matches in 2008 as he helped them avoid relegation.

He has also had spells with Middlesex and Yorkshire.

Warwickshire director of cricket Ashley Giles said: "Imran brings with him knowledge and experience that will add much to our young developing squad.

"Varun is a skilled young batsman with scope to develop further and we are delighted that he has chosen to commit his future to Warwickshire."

Chopra said: "The combination of joining one of the country's biggest clubs, playing at a Test match ground and working with Ashley Giles was too good an offer to refuse."

Sri Lanka cruise to opening win

2009-09-22T22:08:00.000+01:00

Dilshan's 106 featured 16 boundaries and a six
Tillakaratne Dilshan's 106 inspired Sri Lanka to a 55-run rain-affected win over South Africa in the opening match of the Champions Trophy in Centurion.
The opener put on 158 with captain Kumar Sangakkara (54), while a brutal innings from Mahela Jaywardene (77) took Sri Lanka to 319-8 in Group B.
Graeme Smith's 58 gave the hosts a strong start, but a devastating Ajantha Mendis spell ended their victory hopes.
Mendis finished with 3-30 with the hosts 206-7 before rain ended play.
The thumping victory made a mockery of South Africa's ranking as the world's best one-day team as they were dismantled by the match-winning abilities of Mendis and Dilshan.
The result means the hosts will need to win their next match against New Zealand on Thursday to stand any chance of qualifying for the semi-finals of the tournament.
With Sri Lanka in total control at 70-1 after 10 overs, captain Smith must have questioned his decision to bowl first on a good batting wicket as Dilshan launched an astonishing aerial assault in the mandatory powerplay overs.
Despite losing Sanath Jayasuriya, lbw to Steyn in the third over, the opener meted out punishment to South Africa's fast bowlers, including the first "Dilscoop" of the tournament, shovelling the ball high over wicketkeeper Mark Boucher's head for four off Wayne Parnell.
Batting serenely with Sangakkara, Dilshan brought up his 17th one-day half century off just 38 deliveries.
A crunching cover drive and a fine cut allowed Dilshan to record his third one-day century in the 28th over, but he lost Sangakkara almost immediately after when he chipped a return catch to off-spinner JP Duminy.
Dilshan's epic innings was eventually brought to an end in the 30th over when a rank long-hop outside off stump from Steyn was upper cut into the hands of the relieved Albie Morkel at third man.
But an intelligent fourth-wicket partnership of 116 between ex-captain Jayawardene and Thilan Samaraweera gave Sri Lanka the impetus to set a daunting target of 320 under the floodlights.

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The hosts' riposte began in the worst possible fashion when a thick inside edge off the bat of Hashim Amla dislodged his leg stump at 9-1.
But Smith and new batsman Jacques Kallis punched boundaries on both sides of the wicket, with the Proteas captain bringing up his 50 in just 40 deliveries with a deft glance for his eighth boundary.
But his innings was brought to a close when a beautiful delivery in Mendis' first over totally bamboozled him.
The spinner quickly dispatched Kallis (41) and Duminy for a golden duck, while the dismissal of AB de Villiers (24), caught top-edging and attempting to pull a Lasith Malinga short delivery, effectively ended the run chase.
Late hitting from Johan Botha and Morkel took South Africa beyond 200 but a heavy storm forced the game to be abandoned in the 38th over with South Africa comfortably short of their Duckworth/Lewis target of 261.

England edge to win over Ireland

2009-08-28T18:24:00.000+01:00

One-day international, Stormont:England 203-9 (50 ovs) bt Ireland 112-9 (20 ovs) by three runs (D/L method)Match scorecard

Kent opener Denly underlined his potential with a debut half century
England were given a scare in their first match since winning the Ashes, beating Ireland by three runs in a rain hit one-day international at Stormont.
Only four men from the team that won at The Oval on Sunday featured in Belfast.
Joe Denly, making his one-day debut with Jonathan Trott and Adil Rashid, top-scored with 67 and Luke Wright hit two sixes, but England made only 203-9.
Requiring 116 from 20 overs, Ireland were well set but lost four wickets in four overs, Owais Shah taking 3-16.
After Tim Bresnan picked up two wickets in his opening two overs, teenager Paul Stirling soon accelerated Ireland's scoring with two fours in Adil Rashid's first over and a six over square-leg off acting England skipper Paul Collingwood.
He chipped a simple return catch to Rashid in the 10th over with 60 needed, but even after his departure the Irish were in prime position with 42 needed from 54 balls and six wickets in hand.
It was very soggy out there but thankfully we didn't get any injuries out there. I would have been very angry if we came off with any injuries
Paul Collingwood
Shah was the unlikely bowling hero for England, with two wickets in the 18th over.
The home side still scented a dramatic victory, however, and needed 17 from the final over, bowled by Shah.
Trent Johnston, in his 100th match for Ireland, hit two fours but his side fell agonisingly short.
Earlier, England had made a shaky start after choosing to bat in testing overcast conditions.
Johnston removed Ravi Bopara, who was caught at slip for a duck in the third over, then added the scalp of Oval centurion Trott, also for a duck.
Matt Prior looked in good touch and hit successive fours off Kevin O'Brien, sharing 53 with Denly before he was caught hooking on the long-leg boundary.
After Collingwood top-edged a pull straight up in the air and was caught at the wicket, Shah skipped down the track to launch the first six but perished shortly afterwards when attempting another big shot and was caught at point.
606: DEBATE
Discuss the game on 606
Denly, after narrowly evading the chasing fielders in the deep with a mistimed drive when on five, calmly compiled an assured 50 before he was lbw missing a pull shot.
Wright launched Johnston over long-off for six, then pulled a four and a six in the next over from spinner Kyle McCallan.
He fell to a brilliant diving catch by John Mooney off the final ball of the 45th over, but Bresnan, batting at a lowly number 10, hit two fours to at least take England past the 200 mark.
"It was a difficult position to be in and the fight we showed in the last 10 overs was excellent," said Collingwood.
"As international cricketers we don't come across pitches like that too often. It was very soggy out there but thankfully we didn't get any injuries out there.
"I would have been very angry if we came off with any injuries. It was obviously a quick turnaround after the Ashes, let's be fair, so we are just thankful we managed to get the win."
Ireland captain William Porterfield said: "It is obviously very, very disappointing. We should have won from that position - you should always win from that kind of position and that is what hurts."
England lock horns with Australia again on Sunday in the first of two Twenty20 internationals.

England set up chance of victory

2009-08-02T20:24:00.000+01:00

Third Ashes Test, Edgbaston (day four): England 376 v Australia 263 & 88-2Match scorecard

Flintoff played a series of superb shots as he took the game to Australia
By Oliver Brett BBC Sport at Edgbaston
Andrew Flintoff thrilled a passionate packed house at Edgbaston by striking a memorable 74 off just 79 balls to give England an outside chance of winning the third Test.
With much of the first three days lost to rain, England began day four on 116-2, trailing by 147.
Flintoff, with help from Stuart Broad (55) and Matt Prior (41) took them to 376 all out, with Australia's bowling workhorse Ben Hilfenhaus picking up 4-109 from 30 overs.
Australia then lost Simon Katich and Ricky Ponting, reaching stumps on 88-2, just 25 runs behind. Shane Watson, their top-scorer in the first innings, played intelligently again to finish unbeaten on 34, with Michael Hussey on 18.
Though the odds favour a draw even if no play is lost to bad light on Monday's extended final day, early wickets will heap further pressure on Australia's remaining batsmen.
But even if it does end in stalemate, England will still take a 1-0 lead into the fourth Test starting at Headingley on Friday, with the finale at The Oval on 20 August still to come.
Seven of the 98 overs scheduled for Sunday were knocked off after the first hour was lost because of damp areas in the outfield. Saturday's deluge had ruled out the entire third day's play.
Ian Bell, resuming on 26 not out, struck one boundary behind point off Peter Siddle before the bowler appealed vociferously for lbw against the right-hander. Umpire Rudi Koertzen, the bane of Australian supporters, gave the batsman the benefit of the doubt - and replays suggested height might have saved Bell.

