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Former India captain Sourav Ganguly has said that retirement should not be forced upon the senior players

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Sep-2011Kapil Dev, the former India captain, has said the selectors need to rotate the seniors – Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman – in the Test team so that the younger players can be given opportunities without weakening the side too much.”All three seniors – Tendulkar, Dravid and Laxman – should not play together in a single Test,” Kapil told Indian news channel Aaj Tak. “Two of them can play and one can be rested so that a youngster can be tested in his place. In this manner, we can give a chance to a talented youngster without taking too much risk and making too many changes all of a sudden.”Kapil also said the selectors needed to take tough calls and wanted an orderly phasing out of the senior players. “It is the selectors who will have to take a call on their retirement,” he said. “A player never likes to retire. Selectors should see the bigger picture and take a tough decision. But, they [selectors] should do this while giving full respect to these seniors.”Tendulkar and Dravid are both 38, while Laxman is 37. Dravid was Man of the Series during the recent Tests in England, scoring 461 runs at an average of 76.83. Tendulkar and Laxman, though, had poor tours, averaging 34.12 and 22.75.Sourav Ganguly, however, said retirement should not be forced on the senior players because India did not have the talent to replace them at the moment. “Players like Tendulkar, Dravid and Laxman should decide on their own when it comes to taking a call on quitting the game,” Ganguly said. “The day their performance drops, they will leave on their own.”Ganguly had retired from international cricket after the Test series against Australia at home in 2008, at a time when there was pressure on the seniors and an influx of youth in the Indian limited-overs sides. No batsman, however, has been able to fill the gap Ganguly left in Test middle-order, with neither Yuvraj Singh nor Suresh Raina cementing their spots.”It is good to see youngsters perform so well in the shorter format but I am more worried about Tests,” Ganguly said. “We haven’t seen anyone who can challenge these seniors. Definitely, the time hasn’t come to phase out seniors in Tests.”Kapil, however, disagreed with Ganguly’s view. “Everyone knows that it is not going to be easy to find replacements for the likes of Tendulkar, Dravid and Laxman. It is going to be extremely difficult. But youngsters, even though they might have failed in whatever chances they’ve got till now, have to be given another go.”Actually the problem is not with their [youngsters’] talent. It is their poor fitness level that is letting them down,” Kapil said. “Coach and selectors will have to play a big role in coming times. Youngsters should also learn to take pride in their cricket.”Former India allrounder Madan Lal seconded Kapil’s view, saying the youngsters in the team lacked proper work ethic. He also said Suresh Raina, who averaged 13.12 in the four Tests in England, should not be persisted with.”They [the youngsters] have to up their fitness levels. Players like [Virat] Kohli, [Cheteshwar] Pujara and Rohit [Sharma] will have to be given chances. I will not give another chance to Raina, though, as he has already wasted too many. Instead, Yuvraj [Singh], who hasn’t got much opportunity in Tests, should be tested again.”

The PCB has cranked up the pressure in its dispute with Shahid Afridi by beginning formal disciplinary procedures against the former captain, even as political pressure is brought to bear on the board to resolve the dispute

