As India embark on another Test tour, fans in India are asking a question they’ve raised often in the past few months: Will they be able to watch the Test matches? The answer this time isn’t much clearer but there is some light at the end of the tunnel.On paper, it’s a no-brainer: The telecast rights to the England tour are owned by ESPN-Star Sports (ESS), a seasoned player in the field and accessible in most TV homes. ESS have, in fact, launched a cricket-only channel, Star Cricket, which will be showing the Tests and the two warm-up matches, beginning tomorrow. However, the twist lies in the fact that the new channel isn’t widely available on cable and is yet to be included in DTH bouquets.So, once again, it could be only a handful of fans that gets to see the Tests, beginning on July 19 at Lord’s.The situation could, however, change for the better. “We are in discussions with DTH operators [to include Star Cricket in their bouquets] and are optimistic of an agreement by July 15,” an ESS spokesperson said. “The channel is priced at Rs 28 per month and the feedback is positive. Obviously it is our prerogative to reach as many viewers across India as possible and we will do our best to ensure that.”ESS officials also say that highlights of the three Tests will be shown on Doordarshan, which, as a policy, has telecast the ODIs live but not the Tests. It is a refreshing change from the recent Test series in Bangladesh, which a large number of viewers in India missed out on because they had no access to either Neo Sports, which owned the rights, or to the regional-language channels they had brought on board.There’s rarely a problem with watching ODIs, and ESS sources said the seven matches that follow the Tests would be simulcast; Star Cricket will have commentary in Hindi, while English commentary will be provided on either ESPN or Star Sports.The ODIs will also be telecast live on Doordarshan, in keeping with the Sports Act passed by the Indian government ordering mandatory sharing of live feed.

Richard Pybus, the former Pakistan and Middlesex coach, has been re-appointed as the coach of the Titans. Pybus has signed a two-year contract with the Titans after resigning as Middlesex coach.Pybus was the Titans coach before he signed a three-year contract with Middlesex in February. Incidentally, he quit Middlesex on the same day that the Titans announced that they had not found a replacement for him and that they were re-advertising for the role, leaving Middlesex supporters in no doubt that he was heading back.”The re-appointment of Richard follows a protracted and comprehensive process during which a number of high profile applicants were considered,” the chairman of the Titans’ board of directors, Andy O Connor, said. “The position was offered to an individual in June 2007 only [for Titans] to be informed at number 99 that he could no longer accept the position. This resulted in a second round of interviews in July.”Richard’s resignation at Middlesex came as a complete surprise to the franchise and his reasons for his resignation, cited as personal, were completely unrelated to the vacancy. Upon learning that Richard was returning to South Africa, the franchise expressed a keenness to re-appoint him.”Pybus also said that he was “delighted” to be back with the Titans and that there was “much work to be done to maintain the fine form shown in the four-day competition and to improve the side’s performance in the one-day and Pro20 competition.”

The national selection committee announced a squad of 26 players to attend the third and final training and fitness camp to be held in Karachi. The camp, that runs from July 27 to August 6, will be supervised by Talat Ali with Haroon Rashid and Aaqib Javed serving as batting and bowling coaches respectively.Asim Kamal, thought by many as the perfect heir to Inzamam-ul-Haq, has been omitted from the third fitness camp even after being part of the 22 that took part in the second camp in Lahore. Five new faces, including fast bowler Mohammad Irshad, batsmen Shahid Yousuf, Khalid Latif, Khurram Manzoor and left-arm fast bowler Sohail Tanvir have been added to the squad for the Karachi camp.Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, a prolific performer for Pakistan during the absence of Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif, has been overlooked again for the camps. Naved, currently playing for Sussex, was neither named in the first two camps nor was he awarded a central contract.A 15-man squad for the Twenty20 World Championship in South Africa will be named at the end of the camp. According to sources, Younis Khan, who is currently playing county cricket in England, is most likely to be selected in the 15-member squad despite not being included in the list of 26 probables. The selected squad would then attend the final phase of the camp at Gaddafi Stadium from August 19 to 26.Squad: Mohammad Asif, Mohammad Sami, Najaf Shah, Shahid Afridi, Mohammad Irshad, Khurram Manzoor, Shoaib Akhtar, Fawad Alam, Mohammad Yousuf, Abdul Rehman, Mohammad Hafeez, Rao Iftikhar, Imran Farhat, Sohail Tanveer, Yasir Hameed, Naveed Latif, Shoaib Malik, Faisal Iqbal, Abdul Razzaq, Umer Gul, Kamran Akmal, Salman Butt, Shahid Yousuf, Misbah Ul Haq, Imran Nazir, Khalid Latif

