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In order to strengthen India’s bowling resources, the high-profile BCCI cricket advisory committee has suggested a pool of bowlers – 15 quicks and as many spinners – be identified and monitored over a four-year cycle.The recommendation of the panel comprising Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman was immediately accepted by BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur and president Jagmohan Dalmiya, who met the trio in the first formal meeting of the new committee in Kolkata.”One important recommendation was to select a pool of 15 pacers and 15 spinners and we can have specialist coaches for pacers and spinners to look after them,” Thakur said. “For example, in fast-bowling segment we can have a few bowlers in the Under-19, U-23 and rest could be from seniors. We can look at a four-year period to groom the players. There should be continuity and the players should be mentally and technically prepared to play at the highest level.”It is understood that the pool of 30 bowlers will be shortlisted by the national selectors and the cricket advisory committee will have no role to play in it.In 2011 and 2012, during secretary Sanjay Jagdale’s tenure, the BCCI had conducted talent hunts for fast bowlers across the country and shortlisted a few to be trained at the National Cricket Academy for short durations. This time around though, rather than looking for raw talent, the BCCI intends to concentrate on bowlers who need to be groomed to take the giant stride into the international arena.The advisory committee also suggested other steps to help Indian cricket create reliable bench strength, such as a focus on more A tours. “One of the suggestions by the legends was to increase the number of India A tours overseas so that we can give more and more exposure to our A players and they can play competitive cricket,” Thakur said.Thakur stated that the advisory committee wished the India A tours to be held a year before the senior team’s tour to a particular country, a move that is being implemented over the last two years.”In the past few years, the performance of the Indian team was not up to the mark overseas, so our focus would be on India A tour overseas. For example, if we have to play Champions Trophy in England, then India A must tour England or nearby countries one year in advance.”The advisory committee also proposed to revive the Talent Resource Development Wing (TRDW), an initiative of Dalmiya during his first presidency tenure more than a decade ago, which had reaped rich dividends.”In 2001, when Mr Dalmiya was the president of the BCCI he had started a talent research development (wing). We used to have TRDOs (talent resource development officers). The committee has recommended that the scheme should be revived and we should look at spotting talents from various parts of India.”The TRDW, headed by former India captain and chairman of selection panel Dilip Vengsarkar, unearthed players such as MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina, Piyush Chawla and RP Singh. However, during N Srinivasan’s regime in the BCCI, the TRDW was converted into a formality, with match referees given the task of doubling up as talent scouts.The advisory committee also discussed the proposed restructuring of the NCA into a High Performance Centre. As part of the revamp, the BCCI has decided to rope in new support staff, having released most of the earlier coaches, trainers and physiotherapists. Thakur confirmed that Tendulkar, Ganguly and Laxman will be involved in the appointment of new candidates.”The next (advisory committee) meeting will be held once we shortlist the names of new physio, coaches and trainers for the NCA. And a joint meeting will be held to take up the nationwide programme keeping NCA in mind so it can play the most important role and become the centre of excellence,” Thakur said. “Whatever cricket advisory committee recommends that can be considered by the physios, trainers and coaches and can be implemented at NCA, zonal and state levels.”According to the advisory committee, the NCA should have a pyramid-like structure, where from top to bottom similar kind of facilities, coaching and training should be made available. It also recommended that state associations be asked to start their own academies, if possible with residential facilities.