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Jun-2011The PCB has cranked up the pressure in its dispute with Shahid Afridi by beginning formal disciplinary procedures against the former captain, even as political pressure is brought to bear on the board to resolve the dispute. The board has, as expected, set up a three-member disciplinary committee and directed Afridi to appear before it on June 8, at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.The committee will be chaired by Sultan Rana, director of domestic cricket, and will include Shafiq Ahmed, general manager of domestic cricket, and Usman Wahla, manager of international cricket. Taffazul Rizvi, the board’s legal advisor, will assist the committee.An unusually detailed board press release on Thursday evening spelt out the formal process. A statement from a senior board official also sought to make clear precisely what the issue was, an indication of the fairly high stakes of a very high-profile dispute and the subsequent need to be as transparent as possible.The board said it had responded to Afridi’s defense, in which he had admitted to violating the PCB’s code of conduct by announcing his retirement to the media. “It is painful for us to get involved in a dispute with a cricketer who has been the national team captain until the West Indies series,” PCB COO Subhan Ahmed said in the release. “There are numerous contributions by Shahid Afridi to Pakistan cricket. But I think people need to understand that this is purely a disciplinary issue.”As the body managing cricket in the country we are duty-bound to maintain discipline at all levels. We will ensure that Shahid is given every opportunity to express and defend himself and as such the disciplinary process has been clearly spelt out to avoid any ambiguities”.This administration has sought at every opportunity to strangle what it sees as burgeoning player power; last year they banned or fined seven top players after the Australia tour. Two of them, Younis Khan and Mohammad Yousuf, spent protracted periods out of the side thereafter. But Afridi is a different kettle of fish, not only because he was a captain with some positive results to show, but because of his immense popularity across most of the land; no other player in the side comes close.For this reason, the dispute has become politicised. The day began with Rehman Malik, the country’s interior minister, pledging to get involved in the matter, “I will do whatever I can to resolve this issue, as I am equally a fan of Afridi,” Malik tweeted. ESPNcricinfo understands that pressure has been put on the board from his side but that it has so far been resisted.Ijaz Butt, the PCB chairman, is also politically well-covered – he is appointed directly by the President of the country and board patron Asif Ali Zardari. But the board believes its case, in this matter, to be strong enough to not warrant political intervention from their side, for now at least. Malik has success in such matters in the past, having mediated a peace between former chairman Nasim Ashraf and Shoaib Akhtar in 2008.As part of the disciplinary proceedings, the committee will frame charges, record evidence and hear arguments before announcing its order. Afridi will be allowed to file an appeal against the order, through an appellate tribunal comprising an independent panel of arbitrators maintained by the PCB, and their ruling on the matter would be final.While announcing his ‘conditional’ retirement, Afridi lashed out at the current board and has brewed up a number of storms; he has hit out at former Test opener and current selector Mohammad Ilyas, as well as playing up the regionalism card by attacking a “Lahore lobby” behind his removal. In some reports he has also criticised Intikhab Alam, the team manager. These comments, it is understood, have hardened the board’s stance and resolve in ensuring the disciplinary process is followed through to a logical and legal end.The developments further reduce the chances of Afridi playing for Hampshire in the Friends Life t20; the PCB suspended Afridi’s contract, slapped him with a showcause notice, and revoked the No-Objection Certificate that would have allowed him to turn out for Hampshire. Afridi, keen to get the Hampshire situation resolved quickly, admitted to violating the code and stated his willingness to participate in further disciplinary action. Hampshire have urged the PCB to reconsider the withdrawal of the NOC, but at this stage it looks unlikely.

Essex saw their hopes of taking over as Clydesdale Bank 40 Group C leaders disappear with a dismal batting collapse in a four-wicket defeat by Gloucestershire at Cheltenham

26-Jul-2011
ScorecardEssex saw their hopes of taking over as Clydesdale Bank 40 Group C leaders disappear with a dismal batting collapse in a four-wicket defeat by Gloucestershire at Cheltenham.The visitors plummeted to 52 for 7 on a good batting pitch after winning the toss and it took 34 from Graham Napier and a last wicket stand of 80 between Tim Phillips (58 not out) and Chris Wright (42) to see them to 195 all out. James Fuller returned 4 for 33.That recovery was not enough, though, as the Gladiators put the conditions in perspective by reaching 196 for 6 with five overs to spare, Ian Cockbain (48no) and Kevin O’Brien (41) sharing a stand of 97 for the fifth wicket.It was the Eagles’ first defeat in the competition this season and ensured they stayed below group leaders Somerset, who now have two games in hand. For Gloucestershire it was only their third win and they appear to have no chance of reaching the semi-finals.Four of the Essex wickets fell to players still at school as two 17-year-olds, Matthew Taylor (2 for 46) and Craig Miles (2 for 32) both bowled impressively for a young home pace contingent. Taylor, a left-arm seamer yet to make his first-class debut, disposed of opener Mark Pettini for a duck and Wright, while Miles, a tall right-armer with a high action, sent back Ravi Bopara and Jaik Mickleburgh.Fuller, himself only 21, claimed the key wickets of Owais Shah and Ryan ten Doeschate, as well as those of Tom Westley and opener Adam Wheater, who was injured when colliding with the bowler as he skied a catch to O’Brien.Wheater was due to keep wicket in the absence of Essex skipper James Foster with a twisted ankle, but was still dazed when his side took the field, forcing Pettini to don the gloves. Captain Alex Gidman and Chris Dent gave Gloucestershire a positive start to their reply with a stand of 48 in seven overs before Gidman was caught at point off Wright for 26.Bopara produced a good spell to keep Essex in the game, dismissing Kane Williamson and Chris Taylor , and at 84 for 4 the game was in the balance.But Cockbain and O’Brien looked increasingly confident as they tilted the game back Gloucestershire’s way. And by the time O’Brien, who faced just 48 balls, miscued to mid-on to give Bopara a third wicket, only 15 runs were needed.Cockbain’s 61-ball innings included only four boundaries, but was perfectly paced and crucial to his side. Ed Young finished the game with a six off a free hit after Napier had over-stepped for a no-ball.