Test cricket was hit hard by the two World Wars, and this topic has been brought into focus by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission this weekend as they seek to raise money and awareness during their 90th anniversary.A total of 21 Test players died in service, including several from the Commonwealth such as Albert ‘Tibby’ Cotter, the Australia fast bowler, and Reginald Schwarz, one of the quartet of South Africa googly bowlers in the Edwardian era. The War Graves Commission has set up an on-going exhibition in the Lord’s museum and has organised a charity match at Arundel on Sunday, August 12, featuring an Old England XI against a team of Anzac-South African club cricketers.Dozens of first-class players were lost, though the Commission – prompted no doubt by the current England-India series – could find only one Indian in the list. The Rawalpindi-born Vivian Chiodetti, a regular British Army soldier, played a match for Hyderabad before he was killed in Burma in 1942. The museum at Lord’s tells the Chiodetti story and features England players such as Hedley Verity, Colin Blythe and Ken Farnes.Cricket, with crude equipment, was played in unlikely places by battle-ready troops. The Australians played a game in view of the Turks at Gallipoli in 1915, trying to give the impression of normality and confidence while the entire force was being secretly evacuated from the beach area.Robert Graves recounts a game between officers and sergeants at Vermelles in France in 1915, when a bird cage with dead parrot in inside was used as the wicket. The game was abandoned when German machine gun fire at an aeroplane sprayed falling bullets dangerously close to the pitch. Jim Laker played in a match at El Alamein.Cotter was hit in the head by a sniper’s bullet in Palestine as he peered over a trench parapet and he died the same month in 1917 as his brother John, killed in France. Schwarz, twice surviving wounds, was admitted to hospital on the day of Armistice in 1918 and died of pneumonia seven days later.Blythe, the Kent left-arm spinner, is the only Test player with a gravestone inscription alluding to his cricketing eminence. He lies at rest in Belgium, killed by a shell blast at the age of 38 while working as an engineer in 1917.During the second World War, Lord’s was requisitioned by the War Office for the RAF and Te Oval was prepared as a prisoner of war camp that was never used, complete with wire cages on the playing surface.The Commission cares for graves and memorials for the 1.7 million dead at almost 23,000 locations in 150 countries.This article first appeared on https://www.charlierandallcricket.com/.

Bangladesh, Pakistan and Kenya will get in their final bit of practice ahead of the Twenty20 World Championship in a four-nation tournament beginning in Nairobi tomorrow. Uganda will relish the opportunity to play against higher opposition and dip their fingers into the slam-bang form of the game that has grown in popularity.The tournament begins with Kenya taking on Bangladesh and Pakistan playing Uganda. The most anticipated match, between Bangladesh and Pakistan, is on September 2.Geoff Lawson, the former Australian fast bowler and current coach of Pakistan, sees the tournament as an opportunity to practice. “We can prepare strategies, try and find the right balances, work out plans and play any number of practice games but that can only take you so far,” Lawson said. “Until the first match happens, we won’t really know what to expect.”Pakistan, with big names that can attract the crowds in Nairobi, are easy favourites to lift the tournament because of their Twenty20 experience. Shoaib Malik, who recently said that the captaincy has made him stronger, Imran Nazir and Shahid Afridi are all big hitters of the cricket ball, and Mohammad Asif and Shoaib Akhtar are two exciting fast bowlers who form a lethal opening combination.Bangladesh, who have not played international cricket since late July, warmed up for the Twenty20 World Championship with a number of practice matches in Mirpur, near Dhaka. Mohammad Ashraful, the captain, hoped this tournament would offer much-needed exposure ahead of the bigger prize in South Africa.”It is good for us to play in this tournament since we expect the Kenyan conditions to be the same as in South Africa,” he told AFP. “We have not played many Twenty20 matches and this tournament will help gauge the playing abilities of the players.”Kenya struggled recently against the A sides of India and Sri Lanka and have little experience of the Twenty20 game. Uganda, led by Joel Olweny, have four Under-19 players – Roger Mukasa, Arthur Kyobe, Charles Waiswa and Ronald Ssemanda – and three new faces in Martin Ondeko, Kebba Nicholas and Jeremy Kibuuka-Musoke.The four-day competition will be completed when Pakistan face Kenya on September 4; two days later the teams – barring Uganda – fly to Johannesburg for the inaugural Twenty20 World Championship.

