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Several of the BCCI’s member units have written to interim president Shivlal Yadav, requesting an emergent working committee meeting of the BCCI before the next court hearing on April 22

Amol Karhadkar16-Apr-2014Hours after the Supreme Court refused to reinstate N Srinivasan as BCCI president, several of the board’s member units have written to interim president Shivlal Yadav, requesting an emergent working committee meeting of the BCCI before the next court hearing on April 22. The development came after the Supreme Court revealed that Srinivasan’s name was among those contained in a sealed envelope handed to the court by the Mudgal Committee after its probe into IPL corruption allegations.ESPNcricinfo understands that at least six affiliated units of the BCCI wrote to Yadav – two each from central and east zone and one each from west and north zone. It is likely that the number could rise over the next couple of days. A major association from south zone – which has been Srinivasan’s bastion – is also understood to be mulling over writing to Yadav.The Rajasthan Cricket Association was at the forefront of the demand for an emergent working committee meeting. RCA’s officiating secretary KK Sharma questioned the manner in which the BCCI’s counsel was taking instructions from “certain individuals”.”We are unaware as to who is instructing the counsel appearing for the Board in the said matter. The issues have never been discussed at a Board Meeting and no Board Meeting has been convened in this regard,” Sharma wrote in his letter.”We do not want that the stance taken by the Board should damage the reputation of the Board and Players and therefore we request you to convene an Emergent Working Committee Meeting of the Board on 20.04.2014 at the Headquarters of the Board in Mumbai to discuss the matters pending before the Supreme Court as the said matter is now listed for 22.04.2014. We feel that the Board Counsel should be instructed about Board decision and should not take instructions from certain individuals.”Since the top BCCI officials, including Yadav, are in the UAE for the inaugural week of the IPL, none of them could be reached for a comment. They are scheduled to return home on April 21, a day before the next hearing.

It took just 42.2 overs on the third day for West Indies to clinch the second Test, sweep the series, win six Tests in a row and inflict another surrender to spin on Zimbabwe

The Report by Siddhartha Talya22-Mar-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Shane Shillingford was unstoppable in his hometown•WICB Media Photo/Randy BrooksIt took just 42.2 overs on the third day for West Indies to clinch the second Test, sweep the series, win six Tests in a row and inflict another surrender to spin on Zimbabwe.The hosts promptly declared during a 15-minute rain delay in the morning, and a solid start from the Zimbabwe batsmen was a hugely misleading prelude to what was to follow. Once again, Zimbabwe failed to sustain a promising phase of play long enough against a superior opposition. Shane Shillingford was their nemesis again, picking up 10 wickets in the match, several of which owed to the unsettling bounce he was able to extract from the track in his hometown.The strategy for West Indies was simple, having successfully employed it in the first Test and the first innings in Dominica. The spinners, Shillingford, brought on in the 13th over, and Marlon Samuels, who picked up six wickets in the game, got the ball to turn, and more crucially bounce, from the off stump, surrounded the Zimbabwe batsmen with close-in fielders, who snapped up what came their way or had their team-mates in the outfield ready for opportunities borne out of a desperate attempt to find a release.Vusi Sibanda and Brendan Taylor countered that pressure temporarily by sweeping Shillingford, Sibanda even struck him for six over deep square leg, but it was only a matter of time before the spitting bounce that proved Zimbabwe’s undoing throughout the series returned to trouble them. Taylor was caught on the glove when Shillingford held his length back and caught at short leg.Smart stats

West Indies’ victory is their sixth in a row. They have won two each against New Zealand, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe. Since the start of 2012, they have won six and lost four matches (two draws).

The win is West Indies’ sixth in eight Tests against Zimbabwe. The two draws came in Tests played in Zimbabwe.

Shane Shillingford’s haul of 19 wickets is the highest by a West Indies bowler in a two-Test series. He is also the first West Indian and 14th overall to take three or more five-fors in a two-Test series.

