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Ramnaresh Sarwan, captain of the Guyana Amazon Warriors, hailed his side’s commanding show in the semi-final of the CPL, where they beat Trinidad & Tobago Red Steel by seven wickets

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Aug-2013Ramnaresh Sarwan, captain of the Guyana Amazon Warriors, has hailed his side’s commanding showing in the semi-final of the inaugural Caribbean Premier League – they scored a seven-wicket victory over Trinidad & Tobago Red Steel in Port-of-Spain, with more than three overs to spare. Guyana’s attack, bolstered by the arrivals of Tillakaratne Dilshan and Lasith Malinga, had T&T reeling at 32 for 5 inside 10 overs, and the eventual target of 104 was never a challenge.”It was almost the perfect performance,” Sarwan said. “What we wanted to do was put them in to bat and put them under pressure because [Kevin] O’Brien has been playing a big part at the top of the order and getting them off to a flier. With our bowling attack we had a good chance of getting him out and then grabbing another one or two [wickets], and we were able to do that.”Guyana’s campaign seemed to have hit a speed bump when New Zealand batsman Martin Guptill injured his hand in the final group game in Antigua and Pakistan’s Mohammad Hafeez had to leave for national duty in Zimbabwe. Both batsmen were among the top ten run-scorers of the tournament. But Guyana’s replacements – Dilshan and Malinga – ensured their side was not left wanting, picking up two wickets each, at well under run-a-ball in their first match. Dilshan also anchored the chase with a 29-ball 39, which included three fours and a six.”We [him and Malinga] had to make it count,” Dilshan said. “We were coming from a long way – more than 20 hours flying – and then playing a match within 24-hours’ time, we had to make it count here otherwise it would have been a waste coming from there [Sri Lanka].”I have really enjoyed my performance today, especially considering it was the semi-final. We are through to final – that was the main goal for us today. We have a day off so we can rest and come back on Saturday and play good cricket against whoever comes the final.”Curtly Ambrose, Guyana’s assistant coach, said he had always known his side was capable of putting together a game like this. “I’ve been saying it right from the start, that we have a good enough team to win the tournament as long as we play proper cricket,” he said. “We haven’t played our best game up until today and I keep telling the guys there are two good games somewhere round the corner – this was one of them. So I’m hoping that we can bring our A game to the finals on Saturday and win the tournament.”

The IPL governing council’s decision to exclude Sri Lankan players from matches in Chennai has been met with some disappointment and concern by the other franchises