Mohammad Asif is a doubtful starter for the ODI series against South Africa – commencing next week – due to an elbow injury. Asif will also not bowl any further during the second Test in Lahore.Asif went off the field on the third day of the Test, after having bowled four overs, with what was thought to be a recurrence of an elbow problem that has bothered him since last year’s tour of England.Talat Ali, Pakistan’s manager, said Asif had sought medical advice and been told to not bowl for the next week. “There is a light inflammation in the elbow. He can do his normal training but he has been advised by the doctor to not bowl for the next week.”Though Ali added that Asif should be fit, the ODI series begins in Lahore from October 18, which gives Asif little time to get match-fit.

Saurabh Bandekar

Bandekar, a handy medium-pace bowler and batsman for Goa, has played 13 matches for India Under-19, including the 2006 World Cup in Sri Lanka. This speaks a lot for a player coming from Goa, hardly a feeder of talent for the national side. He started off as an opener for Goa U-14s, but has since slipped down the batting order. During his transition through the age groups to the senior Goa side, Bandekar improved on his bowling and now opens the bowling for his state. During the U-19 World Cup, his spell of 3 for 36 helped knock England out of the tournament.Last season, List A
Runs: 51, Ave: 17
Wickets: 6, Ave: 35.83Last season, Twenty20
Runs: 56, S/R: 71.79<br20-0-133-5

Swapnil Asnodkar

Battling amid the ruins that Goa normally find themselves in, the 23-year-old Asnodkar, Goa’s No. 3, has always been up against the odds. While analysing his stats – 1850 first-class runs at 37 – one must keep in mind the burden he has needed to shoulder in his six first-class seasons. He cracked 104 and 83 not out in last season’s Ranji one-day tournament, but it was his fiery run-a-ball 107, while opening for South Zone against East in the Deodhar Trophy, that made people take notice.Last season, List A
Runs: 470, Ave: 58.75Last season, Twenty20
Runs: 69, S/R: 116.94

Ajinkya Rahane

Rahane, an aggressive opener, is yet to play a Ranji Trophy match for Mumbai, but has already struck two centuries in his first two first-class games – against Karachi Urban in the Mohammad Nissar Trophy and against Rest of India in the Irani Trophy. In 2007, he had an impressive Under-19 tour to New Zealand, where he scored 358 at 71.6 in Tests and 144 at 48 in ODIs. He is rated highly in the Mumbai circles, and looks like one for the future for the state, if not higher.Last season, List A
Runs: 162, Ave: 54Last season, Twenty20
Runs: 120, S/R: 93.02

Arjun Yadav

Yadav first came across as a promising batsman coming through the age groups, but eight years since his first-class debut, the promise is yet to transform. Strong performances in age-group cricket had earned him a place in the Indian Under-19 team for the World Cup in 1999-2000, but he did not play a single match in India’s victory there. Since then he has been a fairly regular fixture in the Hyderabad team, and has been picked for zonal and India A squads. Over seven seasons of first-class cricket, he has managed an average of 28.51.Last season, List A
Runs: 210, Ave: 26.25Last season, Twenty20
Runs: 17, S/R: 77.27

Rakesh Dhurv

Dhurv has been one of the most consistent performers for Saurashtra over the years, and played a key role in his teams’ capturing of the Ranji Plate title two years ago. A steady left-arm spinner to begin with, Dhurv has worked hard on his batting and has become a useful No. 6. On a few occasions, he has narrowly missed making it to the West Zone side for the Duleep Trophy.Last season, List A
Wickets: 4, Ave: 35
Last season, Twenty20
15-0-94-3

Five counties will join UAE in a six-team event in the United Arab Emirates next March as part of their pre-season preparations.Essex, Lancashire, Somerset, Sussex and Yorkshire will all compete in the Arabian Cricket Challenge which will be held at the state-of-the-art Abu Dhabi Stadium with two matches in Sharjah.”Sussex and Essex came out on pre-season last year and played against each other in Abu Dhabi,” organiser Mathew Jackson told Cricinfo. “They enjoyed it so much that that they requested to play other counties this year.”The main problems facing counties with pre-season tours is the unknown standard of the opposition and uncertainty over the pitches they are likely to play on. By arranging county-standard opponents at top-class venues, those fears have been removed.The sides will play four 50-over matches – each of them will miss playing one other county – with a trophy for the winners. On most days there will be two games on each ground, with match starting in the morning followed by a day-night match.”The aim is to develop the cricket in the UAE,” Jackson said. “The climate and the proximity to the UK – it’s only six and half hours flying time – during the off season means that it could become like Florida where they hold baseball spring training.” While no official sponsor has yet been found, Jackson is in talks with several interested parties.The highlight of the event is what is believed to be the first competitive Roses match outside the UK (the sides met in a friendly in South Africa last year).The organisers will also be staging an Under-19s school tournament at the same time. It will feature sides from Worth, Wellington, Eastbourne and St Bedes in a round-robin 40-over competition.

