All posts by csb10.top

Match Facts

Tuesday, October 5, Mirpur
Start time 9:30am (03.30 GMT)Jesse Ryder will want to get his focus back on cricket•AFP

The Big Picture

This tour was originally meant to include Tests. But the teams agreed to focus on preparations for the World Cup next year, and opted to play five ODIs instead. For New Zealand, this marks a continuation of their exposure to subcontinental conditions ahead of the big tournament. They were involved in a tri-series in Sri Lanka in July, play five ODIs this series and five more on the tour of India next month which also includes three Tests. By mid-December, New Zealand will have played each of the World Cup co-hosts on their own turf, an ideal lead-up to the event in February. By then they would hope to have settled on their preferred line-up amid some success, especially after the disappointing Sri Lanka tri-series where they failed to reach the final. Their preparation for this tour, however, has been far from ideal, with rain washing out both their practice games. But their opponents have more reasons for concern.Bangladesh have pulled off the odd surprise since they became part of the cricketing elite, including a five-run win this year against England, but the ‘minnows’ tag continues to haunt them. So many years on, Bangladesh’s occasional victories only re-ignite the belief – both within the country and from their wellwishers in the cricketing fraternity – that they are destined for bigger things. Then the flame flickers again. They have won only two and lost 17 ODIs this year, and are without the injured Tamim Iqbal as they seek to challenge their opponents more consistently.

Form guide

(five latest completed matches, starting with most recent)
New Zealand: LLWWL
Bangladesh: LWLLW

Watch out for…

Jesse Ryder missed the ODIs in Sri Lanka with an elbow injury but drinking problems returned to trouble him in July when he was fined for “intoxicated and rowdy behaviour”. He subsequently apologised and will make a comeback on this tour. An explosive opening batsman, Ryder has won many admirers but needs to retain his focus on cricket if he wishes to be part of New Zealand’s World Cup plans.Daniel Vettori singled out Shakib Al Hasan as New Zealand’s biggest threat. The two have much in common; both are allrounders, hugely influential to their teams’ performance and often have to carry a disproportionate amount of responsibility. Shakib, though, is no longer captain. While there is presumably lesser pressure as a result, Bangladesh’s challenge is for the others to step up and ease his burden.

Team news

New Zealand are without allrounder Scott Styris, who is out of the series with a back injury. The upcoming ten ODIs, including the tour of India, give them an opportunity to test some new players ahead of the World Cup. They’ve drafted in Canterbury fast bowler Hamish Bennett in their squad. They can also experiment with BJ Watling at the top of the order while Kane Williamson, who managed just 13 runs in four innings with two ducks in the tri-series in Sri Lanka, will aim for an improvement.New Zealand (possible): 1 Jesse Ryder, 2 Brendon McCullum (wk), 3 Ross Taylor, 4 Grant Elliott, 5 Kane Williamson, 6 Shannan Stewart, 7 Daniel Vettori (capt), 8 Nathan McCullum, 9 Kyle Mills, 10 Tim Southee, 11 Daryl TuffeyShahriar Nafees is likely to replace Tamim at the top of the order for Bangladesh.Bangladesh (possible): 1 Imrul Kayes, 2 Shahriar Nafees, 3 Junaid Siddique, 4 Jahurul Islam, 5 Shakib Al Hasan, 6 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 7 Mahmudullah, 8 Mashrafe Mortaza (capt), 9 Shafiul Islam, 10 Rubel Hossain, 11 Abdur Razzak

Stats and trivia

• These teams have played 17 ODIs, with New Zealand winning 16
• Mashrafe Mortaza will take fourth place in the list of Bangladeshis to have played the most ODIs. He has played 111 so far – tied with former captain Habibul Bashar
• Bangladesh is the only Test nation to not be involved in a tie in ODIs
  

  Quotes

  “We are going to get the best possible warm-up and any game time in the subcontinent is going to make a huge difference to our chances in the World Cup.”

