Wagner fires up for WACA contest

Like his German composer namesake, Neil Wagner does not mind a hint of the dramatic. Where New Zealand have gained a reputation for even temper and a lack of on field histrionics, Wagner’s Afrikaner blood gets up at times, as shown by an on-field posture that can look more Dale Steyn than Tim Southee.

‘Olden days’ WACA pitch in prospect

With as few as two Test matches left for the WACA Ground to host before major international cricket moves to the drop-in pitches of the nascent Burswood Stadium, the curator Matthew Page is as intent on keeping things as retro as possible.
“With us being the WACA, it’s all about trying to replicate the olden days and provide a traditional WACA wicket,” Page said. “It goes back to the 70s, that sort of thing, so for us every wicket we do we’re trying to replicate those conditions.”
Page replaced Cameron Sutherland only a matter of weeks before the Ashes Test two years ago, and his knowledge of the surface has grown since, including the constant historical comparisons.
“They changed the clay back to what it originally was about six or seven years ago, and I guess the pace and the bounce has returned since then,” he said. “We’re always compared with the olden days. For us, it’s about trying to get it as close as we can.”

Given New Zealand’s poorly display in Brisbane, where they were bullied by an Australia side as aggressive in deed as they are infamous for being in word, Wagner’s occasionally fiery countenance may be a useful tonic for Brendon McCullum’s side as they seek to fight their way out of the hole they find themselves in.Wagner certainly likes the look of the WACA, a place at which he has never bowled but can vividly recall the exploits of many a fast bowler at the ground. Plans to shift major international matches to the Burswood Stadium and a drop-in pitch mean all pacemen are running out of chances.”I’d love to play Australia, I’d love to get that chance,” Wagner said. “I had a training session yesterday at the Melville club and they told me it was the last two Tests at the WACA or something like that because they’re talking about a different ground. That’s a bit of a shame because it’s quite a nice ground, I loved watching it growing up, a lot of history over there and I’d love to play there. It’s pretty awesome, a very special place for fast bowlers.”Just watching cricket here over the years, I think overseas teams have come here and bowled a bit too short. They get carried away with the bounce and the pace sometimes. Sometimes you’ve got to bowl a touch fuller length, sort of top of the stumps. For us I think the thing is to not get carried away with it. Hit consistent areas and ask good questions for longer periods of time and things will happen.”Even though Southee bowled soundly in the morning at nets to prove his fitness after suffering from an irritated disc in his back at the Gabba, Wagner is still a chance to play. The New Zealand coach Mike Hesson has forecast a five-man bowling attack for the WACA Ground with the spinner Mark Craig batting at No. 7, meaning the pace options for McCullum will be many and varied. New Zealand are also sustained by the knowledge they are chronically slow starters to Test series, but invariably improve as they go on.”As a bowling unit we’ve always complemented each other quite well over past times and our success over the past two years or so is we’ve bowled in partnerships and other guys have stepped up too,” Wagner said. “I think that has made Tim and Trent bowl really well in the past. It was just a little bit inconsistency and a bit of a tough start.”We have had that in the past as well, our first Test we haven’t always started that well and we’ve picked it up as the series has gone on. Lucky for us it’s a three-match series, there’s a lot more cricket left to be played and hopefully we can set it back from ball one in this next Test.”Overall the team will be better for that hit [in Brisbane], being out in the heat and humidity and bouncy wickets, just adapting to everything, it’s now for us to go out and set it right in the second Test from day one.”One man Wagner may be asked to confront should he get the nod to play, is David Warner, the dominant batting force of the Gabba Test and now one of only three batsman ever to have thrice scored a hundred in each innings of a Test match. That sort of scoring can force opposition teams to re-think their strategies, but Wagner said it was simply a matter of being tighter for longer.”I think we still stick to our guns and our plans. If we execute it better for longer periods of time, I’m sure we’ll get more rewards,” he said. “I think our attack is up there with the best in the world. When Tim, Trent and Dougy and the rest of them all get it right – they’re pretty good bowlers. If we can be more consistent for long periods of time, we’ll definitely show that. The boys are up for the task and the challenge in this Test.”Richard Wagner’s operatic Ring Cycle is a 15-hour affair. Success for Wagner and New Zealand this week will require a similarly sustained effort.