Sachin Tendulkar could have a stake in the ownership of the Mumbai team that will be part of the Indian Premier League (IPL), according to reports in the media.The Kishore Biyani-owned Future Group, which has expressed an interest in becoming a franchisee of the IPL, is in talks with Tendulkar to jointly bid for the Mumbai side, a report in the said.The Future Group and the Manipal Group, the report said, have already entered into a joint venture with Tendulkar for their new sports initiative; the launch of a variety of products in the health supplement, sports goods, fitness equipment and lifestyle accessories categories.The products are set to be marketed under names S Drive and Sach, which would be retailed across the multiple Future Group formats like Big Bazaar, Central, Planet Sports and Manipal Cure & Care.A stake in the Mumbai team would ensure Tendulkar a fixed fee on an annual basis and a variable component depending on the team’s profits. It would also mean that the team could use Tendulkar’s presence to attract other cricketers.However, Future Group and Tendulkar’s management team have both brushed aside these suggestions.Rajiv Shukla, BCCI vice-president and a member of the IPL’s governing council, also ruled out the possibility of Tendulkar owning a team. “He [Tendulkar] is playing, so where does the question of buying a team comes from? When someone is playing, how can he buy a team?” Shukla told Times Now, a news channel. MP Pandove, the BCCI’s joint secretary, expressed similar views: “Any player contracted with the board can’t have stakes in participating teams.”The IPL is scheduled to be held next April and the sale of its television rights in the near future is expected to see stiff competition. The IPL governing council has invited three broadcasters – ESPN-Star, Nimbus Sports and Sony Entertainment Television – for a presentation concerning the rights on November 17.

Rahul Dravid has declared himself ready to open in the Boxing Day Test against Australia and he believes India’s promising middle-order prospects can no longer be ignored. While Dravid would not confirm if the plan was set in stone, India gave a strong indication of their strategy by sending him in with Wasim Jaffer to begin their rain-affected tour match against Victoria.Dravid survived the 158 minutes of play that were possible, reaching 33 not out, and a move to the top of the order in the Test might open the door for Yuvraj Singh to retain his place after he made 169 in the final Test against Pakistan earlier this month. Sachin Tendulkar did not play in that match and will need to slot back in, leaving the selectors to ponder the make-up of their batting order.”We’ve had a very strong middle order over these years, a lot of the same people have played in the middle order a lot,” Dravid said. “We’ve got a lot of good young middle-order batsmen coming in who can’t really be ignored.”Three of his top-order colleagues fell around him and the Junction Oval but Dravid was typically careful, happy just to spend some time at the crease after his disappointing Test series against England and Pakistan. In the three Pakistan Tests he felt he didn’t have “the rub of the green”, and scored 38, 34, 50, 8 not out, 19 and 42.”It’s been a strange series in the sense I got a few starts, maybe played a couple of average shots as well,” Dravid said. “I’ve spent a bit of time in the middle so I feel like I’m playing well, I’m moving my feet and batting well.”But he will have to take that confidence into the unfamiliar role of opener in the first Test, and if Melbourne’s thundery weather continues as expected on Friday and Saturday his preparation might be very limited. Dravid has opened 13 times in Tests, averaging 33.54, and he has not filled the role since February 2006.”I’ve batted all my career in different positions,” he said. “Batting at three you probably come in early a few times as well, but it is a little different. It’s a little bit with the mindset, you’re used to batting in a particular position.”Right from the time I was in school I played in the middle order so you get used to something like that. But as a professional cricketer and as a professional sportsman you’re adaptability is important. The critical thing for me is the changeover – you have just ten minutes [between innings].”India’s impressive results last time they toured Australia – the 2003-04 series was drawn 1-1 – came largely through strong batting and Dravid conceded he would be under pressure to maintain that standard if he opens in the Tests. “As we showed last time if we can get through the early part with the new ball without the loss of too many wickets, we’ve got the kind of batting and people who can make it count later on,” he said.The three-day warm-up match in Melbourne was reduced to only the post-lunch session as heavy rain bookended the day’s play. A torrential downpour came right on tea and the Junction Oval was almost completely under water, but within an hour and a half the rain had stopped and the grass was again visible.Dravid said it would be disappointing if India’s only practice match was washed out ahead of the first Test in what he called the most challenging tour of all. Last time they visited Australia India had good weather for their two tour matches before the series began, and Dravid said that preparation was ideal.”We would definitely have liked more than one warm-up game,” he said. “[But] international cricket is cramped nowadays. We’ll just have to do the best with what we’ve got.”