LG People's Choice Award

The International Cricket Council today announced the short-list of five cricketers for the LG People's Choice Award category at the LG ICC Awards that will take place in Bengaluru, India on 6 October.The short-list includes Mike Hussey of Australia, Mahela Jayawardena of Sri Lanka, England captain Andrew Strauss, Sachin Tendulkar of India and AB de Villiers of South Africa.
This award, which has been included for the first time, will be chosen by cricket fans around the world who now have a chance to vote for their favourite player until 10 September on www.lgpeopleschoice.com.

The cricketers have been selected on the basis of some really innovative parameters, in sync with the values that embody brand LG, by a five-man ICC selection panel. This panel was chaired by former West Indies captain and current chairman of the ICC Cricket Committee Clive Lloyd and includes former international players Angus Fraser of England, Matthew Hayden of Australia, Ravi Shastri of India and Zimbabwe's Duncan Fletcher.

These include innovation, dynamism, strength in decision-making, performing well under pressure and executing a plan to distinction. The winner of this award should demonstrate an ability to engage spectators and should also embody the game's unique spirit, both on and off the field.

ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat said: "Our great sport owes a lot to its dedicated and passionate cricket fans around the world for their non-stop support and commitment. This LG People's Choice Award is a perfect tribute to those avid and dedicated fans.

"I urge all cricket lovers, irrespective of where they are living, to take active part in this online opportunity and make your vote count for your favourite cricketer."

The LG ICC Awards ceremony is now in its seventh year and this year it will be held in Bengaluru, India. Previous ceremonies were held in London (2004), Sydney (2005), Mumbai (2006), Johannesburg (2007 and 2009) and Dubai (2008).

Van Zyl believes IPL experience will help overseas players at World Cup

South Africa coach Corrie Van Zyl believes the advent of the Indian Premier League means that India’s home advantage at the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 may not be as strong as it once wa
Although Sri Lanka is the only host nation ever to win the tournament, when it won the ICC Cricket World Cup 1996, many believe that India’s huge home support will give it an advantage in 2011 over rival nations.

However, van Zyl thinks that the experience the world’s top players have gained in terms of getting use to the playing conditions and dealing with the intensity of India crowds, means this advantage has been negated.

"India has traditionally been a difficult place to tour but more recently teams have learnt to win in Indian and sub-continent conditions.

"India in particular, where most of our preliminary matches will be played, is a wonderful place to play cricket as the people love the game and the support is phenomenal. Teams have learnt to embrace the atmosphere rather than be wary of it and we are looking forward to playing in these packed stadiums,"he said.

"This is also the first major ICC event in the subcontinent since the IPL was launched. Players from around the world have now played a lot of limited overs cricket in India. This may reduce India’s home ground advantage. Delhi, for example, is like a second home to AB de Villiers.”

South Africa will prepare for the tournament with ODI series against Zimbabwe, Pakistan and India and van Zyl wants his side to carry the winning form from these matches into the event.

"The ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 is high on every cricket playing nation's agenda and the next six months will be dedicated greatly in preparing for this showcase event.

"We will prepare and use the upcoming series that we have to play on the ICC calendar as preparation but at the same time not lose the focus on taking each series as a campaign on its own,"he said.

South Africa will begin its campaign against the West Indies, in one of the most high profile matches in the opening week of the tournament, and speaking six months ahead of its first match on 24 February van Zyl said it was vital that his team get off to a winning start.

"The first game in any competition of this nature is very important to gain momentum and relieve some of the pressure to qualify for the quarter finals.

"Playing the West Indies in Delhi means that we have to do our home work regarding the ground and its history and how this will affect our play against the West Indies. We obviously need to see how Delhi suits them and how we need to use our strengths to have the advantage in these conditions,"he said.

IND VS NZ 6th ODI:Blistering performance by shewag and bowlers storms India into finals

India relied on Virender Sehwag's swashbuckling century and an inspired show of swing bowling to spank New Zealand by 105 runs and cruise into the final of the cricket tri-series here on Wednesday.