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details Chris Morris scored 14 runs off the final over and two off the last ball, as Reece Topley failed to gather a return at the stumps and complete a run out that would have forced a Super Over, to give South Africa a nail-biting victory at Newlands.Morris rescued South Africa from a middle-order meltdown in which they tumbled from 98 for 3 in the 16th over to 119 for 7 in the 19th and made hard work of what was shaping as a more routine chase.Chris Jordan and Moeen Ali shared five wickets, while Ben Stokes also produced an impressive four overs, to almost overshadow Imran Tahir, who had taken 4 for 21 to restrict England to 134 for 8. Tahir’s effort, which equalled his career-best, slammed the brakes on England after a brisk start. As it turned out, England did not need too many more runs and once again it was fielding errors which meant they finished on the losing side.England may not have thought it would get that close after they stuttered through a significant part of their innings. Their run rate was less than six an over for 17 overs after they plundered 36 off the first three and threatened to post a towering total.Alex Hales and Jason Roy were severe on Kagiso Rabada and Kyle Abbott upfront but their aggression did not last. Roy pulled a Rabada slower ball to Hashim Amla at midwicket and Hales top-edged a sweep in Tahir’s first over, which almost brought a nasty outfield collision, to start the slide.England lost 5 for 29 in the next six overs and South Africa took control. While David Wiese and Morris squeezed, Tahir attacked. He beat Stokes with a googly to have him stumped and had Eoin Morgan and Moeen caught off successive deliveries to stand on the cusp of a hat-trick. He almost got it with a googly to Jordan that missed the top of the stumps.Even though he didn’t, the damage was done. England only had Jos Buttler but he and the lower order could not cut loose to leave South Africa fancying their chances at the halfway stage.South Africa approached the chase watchfully and, with the top-heavy nature of their line-up, they needed to. Amla, who has had his problems against left-armers, offered a chance when he slashed at a Topley delivery and got and edge but Buttler could not hold on.England did not have to wait long, though. Three balls later AB de Villiers was caught on the fine-leg boundary and in the next over Amla was out when David Willey got down well to a low catch at mid-on. South Africa lost the bulk of their experience and still needed 100 runs but had 15 overs to get them.Faf du Plessis and JP Duminy shared in the highest partnership of the match – 41 for the third wicket – but they did not always look at ease. Duminy survived an lbw shout off Jordan and neither of them found the boundary easily. The required run rate increased to almost eight an over and the pressure told.Adil Rashid proved particularly difficult to get away and Duminy succumbed. He was caught at long-on in an attempt to go big and England began to strangle. They pushed the required run rate towards nine and then du Plessis tried to accelerate but picked out long-on too.South Africa needed 37 runs off the last four overs with only the finishers left. David Miller’s lack of game time and the two allrounders’ inexperience gave England the advantage especially after Jordan bowled another boundary-less over.Rilee Rossouw was next to go, top-edging a sweep, but Miller showed the aggression of old when he took 11 runs off three balls from Moeen Ali to leave South Africa needing 21 off two overs.Jordan bowled the perfect penultimate over. He had Miller caught at long-on and bowled Wiese with a full delivery to end his four overs with career-best T20 figures of 3 for 23 and leave Topley with 15 to defend off the final over. The only problem was that he had to do it against Morris.As he did in the Wanderers ODI a week ago, Morris showed big-match temperament and after Abbott gave him the strike he finished the job. A four off a low full toss, a six off another and a two ran as though his life depended on it meant South Africa proved their potential under pressure and England were left to wonder what could have been if Topley had pulled off the run-out.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsFile photo: Stephan Myburgh struck six fours and a six in his unbeaten 60-ball 67•Getty Images

Stephan Myburgh’s unbeaten 60-ball 67 laid the platform for Netherlands to pull off an 18-run win over Nepal in the first T20I in Amstelveen. Myburgh batted through Netherlands’ innings, and struck six fours and a six while guiding them to a total of 134.Nepal kept losing wickets regularly during their reply, with their only partnership of note a 31-run, fourth-wicket stand between Paras Khadka and Rajesh Pulami. Khadka stayed at the crease till the end to finish unbeaten on 45, but he was never able to keep up with the asking rate. Ahsan Malik was Netherlands’ most successful bowler, picking up three wickets while only giving away 23 runs in his four overs.Netherlands had to weather some early trouble after choosing to bat, losing two wickets to run-outs while slipping to 32 for 3 before Myburgh stabilised their innings in the company of Peter Borren – with whom he added 33 for the fourth wicket – and Michael Rippon – with whom he put on an unbroken 63 for the sixth.