Former Bangladesh board head sent to prison

Ali Asghar Lobi, the former president of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), has been sentenced to 13 years in prison after being found guilty of corruption by a Dhaka court.”Asghar will have to serve 10 years in jail for [ illegally] amassing wealth, and another three years for concealing the information in his wealth statement to the Anti-Corruption Commission,” the state prosecutor told reporters. “The jail terms will commence one after another.”He was also ordered to pay a US$14,500 fine or face an additional six months in prison, and his wife, Khusnud, was sentenced to three years for abetting her husband.Asghar was president of the BCB between 2001 and 2006 when the BNP, of which he was a member, was in power. He was also president of the Asian Cricket Council for two years.In January, the government was overthrown by an army-backed interim government. Asghar was arrested the following month as part of a massive crackdown on corruption. In July he received an eight-year term after being found guilty of tax evasion.

Giles passed fit for Ashes battle

Ashley Giles: back in the Ashes mix © Getty Images

England’s Ashes campaign has been given a boost with the news that Ashley Giles has been passed fit after completing his rehabilitation from hip surgery.Giles, who took 10 wickets and contributed useful runs to England’s victory in the 2005 campaign, was a non-playing member of England’s one-day squad in India for the ICC Champions Trophy.The team flew back to England yesterday, and the team physiotherapist Kirk Russell said: “Ashley has been through a tough time, but he worked extremely hard in India and the medical team is very pleased with the progress he has made.”He bowled for extended periods in the nets, completed all the drills we set him without any reaction and is now fully fit and able to take his place in the Ashes squad.”David Graveney, England’s chairman of selectors, added: “It’s excellent news that Ashley has come through the final stage of his rehabilitation programme and is available again for selection. He played an important role in helping England regain the Ashes in 2005 and I am sure that he will be keen to make an impact in Australia this winter.””It’s been a long, hard road back for me,” said Giles. “I am grateful to the staff at the National Cricket Centre who helped with my rehabilitation and to the England team management for giving me the opportunity to go to India and work with the one-day squad.”It was always my goal to be fit in time for the Ashes tour and now that the moment has arrived I am really looking forward to being part of the Test squad again.”

Mashonaland split on the cards

Six of Mashonaland’s leading clubs are on the verge of ceding from the Mashonaland Cricket Association and forming their own splinter league as the long-running dispute between clubs and board rumbles on.The increasingly erratic Mashonaland board expelled the six clubs – Harare Sports Club, Old Hararians, Old Georgians, Alexandra, Takashinga and Universals – after they scrapped their opening league matches in protest at the way the MCA was being run. They were accused of bringing the game into disrepute. The MCA immediately revised the first division fixtures: of all the sides who played in the 2004-05 competition, only Uprising where included, with the rest made up from clubs in the second tier.The situation turned nasty last weekend when Cyprian Mandenge, the MCA chairman, and Bruce Makovah, the province’s head selector, backed by local policemen, walked onto the ground during the match between Harare Sports Club and Old Hararians at Harare Sports Club and refused to allow the game to proceed. It is alleged that players were racially abused and threatened with never playing for the province again.The MCA now face a real problem. While it has expelled the clubs, the six contain almost all the province’s regional and national players. An official of one of the clubs told the Zimbabwe Independent newspaper: “We have got most of the national team players, and nothing will stop us from playing cricket. We do not need quantity cricket, we need quality cricket. If it means the six top clubs in the country playing among themselves, then it’s actually a good thing for our cricket.”Ozias Bvute, Zimbabwe Cricket’s managing director, told reporters that the board would only get involved when a formal notification of events was presented to it. “What we have been hearing are just rumours and we do not work on the basis of rumours,” he said. “Mashonaland is an independent body and there has to be some level of autonomy. But it is certainly a cause for concern for us when our affiliates are squabbling.”The problem affects ZC more than those comments suggest. Mandenge, as chairman of the MCA, is on the board of ZC, and Makovah was named as a national selector, although the appointment is on hold because of procedural anomalies. If the pair, as a number of witnesses claim, did threaten and abuse players, it raises serious image issues for Zimbabwe Cricket at a time it has done much to publicly clean up its act.

