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Valthaty must do more for Ranji call-up – Jaffer

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Paul Valthaty has done his reputation no harm in the IPL, but he has more to do before he can get a call-up to the Mumbai Ranji team, Mumbai captain Wasim Jaffer has said

ESPNcricinfo staff01-May-2011Paul Valthaty has done his reputation no harm in the IPL, but he has more to do before he can get a call-up to the Mumbai Ranji team, Mumbai captain Wasim Jaffer has said.”This performance [in the IPL] will help him. He has made those runs against quality bowling and I’m sure the selectors will keep that in mind,” Jaffer told the . “However, you can’t judge someone for first-class cricket based on performance in Twenty20 games.”It’s a different format. He has to do well in tournaments like the Times Shield [in which Valthaty plays for Air India] and prove himself.”Labelling Valthaty ‘talented’, Jaffer said the injury he suffered below his eye during the Under-19 World Cup in 2002 and inconsistency have set him back. “He was a good cricketer at the U-19 level. Unfortunately, he suffered an injury and then had a few lean years, when he was in and out of Mumbai teams.”He has always played the odd remarkable innings in the Times Shield, but then would have a lean run. He was very inconsistent. However, with age people do mature and he has become better.”Valthaty grabbed the national spotlight by powering Kings XI Punjab home in a big chase against Chennai Super Kings with a blistering century on April 13. Since then, he has been trading places at the top of the IPL’s leading run-scorers’ table. However, he hasn’t played first-class cricket and has represnted Mumbai in one List A game.Jaffer – who played his last international match in April 2008 and has had a good run in the 2010-2011 Ranji Trophy averaging 80.88 – also said he is “hopeful” of breaking into India’s Test team, should the seniors choose to take a break during the tour of West Indies this summer.

Samit Patel hurries Nottinghamshire win

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Samit Patel’s second half-century in three days secured a third straight Friends Provident t20 win for Nottinghamshire Outlaws as they swept aside Worcestershire Royals by six wickets with 23 balls to spare

13-Jun-2010

ScorecardSamit Patel’s second half-century in three days secured a third straight Friends Provident t20 win for Nottinghamshire Outlaws as they swept aside Worcestershire Royals by six wickets with 23 balls to spare.After limiting the visitors to 150 for 7, with Dirk Nannes and Graeme White both picking up two wickets, Patel hit 63 from 34 balls with five fours and three sixes while David Hussey was unbeaten on 34, finishing off the match with a straight six.Moeen Ali top-scored for Worcestershire with 67 from 48 balls, supported by stand-in captain Daryl Mitchell (34 not out), but with Vikram Solanki missing with a pelvic injury, the visitors were always short of batting power. In particular, they were unable to deal with the pace and hostility of Nannes and England pair Stuart Broad and Ryan Sidebottom, with the trio conceding only nine boundaries from their 12 overs.Mitchell chose to bat in this Trent Bridge contest after winning the toss but saw openers Jack Manuel and Phil Jaques both depart cheaply in the powerplay overs. Alexei Kervezee and Steve Smith also contributed little but a partnership of 64 for the fifth wicket between Ali and Mitchell gave Worcestershire a score closer to par, with Ali hitting three sixes in the 13th and 14th overs to boost the run-rate.He then hit White for a further maximum with a slog-sweep before perishing with the same shot to the next ball, while Nannes yorked James Cameron and ran out Gareth Andrew in the final over. The pedigree of Nottinghamshire’s international pace trio was amply demonstrated in the first two overs of their innings, as openers Alex Hales and Ali Brown took 26 off bowlers Imran Arif and Richard Jones.That set the tone for the chase and while Hales, Brown and Matt Wood all departed in the powerplay overs, the hosts were well ahead of the run-rate and Patel ensured they only pulled further ahead with a succession of sweet boundaries over extra cover. He was one of two wickets for leg-spinner Smith but Hussey and Chris Read completed the win to leave the Outlaws sitting pretty at the top of the North Group.