Shillingford’s 10 for 93 is his career best and the best bowling performance for West Indies against Zimbabwe, surpassing his nine-wicket haul in the previous Test in Barbados.

Shillingford’s 10 for 93 is also the fifth-best performance by a West Indian spinner.

The win is West Indies’ second by an innings since 2009. It is only their sixth innings win since 2000 (two each against Bangladesh, Zimbabwe and England).

Taylor’s wicket marked the start of the spinners coming to dominate the innings, but Tino Best and Darren Sammy did their bit to end Zimbabwe’s early resistance. Best was guilty of bowling too short, and Sibanda had cashed in, slashing hard through the off side and even driving handsomely for boundaries when the ball was pitched up, as he did against Shannon Gabriel. But Best went round the wicket to Hamilton Masakadza, who was also set, got him to seemingly glove one down the leg side, reviewed the “not out” decision and got it overturned. A possible reason for the third umpire to reverse the original call was a change in rotation of the ball as it reached Masakadza’s glove, indicating there may have been contact.Minutes earlier, in the same over, Masakadza had successfully reviewed another caught-behind decision, this time having been given out, though the evidence, in the absence of Hot Spot, was again inconclusive.Just two balls after Taylor had been sent back, Sibanda played a rash shot across the line to Sammy to be trapped in front, his failed review confirming the ball would have clipped the bails.With the top order out of the way, Shillingford and Samuels eased past those that came after. Sean Williams got a top-edge while trying to play a cut against Shillingford, to be caught at point, and the capitulation picked up speed following the lunch break. Craig Ervine survived 34 balls but was caught brilliantly by Chris Gayle diving to his left at slip to pouch an edge with one hand. The extra bounce in the track brought the backward short leg into play and Malcolm Waller found that fielder when he tried to work Samuels away off the back foot. Shillingford had, six overs earlier, dismissed Tino Mawoyo, forced to bat at No.7 after missing a good part of the second day’s play, in the same region.With Waller, perhaps Zimbabwe’s best batsman in the limited-overs series this tour, back in the pavilion, West Indies required just four more overs to wrap up the innings. Graeme Cremer’s stand-out shot was a six over long-on with his eyes staring at the ground at the point of, as well as after, impact, but inside-edged a catch towards midwicket trying the same stroke to give Shillingford his fifth wicket. It was also Shillingford’s tenth for the match and 19th for the series – the best returns in a two-match series for a West Indies bowler, going past Courtney Walsh’s 16 in New Zealand in 1994-95.Paul Jarvis and Tendai Chatara lasted just two deliveries, Samuels hastening the end of a mismatch that continued West Indies’ best run of consecutive victories in Tests – now six – since 1988.

Gareth Batty led Surrey to their first Championship victory since he was appointed captain by taking 6 for 83 to secure a dramatic eight-run victory over Middlesex

