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Sri Lanka A finished the rain-affected first day of the first unofficial Test against New Zealand A on 115 for 3

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Sep-2013
Scorecard
Sri Lanka A finished the rain-affected first day of the first unofficial Test against New Zealand A on 115 for 3, thanks in part to an unbeaten 49 from Kaushal Silva. Rain delayed the start of the match, then returned to interfere after 21 overs, before impeding play for a third and final time, in the afternoon. Only 40 overs were possible in the day.Kusal Perera’s lean trot with the bat did not improve, as he was caught behind for 2 off Mark Gillespie during the fifth over of the day. Gillespie also trapped captain Dinesh Chandimal in front for 6, to finish with the day’s best figures of 2 for 40. Corey Anderson took the other wicket – that of the opener Dimuth Karunaratne.Silva and Ashan Priyanjan had put on an unbeaten stand of 48 when stumps were drawn.

Angelo Mathews brushed off suggestions that Sri Lanka have arrived in England without adequate preparation, but identified his side’s batting as the area of most concern.

ESPNcricinfo staff28-May-2013Angelo Mathews brushed off suggestions that Sri Lanka have arrived in England without adequate preparation, but identified his side’s batting as the area requiring most attention, as they build up to the Champions Trophy with three warm-up matches at Edgbaston.”There has been a little bit of doubt; people kept saying that the boys are in India and they haven’t had good preparation,” Mathews said. “But I want to write it off because we are professionals and we need to get prepared for this kind of tournament because it’s a huge event for everyone, personally and as a team. So I think we’ve done our preparation as a team and individually.”Mathews backed his senior batsmen, like Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara, who failed to perform in the IPL; Sangakkara, in fact, was left out of the playing XI for the second half of the IPL. They were also unable to return to Sri Lanka to train with the remainder of the squad, despite a written request to the BCCI from Sri Lanka Cricket.”I think the senior batsmen have been world class for us. It’s not even a concern when it comes to a tournament like this because they’ve been here, they’ve done it, and I have the confidence in them.” he said “I’m really proud to have these guys in my team because I can get a lot of information and help.”Nine of Sri Lanka’s probable first XI arrived in Sri Lanka piecemeal over the last two weeks. They will now attempt to transition from the slow, turning pitches in the India to conditions better suiting fast bowlers in England, in just over a week.Those who did not travel to India however, played in a practice tournament in Pallekele, which sought to ready Sri Lanka for English conditions by attempting to recreate the seaming pitches they might encounter there”We’ve been playing in low [and] slow conditions and very hot and humid conditions in the past couple months. I think trying to adjust to the conditions is going to be the main challenge.” said Mathews. “Especially early summer is always going to be like this; wet, and it’s going to swing and seam. I think that’s our main challenge as batters especially,”He believed his bowlers would have an easier time adjusting, citing both their experience and their propensity to excel in swinging conditions. Sri Lanka drew an ODI series with Australia in January, where Nuwan Kulasekara, in particular, extracted substantial movement to trouble batsmen, while Thisara Perera and Mathews are also capable of moving the ball off the pitch to good effect.”I think the bowlers have got the firepower. We haven’t got the pace, but we know how to go in these conditions. In one group guys like Lasith Malinga, Perera have got that firepower. Malinga and Kulasekara, have been our strike bowlers the past three or four years, so we bank on them.”Sri Lanka have been one of the most consistent sides in major tournaments, making four ICC finals and a semi-final in the last six years. Mathews could not put his finger on why they have been unable to convert those chances, but was hopeful of maintaining their impressive run in major events.”Most teams won’t be complacent with us, but I think our past consistency is just a platform, because we need to raise the bar a bit. We’ve done pretty well on the big stage, and it’s just that I can’t really point out what went wrong in the finals and semi-finals, but we are hoping to better those performances But I think for now, as a team, we just want to make the maximum out of the first 10 days in England.”

