Dilhara Lokuhettige replaces injured Welegedara

Sri Lankan fast bowler Chanaka Welegedara is unlikely to travel to England for the Champions Trophy, after failing to recover sufficiently from an ankle injury he sustained on May 18. Welegedara failed a fitness test on Wednesday morning, and Sri Lanka Cricket have since named seam bowler Dilhara Lokuhettige as a replacement. The selection was cleared by the sports minister, but has not yet been approved by the ICC.Lokuhettige, 32, played eight ODIs for Sri Lanka in 2005, and two Twenty20 internationals in 2008. He has six ODI wickets at 36.83. He has largely been picked on his form in the recently concluded List A tri-series in Pallekele, where he was the joint highest wicket-taker: nine scalps at an average of 17.66. If approved, he will be one of four pace specialists on tour, with Lasith Malinga, Shaminda Eranga and Nuwan Kulasekara also traveling. Allrounders Thisara Perera and Angelo Mathews are part of the squad as well.”SLC have written to the ICC Event Technical Committee regarding this replacement,” an SLC statement said. “The replacement of a player requires the approval of the Event Technical Committee before the replacement player can be officially added to the squad.”Welegedara had picked up the injury during the penultimate match of the tri-series, which he left, in pain, during his third over. His chances of traveling to England had looked promising on Tuesday after scans revealed no breaks or fractures, but inflammation persisted and he was unable to put sufficient weight on his landing foot.Welegedara, also 32, was the leader of Sri Lanka’s Test pace attack, but has been plagued by injury in the last 12 months, in which he only completed one Test match. He strained his groin playing England in March last year, before tearing a shoulder muscle before the Pakistan series in July. He recovered in time to travel to Australia at the end of the year, but tore a hamstring early in the second Test in Melbourne, and has not played any international cricket since. Largely regarded a Test specialist, Welegedara has not played limited-overs international cricket since June 2010.The Sri Lanka squad leaves for England in the early hours of Monday morning.

Wells draws up another ton against Surrey

ScorecardLuke Wells scored his third century in as many matches against Surrey•PA Photos

Luke Wells likes batting against Surrey. In both matches last season he made centuries and having taken guard for a third time against the Prince of Wales’s feathers, he played another stern innings with identical results to lead a solid Sussex response.Wells, 22, is unique among his peer group in being a red-ball specialist and is seldom used in the one-day arena. There are plenty of young cricketers with dashing, attractive strokeplay but few who set their stall out to ball all day and do so.For a third consecutive match Wells batted out a day to frustrate Surrey. Last year at The Oval he merely delayed his side’s defeat but here his efforts have put Sussex in a healthy position. Their progress was slow as Surrey bowled a consistent line, particularly in the afternoon where 82 runs were scored, and the wicket is on the slow side, but Wells knuckled down and made his sixth first-class hundred in 324 balls.There was a nice moment when, on 70 not out, he guided Tim Linley from back of a length into the gully, playing only slightly away from his body. Wells was annoyed with his stroke and took three strides towards square leg before slapping his pad with his bat. Like a race horse getting a reminder on the second circuit, it was Wells sharpening himself up.Only this season, with Ed Joyce wishing to fill Murray Goodwin’s slot at No. 4, has he regularly opened the batting but he is a natural and has filled the role for most of his career outside the first XI. He was given the chance to open against Yorkshire at Hove in 2011 and made a first-class best 174.He is a real grinder and tailor-made for a wicket where it is difficult to time the ball. But he and first Michael Yardy, then Joyce, sat tight and worked hard for their runs. The afternoon session was everything that is wonderful about red-ball cricket, with an intense battle between bat and ball, but Sussex triumphed in the skirmish and managed to progress at above three-an-over after tea.Surrey had nudged ahead with a wicket on the stroke of lunch after their tail had wagged. Chris Tremlett hoisted a six over midwicket to bring up a fourth batting point but was bowled next ball by Chris Jordan, who claimed a second five-wicket haul in England. His first came in the opening match against Yorkshire.And like the season-opener at Headingley, the new Sussex opening partnership of Wells and Chris Nash failed. They managed 11 on debut and could only double the tally here before Nash was adjudged lbw when he might have got outside the line playing forward to Linley.But also like at Headingley, the opener that survived went on to make runs and Wells kept his focus during a tricky period after lunch, where Tremlett found some rare movement from the Vauxhall End and Jade Dernbach caused problems from the Pavilion End and was convinced that Wells had edged behind.The reprieve gave further ammunition for Surrey to aim at Wells, who described himself as the most-sledged county cricketer. “It’s a bit of an in-house joke,” he said. “I’m used to the pressure and in some ways it helps me get up for the battle and to keep going.”He survived another very close call, this time for lbw from a Gareth Batty arm ball, and pressed on, with the aid of painkillers for a sore knee. His last dose came with eight overs left in the day and needing four for a century. But medication or not, he would have felt no discomfort in rocking back to Vikram Solanki’s first ball and slashing it through cover to get to three figures.