Tim Wigmore at The Oval18-Aug-2012
ScorecardGareth Batty took six second-innings wickets including the crucial final strike•Getty ImagesGareth Batty led Surrey to their first Championship victory since he was appointed captain by taking 6 for 83 to secure a dramatic eight-run victory over Middlesex which improved their chances of avoiding relegation in a deeply traumatic season.When Batty trapped Toby Roland-Jones lbw, it concluded the second nerve-shredding derby between the two teams in the Championship this season, following Middlesex’s three-run win at Lord’s in April. Batty said: “For everything that’s gone on this season, it was a must win. I dread to thank what would have happened if we hadn’t won.”Batty admitted the pressure had been on him and Murali Kartik to respond to the spinning pitch that had been prepared and by combining for 16 wickets in the match they certainty did that. He singled out Kartik for a “magnificent” display after he bowled 44 overs unchanged on the final day while conceding under two an over for his three wickets. Given the success of their two spinners in home conditions, Surrey will regret only having one more Championship game at The Oval this season.After Middlesex were nine wickets down with 57 runs required, Surrey might have anticipated their victory would arrive with minimal drama. But Tim Murtagh and Roland-Jones displayed sufficient confidence in their batting abilities to avoid the temptation to slog, and sensibly accumulated singles. In total, they added 48 runs from 29.1 overs to follow on from their last-wicket stand of 44 in the first innings.Surrey’s appeals were understandably becoming increasingly desperate, as even taking the second new ball initially failed to break their stand, before Batty’s match-ending intervention.The morning provided few signs of the later drama. In the first hour and a half, the spin twins claimed six wickets, and there could have been several more given the number of vociferous leg-before appeals, and the amount of time the ball whistled past the edge. From the moment Kartik claimed Sam Robson caught at slip to the sixth ball of the day, a delivery that turned and bounced sharply, the morning’s tone was set.With the ball fizzing off the surface, sharp turn and few loose deliveries, Middlesex, save for Dawid Malan, were rendered virtually strokeless, allowing the spinners to establish a rhythm.Batty was rewarded for posting a leg slip to his own bowling, with both nightwatchman Tom Smith and Neil Dexter sharply caught there by Kartik attempting to work the ball to leg. Even more unusually, Andrew Balbirnie was out to Kartik in what could only be described as a case of ‘chest before wicket’, as he fell over missing an attempted sweep.After’s Malan’s neatly-compiled innings of 31 was ended by a brilliant one-handed catch off Kartik’s bowling, Middlesex were 101 for 7 and still required another 153 for victory. Given that Surrey had taken seven wickets for 58 going back to the dismissal of Chris Rogers just before the close of play on Friday, few gave them much hope.However, Steven Crook does not appear to be a man weighed down by prosaic reality. Sensing that cautious batting had allowed Surrey to crowd batsmen with close fielders Crook counter-attacked, though remaining positive rather than reckless. An early slog-sweep for six off Kartik indicated that he would eschew meek submission, with Crook’s intent also visible in his running between the wickets.Although there was still significant turn as the ball got older the bounce, crucial in several of the morning wickets, became less pronounced. In Adam Rossington, who was much less positive, Crook had a partner of real solidity. Amongst an enterprising innings that contained nine fours to go with his six, Crook’s sweeping and cutting were particularly impressive.If Surrey thought their first Championship win since the opening game of the season would arrive before members resorted to nail-biting, they were mistaken. As the threat offered by the spinners diminished, Batty turned to Jade Dernbach’s reverse swing, albeit a few overs later than many would have.In the second over of his spell, Dernbach deceived Crook on 67 with a slower-ball yorker, showing his one-day skills can be effective in first-class cricket too. It ended a partnership of 96, which was eroding the target at an increasingly uncomfortable rate. But as is often the case, the other man involved in a large stand lost concentration almost immediately after: Rossington edged Kartik to slip just two balls later, leaving Middlesex’s final pair requiring 57 runs for victory.After withstanding the remainder of Dernbach’s dangerous spell of reverse swing, Middlesex came closer than anyone imagined, but ultimately Surrey’s spin twins prevailed.

The summer solstice must have seemed even longer to Kent than normal, as they put themselves under pressure in their against Northamptonshire at Wantage Road as Rory Kleinveldt and Azharullah both took five-wicket hauls to bowl them out for just 140.