While the flamboyant Sehwag (110) notched up his 13th ODI century to steer India to a competitive 223 after four early jolts, the pace bowlers than came up with fine exhibition of swing and control to skittle out the Kiwis for 118 in 30.1 overs.

Tailender Kyle Mills provided some late entertainment with a rollicking 52 but none of the other New Zealand batsman could provide much resistance as the Indians exploited the bowling-friendly conditions to the hilt to set up a summit showdown with Sri Lanka on Saturday.

The Indians, who desperately needed to win the floodlit contest to stay afloat, owed their victory to the brilliance of Sehwag who gave them enough runs on the board to push for a win on a tricky pitch at the Rangiri international stadium.

Chasing 224 for win, The Kiwis found the going tough under lights as the Indian speedsters extracted a lot of swing to virtually rip through the top-order.

Praveen Kumar struck the first blow for the Indians by dismissing opener Martin Guptill for a first ball duck, trapping him leg before with a gem of a delivery. Ashish Nehra then removed the other opener Bradley-John Watling with a big inswinger. Watling plays it onto the stumps as he looked to steer clear of the delivery.

The Kiwis suffered a big jolt when their captain Ross Taylor was dismissed by Kumar, who really looked impressive as he troubled all the batsmen with swing. Taylor fell prey to a lovely outswinger as he hung his bat out and edged the ball to Dhoni behind the stumps, leaving New Zealand tottering at 14 for three.


Kumar added another wicket to his kitty soon when he bowled Scot Styris while Ishant Sharma evicted Kane Williamson to compound the misery for the Kiwis. Reduced to a precarious 42 for six by the 17th over, it was only a matter of time before the innings folded up, though Mills hit some lusty shots in the fag end to reduce the margin of defeat.

Earlier, barring Sehwag, none of the other Indian batsmen could really get going though captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni (38) played a good supporting role. Tim Southee (4/49) was the pick of the Kiwis bowlers though he was a trifle expensive. Spinner Nathan McCullum (3/35) and Kyle Mills (2/42) were the other wicket-taking bowlers.

The Indian innings began on a disastrous note with Dinesh Karthik, who has been in woeful form right through the series, returning to the pavilion in the very first over off Kyle Mills. It was a horrendous shot from the Indian opener as he poked at a length delivery outside the off stump, edging it to wicketkeeper Gareth Hopkins behind the stump. He paid the price for fishing out even without getting his eye in.

Virat Kohli, who replaced Rohit Sharma in the team, joined the action after Karthik's dismissal but could not survive long, being at the receiving end of a dubious decision. Kohli (8) looked stunned when Sri Lankan umpire Ashoka de Silva gave him out when he edged an outgoing delivery off Tim Southee to wicketkeeper Hopkins. Television replays picked up some noise and the snickometer showed there was a slight nick.

Despite the early losses, Sehwag showed his customary flamboyance as he unleashed a flurry of strokes and scored the runs at a brisk pace. Sehwag was particularly severe on Mills as he clobbered him for two consecutive boundaries and then hammered Southee for a couple of boundaries.

During the course of the innings, Sehwag became the seventh batsmen in ODIs to hit 1000 boundaries. The record of hitting the most number of boundaries in ODIs is held by Sachin Tendulkar who has 1927 boundaries.

The Indians suffered a big jolt when Yuvraj Singh (6) also perished in the 12th over to a poor shot with Andy McKay being the wicket-taker. Yuvraj attempted a pull shot but his balance was all awry and he only managed to top edge the ball for the wicketkeeper to latch on to a superb catch.

The ball climbed just below chest high and Yuvraj tried to pull it from well outside off stump which accounted for his wicket. It was then Suresh Raina's turn to return to the pavilion and the Indians found themselves in the doldrums at a precarious 66 for four by the 13th over.


Raina, who has always been vulnerable to shirt pitched deliveries, paid the price for a faulty pull to a ball that was not too short. Raina was quick to get on to the back foot but pulled it to short midwicket fielder Kane Williamson who dived to his right to take a good catch.

Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Sehwag tried to steady the innings by playing cautiously and punishing only the loose deliveries. Both gradually accelerated the pace of scoring after getting a feel of the conditions and the measure of the rather spongy track at the Rangiri International stadium.

Sehwag took a single off spinner Williamson to complete his 13th ODI century which came off just 87 balls. Spinner Nathan McCullum brought an end to the 107-run fifth wicket partnership by evicting the dangerous Sehwag soon after he completed his century, much to the relief of his teammates.

Sehwag holed out at deep midwicket as a tried to pick McCullum's flighted delivery from outside off and swung it straight to the fielder. His knock of 110 came off just 93 ball and was laced with 16 boundaries and a six.

India Vs Bangladesh 1st Test 17 Jan Live

India will play Bangladesh in the first Test match of the two test series at Dhaka. India has never lost to Bangladesh in a test match, and will look to maintain their record whereas Bangladesh will look to continue their winning streak after having demolished the West Indian side last year.

The Indians will be going in to the series with a strong looking side. In fact, it is a surprise that there are 15 players named in the squad, but the side will probably be looking at making some changes around if they deem it necessary.

However, it follows that the openers in Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir will retain their slots at the top of the order. Gambhir had missed out on the previous Test that India had played because of his sister's marriage, and had been replaced by Murali Vijay. Sehwag had incidentally smashed a 292 in that game, and the pair will look to consolidate on their excellent partnership at the top.

Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman will all make it to the side as well, along with Yuvraj Singh and Mahendra Singh Dhoni forming an excellent batting line-up. It will be interesting to see who the bowlers will be for India, but if the sub-continent conditions are to be believed, it is hard to see India go into the game with more than two pace bowlers.

Zaheer Khan and Sreesanth will be the two pace bowlers, whereas Harbhajan Singh and Amit Mishra should take care of the spin department. This will be an important series for Mishra, as he will look to make an impression in the very first game with a spinner like Pragyan Ojha waiting in the ranks.

For the Bangladeshis, this is another chance to get a move on. They had a rather difficult tri-series in which they lost all of their four games, and despite knowing that they will be up against the strong Indian side, they will look to make some inroads at least.

They will be led by Shakib al Hasan as Mashrafe Mortaza is still not fit enough to be a part of the side, and will be propped by other spinners in the playing eleven. However, it will be a test of their batting in the series, as they have shown their penchant for scoring some big hits to begin with but have not been able to convert their starts into anything meaningful.

It will be difficult to see the Bangladeshis upset the Indian applecart at this current moment. However, the Indians will need to guard against complacency.

Time to Make Cricket the Only Religion on the Subcontinent

Just down the corridor from me at the Hotel Plaza in Havana is the suite where George Herman Ruth – Babe or the Bambino to baseball fans – stayed 90 years ago. It's a shrine of sorts to the first of baseball's marquee names, a supreme slugger who captivated fans and divided opinion wherever he went. In so many ways, Ruth was an iconic symbol of pre-Depression America, just as Sachin Tendulkar became the face of post-liberalization India. But while the Babe was a larger-than-life character in every sense, Tendulkar's time in the spotlight has been notable mainly for the near-complete absence of controversy and an almost painful shyness.

Baseball runs through the veins of people on this island. While a small number of top players have defected to the major leagues across the water, the vast majority of those who have played for a wonderfully talented amateur side have lived by the Teófilo Stevenson adage that a few million dollars is nothing compared to the love of eight million compañeros.

Having just covered the climactic stages of the ICC World Twenty20, it is enough to make you wonder why Cuba is nowhere in the picture when it comes to cricket. Certainly, there is an awareness that such a sport exists. At immigration I was grilled on account of being a journalist, until the young man asking the questions inquired which topics I covered. When I said sport, and cricket in particular, he took a step back and imitated a big hit that would have gone a fair distance over cow corner.

Given how the Chappell brothers played baseball as a winter sport, and how naturally athletic Cubans are, they'd have a crack Twenty20 outfit in no time with the requisite guidance. That, in turn, leads to the ICC and promotion of the game worldwide. The sooner they reduce the farce of a 50-over World Cup to a manageable four weeks or less with fewer teams the better. For spreading the gospel, the only format that works is Twenty20. Rugby realized that nearly two decades ago with Sevens and cricket has to follow suit if it harbors serious ambitions of being an Olympic sport.

