Andrew Strauss more hard work against West Indies

Nottingham: England captain Andrew Strauss has warned his side to wait for more difficult days ahead as they seek to wrap up a series success over the West Indies.

Strauss's men go into the 2nd leg of a 3-match series, which gets underway at Trent Bridge here on Friday, with a 1-0 lead after a 5-wicket win at Lord’s. But the West Indies took England the world's leading Test side, into the 5th day at Lord's and twice made they stumble in chase of a win target of 191.It was very hard work that's forever the case with Test match cricket, Strauss told Sky Sports at Trent Bridge here on Thursday.

Often it's hard work to get on top of the resistance and often it's hard work to nail that last nail in coffin. The West Indies put up a really good fight, there's times when they made life hard for us and we were relieve to a certain coverage to get over the line and succeed that game, but we're also aware we have to do it again this week if we want to win, added opening batsman Strauss, who ended his 18-month wait for a Test century at Lord's.

Alastair Cook (79) and Ian Bell (63 not out) saw England to successes at Lord's after they were in trouble at 57 for four, while the 1st Test was a personal triumph for seamer Stuart Broad, who takes 11 wickets in the match. That target was tricky and there was a time when we were beneath a bit of pressure and Alastair Cook and Ian Bell deal with that very well, and that's very important, said Strauss.

There were some really good performances from our side. Clearly Stuart Broad bowled exceptionally well; most of the batters got a score in the game, so I think we're sensitivity in pretty good form heading into this match. But as I said before, we don't want to get ahead of ourselves, it's going to be very hard work this week, and matches here are always hard fought."While England consider whether to alter their seam attack, after all-rounder Tim Bresnan manages just one for 144 at Lord's, the West Indies will be compulsory into at least one change.

Fast bowler Shannon Gabriel, who took 4 wickets on debut at Lord's, was then ruled out of the rest of the series with a back injury. His absence could see the return of fellow fast Ravi Rampaul, who would have played at Lord's but for a neckline problem. Last year-and-a-half Ravi has been the guy who always takes wickets with the new ball for us, captain Darren Sammy. The way Kemar Roach is bowling and the insertion of Ravi, which could be a very good grouping for us.

And the tourists -- who in 22 matches against Nottinghamshire and England dating back to 1906 have never lost a first-class fixture at Trent Bridge, a run counting four wins and four draws in 8 Tests -- could recall off-spinner Shane Shillingford.The Dominican was left out at Lord's, despite taking 10 wickets in his earlier Test against Australia on home soil in Roseau last month. But Sammy said he could return as West Indies look to develop on a record of just 2 wins in their last 31 Tests.

Most definitely, we'll think playing Shilling ford," Sammy said. Looking at our attack, playing on flat pitch over the last year or so, a spinner has always been in our line-up, and we've gone with the fast men and me, and that has been successful for us. So we'll absolutely consider that and hopefully we can go out there and take 20 wickets against England.

Gayle's return to WI. Said WICB

Bridgetown- The way has been paved for starter Chris Gayle's selection to the West Indies team but uncertainty over his real return and grave concerns concerning his role in a multi-million dollar complaint against the West Indies Cricket Board, continue to hover worryingly over the deal reach.

Chairman of CARICOM's prime ministerial sub-committee on cricket, Antigua and Barbuda's Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer announce on Wednesday evening the year-long impasse flanked by the embattled Jamaican and West Indies Cricket Board had been resolved.

His announcement follow weeks of talks which started in St. Vincent last month between the worried parties and which were facilitate by St. Vincent Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves.

Chris Gayle however, in a announcement dated March 23, said while he had signed the agreement, he remain ineligible for West Indies job for the duration of the Indian Premier League which winds up May 27.

The former Windies captain now has a legal case against the West Indies Cricket Board which the Board said it wanted discontinued.

Sri Lanka aim 2-0 series in Eng test Series

Colombo - Sri Lanka will settle for nothing less than a 2-0 series loss in the second and last Test against England in Colombo from 03-04-12, as the happy hosts celebrate 30 years of Test cricket.

Sri Lanka won the 1st Test in win by 75 runs, meaning a draw would be sufficient at the P. Sara Oval in the Sri Lankan capital for a 1st series Test win since 2009, when they hit New Zealand 2-0 at home. We will go for 2-0 because we play our best cricket when we are positive, Captain Mahela Jayewardene said on Monday.

Andrew Strauss's spin-wary England will slip to number 2 in the world rankings behind South Africa if they lose or draw the 2nd Test, but Jayewardene said his team was not going to show the tourists any mercy. When play a team like England, you have to be violent and look to get in front of them from the 1st ball. They are a sturdy side and will come hard at us, he said.

But we are ready for that and ready to play excellent cricket. We played well in Galle and must now look to develop on that. It was at the same venue that Sri Lanka played their opening Test in February 1982 against an England side led by Keith Fletcher, which win by 7 wickets inside four days.

It is going to be a bit emotional; Jayawardene said of the landmark Test. Everyone who plays the match will happen to part of our rich history. We are modest and proud to be part of such an important game.

PCB plan to host Australia in Sri Lanka

KARACHI: Pakistan plan to host their ODI series against Australia this August in Sri Lanka, a senior board official said on Tuesday.

In principle we have determined to hold the series against Australia in August in Sri Lanka but we are negotiate with the Sri Lankan board for a positive deal, PCB chief operating officer Siobhan Ahmed told Reuters 4 ODI internationals and 3 T20 games are planned.

The venue in Sri Lanka where we will embrace the matches will be decided soon. The Australians have also not articulated any reservations over playing in Sri Lanka, Ahmed said. Pakistan have be playing their series in the UAE venues of Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah since distant teams refuse to visit the nation after a 2009 gun attack on the Sri Lanka side.

