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14 Monday 25th April, 2011
Strauss must stay to groom
To go or not to go. That is the
And if England were playing their first
question facing the captain of
one-day series after the World Cup against
every Test-playing country that Bangladesh again, there would be a case —
has played in a World Cup and a strong one — for letting Cook settle in as
heir apparent Cook
failed to win it. captain and opening batsman straight-
away .
BY SCYLD BERRY But not against Sri Lanka, who will
Some eminent names have decided have a very strong side for the five-match
already to go and allow someone else four series starting in late June, not least
years in which to prepare for the next because the sublime talent that is Angelo
World Cup: Ricky Ponting, Daniel Vettori, Mathews is due to have recovered by then
Graeme Smith and Kumar Sangakkara from the thigh injury which kept him out
have left Australia, New Zealand, South of the World Cup final and proved fatal to
Africa and Sri Lanka casting around for a Sri Lanka’s chances.
successor. Another consideration is that England
In the next week or two Andrew do not have a one-day opening batsman of
Strauss will meet with Andy Flower to dis- international standard apart from
cuss whether a fifth country will need a Strauss, so if he resigns now England will
new one-day captain. be left with two to find. As captain,
At first, on returning home, Strauss Strauss has a batting average of 39 and a
was inclined to go. After reflection, he strike-rate of 86, and only one innings
,
should be persuaded to stay at least for the higher than his 158 against India in the
one-day series against Sri Lanka that fol- last World Cup has ever been recorded for
lows the three-Test series. England in one-day cricket.
For the first question to be asked is: There is no need for haste either – it is
what gives Strauss’ successor the best almost four years until the next World
chance of succeeding in the role when he Cup — and it would be wrong to change
becomes England’s 50-over captain? the captain just so that England can be
It could be Kevin Pietersen, but he is seen to have found a scapegoat for failing
not going to be around for the next World to get beyond the quarter-final stage of
Cup, aged 35, given the speed of the mod- the last.
ern treadmill. Besides, a new 20-over captain may be
It could be an outsider in Andrew Gale, needed straightaway to replace Paul
Yorkshire’s captain and as fine as any in Collingwood, who turns 35 next month —
county cricket, but not proven as a bats- Pietersen would be the strongest candi-
man at the highest level or as a fielder. date to take over in this format — and too
Alastair Cook, at 26, is far and away the many simultaneous changes would
strongest candidate to lead England into destroy the stability which is the heart of
the 2015 World Cup in Australia — where A
the culture which the ‘ ndocracy’ has
pitches have tended to suit him — and tried to create, in the face of an impossi-
New Zealand. But he is a man best ble schedule and consequent injuries.
,
equipped to bat all day such is his self-dis- Strauss has publicly expressed the
cipline and strength of character, and by hope of still being around for the home
nature a Test batsman. Ashes series of 2013, and giving up the 50-
So the arrangements that will give over captaincy would enable him to keep
Cook the best chance of succeeding as a going longer than he otherwise would.
50-over batsman and captain will have to Andrew Strauss (right) needs to remain as England captain to groom Alastair Cook as the next English captain, writes Scyld But the best time to resign the one-day
be elaborate, lest he starts off on the Berry. captaincy might prove to be this autumn,
wrong foot and never arrives. He has to so that Cook — having bedded in as an
bed in first as a one-day batsman, without onship cricket for Essex, Cook stands at tain in any form of cricket as he can see — and that will take him a lot of hard opener this summer and worked on his
thinking about the captaincy as well. first slip — as he did when he turned up, what the bowler is doing. work with England’s fielding coach. inner-ring fielding — can take over for
As Cook’s record shows — 26 interna- as a calm and collected 20 year-old, for his But while Cook can return to the slips When Cook led England in three inter- the one-day series in India and
tionals, a batting average of 33, a strike- Test debut in Nagpur. for the first half of a one-day innings, he nationals in Bangladesh last year, he was Bangladesh before Christmas, where the
rate of 71, and one six — he has plenty yet Marcus Trescothick then took over the has to develop an inner-ring position for never under fire as Bangladesh did not scrutiny will be less intense than it would
to do before he is worth his place. position for England, and Strauss succeed- the second half — ‘sweeping’ on the score more than 260 on the batting-friendly be at home.
