Tag Futebol

India had been scheduled to train at the Premadasa Stadium, but when early morning drizzle worsened into showers, they switched to the indoor nets

Andrew Fidel Fernando04-Aug-2015The sun has shone in daylight hours in the week preceding the India team’s arrival in Colombo, but as so often happens on the island, rains lie in ambush for the first sign of cricket. The visitors had been scheduled to train at the Premadasa Stadium, but when early morning drizzle worsened into showers, they switched to the indoor nets, partway across town at the Nondescripts Cricket Club.So when M Vijay was asked before this training session how well he was hitting the ball, “I don’t know – the rain spoiled the previous training” was all the reply he could offer. It was a low-key reply to what has so far been a low-key arrival. The series is sure to heat up when Kumar Sangakkara returns to the country and marches into that final series. But for now, Colombo has switched cricket off, and turned attentions to the general election, which takes place in between the first and second Test.When it does begin, following the three-day warm up starting on Friday, the series is sure to be a juicy one. Both teams are rebuilding, but are going about it in different ways. While Angelo Mathews has eyed gradual improvement, Virat Kohli heads a team that aims to be forceful and dynamic, though they haven’t yet had much success overseas.Among Kohli’s plans for the series may be the use of five bowlers in his XI. It is a strategy India trialled in Bangladesh, with roughly good results, but not one they had usually used under MS Dhoni. The flip side of that, of course, is the extra strain on the batsmen, which Vijay said was no strain at all.”Playing with five bowlers is not demanding for batsmen,” he said. “Batting is our role. If any one of us click it’s going to be good for the team and we’re going to be in a much more comfortable position. It’s a good responsibility to have on your shoulders – to go in and bat. If you’re going to dominate a Test match we should work according to the plans.”Vijay, now a relative senior in the batting unit, will be expected to provide some of the runs a No. 7 might have hit, particularly as his recent overseas record has been outstanding. He is grateful that, following his nine-month Test hiatus in 2013, his return to top-level cricket was gradual.”That nine month period I was out of the team – I had my wrist injury at the same time,” he said. “It’s not an easy period for any sportsperson, carrying an injury. I had to go through the regime of rehabilitation. Once I got my rhythm back in my batting it helped to play one format of the game and not play the other two. I had a little more time to work on my fitness and stuff, during that period. “While the teams’ captains have contrasting virtues, there is symmetry at the top of the innings. Vijay has often played within himself while Shikhar Dhawan broke loose at the other. Sri Lanka have set out with a similar pair – Kaushal Silva doing the Geoffrey Boycott impression, as Dimuth Karunaratne flashes his blade.”There’s a lot of talent” in the Sri Lanka batting order, Vijay said, but perhaps because these teams play each other so rarely in Tests, he could not say much more. “Angelo Mathews is doing a great job, and Lahiru Thirimanne and the opener – I don’t know the exact name,” he said. If the rains relent, they will get to know each other a little better as the tour wears on.

There’s nothing like being picked while in form, and Phillip Hughes is in the one-day form of his life

