Death of a Gentleman: Can Test cricket be saved?

In recent years it would be fair to say that amongst cricket's premier commentators any debate as to the future of Test cricket has been treated as something of a hot potato.

In an attempt to uncover the truth behind the future of the game, journalists and life-long cricket fans Sam Collins and Jarrod Kimber have travelled the cricketing world to ask the "heroes, villains, ogres and accountants" of the game whether (gulp) Test cricket really has a future in the new fast-paced and money-driven Twenty20 age.

And they've gone a made a film about it.

On their travels, Collins, former editor of thewisdencricketer.com, and Kimber, former editor of Spin Cricket Monthly Magazine and author of Australian Autopsy and When Freddie Met Jesus, track down a plethora of cricketing royalty in a quest to discover why the game has found itself at such an ugly crossroads.

Their hit list features some of the sport's most influential kingpins, including Lalit Modi, Ian Chappell, Giles Clarke, N Srinivasan and Michael Atherton, as well as a wealth of current and former players, such as former England captain Andrew Strauss, Kevin Pietersen and Rahul Dravid.

Collins and Kimber's film is largley punctuated by their encounters with friend and Aussie batsman Ed Cowan as he embarks on his debut Test series against India. The duo follow his journey through all four games and speak to him about what it means to play Test cricket in 2012.

Running in parallel to what becomes an increasingly sinister excavation of the game's inner elite, Cowan's story questions whether an unashamed love for Test cricket can really outweigh the cynicism of an increasingly corporate sporting world, and provide a compelling case for the game’s survival.

However, as India's series goes from bad to worse and their fans chose to switch off, Collins and Kimber realise that the future of Test cricket, and the in fact whole fabric of the game, is already severely under threat.

The film is due in early 2013...

Pietersen out, Compton and Root in for India Tour

The England selectors today announced a 16-man Test squad to be captained by Alastair Cook for the forthcoming four-match series in India.

The squad includes two uncapped batsmen, Somerset's Nick Compton and Yorkshire's Joe Root, and three spin bowlers: Samit Patel, Monty Panesar and Graeme Swann.

National Selector Geoff Miller said: "Nick Compton has performed well consistently for Somerset in county cricket this season, made big hundreds and shown that he has the temperament and the technique to play at a higher level.

                                                                          Nick Compton

"Joe Root is a player who has been successful at every level from county cricket through to EPP and England Lions, and he deserves this opportunity to step up to the next level and press his case for a place in the Test side."

Kevin Pietersen, who was omitted from England's last Test match of the summer against South Africa, has not been included in the squad.

ECB Managing Director - England Cricket Hugh Morris added: "Both ECB and England team management have had meetings with Kevin Pietersen to address the issues which led to his omission from the final Investec Test match against South Africa.

"These discussions remain private and confidential and, as there are issues still to be resolved, Kevin has not been considered for selection for the India tour."

The selectors have also named a 17-strong England Performance Programme squad, which will undertake a month-long tour of India from mid-November, and a seven-man squad for next month's Hong Kong Sixes tournament, which will be captained by Leicestershire batsman Josh Cobb.

ECB Performance Director David Parsons said: "The England Performance Programme looks to identify and develop players that can go on to be world-class cricketers for England in the future.

"This year, following a brief period of training at the National Cricket Performance Centre, Loughborough, we have the opportunity to take players to the sub-continent to work on specific skills which will further their individual games.

"As in previous winters we will be shadowing the England team and their tour, which is a model we have successfully used since 2006, providing England with a group of players that can be called upon should the need arise.

"The England Lions squad for the tour to Australia in February 2013 will be selected towards the end of this training camp in December."

England Test squad to tour India

Alastair Cook (captain, Essex)
James Anderson (Lancashire)
Jonny Bairstow (Yorkshire)
Ian Bell (Warwickshire)
Tim Bresnan (Yorkshire)
Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire)
Nick Compton (Somerset)
Steven Finn (Middlesex)
Graham Onions (Durham)
Eoin Morgan (Middlesex)
Monty Panesar (Sussex)
Samit Patel (Nottinghamshire)
Matt Prior (Sussex)
Joe Root (Yorkshire)
Graeme Swann (Nottinghamshire)
Jonathan Trott (Warwickshire)