Captain Daryl Mitchell completed the 10th Championship century ofhis career as Worcestershire nudged ahead of Essex in the Division Two table

31-May-2013
ScorecardDaryl Mitchell made the most of a dead game•PA PhotosCaptain Daryl Mitchell completed the 10th Championship century ofhis career as Worcestershire nudged ahead of Essex in the Division Two tableafter a rain-hit draw with their promotion rivals at New Road.With more than 200 overs lost because of the weather, the home side occupiedthe crease throughout the last day with Mitchell making 156 towards adeclaration in the last hour at 351 for 6. This fulfilled all objectives in taking them into a lead of 136 while accruingfour batting points and restricting their opponents to two for bowling.Essex stuck to their task but the ball did not swing as it had done forWorcestershire’s Jack Shantry when the left-arm seamer posted a personal-bestChampionship return of 7 for 69 in dismissing the visitors for a below-par215.There were some uneasy moments for Mitchell early in the day but nothing thatcould shake his temperament as he set about building his first Championshiphundred since last August. The first 50 was easier on the eye, with nine fours in 66 balls, but the nextphase took twice as long as he became becalmed, albeit with less than half ofthe strike, through 15 overs in the 90s.A square drive off Sajid Mahmood took the pressure off as he moved into threefigures with his 15th boundary and there was another change of gear as heaccelerated to a third 50 from 53 balls.After the early season domination by seam bowlers, it was the turn of batsmento enjoy a day in warm sunshine, although for most of the time the scoring ratewas pegged at little better than three runs an over. The only wicket to fall in the morning was that of Matt Pardoe, caught at shortleg for 17 when offspinner Tom Westley nipped in for one over to break an openingstand of 62.However, there was to be a lot more toil for Essex as Mitchell shared in onlythe second and third century partnerships for Worcestershire this season. Moeen Ali hit 10 fours in making 54 out of 127 before he was caught at extracover off Graham Napier and Thilan Samaraweera played with customary efficiencyas the third wicket yielded 107 in 28 overs.Essex finally claimed some reward with the new ball as David Masters took threewickets before Samaraweera, unbeaten with 70, took his team to their target of350 with 13 balls to spare. Masters began his spell by bowling Mitchell afterthe opener had batted for a little over five hours.

A century from Chamu Chibhabha and an unbeaten knock of 80 from wicketkeeper Regis Chakabva helped Mashonaland Eagles secure a draw in a thrilling finish

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Feb-2013
ScorecardChamu Chibhabha’s century on the final day kept Mashonaland Eagles in hunt of a win, but wickets pegged them back•Zimbabwe CricketA fighting century from Chamu Chibhabha and an unbeaten knock of 80 from wicketkeeper Regis Chakabva helped Mashonaland Eagles secure a draw in a thrilling finish against Matabeleland Tuskers in Harare. Chasing 288, Chibhabha’s wicket, which fell 14.2 overs before stumps on the final day, sparked a collapse and Eagles slipped from at 192 for 4 to 218 for 7. Tuskers picked two more wickets, the ninth in the last over of the match, but could not take the final one.The match, over the course of four days, had been evenly contested, with no team scoring more than 269 or less than 250 in any innings. After scoring 268 in the first innings, led by half-centuries from Sean Williams and Bilal Shafayat, Tuskers had reduced Eagles to 55 for 5. Seamer Glen Querl had done most of the damage, taking four of the five wickets. The captain Stuart Matsikenyeri and Chakabva rescued Eagles with a 148-run stand, scoring 78 and 79 respectively. The Eagles were eventually bowled out 18 runs short of their opponents’ score, with seamer Keegan Meth taking six wickets.Tuskers put on a commanding batting performance in their second dig, with another fifty from Shafayat, and decent contributions of 44, 44, 38 and 31 from four of their other top-order batsmen. They declared on 269 for 6 on the final day, before a spirited chase from Eagles looked likely to achieve the target. But left-arm spinner Williams turned the game around with three quick wickets, and the match ended with Tuskers one wicket short of achieving a win.

A round-up of matches played in the President’s One-Day Cup tournament 2012-13 played on April 9, 2013