ECB/PA21-Jun-2015
ScorecardAzharullah, and his new ball partner Rory Kleinveldt, ripped through Kent•Getty ImagesThe summer solstice must have seemed even longer to Kent than normal, as they put themselves under pressure in their against Northamptonshire at Wantage Road as Rory Kleinveldt and Azharullah both took five-wicket hauls to bowl them out for just 140.Having been dismissed so cheaply on what has been one of the country’s flattest wickets, that they fought back late in the day to limit Northamptonshire to 193 for 7 shows just how dire their situation was in mid-afternoon.The pleasant Sunday conditions were in contrast to the mizzle that ruined Saturday’s opening day and in fairness to the visitors, the green tinge to the pitch suggested something as spicy as the curry on the nearby Wellingborough Road. Despite the early loss of both openers, Kent seemed well placed at 93 for 2 with Rob Key and Sam Northeast playing shots all around the square. That was with ten minutes left in the session when the largely self-inflicted carnage took place.Previously the model of consistency this season, Northeast was unsure whether to leave or play at Kleinveldt outside the off stump and ending up edging to wicketkeeper Adam Rossington for 36. Darren Stevens was lbw to the very next ball and three further deliveries later, Key was bowled for 35, playing all around one from Azharullah. Tredwell’s dismissal – bowled Azharullah for 0 – on the stroke of lunch, meant that four wickets had fallen in a remarkable 19-ball spell and Kent were 97 for 6.Forty-four balls after lunch, Kent were all out and although Azharullah and Kleinveldt bowled well to produce the home side’s best and second-best bowling figures of the season, the movement was hardly excessive.Northamptonshire’s players showed on occasions that with application, batting was far from impossible and the likelihood is that the surface will improve further over the next two days. The chief example of that was provided by 23 year-old Rob Keogh. Predominantly a leg side player, he has the cool temperament to play the long innings as evidenced by his 163 not out to save the game at Derbyshire this season and 221 against Hampshire two years ago.Keogh is closing in on 700 runs and has a chance of becoming the first Northamptonshire player to reach 1000 first-class runs in a season since Stephen Peters in 2010. Alex Wakely’s 50 in support, helped Keogh run up 70 for the third wicket and while all batsmen played and missed during the day, it was a surprise when Keogh edged Matt Coles to Adam Ball at third slip for 68, with eight overs remaining in the day.That was the first of three wickets in successive overs for Coles who finished with figures of 4 for 62 and who now has 42 Championship wickets in his first season back with his original county, after a brief spell at Hampshire. To add to Northants’ late woe, Cobb departed in Mitchell Claydon’s last over of the day to leave the home side 53 in front with three first-innings wickets left. This seesaw day leaves the remaining two days impossible to predict.

A timeline of the events that led to Tom Maynard’s death on a tube track in June 2012

George Dobell26-Feb-2013Following the loss of Surrey’s T20 match against Kent at Beckenham on June 17, Tom Maynard, Rory Hamilton-Brown and Jade Dernbach returned to the home Hamilton-Brown and Maynard shared in Wandsworth. Maynard, described as “his normal, bubbly self” by Dernbach, was singing “ridiculous songs” in the words of Hamilton-Brown in an attempt to raise spirits following the defeat.7.30pm Arrive home and begin drinking alcohol. Maynard was “not particularly depressed” about the loss, said Dernbach, but frustrated after an incident in Brighton around a week earlier where Maynard had been hit by a car having been out drinking. That incident had injured his shoulder and resulted in the club disciplining him. “He felt he was letting himself down a bit,” Dernbach said.8.30-9pm Maynard, Dernbach and Hamilton-Brown arrive at the Ship Inn in Wandsworth. Dernbach says they have “four pints of beer and a couple of shots”.11pm Return home and continue to drink, “Two or three vodka Red Bulls,” according to Dernbach.12.15am Go to Aura nightclub in Mayfair. Drink another “four or five vodka Red Bulls,” according to Dernbach. Maynard tells girls they meet at nightclub that he is a shelf-stacker in Sainsbury’s. “He seemed pretty happy,” Hamilton-Brown told the inquest. “I was jealous of his ability to deal with the highs and lows.”2.15-2.30am Leave club by taxi, continue drinking vodka Red Bulls at home.3.30am Maynard phones girlfriend Carly Baker, with whom he had spent the previous night. She described him as “sounding very down, very depressed”. Maynard said “he’d ‘had a shit day and felt crap,'” Baker said. “He said, ‘you’re the only thing that makes me happy’.” Fearing he would drive, she attempts to dissuade him from coming to her house. The pair talk on speaker phone as he drives to her house. In the last call, Maynard tells her he is “just around the corner”.4.05am Plain clothes police officers in an unmarked car notice Maynard’s Mercedes being driven erratically. They give pursuit, suspecting either “drink driving or theft” according to one of the officers.4.10am Maynard’s car turns into a no-through road. Police officers turn flashing blue lights on their car and make Maynard aware of their presence. He gets out of the car and, after a moment’s pause, runs away. One officer remains with the cars – Maynard left keys in the ignition and the engine running – while the other pursues Maynard on foot. He quickly evades her.4.13am Police report they are pursuing a man matching Maynard’s description.5.03am Train driver reports hitting body. Initially the driver, Martin Hopping, thought the objects on the track were bags of ballast. Only when he is within one carriage-length of the body, does he realise that it is a person. He applies the emergency brakes but, travelling at full speed of 35mph, is unable to stop. Hopping described Maynard as having “not fallen, but laid down” across all four rails.5.41am Maynard is declared dead.

