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Isa Guha, the England seamer, has announced her retirement from international cricket. Guha, 26, played eight Tests, 83 ODIs and 22 Twenty20 internationals in a career spanning close to 11 years.During her international career, she took 101 ODI and 29 Test wickets and was part of a successful side which won the Women’s World Cup and World Twenty20 tournaments in 2009, and the Ashes in 2005.However, she will continue playing county cricket. “Playing for England has meant everything to me but it feels like the right time for me to step away from the international stage,” Guha said.”The levels of commitment have become even greater which is testament to how the women’s game has developed and after ten years of prioritising cricket it’s now time to think about my future outside of the game.”I have thoroughly enjoyed my time playing for England and will take many memories with me such as winning the Ashes in 2005, the World Cups in 2009 and our most recent whitewash of our tour in New Zealand. It has been a pleasure to play alongside some truly special cricketers and to see them grow as players. The current squad is the strongest I have ever been involved in and I hope they continue to lead the way in world cricket.”Guha’s retirement comes on the same day Rahul Dravid, the Indian batsman, announced he was quitting international cricket.

Dinesh Karthik, the lone centurion for Tamil Nadu in the Ranji Trophy final, has blamed the Chepauk pitch for spoiling his team’s chances of winning the title. The pitch became the focal point of the debate after Rajasthan amassed 621 runs across the first three days, taking advantage of a surface that was devoid of any bounce or pace. Though the game was drawn, Rajasthan took the title on first-innings points.The Rajasthan opening pair of Vineet Saxena and Aakash Chopra remained unconquered on a tedious first day when only 221 runs were scored.”To some extent, yes,” Karthik said, when asked if he would blame the pitch for Tamil Nadu finishing as runners-up. “Because after playing eight quality games you come up for the final only to realise it is going to be so toss-based. Any game for that matter should not be toss-based. There should be a pitch for both batsmen and bowlers. That is the key to sport, a contest.” Karthik’s previous century in a Ranji final came when Tamil Nadu played Mumbai at the same venue in the 2003-04 season.Incidentally the pitch for the final was the same surface Tamil Nadu had played Madhya Pradesh (group game) and Maharashtra (quarter-finals). In both those games, Tamil Nadu managed to bowl out the opposition at least once, but in the final they were made to toil fruitlessly. The fears of a weary pitch were realised completely: if the lack of pace on the dry pitch kept the fast bowlers parched, the spinners were hurt by the lack of bounce.Describing the pitch, Karthik said it was initially slow to start on day one and the cracks started getting wider over the subsequent days. “It is a little annoying to bat on (after day 3) you cannot play freely. If you are a positive player, there are not many shots you can play because you are not going to get value for your shots. That is why the run rate remained consistent at 2 to 2.2 types.”On the penultimate day, the pitch had become extremely slow. Still, Karthik’s century was the best innings in terms of strokeplay. It did not come easy, Karthik stressed. “It was far more difficult to bat than on what it was at the start of the match. The wicket was slow throughout the game but it became slower from the third day and the odd ball was keeping low and the cracks were opening.”Karthik failed to understand why such an important match could not be hosted on a better pitch, which would have retained the balance between bat and ball. He even cited the examples of venues like Mumbai and Baroda being fit to host the domestic season’s most important match. “I am disappointed at the fact that we cannot play on a wicket like a Wankhede or Baroda (Moti Bagh) wickets which are conducive to both batting and bowling. The scoreline would have been much more different.”However, Karthik credited the Rajasthan bowlers for maintaining accurate lines and the batsmen for their admirable patience. Tamil Nadu suffered a setback as soon as they started their innings after the new ball pair of Rituraj Singh and Pankaj Singh sent back their top order by bowling fast and keeping the length full. Being in the field for the first eight sessions had affected the hosts’ batsmen mentally and physically.”It is very easy for me to say that the Rajasthan bowlers bowled well and they definitely did that. But there is no doubting the fact they had a cushion of 620 runs,” Karthik said. “And they bowled to their strengths, bowling in straight lines consistently.”At the same time the, Karthik did not blame his own bowlers for failing to stall the opposition. “Our bowlers did a fantastic job throughout the season but this was the game where the Rajasthan batsmen applied themselves and the wicket was very good to bat on (on the first two days) and they did not make any mistake at all.”Karthik appreciated Saxena’s relaxed demeanour throughout his marathon knock of 257, spread across 907 minutes. “It is very difficult to concentrate for such long periods of time without making a mistake and that was fantastic. Nor did he play a false stroke.”Comparatively, Tamil Nadu were hurt by the lack of partnerships: if Rajasthan had one double-century and two century partnerships, the highest for the hosts was the 76-run alliance between Karthik and R Prasanna for the fourth wicket. “To put it simply, there were about fifteen sessions in the game and they won all fifteen whether it be batting and bowling. Their lowest partnership must have been close to a hundred. We could not even get one hundred partnership and they had a double-hundred partnership. That is how good they were.”Despite failing to win the title once again, Karthik said there was no need for any drastic measures. In fact, he said the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association had supported the players by retaining the group across the last few years. If anything, he said Tamil Nadu should be proud. “In all honesty, to finish No.2 is nothing to be ashamed about. It was a proud achievement the way we have played our cricket. It was the only game in the entire Ranji Trophy we had lost and it says a lot about this team.”Karthik said the bowling attack, led by L Balaji was a big improvement over the previous years. However, he picked one area of improvement. “I would love to see a pool of spinners to choose from. At the moment I see four spinners – two left-armers and two off spinners – (so) I would like see a leg spinner who can come and help us.”