Solanki and Bell's fireworks set up England's victory

England 239 for 2 (Solanki 100, Bell 53, Vaughan 54*) beat Zimbabwe 238 for 7 (Matsikenyeri 73, Ebrahim 65) by 8 wickets, and lead series 3-0
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Solanki’s blistering 100 launched England to a convincing win against Zimbabwe© Getty Images

A blistering opening assault from Vikram Solanki and Ian Bell hurtled England towards a convincing eight-wicket victory at Bulawayo. Solanki was out for a round 100, his second one-day century, but although England finished more sedately they still won – and clinched the four-match series – with 41 balls to spare.The suspicion that Zimbabwe’s total of 238 was well below par on a good pitch was proved by England’s openers, who added 138 at breakneck speed, bewildering the inexperienced bowlers. After 15 overs, at which point Zimbabwe had pottered to 45 without loss, Solanki and Bell had piled on 119 runs.At first Solanki dealt almost entirely in boundaries. He reached 36 with nine fours, including four in a row in Elton Chigumbura’s first over. He was dismissive off his legs, but the pick of those fours was a classical cover-drive, hammered into the ground at such pace that it looped over the ring of fielders and arrowed to the rope. Later he bettered even that, by clobbering Christopher Mpofu back over his head for an effortless six.Solanki eventually slowed down, proceeding through the nineties with a succession of stately singles, but still reached his century from only 89 deliveries, with 14 fours and two sixes. He was out two balls later, lofting Stuart Matsikenyeri – the fifth bowler tried and the only one to take a wicket – to long-off. He did enjoy a little luck: when he had 38 he was dropped off successive balls from the despairing Tinashe Panyangara, by Mpofu at mid-off and then by Brendan Taylor at short midwicket. Neither chance was terribly difficult, and followed another clanger in the previous over, when Bell (17) chipped to mid-on but Prosper Utseya spilled the chance.Bell himself was no slouch with the bat. He got going with a flicked six over square leg off Panyangara, and later unrolled a textbook cover-driven four and a whipped square boundary off the bemused Mpofu. He had just passed his second half-century in three ODIs when he nicked an attempted cut through to Tatenda Taibu (138 for 1).In came Michael Vaughan, content to push the ball around and shepherd Solanki to his century. No heroics were needed, and although the run rate dipped as Matsikenyeri and Utseya bustled down their offspin, England were never in any danger – except perhaps from the weather, which was threatening all afternoon and delayed the restart for an hour.

Stuart Matsikenyeri: a gritty and solid effort© Getty Images

Zimbabwe’s 238 earlier in the day was a solid effort, if well short of what was required on what turned out to be a perfect batting track. Noel Peck, the groundsman, and his staff probably deserved Solanki’s Man of the Match medal for their efforts – the track was a belter even though they weren’t able to mow it yesterday because of rain.Zimbabwe started slowly against some purposeful bowling, mindful of the need to avoid a familiar collapse. Alex Wharf – brisk and straight, with a dash of attitude – continued his impressive tour with a tight opening spell, once dumping Taylor on his backside as he tried a hook. James Anderson, although occasionally wayward wide-wise, was unlucky when Taylor’s edge flew through the untenanted slip area. But Taylor, having done the hard work while the field was up, fell to the first ball of the 16th over, feathering one Jones through to another – a maiden ODI wicket for shaven-headed Simon, who replaced Darren Gough for this match and became the latest member of England’s new-bald new-ball attack.Matsikenyeri reined in his natural aggression, only occasionally allowing himself his favourite cuts. A couple rasped through the covers early on – one, in Simon Jones’s first over, threatened to burn the grass – and shortly afterwards he leant back and larruped Jones over point for six. Impetuosity has often been Matsikenyeri’s downfall in the past – his highest score in 35 previous ODIs was 44 – but this time he stuck at it until, at 73, he top-edged a paddle-sweep off Vaughan to short backward square (143 for 2).The first over of Jones’s next spell was an eventful one, containing two run-outs which derailed the Zimbabwean innings just as they were threatening to cut loose. First Mark Vermeulen was guilty of ball-watching as Paul Collingwood scooted round from point and threw down the stumps, then a mix-up found Chigumbura stranded in mid-pitch before he’d even faced a ball (165 for 4).Matsikenyeri added 98 with Dion Ebrahim, who stuck fast at the crease, nudging and nurdling neatly, and occasionally trying to break up the field with reverse-sweeps out of the Andy Flower coaching book. He perished right at the end, but his 65 occupied 94 balls, suggesting an inability to rotate the strike.Lacking the big hitters who clattered 104 in England’s last ten overs in the previous game, Zimbabwe – for whom Taibu entered too low in the order at No. 7 – could collect only 73 in the same time to lift the total to 238. It never looked like being enough.The series concludes tomorrow, with the second of Bulawayo’s back-to-back matches.Steven Lynch is editor of Cricinfo.