Gilchrist doesn't want boycott

PERTH, Aug 14 AAP – Australian vice-captain Adam Gilchrist hopes player threats to boycott next month’s Champions Trophy and next year’s World Cup over a sponsorship wrangle can be quickly resolved.His comments today came as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) indicated it would send a second-string team to the Champions Trophy if its players didn’t sign International Cricket Council (ICC) agreements for the Sri Lankan tournament.Plans for the two major international one-day tournaments are up in the air after leading players associations, including the Australian Cricketers Association, advised members against signing player agreements for the Champions Trophy starting September 12.The World Cup to be held early next year in South Africa faces a similar problem as the International Cricket Council will not budge on its efforts to protect major sponsors.The stand-off could create a major headache for the sport’s biggest names if players’ personal endorsements conflicted with those of ICC-backed events.Gilchrist, the 30-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman, said it was a delicate situation.But he didn’t think any cricketers truly wanted to boycott such major events and felt a viable solution would be found.”I don’t know the individual status on sponsors, but it is fair to say any cricketer doesn’t like the word boycott in regards to any issue,” he said.”That is something that can hopefully be avoided.”And as I said the administrators are there working through it so I’m sure we will come out with an equitable result.”Though the BCCI is officially falling in line with the ICC, there does seem to be an undercurrent of sympathy for the players according to India’s Hindustan Times.It said Indian players had met this week on tour and decided to continue to defy the BCCI.Former Indian captain Ravi Shastri said the Indian cricketers should protect their interests.”It is high time the players stand up for themselves,” he told the Hindustan Times.”As far as India is concerned it should send an under-19 team to the ICC Cup. That way the first casualty will be the ICC itself.”India, Pakistan and Bangladesh are the only three Test playing nations which don’t have player associations.One of the major grievances over the agreements is they restrict players’ endorsement prospects up until 2007.ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed said it was vital to protect against ambush marketing tactics because of the $1 billion worth of rights at stake at ICC events.Speed has said national boards had agreed to certain personal endorsement and sponsorship restrictions for ICC events until 2007.