Alex Gidman, the former Gloucestershire captain who moved to Worcestershire in 2015, has been forced to retire at the age of 34 due to a finger injury he suffered in the latter stages of his first season at New Road.After picking up the injury in the penultimate week of the season, ahead of a match against Durham at Chester-le-Street, he underwent joint-replacement surgery when he became unable to flex the joint.At the time a recovery period of 12 weeks was expected and Gidman was confident of being fit for the 2016 season, but after consultation with specialist Mike Hayton it has been decided he will not be able to reach the fitness levels to play professionally.”It is with great sadness that I have no choice but to retire from the sport that has given me so much,” he said. “I have been really lucky to have played for so long and I have so many great memories.”Obviously my many years at Gloucestershire included the majority of my success but I have really enjoyed the last 18 months meeting some fantastic people at Worcestershire. I can’t thank the many coaches, team-mates and of course supporters enough. I’m excited about the future, but will miss the game. I wish all the players I have played with the best of luck for the 2016 season and beyond.”Gidman had a disappointing first season at Worcestershire – scoring 397 runs in 12 Championship matches and made one appearance in both the T20 Blast and Royal London Cup – although missed a month of first-team cricket in July after suffering concussion when he was struck by a bouncer against Nottinghamshire.Overall he finishes with 11,622 first-class runs, 4473 in one-day cricket and 1448 in T20 alongside 103 first-class wickets and 71 in List A. His most prolific first-class season came in 2014 – his last with Gloucestershire – where he scored 1278 runs at 45.64 including his career-best 264, which came the day before he confirmed his move to Worcestershire.He reached as far as England A (and Lions) level with tours to the UAE and Sri Lanka in 2004-05 then Bangladesh in 2006-07 – on the back of a domestic season where he scored more than 1200 first-class runs – and played a match against West Indies in 2007 when the Lions opening attack was James Anderson and Stuart Broad. He was also appointed captain of England A for the tour of India in 2003-04, but was forced to withdraw before the tour with a hand injury.

Waqar Younis does not think he was able to make much of a difference to Pakistan cricket in his recently concluded two-year stint as national coach. A big part of the problem, he told ESPNcricinfo in an interview, was a lack of proper direction at the administrative level, with the PCB having “two heads” in board chairman Shaharyar Khan and executive committee chairman Najam Sethi, who pulled the game in “two different directions”.Outgoing T20I captain Shahid Afridi’s “temperament issue” did not help either, Waqar said.A former Pakistan captain himself, Waqar had resigned from the coaching role earlier this week with three months left on his contract, following Pakistan’s dismal showing at the Asia Cup and World T20 where they won only three games out of eight. It was a messy parting of ways, with his announcement coming soon after his scathing report on Pakistan cricket – featuring Afridi’s lack of leadership skills, and the indiscipline among the players among other things – was leaked to the public.”The biggest issue was having two heads of a family, [it] did not help the cause,” Waqar said. “Not only for the coach but cricket overall also suffered because, inside the PCB, there are two heads and two different directions. That needs to be looked into. That is very important.”It was important for the PCB to realise it existed to help grow cricket in Pakistan, not the other way round, Waqar said. “I have said previously that people in a cricket board should be coming towards the team, towards the coaching staff. They should be coming towards us, to improve things, because they are for the cricket team, for the game. The cricket team is not for them.”Here we have a culture where cricket teams beg for things from them [administrators]. It should be the other way around and it needs to be changed on an immediate basis.”When asked why he had stayed in the role for so long despite all these issues, Waqar said he had hopes of changing the way Pakistan cricket worked. “I couldn’t do exactly what I wanted to. I’m always in support of the younger players coming through, indulging