Former India spinner Sunil Joshi turned in an allround performance that helped Shamanoor Davangere Diamonds beat Mangalore United by three wickets in Bangalore.Opening the bowling, Joshi took 3 for 22, including the wicket of top-scorer Rongsen Jonathan. Jonathan’s patient 39 off 45 deliveries enabled Mangalore to recover from 36 for 3. However, Davangere kept up the pressure to restrict Mangalore to 119 for 8.Despite opener Mayank Agarwal’s 36 off 30 which included three sixes, Mangalore struck regularly to reduce Davangere to 77 for 6. With 43 needed off 32, Joshi came in and smashed four fours in his 25 off 15 that took Davangere home with three balls to spare.An opening stand of 112 between Shyam Ponnappa and J Arunkumar gave Belagavi Panthers a comfortable seven-wicket win over Bijapur Bulls in Bangalore.Ponnappa top-scored with 60 off 50 deliveries, hitting eight fours and two sixes, while his captain Arunkumar made 49 off 47 with four fours and three sixes. The emphatic start meant Belagavi got to the target of 132 with five deliveries remaining.They had earlier bowled with discipline to keep Bijapur to 131 for 7. Several Bijapur batsmen got starts but no one scored more than 30. Nithin Mulky top-scored with 28 off 23 but the way Belagavi went about their chase, 131 was never going to be enough.

Pakistan’s team management believe that their one-day series against England will go ahead as planned next week, despite allegations of spot-fixing during the Lord’s Test. England’s captain, Andrew Strauss, however, admitted to mixed feelings about the series of five ODIs and two Twenty20s that gets underway in Cardiff on September 5, and said that he and his team needed to come to terms with the current issue before turning their attention to the rest of the tour.”I honestly think that the best thing to do is let the dust settle on this,” said Strauss, when asked about the feasibility of the tour continuing. “It’s all new and raw and it’s easy to get quite emotional about things right at the moment. For all of us, it’s better to see how things pan out – clearly the ICC, ECB and Pakistan Cricket Board have to sit down and put their heads together, and decide what the best way forward is, and we as a cricket team we have to take stock as well.When asked if he was happy to carry on playing against a team that has been accused of deliberately underperforming, Strauss offered a response that was non-committal at best. “It’s just so hard to say with incomplete information at this stage,” he said. “From our point of view we are going to sit down and have a couple of drinks and celebrate the fact that we won the series tonight. And then in the next few days I’m sure a lot of things will become a lot clearer.”The ultimate decision, he added, would be made at boardroom level. “That’s something for the ICC, the ECB and the PCB to sit down and decide what the best way forward is. Clearly there are going to be some very strong reasons for the series to go ahead, but they’ve also got to sit down and think about what the right thing to do is, going forward, and that’s their decision.”Pakistan’s manager, Yawar Saeed, however, insisted that the itinerary would continue as planned, with a one-day warm-up against Somerset at Taunton scheduled for Thursday. “As far as I’m concerned the one-day series is on,” he said. “We are driving to the West Country the day after [Tuesday].”Strauss added that whatever the outcome he hoped cricket would emerge better from its latest crisis. “I hope this time things can be proved categorically – and if that leads to a cleaner sport in the future that can only be a good thing.”The allegations of spot-fixing that broke at the close of play on Saturday completely overshadowed the final morning of the fourth Test, in which England wrapped up Pakistan’s last six wickets to win by an innings and 225 runs. The matter is currently being investigated by the police, who have seized mobile phones belonging to Salman Butt, the captain, and his two main bowlers, Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif.Yawar, the manager, confirmed that phones had been removed. “Telephones yes, only these three gentlemen. The police have taken their mobile phones away,” he said. “The skipper [Butt], and Asif and the third one was Mohammed Amir”.Pakistan lost the Test on Sunday by a record margin and after the match Butt rejected the idea of stepping down from the captaincy. “These are just allegations, anyone can say anything about anyone, that doesn’t make them true,” he said.The issue has already escalated to the highest levels of the PCB. PTV, Pakistan’s state broadcaster, quoting official sources, said that the President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari, who is also patron of the PCB (who appoints the chairman), has taken strong notice of the spot-fixing scandal and has asked the PCB to submit a detailed preliminary report.This was confirmed by a PCB press release, which indicated that Ijaz Butt has been in contact with the offices of both the President and Prime Minister of Pakistan. The release also explained that the Pakistan High Commission sought to get involved in the investigation and had sent a request to the British Foreign Office. The PCB stressed that no players or officals had been arrested and that it remained fully committed to helping with police inquiries. claimed that seven Pakistan players were involved, though only four have been named so far. Saeed confirmed to Cricinfo that “one or two were questioned by Scotland Yard,” last night soon after the story broke. He dismissed reports that the passports of several players had been taken away, saying that all passports were in the possession of the team management.

