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A round-up of Group A matches played in the World Twenty20 qualifiers on November 24

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Nov-2013
ScorecardDamian Crowley’s unbeaten 61 held the Italy innings together•ICC/Getty

In what was a two-horse race to the World Twenty20 2014, Ireland thumped Hong Kong by 85 runs. Now, Ireland, as group-toppers, will play in the showpiece event regardless of what happens in the playoffs that follow this round of matches. Hong Kong, the No. 2 team in the group, will have to bring their A-game to those playoffs in order to edge closer to Bangladesh 2014.Ireland elected to bat, and were solid all through their innings. Openers William Porterfield and Paul Stirling laid the platform with 91 in 10 overs, and Kevin O’Brien launched from that platform. He slammed an unbeaten 62 from 27 balls, with three fours and five sixes to power Ireland past the 200-run mark.Faced with a target of 208, Hong Kong were hardly ever in the game. Stirling continued to be a thorn in their side, as he picked up four wickets – of which three were of top-order batsmen – with his offspin in a miserly spell. If Hong Kong haboured any hopes of chasing down the stiff target, Stirling’s figures of 4-0-10-4 crushed them. They were eventually bowled out in the 18th over, 85 runs shy of Ireland’s total.Alongside Hong Kong, the teams from Group A that will be dependent on the results of the playoffs to progress further are UAE, Namibia and Italy.
ScorecardThe contest for the fifth spot in Group A between Canada and Italy ended in favour of the latter, in spite of Canada’s five-wicket win. An earlier abandoned game gave Italy a one-point advantage over Canada, who lifted themselves from the last place on Group A to finish sixth with the win.Italy chose to bat in a match delayed by rain and lost three wickets in the first five overs to stumble to 15 for 3. Their bid for a competitive total was given a boost by a 39-run sixth-wicket stand – the only substantial partnership of the innings – between captain Damian Crowley and Alessandro Bonora. Crowley made an unbeaten half-century, and also provided a late thrust – 20 came in less than two overs at the end to help the team past 100. They finished at 104 for 6.Canada’s reply was equally shaky at the start – they were 14 for 3 in the fifth over – but a 73-run stand between Rizwan Cheema and Jimmy Hansra set the platform for the win. The stand lasted nearly 12 overs before Hansra was dismissed for 32. Cheema fell off the very next ball but, by then, Canada had drawn close and they achieved the target with four balls to spare
ScorecardUganda’s hopes of a fifth-place spot were undone by their 38-run loss to Namibia. A victory would have brought them level with Italy, taking the equation between the two sides into net run rate, but Uganda failed to overhaul the 126-run target set by Namibia.Quick wickets pegged Namibia back at the start of their innings, after they won the toss and chose to bat. A 62-run fourth-wicket stand between Nicolaas Scholtz and Namibia captain Sarel Burger rescued the innings and the side eventually finished at a competitive 125 for 7.Two wickets in the third over of the chase and another one in the fourth meant that Uganda were reeling at 13 for 3 early on. A 22-run stand between wicketkeeper Phillimon Selowa and Davis Arinaitwe temporarily stemmed the flow of wickets, but the pair of Bernard Scholtz and Louis van der Westhuizen chipped away at the Uganda batting line-up as they finished at 87 for 9. Bernard Scholtz finished with figures of 3 for 18 in four overs, while van der Westhuizen took 3 for 12 in his quota.
ScorecardIn a match that had little riding on its result, UAE handed USA their fifth loss of the tournament. That meant USA finished at the bottom of Group A. UAE put up a total of 151 for 5, built around an unbeaten knock of 61 by captain Khurram Khan. USA were off to a decent start in the chase, with openers Steven Taylor and Fahad Babar adding 41, but UAE picked up regular wickets once their partnership was broken. In what was a very effective all-round showing, Khurram picked up three wickets with his left-arm spin to finish with the best figures for UAE. With wickets falling every time it looked like a partnership was developing, USA could not keep up with the required rate and fell 14 runs short.