Ahmed said UAE had been lined out of contention because the withstand in August would be too hot. In case we don't reach a cost effective deal with the Sri Lankan board, South Africa is the other replace neutral venue for us, Ahmed said. The PAKISTAN CRICKET BOARD has invite Bangladesh to break the mould and play an ODI series in Pakistan in April.

Ahmed said the PCB was still waiting for a positive response from the BCB With time running out it appears difficult they will send their team to Pakistan which would be a shame, he added. A series next to Bangladesh at a neutral venue is not cost effectual for us so that is not in our planning.

David’s 27 - Festival of Praise

Mumbai, Board of Control for Cricket in India's Rahul Dravid recently retired in Mumbai on 27 - E-appreciation service.

End hotel in Bandra in Mumbai tajlent in the occasion of the Indian team players, former players, family members of Dravid, BCCI's former, current players that participated included the BCCI said in a announcement.

In the 2nd test at the highest accumulation of the 16-year international cricket career over the Dravid - came to an end on. Outstanding role to Indian cricket gave him a farewell ceremony organized in a way that Kevin wanted to ü.

Dravid has played in 164 Test matches so far, 36 century’s, including a chance 63 of centuries 15, 470 run. 344 ODI centuries in 12 matches, including 83 fifties and is compounded by 10.889.

Clarke says. Sacking Ponting was tough.

Australian captain Michael Clarke has said he was partly answerable for the sacking of former captain Ricky Ponting from the one-day squad.

Clarke wrote about how difficult the decision had been in a newspaper column on Thursday, while toting up that the 37-year-old Ponting remain a huge part of our test team. I’m 100 % part of the choice panel - that's part now of the captain's job," he wrote in a New Ltd column. "We've made this decision as a panel.

It is tough not having the great Ricky Ponting out there..... Playing ODI cricket for us but that's the choice we've made."Clarke replaced Ponting as captain after England complete a 3-1 Ashes series win on Australian soil in January 2011, attractive part of the national side's selection panel.

Ponting's axing from the ODI side earlier this week as Australia build a side for the 2015 World Cup trigger fierce contest in the country. Without peer in the 50-overs game, Ponting has racked up 13,704 runs in 375 matches at an average of 42, also winning three World Cups in his 17-year career.

After accepting his ODI international career was ended, Ponting said he would go on in test cricket and hope to play in the 2013 Ashes. His test place had also been under strain at the end of last year but he respond with 544 runs at an average of 108 as hosts Australia whitewashed India 4-0.

Ponting consider play future after ODI axing

Sydney- Feb 20. Ricky Ponting's ODI international career appear over on Monday after he was dropped from Australia's team after a dismal run of form, and was consider his future in the game.

Chief selector John Inveracity announced the axing of Ricky Ponting, the 2nd all-time leading runs corer in ODIs, after he scored just 18 runs in five tri-series knock against India and Sri Lanka.Ricky Ponting has be dropped from the (ODI) squad due to his lack of form in the five tri-series matches to date," Inveracity said. Meeting reporters in Perth, Inveracity also said there were no guarantee Ponting continues playing Test cricket, and that the former captain was pondering his next steps.

Ponting is going to think his future over the next couple of days and he'll talk it over with his family and with his manager, and my estimate is he'll be giving a press conference in the next two or three days," he said.Ponting, 37, said earlier that he wanted to battle during his current slump. He has averaged just 3.60 in his five tri-series innings. But Inveracity, while praising Ponting's input over an impressive 17-year ODI career, seem to shut the door on any future for the expert in Australia's one-day side.

The team will not seem the same not including him, but moving on from the exclusion of players who have been outstanding over a long time of time is the nature of selected game, he said."He made a double century in his last Test match and we are hopeful that he remains available for Test match cricket, but there can be no guarantee in elite game and in the Australian team.”Inveracity added” If he drops out of the ODI team then there's a possible lack of thrust there.

There are three Test matches in the West Indies (in April), then as I appreciate it there are no more Test matches until October or November. The selectors dumped Ponting as they announced a 13-man squad with all-rounder Shane Watson returning for Australia's next two tri-series ODIs, against Sri Lanka in Hobart on Friday and India in Sydney next Sunday.Ponting's sacking came a day following he led Australia to a crushing 110-run win over India in Brisbane as stand-in for injured skipper Michael Clarke. But while the other batsmen made merry, he scored just seven runs from 26 balls.

Ponting said after Sunday's victory that he had no target of seeking a rest to freshen up."It's fair to say I've struggle in the first five games," he told reporters."I'm not going to put my hand up and say I want a break, since when you are going through a bend trot like I've had the last couple of games, you want to turn that approximately."Ponting ranks second only to India's Sachin Tendulkar with nearly all ODI runs (13,704) from 375 matches, while he has scored 13,200 runs in 162 Tests matches."Ricky's record speaks for itself," Inveracity said.

He is one of the truly great performers in the history of Australian ODI cricket, with his standing enhanced further by him captain ship Australia to two World Cup victories."Inveracity said that Ponting's giving to the Australia ODI team went far beyond his batting statistics and excellent t fielding.

The example he sets in every respect and his very positive influence in the dressing-room is approved by all," he said, while hailing Ponting's "selfless" motivation to stand in for Clark recently.

Ponting sacking comes less than a month after his dominant role in Australia's 4-0 clean sweep of the home pitch Test series against India. He was 2nd for most series runs only to Clarke, scoring 544 at 108.80 with 2 centuries and 3.50s.