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Barry Richards has joined the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) as a consultant for their national academy. The PCB convinced Richards after Greg Chappell agreed to serve in an advisory capacity.According to an AFP report, Rameez Raja, the PCB’s chief executive, said that the hirings were an investment in Pakistani cricket’s future, and that their experience would help develop players. “Richards will come for 30 days in a year as consultant for not only the national academy, but would add to our commitment to secure our future,” Raja said. “Our main problem is batting and through these two great players our players [the trainees at the academy] will get useful guidance.”Both Richards and Chappell are great thinkers [and] have good ideas, so they would have encompassing roles under which they would also prepare coaching manuals which suit our conditions. Due to less movement our batsmen play more towards the on-side. The manuals would teach them how to play these shots correctly under all conditions.”Daryl Foster, who served the Pakistan team as a bowling coach in 2001 and 2003, was expected to arrive at the national academy as a consultant in July. Interestingly, a few days ago Inzamam-ul-Haq had said that he would have liked Foster to return as a bowling coach for the national team.

Imran Khan admitted on Saturday that had he been in Shoaib Akhtar’s place, he would have sued the Pakistan Cricket Board for defamation after they set up a medical inquiry last month. Shoaib, who broke down during the final Test against India, was seen in many quarters as a scapegoat for the series defeat, and Imran reckoned that that just wasn’t right.”Had I been in Akhtar’s place I would have sued the PCB for defamation over the medical inquiry,” he said at a press conference yesterday. “They [the PCB] have challenged the integrity of Akhtar. He has every right to sue the PCB for defamation. Shoaib had a medical scan from my hospital but the PCB challenged that and now he has medical reports from Durham and they too proved he was injured.”Shoaib could conceivably miss the rest of the county season with Durham after a second bone scan revealed a definite stress fracture in a rib on the lower left side. Shoaib is on a lucrative contract with Durham, but has apparently told them to start looking for a replacement, raising fears that he might not play for the remainder of the county season.”The fracture is there and it is worrying me,” Shoaib said. “I now want to be 100 per cent sure it has healed before I start playing again. I will resume playing only after I get clearance after the next examination in two weeks.”

ScorecardAs if a featherbed of a pitch hadn’t already killed off this match, the Warwickshire weather made doubly sure, as the heavens opened over Stratford-upon-Avon to curtail proceedings shortly after lunch. In the time available, Warwickshire’s captain, Nick Knight, moved along to his second half-century of the match, after Lancashire had been bowled out for 508 first thing in the morning.Knight was unbeaten on 67 when the rains came, having repaired the innings alongside Jonathan Trott (36 not out), following the swift losses of Mark Wagh and Ian Bell. He now needs just 36 more to reach 1000 runs for the season, ample proof that the pressures of the captaincy have not impaired his batting. And under Knight’s leadership, Warwickshire are currently 28 points clear at the top of the table, although they have a vital match against second-placed Kent at Beckenham later this week.Lancashire can be relieved at ending a dismal run of five consecutive defeats in all competitions, but once again they did not enjoy the better of what little play was available. After resuming on 505 for 8 overnight, their innings was brought to a swift conclusion by Dewald Pretorius, who grabbed two wickets in three balls to remove Peter Martin and Gary Keedy.Warwickshire then began their second innings with a free-flowing stand between Knight and Wagh, that was only brought to an end when Wagh chanced his arm once too often and steered John Wood straight into Stuart Law’s hands at second slip. One over later, and Bell was on his way for 1, finding the thinnest of edges to a sharply-spun delivery from Keedy. But Knight and Trott prevented any further mishaps, to cement Warwickshire’s position at the top of the table.

Ireland 204 for 5 (Molins 47, Watson 3-32) beat Scotland 200 for 6 (Watson 88*) by 5 wickets at Deventer
A five-wicket defeat to Ireland at Deventer has left Scotland with no chance of winning the ECC championship. Scotland batted first and scored a competitive 200 for 6, thanks mainly to a superb 88 not out from the Zimbabwean-born Ryan Watson, who also chipped in with three wickets, but Ireland cantered home by five wickets with three overs to spare.Jason Molins and Jeremy Bray got Ireland’s run chase off to an excellent start, capitalising on some wayward bowling in an 81-run opening stand. Watson made the breakthrough, having Bray caught behind by Colin Smith for 39, and instigated a mini-collapse that temporarily put the match in the balance. Andre Botha departed for 6, also to Watson, and Molins was out in the next over with no addition to the score, bowled by Greig Williamson (93 for 3).However, Andrew White and Peter Gillespie then laid to rest any hopes of an Scottish fightback, adding 87 as the bowlers, Watson and Gregor Maiden apart, failed to maintain any pressure. Watson again broke the partnership, when Dewald Nel caught Gillespie for 32 (180 for 4), but by then the result of the game was already assured.White fell just before the victory came, stumped by Smith off Maiden for 43, but Kyle McCallan (18*) and Trent Johnston (2*) guided Ireland home without any further problems.Earlier, Scotland had made a solid start, with Bruce Patterson and Maiden putting on 44 for the first wicket before Maiden was bowled by Gordon Cooke for 13. Then followed two needless run outs, as first Colin Smith (3), and then Patterson (40), gave away their wickets (100 for 3).White then ripped through the middle order with three quick wickets as Scotland stumbled to 151 for 6, but he had his fair share of luck, as the ball that dismissed Dom Rigby lbw turned far too much to hit the stumps.At the other end Watson was still batting fluently though, racing past his half-century, and he had some good support from Williamson in the final overs. However, Scotland were left ruing their soft dismissals, and inaccurate bowling, as Ireland raced home without ever really being tested.