What will be the result of the Test?
Andrew Strauss pulled Hilfenhaus's first poor delivery for four as England looked to play positively, but he added just five runs to his overnight 64 before attempting to cut a delivery that was a little too close to his body. Hilfenhaus had the wicket, Graham Manou accepting an easy chance to break an 81-run partnership.
Paul Collingwood watched a Hilfenhaus outswinger all the way onto his bat to hit an impressive cover-drive for four as England passed 150 but he stayed on the attack into the final over before lunch - and paid the price when edging another wide outswinger from Hilfenhaus to second slip.
At lunch England were 159-4, but only added a further nine runs in the extended afternoon session before losing Bell, lbw to another Johnson outswinger, umpire Koertzen - who, to give him his due, had a good day - finally upholding an Australian appeal. Bell's 53 still represented a fine return in his comeback Test.
However, England were 95 runs behind with just five wickets in hand - and the onus was on Prior and Flintoff to try to get England significantly closer to the Australian total. The two right-handers did exactly that in a stand of 89, effectively putting defeat out of the equation.
Flintoff's first boundary, a cover-drive off the hard-working Hilfenhaus, was greeted with rapture by the crowd.
The 200 was also noisily saluted and moments later Watson had his first bowl in an Ashes Test, with Hilfenhaus's marathon spell finally at an end.
Watson over-pitched, Flintoff drove him gun-barrel straight for two boundaries, and in good time he and Prior had raised their fifty partnership.
While Prior's innings was full of busy ones and twos, Flintoff played the big shots, favouring front-foot drives on the off-side. Australia were desperate for a wicket when Prior tried one shot too many, pulling Siddle straight to mid-on.

Broad (left) batted well and found time to exchange words with Johnson
But Flintoff attacked Nathan Hauritz, driving him for a wonderful six over wide mid-on as England went level with Australia's 263, and then sweeping him for a boundary to reach his fifty.
With Broad a willing cohort, Flintoff kept the runs flowing all the way to tea, entering the 70s with another fine cover-drive, this time off Johnson.
But the fun came to an end when Hauritz got a ball to turn and bounce into Flintoff, who got his bat out of the way but not his gloves, and the ball looped tamely to slip. Flintoff took what seemed an age to leave the crease, and the crowd took a while to comprehend that their hero had been dismissed.
Broad and Graeme Swann steered England to tea on 316-7, and Australia took the new ball immediately afterwards. Swann really infuriated the Aussies with a chancy 37 before Johnson's slower ball defeated him, and Anderson nicked Hilfenhaus behind.
But Broad took England's lead past 100 with an on-drive for four off Hilfenhaus and pulled the now exhausted bowler for another boundary, taking him to his half-century.
When he was caught and bowled by Siddle, 31 overs were left for England to make as many dents as they could to an Australian batting line-up which has looked decidedly fragile since Cardiff.
Katich and Watson put on 47 before Graham Onions picked up the first wicket, Katich edging behind. Ponting made only five, and endured a torrid over from Swann - including one excellent lbw appeal - before finding himself bowled through the gate by the last delivery.
Hussey was inches away from being dismissed first ball for the second time in the match, but a sprawling Onions could not quite reach a caught-and-bowled chance.
The left-handed Hussey now went after Swann, who had suddenly lost his line and length, taking the spinner for three boundaries in an over. With Watson again combining solid defence and fluent driving, Australia ended an entertaining day in decent shape.

Ashes hero Vaughan calls it quits

2009-07-01T10:18:00.000+01:00

Poor form prompted Vaughan to retire
Former England captain Michael Vaughan has confirmed his immediate retirement from cricket at the age of 34.
"It has been an enormous privilege to have played for and captained my country and this is one of the hardest decisions I have had to make," he said.
Vaughan played 82 Tests, 51 as skipper, and scored over 5,700 runs at an average of 41, including 18 centuries.
But by far his greatest achievement was the 2005 Ashes win over Australia which sparked a national celebration.
His omission from the training squad for this summer's series after failing to rediscover his batting form for Yorkshire in county cricket was one of the factors which contributed to his decision to retire.
"I wanted to give it one last effort to get into the Ashes squad. I've given it that shot but haven't been playing well enough," he told a news conference at Edgbaston.
TEST MATCH SPECIAL BLOG
It is only fair to laud the most successful captain England have had in the modern era
Oliver Brett
"I have not played well enough. I have not got the rhythm or form to be picked in the Ashes squad. It has to be best 16 players and I am not one of those.
"Two weeks ago, I was in the garden with my little lad Archie. He bowled a ball which hit a weed and knocked my off stump out of the ground - and when a three-year-old's bowling you out, it's time to move over.
"Wherever I've played this year I felt that warmth and crowd reaction to try to give me one more chance. I now move on and wish the team all the best in an Ashes series they can win.
"I know they have the drive, ambition and abilities to repeat the success from 2005. Winning that series was definitely the high point of my career."
Hugh Morris, the managing director of England Cricket, hailed Vaughan as "among the very best" international captains.
He said: "The way he and (coach) Duncan Fletcher forged a team capable of winning six consecutive Test series stands as testament to his ability to inspire and motivate those around him.

Vaughan was also recognised as one of the game's most stylish batsmen
"He was also a marvellous ambassador for England cricket, off the field as well as on it, and someone who genuinely appreciated the generous support he received from the thousands of England supporters who follow the team at home and abroad."
Andrew Strauss, the current England captain, said he had "learned a great deal" from watching the way Vaughan led the side.
"His ability to identify a new strategy for outwitting the opposition or bring the best out of his own players was a priceless asset," he said.
"But more than anything we as players will miss the enormous sense of fun and enjoyment that Michael brought to the dressing room."
Vaughan made his first-class debut for Yorkshire in 1993 and six years later won his first Test cap during England's winter tour to South Africa.
In 2002/03 he rose to the top of the Test batting rankings after hitting three centuries during the Ashes series in Australia, and was appointed England one-day captain at the start of the following summer.
By mid-summer he had taken on the Test captaincy too, following Nasser Hussain's decision to step down, and after securing a 2-2 draw with the combative South Africans, led England to six successive series victories, culminating in the epic 2005 Ashes triumph.
He missed the return series in Australia in 2006/07 because of a debilitating knee injury and England were whitewashed 5-0 under the captaincy of Andrew Flintoff.
Vaughan was back for the 2007 World Cup campaign in the West Indies but gave up the one-day captaincy after England's elimination.
He hoped to stay in the team in both forms of the game but was never chosen for the one-day side again, although he remained in charge of the Test side and made a century against the West Indies in his first innings for 18 months in May 2007, and also made hundreds in home series against India and New Zealand.