Chopra, Sarandeep come to North's rescue at Indore

A patient unbeaten hundred from opener Akash Chopra and his undefeated 70-run seventh wicket partnership with Sarandeep Singh has kept North Zone in the hunt for the vital first-innings lead in their Duleep Trophy tie against Central Zone. When stumps were drawn at the end of the second day’s play at the Maharani Usharaje Trust Cricket Ground, Indore, North had reached 288 for six in reply to Central’s first innings total of 368.In the morning, Central Zone’s Devendra Bundela completed a well-deserved hundred. The middle-order batsman eventually reached 116 before running out of partners. North’s new ball bowler Vineet Sharma, who claimed the last two Central wickets, was the most successful bowler for the visitors, claiming four scalps. Sarandeep Singh also ended up with four wickets but he conceded 142 runs in the bargain.When North’s replied, Chopra and Vikram Rathour (33) added 62 runs for the first wicket before the latter fell. No. 4 Shafiq Khan was another batsman who was involved in a fruitful stand with Chopra at the top of the order. Khan, who made 28, added 51 for the third wicket with Chopra before finding himself out lbw.At 127 for three, North appeared to have the platform on which to build a healthy total. But the fall of their next two wickets for next to nothing plunged them into deep trouble.Fortunately for them, former India wicketkeeper Vijay Dahiya, who came in next, proved useful in helping Chopra mount the first stage of the salvage operation. Wielding the long handle to good effect, Dahiya clouted six fours and a six on his way to a rapid 33 off 45 balls before hearing the death rattle. His sixth wicket partnership of 50 runs with Chopra ensured that the North total regained a semblance of respectability.Next came an even better partnership, in fact the best of the North innings, as a cavalier Sarandeep provided the ideal foil to the steady Chopra. The duo put on 90 runs for the unbroken seventh wicket that also saw Chopra reach his 100 off 209 balls. At the end of the day’s play, Chopra was batting on 113 off 242 balls, an innings laced with 18 fours, while Sarandeep was on 48 off 69 balls.

Hussain joins centrally contracted players back in CricInfo Championship action

Nasser Hussain is to play his first competitive game since returning home from England’s triumphant Test series victory in Sri Lanka.


Muttiah Muralitharan: Back at Old Trafford
Photo © AFP

Hussain is named in the Essex squad to play Northants tomorrow in the first division of the CricInfo Championship. He is just one of a number of centrally contracted players to return to the county game as the competition enters full swing.Graham Thorpe is included in the Surrey squad for tomorrow’s clash with title contenders Lancashire at Old Trafford. Thorpe will further enforce an already strong batting line up, but Lancashire can at least take some solace in the fact that Alec Stewart is to miss the game. Martin Bicknell has a shoulder niggle, but is expected to play.Thorpe will face England team mate Mike Atherton, who is returning to the Lancashire team for the first time this season, while the off-spin of Muralitharan will boost the bowling attack.Muralitharan was positive about Lancashire’s chances of success this year: “I think Lancashire can do it this time,” he said. “I’m glad to be back and I will give 100%. It could be that county batsmen have more idea of how to play me now but I think I am a better bowler than I was two years ago.”Yorkshire have named both Michael Vaughan and Matthew Hoggard of the centrally contracted players in their squad to take on Kent. Darren Gough and Craig White enjoy some further rest prior to the rigours of a long international summer.Similarly for Somerset, Marcus Trescothick is expected to play while Andy Caddick is rested for their game with Glamorgan at CardiffDominic Cork also returns to captain Derbyshire in their encounter with Middlesex, but Ashley Giles is to sit out the first few weeks of the season in order to allow a troublesome tendon injury to heal.

Caddick and Trescothick ruled out of first npower Test at Lord's

Andrew Caddick and Marcus Trescothick have both been ruled out of the firstnpower Test Match against India at Lord’s, starting on Thursday 25 July.Caddick has been slowly returning to fitness following a left side-straininjury, sustained during the third npower Test Match against Sri Lanka at Old Trafford. Whilst he began to bowl gently last Sunday, he was not considered fit for Somerset’s Cheltenham & Gloucester Trophy match today against Worcestershire.Trescothick is also unavailable for selection as a result of a fractured thumb, sustained while fielding during today’s Cheltenham & Gloucester Trophy semi-final fixture at Taunton.

ICC Champions Trophy: Blazing sunshine, blistering cricket

It promises to be a mouth-watering appetizer to the 2003 World Cup in March. Probably it will produce more spectacular cricket, after all, it will be played in Sri Lanka, the land that revolutionised one-day cricket when they gave birth to pinch-hitting in the 1996 World Cup.Fast bowlers beware. Expect flat, sun-baked pitches, clear blue skies and fast outfields. This is going to be a tournament for the batsmen; the curators are already at work, mothering their precious turf in the hope of producing towering totals.No longer a straight knockout tournament, it’s a gluttonous festival of cricket with 15 matches in just 18 days. Each of the 12 teams (10 Test playing countries plus Kenya and Holland) have been divided into four groups, ensuring them a minimum of two games with the group winners proceeding to a semi-final stage.It’s a straightforward formula that should produce exciting and unpredictable cricket. In the last tournament, staged two years ago in Nairobi, New Zealand caused an upset when they defeated India in the final to secure their first ever major international triumph. This time, nine of the twelve sides will believe that they can win.