Nagraj Gollapudi27-Mar-2013The IPL governing council’s decision to exclude Sri Lankan players from matches in Chennai has been met with some disappointment and concern by the other franchises. They are disappointed at being excluded from the decision-making process, and that the decision taken did not follow precedent. In addition, they are concerned over the possible consequence – that Chennai Super Kings may have an added advantage in their home games.While Super Kings’ Sri Lankan players are not crucial to their plans, several of their compatriots are vital members of their respective teams. Those teams will not be fielding their first XI when playing in Chennai – both in the league stage and in the knockout stage, in which two matches are scheduled to be staged in Chennai.Officials of the eight other franchises were not willing to go on record and said they were unlikely to raise this formally within the IPL. However, they wonder why the precedent set in 2010 – when the matches were shifted out of Bangalore after the twin bomb blasts, and not a single game was held in Hyderabad because of the Telengana agitation – was not followed this time.”Why did the IPL not call for a meeting with the franchises? They could have had a consensus by asking all the franchises, which they did during the Telengana crisis,” one franchise official said. “It is a similar situation now, just as when Deccan Chargers games were moved out of Hyderabad due to the Telengana debate.”The Hyderabad situation was precipitated by a movement, that turned violent, in Andhra Pradesh for a separate Telengana state, the IPL initially decided to move all seven home games of Deccan Chargers, the then local franchise, out of the state. Eventually, the Chargers played two matches in Cuttack, a catchment area, two in Mumbai, and three in Nagpur.Two months later, there were two low-intensity bomb blasts outside the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore, minutes before a league match between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Mumbai Indians. The match went ahead after officials guaranteed safety, but the IPL moved the semi-finals out of Bangalore to Mumbai.Citing those two incidents, the franchises are now asking why the IPL could not move the home games of Chennai Super Kings elsewhere. “To me the rule is, if you can’t manage a team inside your state then move the game (outside),” a team official said.However, IPL franchises don’t always have a say in decision-making and a BCCI official contacted by ESPNcricinfo echoed that line. “It is not mandatory for the IPL authorities to consult the franchises,” he said on condition of anonymity. “The franchises are taken into confidence more or less on every issue [but] we cannot speak in public about a particular issue.”The IPL’s latest decision leaves Chennai Super Kings without two players – Nuwan Kulasekara and Akhila Dhananjaya – who, it can reasonably be said, would not have been regular starters. Kulasekara was bought by Super Kings in 2011 and has featured in six matches – including one match last season. Dhananjaya, 19, was bought at the player auction in February and was always likely to be on the bench given the team’s strong overseas contingent – including Albie Morkel and Francois du Plessis (both South Africa), Dwayne Bravo (West Indies) and fast bowlers Ben Hilfenhaus and Dirk Nannes (both Australia).In contrast, Sri Lankan players feature prominently on several of the other teams. Mahela Jayawardene captains Delhi Daredevils and is their key batsman; Kumar Sangakkara will captain Sunrisers Hyderabad and also keep wicket; Lasith Malinga is the strike bowler for Mumbai Indians; Angelo Matthews is the go-to allrounder for Pune Warriors; Tillakaratne Dilshan plays a triple role, as batsman, bowler, and a top fielder for Royal Challengers, and Muttiah Muralitharan is their lead spinner. All these teams will have to play Super Kings in Chennai without their first XI, while the home franchise could notionally field their strongest side.Sri Lankan players are a significant part of franchises’ planning because of their familiarity with conditions and their availability through the tournament. This year, too, various franchises recruited a few Lankan players to suit specific game-plans. Kolkata Knight Riders’ sole buy at the auction was Sachithra Senanayake, a $625,000 alternative to the West Indiaes spinner Sunil Narine. Pune Warriors India bid aggressively to bag Mathews and Ajantha Mendis, who, in the absence of Michael Clarke, are likely to play an important role in the team’s strategies. Thisara Perera, who once played for Super Kings, was bought by the Sunrisers, while Rajasthan Royals purchased wicket-keeper batsman Kusal Perera.Now those teams will have to play Super Kings, twice winners of the IPL and of the Champions League Twenty20, at Chepauk with a tweaked game-plan and without their best side.

Namibia beat Kenya by 52 runs in the final of the Under-19 World Cup Qualifier Africa Division 1 to enter the Under-19 World Cup, which will be played in Dubai in 2014

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Jun-2013
ScorecardNamibia beat Kenya by 52 runs in the final of the Under-19 World Cup Qualifier Africa Division 1 to enter the Under-19 World Cup, which will be played in Dubai in 2014.Batting first, Namibia were all out for 173 as Kenya bowlers, led by offspinner Paramveer Singh (3 for 28), kept the batsmen in check. The most substantial contributions for Namibia came from opener Xander Pitchers (52) and wicketkeeper JP Cotze (43).Kenya’s batsmen, however, couldn’t capitalise on the advantage their bowlers had set up. Pacers Bredell Wessels and JJ Smit picked up early wickets to leave Kenya struggling at 27 for 2. They lost regular wickets thereon and Smit’s hat-trick in the 35th over, which reduced Kenya to 110 for 7, took Namibia closer to victory. Kenya were eventually dismissed for 121 in the 40th over.

Mohammad Hafeez’s economical and incisive spell bowled Lahore Lions to a comprehensive victory against Faisalabad Wolves in the final of the Faysal Bank T-20

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Dec-2012
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsMohammad Hafeez’s economical and incisive spell bowled Lahore Lions to a comprehensive victory against Faisalabad Wolves in the final of the Faysal Bank T-20, and potentially secured them a place in the Champions League T20 next year.Chasing a target of 155, Faisalabad had reached 30 for 1 in the fourth over when the slide began. Asif Ali was first run out, and then Hafeez nipped out three wickets in successive overs to reduce Faisalabad to 56 for 5. The collpase did not cease and Hafeez returned to dismiss Imran Khalid to pick up his fourth wicket. He finished with 4 for 11, and Abdul Razzaq claimed 2 for 19, as Faisalabad were restricted to 121 for 8 in 20 overs.Lahore’s innings had been set up by a fiery start from their openers after they chose to bat. Ahmed Shehzad scored 29 off 18 balls and was first out with the score on 44 in 4.2 overs. Nasir Jamshed carried on, making 42 off 28 balls to lay the platform for a formidable score. The middle-order batsmen, however, could not sustain the momentum and Nos. 3 to 5 got starts but scored at only a run a ball. Lahore had to settle for 154 for 7, but it proved to be 33 too many for Faisalabad.The final was watched by a crowd of 20,000 at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, with several thousands outside the venue without tickets.