Match facts

Kumar Sangakkara is on the verge of 10,000 ODI runs•Getty Images

February 17, Sydney
Start time 1420 (0320 GMT)

Big Picture

Sri Lanka might view their tie with India as a missed opportunity, but it at least put them on the board in the Commonwealth Bank Series. All the same, they need a win soon or risk leaving their run for the finals too late. And to have the best chance of success, they need runs out of their senior batsmen; none of Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Tillakaratne Dilshan and Upul Tharanga have scored a half-century so far in this tournament. The SCG might give them some hope, for they have won five of their past seven one-day internationals there, including three victories over Australia. In the past decade, it has been comfortably their best ground in Australia.For the Australians, this match is something of a flashback: Ricky Ponting will captain the side for the first time since he quit the leadership after last year’s World Cup. Australia hope it will be a one-off, and that Michael Clarke’s hamstring injury will allow him to play the next game on Sunday. Whatever the case, Ponting’s appointment has caused some debate, with the nominal vice-captain David Warner not considered experienced enough to lead the side. Captaincy apart, Australia can regain their lead on the series table if they win this match, but a loss would make the second half of the tournament a much closer proposition.

Form guide

Australia LWWWL (Most recent first)
Sri Lanka TLLWW

In the spotlight

At 34, David Hussey finally looks like holding down a permanent place in Australia’s ODI team. In and out of the side for four years, Hussey was given another chance by John Inverarity’s panel and has rewarded them by being Australia’s leading run scorer in the first three games of the series. Being dropped so often during his international career has forced him to play every game as if it’s his last, and it’s an approach that is benefiting Australia at the moment.Kumar Sangakkara is on the verge of becoming the tenth man to score 10,000 ODI runs. He needs 11 to reach that milestone, and he will be the third Sri Lankan behind Sanath Jayasuriya and Mahela Jayawardene to get there. He also remains one of the most respected batsmen in world cricket, and having made starts in all three Commonwealth Bank Series matches so far, Sangakkara doesn’t seem far from posting a big one.