Brydon Coverdale08-Jan-2013There’s nothing like being picked while in form, and Phillip Hughes is in the one-day form of his life. If Bradman had played 50-over cricket he might have produced the kind of scores that Hughes has in the past two years. Consider this remarkable figure: in 14 of his past 20 one-day innings, Hughes has scored at least a half-century. In that time, a period that stretches back to December 2010, he has averaged 90.28. Among Australians, only Michael Bevan has a higher List A average than Hughes.And yet until now, Hughes has been considered a Test specialist by Australia’s selectors. When he walks out at the MCG on Friday in the first ODI against Sri Lanka, it will be his first limited-overs game for his country. Of course, it’s not easy breaking in to a top order that usually features David Warner, Shane Watson and Michael Clarke. But none of those men, nor Matthew Wade, are part of this ODI squad.It means Australia will likely employ a top three consisting entirely of uncapped men: Hughes, Aaron Finch and Usman Khawaja. The selectors are juggling a number of factors – resting some players, keeping Hughes and Khawaja away from the BBL in preparation for the India tour, planning ahead to the 2015 World Cup. Not all of the new men will keep their places, but Hughes hopes he can do enough to remain in the side when others return.”It’s an opportunity for guys coming in now, there’s a few new faces around the squad,” Hughes said. “For those guys resting for the first couple of games, they play that much cricket and I’m sure they’ll come back fresh and bigger and better. It does allow guys now to get that opportunity … now given this opportunity I’m grateful for it and hopefully I can stamp my authority in this format.”My focus has been all three formats. I want to be that complete batsman playing three forms hopefully one day. There’s still work I’ve got to do but for this opportunity to come up I’m grateful for it. I’ve had a fair taste of Test cricket now but never in the short format, so that’s why I’m rapt about getting this chance.”There is nothing about Hughes’ game that suggests he should ever have been considered a Test-only player. Powerful through the off side and naturally aggressive, Hughes bats in a way that should transfer to ODI cricket. His style has helped him score 114, 95 not out and 73 from three of his five Ryobi Cup innings this summer, and he was one of the leading scorers in the Clydesdale Bank 40-over competition last year, playing for Worcestershire.”It’s a format that you’ve got to really attack and that’s probably my natural game,” Hughes said. “The instincts take over and I really like to attack and get on that front foot and take the game forward. I feel like I’ve worked on a number of shots, especially through the leg side, over the last six to 12 months. Hopefully I can take that into this series.”I feel like I’ve come a long way in one-day cricket. I had a stint in county cricket with Worcestershire and I felt like I performed quite well, and at the start of the season for South Australia. There’s work that I had to do and I feel like I’m quite confident in my one-day game now. I’m really grateful for this opportunity and hopefully I can make the most of it.”Although the Australians have not yet confirmed a batting order, the likelihood is that Hughes will open with Finch, although Khawaja is another option, having opened for Queensland with success this season. All three are likely to make their debuts on Friday, while the Queensland bowling allrounder Ben Cutting is also a chance to earn his first ODI cap, in a side that will be captained by George Bailey.

Johan Botha has been released to play for Adelaide Strikers in the Big Bash League, and been asked to return to South Africa in time for the ODI series against Sri Lanka

Firdose Moonda09-Dec-2011Offspinner Johan Botha has received official notice that he is not part of South Africa’s plans for the Test series against Sri Lanka. He has been released for two and a half weeks to play for Adelaide Strikers in Australia’s Big Bash League, and been asked to return to South Africa in time for the ODI series against Sri Lanka, which starts on January 11.”Right now, we would not need his services in Test cricket,” Andrew Hudson, the national convenor of selectors, told ESPNcricinfo. “I wouldn’t rule him out totally, but we are comfortable to release him for this period. I’d say that if we need him, something drastic would have to happen to the other guys.”South Africa’s first-choice Test spinner is Pakistan-born Imran Tahir, who made his debut against Australia in November. Left-arm spinner Paul Harris is the official back-up, having been included in the squad against Australia, although he did not play a match. Harris was left out of the squad for the first Test against Sri Lanka, but is part of the SA Invitation XI that is playing a warm-up match against the visitors. Botha played five Tests for South Africa but is behind in the spin queue, which prompted his decision to take part in the BBL.”Gary [Kirsten] was involved in the decision and spoke to Johan about what his role is in the ODI and T20 formats, and where he is in terms of Test cricket in South Africa,” Hudson said. “We are happy for him to learn and develop his skills elsewhere.”The Warriors franchise, to which Botha is contracted, also had to agree to his release, which they did. Botha will miss three of the franchise’s first-class fixtures while he is in Australia, a loss to the team, which is struggling at the bottom of the SuperSport Series table.Questions were raised about the decision Botha made to leave a domestic competition at home to play a lucrative event in a foreign country. “It is a little bit concerning because it opens the door for other players to do the same,” Tony Irish, chief executive of the South African Cricketers’ Association, said. “As long as these decisions are taken with cricketing facts in mind, for example, Herschelle Gibbs is also playing over there, although he is not really in the international frame anymore.”Hudson agreed that the era of the T20 professional could pose problems for less glamorous domestic competitions and even national teams. “What CSA will have to do is understand what this concept of ‘a free agent’ means,” he said. “Some players who don’t play in all the formats might request that they are not bound by certain clauses of a national contract. There needs to be some way forward and it brings into the spotlight the structure of a national contract, which may have to have different terms in future.”