India on top despite Astle century

Close New Zealand 282 for 8 (Astle 103, McMillan 54) trail India 500 for 5 by 218 runs
Scorecard


Nathan Astle applied himself superbly to lead the New Zealand recovery © AFP

A century from Nathan Astle, and some doughty resistance from Daniel Vettori late in the day, frustrated India’s endeavours to bowl New Zealand out on the third day of the Test match, and left New Zealand 282 for 8 at stumps. New Zealand are by no means out of the woods: they ended the day still 19 runs short of the 301 required to save the follow-on. The Test match is interestingly poised, and rife with possibility: New Zealand may either manage to get past 301 tomorrow, or else fall short of it, and if that happens India may either chose to bat again, as they did in a similar situation against the same team at this very ground four years ago, or else put New Zealand back in.On the day, though, it was a hard grind for India after the early inroads made by them last evening. It was Astle who held the New Zealand innings together, with partnerships of 91 for the fourth wicket with Scott Styris and, after Styris was out for 34, another 91 for the fifth wicket with Craig McMillan. These stands ensured that India could only take two wickets in the first two sessions, and had to wait till later in the day for larger rewards.Astle began the day on 13, and progressed to a half-century by lunch, and a century, his first against India, by tea. His favoured stroke was the cut, which brought him most of his fourteen boundaries. Against the spinners, he often cut so late as to take the ball virtually out of the wicketkeeper’s gloves. Astle’s cut has a distinctive fanlike motion, as his bat changes direction in backlift and he hits down on the ball; in contrast, a batsman like Virender Sehwag often cuts the ball in the air, over point and on occasion even over third man. Astle benefited from India’s strategy of leaving the point region vacant when Harbhajan Singh was bowling, and successfully took up the challenge of playing against the spin. His one lapse came just before he reached his hundred, a thick edge off Harbhajan being put down by Parthiv Patel.Craig McMillan’s half-century was the other contribution of note for New Zealand. McMillan came into this game with no form at all – his highest score in the last eight innings was 18 – but today he made merry against some indifferent bowling after lunch, and progressed rapidly to his half-century with some increasingly adventurous batting, even reverse-sweeping Harbhajan for four.


Craig McMillan: scored a half-century, but was undone by a superb catch © AFP

He and Astle looked so secure that Sourav Ganguly had to turn to the off-spin of Virender Sehwag. The move paid off in unexpected fashion. McMillan went down on one knee to play one of his favourite strokes, the paddle, and met the ball on the full. But Akash Chopra, who was only a few yards from the batsman, stayed low and focused and snapped up an excellent catch, inches from the ground (199 for 5). Chopra also caught Styris off Harbhajan at the same position; his close-in fielding throughout the day was of the highest standard.India could only feel as if the end was in sight when they claimed the vital wicket of Astle for 103, in the fourth over after tea. Astle had played nearly flawlessly in the company of Styris and McMillan, but seemed to feel the need to compensate for the scorelessness of Jacob Oram, who either pushed at the bowling with his pads or attempted ineffectually to counter it with a series of ugly prods and creasebound swipes. Oram’s queasiness proved infectious as Astle charged down the wicket to Harbhajan, was beaten by his straighter ball and stumped (223 for 6). Shortly after, Oram’s misery came to an end at he fenced at Kumble, and offered a simple catch to Rahul Dravid at slip. It was Kumble’s 350th Test wicket.India could take only one more wicket in the day, that of Robbie Hart lbw to L Balaji for 15. It was Balaji’s first Test wicket, and considering the nature of the pitch, he bowled a surprising number of overs in the day: 18 in all. Zaheer Khan, who bowled with such skill and hostility yesterday, failed to recapture that form, and bowled only 11 overs in the day. Nevertheless, it is that searing opening burst by him last evening that is responsible for India’s current position of strength. But 12 wickets still have to be taken, and possibly some runs made, before India can go ahead in the series.

TN prove too strong for Goa

Tamil Nadu captain Robin Singh claimed four wickets to lead his side to a seven-wicket win over Goa at the STRSA Stadium, Visakhapatnam.Goa, who won the toss, lost their captain VV Kolambakar in the fourth over of the day and they never recovered from there, being dismissed for 177 in 44.1 overs. For Tamil Nadu, medium-pacers L Balaji and MR Shrinivas also bowled well claiming two wickets each.A 84 off just 76 balls from No. 3 J Madanagopal meant that Tamil Nadu then overhauled the target with minimum off fuss in just 32 overs. The seven wicket-win that they achieved in the end was enough to guarantee them the maximum of five points.