Tim Bresnan is likely to miss the three-Test series against Sri Lanka after suffering a torn calf muscle

ESPNcricinfo staff16-May-2011Tim Bresnan is likely to miss the three-Test series against Sri Lanka after suffering a torn calf muscle. He had already been ruled out of Yorkshire’s County Championship match against Lancashire in Liverpool and a scan revealed the full extent of the injury.It is a recurrence of the problem he picked up during the one-day series in Australia, which forced him to fly home to be fit in time for the World Cup. The latest injury occurred during the Championship game against Hampshire last week where Bresnan was on course to bowl Yorkshire to victory after taking 3 for 18.”A rehabilitation and recovery programme will be established in the coming days following further medical assessment,” said an ECB statement.The Hampshire match was Bresnan’s first Championship outing of the season following a winter where he played a key role in the Ashes success and became England’s senior one-day paceman at the World Cup. He earlier impressed with the bat, making 87 to haul Yorkshire out of trouble in the first-innings and hint at the all-round role he could play for England.Even a fit Bresnan may not have featured in Cardiff, though, because England have plenty of pace options to select from. Stuart Broad, who missed the last three Ashes Tests through injury, is expected to slot back into the side while James Anderson and Chris Tremlett were outstanding against Australia.However, the selectors are likely to want some pace-bowling cover in the squad and that will mean an opportunity for one of the England Lions bowlers to step up. Steven Finn and Ajmal Shahzad will both play against Sri Lanka, while Jade Dernbach and the fit-again Graham Onions are also in the squad.

The Board of Directors of the West Indies Cricket Board will meet on Friday and Saturday in Antigua to review the Draft Strategic Plan for 2011-2016

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Mar-2011The board of directors of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) will meet on Friday and Saturday in Antigua to review the Draft Strategic Plan for 2011-2016 which was prepared by the WICB management. The plan will be evaluated by WICB president Julian Hunte, vice-president Whycliffe Cameron and the board directors. Other key issues that will be discussed include the draft Schedule of Cricket for 2011-2012 and the Event Memorandum of Understanding between the WICB and Territorial Boards.The Umpires Pathway document along with a programme for improving the existing skills of ground and pitch curators across the region, the WICB Anti-Doping and Anti-Corruption codes and the Communications and Public Relations Policy are all likely to come up for discussion and approval. The Scotiabank Kiddy Cricket and Digicel Grassroots Cricket programmes targeting youth development will be presented.The WICB will also host its Annual General Meeting on Sunday at the same venue.

ESPNcricinfo previews the first Test between New Zealand and Pakistan in Hamilton