ScorecardTom Smith acknowledges applause for his match-saving hundred•PA Photos

Tom Smith and Gareth Cross both hit centuries as Lancashire preserved their status as the only side not to have lost a match in the County Championship when their match with Hampshire petered out into a draw at the Rose Bowl.Each recorded their personal-best scores along the way as an easy-paced wicket undid Hampshire’s valiant attempts to force a victory. Lancashire began the final day in a precarious position, only 20 runs ahead at 106 for 1 in their second innings.The Rose Bowl wicket that had posed so many problems on the first day, when Lancashire chose to bat, had flattened out and Lancashire made the best of it to earn their draw. When Glen Chapple declared, Lancashire had batted through the day to reach 351 for 6 from 127 overs, and with a lead of 265, which Hampshire had no chance of chasing.Smith made 128, and Cross was 100 not out when the declaration came. Opening batsman Smith, whose previous best was 108 not out, was the mainstay of the Lancashire resistance, batting for six hours and 41 minutes to blunt the Hampshire attack.His mammoth innings occupied 306 balls and included 14 fours and two sixes. Smith and Mark Chilton, the overnight batsmen, made their second-wicket stand worth 134 by the time Chilton edged pace bowler David Balcombe to wicket-keeper Michael Bates for 47.First-innings centurion Shivnarine Chanderpaul made only 11 this time before spinner Danny Briggs induced him to edge a catch to Michael Lumb in the slips, and the same combination accounted for Steven Croft at 212. But by then Hampshire were running out of time and wickets, and Smith made sure his team escaped from a difficult position with his century.Smith departed in the 105th over, lifting Briggs to the deep, where Jimmy Adams held the catch.Hampshire captain Dominic Cork, a former Lancashire player, called part-time bowler Michael Carberry into the attack in a desperate attempt to claim a few wickets, and the England batsman responded by dismissing Luke Sutton at 312, but it was all far too late. Cross was an aggressive contrast to Smith, and reached his century off 134 balls, and hit 16 fours along the way.Cross, normally a wicket-keeper but in the side as a specialist batsman, had a previous best of 70, and was quickly past that landmark as the Hampshire attack wilted. Briggs was the pick of the Hampshire bowlers, getting through 47 overs to finish with figures of 3 for 142, but the rest of the attack was blunted by the conditions and the determined Lancashire batting.

Matabeleland Tuskers have dropped batsmen Mark Vermeulen and Dion Ebrahim from their set-up during Zimbabwe’s off-season.”Dion Ebrahim and Mark Vermeulen do not fit into our plans for next season, they still wanted to play for us but we did not have them in our plans,” Stanley Staddon, Tuskers’ chief executive told a local newspaper. “We have informed the two players when there is still time for them to find new employers before the start of the season.”Ebrahim, who is currently playing club cricket in England, was Tuskers’ leading runscorer in the Logan Cup last season, with 746 runs at 46.62, but now finds himself without a franchise. Vermeulen’s season was more patchy, however, and issues over his discipline and behaviour also resurfaced.It was also reported that Tuskers, who are looking to reverse their fortunes after disappointing results in all three formats last season, are hoping to sign Warwickshire allrounder Neil Carter for Zimbabwe’s domestic Twenty20 competition. They will also have a new coach, with Dave Houghton taking over from Robin Brown.

Match facts

The Australians must find a way to keep Eoin Morgan quiet•Getty Images

June 24, 2010, Sophia Gardens
Start time 2.30pm (13.30GMT)

Big picture

A strange thing has happened over the past few months: England have become quite good at limited-overs cricket. They took home the World Twenty20, opened the one-day series with a solid victory at the Rose Bowl and have now won their past six ODIs. It’s an unfamiliar feeling for Ricky Ponting, who over the past decade has lost a couple of Ashes series but has always been involved in a one-day team that had the old rivals covered. They’ve met in 35 ODIs in the past ten years, for 25 Australian wins.But despite the result in Southampton, where England chased Australia’s total with four overs to spare, it was for much of the day a tightly contested battle. Eoin Morgan’s unbeaten century was the difference and Australia know that with a few more runs from their senior batsmen, they have a good chance to draw level. Equally, England realise that it’s risky to rely on one man, so they too require more from the likes of Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Strauss.Australia’s attack remains a weakness and it’s strange to think that while they walk out onto Sophia Gardens, one of their most deadly weapons will be watching on. Shaun Tait is in town as part of Glamorgan’s Twenty20 squad and England’s batsmen are no doubt glad not to be facing his toe-crushing 100mph yorkers and nasty short balls. Australia view Tait as a Twenty20 specialist these days, but he would add an x-factor to the bowling group.One thing is certain: defeat in Cardiff will make it extremely difficult for Australia to fight back and win the series. Ponting said after Tuesday that losses often brought out the best in the Australians. Let’s see if he’s right.