Expect blistering cricket

Home conditions will hand the Asian bloc in general and Sri Lanka in particular an advantage. Indeed, Sanath Jayasuriya’s team will start as favourites alongside Australia considering a formidable home record in the limited overs game – they have not lost a single series or tournament in their backyard for over three years.The slow pace of the pitches is ideally suited to their vibrant brand of cricket: batsmen need to make full toll of the new ball and early fielding restrictions before the ball softens; the fielding must be electric and the spinners have a very important role, especially in the second innings when the pitch may deteriorate.But Sri Lanka have to contend with Pakistan in Pool 4 and then face the daunting prospect of a semi-final clash against Australia. It’s good news for England fans – they won’t have to play any of the top three countries until the final.However, first they need to defeat Zimbabwe and India to ensure qualification. That will require the taming of Sachin Tendulkar and his blistering waxwork Virender Sehwag. Stand-up Darren Gough. For England’s Barmy Army is a delicious prospect – stick September 22 in the diary.Don’t rule out the West Indies either. They have first hand knowledge of Sri Lankan conditions after a recent tour and are looking a sturdier outfit under captain Carl Hooper. Certainly a middle order containing a revitalised Brian Lara, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Hooper is second to none. They play South Africa in the opening game of the tournament.

Sinhalese Sports Club: one of two venues

All the matches will be played in Colombo – laid-back Asian city with wide roads, green parks and a refreshing sea breeze – at the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) and Premadasa International Stadium.English fans will remember well the grass-banked SSC from last year, when Nasser Hussain’s team completed a remarkable Test series win. It has the potential to be the best batting strip in Sri Lanka with pace and consistent bounce, but can also offer swing bowlers encouragement in the early overs (Chaminda Vaas bowled out Zimbabwe for 38 last December).Premadasa will stage the day-night matches, including the tournament final on September 29. A vast concrete bowl, which hosts an electric atmosphere when full. Again the batters traditionally dominate, but this is a fiendishly difficult ground on which to chase even moderate targets, as the pitch can crumble and the ball turn sharply in the second innings.It will all make for a fascinating September; a spectacle best watched from the stands – why not make sure you’re there to savour the thrill of watching one-day cricket in Sri Lanka?

Minor Counties Championship Scores – Day 2

Cornwall 254/9 & 157/2 (CM Gazzard 65, PCL Holloway 80*)
Berkshire 260 (S Wyatt 84*, CE Shreck 5-97)Norfolk 239-8d & 136/3
Buckinghamshire 138Cheshire 229
Oxfordshire 0-0Devon 388/8 & 182/7 (JJ Williams 61, RI Dawson 55, A O’Connor 6-66)
Shropshire 166 (D Williamson 53*) & 29/2Herefordshire 348/6. Wales 7/1 no play today – rainLincolnshire 295/7d & 46/1
Staffordshire 330/5d (SJ Dean 133)Wiltshire 183 (KR Blackburn 59, SR Woolbridge 6-38) & 76/2
Dorset 392-8.