Umar Farooq09-Apr-2013A Rafatullah Mohmand century helped WAPDA pull off a 76-run victory over United Bank Limited at National Stadium in Karachi. Asked to bat first, WAPDA got off to a flying start, with opener Mohmand (107) and Saad Nasim (75) laying a solid 140-run stand. A brisk 31-ball 62 by Aamer Sajjad, along with Mohammad Ayub (33) powered WAPDA to an imposing 352 for 5. Shabbir Ahmed was the pick of the bowlers, taking two wickets.UBL got off to a decent start, despite losing opener Khaqan Arsal with the score on 19. Saad Sukhail (84) and Imran Ali (70) shared a 147-run stand for the third wicket, but it wasn’t enough to lower the asking rate, with UBL losing wickets on a regular basis. Kashif Bhatti scored a quick fire 37, which included two fours and three sixes, before being dismissed by Kashif Naved, who took best figures of 3 for 19 in five overs. UBL ultimately reached 276 for 8, falling short by 76 runs.Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited wrapped a comfortable eight-wicket victory over Khan Research Laboratories at Lahore City Cricket Association Ground. KRL put on 200 for 9 after being asked to bat first, with the main contributions coming from Saeed Anwar jnr (51 off 101 balls) and Shoaib Ahmed (46). Iftikhar Anjum had best figures of 3 for 39, and he was ably supported by Zohaib Khan with 2 for 34.While chasing, ZTBL never faced a serious threat as Sharjeel Khan (90) and Babar Azam (72 not out) chased KRL’s total with more than 13 overs to spare. KRL were laden with international bowlers like Mohammad Irfan, Yasir Arafat and Rahat Ali, but the target was not defendable. Irfan was the only bowler to have any success, picking up 2 for 38.Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited beat Port Qasim Authority by four wickets at the Gaddafi Stadium Lahore. After choosing to bowl, PQA removed Mohammad Hafeez in the first over. Azhar Ali battled hard for his 95, with No.7 batsman Mohamamd Rizwan contributing 83 to help the side put on a respectable 238.PQA’s chase centered around opener Khurram Manzoor, who hit a match-winning century to help lead the side home with 40 balls to spare. There was a mini jolt for PQA, as they lost two quick wickets on 203, but Umar Amin (32) and Kamran Younis (20*) held their nerve to chase down the target for the loss of only six wickets. Manzoor hit three sixes and 13 fours in his innings of 115.Habib Bank Limited beat State Bank of Pakistan by three wickets and eight balls to spare. SBP chose to bat, with Kashif Siddiq (69) and Usman Saeed (49) top scoring as they posted 231 for 8. Abdur Rehman, Ehsan Adil and Mohamad Aslam all picked up two wickets apiece.HBL got off to solid start with Ahmed Shahzad (61) and Imran Farhat (49) putting on a 97-run opening stand. They lost a few in the middle overs, leaving the score at 122 for 4. A 54-run partnership between Asad Shafiq and Aftab Alam helped restore balance to the innings. Shafiq (57*) and Fahad Masood (20*) ultimately took the team home despite two slip-ups, as they finished with three wickets and eight balls to spare.

A round-up of the Caribbean T20 matches that took place at Queen’s Park Oval, Trinidad on January 11

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Jan-2013
ScorecardDerone Davis, a 20-year old CCC spinner, stunned Barbados by taking a hat-trick off the first three balls of the chase and bowled his side to their first victory of the Caribbean T20 in four games. Davis, who played the 2012 World Cup for West Indies Under-19, took a career-best 4 for 5 in his third T20 match.For Barbados, it was their second consecutive disappointment in a chase of a low total, having been dismissed for 66 by Guyana. In a chase of 112, Davis had Dwayne Smith and Ryan Hinds caught by Kyle Corbin, before trapping Sharmarh Brooks lbw to complete the hat-trick with the third ball of the innings. From 0 for 3, Barbados slipped to 12 for 5, with Davis picking up his fourth wicket in his second over and Jason Holder getting rid of Justin Brathwaite.Kyle Mayers, who was Davis’ team-mate at the U-19 World Cup, revived Barbados a little, leading them to 51 before he lost his partner Shane Dowrich in the 14th over. The asking-rate was not unmanageable but after Carlos Brathwaite and Mayers fell with the score on 66, the Barbados innings fizzled and ended on 99 for 9.CCC had also had a shaky start to their innings, with Tino Best cutting through the top order to leave them at 13 for 3 in three overs. Wickets fell regularly but Floyd Reifer scored 37 and Ryan Wiggins 28 to prop CCC up to 111 for 8. Best finished with 4 for 19.
Jamaica won the one-over eliminator
ScorecardJamaica fast bowler Krishmar Santokie bowled an outstanding over in the one-over eliminator, conceding only two runs and taking two wickets to set up his side’s victory against Leeward Islands, after the match had ended in a tie.Santokie dismissed Chesney Hughes and Devon Thomas, and Rahkeem Cornwall was able to score only 2 off four deliveries for Leeward Islands. Andre Russell hit the first ball of Jamaica’s chase, off Tonito Willet, for a four to seal victory.It did not seem like the match would end in a tie when Leeward Islands, chasing Jamaica’s 110 for 8, slipped from 49 for 1 to 64 for 5 at the end of the 15th over. The equation boiled down to 36 needed off 18 balls before Thomas and Cornwall turned it on. Cornwall hit three fours – two cuts and a scoop – and Thomas cleared long-off, leaving Leeward Islands needing 13 off the final over, from Russell.Only five runs came off the first four balls, before Cornwall carted Russell over the straight boundary. With two to get off the final delivery, though, Cornwall failed to connect but the batsmen stole a bye to level the scores.Jamaica had looked set for a more substantial score after they chose to bat and reached 62 for 2 in 12 overs. They then lost a set batsman Tamar Lambert for 34 and Andre McCarthy also fell before another run was scored. Both had been dismissed by Cornwall, who finished with 3 for 10. The Leeward Islands bowlers did not allow any acceleration and Jamaica went from 104 for 5 to finish on 110 for 8.

Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim has completed his Masters degree in history from Jahangirnagar University

Mohammad Isam25-Dec-2012Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim has followed up his Man of the Series performance in the ODIs against West Indies with another notable achievement: he has completed his Masters degree in History from Jahangirnagar University. It’s a rare accomplishment for top professional cricketers and Mushfiqur, who was accorded a reception by the university on Sunday, has said he hopes to set an example for his younger team-mates so that their futures are more secure.After finishing school and college from BKSP, he joined the university in 2007 and has now completed an honours and masters. The specialisation in the latter was in contemporary South Asian history, and he finished with an impressive CGPA of 3.49. According to Mushfiqur, it wasn’t a solo effort as his classmates and teachers ensured he didn’t miss anything while playing for Bangladesh.”This degree is a huge honour for me,” Mushfiqur said. “Apart from my efforts, I would give credit to the university teachers and my friends who guided and assisted me. I couldn’t attend most of the classes, and had to take notes from my friends while the university authorities made sure my attendance wasn’t an issue.”The teachers also considered my attendance issues because my cricket commitments didn’t allow me to attend regular classes. I also had to work extra hard but whenever possible, I went for classes and took the exams.”Mushfiqur’s degree is a major boost for him personally and a source of inspiration for cricketers in the country, especially the younger ones. It goes to show how education and an international career can be managed in Bangladesh where most cricketers abandon their studies to pursue the game professionally.As a result, Mushfiqur wants to stress on the importance of education in the young players’ lives, though he believes it is ultimately a matter of choice. “Cricket is just a part of life, there’s nothing more important than education. I think it should be a message to our younger fans.”Everyone has their own philosophy in life, and if they want to study I would say it is their choice. It is not easy to handle both. I always encourage those younger than me that they must take their education seriously.”Mushfiqur described the scramble ahead of exams, most of which he had to appear in isolation as he would usually miss the scheduled dates. “You wouldn’t believe it but when I was returning from tours, I had to study at planes and airports, because I had exams the following day.”Between matches maybe everyone else was free to roam around whichever country we were playing in, but I had to take notes and stay back in the hotel to study. But my team-mates were nice, they never teased me.”He found inspiration from within his family and also from Kumar Sangakkara, especially the manner in which the Sri Lankan cricketer has carried himself over the years. “It is appreciated that someone like Sangakkara’s sports personality is shaped by his education. He is obviously an inspiration.”After I had completed my Higher Secondary Certificate exam, I didn’t want to pursue studies but I was reminded of its importance. My family encouraged me, told me not to give up on studies. They are very proud of me and I am inspiring my younger brothers and sisters in the family by doing two things at a time.”In future, Mushfiqur hopes to work closer to his sport than history, saying that the degree has taught him many lessons about life. “I have to give cricket a lot of time but I learned a lot by going through the process of graduating, and I want to do an MBA or a PhD, preferably on something close to cricket so that I can add that to my current profession.”