Form guide (last five completed matches)

England WWWWW
Australia LWLWW

Watch out for…

As opening batsman and fifth bowler, Shane Watson is arguably the most important man in Australia’s team. He was the only one of the specialists who scored at better than a run a ball in Southampton, although his aggression also brought his downfall. If he makes another quick start, but this time capitalises, it will help to reduce the pressure on Australia’s undermanned attack.Eoin Morgan‘s wonderful match-winning century at the Rose Bowl confirmed him as the danger man in England’s middle order. Ricky Ponting was unhappy with the was his bowlers fed Morgan half-volleys, but it didn’t much matter where they put the ball against a man in that sort of form.

Team news

Australia sprung a surprise by handing Josh Hazlewood a debut in Southampton, where they expected some bounce in the pitch that could be exploited by the tall teenager. His nervy first ball was a full toss that Kevin Pietersen drove to the boundary, but Hazlewood fought back to take 1 for 41 and the captain Ricky Ponting said “he handled himself pretty well”. Clint McKay was unlucky to miss out and might again be sidelined if Hazlewood is retained. There must be a temptation to bring in Steven Smith, who would add power to the lower order. However, their batting is their strength, so they should rely on their solid top six to post a decent score.Australia (possible) 1 Shane Watson, 2 Tim Paine (wk), 3 Ricky Ponting (capt), 4 Michael Clarke, 5 Cameron White, 6 Michael Hussey, 7 James Hopes, 8 Nathan Hauritz, 9 Ryan Harris, 10 Josh Hazlewood, 11 Doug Bollinger.England will be reluctant to change a winning side. Michael Yardy’s inclusion in might have surprised some fans but he proved a very useful bowler and should keep his place.England (probable) 1 Andrew Strauss (capt), 2 Craig Kieswetter (wk), 3 Kevin Pietersen, 4 Paul Collingwood, 5 Eoin Morgan, 6 Michael Yardy, 7 Luke Wright, 8 Tim Bresnan, 9 Graeme Swann, 10 Stuart Broad, 11 James Anderson.

Pitch and conditions

Rather perversely, Sophia Gardens is more like an Australian home ground than an English one, quite apart from the fact that it’s Welsh. Australia have played three one-day internationals in Cardiff, although they have only won one. England, on the other hand, have never finished an ODI at the venue, with both their matches having been washed out. The forecast for Thursday says there is the chance of an isolated heavy shower, so Duckworth-Lewis calculations might again be on standby.

Stats and Trivia

• England’s triumph in Southampton was their sixth consecutive ODI victory. If they win in Cardiff, it will be their best winning streak in ODIs since 1997-98
• Thanks to England’s wash-outs in 2006 and 2008, there hasn’t been an ODI result in Cardiff since Australia’s infamous loss to Bangladesh in 2005
• Ricky Ponting needs 51 runs to reach the milestone of 13,000 in one-day internationals – only Sachin Tendulkar and Sanath Jayasuriya have achieved that mark
• At 19 years and 165 days, Josh Hazlewood was Australia’s youngest ever ODI debutant. The previous record holder was Ray Bright, who was 19 years and 260 days old when he walked out in Dunedin in 1974

Quotes

“We’re not getting carried away but it’s good to get the series off to a good start.”
“A loss generally brings the best out of us.”
Ricky Ponting looks on the bright side