Former Test cricketers Richard Hadlee, Martin Snedden and Geoff Allott are among eight recommended people likely to be voted in as NZC’s new board of directors

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Sep-2013

Former Test cricketers Richard Hadlee, Martin Snedden and Geoff Allott are among eight recommended people who are likely to be voted in as New Zealand Cricket’s new board of directors.To be elected, each candidate needs more than 50% of the votes cast by the delegates representing all Major Associations and District Associations at a Special General Meeting in Auckland on September 19.The other five recommendations, selected by an appointments panel, were Greg Barclay, Neil Craig, Liz Dawson, Stuart Heal and Don Mackinnon, all of whom have experience in sport and corporate administration and governance. Barclay, Heal and Mackinnon are current NZC directors seeking re-election. The three former cricketers also have extensive experience in administration of the sport.”It was a difficult job selecting the eight candidates from a range of quality nominees,” NZC president Stephen Boock said. “I am confident that through this thorough process we have found a group of people with the combined skillsets to drive cricket forward in this country.”The upcoming vote is an outcome of the new NZC constitution that was approved in July.

Northamptonshire 150 for 8 (Crook 63, Arafat 3-21) beat Somerset 140 for 8 (Kieswetter 38, Azharullah 3-16) by 10 runs
ScorecardSteven Crook struck 63 in just 36 balls•Getty Images

Northamptonshire moved top of the group in the Friends Life t20 after clinching a narrow 10-run victory over Somerset at Wantage Road.Rejuvenated Northamptonshire continued their impressive season with a fifth win in six matches and heaped more pressure on struggling Somerset after defending just 150 for 8 in front of their home fans. Somerset, who have reached Finals Day in each of the last four years, have work to do if they are to maintain their fine record in the competition and have now lost three of their opening five group fixtures.They made a dream start to the match when, after losing the toss, Pakistani pace bowler Yasir Arafat removed dangerous Northants duo Richard Levi and Cameron White in the first over of the match. Arafat became the leading wicket-taker in the domestic T20 competition when he pinned Levi lbw and then had White caught in the deep.Somerset remained on top and it wasn’t until all-rounder Steven Crook came out to bat that Northants gave themselves hope. Crook, in excellent form, cleared the boundary four times during his entertaining innings of 63 from just 36 balls and ensured Northants reached a competitive total.In reply, Somerset openers Marcus Trescothick and Craig Kieswetter put the visitors ahead of the rate with a breezy 38-run partnership inside five overs before Crook continued his inspirational evening with the breakthrough wicket of Trescothick. The Northamptonshire fightback continued the following over when pace bowler Muhammad Azharullah removed Peter Trego and Nick Compton without scoring.Kieswetter and Jos Buttler kept Somerset in contention and the latter appeared to be taking Somerset over the line before he was run out in the penultimate over following a mix-up with Arafat. That wicket signalled the end of Somerset’s hopes and Azharullah made Alfonso Thomas his third wicket at the death to end with 3 for 16 from his four overs.

An unreal Kieron Pollard blitz transformed a daunting run rate into a cakewalk for Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede

The Report by Andrew Fidel Fernando13-May-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsKieron Pollard – 66* off 27 balls, 8 sixes•BCCIAn unreal Kieron Pollard blitz transformed a daunting run chase into a cakewalk for Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede, as he tore the match from Sunrisers Hyderabad’s grip in a seven-ball stretch that yielded 36. At the end of the assault, Mumbai dethroned Chennai Super Kings and rose to No.1.Sixes rained down on a delirious Mumbai crowd, whom for much of the run chase may have anticipated the hosts’ first loss at home this season. But with 62 needed from the last four overs, 29 was plundered in the 17th from Thisara Perera, in which he bowled three balls in Pollard’s slot and was duly smashed over the straight boundary three times, after Rohit Sharma had already hit a six earlier in the over.Pollard had had no answer to an intense Dale Steyn, who conceded only four runs in the 16th over, making a turnaround seem all the more unlikely. But Sunrisers’ supporting cast could not muster death-over competence, and the 21-runs off Amit Mishra’s 18th over effectively sealed the match for Mumbai. Having been 9 runs off 10 balls at the end of Steyn’s over, Pollard finished with 66 from 27, ending the match with two massive leg-side sixes off Perera, whose confidence was clearly shattered by then. Pollard bludgeoned eight sixes in all, and one four, and despite Steyn’s final over going for only five, Mumbai reaped 67 from the last 21 balls of the match.The late heroics had followed 16 overs of somewhat meandering batting from Mumbai, who attacked in bursts, but seemed largely content to allow the asking rate to mount – perhaps anticipating a late rally, though even they could not have imagined that Pollard would be so punishing nor Sunrisers so generous. Having been relatively cautious towards the start of his innings, Sachin Tendulkar had looked set to accelerate through the middle overs, but he hurt his bottom hand after striking Karan Sharma over long-on for six, and was forced to retire hurt for 38 off 31 balls. Dinesh Karthik chipped in a 30 off 23 balls, and helped keep wickets in hand, which paid rich dividends in the final countdown for the hosts.Sunrisers’ 178 for 3 had been set up by Shikhar Dhawan, who hit 59 from 41 at the start of the innings, and finished by Cameron White, who blasted 43 from 23. Dhawan prospered square of the off stump, as the Mumbai bowlers continued to indulge him outside the off stump throughout the innings. He found success elsewhere as well, slamming Pragyan Ojha over cow corner in his first over, before reverse-sweeping him powerfully to the fence in his next. He reached his fifty with a open-faced drive through the covers off Lasith Malinga, but was dismissed not long after, yielding the floor to White. However, Sunrisers scored only 33 off their last four overs, while Mumbai doubled that during their surge to victory.Sunrisers must now win both their remaining games to stand a decent chance of making the playoffs.

Shane Watson is considering his future in the game after being axed from the squad for the Mohali Test on disciplinary grounds

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Mar-2013Shane Watson is contemplating his future in the game after being axed from the squad for the Mohali Test on disciplinary grounds and then leaving the tour to be with his pregnant wife. Watson was one of four players punished by the team management for ignoring team orders.Since being named Michael Clarke’s vice-captain in 2011, Watson’s Twenty20 and ODI displays have remained strong but his Test appearances have been neither consistent nor convincing. His struggles in India despite being one of only two batsmen to have made a Test hundred on the subcontinent were a major contributor to Australia’s 0-2 deficit.There is little doubt Watson’s T20 career will continue for he is scheduled to return to India in April for the IPL, where he had also indicated he would return to bowling for his franchise rather than his country. In ODIs he has the lure of the 2015 World Cup to sustain him. But it is now plausible that at 31 he has played his final Test match.”Any time you’re suspended for a Test match unless you do something unbelievably wrong, and obviously everyone knows what those rules are … I think it is very harsh,” Watson told reporters at the team hotel in Chandigarh. “At this point in time I’m at a stage where I’m sort of weighing up my future and what I want to do with my cricket in general, to be honest. I do love playing, there is no doubt about that, but at this point in time I’m going to spend the next few weeks with my family and just weigh up my options of just exactly which direction I want to go.”There are lot more important things in life – I certainly do love playing cricket and that passion is still there and I feel like I’m in the prime years of my cricket career. From that perspective I still feel like I’ve got a lot to give. But from a holistic perspective I’ve got to sit down with my family and decide which directions they are.”Watson, along with James Pattinson, Usman Khawaja and Mitchell Johnson were told this morning by the coach Mickey Arthur that, in an unprecedented decision, they would not be considered for the third Test. After the loss in Hyderabad, inside three and a half days, Arthur had asked every member of the squad to let him know three points on how their individual performances and those of the team could be improved. These four players did not comply with the directive.Watson said he had been going to tell the team management that he would need to miss the fourth Test to be with his wife, who is due at the end of the month, but had been informed of his axeing before he could do so. “I was about to communicate that to Mickey and the leadership group today but they obviously beat me to it by telling me I wasn’t selected for this Test match,” he said. “Also overnight, things have changed and Lee wasn’t going to tell me things had changed because she knew how much it meant to me to be able to play this Test match. It was due in a couple of weeks but it’s looking like things have sped up a little bit.”With four players unavailable, Australia’s squad is down to 13 players for the Mohali Test, and if wicketkeeper Matthew Wade’s ankle does not heal, they will have to pick a team from 12.