His form subsequently declined and against South Africa last summer he only scored 40 runs in five innings, including two ducks, prompting him to resign the captaincy before the final match of the series.
Only Michael Atherton led England in more Tests - but Vaughan's record of 26 Test wins is the highest by any England skipper.
At county level, he enjoyed his greatest moment in 2001 when, after missing that summer's Ashes series because of injury, he helped Yorkshire win the Championship for the first time since 1968.
"Michael Vaughan is a class act and will be remembered by Yorkshire members and supporters around the world for his beautiful stroke play and, of course, his success in leading England to Ashes glory in 2005," said the county's chief executive Stewart Regan.
"It has been a pleasure and a privilege for me to get to know Michael over the past three years and his presence around the club has been hugely motivational, particularly the younger players."
Vaughan's final game was a Twenty20 Cup defeat by Leicestershire at Grace Road last Friday.
There has been speculation that he may now take up a career as a television pundit, but Vaughan said he had not yet received any offers to join the ranks of ex-England players working in the media.
"I think it is important to have a little break and weigh up my options and decide what to do next," he explained.
Explaining his approach to captaincy, Vaughan described himself as a "good actor".
He added: "Captaining your country is a very special moment and the skill is making sure no-one knows what you're thinking.
"It's very important not to feel the pressure, or outwardly be seen to be feeling it.
"It's very difficult as England captain to completely switch off - but you enjoy it and at the end you've exhausted all your energy because you've given it everything."
Australia captain Ricky Ponting, Vaughan's adversary in the 2005 series, said he was "a bit surprised" by his retirement.
"It is only a couple of months ago that I was thinking he might be named in the first Test squad by England. I thought he might have a bit more to offer international cricket somewhere down the line," he commented.
"Michael was an exceptionally skilled and talented player whose record would stack up against most top order batsmen who have played international cricket.
"He was a distinguished captain who led the side very well. Good luck with what he does after cricket. He was always a highly respected and skilled opponent."

Flintoff fitness vital - Ponting

2009-05-30T21:46:00.001+01:00

Australia captain Ricky Ponting says England may be better off without Andrew Flintoff in their Ashes side, unless the key player is 100% fit.
Ponting said Flintoff was not the force he had been in 2005 when he led England to a 5-0 defeat in Australia 18 months later after an injury comeback.
"Flintoff is obviously very important to England's set-up," said Ponting.
"Maybe, as we saw in 2007, if he's not 100% fit then maybe that sort of impact he can have is not there."
Ponting, whose team are currently based in Nottingham preparing for the ICC World Twenty20, begin their five-Test Ashes defence on 8 July.

He was happy to give his views on Flintoff, who tore knee cartilage while playing in the Indian Premier League in April - and was subsequently ruled out of all England's international cricket until the Ashes.
Whether or not to field Flintoff in the first Test at Cardiff - perhaps on the back of just a game or two for Lancashire - will be "the great decision the England selectors are going to have to make," said Ponting.
"In 2005 and in 2007 we saw two completely different players and that had a lot to do with the level of fitness that he had under his belt going into each series.
"That's where they're going to have a tough decision to make."
Ponting 'very confident' of Ashes success
Ponting said he felt "relaxed, fresh and rejuvenated" after a four-week break from cricket.
And after team-mate Michael Hussey complimented England's new-found strength in depth, the Aussie skipper said his team would pose a severe challenge to the host team this summer.
"England played some very good cricket against the West Indies but the competition and opposition they'll be coming up against us is vastly stiffer than what they've faced in the last few weeks.
"I'm very confident we've got a group of guys here who will be well and truly good enough to win the series. I'm really excited about that."
Australia will be without Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath, Matthew Hayden and Adam Gilchrist this summer but Ponting warned that his country's new breed will pose a real threat to England.
"With the transitional phase the team's been going through, where we are at the moment is very positive," he said.
"To see the Phillip Hugheses, Norths, Hilfenhauses, Peter Siddles and those guys come in and have immediate success has been very pleasing for me as captain of the team and one of the more experienced players."

Vaughan & Bell seek England role

2009-04-29T09:27:00.000+01:00

Vaughan and Bell both want the number three role this summer
England announce their first Test squad of the summer on Wednesday, with huge interest surrounding the identity of the man to bat at number three.
Owais Shah has failed to cement the role, despite chances in the Caribbean, so it could be a straight fight between Ian Bell and Michael Vaughan.
Key all-rounder Andrew Flintoff will miss the two Tests against West Indies, starting on 6 May at Lord's.
So wicketkeeper Matt Prior could bat at six in a side containing five bowlers.
Ravi Bopara, one of several England players to have spent the opening weeks of the season in South Africa with the Indian Premier League, will nevertheless hope to get a place in the squad at the very least - having been dropped after scoring a century in Barbados.
The Test squad was set to have been announced on 20 April but the panel, comprising new coach Andy Flower, national selector Geoff Miller, plus James Whitaker and Ashley Giles, opted to watch another round of County Championship matches first.
Bell, yet to score a Test century in 16 Tests at number three, was dropped during the winter tour of the Caribbean but has since scored two centuries for Warwickshire.

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Former England captain Vaughan had been tipped to regain his place but failed to score notable runs in his first two first-class innings.
The 34-year-old did make his highest score for Yorkshire since September 2007, however, when he struck four fours and three sixes in 82 from 116 balls in a 50-over match against Sussex at Headingley on Sunday.
Vaughan also has a far better record against Australia than Bell, who has never made a century against cricket's toughest opponents.
Bell, 27, told BBC Sport: "Michael Vaughan's record speaks for itself. Of course I can see both sides of the argument.
"I feel in a pretty good place. I've enjoyed coming back to Warwickshire, training hard and scoring the amount of runs I probably needed to to get myself back in the position to get selected. I have given myself the best chance I can to push my position.
"The message I got was to go away and score big hundreds. I've done that."
He said that he had spent his two months on the sidelines in the West Indies boxing on the beach at 6am most days with ECB security adviser Reg Dickason.
"I've been guilty in the past of getting fifties and not going on to get hundreds, so fitness is an area which could help me," said Bell.
"You can get a little bit complacent at times. It was a tough time to watch everyone else but probably I was a bit lucky to have those two months to sit back and think about what I needed to do to get back and get picked by England.
"I still average over 40 but I knew I hadn't performed for three months. When you don't perform as a team there has to be someone who is left out of the side and it was my time.
"By no imagination do I think I have cracked it but I believe I am going to play for England again and my best years are ahead of me."
If England do go with five bowlers, Stuart Broad and James Anderson are certainties, while Steve Harmison - who did take five wickets for Durham against Yorkshire - is likely to be recalled yet again.
With Flintoff, Amjad Khan and Ryan Sidebottom all injured, Sajid Mahmood, despite taking no wickets in Lancashire's first Championship match of the season, and Dimitri Mascarenhas will also be hopeful of selection.
But seam bowlers have struggled at Lord's in recent years, so England may consider going with two spinners, most likely to be Graeme Swann and Monty Panesar.