Atkinson four-for highlights 13-wicket opening day

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Wood and Woakes also got among the wickets to bowl out WI for 282 but Seales struck late in the day to keep England at bay

Valkerie Baynes26-Jul-2024Flashes of West Indies fight saw them end the opening day of the third Test at Edgbaston just about even with England, but the tourists’ challenge is to turn the glimmers of hope they’ve shown since the start of the second Test into match-turning moments.Fifties from Kraigg Brathwaite and Jason Holder led what appeared to be a below-par first innings 282 in the face of some excellent bowling by Gus Atkinson and Chris Woakes. But then Jayden Seales grabbed two of the three England wickets to fall late on a day that yielded 13 in all to level things up.West Indies’ spirited first innings at Trent Bridge, which put them narrowly in front of England, momentarily erased memories of their capitulation at Lord’s. But their second-innings collapse in the second Test relegated all their good work to hope-for-the-future status and much of this first day’s play of the third Test felt like mini versions of that story.Related

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Brathwaite and Mikyle Louis’ 76-run opening stand preceded a collapse of 5 for 39 in 7.2 overs. Then there was the sixth-wicket union between Holder and Joshua Da Silva, worth 109, undone by Woakes and Atkinson rediscovering the swing which had disappeared for part of the day.But there was a twist, with both England openers removed with consecutive balls and nightwatcher Mark Wood also falling as the home side went to the close on 38 for 3, trailing by 244 runs.Seales had Zak Crawley out edging to Holder with his 12th ball and Alzarri Joseph, who had spilled a return catch off Ben Duckett in the previous over, had him out chopping onto his stumps with the first ball of his next. Wood followed, edging Seales to Holder at second slip as England were given plenty to think about overnight.With the ball 61 overs old and the pitch unresponsive, Woakes conjured enough movement to be hopeful with a fuller one angling down the leg side which beat Da Silva and wicketkeeper Jamie Smith, who parried it away for four byes. With the next, he rapped Da Silva’s front pad with another fullish delivery that looked as though it was going down the leg side.Jason Holder raised a battling half-century•Getty Images

Then, bingo. Woakes enticed a loose waft from Da Silva with a back-of-a-length delivery that pitched outside off and then moved away from the right-hander as he looked to thread it through backward point but instead edged to Smith one run shy of his half-century. It was a crucial wicket for England after West Indies had recovered from 115 for 5.From there, Woakes had the ball properly swinging again, and he grabbed his third wicket with an outswinger which Alzarri Joseph skied straight to Ben Stokes at mid-off.Atkinson chimed in with his third, a beauty to remove Holder, the ball pitching on middle and swinging away as the batter tried to play across the line and had his off stump dislodged. Holder’s slow-motion trudge off the field was the perfect illustration of West Indies’ mood at that point.Atkinson then removed Gudakesh Motie with a short ball which had the batter ducking and thrusting his bat above his head, the ball sailing over a jumping Smith as Joe Root took a stunner diving across from slip and flinging out his hand, where the ball miraculously stuck.Shoaib Bashir, the off-spinning star of England’s second-Test victory took the last wicket when Shamar Joseph hit high down the ground and Crawley, running round from long-off, took the catch.Earlier, Louis had faced 22 balls to get off the mark, striking Atkinson through cover point and running two. But, after the first hour, West Indies were 49 without loss, having won the toss.Brathwaite moved to 49 guiding a full Stokes delivery past point and brought up his half-century with a single next ball. It was his first fifty in nine Test innings since July last year.Mark Wood’s searing yorker flattened Kirk McKenzie’s middle stump•Getty Images