Essex have been struck by two major injury blows, with Graham Napier to miss the remainder of the 2010 domestic season after suffering a stress fracture to his back and Ryan ten Doeschate out for six to eight weeks after tearing a calf muscle during Essex’s win over Somerset on June 16.The injuries are likely to have a detrimental effect on Essex’s Friends Provident t20 campaign, with the county currently third in the South Group points table. Napier is the highest English Twenty20 wicket-taker with 90 scalps in 67 matches, and in 2008 he hit an astonishing 152 against Sussex in the Twenty20 Cup which included a world record 16 sixes. He had taken part in just one game in this year’s competition, making 12 and taking two wickets in the early loss to Kent.”Having missed out on nearly the whole of the Friends Provident t20 campaign this comes as a real blow,” Napier told essexcricket.org.uk. “It will have to be a long and patient recovery, I now need to allow the back to settle and heal over the next twelve weeks.”If the healing process goes well I would look to be able to start playing cricket again in December, otherwise it will be at the beginning of the 2011 domestic season. All I can do now is support the team from the sidelines in our quest to become Twenty20 champions”.ten Doeschate, who turns 30 next week, had been in phenomenal form, averaging 73.75 with the bat, including a century, as well as picking up three wickets in this year’s Friends Provident t20. He has had a good season across all formats, with good returns in the County Championship and CB40 League, and topped the MVP rankings.”Both injuries are obviously a setback to our campaign,” added Paul Grayson, the Essex first XI head coach. “Ryan was having the season of his life and was really enjoying his cricket. Graham never really got a consistent spell in the side this season after being hampered by injury. However, when fit, Napier is as good as anyone with bat and ball.”Injuries are of course part of professional sport, and since these injuries the team have found that extra desire to win. These two injuries, whilst a blow to the side, give opportunities to other squad players to show their worth in front of huge crowds at Chelmsford.”This is now the business end of the season, we now have to deal with the situation and we remain confident that we can continue to compete and entertain in all formats of the game for the remainder of the season”.Grayson also outlined the difficulties in bringing in additional overseas players: “Under the current circumstances with visa applications it is becoming increasingly more difficult to bring in overseas players. Myself and the Essex Cricket Committee are continuing to work hard in the search for viable alternatives. We will do all that we can to further strengthen the team in the coming weeks.”

Shahid Afridi, Pakistan’s captain for the Asia Cup and the tour of England, has stepped up efforts to convince Mohammad Yousuf to come out of retirement and bolster the side’s potentially tough Test assignment in England, where they face off against the hosts and Australia.”I’ve talked to Yousuf and I’ve also talked to a few elders, who can influence him to come out of retirement for the sake of Pakistan,” Afridi told the . “I am sure that he would listen to them and change his mind about retiring from international cricket. We will certainly need his services in England.”Yousuf announced his retirement from the game following the ban issued by the PCB after Pakistan’s unsuccessful tour of Australia. Of the seven punished players, he was the only one to not file a formal appeal against the punishments imposed. On Tuesday, Pakistan announced the 35-member list of probables for the two upcoming tours. Five of the punished players, including Younis Khan and Shoaib Malik who are currently serving bans that are due to be reviewed, were included in the long list, but Yousuf was not considered.The England tour begins in end-June, and Afridi is confident that there is enough time for Yousuf to prepare for the tour even if he is included in the eleventh hour. “Yousuf is a great batsman and I’m sure that even if he just plays in a couple of warm-up matches before the Test series, he will be ready for the tough assignment. He won’t need much time to get ready for the tour.”Yousuf confirmed that Afridi has been in discussions with him over a possible comeback. “Yes Afridi called me up and we spoke at length about the cricket scenario. I told him I took the decision to retire after seeking advice from my elders and I can only take back the retirement decision if my elders give me permission to do this,” Yousuf said.Since embracing Islam, Yousuf has sought out religious elders during his trips to Raiwind and on preaching missions. He is known to follow their advice before making important decisions.

Will Lalit Modi walk or will he be timed out? As IPL 2010 reaches its climax, the future of the IPL chairman is not in doubt. The only question leading up to Monday’s Governing Council meeting – which Modi has said he will attend – is whether he will jump or be pushed. Sources say two powerful political friends of Modi’s have sought time from BCCI president Shashank Manohar to get him to resign. The deadline set was Sunday morning; following a request, it has been extended to Sunday evening. Two high-profile business tycoons, both also IPL franchise owners, have been brought in to persuade Modi.On Sunday afternoon, Modi tweeted that he would attend the meeting as IPL chairman and commissioner and had issued the agenda to the governing council.Those may be his last actions in that role because BCCI sources insist that if Modi doesn’t quit, he will be sacked on Monday. There is a crucial difference between resignation and sacking. In case of the former, a clean break is possible. A sacking – whether outright or via a suspension – will need to be followed by an inquiry, to justify reasons for removal.Key papers will then be sought, including the controversial bid documents for Pune and Ahmedabad backed by leading corporate houses and said to be ‘mentored’ by specific ministers in the Indian government. Those with the most to lose are making fervent efforts to cap the controversy and virtually beseeching Modi to go quietly.There is limited clarity on the IPL management matrix in a post-Modi period. Technically, the IPL governing council is a sub-committee of the BCCI. Modi is the chairman of the sub-committee, and this is the position he is being asked to vacate. Officially, the title of ‘commissioner’ doesn’t exist. It was borrowed by Modi from American sport and became popular in the media but is likely to be discontinued next season.BCCI sources say for the moment Manohar will himself take charge of the IPL sub-committee. The first few weeks are likely to be spent in a clean-up operation and a scrutiny of the Modi-era transactions and the working of the IPL staffers – including its CEO, Sundar Raman, who operated in close association with Modi.”In the coming months, well before the next season, a professional management structure will be in place,” says a BCCI insider. It is likely to consist of a “genuine CEO” who will run the tournament but will need to revert to the Governing Council for policy decisions. The CEO will be assisted by department heads for marketing, finance, logistics and the like. For instance, the IPL could get a full-fledged spokesperson who will communicate the League’s deals and rulings on its website and using media releases, rather than through Twitter feeds.Who will the new CEO be? No decision has been taken. Contrary to media reports, sources say Ravi Shastri has not been sounded out for the job. Rather, the trend seems to point to a complete outsider, somebody who is not a former cricketer and is not part of BCCI politics.