Injured Khan leaves Windies tour

2009-04-01T21:32:00.001+01:00

Fifth one-day international, St Lucia: West Indies v England Date: Friday, 3 April Play starts: 1430 BST Coverage: Full commentary on Test Match Special on BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra, BBC Radio 4 Long Wave and BBC Sport website (UK only). Live text commentary on BBC Sport website & mobiles. Also live on Sky Sports

Khan played in the Twenty20 defeat but has not featured in the ODIs
Seamer Amjad Khan is to return home from England's tour of the West Indies because of a cartilage injury.
The Kent player will have treatment back in Britain after being ruled out of Friday's fifth and final one-day international in St Lucia.
Khan flew out to join the Test squad as cover for injuries, making his England debut in the fifth Test in Trinidad.
He then played in the Twenty20 international defeat, but has not featured in any of the ODIs.
The series is level at 2-2 going into Friday's game, for which England duo Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff have been passed fit.
West Indies - whose players' association is in dispute with the country's cricket board, amid threats of strike action affecting the game - have replaced injured spinner Nikita Miller with fellow slow left-armer Sulieman Benn.

Breezing into plush Barbados

2009-03-02T14:17:00.000Z

Well after, to say the least , an eventful week or so in Antigua, the Test Match Special team have moved onto Barbados for the fourth Test in this intriguing series.
There certainly will be quite a contrast between where TMS was broadcast from in Antigua and our surroundings at the Kensington Oval.
The late move to the Antigua Recreation ground meant we were located in a makeshift commentary box which clearly had seen better days.
Although it has to be said that the people at the ground could not have done any more to help us feel comfortable, even though they clearly had much more important priorities to work on ... like getting the rest of the stadium ready for an international fixture with a day's notice!...
Although broadcasting in the open air was a little challenging at times , especially when the wind started to blow , we were able to experience all the excitement of the match -especially the dramatic final afternoon when Sir Vivian Richards simply could not sit down while commentating as he was so caught up in the action.
Here in Barbados we are housed in the magnificent new media centre at the refurbished Kensington Oval which is among others named after our legendary West Indies commentator Tony Cozier. We get fantastic views from our vantage point on the fourth floor not only of the ground but also of downtown Bridgetown and beyond.
This is only my second visit to the Kensington Oval. Two years ago I was here for the farcical World Cup final which provided a fitting climax to a tournament which will not be remembered fondly except by the Australians, who of course lifted the trophy.
After the officials inexplicably failed to interpret the rules correctly we ended up playing out a game in almost total darkness.
My overriding memory of that day was just after the last ball was bowled I went straight out onto the field to try and get some post match interviews.
It was quite literally pitch black out there to the extent that as I walked onto the field I failed to notice a group of performers on stilts almost walking straight into me!
They were part of a closing ceremony which sadly no-one saw because no proper lighting had been organised. It was that sort of evening.
Anyway let's hope things run smoothly this week.
As well as bringing you ball by ball commentary from 1330 on Thursday we also have lots of other interesting things for you.
During the lunch interval on the opening day of the match you'll be able to hear Jonathan Agnew's extensive interview with Giles Clarke, who despite the controversy over the Stanford affair has this week been confirmed as ECB chairman for another two years.
You will also be able to hear a fascinating chat with the man who represents the England players , PCA chief executive Sean Morris, who will have among other things the latest news on Andrew Flintoff and the IPL.
Other highlights include an interview with England's bowling coach Ottis Gibson who is of course originally from here in Barbados.
He'll be telling us about his debut for the island where he had the honour to open the bowling alongside West Indies and Barbados legend Malcolm Marshall.
Gibson's first four overs went for 28 runs, but he remembers getting sympathetic advice from Marshall. He now tries to offer similar words of wisdom to England's fast bowling attack.
Gladstone Small, another Barbados born fast bowler who went on to help England, will also be joining us in the Test Match Special box to share his memories of growing up here and helping to debate while so few recent England players come from the Caribbean community in the UK.
Other guests we are expecting include two of England's most successful spin bowlers Derek Underwood and Phil Tufnell - and as always who knows which other people may wander into the box over the next five days.
So join us from Thursday afternoon - and don't forget to check out the daily TMS podcast with Jonathan Agnew and Geoff Boycott.

England bowlers toil in St Kitts

2009-01-30T12:18:00.000Z

Tour match: West Indies A v England Date: 29-31 January Venue: Warner Park, St Kitts Starts: 1400 GMT each dayCoverage: Regular scorecard updates and daily reports on BBC Sport website
Match scorecard
Report - Tough day for England in St Kitts
England's bowlers were put to the sword on day one of their three-day match against West Indies A in St Kitts, with the hosts 343-2 at close of play.
Eighteen-year-old Adrian Barath (132) and Lendl Simmons (171 not out) put on 262 for the second wicket, with Simmons hitting five sixes and 19 fours.
James Anderson took 1-67 from 20 overs, while Kevin Pietersen took 1-13.
But Ryan Sidebottom, who has not played a first-class game for six months, was the pick of England's seamers.
Sidebottom took 0-40 from 13 overs on a perfect batting track, while Steve Harmison returned figures of 0-60 from 14 overs.

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"It was a fantastic feeling just to be out there," Sidebottom said. "I am chuffed from a personal point of view.
"The wicket is one of the flattest I have played on throughout my career and you just have to keep plugging away.
"There is always trepidation when you come back. As soon as you get a ball in hand you want to go at it 100% but you have to err on the side of caution."
In what is effectively a bowl-off for first Test places in Jamaica next week, Anderson was the only seamer to have any success, removing Kieran Powell in the seventh over.
Simmons, one of a handful of full West Indies internationals in the home side, took full advantage of the conditions to reach his hundred from the first ball after tea.
Fellow Trinidadian Barath followed his lead in spectacular fashion five overs later by lofting all-rounder Paul Collingwood for six.
However, Simmons, whose uncle Phil Simmons represented the Windies for a decade, was the more expansive of the second-wicket pair and, having launched a straight six off Graeme Swann during the morning session, began to pepper the stands once in three figures.
Off-spinner Swann, who finished with figures of 0-96 from 23 overs, was clouted for two sixes in one over and the same fate befell Collingwood soon afterwards.
Barath perished after surpassing his previous career-best of 131 when he cut lazily to point in Pietersen's first over.
England would have claimed a third wicket with the second new ball but wicket-keeper Matt Prior spurned a low chance off Anderson, with Simmons on 159.

BBC renews radio cricket contract

2008-12-23T11:41:00.000Z

The BBC has agreed a new four-year deal with the England and Wales Cricket Board for the international cricket radio rights from 2010 to 2013.
The new contract, which covers ball-by-ball commentary, ensures that Test Match Special (TMS) is guaranteed on the BBC up to and including 2013.
"Test Match Special is one of the 'crown jewels' of BBC Sport," said BBC Sport director Roger Mosey.
"We're delighted that it will continue for four more years."
ECB commercial director John Perera paid tribute to the work of the BBC and TMS.
"BBC's radio coverage of international cricket has set the standard for broadcasting across the world," he said.

"TMS is an iconic programme which has become a part of the very tapestry of British life.
"We are extremely pleased that we have been able to conclude this deal with BBC Radio and look forward to working with them for the next four years."
The ECB says the deal concludes its major broadcasting contracts until 2013, and Perera expressed satisfaction with the deals.
"All sports are finding the tough economic times trying at present," he added. "So to be able to conclude broadcasting deals with Sky Sports, Five, ESPN Star Sports and now BBC Radio, which together show a cumulative above-RPI rise in revenues, is very satisfying.
"I think that this demonstrates that there is real interest and value in cricket in England and Wales."