A morale boost for Windies

London-This was more like it but, through no fault of their own, it stillamounted to very little.After a couple of days’ slack cricket that cost them the second Testand the opening match of the NatWest Series of One-Day Internationalsagainst Zimbabwe, the West Indies needed an uplifting performance intheir second match in the triangular against England here yesterday.They were putting the pieces back together again when they were foiledby the weather.No shoddinessMaking the obvious choice of bowling on Jimmy Adams’ call of the toss,there was none of the shoddiness that cost them dearly againstZimbabwe on Thursday.Adams changed tactics, his bowlers enforced them, and they restrictedEngland to 158 for eight from 43.5 overs before the gray skies thathad shrouded London all day eventually produced increasingly heavy andpersistent rain.The contest was abandoned at 5 p.m. as water began to settle on partsof the outfield. But the abandonment had been obvious from an hourearlier.The teams, both felled by the surprising Zimbabweans in their openingmatches, had to content themselves with a point each. It leavesZimbabwe with a useful early cushion of three points and heightens thepressure on the West Indies, in Canterbury tomorrow, and England, inOld Trafford under lights on Thursday, to win their next matchesagainst them.Each team plays the other twice to determine the finalists for Lord’son July 22.Even allowing for their all-out second innings 54 in the Test on thesame ground on a pitch not dissimilar in its encouragement of movementoff the seam and generous, if unreliable, bounce, the West Indieswould feel aggrieved at the watery outcome.England, their batting described by captain Alec Stewart as ‘thick’when bowled out for 207 by Zimbabwe at the Oval on Saturday, would berelieved.In Bristol on Thursday, Reon King and Franklyn Rose had been entrustedwith the new ball and Zimbabwe were flying at 57 for two after 10overs.Nixon McLean was used second change and bowled accordingly.Now McLean was given the new ball from the Pavilion End and wasengergised by the promotion.He sent down seven opening overs of genuine pace and hostility,setting the tone with an opening maiden in which four balls flashedpast left-hander Marcus Trescothik’s bat.By the time he gave way to Rose, he had removed Alec Stewart to afirst slip catch and Graeme Hick to Ridley Jacobs’ tumbling, low catchoff an under-edge cut, and had yielded only 18 runs.Corey Collymore, who was preferred for his first major match of thetour to King, shared the new ball with McLean. Adams gave him hisallotted 10 overs on a stretch and, while he sent down the occasionalhalf-volley and short ball, he moved his inswingers, one of which sodeceived Matthew Maynard he raised his bat and let it hit off-stump.England were then 47 for three in the 14th over and struggling.Trescothik, a tall, clean striker who was topscorer on his debutagainst Zimbabwe the previous day, restored some balance in a lefthanded partnership of 52 in 12 overs wth Graham Thorpe, but Englandwere never allowed to break free of the initial bind.Chris Gayle, dropping on a spot that challenged the batsmen to come athim, replaced Collymore from the Nursery End while Rose and thenMervyn Dillon alternated from the pavilion.Delivering his off-breaks from an ambling two paces, Gayle gave uponly 28 and not a single boundary from his nine overs. As bonuses, heaccounted for topscorer Tresccothik who popped up a gentle returntrying for a single to raise his 50 and came back later for a solitaryover during which he knocked back Mark Ealham’s off-stump.At the opposite end, Rose bowled with the control he had managed onlyin spurts previously on tour, taking three wickets from nine overs,and Dillon simply picked up where he left on Thursday with threemaidens and 13 runs from 6.5 overs when the rains set in.Trying to accelerate, as England had to, Craig White touched a catchto Jacobs attempting a steer to third man, Thorpe drove loosely intomidoff’s lap and Andy Caddick chipped to midwicket, all off Rose.By then, it was becoming obvious the exercise would be futile in termsof points but the disappointment was tempered by the necessaryboost to morale.

Conte wowed by Sessegnon at Spurs

As per The Athletic, Tottenham Hotspur boss Antonio Conte now holds a very promising belief around Ryan Sessegnon amid his up-tick in form.

The Lowdown: Conte lavishes youngsters…

The Italian, since taking to Spurs’ helm, has apparently been in awe of some of the younger Lilywhites starlets behind-the-scenes.