Then there is his fielding. In champi- ed him at first slip, the best place for a cap- boundary is too far removed for a captain pitches. Telegraph
Messi first to score Pakistan beat West Indies
50 goals in club season by 8 wickets in 1st ODI
David Villa scored his 18th goal—and CASTRIES, St. Lucia (AP) — Marlon Samuels fell by the run out
first in 12 games—in the 24th minute. Misbah-ul-Haq, Mohammad Hafeez and route to leave the innings at the cross-
Messi replaced Villa in the 58th and Asad Shafiq all hit half centuries as roads at 77-3 with nearly half of their
rolled home his league-leading 31st goal Pakistan eased to a comfortable eight- overs gone.
with three minutes left. With 177 goals wicket win over West Indies in the open- Bravo and Kirk Edwards rebuilt slow-
for Barcelona in all competitions, Messi ing one-day international at Beausejour ly in a boundary-free stand of 59 off 90
is one behind Josep Samitier for third Stadium on Saturday . balls.
place on the Barcelona career scoring Pakistan's spinners stifled the West Edwards eventually pulled to deep
list, trailing Cesar Rodriguez (235) and Indies batting and limited the hosts to 221- square leg after scoring 28 off 49 balls.
Laszlo Kubala (196). 6 off 50 overs before the trio of right-han- Bravo, who did not have a boundary in
Seeking its third straight La Liga ders sparked an easy chase. reaching 50, lashed a six and a four soon
title, Barcelona extended its league The visitors motored home to 222-2 after but he was the second run out vic-
unbeaten streak to 31 games and main- with 8.3 overs to spare to take a 1-0 lead in tim when Sammy called him back for an
tained an eight-point lead over second- the five-match series. impossible second.
place Real Madrid with five games Opener Hafeez, whose offspin helped Sammy took the responsibility after
Lionel Messi remaining. to restrict the home team, gave Pakistan a that and boosted his side to a competitive
Three days after hoisting its 18th flying start with seven fours and a six in total by dominating the final three overs
BARCELONA, Spain (AP)—Lionel domestic cup and first trophy in nearly 54 off 45 balls. in which 35 runs were scored.
Messi became the first player in Spain to three years with a 1-0 overtime victory Misbah and Shafiq then forged a But Pakistan's reply was launched
score 50 goals in a club season, helping over Barcelona, Real Madrid returned to match-winning association, adding an with a volley of boundaries from Shehzad
Barcelona rebound from its loss to Real the Mestalla Stadium and routed unbroken 134 off 150 deliveries for the and eventual man-of-the-match Hafeez.
Madrid in the Copa del Rey final with a Valencia 6-3. third wicket. The pair added 68 off 76 balls before
2-0 victory over Osasuna on Saturday Gonzalo Higuain scored three goals, Misbah, the Pakistan Test skipper, Bishoo offered some hope by removing
night. Kaka two and Karim Benzema one as ended 73 not out off 90 balls while Shafiq both.
Barcelona rested most regular Madrid became the first visiting team to contributed an unbeaten 61 off 76 deliver- Shehzad, who hit four fours in 22, was
starters in preparation for Wednesday’s score six goals at the Mestalla. Roberto ies. stumped by wicket keeper Carlton Baugh
first leg of the Champions League semifi- Soldado, Jonas and Jordi Alba scored for Misbah struck seven boundaries while Hafeez chipped a catch to midwick-
nal against Real Madrid—the third of Valencia. while Shafiq notched five fours and a six. et.
Pakistan's Misbah-ul-Haq plays a shot
four matches between the rivals in an 18- In the late game, Athletic Bilbao Legspinner Devendra Bishoo was the But that was the last success for the during the first one-day international
day span. defeated Real Socidead 2-1. only successful West Indies bowler, grab- hosts, as the 36-year-old Misbah and his cricket match against the West Indies'
bing 2-48 from his 10 overs. 25-year-old partner, Shafiq, produced a in Gros Islet, St. Lucia, Saturday April
Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi victory course. 23, 2011. Pakistan defeated the West
praised his team for a clinical effort. The second match in the five-match Indies by eight wickets.