Team news

The major change for Australia is the absence of Clarke and a like-for-like swap with Michael Hussey, who was rested from the previous game, is expected. By leaving out Ryan Harris the selectors have opened up a spot for either Brett Lee or Ben Hilfenhaus, but Lee needed to prove his fitness at training on Thursday after surprising everyone with his quick recovery from a toe injury. Again, it seems doubtful that the allrounders Daniel Christian and Mitchell Marsh will squeeze into the same side, and Christian’s solid efforts in the series so far have made him hard to drop.Another concern was the fitness of left-arm spinner Xavier Doherty, who suffered back spasms during training at the SCG on the eve of the match. The national selection panel called up Jon Holland, the Victoria spinner, as cover in case Doherty was ruled out on the morning of the game.Australia (possible) 1 David Warner, 2 Matthew Wade (wk), 3 Ricky Ponting (capt), 4 Peter Forrest, 5 Michael Hussey, 6 David Hussey, 7 Daniel Christian/Mitchell Marsh, 8 Clint McKay, 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Xavier Doherty/Jon Holland, 11 Ben Hilfenhaus.At the SCG, Sri Lanka should again play two spinners, and changes to the pace-bowling group appear unlikely. Upul Tharanga is yet to reach double figures in this series but scored a couple of half-centuries in the recent series against South Africa. An extended run of poor form from him could lead to top-order changes, but for now he is likely to retain his spot.Sri Lanka (possible) 1 Upul Tharanga, 2 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 3 Kumar Sangakkara (wk), 4 Dinesh Chandimal, 5 Mahela Jayawardene (capt), 6 Angelo Mathews, 7 Thisara Perera, 8 Nuwan Kulasekara, 9 Sachithra Senanayake, 10 Lasith Malinga, 11 Rangana Herath.

Pitch and conditions

The SCG is usually a good batting surface and last time a one-day international was played at the venue, Australia chased down 334 to beat England. However, the weather could play a part: the forecast for Friday suggests the chance of thunderstorms and a top temperature of 28C.

Stats and trivia

• Should Sangakkara reach 10,000 runs in this game he will be easily the fastest Sri Lankan to the milestone, in 315 games, compared to Jayasuriya’s 337 and Jayawardene’s 355
• Sri Lanka were the last team to beat Australia in an ODI at the SCG, with a 29-run victory in November 2010

Quotes

“I think it’s fair to say a few of the guys are feeling the pinch, those that have played through the Test series and then into the first three one-day games … we’re not using that as an excuse, we’ve got standards that we set for ourselves.”
Ricky Ponting

Tim Bresnan has been ruled out of England’s first warm-up game in the UAE after suffering discomfort in his right elbow. Bresnan, who currently stands 12th in the ICC Test bowler rankings, underwent surgery on the elbow just over a month ago and reported soreness in the nets on Wednesday.As a consequence, he sat out training on Thursday and Friday and won’t be risked for the match against an ICC Affiliate and Associate XI starting on Saturday. “Tim Bresnan, in particular, has still got a bit of swelling in his elbow as a reaction to his operation, so he’s not quite ready yet,” Andrew Strauss, the England captain, said. “We’re aiming for the second warm-up game with him.”With just two warm-ups games scheduled before the Test series Bresnan’s chances of proving his match fitness are receding. His absence will give either Chris Tremlett or Steven Finn an opportunity to challenge for a Test place, although Tremlett is also suffering from an eye infection which has hindered his preparation.”[He has a bit of a sore eye at the moment, but that is nothing of great concern to us. It’s just niggles more than anything,” Strauss said.Neither Tremlett or Finn offer Bresnan’s prowess with the bat, however. Bresnan is currently averaging 45.42 with the bat and 23.60 with the ball and has helped England to victory in all 10 of the Tests in which he has played.Finn, at least, believes that a month playing in New Zealand just before Christmas should have provided excellent preparation for this tour. While conditions in UAE are unlikely to provide as much assistance as Finn enjoyed in New Zealand, he believes the slow pace of the pitches in both countries will be similar.”It was a great experience for me, and I feel like I’ve learned a lot from it,” Finn said. “The wickets were quite slow and low, so it was good to go and get some practice on those sorts of wickets.”It was just a good chance for me to go and do a lot of bowling. I bowled 140 overs in the four games. It was something I really wanted to do personally, and the satisfaction I got from going over there was great.”