The PCB has asked all centrally contracted players to undergo a fitness test, before they are considered for a new, year-long central contract

Umar Farooq09-Apr-2012The PCB has asked its centrally-contracted players to undergo a fitness test, before they are considered for a new, year-long central contract. All centrally-contracted players are required to undergo the fitness test, though Umar Akmal, Mohammad Hafeez and Saeed Ajmal will take the test – being carried out on Monday and Tuesday – on a later date. Hafeez is currently unavailable for the test for personal reasons, Ajmal’s just had his third son and Akmal is out of the country.The contracts, which expired in December, 2011 were due to be reviewed after the England series in February – but it was delayed after a new selection committee headed by Iqbal Qasim was formed.The PCB has decided to increase pay scales of those awarded the new contracts, given that there have been no increments in the last three-and-a-half years.The PCB earlier issued six-month contracts to 29 players, spread over four categories. The new committee now aims to issue a year-long contract to each of its players. The committee met last week to discuss the central contracts, but sought more time to make its decision.Among those likely to make a comeback is Shahid Afridi, the former captain, who had automatically lost his contract in May 2011 when he announced his retirement from international cricket, in protest against the board’s decision to replace him as captain of the ODI team.In the past the board has handed out central contracts to the players based on their performance and fitness, however now they aim to assess the fitness of the players and then gauge their future prospects.

Joe Root, the Yorkshire batsman, hit an unbeaten hundred as England Lions cruised to a 10-wicket victory against the West Indians on the final day in Northampton

Andrew McGlashan13-May-2012
ScorecardJoe Root made the most of the easy runs on offer during the Lions chase•Getty ImagesJoe Root, the Yorkshire batsman, hit an unbeaten hundred as England Lions cruised to a 10-wicket victory against the West Indians on the final day in Northampton. Root and Michael Carberry ensured the Lions knocked off their target of 197 with considerable ease with the visitors disappointingly going through the motions after showing much more spirit the previous day.The West Indians provided barely a threat with a depleted bowling attack after the last two wickets had been removed in the opening half an hour. Kemar Roach did not bowl during the Lions chase after taking a blow on his right hand while batting to add to the twisted ankle he picked up on the second day. Ravi Rampaul then left the field after an opening four-over spell while Fidel Edwards was not given much further work ahead of the first Test despite the visitors’ lack of cricket on tour.Whether there were serious concerns ahead of the Test remained to be seen, but if they do opt to play offspinner Shane Shillingford, one of the three quicks on show here will have to make way for Darren Sammy, who was rested.It meant the bowling was largely in the hands of the two spinners, Shillingford and Marlon Samuels, plus an appearance from the rarely seen medium pace of Darren Bravo who bowled for just the second time in his first-class career. Root and Carberry had few problems as they compiled their partnership at a steady pace in a match that had lost any semblance of intensity.The 21-year-old Root, who is often compared to Michael Vaughan, is in the early stages of his Lions career and remains a longer-term project in terms of international recognition. The attack he faced during this innings did not allow many judgements to be made, but neither did he let the opportunity of a lengthy stay in the middle pass him by, which will have been noted. He also made it a good day for Yorkshire following the earlier call-up for Jonny Bairstow to the squad for the first Test.Root’s hundred, like Kieran Powell’s yesterday, was just the second of his first-class career and came off 132 balls. He had skipped ahead of Carberry during the latter half of his innings against the comfortable bowling on offer with Shillingford conceding more than four an over.The Lions had not taken long to wrap up the West Indian second innings after being given a tough day in the field on Saturday with Powell making his stubborn century. However, the home side did add two more dropped catches to their tally during a below-par fielding display. Nick Compton spilled Roach at slip and Root put down Rampaul at short leg both off Matt Coles, but Coles wrapped up the innings to finish with hard-earned figures of 4 for 76.

Kevin Pietersen has admitted he is facing the toughest challenge of his career as he adapts his game to cope with the Decision Review System