Former Indian captain says India haven’t addressed the long-standing issue

PTI23-Sep-2021The lack of quality pace-bowling support for veteran fast bowler Jhulan Goswami remains a matter of concern for the India women’s cricket team, thinks former India captain Anjum Chopra.Regarded as one of the greatest fast bowlers of all time in the women’s game, Goswami began her international career nearly two decades ago and, at 38-years-old, is still among India’s frontline pace options.”No bowler to complement for Jhulan… that’s been there for a long, long time,” Chopra told PTI. “That remains a concern for the team, to not have a supporting role alongside Jhulan Goswami. Whereas many teams are looking to field three seamers, we are struggling to field two.”Shikha Pandey was not picked for [the series against] South Africa but went to England [earlier this year]. Meghna Singh is there… it’s also about taking those chances for the players.” Twenty-seven-year-old Singh, a fast bowler, is one of three uncapped players included in the India squad for the ongoing tour of Australia.The Indian team management, including head coach Ramesh Powar and batter Smriti Mandhana, have recently stressed on regularly scoring 250-plus in ODIs, and Chopra said it would take work.”A 250-run target doesn’t happen overnight, we need planning, preparation and skill level to get there. It can be 250-plus, 300 or 350. 250 is now a par score as women’s ODI scores have become higher over the past few years,” Chopra said.Chopra, who was the face of women’s cricket in India and played in six World Cup finals, said she wasn’t thinking too far ahead when asked about next year’s ODI World Cup. India are currently touring Australia, where they are engaged in a series comprising three ODIs – Australia won the first one by nine wickets – three T20Is, and a one-off day-night Test.”The series against Australia has just begun, there are a number of matches to go. World Cup is still far ahead. It’s anybody’s game in the World Cup. The World Cup is the next big tournament and all the preparation is towards that. You need game time towards enhancing yourself.”