Ireland Under-19s will attempt to emulate the senior team in two one-dayers against England next year. The games will be part of both teams’ preparation for the U-19 World Cup next August in Australia.Ireland produced the shock of the 2011 World Cup with a three-wicket win in Bangalore, largely thanks to Kevin O’Brien who struck the fastest-ever World Cup hundred.The U-19 matches will both be played at Grace Road on July 18 and 20 and will see the Ireland youngsters returning to Leicester for the first time since 2007 when the senior side beat Canada in an Intercontinental Cup match.The fixtures will act as a warm-up ahead of the teams’ meeting at the U-19 World Cup in Brisbane. Ireland and England have been drawn in the same group, alongside the hosts and Nepal.The teams last met in 2008 in Malaysia when an England side, including Steven Finn, Chris Woakes and James Taylor, comfortably won by 10 wickets. England also won their 2006 U-19 World Cup meeting when Ireland were captained by Eoin Morgan.Ireland U-19s are also scheduled to play Scotland U-19s in three one-day matches in July.

Sarel Burger, who was Namibia’s interim captain for most of the recent T20 series against Kenya, has been made the full-time captain. Burger led his team to a 6-2 victory in the eight-game series and topped the batting averages with 146 runs at 48.66 and a strike-rate of 97.98. He replaces Craig Williams.”We are in the middle of the preparation process for the ICC Global T20 qualifiers in March next year,” Graham McMillan, chief executive of Cricket Namibia, said in a statement. “We felt that it is important to make a change early if one was going to be made. I am sure that Sarel will step up to the new role. He has already done six matches against Kenya, he proved himself to be a very capable man-manager. “Raymond van Schoor, who captained in the other two games against Kenya, was named the vice-captain.McMillan also paid tribute to Williams, the former captain. “I would also like to recognize the role that former captain Craig Williams played in the development of Namibia’s cricket. Craig made a very valuable contribution in the way he approached the game.”I am looking forward to seeing him playing without the pressure of captaincy over his head.”

Pakistan’s Supreme Court has admitted a petition filed against new PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf, which questions his appointment as president of Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL) three years ago while still a member of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).A three member bench of the court, headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry, heard the petition and then adjourned the case till November 14. This petition is unlikely to affect Ashraf’s legal status as the PCB head.Ashraf, who took over as the PCB chief from Ijaz Butt earlier this week, held the president’s post of ZTBL – a bank set up to aid agriculture in the country – for three years. He was named president while on the central executive committee of the PPP, potentially flouting the rule by which political office holders are barred from holding the position of head of ZTBL. The petition also alleges that Ashraf made illegal appointments during his presidency, citing 32 cases as examples.

Srikkanth Anirudha, the batsman from Tamil Nadu, has said he was “hurt” over claims that his father, Kris Srikkanth, the BCCI’s chief selector, could have had an influence over his selection into the squad for the Emerging Players Tournament in Australia. Anirudha’s selection had raised some eyebrows given his modest first-class record but he was in good form for the India Green team during the NKP Salve Challenger Trophy, averaging over 60 and scoring a century.”Oh yes, it hurts,” Anirudha, 24, told when asked how he felt about accusations that he may have benefited from nepotism. “Three months back, it hurt a lot. At the end of the day, you have to go out there and play. He [his father] is a massive help when you come back home, on the mental side of the game. He knows what a cricketer can go through, what the expectations will be from my family, me and people around me.”Probably the expectations are always going to be higher being his son but I have to cope with that. I have to live with it all my life.”He said he wasn’t putting too much pressure on himself. “To be very honest, at one point I was so adamant I used to constantly think ‘I want to make it big, I want to it big'”But now I have realised that the bottom line is you live your life once. And if you don’t enjoy it, there’s no point living. Every day if you take pressure, then there’s no point in it.”