The Preview by Siddhartha Talya06-Jan-2011Match factsFriday, January 7
Start time 11.00 (2200 GMT)Misbah-ul-Haq has helped his side punch above its weight since taking over as captain•Getty ImagesBig PictureJust as two exciting Test series conclude on two different continents, New Zealand and Pakistan begin one of their own in Hamilton. But unlike the Ashes or the South Africa-India Tests which had massive build-ups, drew large audiences and captivated fans, this one is destined to be a sideshow. And that’s because the eyes and ears of the cricketing world would be transfixed on an event in Doha, where the three players suspected of being involved in the spot-fixing controversy will know their fate.As the ICC’s three-man tribunal examines the charges against Salman Butt, Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif, who won Pakistan a Test on their previous tour here, the former team-mates of the tainted trio will do well to retain their focus on the action at the ground. Instability, indiscipline and allegations of corruption have done enough in recent months to deflect attention from the efforts of a Pakistan team trying to rebuild.Under a new captain, Misbah-ul-Haq, and with a set of youngsters who’ve made an encouraging transition to international cricket, Pakistan punched above their weight when they held South Africa to a 0-0 draw, albeit in placid conditions, in the UAE in November. Conditions in New Zealand, traditionally favouring more swing and less palatable for batsmen, present Pakistan with a fresh challenge and an incentive, despite starting underdogs, to motivate themselves and repair some of the reputation sullied by events off the field.New Zealand, too, come in to the series on the back of a better-than-expected performance in their Test series in India, where they were beaten 0-1 in a three-match series. Though their woeful ODI form has prompted changes at the top, with John Wright replacing Mark Greatbatch as coach, their past performance in Tests, with Brendon McCullum’s success at the top of the order, the emergence of Kane Williamson and the reliability of Chris Martin, would give them plenty of hope in home conditions.Form guide(Most recent first)
Pakistan: DDLWL
New Zealand: LDDLL
Watch out for…Brendon McCullum’s promotion to the opening slot yielded a double-century against India and he warmed up for this series in ideal fashion, smashing Pakistan around in the tour game to make 206. Pakistan don’t have the services of Asif and Amir but Umar Gul, with his pace and ability to swing the ball, can be just as aggressive as McCullum. Who will win the battle?Misbah-ul-Haq took over the reins of the Test side in a time of turmoil but led by example in the series against South Africa in the UAE, scoring three half-centuries in four innings to save both Tests. He led the way again with an unbeaten century in the tour match. Much will depend on him and Younis Khan, the senior members in the side, to preserve the focus on the performance on the field. They did that well in the UAE, they’ll need to do it again.Pitch and conditionsThere is rain forecast for Friday, though the past few days in Hamilton have been quite warm. The possibility of overcast conditions on the opening day does provide the temptation of fielding first, but Hamilton, traditionally, has been among the better tracks for batting in the country.”I’d like to have a little bit in it but also in the back of my mind is that if it gets really humid, the ball can swing a lot, and it has been really humid here,” Karl Johnson, the curator at Seddon Park, was quoted as saying to . “I don’t want the wicket to swing and have a lot of zip and movement off the track, but obviously the bowlers would like that,”Team newsSaeed Ajmal, the offspinner, had to return home to attend his father’s funeral and is likely to miss the first Test. That leaves Abdur Rehman, the left-arm spinner, as the only slow-bowling option. Sohail Tanvir, the left-arm seamer who was a late addition to the squad and picked up four wickets in the tour game, could share the new ball with Gul.Pakistan (probable): 1 Mohammad Hafeez, 2 Taufeeq Umar, 3 Azhar Ali, 4 Younis Khan, 5 Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), 6 Asad Shafiq, 7 Adnan Akmal (wk), 8 Abdur Rehman, 9 Umar Gul, 10 Sohail Tanvir, 11 Wahab Riaz.Andy McKay, the left-arm seamer, is out due to a side strain and Daryl Tuffey has been called in to the 13-man squad. Wicketkeeper Reece Young, picked in place of Gareth Hopkins, will make his Test debut. Jesse Ryder, who didn’t feature in the warm-up match, is expected to return.New Zealand (possible): 1 Tim McIntosh, 2 Brendon McCullum, 3 Martin Guptill, 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Jesse Ryder, 6 Kane Williamson, 7 Daniel Vettori (capt), 8 Reece Young (wk), 9 Tim Southee, 10 Brent Arnel/ Daryl Tuffey, 11 Chris Martin.Stats and triviaNew Zealand’s batting average over the last two years of 31.47 is much higher than Pakistan’s 26.40, but their bowling average of 44.34 is only marginally better than that of West Indies and Bangladesh.For a comprehensive statistical preview to the Test and the series, click here.Quotes”I think with Tim we’ve either done really well or we’ve not done well at all, so we’ve got to try and gain some more consistency between us.”
McCullum on his opening partnership with Tim McIntosh.”We are not thinking about what has happened in the last 12 months, we are just thinking about today and tomorrow and what is coming next. We are ready for that. We just have to forget everything else and focus on what is coming now.”
Misbah-ul-Haq insists his team his focused.