But Atkinson made the initial breakthrough, drawing an edge with a short ball that was moving away as Louis prodded behind to Smith. For the fifth time in as many Tests innings in his fledgling career, Louis reached double figures but he is yet to pass the 27 he made on debut in the first match of this series at Lord’s.Wood’s pace wasn’t quite what it was at Trent Bridge but it caused West Indies enough problems.Brathwaite was left doubled up after a nasty knock to the box by a short ball. Then, after Kirk McKenzie had struck three boundaries in four Atkinson deliveries, Wood removed him for 12 in his next over, flattening his middle stump with a 91mph inswinging yorker.Atkinson grabbed his second wicket on the stroke of lunch as Alick Athanaze bottom-edged a short ball which stayed low onto his off stump and West Indies went to lunch at 97 for 3.Two early wickets in the afternoon session kept the hosts on top. Brathwaite had added just five runs after lunch before he was caught behind down the leg side attempting a pull shot off a Wood shorter ball. Adding to West Indies’ woes, replays suggested that the catch had come off Brathwaite’s right glove, which was off the bat handle at the time.Just two balls later, Kavem Hodge errantly left a Woakes delivery which angled in towards middle and off stumps and straightened slightly to crash into the top of off.

Mohammad Abbas staves off Pep Guardiola but can't prevent Ollie Pope bedding in

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Batter succeeds where Man City manager failed as a sound night’s sleep beckons at Abbas’ expense

Vithushan Ehantharajah14-Apr-2023Surrey 153 for 4 (Pope 48*, Abbas 2-39) trail Hampshire 254 (Brown 95, Lawes 4-58) by 101 runsIf you’re plugged into the internet, you have probably already come across this story told by Cameron Ponsonby on the latest edition of the If not, here we go.Last weekend, Manchester City were playing away to Southampton in the Premier League. As many teams do when preparing for a fixture at St Mary’s, they stayed at the Hilton hotel adjoining the Ageas Bowl. A request was put in for their manager, Pep Guardiola, to take up residence in one of the plusher suites. Usually, that’s no problem. But during this period when the football and cricket seasons overlap, there was. No can do, came the response – that’s Mohammad Abbas’ suite.It’s a hell of a story – County Championship over the Premier League? You love to see it – made all the better by confirmation from a couple of sources. One privately to ESPNcricinfo was accompanied by a fascinating question to wrestle with: which is more intimidating to play against, tiki-taka or the wobble seam? Surrey certainly had their hands full with the latter on Friday, as Abbas found the edges of Dom Sibley and then Rory Burns within 17 overs of a Friday punctuated by rain delays. The opening pair had resumed their stand on 37 before it was broken on 44.

Five minutes into the first rain delay at 11:30am, Keith Barker offered his confirmation of the Abbas-Pep anecdote, commenting “This is 100% true” under the clip on Instagram. He then shared the post on his own feed with the words “True Story”.There is a lot to unpack from this, but let’s focus on the guts of it. A man who overcame the Galacticos of Real Madrid and the establishment of Manchester United, a fervent advocate of Catalan independence from Spain no less, couldn’t shift a bloke from their bed because he nibbles the ball both ways.Rightly so, from Hampshire’s point of view. Such loyalty to a seamer has already been repaid in spades, with 100 wickets at an average of 16.59 coming into this fixture. And a day after his side had stuttered to 254 in their first innings, his endeavour throughout 13 overs on day two made it look like a hundred more.Just as it has not been just Abbas these last two years, it wasn’t solely the currently erstwhile Pakistan international here. Indeed Hampshire’s two highest wicket-takers last summer were Barker (52) and Kyle Abbott (58), and they were typically relentless with the ball.Fresh from a valiant 58, Barker was unlucky not to bag what would have been a 500th career dismissal. A close-looking lbw appeal against Burns was turned down when the Surrey captain was on 26, before Ollie Pope edged between James Vince (first slip) and Liam Dawson (second) with just 4 to his name.Abbott would have to wait until five overs before bad light brought an end to play at 5:36pm – Jordan Clark trapped in front – while James Fuller nicked off Ryan Patel just as the left-hander was getting comfortable. However, Pope’s continued presence on 48 not out compounds the early miss off Barker.Related