Match facts
September 8, Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo
Start time 0930 (0730GMT)Brendan Taylor wants his team to set their record at the Queens Sports Club straight•AFP

The Big Picture

Zimbabwe return to the format they are most comfortable with, after a Test match that would have left them feeling exposed. This will be their biggest test in limited-overs cricket since the tri-series against India and Sri Lanka last year, and they will want to use it as an opportunity to show their proficiency against teams regarded as tougher opposition than the likes of Bangladesh, Kenya and Ireland.As a unit, they have progressed and started off the recently-concluded one-day series against Bangladesh with two easy wins in Harare. But Bangladesh fought back hard in the third match and, although they lost that match and the series, put Zimbabwe under pressure in Bulawayo. The hosts did not respond in the way they would have liked to, losing both matches there.Some have suggested that the Queens Sports Club is jinxed for the local team. Brendan Taylor was having none of the conspiracy theories though, and said the hosts only have themselves to blame for the poor showing at the venue and he would like them to change that record.Pakistan’s returns in ODI cricket have been solid since their showing at the World Cup, where they reached the semi-finals. They beat West Indies in a five-match series, although they lost two dead-rubbers, and also beat Ireland in a two-match series. They would be unhappy with anything less than a win here.The visitors are keen to experiment with different combinations and have made it clear they will allow everyone in the squad to get a game. It is a way of testing their fringe talent, an important goal for the team going forward. They will do so without the services of coach Waqar Younis, who is on his last assignment, and will want to end his tenure on a high note.

Form guide (most recent first)

Zimbabwe LLWWW
Pakistan WWLLW

In the spotlight

The spotlight belonged to his new-ball partner Brian Vitori in the series against Bangladesh, but Kyle Jarvis has been plugging away quietly, and was the most successful seamer in the Test match against Pakistan. Jarvis is undoubtedly the quickest of the Zimbabwe fast bowlers, and extracts good bounce and movement from the pitch. He is disciplined and accurate, and has earned high praise from the convenor of selectors, Alistair Campbell, and the coach, Alan Butcher, being termed the man who will lead Zimbabwe’s attack going forward.Mohammad Hafeez has always had a problem with converting impressive starts to big scores. But this year, he has managed a couple of ODI centuries and his hundred in the Bulawayo Test showed he may be ready to take on more responsibility. His position at the top is vital because Pakistan have struggled to find another consistent opener. Ahmed Shehzad has been dropped from the squad, the experiment with Taufeeq Umar as an ODI opener in the series against Ireland did not go well, and now Hafeez could be partnered by any one of Taufeeq, the uncapped Rameez Raja or a returning Imran Farhat.

Team news

Regis Chakabva may get a chance in the middle order during the one-day series with Greg Lamb not in the squad. Prosper Utseya will be the second spinner to Ray Price, while one of the quicks, most likely Brian Vitori, who was unsuccessful on the Bulawayo pitch during the Test, will be rested. Elton Chigumbura has been included in the ODI squad, after missing the Test with injury, but it is not clear whether he will be ready for the first game, meaning Malcolm Waller could come in.Zimbabwe: (probable) 1 Brendan Taylor, 2 Vusi Sibanda, 3 Hamilton Masakadza, 4 Tatenda Taibu, 5 Craig Ervine, 6 Regis Chakabva, 7 Malcolm Waller, 8 Prosper Utseya, 9 Ray Price, 10 Kyle Jarvis, 11 Chris Mpofu.Pakistan have four options for the openers’ positions, with Hafeez the only one guaranteed a place. There may also be a contest on for the No. 3 position with Asad Shafiq having shown an inability to convert starts and Pakistan handing Azhar Ali an ODI debut in the second game against Ireland. Given the conditions, Yasir Shah could come in as an additional spinner, to partner Saeed Ajmal. The offspin of Mohammad Hafeez will also come in handy. Junaid Khan will likely keep his place and Sohail Tanvir should get a chance as well, after being left out of the Test match.Pakistan: (probable) 1 Mohammad Hafeez, 2 Imran Farhat/ Rameez Raja, 3 Asad Shafiq, 4 Younis Khan, 5 Misbah-ul-Haq, 6 Umar Akmal, 7 Adnan Akmal, 8 Sohail Tanvir, 9 Saeed Ajmal, 10 Yasir Shah, 11 Junaid Khan