Round-up of the third day of matches in the Caribbean T20 2010-11

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Jan-2011Defending champions Guyana clinched a thrilling one-run win over Somerset at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua. Guyana won the toss and elected to bat, but it was a decision that backfired as none of their batsmen, bar Ramnaresh Sarwan could get going.The Somerset bowlers lead by Alfonso Thomas, who picked up three wickets, strangled the Guyana batsmen and at 51 for 5 Guyana looked in grave trouble. A 36-run partnership between Sarwan and Royston Crandon inched them towards the 100-run mark. Sarwan fell for 59 and Guyana managed to reach a below-par 112 for 8 off their allotted overs.However, that total proved enough to thwart Somerset who started their chase in positive fashion. At 105 for 3 in the 18th over, they looked to be cruising to victory. However, as a result of some tight Guyana bowling and sharp fielding, they suffered a spectacular collapse to lose seven wickets for six runs. Two wickets to Esuan Crandon, one to Veerasammy Permaul, who had earlier dismissed opener Peter Trego, four run-outs and it was all over for Somerset as they were bowled out for 111 to hand Guyana their first points of the tournament.In the second game in Antigua, Combined Colleges and Campuses beat Jamaica by seven wickets. Jamaica, who beat Guyana in their first game, won the toss and elected to bat.They got off to a sluggish start when Gilford Moore dismissed Xavier Marshall in the third over and were 43 for 2 in their first 10 overs. However, the arrival of No. 3 Marlon Samuels swung the momentum in Jamaica’s favour. He was aggressive, taking the attack to the CCC bowlers as he raced to 50 in 44 balls. He clouted 30 runs off the next 10 balls he faced to end unbeaten on 80 off 54 balls which included five fours and five sixes. Wavell Hinds made 21 off 18 balls as Jamaica reached 138 for 4 in their 20 overs.CCC’s chase started poorly as Romel Currency was dismissed in the second over with just five runs on the board. However, Miles Bascombe, William Perkins and Kyle Hope all chipped in with solid thirties as CCC made short work of the Jamaica total. They reached their target in 19 overs for the loss of three wickets to earn their first points in this competition.

Mohammad Kaif scored his maiden first-class double century to boost Central Zone to a massive total on the third day

Cricinfo staff21-Jan-2010
Scorecard
Fog and bad light continued to eat away at match hours in Amritsar, where Mohammad Kaif scored his maiden first-class double-century to boost Central Zone to a massive total on the third day.The entire morning session was lost to bad light, after which Kaif and Naman Ojha guided Central past 400. Their partnership had grown to 64 when Ojha fell to medium-pacer Dhiraj Goswami. Piyush Chawla chipped in with a quickfire 27 but it was Kaif who was the star of the day, going on to become only the fourth Central Zone batsman to cross 200. Central declared soon after the milestone was reached, in the hope of giving their bowlers enough time to dismiss East Zone and progress on the first-innings lead.East made an assured start to their reply, with openers Dheeraj Jadhav and Arindham Das putting on 62. Jadhav was dismissed by Sanjay Bangar for 28, and East had progressed to 64 for 1 before bad light caused play to be called off.