Test cricket may be the pinnacle when it comes to skill and even drama but it's never going to rival the slam-bang version for popularity. To expect that would be to expect Vivaldi to outsell the Beatles. There's a place for the purist but snobbery is something the game can ill afford if it wants to be globally relevant.

Ideally, the World Cup would be restricted to just the top eight or 10 teams (once the anomaly of a tournament called the Champions Trophy disappears from the calendar) and the World Twenty20 could then be thrown open to more teams. Had Afghanistan or Kenya been able to play this time, we might have seen even more upsets. In a 50-over game, a team like Kenya wouldn't have a prayer against Australia or South Africa but in the abbreviated form anything's possible. You only have to look at Fiji's magnificent Sevens side and the emerging Kenyans to see how much deeper the talent pool becomes when an additional element of chance is introduced.

Perhaps in the future, teams touring the Caribbean could play a one-off Twenty20 game at a non-traditional venue such as Cuba or the Dominican Republic. Plant the seed and see how it germinates. Unlike many of the world's big banks, the ICC and some of the individual boards certainly have enough cash to spare.

Fortunately, though, money isn't everything. The sweetest aspect of the World T20 was the early exit of Australia, India and England, the three countries that seem to regard the Future Tours Program as some kind of personal fiefdom. While it could be said that the security situations in Pakistan and Sri Lanka have prevented more matches being scheduled there, it still doesn't explain the reluctance to invite them. The Pakistanis were once Asia's biggest draw card, while the Lankans have reached the final in two of the past three global events.

A recent study revealed that the Indian Premier League has already become one of the world's most lucrative sporting properties but it was probably their exclusion from it that provided one of the spurs for Pakistan's players on the world stage. The players who had their contracts torn up, including a certain Shahid Khan Afridi (Deccan Chargers), had a point to prove and they did so to thrilling effect. Like the Cubans, the Pathans have a natural aptitude for ball sports – the squash Khans, Jahangir and Jansher, both hail from Nawankali, Umar Gul's home town – and it would be foolish to underestimate the role cricket could play in keeping restless youth away from guns and other malignant influences.

The Taliban may have succeeded in shutting down girls' schools and hairdressing salons but if the reaction to the World Twenty20 triumph is any indicator they will need to fight a thousand years or longer to eradicate cricket's grip on the nation. "It means everything to us and our nation," said Younus Khan, another Pathan, and that's not hyperbole. Given the game's power to unite and the tendency of religious leaders to divide, maybe it's time to abolish all other faiths and make cricket the only religion on the subcontinent. Once that happens, maybe we can send a few missionaries over to Cuba.

Bangladesh's Long-awaited Series Win May Impact on Future of Test Cricket

It's taken them nearly nine years and 61 Tests, but Bangladesh finally have a series victory to savor against a major Test-playing entity. Unfortunately, the circumstances – Chris Gayle and friends on the picket line, and unfavorable TV times – were such that few outside of Dhaka and Chittagong noticed. There though, they'll be talking of Shakib Al Hasan's unbeaten 96 for years to come.

The number 96 has always had a special resonance in the history of cricket in Bangladesh. Exactly 50 years ago, on one of those matting pitches where batting could be such an ordeal, Neil Harvey played perhaps the greatest innings seen in what was formerly East Bengal. Mohammad Quamruzzaman, a veteran journalist, described it on the Banglacricket website.

"Harvey's innings is the best I have ever seen," he wrote. "When he was at 96, Fazal [Mahmood] took the new ball and displayed it to be the crowd in his raised right arm. As he started his run up, a low roar from the galleries began taking form. At the moment of his delivery broke Harvey's wicket [sic], the roar became all pervading. A moment of pure inspiration."