James Faulkner, the Australia pace bowler, has been fined 10% of his match fee following his reaction to dismissing Chris Gayle during the third ODI in Canberra

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Feb-2013James Faulkner, the Australia pace bowler, has been fined 10% of his match fee following his reaction to dismissing Chris Gayle during the third ODI in Canberra.Faulkner bowled Gayle, who batted down the order after picking up a side strain, in the 38th over during Australia’s series-clinching victory and responded by clearly shouting in the direction of the batsman.Faulkner was found to have breached Article 2.1.4 of the ICC code of conduct which relates to “using language or a gesture that is obscene, offensive or insulting during an International Match”.After the match Faulkner, who finished with 4 for 48, pleaded guilty to the charge and accepted the sanction proposed by the match referee Ranjan Madugalle.”There is no place for this type of behaviour anywhere near the game,” Madugalle. “The players are expected to respect the opponents all the time. In this particular incident, James crossed the line and I’m sure he will learn from this incident.”However, there was support for Faulkner from his team-mate Glenn Maxwell who tweeted: “.@faulknerC25 copping unfair stick for today’s incident. Gayle wasn’t even playing when he sprayed him in the PMs XI match! #giveitandtakeit.”

The weather was the winner as Leicestershire’s County Championship Division Two game against Essex at Grace Road ended in a tame draw

19-May-2012
ScorecardThe weather was the winner as Leicestershire’s County Championship Division Two game against Essex at Grace Road ended in a tame draw.Essex were set a victory target of 270 in 60 overs, but in gloomy conditions umpires Peter Willey and Jeremy Lloyds finally abandoned the game at 3.45pm, with Essex on 30 for 2 from 12.2 overs. The draw earned Essex 10 points and Leicestershire nine.A steady drizzle throughout the morning prevented any play before lunch, and Leicestershire resumed their second innings on 148 for 3 with 26 overs having been lost because of the stoppage.But, in an attempt to fashion a positive result, Leicestershire were fed a diet of declaration bowling, and thrashed 158 runs off 7.3 overs before calling a halt to the carnage.Ned Eckersley smashed 70 off 19 balls, hitting 13 fours and two sixes, Wayne White hit 50 off 12 and Ramnaresh Sarwan went from his overnight 61 to 98 in a matter of minutes before skying a catch to midwicket.Adam Wheater conceded 86 runs in four overs and Mark Pettini 72 in 3.1 overs to enable Leicestershire to declare on 306 for five and set Essex 270 to win in 60 overs, but the chase never materialised.Alviro Petersen was run out by a direct hit on the stumps from Josh Cobb and Billy Godleman edged behind chasing a delivery outside the off stump from Robbie Joseph.One ball later the umpires decided the light was not good enough to continue and, with no sign of any improvement, abandoned the game after an early tea had been taken.

With an ease that would have been quite unthinkable a few years ago, England cruised to victory over Australia in the fourth ODI in Durham

The Report by George Dobell07-Jul-2012
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Steven Finn was on a hat-trick twice during Australia’s innings•Getty ImagesSmart stats

The series win is England’s second against Australia (bilateral series) since 2000. Their last series win against Australia came in 2010 at home when they won 3-2.

Since the beginning of 2010, England have played seven home ODI series and have won all of them. In three of the seven series, they won by a margin of 3-2.

This is only the fourth occasion that England have managed a win by a margin of eight or more wickets in an ODI against Australia. The last occasion was at Leeds in 2005 when England won by nine wickets.

Australia’s total of 200 is their third-lowest against England since 2005. Their lowest total of 176 also came in Chester-le-Street in 2009.

If England go on to win the last ODI, it will be only the fourth time that Australia would have lost four matches in a bilateral series and the first time Australia would not have won a single match in a series of five or more matches.

Steven Finn’s 4 for 37 is his third four-wicket haul in ODIs. All three have come in 2012. It is the fourth-best bowling display at the venue and the second-best against Australia in Chester-le-Street.

The 70-run stand between David Hussey and Brett Lee is the second-highest seventh-wicket stand for Australia against England. The highest is 95 between Ian Healy and Steve Waugh in 1991.