Former England opener declines Notts contract to take up opportunities in MLC and CPL

Matt Roller17-Feb-2025Alex Hales is set to skip both the T20 Blast and the Hundred after signing a deal which will see him represent Knight Riders franchises in both Major League Cricket and the Caribbean Premier League.Hales, 36, retired from international cricket in 2023 but has continued to play franchise cricket around the world, and became the second-highest run-scorer in T20 history earlier this month. He has played for Nottinghamshire since 2008 but has recently relocated to Dubai and will not return to the club this summer after opting not to sign a new contract.The decision will put Hales’ long-term association with Trent Bridge on hold, though he has not ruled out a future return. He has called the venue home throughout his professional career and is the leading run-scorer for both Notts (in the Blast) and Trent Rockets (in the Hundred), winning titles with both teams.Last year, Hales missed six of Nottinghamshire’s 14 group games in the Blast to fulfil a contract at the Lanka Premier League but the ECB has since tightened regulations on No-Objection Certificates (NOCs). As a result, signing a contract with either Notts or Trent Rockets would likely have rendered Hales unable to play overseas throughout the English season.Related

• Moeen Ali set to skip Hundred as part of English domestic retirement

• Moises Henriques joins Notts Outlaws for 2025 Vitality Blast

• Lure of MLC could see English players skip T20 Blast for US payday

• Alex Hales to miss Notts Blast fixtures after signing LPL deal

• James Vince: Why I quit red-ball cricket – and others will follow

ESPNcricinfo has learned that he will instead take up an offer from the Knight Riders franchise, which will see him play for their Los Angeles and Trinbago teams in MLC and the CPL respectively. Depending on final dates, he may also return to the LPL in between the two tournaments, or alternatively feature in the new European T20 Premier League in Ireland, Scotland and the Netherlands.Knight Riders own four teams around the world – Los Angeles, Trinbago, Kolkata and Abu Dhabi – and several players have represented them in two or more territories, including Sunil Narine and Andre Russell. Venky Mysore, their chief executive, has previously suggested that players signing year-round contracts with an IPL franchise would be “nirvana” and Hales’ move appears to be another step towards that.”The last 17 years playing at Trent Bridge for Notts have been an absolute pleasure, and it remains my favourite place in the world to play cricket,” Hales said in a statement. “Some of my best memories have come in a Notts shirt, and some of my closest friendships in the game have been made in that home dressing room.”Having spent more and more time playing around the world in recent years, heading back to Trent Bridge has always been something I’ve looked forward to. But given the current landscape of the global game as well as having recently moved abroad, unfortunately I won’t be able to return this season… Hopefully I will be able to return at some point in the future.”Mick Newell, Notts’ director of cricket, said that Hales would be welcome to return to the club if his schedule allows in future. “While he won’t be joining us this summer, we are by no means closing the door on him making a return to Notts at some stage in the future, and his achievements mean he will forever have a place in Trent Bridge history,” Newell said.”Both his life and the global cricketing landscape have changed immeasurably since he made his debut 17 years ago. We appreciate the challenge he has faced in balancing his personal life, having recently married his South African fiancée and moved abroad, with the opportunities that a player of his calibre earns across the globe.”Hales will become the second Englishman to feature in MLC after Jason Roy, who terminated his ECB incremental deal early in order to play in the first season. Roy featured for Knight Riders again last year but has not been retained for 2025, and is likely to play for Surrey throughout the Blast season.He will still require a “No Objection Letter” from the ECB to play overseas but is not anticipating any issues, despite recent changes in the board’s policy. Richard Gould, the ECB’s chief executive, told talkSPORT in December: “If [players] choose not to have a contract with a county and they want to be a complete global freelancer, that’s fine.”The changes – which Gould said are designed to “defend our game” from the threat of franchise cricket – played a role in James Vince’s decision to quit first-class cricket this season in favour of the Pakistan Super League. Tom Kohler-Cadmore will also play in the PSL, and has therefore been renegotiating his Somerset contract accordingly.