Shakib wasn't facing anyone of Fazal's caliber, but he did have the weight of history to contend with. Bangladesh had previous when it came to snatching defeat from victory's open mouth. Ricky Ponting's bloodyminded century thwarted them at Fatullah in 2006, and three years earlier, it was an epic knock from Inzamam-ul-Haq that spared Pakistani blushes in Multan. After 52 defeats and just one victory against Zimbabwe in 59 Tests, their fans could have been forgiven for some pessimism at the start of the series in the Caribbean.

West Indies cricket, though, is a shambles. There was a time when their Test discards – Colin Croft, Wayne Daniel, Franklyn Stephenson and Collis King – would have routed most sides on Earth with plenty to spare. The depth of talent on the islands and in Guyana was the envy of the world. Now watching them is like watching a car careering off course. Even with the best players in the XI, and not on strike as they were during the Bangladesh series, they've been wretched in the Test arena, with only a victory against England to celebrate in recent times. The record over the past five years speaks of four wins in 48 Tests, only one of them overseas [from 26 games].

When India last toured the Caribbean, Greg Chappell spoke witheringly about how the West Indies had forgotten how to win. When they subsequently won four one-day games on the trot, his words were rammed back down his throat. Those that watched the West Indies in their prime though, and I count myself blessed to be one of them, could understand where his contempt came from though. Most of the present-day players are a disgrace to a glorious legacy, mediocrities pumped full of attitude and arrogance who have absolutely nothing to strut around about. When Viv Richards swaggered to the crease, you stood back and watched in awe. When Marlon Samuels did it, you just wanted to slap him.

Bangladesh's victory has to be viewed in that context. The West Indies were fielding a patchwork-quilt side, but Bangladesh too were without one of their most influential performers for the second Test. Mashrafe Mortaza was appointed captain for the series after Mohammad Ashraful's recent brain-fades with the bat, but he pulled up lame after bowling just 6.3 overs in the first Test. It was left to Mahmudullah, one of the debutants, to take eight for 110 as West Indies were spun to a standstill like a fly in the spider's lair.

Building on that 95-run triumph was always going to be the big test. When they slumped to 67 for four in pursuit of 215, the ghosts of Multan and other disasters would have been tapping on the shoulders of those in the dressing room. But in Shakib, Bangladesh have a truly special player. At 22, he's still prone to the odd impetuous mistake, but when he's fully switched on, he's a quality left-arm spinner and a batsman of real talent.

Unlike Ashraful, who hasn't given up that cat-on-a-hot-tin-roof temperament despite playing for nearly a decade, Shakib radiates poise. Asked to lead the side in Mortaza's absence, Shakib contributed eight wickets before sealing it with a six over long-on. And while he provided the stardust, the equally mature Raqibul Hasan glued the innings together, and a 106-run stand finally saw off West Indies' frayed second string.

This result will be viewed in two drastically different ways. Some will renew the call for Test cricket to be a two-tier game, with West Indies now in serious danger of joining Bangladesh and Zimbabwe in the basement. Others will see it as vindication of the faith shown by the game's administrators in Bangladesh cricket. Reality, as always, is somewhere in the murky grey between the two extremes. Bangladesh haven't progressed as they would have liked – Jamie Siddons isn't the only coach who's been tearing his hair out at times – but it's also undeniable that players like Shakib need more exposure against the very best.

In that regard, India's attitude is especially disappointing. Having long been treated as the game's unwanted stepchild by the established powers, India are now guilty of the same arrogance and neglect. Though they have toured Bangladesh thrice since 2000, there has been no sign of an invite the other way. The refrain in private is: "Who'd be interested?", eerily similar to Australian administrators' views back in the day when an Indian tour wasn't the cash cow that it is now.

Shakib's Jack Sparrow-heist in the Caribbean won't shift the boundaries as far as India and others are concerned, but it will be an enormous fillip for those back home that watched every ball into the wee hours. The roar of delight that would have accompanied the winning hit might even have drowned out the clouds that thundered overhead. Having taken a big baby-step, it's now up to Test cricket's toddlers to mature, and with talent pools shrinking in the Caribbean and New Zealand, we need to give them that time.