Jonny Bairstow, who will be charged with the unenviable task of replacing Kevin Pietersen in the series-deciding Test against South Africa at Lord’s, is not the sort to buckle under the pressure according to his Yorkshire and England team-mate Tim Bresnan.Memories of an uncertain Test series against West Indies when he was unsettled by short-pitched bowling from Kemar Roach will be quite enough to cope with as he faces Dale Steyn and Co. and to replace Pietersen, whose absence has attracted such attention, will not make his task any easier.Bresnan suggested that all the fuss will wash over him. “I don’t think he’ll care who’s been dropped or who he’s replaced,” he said. “It’s a chance for him to impress everyone, a chance for him to play in a Test match and a chance for him to show exactly what he can do and show how talented he is.”Bairstow had suffered a lean run of form for Yorkshire after he was dropped from England’s Test side, but an assertive hundred against Australia A at Old Trafford will have restored his self-belief.”He is unbelievably talented and I think he can get runs at this level if he gets a start,” Bresnan said. “All he needs to do is feel a bit of confidence out there and he got that last week against Aussie A. He played really well against a really good attack. He took Mitchell Johnson apart. From what I saw on the highlights he played some unbelievable shots and played the short ball well as well.”Bresnan put Bairstow’s problems against West Indies down to uncertainty about whether his normal aggressive style should have been adopted in a Test at Trent Bridge at a time when Roach was producing a hostile spell with the second new ball in testing conditions, albeit that England were 300 for 4 when he came in to bat.”He just looked in two minds about what to do with it,” Bresnan said. “When I’ve seen him play in county cricket he tends to just smash it in the stand. If that’s his way of doing it then that’s what he needs to do at this level as well.”Maybe in his first Test he decided to do something different when he came up against the West Indies which is nothing new there. It’s just a bit of inexperience creeping in because you don’t want to get caught on the hook in your first Test match. But I think if that’s the way he plays it that’s the way he should play it this week.”Bresnan was the latest England player to be asked his view about the Pietersen rumpus and his response had something for everyone: the ECB were within their rights to take a stance against Pietersen, but he would also have no issues with him coming back into the side if the issues were resolved.”I think the ECB and the management have got to take a stance at some point and it doesn’t necessarily matter what’s going on in the calendar. If they feel the stance is now then the stance is now.”Personally I’ve got no problem with Kevin so yeah, if everyone a lot higher up the pecking order than me says it’s deemed okay for him to come back and play that’s fine by me. It’s the same welcome he’ll get as Jonny got when he joined the squad yesterday.”

أعلن نادي الهلال السوداني برئاسة الفاضل التوم التهامي، اليوم الثلاثاء، عن إرسال خطاب رسمي للاتحاد الإفريقي لكرة القدم “كاف”، بشأن تهديدات جماهير الأهلي قبل المواجهة المرتقبة بين الفريقين.

ومن المقرر أن يحل الهلال السوداني ضيفًا على نظيره الأهلي، يوم 1 أبريل المُقبل، على ملعب استاد القاهرة، ضمن منافسات الجولة السادسة والأخيرة من مرحلة المجموعات لبطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا.

ويحتاج الأهلي للفوز بنتيجة هدف دون رد، من أجل حسم التأهل كوصيف عن المجموعة الثانية، بينما يكفي الفريق السوداني التعادل لخطف بطاقة الصعود رفقة صن داونز إلى دور ربع النهائي.

وادعى مجلس الهلال السوداني أن هناك تهديدات من جماهير الأهلي لبعثة الفريق قبل قدومه إلى القاهرة، وخاطبت إدارة النادي السوداني الاتحاد الإفريقي من أجل إثبات موقفهم قبل اللقاء.

طالع أيضًا | وزارة الرياضة تعلن جاهزية استاد القاهرة لاستضافة مباراة الأهلي والهلال بيان الهلال السوداني

عقد مجلس إدارة نادي الهلال، اجتماعًا بمكتب المهندس الفاضل التوم التهامي، مساعد الرئيس، اليوم الثلاثاء، والذي ترأسه السيد هشام حسن السوباط، عبر تقنية “الفيديو كونفرنس”، وناقش المجلس الوضع الراهن بالنادي، وآخر المستجدات المتعلقة بفريق الكرة، والتحديات الكبيرة التي تنتظره في دور المجموعات بمسابقة أبطال إفريقيا، والبطولة العربية والدوري الممتاز.

وقرر المجلس مخاطبة الاتحاد الافريقي لكرة القدم “كاف”، بواسطة الأمين العام للنادي، وإرفاق كافة الفيديوهات التي تصدر من جماهير الأهلي المصري، ضد نادي الهلال، والتي تدعوا إلى بث ونشر خطاب الكراهية، وإفراغ كرة القدم من معانيها السامية والرفيعة، وحث الاتحاد القاري على القيام بكافة الاجراءات التي تحفظ وتؤمن سلامة بعثة الهلال وجماهيره منذ الوصول إلى القاهرة وحتى المغادرة.