the younger players, but unfortunately it did not happen. There were forces that didn’t allow me [to do so].”Some people ask why didn’t I leave early but I have faith in the idea that to fix the system, you have to stay in the system. I’ve tried to fix it, but it didn’t work.”The main problem with Afridi, Waqar said, was his inability to concentrate for long periods. “Afridi’s drawbacks as a captain are for everyone to see. He has got a temperament issue. He cannot sit for too long to highlight things, or absorb things and then go and implement them. I’ve said this in my report.”Waqar said Afridi was in stark contrast to Pakistan Test captain Misbah-ul-Haq. “My relationship with Misbah was excellent and we all know that. Because I think he has got a great temperament for cricket. When you sit with him, he can talk about cricket for hours. And I think when you are a captain, you need to absorb a lot of things from the coach.”He had managed to maintain a working relationship with Afridi, Waqar said, but that has been wrecked by the leaked report. “I have been very clear that report was not for the media, but for the cricket board. Unfortunately, the report was leaked and my relationship with Afridi has been spoilt.”In his report, Waqar had mentioned the need for a high-performance manager’s post to be created by the PCB, and he reiterated that view. “I think there should be a high-profile position, like a performance-enhancing manager, who can work as a bridge between the board and the players, enhance physios, trainers, the NCA, and only handle cricketing matters. That could be a foreigner, so there is no baggage.”

Pacer Luke Jongwe and legspinner Graeme Cremer, who missed the 2016 World T20 due to injuries, are available for selection for Zimbabwe’s home series against India next month. The two, along with Neville Madziva – who also missed the tournament in India, due to a thumb injury – are part of a 30-member practice squad.Jongwe had sustained an eye injury while attempting a return catch during one of Zimbabwe’s practice matches ahead of the World T20 and was subsequently advised three to four weeks of rest by a neurosurgeon. The bowler has been getting through his fitness drills well and has played practice matches, according to a release from Zimbabwe Cricket, but he is being monitored for potential symptoms nonetheless.Cremer had sustained a fracture to his left hand during the same preparatory camp in Sharjah and has made “very good progress”, according to the team physiotherapist Anesu Mupotaringa. The ZC release states that Cremer has been bowling an average of eight overs in a 90-minute session with “minimum discomfort” and, like Jongwe, has played practice matches.Fast bowler Tinashe Panyangara had previously complained of pain in the lower back, but has since participated in the matches. Batsman Chamu Chibhabha, however, suffered an injury scare when he was hit on the left arm during a net session. An X-ray ruled out fracture, and Chibhabha is receiving treatment for the injury.He had his arm strapped during the team’s practice games.The Zimbabwe squad has already played three 50-over practice matches and is currently on a week-long break. India will tour the country for three ODIs, from June 11, which will be followed by three T20 internationals, from June 18. All matches are scheduled to take place in Harare.

Offspinning allrounder Ramith Rambukwella has been called up to Sri Lanka’s squad for the T20 against England on Tuesday, team management has confirmed. Batsman Upul Tharanga has left the side, but the remainder of Sri Lanka’s ODI squad will stay for the T20.Rambukwella, who was in the UK with the Sri Lanka A team, had played one T20I against New Zealand in 2013, taking 1 for 19 from four overs. He has since been out of Sri Lanka’s T20 squads, but was recalled by the selection committee led by Sanath Jayasuriya, who had also been chief selector during Rambukwella’s previous entry to the national side.In 40 T20 matches, Rambukwella averages 18.04 and strikes at 154 with the bat, and has 36 wickets and an economy rate of 6.71. He hit 141 runs and claimed seven wickets in eight matches during SLC’s club-based T20 tournament this year, but was significantly less effective in the provincial T20 tournament.Left-arm spinning allrounder Milinda Siriwardana, who was part of Sri Lanka’s World T20 squad, was the most notable absence from this T20 squad – though he had already returned to Sri Lanka ahead of the ODIs.