Stuart Broad has admitted there is no certainty that he will remain England’s T20 captain after their group-stage exit in Bangladesh

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Mar-2014Stuart Broad has admitted there is no certainty that he will remain England’s T20 captain after their group-stage exit in Bangladesh and with his troublesome knee in need of increasingly urgent repair.Broad has been T20 captain since 2011, when he replaced Paul Collingwood, and was initially part of a trio of leaders until Alastair Cook became Test captain alongside the one-day job. He has not been able to lead England out of the group stage in either of the World T20s he has captained in, with the team putting up an abject defence of their title in Sri Lanka two years followed by their latest early departure in Chittagong.The next World T20 is again scheduled for the subcontinent – India in 2016 – and Broad conceded that there could be a new man at the helm. “I don’t know, there’s going to be a decision made on coaching staff so there might be a few changes in the next two months or so,” he said.A change could come as soon as England’s next T20, against Sri Lanka in May – the favourite to take over would be Eoin Morgan – depending on the route taken by England’s medical staff to deal with the patellar tendonitis which has troubled Broad for large parts of the winter.There are a couple of approaches that could be taken, ranging from a continued management of the problem which may mean Broad is sidelined of less time before, perhaps, utilising England’s reasonably quiet period from October to December, to a more substantial solution that may include surgery and a longer lay-off. It will be one of the key decisions for the new head coach – expected to be Ashley Giles – when that position is confirmed next month.”I’m probably going to be unavailable for the start of the season in one-day cricket to sort my knee out,” Broad said. “I need a rehab period on my tendonitis, which is generally about an eight-week period so whether I take just four weeks in April to play in May and then take a couple of months after the season I don’t know but it’s got to the stage where it’s really sore and I need it sorted out.”You know in international cricket you can’t perform at your best when you’re carrying an injury. We’ve managed it pretty well but it’s in the hands of the medical staff and a bit of negotiation with the head coach when that’s decided.”It appears fairly certain that Nottinghamshire will not see much of Broad early in the season. England begin their home season with an ODI against Scotland on May 9, followed by a one-off T20 and five-match limited-overs series against Sri Lanka. The first Test of the summer begins on June 12 then India then visit for a tour which includes five Tests, five ODIs and a T20.

Nottinghamshire and Somerset continued to make the most of batsmen-friendly conditions after learning that their Division One status had already been preserved for another season