World Twenty20 Has Given Cricket the Wake-up Call It So Badly Needed

What a couple of weeks it's been for cricket. To see the excitement, the crowds, and the close finishes convinces me this format has a huge future, so long as we don't overdo it. In 50-over cricket you can watch the beginning of the match, then come back several overs later to catch the end. But the games in the World Twenty20 have been so gripping you hardly dare leave your seat. Cricket needs to compete with other sports, and Twenty20's development is the wake-up call the game needs to do just that.

It's been interesting to note, despite all the talk, that specialist Twenty20 players haven't really materialized. Sure, there are always different types of shot that come into the game – although Tillakaratne Dilshan's scoop has been played before in Australia – and you need them to unsettle the bowler from time to time. But the players who have succeeded most are the ones with the soundest techniques. Even in Twenty20 you need to be able to hit straight down the ground.

In fact, batters are forced to improve their technique because they have to score on both sides of the wicket. In a Test you can get away with scoring predominantly on one side, because it's all about wearing the bowlers down. But Twenty20 doesn't allow that luxury. You're forced to attack lines of bowling that you could otherwise ignore. And you can only do that with a sound technique. It was no surprise to me that Jacques Kallis did so well before South Africa's tactics went awry on Friday.

I wasn't too disappointed with England, because their team fabric looks good and they were playing with real enthusiasm. Paul Collingwood's captaincy is improving, although I'm worried about the effect it has on his batting. But overall some of England's decision-making was poor, and I believe that goes back to county cricket, where the lack of intensity means there's no real need to develop that side of your game. It was also clear, both against Holland and West Indies, that they lacked hitters down the order. Luke Wright impresses me with his verve and freshness, but his explosiveness should be used lower down, not wasted up front. It seemed crazy that Dimitri Mascarenhas wasn't picked against West Indies, when he's exactly the kind of guy who can do a job down the order.

I would not have had James Foster in that side, either. I'm a big Foster fan, because his grit and fight are what every team needs. But England lost matches because of the lack of runs down the order. Why move Matt Prior up the order in 50-over cricket, then leave him out in Twenty20? As Chris Gayle himself said, it's illogical. Foster's two stumpings were smart, but most keepers would have pulled off at least one of them. People fall too easily into the trap of getting carried away with the details and not looking at the bigger picture.

One player I was impressed with was Adil Rashid. I wouldn't necessarily have picked him for this tournament, because leg-spinners need to learn how to flight the ball and use the crease without being under too much pressure. Twenty20 doesn't allow you the space to develop those crafts, but Rashid at least showed he's an exciting prospect who can field well and bat too. If England play two spinners in any of the Ashes Tests, Rashid should play with Graeme Swann ahead of Monty Panesar.

So where does Twenty20 go from here? I believe the format will have a knock-on effect on other forms of the game and I hope the administrators think clearly about how best to harness the excitement and the fact that new fans are coming through the gates. I've written before about how Test cricket could become a limited-overs format, but I think the first obvious effect could be on the 50-over game.

There are a number of possibilities. They could make it 40 overs a side, or split the 50 overs into two lots of 25. They could even allow teams to divide up the overs into two innings as they see fit. The scope then for new tactics would bring an extra dimension to the game.

What is clear is that there is a place for Twenty20 in the public appetite. We went right the way through the Indian Premier League and straight into this tournament, but still the crowds are pouring in. Forget the old-fashioned types: Twenty20 can enrich cricket beyond all our expectations.

Counties Abandon 50-over Cricket

The demise of 50-over international cricket has moved closer following the first-class counties' decision to abandon domestic 50-over cricket next season in favor of one-day formats over 20 and 40 overs.

The future of the 50-over game will be reviewed by the International Cricket Council after the 2011 World Cup but the counties have refused to wait for its possible demise, voting 13-5 to abandon it forthwith. The counties will claim once again they are trailblazers – now predicting the demise of 50-over cricket just as they also launched Twenty20 before India introduced the IPL and turned it into a lucrative, high-profile event.

But the England and Wales Cricket Board believes domestic cricket should mirror as closely as possible that played at international level, and it is less than a week before England face Australia in the first of seven 50-over matches in the NatWest Series, with 10 more due against Australia and Pakistan next summer.