Pitch and conditions

Bulawayo has heated up beautifully and summer has come a few weeks early. Temperatures are topping 30 degrees Celsius, which means the pitch will dry out quickly. The grass covering on the Test track couldn’t prevent it from breaking up, and Vusi Sibanda reported cracks as early as the first day. The strip has always been favourable to spinners and is expected to be the same for the ODI. It should remain a good surface for batting as well, but the seam bowlers will have to work hard if they are to get any reward.

Stats and trivia

• Zimbabwe have lost seven out of nine ODIs played in Bulawayo since August 2009
• Misbah-ul-Haq has captained Pakistan in three ODIs so far, with a 100% win record

Quotes

“We would expect the attitude to be as positive as it was going into the Test match. We want to let Pakistan know that they are in for a good game of cricket.”

“We came with a lot of youngsters and everyone must get a chance to play. But our goal still is to win.”

Queensland will host the ICC’s 2012 Under-19 World Cup in August next year, with Brisbane, Townsville and the Sunshine Coast to be the primary venues for the event.Australia hosted the inaugural edition of the Cup in 1988. The Australian team won the last tournament, in New Zealand in 2010, and can be expected to put up a stern defence on home soil.James Sutherland, the Cricket Australia chief executive, said the tournament had proven itself as a useful stage for upcoming generations of cricket talent. He also pointed out that the event would aid Australia in its preparations for the senior edition of the World Cup, to be held down under in 2015.

The groups for the Under-19 World Cup

Group A
Australia, England, Nepal, Ireland
Group B
Pakistan, New Zealand, Scotland, Afghanistan
Group C
West Indies, India, Zimbabwe, Papua New Guinea
Group D
Sri Lanka, South Africa, Bangladesh, Namibia

“The ICC U19 Cricket World Cup is the showcase event for best young cricketers in the world and is where the next Cameron White or Yuvraj Singh gets their first real taste of top-level international cricket,” Sutherland said. “It was only a couple of years ago we saw Mitch Marsh captain the Australia Under-19 team to victory in New Zealand with talents such as Josh Hazlewood, Alister McDermott and Alex Keath alongside him.”We are very grateful to Queensland Cricket and Events Queensland for their support in hosting this tournament and I think all the teams and supporters will enjoy their time in Australia’s sunshine state. We are building towards hosting the senior ICC Cricket World Cup in 2015 and this tournament will play a big part in getting ready for that event,” he said.Graham Dixon, the Queensland Cricket chief executive, said the choice of the Sunshine Coast and Townsville as venues beyond Brisbane would be helpful for the development of cricket, and sporting infrastructure, in two major regional centres.”Queensland Cricket is thrilled at the decision to bring the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup to our state, and especially with the decision to play in two important regional centres, Townsville and the Sunshine Coast, with the resulting positive economic impact on those areas,” he said.”The support of the State Government and the Events Queensland will enable Queensland to provide an international showcase around this tournament, which has grown into a significant event on the world cricket stage.”Queensland Cricket is acutely aware that the ICC Cricket World Cup will be staged in Australia and New Zealand in 2015 and so tournaments like the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup are an important proving ground for us, and for Cricket Australia, as it gets closer to hosting that major event.”The ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat added: “This tournament has proved to be an important stepping stone for elite young cricketers aspiring to play international cricket. It’s an opportunity for them to develop and test their skills in a high-pressure situation against the world’s best at this level.”We also use it as an opportunity to educate them on several important issues like anti-corruption, anti-doping and social responsibility expected of international cricketers while also exposing them to the ICC Code of Conduct and media attention.”