With an ease that would have been quite unthinkable a few years ago, England cruised to victory over Australia in the fourth ODI in Durham, with 13 deliveries and eight wickets in hand. The result not only secured the five-match series with a game to spare but also completed England’s ninth successive victory in completed one-dayers – a new record for them – and secured their seventh successive series win at home.Steven Finn, with a devastating display of fast bowling, and Ian Bell, with an assured innings in testing conditions, were the main architects of England’s victory, though Ravi Bopara, with another intelligent spell of bowling and another assured innings, and Jonathan Trott, with a typically calm innings of 64 not out also contributed. England will now consider resting players for the final game in Manchester on Tuesday, with a view to ensuring the freshness of key players for the forthcoming Test series against South Africa.Australia might count themselves somewhat unfortunate. Not only did they lose two of their bowlers – Brett Lee and Shane Wason – to injury during the game, but by winning a disproportionately important toss, England’s captain Alastair Cook forced Australia to bat in desperately testing conditions, which had eased a little by the time England began their reply. Mitchell Johnson was also forced out of the Australian team for the match with an ankle injury.But Australia would be deluding themselves if they put this result down to poor fortune. They might reflect that some of their top-order batsmen were lacking in technique and discipline against the moving ball and that their bowlers lacked the control to exploit conditions that remained helpful. While this touring squad, already missing Michael Hussey and Pat Cummins and further weakened by the absence of Johnson, is not short of potential, it is hard to recall a weaker Australian team.That Australia were able to set any sort of competitive total was largely due to a defiant half-century from David Hussey. Hussey made 70 from 73 balls to help his side recover from the perilous position of 96 for 6 in the 33rd over. With Brett Lee he added 70 in 13 overs for the seventh wicket, helping Australia take 71 from the final 10 overs of their innings. Against a high-class attack in such conditions, their final total of 200 was not so far under par as it might have appeared.Finn, in particular, bowled beautifully and was twice on a hat-trick. The first occasion came in his third over – a double-wicket maiden – when he trapped David Warner and Peter Forrest leg before from successive deliveries. Warner, who laboured for 19 deliveries for his two runs, was defeated when he played horribly across a straight full delivery and umpire Nigel Llong’s original ‘not out’ decision was over turned after England utilised the Decision Review System (DRS). Forest, tentative and half forward, was beaten for pace by one that came into the batsman just a fraction off the seam. Michael Clarke was beaten through the gate by the hat-trick delivery, but the ball bounced over the stumps. Australia were 6 for 2 in the sixth over and, by the end of their first Powerplay, had scored just 15 for 2. It was their lowest 10-over Powerplay score.Brett Lee went off the field with a leg problem after bowling 2.2 overs•AFPLater Finn defeated Clarke’s forward push with one that nipped back, before next ball Matthew Wade was brilliantly caught by a diving Craig Kieswetter off the inside edge by one that cut back into him.James Anderson, who delivered three maidens and, with the wicket of Lee, secured his 500th international wicket, also utilised the conditions well. But it was Finn, generating sharp pace, maintaining an immaculate line and length and finding sharp seam movement, who really shone. It was another highly impressive performance from a man who still cannot be assured of a place in England’s Test team.It might have been even better for England. Eoin Morgan, at point, squandered a relatively simple chance at point as Clarke, on 8, attempted to drive Tim Bresnan – Australia would have been 17 for 3 had the catch been taken – while replays showed that Clarke should have been given leg before on 28 when he played across a straight one from Stuart Broad. England had already utilised their one unsuccessful appeal to the DRS. Clarke was also dropped, a tough chance, on 31 at first slip by Anderson off Broad.Hussey, too, enjoyed some fortune. He narrowly survived a strong leg before appeal before he had scored and was then dropped on 15, when Bopara spurned a tough caught and bowled chance. Bell also missed a tough chance running in from the extra cover boundary when Hussey had 29, also off the deserving Bopara.That Australia were able to set any sort of competitive total was largely due to two decent partnerships. First Watson and Clarke added 51 in 13 overs for the third wicket, before Hussey and Lee added 70 in 13 overs for the seventh. Watson finally fell, playing on as he tried to run a delivery from off stump down to third man, and George Bailey was beaten by a beauty from Bopara that pitched middle and hit the top of off stump.If Australia were going to claw their way back into the game, they needed to bowl well and take every half-chance. But, as it was, Hussey, at second slip, was unable to reach an edge from Bell, on 21 – the score was 36 without loss – off James Pattinson that flew forFour. Cook, playing his 50th ODI, was also reprieved on 13 when Clint McKay was unable to cling on to a tough caught and bowled chance.Nor was the bowling as tight as it might have been. Pattinson started with a no-ball that was clipped off Bell’s legs for four – a stroke that Bell repeated later in the over – while Cook produced two rasping square cuts for four as Lee’s second over cost 12. BenHilfenhaus also donated a free-hit after over stepping and was punished for two fours in an over as he over-pitched to Bell and strayed on to Cook’s legs.Bell, making light of the awkward batting conditions, reached 50 from 72 balls with seven fours – most of them sweetly timed through cover or midwicket – to sustain his excellent run of form. Since returning to the side, Bell has scored 126, 53, 41, 75 and 69 (at an average of 72.80 and a strike-rate of 81.61) to revitalise a limited-overs career that, but for Kevin Pietersen’s retirement, might have been over.Trott and Bopara, unhurried and untroubled by a weakened attack, added 65 in 15 overs without breaking sweat to take England to victory.