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England’s incumbent No.3 played to type. He jumped forward into the occasional defensive shot, then picked off runs at will, particularly early on. His third boundary took him to a sprightly 21 from 27 deliveries and was perhaps the shot of the match so far: a gorgeously caressed late cut that took Abbas for the third of the four boundaries conceded from his 21 overs so far.Though he did slow down, the game seemed to move along quicker during his time at the crease, which is particularly useful when almost 47 overs were lost due to the weather. So far, 109 runs have been added while the 25-year-old has occupied one end, at a rate of just over 3.5 an over.With Jamie Smith alongside him, they will aim to chip away the first-innings arrears of 101 that remain at a good enough pace when they return on Saturday. Smith, in particular, will be keen to show he is in step with the nu-wave England Test way of putting time back into matches by embracing positivity. Surrey certainly could do with that approach after last week’s stalemate with Lancashire, though both Pope and Smith are capable of moving forward without rushing.We are probably still too early in this match for anyone to be considering pressing the accelerator. And moreover, these are two bowling attacks that rarely, if ever, let batters get away from them. Even someone as proactive as Pope.At 5:25pm, we got a snapshot of the main battle in the offing on day three. Abbas went wide of the crease, angled one in and nipped it away, squaring up Pope, who was on 39 at the time. The outside edge was narrowly missed, knowing glances were passed back and forth. Admiration sent one way, frustration the other.Pope sauntered off, first to do some gardening and then, a few overs later, to the dressing room and home. A sound night’s sleep awaits, this one at Abbas’ expense. Not even Guardiola could manage that.

Finch expects to be involved in Langer's contract talks along with Cummins

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Finch is unsure what the process will be as Cricket Australia is still yet to start formal contract discussions with Langer

Alex Malcolm21-Jan-2022Australia’s limited-overs captain Aaron Finch expects to be consulted, along with Test captain Pat Cummins, by Cricket Australia on Justin Langer’s coaching contract, but is unsure what the process will entail.Langer’s contract is the elephant in the room at CA at the moment, after the two parties mutually agreed to hold off discussions on the matter until after the Ashes. Langer’s current contract is due to expire in June after Australia’s tour of Pakistan in March and April.”I think he’s done a fantastic job,” Finch said at the 2021 T20 World Cup launch on Friday. “I think whatever happens from the Cricket Australia side of things, that’s out of our control as players, but his contract is up so no doubt there’ll be some talk there and I know Patty [Cummins] and myself might be in contact or might be contacted about that.Related

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“But I’ve actually got no idea. I’ve never really been in a leadership role when somebody’s coaching contract is up. But he’s done an unbelievable job and to see how good the environment has been throughout the T20 World Cup and then throughout the Ashes is a credit to everyone involved there.”The head coach has been left in limbo and is awaiting formal talks with CA, while former players such as Ricky Ponting, Adam Gilchrist, Steve Waugh and Shane Warne have all publicly asked why he has not yet been re-signed after winning the T20 World Cup and the Ashes 4-0 in a four-month period.Langer said in an interview with SEN Radio on Wednesday that he was “not edgy” about his future. But he did admit in a second interview with 6PR Radio that he didn’t know why his contract process had become so drawn out.He also cautioned against having multiple coaches for multiple formats, something that has been mooted for Australia’s men’s teams moving forward. “There’s a lot of talk about splitting it up,” Langer told 6PR. “On the surface, it seems to be the way to go. But, look, I’ve been consistent with this for ten years when I was at the WACA as well with the [Perth] Scorchers and Western Australia, it’s not as simple as that sounds.Pat Cummins could also be part of the discussions around Justin Langer’s future•AFP/Getty Images