Gladiators are hoping to turn their form around after finishing in the bottom two of the PSL in each of the last four seasons

Danyal Rasool19-Dec-2023Quetta Gladiators are thinking about Sarfaraz Ahmed’s future as captain of the side. While the timeline on the final decision is not yet clear, ESPNcricinfo understands that the general consensus at the franchise is that he should be replaced, ending an eight-year stint at the helm.Gladiators had announced Sarfaraz as their captain on PSL draft day. It is customary for franchises to announce their captain for the purposes of the draft, though changes can be made after that.The franchise has already reshuffled their backroom staff, most notably with Moin Khan moving on from head coach to a directorship role. He has been replaced by former Gladiators player Shane Watson as coach. Former Pakistan bowling coach Shaun Tait has also been appointed as the side’s fast-bowling coach as Gladiators look to turn around their fortunes – they have gone from being the most consistent PSL side to the most underperforming over the past four years.It is understood that Watson will be sounded out for his opinion on the situation. There is no concrete information around a possible replacement, but Rilee Rossouw, who returned to Gladiators after a stint with Multan Sultans, and Saud Shakeel, whose leadership is rated highly in domestic circles, are likely to be among the frontrunners.Related

• Pakistan rest Haris for NZ T20Is; Shadab out with ankle injury

• Shehzad quits PSL, points to 'deliberate effort' to keep him out

• Sams, Hendricks, Ngidi set for maiden PSL stints

Gladiators owner Nadeem Omar told the Relukattay podcast earlier this week that he remained “double-minded” over whether to replace Sarfaraz as captain. There is no desire to cast out the only captain the franchise has ever known, with Omar criticising the PCB for doing just that when Sarfaraz was sacked as Pakistan skipper. He said it “would be nicer” if Sarfaraz handed Gladiators captaincy away on his own, and that Sarfaraz had even agreed to do so if required.”It is the elephant in the room,” Omar said. “Wherever I go, people ask me this. But our franchise is a bit different from the others in the sense that we have a very intimate relationship with these players. I understand cricketers have a shelf life, but I think over Pakistan history, we tend to dump players unceremoniously.”Sarfaraz has been off the boil over the last couple of years. There are a lot of reasons for that – the way he was unceremoniously ousted by the PCB didn’t help, especially when he had a few more years. We won’t dump him unceremoniously. We haven’t decided yet, but we’ll give him full honours. Sarfaraz told me he would be happy to step aside if Quetta wants to make a change. We have a call with Shane Watson in a couple of days, and then we’ll decide.”Sarfaraz, 36, was appointed Gladiators captain when the league was inaugurated in 2016, and led his side to the final. Weeks later, he was appointed Pakistan’s white-ball captain, and led the national side to the 2017 Champions Trophy title. He led Gladiators to the PSL title in 2019, but fading form saw him sacked as Pakistan captain from all three formats within a year, and he was dropped from the national side.But Gladiators’ form has fallen away dramatically since. They have missed qualifying for the playoffs the last four years, and finished bottom or second from bottom each time.Sarfaraz is currently in Australia with Pakistan’s Test side, and played the opening Test in Perth, which Australia won by 360 runs.

Former England assistant coach wants to spend more time with family in Kent

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Aug-2022Paul Farbrace will step down from his role as Warwickshire’s head of sport at the end of the current season.Farbrace joined Warwickshire in 2019, after five years as England men’s assistant coach, and oversaw the club’s County Championship title success in 2021. But with his family based in Kent, he has decided to look for opportunities that will take him closer to home.”We knew Paul was one of the best cricketing brains in world cricket when we recruited him, and that’s been demonstrated in the way our elite squad has developed, but his work developing youngsters has also been impressive,” Stuart Cain, Warwickshire’s chief executive, said.”He’s created a very strong foundation for the future. Much of this is down to the excellent relationships he’s built at recreational clubs and schools across the region, and this is something we shall build on in future.Related

• Paul Farbrace set for T10 coaching role with Bangla Tigers

• Mark Robinson vows to 'get Warwickshire back' to where they belong

• Strauss review proposes smaller Championship top tier, 'revamped' 50-over competition