Phil Simmons lends support to Western Union Cricket Trophy

West Indies star, Phil Simmons, has given his support to all the teams participating in the Western Union Cricket Trophy, a tournament intended primarily for West Indian heritage teams, on the eve of the round robin stage of the competition (Sunday, 27 May).The former West Indies and Leicestershire all rounder, who holds the record for the most economical figures by a bowler, a dream 10 over spell against Pakistan at Sydney which included 8 maidens and 4 wickets for only 3 runs, was quick to give his backing to the Western Union Cricket Trophy.Phil said: “Having played for the West Indies for several years it is great for me to support a national cricket competition which encourages players from all backgrounds to play the game. It should be a wonderful competition that will entertain cricket fans up and down the country, and I would like to wish every team participating the very best of luck.”This season’s competition, formerly known as the Clive Lloyd Cup, was officially launched at the North Middlesex C.C. ground in April this year, where West Indian cricketing legend, Joel Garner, was unveiled as the tournament’s patron.Garner said: “It’s a great honour to be associated with the Western Union Cricket Trophy, which is playing a role in establishing the West Indies as a cricket force again. It promises to be a great breeding ground for aspiring cricketers whilst providing some top class entertainment.”24 clubs have entered this year’s competition, which is divided into eight groups of three teams for a round robin stage. The top two teams from each group then progress to the knock out stages with the final being played at Dagenham on 2nd September 2001, where the winners will walk away with £3,000 prize money.Former first-class cricket stars who are participating in this year’s Western Union Cricket Trophy include Ricardo Anderson (Essex), Darren Foster (Somerset), Gary Headley (Glamorgan), Carlos Remy (Sussex) and Frank Griffiths (Surrey). Gloucestershire star Mark Alleyne is also one present player who has previously played in the competition.Paul Foster, Western Union’s marketing manager for Northern Europe, said: “Western Union’s sponsorship of the Western Union Cricket Trophy further demonstrates our intention to support cricket at all levels in this country. It is great to be involved with such a high level of cricket which will hopefully unearth a few stars of the future.”Teams participating in the Western Union Cricket Trophy are as follows:

    Group A

  • Sheffield Carribbean C.C.
  • West Bowling C.C.
  • Huddersfield C.C.Group B
  • Sutton C.C.
  • B.O.C.A
  • Lambeth Enterprise C.C.Group C
  • Milton Keynes C.C.
  • Luton Caribbean C.C.
  • Hawks Combined C.C.Group D
  • BWIA Cavaliers (London) C.C.
  • Leyton County C.C.
  • Wilkinson Way C.C.Group E
  • Fords C.C.
  • Barking C.C.
  • Homewood Unity C.C.Group F
  • Birmingham Cavaliers C.C.
  • Wycombe West Indians C.C.
  • Birmingham Cavaliers C.C.Group G
  • Baileys XI C.C.
  • Islands C.C.
  • Lambeth C.C.Group H
  • Tony Leslie’s XI C.C.
  • Shepherds Bush C.C.
  • Bristol West Indians C.C.