George Dobell in Dubai17-Feb-2012Kevin Pietersen has admitted he is facing the toughest challenge of his career as he adapts his game to cope with the Decision Review System.Pietersen, 31, scored just 67 runs in six innings in the Test series and averaged only 11.16 as Pakistan defeated England 3-0. He fell lbw on three occasions. Each time the decision was sent to the third umpire for review and on two of those occasions Pietersen was given out when the ball-tracking technology showed the delivery would just have clipped the stumps. He has also made just three half-centuries in his last 36 ODI innings and, since the start of 2009, averages only 24.88 in 50-over cricket.Pietersen feels that the introduction of the DRS has made life far harder for batsmen but insists that, despite the statistics, his confidence remains high and he feels in good form.”In my career so far, this is the toughest I’ve ever found it,” Pietersen said. “Because of the new DRS, there are definitely technical issues you have to look at in order to save yourself. Batters are not getting the benefit of the doubt any more.”Umpires are giving a lot more lbws. It just has to be clipping and you’re out. Two, three, four years ago you were never, ever out. I have had to change my game, but it’s not just me. Left-arm spinners now are gold dust.”It’s been tough. But I’m not bothered, because it’s not a case of me walking out to the middle and thinking ‘where’s my next run coming from?'”Only a cricketer would understand this, but I actually feel in fantastic form. I might turn down a training session because I feel I’m playing fine. It’s just when you’re playing spin, and spin is bowled to you all day every single day, you just need to make one little mistake. You just need a little bit of luck to go your way, a dropped catch or an lbw decision that is referred. The wheel turns; in life, the wheel turns. I’ve been through this before. I’m not bothered at all.”Pietersen’s insistence that he is out of fortune rather than form might surprise some onlookers. He has seemed to lack balance at the crease and paid the price for a failure to play straight. It is hard to avoid the conclusion that there is an element of denial in his suggestion that he has been a victim of circumstance.Pietersen also justified his relatively cautious batting in the current ODI series. Pietersen was promoted to the opener’s position in the understanding that he would help the side get off to a brisk start but, in two innings, he has faced 82 balls for his 40 runs. That is a strike-rate of 48.78. Pietersen reasons that, in such conditions, it is imperative that England keep wickets in hand and adopt a more measured approach.”Whenever I’ve played for England in ODIs, we’ve always got off to a start like ten for two, 15 for one, 30 for three,” Pietersen said. “In the subcontinent, against India, we kept getting bowled out.”We were always a wicket down in the first three overs and I was always batting in the first 10 overs in that series. When you’re two down in the first ten overs, all that happens in the middle when the spinners come on you is that you lose two wickets there, then you’re four down, five down. You can easily go to six down or seven down.”But if you start off with a solid platform, as I’ve tried to do over the last week or so, if you lose those two wickets in the middle overs, you’ve still got high-class batters and skilful players – whereas they’re not as skilful down the bottom of the order.”England begin Sri Lanka planning

On Saturday England hope to confirm that those members of the Test squad not involved in the limited-overs series in the UAE – Ian Bell, Monty Panesar, Matt Prior and Andrew Strauss – will travel to Sri Lanka early to begin their acclimatisation. The ECB have been trying to place the quartet within Sri Lankan domestic teams.
Meanwhile, Ajmal Shahzad, the Yorkshire seamer, has arrived in Dubai to provide net bowling for the England squad as he continues his rehabilitation following ankle surgery. He is not part of the squad and will not be considered for selection.

Pietersen said he was relishing the challenge of opening the batting and expressed the hope that it was a permanent move.”It’s brilliant,” he said. I’d like it to be permanent; Andy Flower wants it to be permanent; Alastair Cook wants it to be permanent. It’s something that we’re definitely looking to.”You look at it and just think ‘why can’t I do it?’ I’ve batted four in England; I’ve played in swinging conditions all around the world; I’ve been successful in Test match cricket against swinging balls. Why can’t I do it in the one-day format at the top of the order? It’s something that I’m looking forward to. It’s a lovely little challenge; a nice one.”Before the World Cup there were suggestions in some quarters that Pietersen was thinking of retiring from ODI cricket. He reiterated that was not the case and stated that the ECB was happy to allow him to appear in the IPL. He did specify, however, that his motivation for playing in the IPL was not gaining experience ahead of the World T20 to be contested in Sri Lanka in September.”I’m here playing for England,” Pietersen said. “I love playing for England. England gives me the opportunities to sign with Delhi. Why would I give anything up? I’m totally committed to England. I’m not looking at the IPL as preparation for the World T20.”A fierce sand storm blew in Dubai throughout Friday, causing the Physical Disability game between Pakistan and England to be abandoned. While there are some concerns that a continuation of such weather could cause problems in Saturday’s ODI, the enclosed nature of the stadium in Dubai Sports City should minimise any disruption. England reported no injury concerns, with Ravi Bopara, Jos Buttler and Tim Bresnan all now fit and available for selection.