“Paul will stay with us for the completion of the season as we focus on the coming County Championship fixtures and help us with the early stages of recruiting his replacement.”We have appointed a specialist recruiter to help find a candidate with the skills to keep pushing us forward and will announce more on this in due course, but today is about celebrating Paul’s achievements during his time with Warwickshire.”Farbrace was widely credited with helping to turn around England’s fortunes, in partnership with Trevor Bayliss, but moved into more of a management role with Warwickshire ahead of the 2019 summer.He was responsible for appointing Mark Robinson as the club’s head coach in 2021, following the removal of Jim Troughton, and the new structure brought about immediate success as Warwickshire won the Championship for the first time since 2012, as well as the Bob Willis Trophy.The club has also taken steps to improve its talent identification and academy set-up, with a greater number of locally scouted players gaining first-team exposure.Farbrace said: “It’s been a great four years and I would have stayed longer, but with my family in Kent, it’s time for me to focus on them and look at other opportunities.”It’s been a great privilege to work at Edgbaston, for Warwickshire County Cricket Club, and with some incredibly dedicated and driven people, who really do make it such a very special place.”Farbrace, who has previously worked at Kent and Yorkshire and had a spell in charge of Sri Lanka before taking the England assistant job, has retained an interest in coaching, taking the helm with Team Abu Dhabi at last year’s Abu Dhabi T10.

To revive their season, the Sunrisers will need more than just their overseas personnel to perform

Annesha Ghosh27-Apr-2021

Big picture

The IPL caravan moves to Delhi, one of the worst-hit regions in the throes of a resurgent Covid-19 wave raging through India. The teams kicking off the eight-match leg in the city – the Chennai Super Kings and the Sunrisers Hyderabad – have set up camp for four games apiece and, like the other six sides, will be subject to tighter biosecurity restrictions, the onus, as per the BCCI, as much on winning as on catering to “something much more important…humanity.”Conditions at the Arun Jaitley Stadium have historically favoured both the Super Kings and the Sunrisers, each winning six out of their eight outings at the venue. On recent evidence, though, the Super Kings, on a four-match winning run, hold the edge as the Sunrisers suffered their fourth defeat in five games in a one-over shootout against the Delhi Capitals two nights ago.Pivotal to their turnaround since a seven-wicket loss in their season opener, vital contributions have come in fairly evenly from across disciplines in the Super Kings set-up. Ravindra Jadeja’s all-round tour de force at the Wankhede on Sunday that snapped the Royal Challengers Bangalore’s undefeated streak lent them a derring-do reminiscent of their title-winning campaigns of old.Related

• Can the IPL wield its power to aid a country in crisis?

• BCCI reassures IPL teams: 'You are totally safe within the bubble'

• Warner: 'Harsh call by selectors' to drop Pandey

To stall a team high on confidence and revive their own season, the Sunrisers will need more than just their in-form overseas personnel in Jonny Bairstow, Kane Williamson and Rashid Khan to muster a fight. That their Indian bowling personnel have blown hot and cold remains as much a concern as their captain David Warner’s want of form and fluency at the top.

Team news

Manish Pandey could slot back into the line-up as the Sunrisers’ middle-order troubles continue, after Warner described his omission in the fixture against the Capitals as a “harsh” call by the team’s “selectors”. Pandey’s replacement, 23-year-old Virat Singh, who labored to a 14-ball 4, could be on his way out.The Super Kings had opted to “err on the side of safety,” according to Robin Uthappa, by resting Moeen Ali in the last game because of a tight hamstring. The England allrounder is expected to recover in time for the face-off against the Sunrisers, who missed the services of Bhuvneshwar Kumar in their last match owing to a thigh strain he suffered on April 21.