Tom Beaton’s battling and unbeaten 72 helped Western Australia to a 377-run lead on the third day of their Sheffield Shield match against South Australia

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Feb-2011
Scorecard
Promising batsman Tom Beaton helped Western Australia take control at the WACA•Getty Images20-year-old Tom Beaton’s unbeaten 72 helped Western Australia to a 377-run lead on the third day of their Sheffield Shield match against South Australia. Alongside a half-century from captain Marcus North, it helped Western Australia take firm control despite four wickets Peter George.Coming into the day, Western Australia were sitting on a 72-run lead with nine wickets in hand and had to rebuild after losing nightwatchman Michael Beer early in the day. No. 4 to No. 9 all made good starts but it was only North and Beaton who passed 45.At one stage, when North fell, Western Australia were 6 for 211 with South Australia well in the game, but Beaton found solid support form Luke Ronchi, in a 37-run stand and then shared a bright stand with Nathan Coulter-Nile, who swished seven boundaries in his 41-ball 35. By the time he fell to the impressive George, Western Australia were well in control with a lead of 365.With his job now done with the bat, Coulter-Nile and his fellow bowlers have to finish off the match on the final day.

With Virender Sehwag gone, Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel gave India a South African welcome – one that involved tenderizing gloves, bruising bodies and the smell of lacquer and leather

The Bulletin by George Binoy16-Dec-201038.1 overs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball-details
Gautam Gambhir had the hardest time against the South African fast bowlers•AFPIt lasted three deliveries. After weeks of anticipation, and a four-and-a-half-hour rain delay, the duel between Dale Steyn and Virender Sehwag ended the moment the batsman touched the ball at SuperSport Park. Anti-climatic it may have been, but the South Africans were in raptures. With Sehwag gone, Steyn and Morne Morkel gave India a hostile welcome – one that involved tenderising gloves, bruising bodies and the smell of lacquer and leather. India were hustled and hurried by bouncers, but it was the fuller follow-up delivery that brought South Africa the wickets.The Indians had spent a week at Gary Kirsten’s academy in Cape Town customising their preparation for today but no simulation could match the reality of Steyn and Morkel. The batsmen were unable to score – even if only to get off strike, to deny the bowler consecutive deliveries at a particular player and the time to execute plans. Of 122 deliveries bowled in the first session, 101 were dots and India’s accomplished line-up continued to underperform in their bogey country.Overnight and early-morning downpours had dampened conditions, prompting Graeme Smith, with an attack far classier than India’s previous opponents New Zealand, to put India in. The first delivery set the tone: Steyn hit Gautam Gambhir’s back pad and a close lbw appeal was denied. Sehwag shouldered arms twice in Steyn’s opening over, and in the bowler’s second, he attempted to flay the ball through cover point. It moved away a fraction and flew off the edge to Hashim Amla, placed at third man for precisely that. Steyn 1, Sehwag 0, India 1 for 1 and stunned.Gambhir was perhaps lucky on 1, when a ripsnorter from Morkel rose from a length and sped towards his face. Gambhir began to sway and then fended helplessly. The ball appeared to kiss the glove and was pouched by Mark Boucher, but umpire Steve Davis shook his head. Morkel had touched speeds of 150kph during his first spell and was perhaps just too quick.The reprieve cost South Africa only four runs, perhaps the hardest runs Gambhir has made. Morkel pounded in from round the wicket, pitched the ball short of a length, angled it into the left-hander, targeting the body and sometimes the head. Pinned to the crease without room outside off, Gambhir ducked and defended in discomfort.There was no respite against Steyn either. Following a brief exchange of words, Steyn let rip. Gambhir took his eyes off the bouncer and took the ball on his back. The next ball was fuller, moved away from the left-hander, and beat the tentative poke outside off stump. Gambhir was soon put out of his misery, though, and it was the follow-up ball to the bouncer that got him. Having been cornered by the short-pitched attack from Morkel, he drove at a fuller one with poor footwork, and edged to first slip.Dravid had appeared the most comfortable, relatively speaking, taking his bottom hand off the bat to fend off rising deliveries, careful to leave anything outside off, and compact while playing deliveries aimed at his body. Morkel then got one to jag sharply into him from outside off. Dravid was caught on the crease, hit on the pad and Morkel was celebrating his 100th Test wicket, having reduced India to 27 for 3.The smattering of rain-resistant spectators gave Sachin Tendulkar a warm reception and he responded to adversity by taking on the less-threatening Lonwabo Tsotsobe. Tendulkar pulled him twice for fours from outside off stump, drove fluently through cover and guided to third man. Neither Tendulkar nor VVS Laxman was tested much by South Africa’s support act, but their respite was fleeting and ended soon after the break for tea.Tendulkar continued to attack Steyn, edging past his stumps before driving through extra cover and cutting past point – all for boundaries. Steyn responded with two similar deliveries, on a good length, straight and fast. The first beat Laxman’s flick from the crease and uprooted middle stump. The second beat Tendulkar’s flick from the crease and hit the pad, otherwise it too would have uprooted middle stump. Between those dismissals Suresh Raina, who appeared brittle as a leaf in a thunderstorm, had edged Jacques Kallis to third slip. India, at 71 for 6, were being cooked on a .Harbhajan Singh fought, as he usually does, but a trigger movement towards leg as the fast bowlers attacked him betrayed nervousness. He hit the day’s first six, clouting Tsotsobe over long-on, before losing his grip on the bat while attempting a third to be run out. The tailenders had no chance against the barrage, and only Dhoni, with his awkward movements, threw a few counterpunches.Rain had threatened to ruin the opening day of the series, the terrific efforts of the groundstaff had ensured it wasn’t washed out, and similar efforts from South Africa’s fearsome new-ball attack ensured that lost time was made up.