Westwood wins Indonesian Masters "The bowlers did a great job, especial-
ly the spinners," Afridi said. "And the way
the openers Ahmed Shehzad and
series is at the same venue on Monday . (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Lee
Westwood won the Indonesian Masters on Mohammad Hafeez started, and after that Scoreboard
Sunday to put himself in position to move the partnership between Asad and
Misbah, that was good cricket. West Indies Misbah-ul-Haq not out 73
back to No. 1 in the world, if Luke Donald
L. Simmons c Salman b Ajmal 24 Extras: (11w, 1nb) 12
fails to win the PGA Tour event in South "I'm very confident with the way
Carolina. D. Smith lbw b Hafeez 17 TOTAL: (for two wickets) 222
Hafeez is contributing in the team. I think D. Bravo run out (Shehzad/Salman) 67 Overs: 41.3
Donald had a one-stroke lead entering the he is a real team man and he's doing a
final round of The Heritage and would jump M. Samuels run out (Salman) 2 Fall of wickets: 1-68, 2-88.
great job with the ball and the bat." K. Edwards c Junaid b Wahab 28 Did not bat: Umar Akmal, Shahid
.
from No. 3 to No. 1 with a victory Top-ranked
Martin Kaymer took the week off. West Indies, batting first on winning D. Bravo c Afridi b Wahab 14 Afridi, Mohammad Salman, Hammad
Westwood, who celebrated his 38th birth- the toss, built its innings around a patient D. Sammy not out 9 Azam, Wahab Riaz, Saeed Ajmal,
day on Sunday opened the final round birdie-
, 67 off 109 balls from Darren Bravo and a C. Baugh not out 10 Junaid Khan.
bogey and then made eight straight pars. late flourish from captain Darren Sammy , Extras: (10lb, 17w, 3nb) 30 Bowling: Kemar Roach 9.3-0-58-0 (3w),
The birdie on hole 11 was the turning who contributed 29 not out off 17 balls. TOTAL: (for six wickets) 221 Darren Sammy 7-1-32-0, Andre Russell
point in Westwood's round. But it was the spin of Hafeez (1-36), Overs: 50 5-1-36-0 (1nb, 3w), Dwayne Bravo 8-1-36-0
"It was probably the hardest putt I had all Fall of wickets: 1-30, 2-67, 3-77, 4-136, 5- (4w), Devendra Bishoo 10-0-48-2, Devon
Saeed Ajmal (1-24) and Afridi (0-40) that
,
day it was 15 feet with 3 feet of break," he 174, 6-177. Smith 2-0-12-0 (1w).
said. squeezed the home team's scoring. Did not bat: Andre Russell, Kemar Result: Pakistan won by 8 wickets
After waiting out a lightning delay on the Hafeez struck first after a bright start Roach, Devendra Bishoo. (leads five-match series 1-0).
final hole, he finished off a 3-under 69 for a from the Caribbean side's openers, trap- Bowling: Wahab Riaz 10-0-62-2 (11w, Man of the Match: Mohammad
three-stroke victory over Thailand's ping a tentative Devon Smith leg before 3nb), Junaid Khan 10-0-49-0 (6w), Hafeez.
Thongchai Jaidee. wicket at 30-1. Mohammad Hafeez 10-2-36-1, Saeed Toss: West Indies.
The Englishman totaled 19-under 269 in Lendl Simmons and Darren Bravo Ajmal 10-2-24-1, Shahid Afridi 10-1-40-0. Umpires: Asoka De Silva (SL), Norman
the Asian Tour event at Royale Jakarta. Lee Westwood of England raises the tro- Pakistan Malcolm (Jamaica).
were becalmed in a second-wicket stand
As he stepped off the 18th green a portion phy after winning the Indonesian Masters M. Hafeez c Sammy b Bishoo 54 Third umpire: Peter Nero (Trinidad &
of the gallery erupted singing "Happy golf tournament at Royale Jakarta Golf of 37 in nearly 13 overs before Ajmal
claimed Simmons for 24 to a thin outside A. Shehzad st Baugh b Bishoo 22 Tobago)
Birthday" — and Westwood had plenty to Club in Jakarta, Indonesia, Sunday, April A. Shafiq not out 61 Match referee: Jeff Crowe (NZ)
smile about. 24, 2011. (AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim) edge to the wicket keeper.