“For example, we go to Pakistan in a few weeks’ time for three Test matches, and then a few days later there’s three ODIs and one T20I game. So if you just have a T20 coach, for example, is he going to fly in with a whole new support staff for one T20 game? It just doesn’t seem to add up. I think there’s certainly got to be someone overseeing it. There’s also management of players, they play 12 months of the year. On the surface, it looks like a good idea but when you get into the logistics of it, it’s not that simple. But it’s certainly something which will be looked at.”Langer is currently in Tasmania as he was unable to fly home to Perth because of Western Australia’s border restrictions. He was planning on returning home when the border was due to open on February 5, but WA premier Mark McGowan announced on Thursday night that WA’s border would remain closed indefinitely, which has left every WA-based cricketer currently interstate unable to return to Perth without doing 14 days of isolation.So Langer is unlikely to be able to return home until after the Pakistan tour.Langer and Australia’s selectors are set to convene over the coming days to pick Australia’s T20I squad for the five-match series against Sri Lanka, and will undoubtedly discuss the Pakistan touring squad during the process as they look to manage the players playing all three formats.Finch himself will enjoy a couple of days off prior to the Sri Lanka series after Melbourne Renegades failed to make the BBL finals. He scored back-to-back half-centuries in his last two BBL games but the knee injury that troubled him during the T20 World Cup and saw him miss the first part of the BBL has still not fully healed.”It’s been better,” Finch said. “It’s been worse as well. It’s okay. I’ll get through for a little while longer.”

'We had no idea how to play on this wicket' – Shreyas Iyer on adapting to Abu Dhabi conditions

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The Capitals who had won their first two matches in Dubai struggled to come to terms with the new venue

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Sep-20202:12

Manjrekar: Natarajan showed why Sunrisers persisted with him

After winning their first two games in Dubai, the Delhi Capitals suffered their first defeat in IPL 2020, losing to the Sunrisers Hyderabad by 15 runs in Abu Dhabi. Shreyas Iyer, the Capitals’ captain, said that the lack of game-time at a new venue contributed significantly to their defeat.Iyer, who had opted to chase, felt Sunrisers’ total of 162 for 4 was a par one and said his side was “happy to restrict” them to that score. He also said that the dew they expected in Dubai didn’t set in and therefore batting in the second innings was tougher than what he expected it to be.”We had actually no idea how to play on this wicket because this is our first game here, and they played their last game here,” Iyer told host broadcaster Star Sports after the match. “So they pretty much outplayed us in all three departments.It [the pitch] was really surprising. In the second innings, it was two-paced. When I went into bat, I wasn’t getting the ball well onto the bat. We thought the dew factor would play a massive role in the second innings and the ball would come [on] really well. We didn’t really execute the way we wanted to, but lot of learning from this wicket and also the conditions. The next time we come here, we’ll be very prepared.”Iyer also said that given the bigger boundaries in Abu Dhabi, the Capitals had planned to run more twos on the night and felt they did not capitalise on that aspect of their game. In all, the Capitals ran seven twos in their chase, compared to Sunrisers’ 11 in the first innings.As for the Sunrisers, they earned their first victory after losing their first two matches, and their captain David Warner credited the yorkers bowled by his seamers for that. He also said that the running between the wickets between Jonny Bairstow and him in their 77-run opening stand, under hot conditions, helped them overcome a difficult opening spell of fast bowling from the Capitals earlier in the evening.Warner also spoke of the challenge of finding a balanced XI that allows Kane Williamson, who scored a match-winning 41 off 26 balls, to play.”It is tricky, we’ve always tried hard with that balance,” Warner said. “After Mitchell Marsh got injured, we wondered how we can get some overs out, and young Abhishek Sharma held his nerve, bowled good lines [as the fifth bowler]. But getting an experienced batsman [like Williamson] helps.