Steven Smith has conceded that Australia came up short with the bat against West Indies on Monday, but he said a “sloppy” display in the field was another key reason for Australia’s loss.Sent in by Jason Holder in St Kitts, Australia made a strong start and were 157 for 1 after 30 overs, but a series of wickets led to a significant slowing of the run rate, and they managed only 108 in the final 20 overs. West Indies chased down the target of 266 with more than four overs remaining, and joined Australia on two wins on the tri-series points table, with one game in hand.Usman Khawaja was the stand-out batsman for Australia with 98, having moved up to open in the absence of the injured David Warner, but he spilled two catches within the first eight overs of the chase to reprieve West Indian openers Johnson Charles and Andre Fletcher. Smith said Australia’s fielding and new-ball bowling had let the team down, along with the stalling of the batting innings.”I think we were probably 15 to 20 short with the bat,” Smith said. “We got ourselves into a pretty good position at about the 30-over mark, I think we were around 1 for 157. We weren’t able to accelerate as well as we would have liked in the 30 to 40 overs, and then from the 40- to 50-over mark.”In the field I think we started really poorly with the ball. They came out playing their shots, and credit to them. But I thought we were a fair way off our lines and lengths. Our fielding was pretty average in that first 10 overs. When you’re chasing 265 and you’re 1 for 70 after 10 overs, you’re well on your way. We started pretty poorly with the ball.”I think it was just a pretty sloppy display altogether in the field. I thought we didn’t bowl the right areas. We let them off a bit easy in that respect. We were sloppy with most of the things we did in the field as well.”We’ve been doing all the work. We’re doing our best, but this isn’t the standard that the Australian cricket team sets, so we’ve got a lot more work to do to try to improve it. We set ourselves high standards in the field, and we want to be the best fielding team in the world. We’ve got a lot of work to do to get to that mark.”Smith described the Warner Park pitch as “two-paced” and said the extra bounce early in the match made it hard for batsmen to get a start. Khawaja and Smith put on 170 for the second wicket but the loss of Smith for 74 and then Khawaja for 98 slowed Australia’s innings.”Once you’re in you have to cash in,” he said. “I thought the partnership with Usman was a good one to get us to that platform, but it was probably one of us to go on and get 120, 130, that might have given us that extra 20 runs to get ourselves into the game.”Australia now move to Barbados for the final leg of the series, and Smith said both Glenn Maxwell and Mitchell Starc would come under consideration. Australia are managing Starc’s workload as he makes his return from a long injury lay-off, while Maxwell was dropped from the previous two matches after failing to reach double-figures in any of his past five ODI innings.”He sort of lacked a little bit of consistency in the middle order in the last ten or so one-dayers, so we left him out for these couple of games,” Smith said of Maxwell. “But I’m sure he’ll be talked about coming into Barbados. We’ll just have to wait and see.”

Sri Lanka Cricket has outlined an ambitious plan to increase the number of match-day tickets sold to 100,000 per Test series, over the next four years. SLC president Thilanga Sumathipala said presently a three-Test series would draw an aggregate of fewer than 40,000 spectators, but the board aims to identify spectator-friendly Test venues and then improve facilities within those grounds to attract a larger audience.Improvements to bathroom facilities and an increase in the number of big screens and televisions will be among the ground upgrades. SLC also announced a move towards online ticket sales, for which Indian company BookMyShow has been contracted. SLC said online ticket sales will begin during the Australia tour, but traditional ticket outlets will also be operational.”When spectators go to a match, they want to be guaranteed their seat, and for it to be as easy a process as possible,” Sumathipala said. “We also want to make sure the spectators are entertained during their time at the ground.”The Galle Cricket stadium, which is located close to the centre of town, ordinarily draws a substantial Test-match crowd, while the Asgiriya Stadium had also been a well-patronised venue during its years of operation. Sumathipala said this suggested that venues within the city limits, where spectators may arrive and leave as their day allows, will be prioritised as Test venues. Asgiriya has not hosted a Test since 2007, but Sumathipala said SLC would look into upgrading facilities there with a view to resuming international cricket at the venue.”At the moment, Galle is a successful venue, and SSC is successful, but I don’t think venues like Dambulla or the Premadasa Stadium are as successful,” Sumathipala said. “The reason is, when people come in a bus, train or three-wheeler, and they see someone is getting close to a fifty or a hundred, they want to come into the ground and see that.”There’s a culture of people participating in a Test match whenever there is some excitement. We prefer to have the Test venues built up in a different way from the limited-overs venues. It has to be done in a scientific way. There also have to be facilities for women and children.”