Tour of India throws up unexpected distractions

2008-11-26T20:41:00.000Z

Watching England in one-day internationals away from home is rarely easy but, after two heavy defeats in Rajkot and Indore, the next five games and the long hours spent between games on the train are starting to look tougher by the day.But away from the cricket itself the first week of England's epic odyssey across the length and breadth of India has thrown up the usual array of the fantastic that tend to become the norm on a tour of this amazing country.Take my TWO TV appearances for instance...
The first was relatively straightforward. The man from BBC News was so stunned that I had decided to follow KP's troops across the subcontinent in the delights of Indian Railways' Sleeper Class that he came down to film me at Ahmedabad railway station en route from Rajkot to Indore.
Taking a simple snap in India still often draws a sizable crowd so you can imagine the interest that was caused by a TV camera pointing at an Englishman slouched on some baggage destined for a faraway location!My second appearance was far stranger and completely unexpected.After a knock at my hotel door the night before England's opening game I was about to open up and tell the chai boy I didn't want another cup of his delicious tea when in burst five Rajkot police officers accompanied by a TV crew!The hotel manager was with them apologising profusely and explained that they were searching all the rooms in the hotel.I never got to the bottom of what they were searching for but whilst the entire contents of my rucksack were ignored my Dad's 60th birthday card enjoyed specific attention! What viewers would have made of a senior police inspector opening and closing the card to show an elephant playing a shot with a cricket bat goodness only knows! Whilst the interest, or more importantly lack of, in India's Test series with Australia has been well documented this definitely hasn't been the case in this ODI Series so far.In both Rajkot and Indore, and now in Kanpur, hotel beds right across the price spectrum have been increasingly tough to come by.With many of the venues slated for this tour rarely seeing international cricket fans from all over the respective states have flooded to the cities to completely fill hotels that are already very busy coping with the start of India's traditional wedding season.As the manager of my hotel in Indore succinctly put it: 'I wish the city suffered from cricket fever more often'!Interest in the games hasn't stopped at the lack of hotel rooms of course.Both games so far have been complete sell-outs with 32,000 packing into Indore's fantastic Maharani Usharaje Trust Cricket Ground and, supposedly, 18,000 squeezing into Rajkot's slightly less salubrious Madhavrao Scindia Cricket Ground.Even in an empty ground the view afforded in Rajkot isn't what one would expect from an international cricket venue. The bamboo canes and ropes used to hold up the temporary awnings combined with the permanent barbed wire topped metal fence make watching the cricket difficult enough.But when you add a crowd who have cleverly adopted the 'one-person-out, four-people-in' technique during the first session of play to swell the actual attendance way above 20,000 then watching much of the game becomes virtually impossible.Mind you, when you lose by a whopping 158 runs maybe that's no bad thing!

Antigua lights concern Pietersen

2008-10-27T16:26:00.001Z

Stanford Super Series, AntiguaAll games start at 2130 GMT (BBC commentary details in brackets):27 Oct: Trinidad & Tobago v Midd'x (BBC London website/5 Live Sports Extra)28 Oct: England v Trinidad & Tobago (BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra)30 Oct: Stanford Superstars v Middlesex (BBC London website)1 Nov: Stanford Superstars v England (BBC Radio 5 Live)

Pietersen may draft in a spinner against the Stanford Superstars
Kevin Pietersen says he is concerned about the lighting in Antigua ahead of England's $20m showdown against the Stanford Superstars on Saturday.
England narrowly beat Middlesex in their opening match of the Stanford Super Series on Sunday, but the game was littered with dropped catches.
Poor visibility was a worry for the England captain, with the players practising in the field after the game.
"I am as concerned about the lights as I am about the wicket," said Pietersen.
England could only muster 121-4 from their allocated 20 overs on a slow wicket and the lights provided a further worry for Pietersen who is keen to avoid a situation where a player is responsible for a key dropped catch against the Superstars.
"It is the same for both teams and that is why I had the boys out in the dinner break and after the game.

I-Love-Sport-23
"We spent 20 minutes doing that at the end, there aren't going to be many opportunities to catch, so we will do it again in the break and at the end of the game against Trinidad [on Tuesday] because it is a huge factor.
"There could be someone under a $20m catch on Saturday."
Pietersen also admitted he may have to re-think his line-up for Saturday's multi-million pound encounter after the performances of Middlesex spinners Shaun Udal and Murali Kartik, who stifled England.
It was widely expected that England would stick with the team that claimed a 4-0 one-day series victory over South Africa in the summer but, after having to bowl four overs himself, Pietersen admitted he could draft in a spinner - opening the door for Graeme Swann.
"It's definitely something to consider," he said.
"I am not good enough to bowl as the second spinner so it is an option we will think long and hard about.
"It was not probably something I was thinking too much about at the start of the tournament but having watched the last two fixtures it would be stupid of me not to have a look at it."

England set to reveal Test squad

2008-09-28T20:53:00.000+01:00

Patel, Rashid and Swann are all looking for a passage to India
Spin bowlers and wicketkeepers will have their fingers crossed when England name their squad for two Tests in India on Monday at 1230 BST.
Graeme Swann, Adil Rashid and Samit Patel look the best options to support first-choice spinner Monty Panesar.
Keepers Matt Prior and James Foster, meanwhile, have had superb summers and one of them could replace Tim Ambrose.
In Michael Vaughan's absence, Essex's Ravi Bopara and Owais Shah of Middlesex are vying for the spare batting spot.
The England and Wales Cricket Board confirmed on Saturday that there would be no place for Vaughan in the party to play Tests in Ahmedabad and Mumbai in December.
The former captain struggled for runs for most of the summer, whether appearing for England or Yorkshire.
And in the final Test against South Africa at The Oval in August, won under Kevin Pietersen's captaincy, only five batsmen were used with all-rounder Andrew Flintoff at six.

IamaterrierEngland will need at least one more batsman in the squad for India, however, and Bopara - who has had a far better season than his main rival Shah in first-class cricket - may be offered the chance to improve a so far modest Test record.
The make-up of the bowling attack is likely to provoke a longer discussion, especially as England utilised two spinners - Panesar and veteran off-spinner Shaun Udal - to beat India in Mumbai in March 2006.
Panesar has had a tough summer in generally damp conditions, but is bound to be selected.
Whether the selectors are brave enough to pick 20-year-old wrist-spinner Rashid - also a handy batsman - is another matter, however.
Rashid finished the summer with a late surge of wickets - he has 62 from the Championship campaign - and would be a popular choice in many quarters.