وأمن المجلس على مخاطبة الأمين العام لوزارة الخارجية لإخطار سفير السودان بالقاهرة، بمواعيد وصول البعثة، للقيام بكافة الاجراءات والاتصالات مع جهات الاختصاص، لحفظ أمن وسلامة البعثة وجماهير الهلال منذ الوصول إلى القاهرة وحتى المغادرة.

ووجه المجلس بدخول أعضاء فريق الكرة الأول في معسكر مغلق ابتداءً من الخامس والعشرين من شهر مارس الجاري، حتى المغادرة إلى القاهرة، وفي هذا الإطار ولأهمية المباراة كونها حاسمة ومفصلية، تقرر تواجد المجلس القرب من الجهازين الإداري والفني واللاعبين، وتقديم كافة أنواع الدعم والإسناد اللازم.

وأسند مجلس إدارة نادي الهلال، رئاسة بعثته المتجهة إلى القاهرة لمواجهة الأهلي المصري، للدكتور حسن علي عيسى، الأمين العام للنادي.

وكلف مجلس إدارة نادي الهلال، الدكتور حسن علي عيسى، الأمين العام، بتشكيل لجنة لمراجعة الهيكل الراتب للعاملين بالنادي.

تحدث يورجن كلوب، المدير الفني لفريق ليفربول، بعد الفوز على ولفرهامبتون، بهدفين نظيفين، في لقاء مؤجل من الجولة السابعة ببطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، على ملعب أنفيلد.

وقال كلوب في تصريحات لـ”بي بي سي”: “كنا نعلم أنها ستكون مباراة صعبة، لقد سيطرنا عليها في الكثير من الفترات، كانت هناك مواقف وليست فرصًا، واندفعنا في هذه اللحظات، استعدنا إيقاعنا في الشوط الثاني، كان علينا فقط أن نتحلى بالقوة الدفاعية وأن نستمر في صنع الفرص”.

طالع أيضًا.. فيديو | تقييم محمد صلاح بعد فوز ليفربول على ولفرهامبتون في الدوري الإنجليزي

وأضاف: “بشكل عام قدمنا أداءً دفاعيًا جيدًا الليلة، كان ديوجو جوتا في مركز 10 مهمًا حقًا، دفاعيًا كان لدينا خط عالي وفزنا بتحديات حاسمة، أليسون قام بتصديات مذهلة”.

وتابع: “تلقينا ضربة ضد ريال مدريد، لعبنا شوطًا أول جيدًا حقًا، ثم بدأنا الشوط الثاني بشكل سيء، لقد ظهرنا أكثر استقرارًا اليوم، ولعبنا بشكل أفضل، وعلينا الاستمرار في ذلك، بالنسبة للاعبين على أرض الملعب، كان الهدف واضحًا، لكن يجب أن تظل مركّزًا، سجلنا الهدف الأول بقوة والثاني كان رائعا”.

وعن هدف داروين نونيز الملغي: “أعتقد أنكم جميعًا رأيتم الهدف مرة أخرى، في الإعادة البطيئة يبدو وكأنه التحام، لا يملك اللاعبون إعادة، بالنسبة لهم كان هدفًا واضحًا”.

وأكمل بالحديث عن فيرجيل فان دايك: “نحن جميعًا بحاجة إلى مباراة كهذه وهو بحاجة إليها أيضًا، كانت مباراة صعبة على المدافعين، قام قلبا الدفاع وفابينيو بعمل رائع، كيف غطوا تلك المنطقة، وأفسدوا الهجمات المرتدة، وفي الحيازة على الكرة بدوا جيدين جدا”.

وعن نونيز: “إنه تهديد حقيقي، الهدف الذي سجله كان رد فعل خارق، يستخدم سرعته في كلا الاتجاهين، لا يزال شابا، إنه مهم للغاية بالنسبة لنا”.

ورفع ليفربول رصيده إلى 39 نقطة في المركز السادس، بينما تجمد رصيد ولفرهامبتون عند النقطة 24 في المركز الخامس عشر.