The judge in Chris Cairns’ libel case against Lalit Modi has rejected an application by the defence to call a further witness to give evidence

Alan Gardner at the High Court14-Mar-2012The judge in Chris Cairns’ libel case against Lalit Modi has rejected a late application by the defence to call a further witness to give evidence. The move by Modi’s legal team was prompted by an interview given to Indian TV by Balwinder Singh Sandhu, the former coach of the team Cairns played for the in the Indian Cricket League (ICL), Chandigarh Lions, but was blocked by Justice David Bean.Modi, the former IPL commissioner, is being sued in London’s High Court over a 2010 tweet that implicated Cairns in match-fixing during his time in the ICL – allegations the retired New Zealand international denies. Summing up, however, Ronald Thwaites QC, representing Modi, restated his client’s case and concluded by claiming it had been “substantially proved” that Cairns was involved in corruption.Sandhu, who left Chandigarh before the third edition of the ICL, effectively leaving Cairns as coach and captain, was spoken to at the time by Howard Beer, the Twenty20 league’s anti-corruption officer, and was reported to have offered no evidence about allegations of match-fixing. He did, however, have an “axe to grind”, according to Beer’s evidence, due to a disagreement about tactics with Cairns.The interview with Sandhu was broadcast in India on Tuesday, a day after the court heard video-link evidence from three of the Indian players who have made allegations against Cairns.”Mr Sandhu’s opinion is neither here nor there. The interview effectively adds nothing to what he said in 2008,” Bean said. “Once you have stripped out Mr Sandhu’s opinion on tactics and the evidence of Monday there is nothing further to it, and I have rejected it.”Bean’s decision to strike out the application on Wednesday morning meant there was no delay to the start of summing up by both sides. Thwaites began his speech by suggesting that the case “charts the downfall of a once-great player”, who had engaged in a “diabolical plan” to lead young, inexperienced players into corrupt activities.What “pins the guilt to the claimant’s chest”, Thwaites said, was the testimony of the three Indian players who gave evidence on Monday. In particular, if the judge believed the testimony of Gaurav Gupta – who claims he was told to score less than five runs in an innings by Cairns – then “the claimant is finished”, Thwaites added.The defence strove to contrast Cairns “combative” nature with his decision not to challenge the ICL about his dismissal – which was officially for failing to disclose an ankle injury. Thwaites also said the judge had to decide on a “straightforward conflict of fact” between Cairns’ evidence and that provided by Beer about the hotel meeting that led to Cairns dismissal from the ICL. Cairns has denied that Beer was present but Beer claims he was and that the former New Zealand allrounder spoke to him.Payments made to Cairns via a Dubai bank account – for work on behalf of an Indian diamond trader – were described as “suspicious” by Thwaites. He also claimed that Cairns’ statements to the court contained “many significant lies”.”We submit he lied because he can’t deal with the truth,” Thwaites said.Andrew Caldecott QC, for Cairns, began his summing up late in the day and will continue on Friday. He described Cairns’ “global reputation” as a cricketer and suggested that the fixing allegation made by Modi “not only destroys his past but it also destroys his future”.Caldecott also questioned how the ICL’s investigation was handled, as well as the process of collecting witness statements at the time. At the close of summing up, the judge will retire to consider his decision and it is understood that Bean could take a number of days before producing a written verdict.