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Among them are midfielder Oliver Skipp, who Conte allegedly considers a ‘coach’s dream’. He has taken a ‘big shine’ to the Englishman and agrees with the feeling inside Spurs he could become a major player in the next few years (Alasdair Gold).

Chelsea’s former head coach has also held praise for Dane Scarlett with Conte calling Tottenham’s 17-year-old gem a ‘really good’ talent and Spurs’ ‘best’ academy prospect (football.london).

The Latest: Conte also adores Sessegnon…

According to The Athletic, after an impressive few games, Conte ‘knows’ he has another starlet in Sessegnon who can ‘catch fire’ at Tottenham – provided he stays fit.

The left wing-back has been heavily favoured recently, starting the last four matches, including an imperious display away to Leeds United in a 4-0 demolition.

The Verdict: Crunch time for Sess…

Despite not having his best game against Middlesbrough in Tottenham’s FA Cup defeat on Tuesday night, the 21-year-old has undoubtedly displayed his quality in certain matches.

The mission now is to ensure he manages that level on a consistent enough basis with no more substitutions inside the first half an hour of Premier League matches.

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Sessegnon possesses bags of potential with pundit Noel Whelan even tipping him to become a ‘£50 million player’.

If the ex-Fulham star can keep fit and keep his place under Conte, Spurs fans may finally see that level start to slowly come.

In other news: Conte green-lights move for new top target as Spurs hierarchy pressured to seal agreement, find out more here.

Chanderpaul forced to retire – but commitment to Guyana still strong

Shivnarine Chanderpaul has insisted he has not retired from domestic cricket and intends to resume playing for Guyana within a couple of weeks.In an episode that sheds light on the sometimes toxic relationship between the West Indies Cricket Board and Caribbean players, Chanderpaul has expressed resentment at being obliged to announce his international retirement in order to gain a No Objection Certificate to play in the Masters Champions League currently taking place in the UAE.Chanderpaul, 41, has not played international cricket since May 2015 and was omitted from the list of contracted WICB players in December.”I was given a No Objection Certificate by WICB with a clause in it that I retire on the 23rd,” Chanderpaul told ESPNcricinfo. “If I didn’t announce my retirement they would have taken it back.”I have spoken to Guyana already. I know the chairman wants me to go back and play.”They have a game against Trinidad starting on February 12. Then Barbados, then Windward Islands, Leeward Islands and Jamaica. Those are games that I’ve talked to them already about going back to play. I’ve not retired from first-class matches. I’ve retired from international games.”I wasn’t being picked to play for West Indies anymore and there was nothing else for me to do. So I decided I would come out here to the UAE and play some cricket.”While Chanderpaul earns a modest fee per match for representing Guyana, it is dwarfed by the rewards on offer – around $30,000 for just over two weeks involvement – with the MCL.”I don’t have a contract with anybody. No local boards; no West Indies board. I’ve been playing for Guyana because the coach and chairman saw the value of having me around as a player. They pay me a match fee and I play and try and help the young fellas as much as I can.Shivnarine Chanderpaul is not ready to break links with Guyana•WICB Media/Randy Brooks of Brooks LaTouche Photo

“Anything is possible in life. You can go into retirement; you can come out of retirement. It is my choice. I’m definitely still hungry to play. It’s something I’ve done most of my life. There is still passion and hunger to play.”Criticising the “brute force and ignorance” of unspecified former players, Chanderpaul is currently enjoying the stress free – and lucrative – environment provided by the MCL.Irritation lingers, however, at the manner in which his international ‘retirement’ was handled, with no recognition given to his illustrious record for the West Indies or the fact that he is contracted neither to the board or Guyana.”You can’t [chose the way you go]; not with those guys,” he said. “It’s the way we’re being treated. It’s still going on and it’s not changing. We’re being treated like that and worse sometimes. That’s how it goes.”Some of the past players had better times in their career. They don’t want to change. They want to stay the same way; have the same attitude.”But you can’t bring the same thing to the table every time because you’re not going to go anywhere. We’re not going forward. We’re just going down. They’re creating some problems.”As much as you’re saying we have past players, they are the ones who are creating the problem because they have their ways – their old ways – and there’s brute force and ignorance and they’re still carrying it around and still expecting things to go the same way.”You feel much better just coming out here to play [in the MCL]; without all the stress, without all the other stuff that’s going on.”

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