England Performance Programme squad to tour India

Jos Buttler (Somerset)
Gary Ballance (Yorkshire)
Scott Borthwick (Durham)
Danny Briggs (Hampshire)
Varun Chopra (Warwickshire)
Matthew Coles (Kent)
Jade Dernbach (Surrey)
Ben Foakes (Essex)
James Harris (Glamorgan)
Simon Kerrigan (Lancashire)
Craig Kieswetter (Somerset)
Stuart Meaker (Surrey)
Azeem Rafiq (Yorkshire)
Toby Roland-Jones (Middlesex)
Ben Stokes (Durham)
James Taylor (Nottinghamshire)
Chris Wright (Warwickshire)

England squad for Hong Kong Sixes

Tournament to be played at Kowloon Cricket Club on October 27 and 28

Josh Cobb (captain, Leicestershire)
Adam Ball (Kent)
Keith Barker (Warwickshire)
Ben Brown (Sussex)
Chris Nash (Sussex)
Tom Smith (Lancashire)
Ross Whiteley (Derbyshire)

Andy Hurry (manager, Somerset)

England Test squad - Tour itinerary

Oct 25: England squad leaves UK
Oct 26-28: Training at ICC Global Cricket Academy in Dubai
Oct 29: England squad arrives in India (Mumbai)
Oct 30-Nov 1: Tour match (opponents TBC), Mumbai (CCI) (0400 GMT)
Nov 3-5: Tour match (opponents TBC), Mumbai (BKC) (0400 GMT)
Nov 8-11: Tour match (opponents TBC), Ahmedabad (SPS Navrangpura) (0400 GMT)
Nov 15-19: First Test, Ahmedabad (Motera) (0400 GMT)
Nov 23-27: Second Test, Mumbai (Wankhede Stadium) (0400 GMT)
Dec 5-9: Third Test, Kolkata (0400 GMT)
Dec 13-17: Fourth Test, Nagpur (0400 GMT)

ecb.co.uk

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England win 2010 ICC World Twenty20

As the third ICC World Twenty20 tournament kicks off this evening, I thought I'd post some highlights of England's historic win against Australia two years ago at the Kensington Oval in Barbados.

Kevin Pietersen and Craig Kieswetter led the way, tearing apart the Australian attack before Eoin Morgan and captain Paul Collingwood guided England comfortably over the line to secure victory and put an end to a 35 year wait for ICC silverware.

Onions awarded 2012/13 central contract

The ECB has announced that 10 players have been awarded central contracts for the 2013 season.

The players awarded contracts are James Anderson (Lancashire), Ian Bell (Warwickshire), Tim Bresnan (Yorkshire), Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire), Alastair Cook (Essex), Steven Finn (Middlesex), Eoin Morgan (Middlesex), Matt Prior (Sussex), Graeme Swann (Nottinghamshire) and Jonathan Trott (Warwickshire).

In addition to these players awarded central contracts a further four players have been awarded incremental contracts.

These players are Jonny Bairstow (Yorkshire), Ravi Bopara (Essex), Craig Kieswetter (Somerset) and Graham Onions (Durham).

In respect to Kevin Pietersen discussions are ongoing and they remain private.

National Selector Geoff Miller commented: "Congratulations to Graham Onions who is the one addition to the list of players who have been awarded increment contracts.

                                                                      Graham Onions

“This is in recognition of the effort he has put in since his return from injury in 2011 and an indication that we feel he has plenty to offer England in the coming months.

“Contracts are ongoing recognition for those players who have regularly been selected for England and have performed consistently, as well as players who we feel could play an important role for England over the next 12 months.”

ecb.co.uk

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Trott out for rest of the season

England and Warwickshire batsman Jonathan Trott has been ruled out of the remainder of the domestic season with an undisplaced fracture of the third metacarpal in his right hand.

The injury was sustained during the fourth one-day international in the current NatWest Series against South Africa and, although initial X-rays were clear, a subsequent MRI scan revealed a fracture at the base of his third metacarpal.

                                                                          Jonathan Trott

No intervention is required and the 31-year-old should be able to resume batting in three to four weeks and is expected to available for the tour of India next month.

Trott will miss Warwickshire's CB40 Final against Hampshire at Lords on 15 September, but is expected to be available for England's Test tour of India at the end of October.

ecb.co.uk

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