Ryan King – updated biography

FULL NAME: Ryan Jason King
BORN: At Kwekwe, 6 March 1979
MAJOR TEAMS: Matabeleland (1998/99 and 2000/01), CFX Academy (1999/2000).Present club side: Queens Sports Club (Bulawayo)
KNOWN AS: Ryan King. Nickname: Jumbo (inherited from his father).
BATTING STYLE: Right Hand Bat
BOWLING STYLE: Right Arm Off Breaks
OCCUPATION: CFX Academy studentFIRST-CLASS DEBUT: Matabeleland v Mashonaland A, at Bulawayo AthleticClub, 19-21 January 1999
TEST DEBUT: Still awaited
ODI DEBUT: Still awaitedBIOGRAPHY (updated April 2002)Ryan King was one of the few 2000 Academy students to have had first-class experience before the start of the 1999/2000 season, having opened the innings for Matabeleland in a Logan Cup match the previous season. He was also the Academy team vice-captain, and led the side in their victorious Logan Cup match against Midlands in the absence of the injured Paul Strang.Ryan’s father John played cricket for Plumtree and the Matabeleland Under-19 team. He first introduced Ryan to the game at home. "My dad was a real big influence in my cricket," Ryan says, describing how they used to play on the family tennis court.The family lived in Kwekwe until moving to Bulawayo when Ryan was aged nine, when he was already in the small Goldridge school first team. He still remembers the `close unit’ they had at the school, when all ages were friends together and used to practise together in their spare time.In Bulawayo Ryan first attended Whitestone Primary School, where he captained the school team in his final year. He played for the Matabeleland team in the national primary schools cricket week for two years, and in the second was selected for the national side. His best school performance was a century opening the batting against Petra School, with a couple of eighties. He also bowled at times, mostly off-spin with a few leg-breaks.He moved to Falcon College for high school, a contemporary of Neil Ferreira, and the two opened the batting together throughout their school careers from the primary schools week onward. They also opened the batting together in the national schools sides at Under-13, Under-15 and Under-18 levels. "We really know each other’s batting, and running between the wickets as an opening partnership is very important, running the singles, and we enjoy batting together," he says. They travelled to Bloemfontein for the Under-13 and Under-15 sides and Benoni at Under-18 level for the South African schools weeks. His most successful tour was at Under-13 level, when his record included 67 against Natal.At Falcon, Ryan’s highest score was 114 against Christian Brothers College in Bulawayo, closely followed by 108 against Plumtree. That year his average was 42.2, and he was one of the few to score 1000 runs for the school, alongside such school heroes of the past as Dave Curtis and Glen Bruk-Jackson. He captained the side during his final year, but says, "I didn’t perform as well as I did before because of the pressure of being captain and thinking of the team. But I really enjoyed the challenge of captaincy overall." In a match against St John’s he also took five wickets for 42 runs with leg-spin.After leaving school at the end of 1998 Neil Ferreira joined the Academy, but Ryan went to Australia for a year, playing in two cricket seasons there. His uncles live in Australia, so he stayed with them on the Gold Coast near Brisbane, where they run a golf course. They arranged for Ryan to play in a club there while he repaid them by working for them at various jobs – "construction to labour to barman to cleaning toilets – pretty much anything!" Ryan played for the local club Palm Beach and also for Dolphins who play in the Brisbane competition, captained by Andrew Symonds and also containing Queensland players Scott Muller and Matthew Mott. The club president at the time was Craig McDermott.Ryan played first-grade cricket for Palm Beach and second-grade for Dolphins. "It’s very competitive," he says, and thinks first-grade cricket there and Logan Cup cricket in Zimbabwe are similar in standard of play. His best score was an eighty in the second grade.Ryan returned to Zimbabwe for Christmas 1998 and was quickly selected for the Matabeleland Logan Cup side. He scored 41 in the first innings and impressed national coach Dave Houghton enough to be encouraged to apply for the Academy. While still at school he played club cricket at times for Bulawayo Athletic Club, scoring a few fifties for them, but joined Queens on his return to the country. Just before moving up to the Academy in Harare he scored his first club century, 108 against MacDonald Club."I think the Academy has been very well organized and if you’re a hard worker you can really get some valuable points out of being here," he says. "We’ve had Bob Woolmer and Carl Rackemann come and talk to us, and if you just listen and take in the information you can improve your game. I felt it was an honour to captain the Academy side against Midlands, and we won, which I was very happy about."During the 2000 English season Ryan signed a contract with Liverpool Nalgo, who play in the first division of the Merseyside competition, his first experience of playing in that country. "That went very well and I learned a lot there," he said, "with the different pitches and facilities and how they played a different game. I got used to the pitches, which were much slower, and I scored a lot of runs; I top-scored for the club side."For his hard work and positive attitude Ryan won the `Academy Student of the Year’ award for 2000, a Gray-Nicholls cricket bat. He was posted back to Matabeleland to play and coach, but