James Anderson in doubt for Lancashire's Championship return

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England star suffered a blow to his knee in one-day semi-final defeat

ESPNcricinfo staff13-May-2019James Anderson is in doubt for Lancashire’s County Championship return after suffering a blow to his knee while bowling last weekend.Anderson was due to feature in Lancashire’s Division Two home fixture against Northamptonshire, starting on Tuesday. However, the club said he was no certainty to play after being struck on the inside of his knee while bowling to Hampshire’s James Fuller, who hit the ball sharply back during the closing stages of Sunday’s Royal London Cup semi-final, won by Hampshire.Anderson collapsed on the ground immediately after being hit and took some time to get up. When he did, he was unable to complete his spell.Lancashire coach Glen Chapple said after the match: “He was nearly able to bowl but it is a bad spot and as soon as there’s any swelling in there it can restrict your movement and limit your strength. I would imagine it would be very painful for a couple of days. I think a lot of us have had a similar blow in a similar area and it’s just at the edge of the joint.”Lancashire expect to be without Alex Davies, who is nearing a return after breaking his thumb during their seven-wicket win over Middlesex in last month’s season opener.Opening batsman Joe Burns is set to make his debut, becoming the third Australian to represent Lancashire this season after Glenn Maxwell – who recently left to prepare for the World Cup – and Jake Lehmann, whose half-century offered some resistance to an excellent performance by Hampshire’s bowlers in the one-day match.Northamptonshire expect to have two month-long loan signings available to them. Jamie Overton has joined from Somerset as he seeks to build his match fitness after a back injury, while the 23-year-old left-arm pace bowler Luke Wood has joined from Nottinghamshire. It is Wood’s second loan spell with Northants this season after he played in their first match, against Middlesex, which ended in a draw.

Khurram Manzoor's 100 leads Karachi Whites to final

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Karachi Whites chased 282 with ease to beat Peshawar by five wickets in the first semi-final

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Feb-2018
Khurram Manzoor made 100 off 70 balls•PCB

A century from Khurram Manzoor guided Karachi Whites to a five-wicket win over Peshawar in the first semi-final on Thursday. Peshawar, who had decided to bat first after winning the toss, posted 281 before they were bundled out in the final over.Eight of the top nine batsman reached double figures, with captain Mohammad Rizwan top-scoring with 72. Regular wickets in the final third of the innings derailed Peshawar in their quest for a 300-plus score. Anwar Ali and Mohammad Asghar were the pick of Karachi’s bowlers, taking three wickets each to chip away at Peshawar.Karachi Whites led an impressively strong reply, with an 80-run opening partnership between Manzoor and captain Asad Shafiq setting them on course. Akbar-ur-Rehman, at number three, linked up with Manzoor in the match-defining partnership. The pair contributed 113 runs for the second wicket as Rehman scored 82, with the game effectively done.Quick wickets made it a tense affair towards the end, but Danish Aziz ensured the good work of the top order would not go to waste. He hit two sixes and a four in an 8-ball 20 to see his side home with five balls to spare.

'I don't believe this is a historic Test' – Mushfiqur Rahim

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Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim has brushed aside suggestions that the one-off Test has historic relevance, saying that their focus is on putting up a strong performance against a good team instead