Steven Finn believes he is ready to step up the intensity as England build towards the first Test in Brisbane later this month

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Nov-2010Steven Finn believes he is ready to step up the intensity as England build towards the first Test in Brisbane later this month, and expects the crowd at Adelaide for Thursday’s second warm-up match against South Australia to play their part in trying to unsettle an unusually issue-free England squad.England’s victory in their opening first-class warm-up match in Perth last week was the first time in 45 years that they had launched an Ashes tour with a win, and Finn played an important part in that effort, having overcome a tricky first spell to return decent match figures of 3 for 115 in 34 overs.”We copped a bit of abuse at the WACA last week in that last innings,” Finn told reporters in Adelaide. “It’s something we’re prepared for, we’ll embrace and we’re going to try to enjoy. Friendly banter is good – to make sure we’re accessible as people, we’re human beings as well, and everyone’s got a sense of humour.”You can see the funny side when people are chirping you. It’s part of what we have to expect as international cricketers, and to be able to deal with that is important.”While he couldn’t claim to be entirely happy with his efforts, Finn was nevertheless pleased that he was able to adjust his length to suit the WACA wicket, having started the game with a length that was far too full for the conditions. By the final day, however, he had settled into a decent rhythm that boded well for future challenges.”I slid around in the footholds in the first innings a little bit – but I don’t want to make excuses,” said Finn. “I’m not the sort of person who is going to sit there and say it was because of the footholds I was bowling full.”It might have contributed. But I didn’t bowl well in my first spell and went for three or four an over – which is something I don’t want to do in Australia. I adapted and managed to bowl better lengths. It’s important that process happens quicker in future.”With 32 wickets in his eight Tests to date, and with an imposing 6’8″ frame that ought to be well-suited to Australia conditions, Finn has been earmarked as a vital part of England’s attack, even though he has never before set foot in the country. With that in mind, he is trying not to worry about getting everything right at once.”I was happy with how I bowled towards the end of the first innings,” he said. “It was that first spell that I wasn’t happy with at all. But I’m 21 years old, and understand that I’m going to be inconsistent every now and again. But it’s important that I don’t settle for that and I try to make myself better each time I go out and bowl – and learn every time too.”England are expected to name an unchanged side for the South Australia match, with Alastair Cook the only major concern form-wise, following his scores of 5 and 9 at the WACA. However, England’s coach, Andy Flower, dismissed any doubts, saying: “It’s one game, two innings. I think he’s going to do well.”