found it difficult to put large innings together for a while. "I do gym and practise in the mornings, coach in the afternoons and practise in the evenings," he says. "I’m learning a lot through playing with people like Heath Streak and Mluleki Nkala." He finally reached a maiden first-class fifty opening the innings against the CFX Academy, a dour but determined effort that laid a firm foundation for a match-winning total.The 2001/02 season became a further struggle for him with the bat, and many were questioning his place in the Matabeleland team. He was appointed captain for the first match, but then superseded by Colin Williams, still without finding his form."I think it’s mental, to be honest," he said. "I try and protect my wicket too much when I should be out there playing my shots. I’ve got to overcome that. I’m a pretty positive person so I think I’ll get through that. But I’m really enjoying my cricket, and I really love the sport and I want to make more of all the opportunities I’ve been given. I set very high standards for myself and I don’t think I’ve lived up to them. I need to perform better if I am to keep cricket as my career."Ryan feels his main strength is his front-foot driving, while he also likes to hook and cut. He is working at present to improve his back-foot play. "I love the challenge of opening, getting the shine off the new ball, working ones and twos, getting a nice base on the scoreboard and then we can play our shots," he says. He generally fields in the cover or midwicket area and is working very hard on this area of the game.Naming the coaches who have helped him the most over his career, Ryan names his father first of all, along with Bill Flower, who coached him at Under-13 level and still gives him regular advice. He also names Noel Peck, former national pace bowler and groundsman at Queens. "Every lunchtime he would come and bowl to me, or get a bowling machine, and tell me what to do," Ryan says. "He’s a big help to me, always preparing pitches for me and giving me good advice." Also providing valuable advice were Graham Mackie, the Dolphins coach in Australia, and he had a session with Jimmy Cook once.He has also found Dave Houghton an inspiration as a coach. "Everything he tells me is so worthwhile," said Ryan. "Other people can tell you things, and you can either take them or throw them away, but when Dave tells you something, it is so true. I think I need to come back and get more advice from him as I did when I was at the Academy."Ryan continues to play and coach in Matabeleland and hopes to continue under contract to the Zimbabwe Cricket Union in the future.Cricket heroes: "Grant Flower. I really admire the way he works out his game and how hard he trains, how much he puts into preparing for a game. He’s a really hard worker, and we’re both opening batsmen. Also Steve Waugh for mental toughness; I think he’s brilliant. Sometimes he never looks like getting anything, but he’ll end up getting a hundred. And Sir Donald Bradman."Toughest opponents: "Raymond Price and Bryan Strang. Bryan Strang I find very hard to read; he disguises his balls very well. I’ve played a lot against Adam Huckle; he turns the ball a lot and he’s a very good bowler."Immediate ambitions: "My main ambition is to play for the national side. I managed to get into the squad for the development side playing in the ICC tournament here, and by the end of the year my ambition is to represent either the Zimbabwe A side or the Board team."Proudest achievement: "Whenever I contribute with my batting to a good team score, when I get an eighty or 100 and I know I’ve done my job and the team has won because of it. I can name one when I got an 80 against Peterhouse at school, when everyone was going out and I had to stay there and try to save the game. I batted with our last batsman (Ian Coulson, I think) and I rotated the strike; I was on 30 when he came in, and we ended up winning, getting 145."Best friends in cricket: "Neil Ferreira – we’ve been together for so long that we know each other, and when one of us is going through a hard time we can help each other out. I’d like to get back and start opening the batting with him again."Other qualifications: "I did a sporting fitness course in Australia which got me a certificate. When I came back I did a lot of marketing with my father in his business, which is raw materials, and I did a few courses while I did that."Other sports: "I’ve represented the Zimbabwe Under-15 and Under-19 sides at hockey; I’ve played rugby in my junior years; I’ve played polocrosse for Zimbabwe Under-13; and I was captain of first-team tennis at Falcon."Other interests and hobbies: "I love reading about sportsmen. I’ve just read a book about Michael Johnson and found it very interesting: his goals, how he did it, what he’s achieved, how he goes about training, what he does to focus. I enjoy being social with friends, going out for a drink and getting away from the pressures."Views on cricket: "I think that what’s happening now in Zimbabwe is very good. As Dave Houghton was telling us last year at the Academy, he wants to try and get every province professional, and I think this is the first year that we have all the provinces playing and some ex-Academy batsmen, and you can actually see it is helping. I think in five years’ time Zimbabwe cricket will be very good. This longer game is very good and I think you need more of it, two rounds of the Logan Cup. I think we also need to play something like they do in South Africa, play a one-day competition between the provinces and then a four-day competition."

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