Prior may replace ex-Sussex team-mate Ambrose behind the stumpsThe Notts pair of Swann and Patel, both in the one-day squad, are more conservative selections. Off-spinner Swann has the advantage of turning the ball the opposite way from Panesar and is the more experienced candidate, while left-armer Patel provides batting strength.
Among the potential keepers, Ambrose is the man in possession of the gloves and has an ECB increment (second-tier) contract, but he had a disappointing summer with the bat.
Essex's Foster - whose first Test tour with England was the 2001 trip to India - is recognised as the supreme gloveman on the circuit at present, and he hit 912 runs this season in the Championship at an average of 50.66.
Prior's batting numbers are similar, and stand up well given that, unlike Foster, he has faced Division One bowling.
He is not quite as tidy behind the wickets, but has improved a lot since last winter and has already been chosen for the one-day side, which will take on India prior to the start of the Test series.
With just two Tests to be played, England may choose not to take a second wicketkeeper.
Although that would be seen as a gamble if the first-choice keeper were to be injured on the morning of the match, Australia have not named a reserve keeper as cover for Brad Haddin for their upcoming four-Test tour of India.
England's one-day squad will be in India from early November to play seven matches across the country, with the Test specialists expected to join them ahead of the warm-up match in Baroda which starts on 5 December.
Possible England squad: Kevin Pietersen (capt), Alastair Cook, Andrew Strauss, Ian Bell, Paul Collingwood, Andrew Flintoff, Matt Prior (wk), Stuart Broad, Steve Harmison, James Anderson, Monty Panesar, Ryan Sidebottom, Ravi Bopara, Adil Rashid.

Rhodes plays down Jones concerns

2008-08-20T11:50:00.001+01:00

Injured Simon Jones is not expected to play again this season
Worcestershire director of cricket Steve Rhodes has played down the seriousness of the latest injury setback to star paceman Simon Jones.
Injuries have prevented the 29-year-old from playing for England since the 2005 Ashes series and Jones now requires surgery on a knee cartilage problem.
"It is a wear-and-tear injury. I am confident he will be fine in the long term," said Rhodes.
"Simon is a bit down. He is sick to the back teeth with injuries."
Jones was one of the stars of England's 2005 Ashes campaign, playing the first four Tests and taking 18 wickets as his reverse swing baffled Australia.
But an ankle injury ruled him out of the series-clinching match at The Oval and the problems quickly began to mount for Jones, with a serious knee injury keeping him out of action for almost two years.
A move from Glamorgan to Worcestershire in October 2007 seemed to have changed his luck as Jones shone with 42 championship wickets at an average of only 18.02 and began to be talked about in England terms again.

JAMES_WWFCJones was included in England's preliminary 30-man squad for the Champions Trophy in September but a scan has revealed Jones needs minor surgery to clean up his knee.
"He's disappointed not to reach some of the targets he set himself, such as 50 championship wickets this season," added Rhodes.
"But the arthroscopy is just a service really and the result of a career as an impact fast bowler."
Rhodes added: "He has done marvellously for us. He has given our attack something it didn't have. He has been an aggressive, impact bowler and I've been delighted with him.
"He has made the England selectors notice him and to make the initial squad for the Champions Trophy was a fantastic effort.
"The goal was to get him through to the end of the season and we almost got there but if you had asked me at the start of the season, I'd have settled for what we've had from Simon during the past four months."

ECB hopes for Twenty20 compromise

2008-07-28T10:26:00.000+01:00

Kent won the 2007 Twenty20 Cup, but have two ICL players
The England and Wales Cricket Board is confident Middlesex and Kent will be allowed to compete in the new Twenty20 Champions League tournament.
The ECB has been warned English sides will be frozen out if they fail to adhere to rules on player eligibility.
But ECB chief executive David Collier believes a compromise will be reached.
"I would be bitterly disappointed if all four nations aren't represented by their two top teams," he told BBC Radio 5 Live on Sunday.
Organisers of the Twenty20 Champions League say teams will only be allowed to take part in the multi-million pound event if they do not use players who have featured in the rebel Indian Cricket League.
Middlesex, winners of Saturday's Twenty20 Cup, do not have any ICL players in their ranks, but Kent, who were runners-up, do, namely Azhar Mahmood and Justin Kemp.
At present, the ECB has said it is unwilling to give its backing to the Champions League in its current format.

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It says it is unhappy with several aspects of the proposal, including the ban on ICL players, which might prove unworkable in England because of existing employment legislation.
Another sticking point is the number of overseas players teams are allowed to field. Some countries permit more, others less. That, says Collier, is unfair.
The ECB is also understood to want a greater say in the running of the Champions League and a bigger financial stake in the competition.
"It is quite complex," said Collier. "We will be discussing with our counterparts in Australia, South Africa and India to try to iron out the last few items within the rules and regulations.
"We've got three or four areas to resolve but we're confident the Champions League will take place in September/October."
The ECB's stance has not gone down well with Lalit Modi, one of the driving forces behind the Champions League and the vice president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India.
He is remaining firm on the ICL issue saying the tournament could go ahead without any English teams taking part.
"We have everybody on board going forward, apart from the ECB, who have some reservations in terms of structure and ownership," he told Radio 5 Live.
"We hope the ECB will be part of it, but if they are unreasonable or unable to adhere to the rules and regulations of the tournament then it will be unfortunate but they will not be able to participate.
"We have a final meeting with our members in Bombay on Wednesday and hope to make an announcement then. We will go ahead, with or without the ECB."

The popularity of Twenty20 cricket has soared since its inception in 2003, prompting a glut of tournaments on the domestic and international calendars.
As well as the IPL, ICL and Twenty20 Cup, England have agreed to play five lucrative Twenty20 matches in the Caribbean over the next five years after signing a deal with Texan-born businessman Sir Allen Stanford.
A new Twenty20 English Premier League is to start in 2010, too, while there are plans for a rival to Modi's Champions League competition.
Modi is unconcerned that the calendar may become too congested.
"There are many cricket tournaments that take place around the world - the ECB have another one with Stanford - but each one caters to a different market," he said.
"Does Stanford help or hinder us? Neither of the two.
"He is doing something to develop cricket in his part of the world and he has a concept in place where his team plays English teams and the winner takes all.
'I'm sure they'll have a market for it and it may be appeal to certain fans around the world. But, at the end of the day, we welcome competition.
"I would welcome the EPL, too. Most countries are going to be launching some sort of domestic Premier League concept. Our concept is very different to what is being proposed by the ECB."

Zimbabwe gathers ICC vote support

2008-06-30T15:33:00.001+01:00

The UK government wants cricket to take a hard line against Zimbabwe
Support for Zimbabwe appears to be growing in the sub-continent ahead of this week's International Cricket Council meeting in Dubai.
The England and Wales Cricket Board has already stated it will not host a tour by Zimbabwe next year.
And Cricket South Africa has also cut its ties with Zimbabwe because of the political situation in the country.
But India and Pakistan have indicated they will not support any move to expel Zimbabwe from the ICC.
"There is no reason to remove Zimbabwe," said Niranjan Shah, secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India.
"We understand England's position because their government wants Zimbabwe out but we will back Zimbabwe to stay in the ICC."