ESPNcricinfo previews the match between Pune Warriors and Deccan Chargers in Pune

The Preview by Devashish Fuloria25-Apr-2012Match factsThursday, April 26, Pune
Start time 2000 (1430 GMT)Dale Steyn will hope to inspire Deccan Chargers’ bowling again•AFPBig PictureDeccan Chargers will arrive in Pune buoyed by the fact that they have finally got their first point of the tournament, courtesy the washout against Kolkata Knight Riders on Tuesday. A couple of wins, however improbable it may seem after five successive losses, is all that it takes to lift a team. Pune Warriors, on the other hand, have four wins and they have nicked points off strong units such as Delhi Daredevils, Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings. Playing at their home ground, they wouldn’t want to lose points to bottom-placed Chargers.Warriors will be relieved to see Manish Pandey grab his chance at the top of the order and make some runs. With Jesse Ryder, Robin Uthappa and Steven Smith already in good form, their batting appears balanced. Bowling-wise, Alfonso Thomas is an automatic choice and that opens up the slot for the fourth foreign player. Luke Wright didn’t get a chance with bat in the last game, so he might be persisted with.For Chargers, the batting needs to come together fairly soon. Apart from Shikhar Dhawan, who has scored 208 runs, no one else has even managed 100 runs in the tournament yet. Kumar Sangakkara and JP Duminy are more than capable of scoring big. Cameron White has not looked comfortable this season, which means Daniel Christian could be back. Chargers’ bowling has looked sharp whenever Dale Steyn has bowled, but there has been a lack of support at the other end. Batting and bowling problems aside, Chargers’ coach Darren Lehmann will hope the fielders hold on to whatever comes their way.Form guide (most recent first)
Pune Warriors: LWLLW
Deccan Chargers: NRLLLL (NR – no result)Players to watchDale Steyn has fought a lone battle on the field for Chargers and picked up nine wickets at an average of 13.77. The quality of the opposition has always fired him up. What he needs is a bit of support from the other end.Alfonso Thomas’ figures in the two games that he has played stand at 6-0-36-3. These six overs have all been bowled at Delhi Daredevils’ batsmen. Against a misfiring Chargers batting line-up, he could be potentially more dangerous than Steyn.Stats and trivia The two teams have met twice before, and both times the team batting first has managed 136. For batsmen who have scored more than 1000 runs in IPL, Sourav Ganguly is the slowest, with a strike-rate of 108.43. Pune lost only two wickets in their defeat to Daredevils on Tuesday, the joint lowest number of wickets lost in a Twenty20 defeat (excluding shortened games).Quotes”We are positive and the atmosphere is good enough for the team to make a winning comeback. We are very hopeful of making the last four.”

Mohsin Khan, Pakistan’s interim coach, has said that his team’s series against England in the UAE will be more than just a battle between spinners

Umar Farooq04-Jan-2012Mohsin Khan, Pakistan’s interim coach, has said that his team’s series against England in the UAE will be more than just a battle between spinners. He also said Pakistan had enough talent to make up for the advantage England have in terms of experience and team balance.”It won’t be a battle between spinners only, because both teams have a good spin and pace attack,” Mohsin said on the first day of Pakistan’s camp in Lahore. “I can say proudly that Saeed Ajmal is probably the best offspinner in the world. We have Abdur Rehman, and [Mohammad] Hafeez plays an important role. They have Swann, and Panesar is also there. But the pressure, I feel, is on batsmen from both the sides.”Pakistan’s Test players began a four-day training camp at the Gaddafi Stadium ahead of the three Tests against England. “The basic aim of organising the camp is to bring the boys back into rhythm as we have a very important series ahead of us,” Mohsin said. “The players were given a brief rest after the tour of Bangladesh because we have been playing cricket consistently.” Pakistan had only a three-day gap between the series against Sri Lanka in the UAE and the tour of Bangladesh, which ended on December 21.Pakistan have ample experience of conditions in the UAE, which has become a successful offshore venue for them after the suspension of international cricket in Pakistan because of the terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan team in Lahore. England, who are coming off a long break from international cricket, will warm up for the series with two practice matches before the first Test in Dubai on January 17.”We know we have tough opposition,” Mohsin said. “They [England] are the No. 1 ranked team in the world. I must admit the balance of the England team is very good – their pace attack, their spin attack, their batting order is very good and experienced one. We don’t have an experienced combination like they do. But I must say our team is very talented and the captain [Misbah-ul-Haq] is very sensible. We do have a good pace and spin attack, and depth in the batting order.”Pakistan had a successful 2011 but Mohsin said the team would not be complacent and would play positive cricket according to the situation. “Aggressiveness and safety is planned according to the conditions. You go game to game, especially in Test matches. There are three sessions in one day and I break it in three pieces. So my basic purpose is to play positive cricket in each session and every player has to give 100%. Whether it’s England or any other team, we will go for a win.”