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Sep-2013
ScorecardJames Hildreth’s 161 took him beyond 1000 first-class runs in another solid season•PA PhotosNottinghamshire and Somerset continued to make the most of batsmen-friendly conditions after learning that their Division One status had already been preserved for another season.Both sides would still have been vulnerable if Derbyshire had been able to win their final contest but as news filtered through of their defeat to Warwickshire, 17 miles away, attention returned to matters at Trent Bridge with a sixth-place finish up for grabs.Somerset collected four batting bonus points after reaching 372 in their first innings, with James Hildreth eventually falling for 161 and Harry Gurney returning career-best figures of 5 for 81.Beginning again, Nottinghamshire batted positively in advancing to 139 for 3, an overall lead of 173, with Steven Mullaney making a quickfire 59 for the hostsHildreth had earlier passed 1,000 first-class runs for the season during his stand of 248 with Nick Compton, who was eventually bowled by Samit Patel’s quicker ball for 87. Gurney, who had removed Marcus Trescothick the previous evening, boosted his own tally of wickets after the second new ball had been taken.Its first victim had been Hildreth, caught behind off Luke Fletcher – presenting Chris Read with his 750th catch for Nottinghamshire and a dismissal that heralded the start of three wickets falling in a seven-ball spell.Jos Buttler was then trapped lbw by Gurney for 13 and left the field without any obvious farewell gestures, despite the rumours of an impending move, before the left-arm fast bowler also removed Craig Meschede. Lewis Gregory chanced his arm in making an undefeated 40 which included an uncontrolled pull for six off Brett Hutton, but then ran out of partners as the innings was wound up.Peter Trego guided Gurney into the hands of point and the bowler’s first Nottinghamshire five-wicket haul and his 100th first-class scalp was Alfonso Thomas, well caught at slip by Riki Wessels.Mullaney set the tone for Nottinghamshire’s second innings, racing to a half-century in just 38 balls, with 11 fours but then drove Trego to mid-off. Wessels and Michael Lumb each added 20 but the day had a slightly curious ending as Craig Kieswetter removed the wicketkeeper’s pads to have a bowl but Trescothick – rather than Buttler – put them on for the final five overs.With both sides locked together on exactly the same number of points – Somerset having won one game more this season – Nottinghamshire will need to force the win on the final day of the season to go ahead of their west country rivals.

Alastair Cook expects England to raise their standards at the start of the home international season

Andrew McGlashan15-May-2013Alastair Cook expects England to raise their standards at the start of the home international season to ensure the performances in New Zealand are viewed as a blip rather than the beginning of a trend.Cook will lead England for the first time in a Test on home soil. The early days of his full-time captaincy have already included peaks and troughs, ranging from the high of winning in India to the shock of narrowly avoiding defeat in New Zealand.England’s players will be grateful that they now have a chance to improve on the displays during March having spent the last month fielding questions about whether they were complacent, under-prepared or just out-played. Naturally, Cook continued to deny that his players were anything less than fully committed to those three Tests but knows it is important not to begin this season on the back foot.”I don’t think it was a lack of effort or a lack of application. In hindsight you always start looking at things and I think if you go back to the warm-ups and what we did in our preparation, I remember talking to Andy Flower and saying I think we’ve had a really good preparation period, we’re ready to play.”Obviously we’ve been looking at these reasons behind closed doors and they’ll obviously stay there. It certainly wasn’t to do with lack of attitude.”Cook, as ever, was keeping his counsel on what the team had discussed leading into this series but England were certainly stung by the events in New Zealand. “Anyone who plays for England, whether you’re the captain or the coach, you expect high standards and when those high standards aren’t met that’s a perfectly opportune moment to be cross,” he said.Unlike New Zealand’s approach – where they are quite relaxed about discussing selection issues – England refused to give anything away before the match but it was worth noting that Cook said that leaving out Graeme Swann and playing four quicks “has crossed our minds.” However, England missed Swann in New Zealand and have recent experience of omitting him from a home Test when they selected a full hand of fast bowlers against South Africa, at Headingley, last year.The final choice remains likely to be between Steven Finn and Tim Bresnan. Reports from the county game have suggested Finn, who is now back on his long run-up, has not been on top of his game early in the season but Cook did not hold the same concerns. “The guys watching him bowl say it’s coming out at good pace, and in the nets today I was glad I wasn’t facing him,” he said.A slightly more prosaic issue for Cook to contend with on his first day as a Test captain in England will be ensuring he has his England blazer with him, which has so far proved easier said than done. He forgot to take it out to India and needed Swann to fly it out for him after a brief trip home, then in New Zealand it was due to be delivered by his wife whose arrival was then delayed.”I think it’s at the hotel but if it’s not I can drive home and go and get it,” he said. “It’s not like flying halfway round the world.” Cook wants to look sharp and now his team need to play sharp.