The Pakistan Cricket Board, meanwhile, has made it clear that it will send its A team on a tour to Zimbabwe in August as scheduled, irrespective of any action taken by the ICC, who have a board meeting on Wednesday and Thursday.
And the Press Trust of India has quoted a PCB spokesman as saying: "We don't think Zimbabwe cricket should face penalties because of political issues in that country. We will not support any sanctions."
Seven of the 10 full ICC members would have to vote in favour of expulsion for such a proposal to go through - and Zimbabwe itself is one of the 10.
If India and Pakistan line up alongside them, it would only require one more vote in Zimbabwe's favour for the proposal to be defeated.
If, however, Zimbabwe Cricket retains its full member status, England's hopes of hosting next year's ICC World Twenty20 tournament could be put in jeopardy.
Although the ICC would not take punitive action against the ECB for preventing Zimbabwe touring in the light of a formal government instruction, refusal to allow a full member to take part in the World Twenty20 could result in the tournament being moved elsewhere.
Such a move would be a huge financial blow to the ECB, with huge crowds expected at the three grounds chosen to host matches. The tournament schedule has already been published and tickets went on sale at 1000 BST on Monday.
The UK government will reassess the situation if the ICC insists that Zimbabwe play in the World Twenty20 but is holding a firm line in its calls for a boycott because of the close links between Zimbabwe Cricket and the regime of president Robert Mugabe.
Culture secretary Andy Burnham told BBC Five Live's Sportsweek: "The first step is we'll meet the ECB, listen to their report back of the meeting and consider the arguments.
"If we haven't held sway we would listen to the arguments of the other ICC members but our position is completely clear.
"We think, in the current circumstances in Zimbabwe, it isn't right for any tour to take place."
However, he added: "I would not want to be in a position of overruling a governing body in sport. I vigorously defend the independence of our sporting bodies and will always to that."

ECB chief opposes franchise plans

2008-04-29T19:40:00.000+01:00

Giles Clarke feels the 18 first-class counties should remain
ECB chairman Giles Clarke has revealed he is strongly opposed to any plans to merge the 18 first-class counties into a smaller number of "city franchises".
The option has been put forward by the Professional Cricketers' Association as an answer to the Indian Premier League.
But Clarke said: "Franchise sport has simply never worked in the UK.
"Tradition and history rather than Bollywood stars and glitz are what persuade supporters to return week in, week out, to our grounds."
Speaking at the ECB's AGM on Wednesday, Clarke said his vision of an English Premier League would be based on the traditional model rather than new teams.
PCA chief executive Sean Morris said in an interview last Friday: "When you look at the broadcasting deal that will drive it, and for sponsorship partners and for fans, does playing 18 teams really stack up?"
I hope to give more details in the days and weeks ahead, but I can guarantee that everyone in the game - from playground to Test arena - will benefit
Giles Clarke
But Clarke refuted the concept of a slimmer league structure along the lines of the IPL, which features eight teams.
He said "Some of the ideas spouted in the media have been frankly ludicrous.
"Can you, I was asked by a leading television executive, imagine cricket lovers rushing down St John's Wood Road to see a franchise called Vodafone Team London owned by an ageing rock star?
"There has never yet been a successful Team London in any sport and nor is there likely to be any support for a Team Manchester or Team Leeds from traditional areas of rivalry such as Liverpool or Sheffield.
"When ECB launched their own Twenty20 Cup it was on the back of extensive spectator research and financial analysis.
"This is an exercise we will repeat before launching any new competition because we have said this tournament must be robust, spectator-friendly and economically sustainable."

Some of the individual counties' chief executives and chairmen favour a smaller number of teams, while others agree with Clarke.
American billionaire Sir Allen Stanford told BBC Sport last Thursday he was ready to invest heavily in an English version of the IPL, which he felt could be worth as much as £500m.
Clarke said: "I thank Sir Allen for his interest in cricket in England and Wales, and most of all I thank him for believing the ECB is the right vehicle through which to expand his patronage in cricket.
"I hope to give more details in the days and weeks ahead, but I can guarantee that everyone in the game - from playground to Test arena - will benefit from this deal."
The issue of sledging in modern-day cricket was also addressed by Clarke, who warned Test players must be role models.
He did not rule out the use of yellow cards "for repeat offences of sledges" in amateur cricket.

Flintoff hit by fresh ankle worry

2007-09-02T10:04:00.000+01:00

Flintoff has only just returned to action after a knee problemEngland all-rounder Andrew Flintoff is to see a specialist after suffering fresh problems with his left ankle.
He missed Sunday's one-day game against India at Headingley, but England hope he will rejoin the squad in time for the match at The Oval on Wednesday.
Flintoff underwent a third operation earlier this year.
But he experienced further discomfort following last Thursday's win over India at Old Trafford, having missed the previous game with a sore knee.
A team spokesman insisted on Saturday, however, that the two problems were unrelated.

India thwarted by Bresnan century

2007-07-13T21:48:00.000+01:00

Bresnan played a variety of shots in his chanceless centuryA superb unbeaten 116 from Yorkshire all-rounder Tim Bresnan guided England Lions to 379-8 after the opening day of the tour game with India at Chelmsford.
The 22-year-old hit 15 fours and a six in his second first-class century.
He shared 129 in 31 overs with Stuart Broad, who added 50 to halt a slide in which three wickets fell for 11 runs.
After skipper Andrew Strauss was clean bowled for one by Zaheer Khan in the fifth over, Kent opener Joe Denly made an impressive 83 containing 16 fours.
Strauss won the toss and elected to bat in cloudy conditions, on a ground where Essex and Nottinghamshire accumulated almost 1500 runs in two innings in the last match.
India were led by Sachin Tendulkar with Test captain Rahul Dravid rested due to a calf injury.
Strauss looked out of sorts from the start, however, and just a single from 17 balls before his off-stump was sent spiralling out of the ground did little for his confidence ahead of the first Test against the tourists starting at Lord's on 19 July.
Shah, who enjoyed a successful return to England's one-day side against the West Indies, hit two fours in his 11, but he went at a short ball from Shantha Sreesanth and found the hands of Zaheer running around at fine-leg.

Strauss failed to shake off his poor run of form
Playing in just his 13th first-class match, Denly caught the eye with some attractive drives, smashing five boundaries in a single over from Zaheer.
The 21-year-old Kent opener took just 49 balls to reach his half-century and continued to make hay with 76 runs in the morning session.
South-African born Warwickshire batsman Jonathan Trott, who made his England debut against the West Indies in the recent Twenty20 series, played a more reserved innings in support and reached 25 by lunch.
Denly was not so fluent after the interval, with the introduction of Ramesh Powar's spin, and a charge down the wicket saw him comfortably stumped by Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
Zaheer then found his rhythm and tempted Trott into driving at a ball outside off-stump, the edge caught at waist height by Sourav Ganguly at first slip.
Two wickets then fell in six deliveries as India looked to wrap up the innings.
First wicket-keeper Tim Ambrose (4) got a feather of a top-edge trying to drive Zaheer square, the catch taken by Dhoni, then Yorkshire teenager Adil Rashid offered Powar an easy return catch without scoring.
Essex all-rounder Ravi Bopara helped to rescue the situation with Bresnan, who launched Powar for the only six of the day over mid-wicket.
Bopara shared 40 in 10 overs with Bresnan before his attractive innings of 29 containing four fours was ended in the final over before tea.
Tendulkar brought himself into the attack and with his fifth ball tempted 22-year-old Bopara to push a sharp catch off the face of the bat to short-leg.