Andrew Strauss is eager to resume his day job after missing the tour of Bangladesh for a two-month break that he hopes will help England defend the Ashes in Australia next winter. Strauss controversially opted to miss the trip to the subcontinent and handed the reigns to Alastair Cook with a view to ensuring he won’t be burnt out by the time the squad head down under in November and then onto the World Cup.However, he’ll have to wait a little longer to get his hands back on the tiller because, on the merry-go-round that is the England captaincy, Paul Collingwood will take charge for the World Twenty20 in West Indies before Strauss returns for the first Test, against Bangladesh, on May 27. Strauss’s decision to rest was criticised in many quarters, but when the move was announced at the end of the South Africa tour he was adamant it was the best thing for the team and has not changed his mind.”I can understand because their argument that a captain should there all the time,” he said, “but as I said I think we have to look at ways of making the most out of the players we’ve got – both myself and others – and how to get the best out of our players when we need them. The Ashes is a huge series for us and the World Cup a huge one-day tournament for us and we need to be peaking there.”This wasn’t a unilateral decision that I said I didn’t want to go to Bangladesh, it was something we have talked about for a couple of months. When you do something different there will always be criticism for it and I hope in time we’ll see the benefits. It was about winning two series which we did and me missing it was about prioritising the cricket we have ahead of us.”England returned from the tour having secured a 3-0 one-day whitewash and 2-0 result in the Test series despite some tough resistance from Bangladesh. But there were times during the tour when Cook’s lack of captaincy experience was exposed, none more so than the second morning in Dhaka when the hosts’ tail added valuable runs.However, although Strauss admitted he “wasn’t up at three every morning” to watch the Tests, he saw enough to be impressed by Cook’s leadership and believes he will benefit in the long-term. He also resisted any temptation to captain from afar and his communication with Cook was limited to a few text messages of congratulations.”I think Alastair has done an excellent job, he has done things his own way, to an extent, which is fine, and he’s carried things on,” he said during a NatWest Cricket Force event in Middlesex. “You can’t argue with the fact they’ve won three one-dayers and two Tests which builds useful momentum for the season. I think it’s been a pretty steep learning curve for him but one from he’ll have benefited from immensely.”Before he went I said you’ve got to do it your way to get benefit out of it and I think he’s done that. I had the odd text message when he’d done well, but it was his show and Andy Flower’s show and he can take credit for what he achieved.”Everything for the England team this year is geared towards the Ashes defence and Strauss didn’t rule out resting other players during the season. Andy Flower has hinted that Stuart Broad would be the next in line for a break, while Collingwood’s workload may also be managed as he plays all three formats.”I don’t know about that,” Strauss said. “We are going to have to see how the players are doing and what their state of mind is, but if there is an opportunity to rest one or two then we’ll be looking at that because we want the team in as good a frame of mind come the Ashes. But what games they miss and if indeed anyone does miss any cricket can only be decided when we get to those situations and sometimes it will depend on our position in a series.”For Strauss, though, the focus for the next few weeks is Middlesex and he will pick up a bat for the first time in pre-season on Monday having been fortunate enough to miss the county’s boot-camp trip to an army training facility. Middlesex could benefit from Strauss’s presence for up to seven Championship matches and five 40-over games.”It’s been nice to spend time with the family, but also in the gym and get some real improvement fitness-wise,” he said. “I’m chomping at the bit now to get out there and play.”