Every so often, it’s heartening to see batsmen really sweat and struggle for runs in a one-day international. Bat has come to dominate ball so comprehensively in the shorter game that we’ve almost forgotten the delights that a low-scoring drama can offer and the different questions – mental and physical – it asks of modern-day cricketers.All of a sudden, with so few runs at stake, not giving anything away – wickets or runs – assumes critical importance. Wickets must be preserved and runs must be stolen. Batsmen speak in singles, and boundaries become gold dust. When the pitch is as treacherous as the one we had in Amstelveen, cricket seems a different ballgame altogether, but the basics remain the same.For long, Australia have mastered doing the little things well; stealing singles, backing up on throws, and not bowling no-balls. Today, they did so again. In the process, not only did they win a tournament – laughably after one match – but they also provided Pakistan with a lesson in how to win games in any conditions.The best teams, like Australia, simply adjust to different requirements and conditions; part of their brilliance lies in their resilience and versatility. And given that they had barely played a decent day’s cricket in some time before today, it only adds to the aura of greatness that hovers over them.Matthew Hayden, so unforgivably bludgeoning in his treatment of bowlers generally, realised early on in the piece that run scoring would be an unpleasant task. So he dug in, grinding out a pedestrian but invaluable fifty. Darren Lehmann too played an unorthodox, yet necessary, hand. Brett Lee returned after a long injury lay-off and bowled with hostility and considerable menace, picking up a wicket in his first over and looking like he had never been away.Glenn McGrath, the subject of increasing criticism, bowled with all his old cunning and guile, and worryingly for batsmen around the world, with some renewed pace and vigour as well. And the fielding was an instrument to exert pressure, not just to save runs.Teams like Pakistan, who hope to emulate them, don’t adapt quite as smoothly, although there were signs today that they are learning. That they came close will be of little solace to Woolmer and his men; the size of the defeat won’t hurt as much as the nature of it.Twice in the run chase, Pakistan was in control, and twice they didn’t just give away the initiative, they gift-wrapped it and presented it to Australia on a platter. Two run-outs in two balls, both involving Yousuf Youhana – fast approaching an Inzi-like cult status for his running – spoke of the comically chaotic methods of self-destruction Pakistan can still conjure up.Even for the unflappable Woolmer, it must have come as a cruel shock. And Abdul Razzaq’s dismissal, an unnecessary slog after he and Youhana had partially undone the damage, spoke of another malaise – that of mental indiscipline – that Woolmer must attend to.What either team will take out of Holland and into England is difficult to ascertain and for that the almost farcical nature of this tournament is to blame. A single-league triangular always seemed lacking in substance, and its only purpose – and saving rationale – was to act as a warm-up for the ICC Trophy. After two completed matches – one heavily curtailed – even that was questionable and Inzamam’s comments at the post-match ceremony about the tournament being, essentially, a holiday were significant.Australia will be pleased that they at least got a whole game – and a tense one at that – under their belt. They will be pleased too at the form of men like Andrew Symonds, and the return of Brett Lee. And in the blonde, hustling figure of Michael Clarke, they can hope that the loss of the iceman, Michael Bevan, will not be felt as acutely as it should.Pakistan will also take heart, from the further development of Shoaib Malik, who impressed again with his temperament and thinking approach, as well as the resurgence of their bowling attack, distinguished by the discipline of Mohammad Sami and, in particular, Shabbir Ahmed. Above all, having played against the very best in the business, they will have some idea of what it takes to compete against them. At the end of the year, when they go to Australia, the confidence they take from today might come in handy. The hosts remain firm favourites for that series, as well as for the ICC Trophy.Osman Samiuddin is a freelance writer based in Karachi.