With 12 overs of high-quality swing and seam-bowling, South Africa feel they gained more than New Zealand, who took 87.4 overs to bowl them out, in the Durban washout.”I’d like to believe we have the momentum on our side. Dale and Vernon would have sent some shivers down that batting line-up,” Temba Bavuma said, although he remains wary of New Zealand’s pace pack.Steyn and Philander reduced New Zealand to 15 for 2, which seems like too little to base an advantage on but against the backdrop of South Africa’s 263, it was the start of something and a re-start for the bowling pair. Both Steyn and Philander were making comebacks to the Test team and even Trent Boult admitted he was impressed with what he saw.”Dale Steyn is one of my favourite bowlers,” Boult said. “He was one of my idols growing up. Any chance I get to play against him is always exciting. I could almost sit there and watch every ball he bowls.”For all their bowling success, South Africa know they did not bat well enough on the first day to make a strong enough statement about the kind of Test cricket they want to play going forward. South Africa want to start more aggressively, they want to pre-empt pressure situations so they can avoid them and they want to dominate, but in their innings in Durban they did not do any of that for a long enough period of time to be satisfied. “There’s definitely that feeling of disappointment. The batters that were in should have converted. That would have been the difference between what we got and 350,” Bavuma said.Bavuma was one of those who got in and he batted longer than anyone else. In his two hours and 26 minutes in the middle, he faced all six New Zealand bowlers and survived all their seamers. Bavuma got a first-hand look at how their pace pack operates and what kind of problems they pose in the must-win match at Centurion.”You can see why Tim Southee and Trent Boult are up there in the bowling rankings. Their skill is impeccable. They keep asking the right questions,” Bavuma said. “If they were to get onto a wicket that assisted them more, they would be quite a force.”That’s why New Zealand’s attack will be disappointed to learn that SuperSport Park’s pitch is unlikely to be as helpful as Kingsmead’s, which had a healthy grass covering. Because of the time of year, groundsman Rudolph du Preez, who started preparing the surface almost three weeks ago, anticipates the early-season pitch to be less lively than he would get in mid-summer, and even suggested it could be more like a New Zealand pitch than a South African one. Ordinarily, that would be something Boult would look forward to but not this time. “I don’t know if low and slow is music to my ears, being a fast bowler,” he said.With not a cloud in the sky since New Zealand arrived, Boult also does not expect overhead conditions to work in favour of the pace pack and suggested they will have to stick to “the similar stuff that works for us”, which is “not much more than trying to put pressure on the guys”.New Zealand are good at that, as Bavuma confirmed. “They are quite patient,” he said. “They tested my balance so I had to make sure I was on the front foot more than being on the back foot and I had to choose the right times to apply pressure back on them.”Bavuma handled New Zealand’s bowling for a while but not for as long as he would have wanted. His dismissal exposed the lower middle order and highlighted South Africa’s areas of vulnerability. With the top two still settling into their roles, and the two most experienced middle-order batsmen – Faf du Plessis and JP Duminy – battling for form, there are several soft spots but New Zealand are not taking the batting line-up lightly. “If we get one or two wickets, we don’t think we are going to roll through them,” Boult said.