The elite spin of Graeme Swann could be the difference between England and Australia in the upcoming Ashes series, according to one of Australia’s most successful Test offspinners, Ashley Mallett

Brydon Coverdale14-Oct-2010The elite spin of Graeme Swann could be the difference between England and Australia in the upcoming Ashes series, according to one of Australia’s most successful Test offspinners, Ashley Mallett. He believes the selectors should throw Steven Smith in to the side to help Nathan Hauritz, who took six wickets at 65.00 during his disappointing tour of India.Hauritz was barely a threat against India’s strong batting line-up and on the final day of the series, he bowled to a field so defensive that Shane Warne aired his frustration via Twitter. There were also reports of conflict between Hauritz and the captain Ricky Ponting over the line he should bowl, and in the second innings in Bangalore he conceded more than a run a ball.In Hauritz’s defence, few Australian spinners have thrived in India, where even Warne battled for 34 Test wickets at an average of 43.11. One of the best performers was Mallett, who, in five Tests in India claimed 28 victims, and he said the presence of Swann in England’s attack was one of the factors that would go against Australia in the Ashes.”The way it’s shaping I reckon England are going to win the series pretty easily,” Mallett told ESPNcricinfo. “They’ve got a genuine No. 1 spinner, a pretty good attack and they’ve got a pretty good balance in their batting. They’ve got to be favourites.”[Hauritz] has always had a very good temperament, but whether he’s world-class, that’s another thing. They’re crying out for a spinner that’s genuine Test class at the moment. Steve Smith has got to play. I’d play him as a batsman anyway, in front of [Marcus] North, against England.”Mallett said using Smith as a second slow bowler would be a good way to continue his transition into Test cricket without the pressure of being the lead spinner, after he made his first two appearances against Pakistan in England in July. And Mallett believes Hauritz deserves further opportunities, especially with “not much” high-quality spin on the domestic scene.”I think they should go with Hauritz,” Mallett said. “He’s bowled steadily without being an absolute world-beater. He’s been a good support bowler and has kept it pretty tight. He bowled well in England and bowled well last summer in Australia. Okay, he’s had a few downers in India but we’re not playing India in India, we’re playing England in Australia.”The difference in conditions should lift the spirits of Hauritz, who picked up his first two five-wicket hauls during last summer’s home series against Pakistan. Although India is traditionally regarded as the perfect place to bowl spin due to the favourable pitches it is not always as simple as it seems, as the left-armer Ray Bright found during Australia’s 1986 tour.”It’s not all that easy,” Bright said. “You’ve got the heat and humidity, which make gripping the ball difficult. At times the lack of pace and bounce in the wicket makes your margin of error very minimal, so at times you have to bowl tighter length and lines to get through that.”And traditionally India have been magnificent players of spin bowling. They’re used to playing good quality spin bowling all the time and they’re quick on their feet, whether it be going forward or back, so they make you change your length quite often. That can be a difficult part of bowling in those conditions.”Bright, who sees plenty of Australian domestic cricket in his role as a Victoria selector, described Hauritz’s efforts in Test cricket over the past two years as “outstanding”. However, he also believes the national selectors missed an opportunity in Bangalore to give Smith more exposure at the highest level, given that the Border-Gavaskar Trophy was already lost.”He [Smith] needs to bowl a lot more and this is the problem – they take him to India and he doesn’t bowl in matches,” Bright said. “He could have been playing Shield matches but they’ve taken him over there and sat him on the bench. For the development of a spin bowler, you don’t get any better by not bowling.”Both Hauritz and Smith will remain in India over the next couple of weeks for Australia’s one-day series, before they return home to acclimatise back to Australian conditions ahead of the Ashes. England will have just as much opportunity to warm up, with three tour games scheduled before the first Test.