Denly's growing reputation was further enhanced by a fine knock
Broad took advantage of two reprieves early in his innings to justify his promise as a batsman with some clean hitting until spooing a low catch to point. Having moved into the 90s with two fours in three balls, Bresnan passed three figures with three boundaries in an over from Zaheer.
India's cause was not helped by rangy teenage seamer Ishant Sharma, who sent down a total of 15 no-balls in a troublesome 12-over spell.
England captain Strauss was delighted his young batsmen had got the team out of an awkward situation on the opening day.
"I thought we showed a lot of character in that final session, hopefully we can build on that," he said.
Of centurion Bresnan he said: "He has made some useful scores for Yorkshire and he got stuck in."
Strauss was also delighted with opening partner Denly, aged only 21.
"He really took the game to them and it's good to see a guy who hasn't played at this level before play with no fear," the skipper said. "This is a showcase even under a little bit more pressure than you have in a normal county game. Joe took it to them and has come out of it with a great deal of credit."
Strauss, who made only one half century in the Test series against the West Indies, admitted that his form was a concern, but was confident he would soon be back in the runs.
"The more runs I can get before the Test match the better and another low score wouldn't be ideal," he said.
"It's hard work trying to grind out runs when you're not in the form you'd like to be but it only takes one innings or a couple of shots even to turn things around."

FOURTH NPOWER TEST, RIVERSIDE:England v West IndiesPlay starts Friday 1100 BST

2007-06-15T09:46:00.000+01:00

Hoggard will add extra control to England's pace attack
Matthew Hoggard and Ryan Sidebottom could be the key figures for England in the fourth Test against West Indies.
Hoggard is fit again following a groin strain and eager to join forces with former Yorkshire team-mate Sidebottom at the Riverside.
"If we can get the ball swinging, which it tends to do here, we can really put them under pressure," said Vaughan.
But dreadful weather kept the players indoors on Thursday, and the forecast for the opening day is very poor.
News conference: England captain Michael Vaughan
After that, however, brighter conditions are expected.
England hold a winning 2-0 lead in the series after their 60-run win at Old Trafford last week and the return of Hoggard - a "beautiful bowler of a swinging ball", according to Vaughan - for local boy Liam Plunkett will be the only change.
Hoggard, 30, and Sidebottom, 29, shared 53 wickets when Yorkshire won the County Championship in 2001.
And Hoggard said: "Ryan's done really well - it will be rolling back the years.
"It's a while since I've opened the bowling with him, but we enjoyed it last time we did it and I'm sure we'll enjoy it this time."
Vaughan expects England to be stronger after a tough match in the third Test.

England's players were confined to the indoor nets on Thursday
"They fought very hard, but we got asked a lot of questions and answered them in the right manner. It got a little bit tight at the end and your team definitely grows quicker when you win a game like that," he said.
England's main concern is the form of opener Andrew Strauss, who some felt was lucky to be given another chance after averaging 15 in the series so far.
"It's just not happening [for him] at the minute, and when you go through spells like this as a batsman, you've just got to dig in there, keep believing, keep going through your routines, and it will change.
"He got two decent deliveries at Old Trafford , swinging back into the left-hander, pretty quick deliveries as well, but I'm sure there's score around the corner," Vaughan told BBC Sport.
The England skipper has urged spinner Monty Panesar, man of the match at Old Trafford with 10 wickets, to carry on appealing with as much enthusiasm as ever.
606: DEBATE
If Hoggard and Sidebottom get the ball to swing, it will be interesting to see how West Indies cope
SK
Words were exchanged between the Northants slow bowler and umpire Aleem Dar - and the same umpire is on duty at Chester-le-Street.
But Vaughan said: "We all love Monty Panesar - he appeals, he celebrates with a high-five, he misses the odd high-five and he's brilliant for the game.
"We don't want that taken away. He's entertaining a lot of people - let him continue."
West Indies, meanwhile, are hoping fast bowler Fidel Edwards can raise his game another level after some promising signs that his pace and bounce can upset England's batsmen.
Edwards played his first Test of the series at Old Trafford, and though he is unlikely to get the same response from the surface at the Riverside, coach David Moore remains confident.
"Fidel came in and bowled on a wicket that was hard and had a lot of bounce. He'd been short of top-quality cricket, so he needed some time to find his feet."

Fidel Edwards has the speed to unsettle England's batsmen
But skipper Daren Ganga was less impressive, with scores of five and nought, falling early to Steve Harmison both times.
Moore said: "Daren's an excellent tactician and excellent captain.
"Unfortunately we haven't seen the best of his batting yet, but over the last six to eight months he's been averaging 40-plus, so I'm hoping his batting will come good for us."
Ganga, meanwhile, urged his team to maintain self-belief despite not winning any of their last 19 Tests.
He said: "It's very difficult for young players coming into a team that is not winning and having to put in a big effort time and time again and getting nothing at the end of it.
"We all have to ensure we have the right work ethic and believe strongly that we are going to win."
This is the third Test - and biggest to date - to be staged at the Riverside, after easy wins for England against Zimbabwe in 2003 and Bangladesh two years later.
England (from): Andrew Strauss, Alastair Cook, Michael Vaughan (capt), Kevin Pietersen, Paul Collingwood, Ian Bell, Matthew Prior (wk), Stephen Harmison, Ryan Sidebottom, Matthew Hoggard, Monty Panesar, James Anderson.
West Indies (from): Chris Gayle, Daren Ganga (capt), Devon Smith, Runako Morton, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Dwayne Bravo, Denesh Ramdin (wk), Darren Sammy, Jerome Taylor, Fidel Edwards, Corey Collymore, Daren Powell
Umpires: Billy Bowden (NZ) and Aleem Dar (Pkn).

Second Test, Headingley, day one (lunch):England 91-2 v West Indies

2007-05-25T14:11:00.000+01:00

Vaughan played some fluent strokes on the first morning
Captain Michael Vaughan made a cautious start as England reached 91-2 at lunch on the first day of the second Test against the West Indies at Headingley.
Vaughan, who came to the crease after Andrew Strauss fell for 15, struck four fours to reach 25 on his Test return.
He shared 53 with Alastair Cook, before Cook fell lbw to Chris Gayle for 42 off the final ball of the session.
England recalled seamer Ryan Sidebottom after a six-year gap, while West Indies were without injured Shiv Chanderpaul.
Vaughan, returning to the Test arena after an 18-month absence because of a series of injuries, chose to bat as early cloud gave way to sunshine.
Strauss might have gone first ball when he fended a short ball from Daren Powell uppishly but Daren Ganga was deeper than the standard short-leg and could not gather diving forward.
Powell and new ball partner Corey Collymore were inconsistent again and Strauss latched on to two loose deliveries to despatch trademark square cuts.

Strauss succumbs to a wide delivery from Powell
A routine outside edge failed to carry to first slip, Gayle receiving a painful knock on the shin that was to require treatment in the pavilion.
But Strauss added only a single before his main strength proved his undoing in the ninth over as he attempted another cut at an even wider one from Powell and got a bottom edge to wicket-keeper Denesh Ramdin.
Vaughan took 34 balls to record his first boundary, swivelling to pull Powell through mid-wicket.
Contrasting, consecutive boundaries quickly followed off Taylor, a thick edge through the gully followed by a sumptous, classical off-drive as the captain began to find his touch.
Cook, who has yet to score a duck in Test cricket and has been dismissed in single figures only five times in 28 innings, comfortably moved towards his fifth half-century.
Gayle was given the almost customary pre-lunch over of spin, but far from being a token of uneventfulness, it brought the languid Jamaican reward.
Umpire Asad Rauf continued his policy of giving spinners lbw decisions that often used to be denied them when he gave Cook out propping forward defensively.