Will Boyle has urged Wrexham fans to get the Racecourse Ground "rocking" as they prepare for the visit of last season's rivals Notts County.

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Wrexham and Notts County battled for promotion last seasonWelsh side pipped rivals to titleBoth teams earned over 100 pointsWHAT HAPPENED?

Wrexham broke a run of three successive defeats against Sutton United on Tuesday evening, winning 2-1, and they will now renew their rivalry with Notts County this weekend. The two sides engaged in a classic battle for automatic promotion in the National League last season; Wrexham won the title with 111 points, while County finished second with 107, and were ultimately promoted via the play-offs. As a result, Boyle has urged fans to ratchet up the noise levels on Saturday.

AdvertisementWHAT BOYLE SAID

Speaking to Wrexham's YouTube channel after the win ovr Sutton, Boyle said: "It’s Saturday-Tuesday now. We play the next two Tuesdays now. Lots of away games. So it's good for the spirit. We go again back to the Racecourse on Saturday and hopefully we can get that place rocking. So there's a lot of work still to do, we know that. But that was a good result for us."

Getty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The two clubs have not been as close this season. Wrexham are currently fourth, six points behind leaders Stockport with a game in hand, while Notts County are seventh, and have taken a severe dip in form, failing to win any of their last five games.

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GettyWHAT NEXT?

A Wrexham victory this weekend could see them move into the top-three, the automatic promotion spots, while a County victory would give them some daylight to eighth, as they currently occupy the final play-off place.

Allrounder Mitchell Marsh will miss Australia’s one-off Twenty20 against Pakistan due to a hamstring injury he picked up while playing for Perth Scorchers in the Champions League T20

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Oct-2014Allrounder Mitchell Marsh is in doubt for his Test debut later this month after a hamstring injury ruled him out of Australia’s T20 against Pakistan this Sunday. Marsh is also unlikely to play in the three-match ODI series that follows the T20 after he picked up the hamstring injury while playing for Perth Scorchers in the Champions League T20.Marsh appeared a near-certainty to make his Test debut in Dubai in the absence of injured allrounder Shane Watson, and if he is unavailable it could bring offspinning allrounder Glenn Maxwell into the mix. The heat in the UAE will mean Australia need an allrounder capable of bowling a significant number of overs, and Marsh may need to prove his fitness in the four-day tour game against Pakistan A.”He’s not playing the T20 and he’s unlikely to be okay for the one-dayers,” Kountouris said. “The timelines are just too tight and we’re probably not going to have a crack at it I don’t think. He’s moving around okay and seems okay, but we’ll wait and see for the Test matches how he progresses. There’s certainly enough time for the Test matches.”Marsh had undergone surgery on the same hamstring – on his left leg – two years ago. According to Cricket Australia, he had “felt a pinch” in his hamstring while captaining the Scorchers against Lahore Lions on Tuesday and went off the field for an extended period, but had later come out to bat, bailing the team out from a tight corner with 63 not out off 38.However, the injury apparently worsened on the flight to over to Dubai. Scans revealed that he had possibly torn scar tissue from the previous injury, but Cricket Australia is seeking the opinion of specialists, including the surgeon who had operated on him two years ago.”Trying to decipher what’s new, what’s old, what’s abnormal, what’s normal, is a bit hard,” Kountouris said. “So we’re getting some opinions from back home from the guy who did the surgery, just to double-check with what we’re doing. The consensus is that he’s only torn the scar tissue but we’re still looking into it.”If that’s the only thing that’s happened it’s going to be a sort of mild hamstring strain. It might get better really quickly or it might get better very slowly. That’s what we don’t know because of the unique nature of the injury.”The two-Test series begins on October 22 and should Marsh play he will join his brother Shaun and father Geoff as Australia Test representatives. The four-day warm-up game in Sharjah is likely now to effectively serve as a fitness Test for Marsh as well as captain Michael Clarke, who is also recovering from a hamstring problem.