The argument that swung the counties was the example of South Africa, who are ranked No1 in one-day cricket despite not playing 50-over game at domestic level. That has given them the confidence to state that 40-over cricket, played under similar regulations, will be a satisfactory breeding ground for 50-over players.

Giles Clarke, who is on business in Paraguay,, the ECB chairman, said: "Coaches reported through their county votes that the leading one-day team in world cricket – South Africa – do not mirror 50 overs at domestic level and that, provided power plays and fielding restrictions were the same as the international format, the skills required were very similar."

The Board plans to expand the amount of 50-overs cricket played by the England Lions – England's shadow side – to try to make up for their lack of experience in this format while it remains part of the international calendar.Counties have voted to limit overseas players to two in next summer's revamped domestic Twenty20 tournament, stepping back from ambitious talk of four overseas players per county in response to the global recession which has demanded a more cautious financial outlook.

Clarke was gung-ho about the decision, saying: "There has never been a better time for English-qualified players to make a name for themselves in a tournament creating great interest."

Twenty20 will be played in North and South divisions of nine, with the top four in each pool qualifying for the knockout stages. At 40-overs level, counties will be split into three groups of seven, with the 18 first-class counties likely to be supplanted by Ireland, Scotland and a Minor Counties X1.

There will be much delight – tinged with suspicion, because the details are yet to be finalized – at the ECB's announcement that "the LV county championship has been given priority in the fixture program". It is likely that championship matches will take priority between Monday-Thursday, finally bringing a more coherent pattern to the fixture list.

England will host three countries next season. Bangladesh will play two npower Tests and three ODIs between 27 May and 22 June, Australia will play five ODIs between 22 June and 3 July and Pakistan will play four Tests, five ODIs and two Twenty20 internationals from 29 July to 21 September. Australia will also face Pakistan in two T20s and two Tests from 5-25 July.

West Indies Back-up Chris Gayle's Claims on the Future of Test Cricket

Tell Ravi Bopara and Alastair Cook that English Test cricket had just suffered one of its most demoralizing days for years and they will not believe you. Both had the pride of England hundreds to sustain them during a desperately downcast day.

But had they wanted to take a wider look – and as two successful young England batsmen why should they? – they would have gazed upon a game undergoing one of its periodic collapses of confidence. As Twenty20 grows in strength, however, the fear is that a collapse of confidence will soon become a total breakdown.

Officially, 5,000 spectators turned up at The Riverside yesterday, but to arrive at such a figure seemed to demand a degree in creative accountancy. It felt more like 3,000 — the lowest first-day crowd in modern times.

To add to the gloom, the West Indies captain, Chris Gayle, led his team into the second Test with an extraordinary admission that he would not be all that sad if Test cricket died completely, to be replaced by an endless diet of Twenty20. There have been better rallying cries: the West Indies looked entirely uninspired and England finished the day on 302 for two.

The coach, John Dyson, would not be drawn on whether Gayle's remarks had a bearing on the side's performance yesterday. He said: "I've not had a chance to talk to Chris about what was reported in the papers. All we're focused on in the dressing room is this match."

Bopara, with three hundreds in successive Tests, so emulating the feat of his Essex mentor, Graham Gooch, was in no mood to downgrade his achievement. "A Test century is a Test century," he said. "It wasn't the noise I got at Lord's after getting a hundred but inside it means a lot for me to get a Test hundred for England. It doesn't matter if it is in front of thousands and thousands or ten people. A hundred is a hundred."

But even Bopara could not be bothered with another individualistic celebration after his latest 100. He gave us a bow-and-arrow routine in Barbados, and acted out the inscribing of his name on the honors board at Lord's. This time he just raised his bat to a polite ripple of applause.

He did provide some optimism for the future. "Playing in the IPL was amazing," he said. "It was a great experience. I would love to do it again. But Test cricket is still the pinnacle of the game. The feeling I get when I get to 100, there is no better feeling. As a young boy I always wanted to play Test cricket. You want to see if you can do what your heroes did."

It remains to be seen if the next generation will feel the same way.