Zaheer Khan, the India medium-pacer, has said he is fit and wants to make a difference on his third tour of Australia, where he has not managed to complete a Test series because of injury. Zaheer played only three Tests on India’s trips to Australia in 2003-04 and 2007-08.”This tour is very important. I want to be the factor which makes the difference as there are so many expectations on me,” Zaheer said after Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy match against Saurashtra ended in Rajkot. “I think I have done enough to get on that flight [to Australia]. And now the next step is to fulfill all those expectations.”Zaheer completed his second Ranji match in successive weeks for Mumbai after deciding to test his fitness. The national selectors had named him as the 17th member India’s Test squad to Australia, subject to Zaheer proving he was fit.On July 21 at Lord’s, the first day of the Pataudi Trophy, Zaheer pulled his right hamstring in the third over of his third spell. Those 13.3 overs were last he bowled in a Test on that tour of England. He bowled three overs in the warm-up game against Northamptonshire but was ruled out of the remainder of the series because of an ankle injury in addition to the hamstring. Zaheer had ankle surgery and returned to competitive cricket only two weeks ago, when Mumbai played Orissa in Cuttack between November 29 and December 1.Against Orissa, Zaheer bowled 22 overs and took 4 for 52 in the match. Mumbai won by an innings and 210 runs. He said he felt good after that game but needed to work on his “bowling rhythm”.In Rajkot, Zaheer had to toil on a flatter pitch against tougher opposition. His match figures of 21-2-82-3 comprised five short spells across two days and he was in the field for 170 overs.”This match it was much better,” Zaheer said about his rhythm. “The more I bowl the better I am going to get. I have bowled around 40-45 overs in the two games. That was the whole idea; I wanted to build it up. What was important was to spend a lot of time on the field. And not by choice, but we managed to spend 170 overs on the field, which was good in a way for me, in terms of getting that lethargy out and getting the feel of it, as that is what Test match cricket is all about.”When asked what he meant by bowling rhythm, Zaheer said, ” [It] all has to come together. Physically I am fine, I am not feeling anything wrong. But I wanted to bowl more to get the co-ordination going in terms of my bowling.”I have done everything possible in discussion with the physios. We chalked out this plan. So far I have been achieving the milestones about eight to ten days before they were to be delivered. That is what the plan was: when I am boarding that flight [to Australia] there are no doubts in my mind whether I am going be able to bowl 20 overs, whether I am going to be able to come back.”On his previous trips to Australia, Zaheer returned home injured without completing the tours. In 2003-04, he missed the second Test due to a hamstring injury, played the third, though it later emerged that he was not fully fit, and then missed the final Test. Four years later, Zaheer took five wickets during India’s 337-run defeat at the MCG. On the eve of the Sydney Test, however, he hurt his left heel during practice and flew home.On this tour, Zaheer has the responsibility of leading an inexperienced bowling attack. Among the other bowlers, only Ishant Sharma has played internationals in Australia. “The way I see it, it all worked out perfectly fine, because I had a four-month break so I could prepare well for this series. In the past, it used to be at the end of the season that I would go to Australia and breakdown. So I am really looking forward to joining the team and to playing my part, and also to helping the youngsters and guiding them in whatever way I can.Zaheer was encouraged by the pace of the younger fast bowlers, such as Umesh Yadav, in India’s squad. “You have seen them bowl at 140-plus kph, which is a good sign. They must enjoy their bowling because it is the early part of their international career. That should work in our favour because you have an experienced bowler in Ishant, and Umesh who is young and is hostile in his approach right now.”The first Test begins on Boxing Day at the MCG and Zaheer said it was important for the bowlers to get used to the bounce in Australia during the two warm-up games. “As far as pitches are concerned there will be bounce on offer,” he said. “That is one thing we would have to deal with. Our bowlers need to get use to the bounce and you need to hit the right lengths as early as possible and make use of the practice matches for that.”