Mohammad Isam01-Feb-2017Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim has brushed aside the portrayal of their maiden Test in India next week as a “historic” one, saying that he feels it is more important to treat the game as an opportunity to show Bangladesh’s measure in world cricket. He also hopes that a good performance in the one-off game will prompt the BCCI to invite them frequently.The team leaves Dhaka on February 2, to play a two-day practice match against India A and the Test in Hyderabad, which will be Bangladesh’s first in India since gaining ICC Full Member status in 2000. Interestingly, it was the BCCI’s push that was vital in their ascent from Associate Member, and India played against them in their inaugural Test on November 10, 2000. India toured Bangladesh four more times to play Tests thereafter.”I’m a little surprised, I don’t believe that this is a historic Test,” Mushfiqur said. “Take for example when we play against Zimbabwe. The pressure is more because if we lose against them then there is nothing more shameful than that. I will say that it is better that we are going there now and not five years ago.”We want to tell world cricket what we can do in India. I don’t think about how many years later we are going to play in India. We want to play in such a way that India invites again and again. This to me is just another Test match.”Mushfiqur, who has returned to the Test squad after missing Bangladesh’s last game in New Zealand due to a finger injury, said that he hopes the team puts together a collective performance. Bangladesh lost both Tests in New Zealand but gave the home side some tough sessions.”I hope that the recent performers will hold on to their form and put together a team performance. And to those who haven’t done well in the recent past, you have a chance to give a good account of yourself.”A team effort will give us a good result. They have a strong squad, and are always really good in their home conditions. We want to do well against them over five days, and not just two or three days,” he said.Mushfiqur said Bangladesh’s squad is balanced, with four pace bowlers and three specialist spinners and depth in the batting department.The return of Imrul Kayes, Mominul Haque and Mushfiqur himself means that Bangladesh have their full batting strength back. Soumya Sarkar and Imrul are likely to be in competition for the role of Tamim Iqbal’s opening partner, while Mahmudullah, Shakib Al Hasan and Sabbir Rahman will be expected to make runs in the middle order.”No matter what conditions they offer, we have a balanced side. We have enough pacers and spinners and depth in batting.”I think our batsmen will have a challenge in their hands against their world-class attack. As a bowling unit we are inexperienced, but one or two bowlers did do well in New Zealand. If we can perform as a team we can do well against any other good team.”

Lehmann backs scrapping of toss

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Australia’s coach Darren Lehmann has thrown his support behind the idea of scrapping the toss, while he is also open-minded about the concept of four-day Test cricket

Brydon Coverdale03-Dec-2015Australia’s coach Darren Lehmann has thrown his support behind the idea of scrapping the toss, while he is also open-minded about the concept of four-day Test cricket. While Australia and New Zealand pioneered day-night Test cricket in Adelaide last week, other suggestions have also been made in the debate around making Test cricket more competitive and more attractive to spectators.One idea is to abolish the coin toss before matches and instead allow the visiting team the choice of whether to bat or bowl, which proponents argue would encourage the host country to produce a fair pitch. Ricky Ponting, Steve Waugh and Michael Holding have all expressed support for the idea, while the ECB will next year trial a similar concept in county cricket.Under the ECB’s trial, the visiting county will automatically be given the option of fielding first and only if they decline will the coin toss go ahead as usual.”That is one that should definitely come in to cricket, where the opposition gets the right to choose what they want to do,” Lehmann told reporters in Adelaide on Thursday. “I reckon it will stop all the wickets suiting the home team.”As you saw in Perth, the wickets don’t suit how we want to play sometimes and in Australia in general the wickets have been fantastic for years, it doesn’t really matter on the toss, who wins or not. But in some other places it certainly has a big bearing on the game.”The MCC World Cricket Committee also expressed its concerns about pitch preparation last week and said in a statement that home advantage had become too significant in Test cricket, and it would monitor with interest the ECB trial next year. It was the MCC World Cricket Committee that pushed for day-night Tests six years ago and Lehmann said he loved the roll-out of the inaugural pink-ball Test.”I thought it was a great concept,” he said. “It was probably over a little bit quick for my liking in terms of the game but it was exciting for three days and it could have gone either way. Maybe a little less grass [on the pitch] and maybe get the ball a little bit darker in the seam, but it’s only a little bit of tweaking. I was quite impressed by it. I know the fans loved it … we have just got to make it better.”Four-day Test cricket has also been floated as a possible way of keeping fans interested in the longest format. Cricket Australia CEO James Sutherland has an open mind about the concept, with the possibility that the four days could be extended so that little play was lost overall. Lehmann said he did not mind the idea, but was unsure whether the extra overs could be easily fitted in.”We don’t bowl our 90 overs in a day as it is, so that is probably the only thing,” he said. “But I’m open to all those sorts of things. Whatever makes the game better for the fans is pretty important.”

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