Likely XIs

Chennai Super Kings: 1 Faf du Plessis, 2 Ruturaj Gaikwad, 3 Suresh Raina, 4 Ambati Rayudu/K Gowtham, 5 Ravindra Jadeja, 6 MS Dhoni (capt, wk), 7 Sam Curran, 8 Moeen Ali/Dwayne Bravo, 9 Shardul Thakur, 10 Imran Tahir, 11 Deepak ChaharSunrisers Hyderabad: 1 David Warner (capt), 2 Jonny Bairstow (wk), 3 Kane Williamson, 4 Virat Singh/Manish Pandey, 5 Vijay Shankar, 6 Kedar Jadhav, 7 Rashid Khan, 8 J Suchith, 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10 Sandeep Sharma/Khaleel Ahmed, 11 Siddarth Kaul

Strategy punt

• Warner strikes at over 150 against both Jadeja and Tahir in T20s and at 150 against Ali but struggles to put away the likes of Sam Curran, Deepak Chahar and Dwayne Bravo, against whom his strike rate hovers between 76 and 112. He scored only 6 in the last match and has just one fifty in five innings in this edition, so the Super Kings may be tempted to feed him pace early on. If he is able to counter that ploy, though, his sixth straight 50-plus score against the Super Kings in India and the distinction of the first batter to 50 IPL half-centuries could be there for the taking.
• Since the start of IPL 2020, the Super Kings have scored 43 runs on an average in the powerplay. In instances where they scored better in that phase, they ended close to 180, with a success rate of 80% in those matches. In contrast, a score of under 43 in the first six overs have translated to scores of 150 runs or fewer, the success rate dropping to a mere 25%. Powerplay specialist Sandeep Sharma, who has the most wickets in the first six overs in IPL history, with an economy rate of 6.7 since last season to boot, may be the Sunrisers’ best bet to keep a check on the Super Kings’ run flow in that phase.

Stats that matter

• If Pandey returns to the XI, Wednesday’s match will mark his 150th appearance in the IPL.
• Teams winning the toss have opted to chase 42 times in 74 outings at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.
• Jadeja is two hits shy of a ton of sixes in T20s.
• Bairstow needs 71 to become the fifth player with 1000 runs in the tournament as a wicketkeeper.

Former England fast bowler hopes to become latest quick to rediscover form at Hove

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Jan-2020Stuart Meaker, the fast bowler who played four white-ball internationals for England in 2011 and 2012, has become the latest in a line of seamers to sign for Sussex in an attempt to get their career back on track.Meaker, 30, had a year left on his contract at Surrey, but director of cricket Alec Stewart agreed to let him move to Hove in order to pursue first-team opportunities.Once considered the fastest bowler in the country after being clocked at 95mph in ECB trials at Loughborough, Meaker has struggled due to a series of injuries, playing only one County Championship game in the last two seasons.Sussex has become something of a go-to destination for fast bowlers hoping to revive their careers in recent years. Chris Jordan, Tymal Mills, Ajmal Shahzad, Ollie Robinson, Aaron Thomason and Reece Topley are among the bowlers to join the club after struggling to realise their potential at their previous counties, while Ishant Sharma recently attributed his international revival to his time at Hove as an overseas player.Meaker made his England debut in 2011 as a 22-year-old, taking a wicket in ODIs at Mumbai and Kolkata, and toured India with the Test squad in their victorious 2012 series. He played two T20Is immediately after that series, but was soon “bordering on the yips” following various confidence-denting injuries.England have continued to monitor his progress. He has worked extensively with Kevin Shine, the former ECB fast-bowling coach, at the national performance centre in Loughborough, and played for the Lions as recently as the 2016-17 winter.”I am undoubtedly grateful to Surrey for the opportunities and memories I’ve had at the club since I was 13,” Meaker said. “I have been fortunate to have played alongside some of the greats of the game and in front of some of the best crowds the game has to offer.”While I’ve loved being a part of the wider squad and their successes the last few seasons, I feel now is the time for me to seek opportunities to get more regular game time and get back to enjoying the game that I love.””I look forward to being able to contribute to an already supremely talented squad of players as well as a team with direction and desire to achieve success and silverware in the future.”Jason Gillespie, Sussex’s head coach, said: “I’m really excited that Stuart has agreed to join us.”He gives us some real depth in our pace department and Stuart is very keen to show what he can do for Sussex.”As someone who has played international cricket in the past, we know what Stuart is capable of. Everyone at Sussex is really looking forward to working with him and seeing him perform strongly for our club.”