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Pieter Strydom, a former South African international, has been named captain of the Eastern Cape for the next season. Strydom, nicknamed “Striker”, had played two Tests and 10 one-dayers for South Africa in the 1999-00 season apart from captaining Border for several years.Reunert Bauser, the CEO of the Eastern Cape franchise, said that Strydom’s experience of captaining Border for a number of seasons was one of the main reasons for the appointment. iAfrica.com quoted Bauser as saying, “He is a shrewd captain and his all-round ability with both bat and ball has earned him the respect of many an opposing team.”Reacting to the appointment Strydom termed it as a “challenge” and added, “I am proud to be named to lead the franchise for next season. I hope my captaincy and the results we achieve will repay the faith the Board have in me.”Strydom, 34, was born in the Eastern Cape and studied educated at Grey High School, which also has Hansie Cronje, Herschelle Gibbe and Nicky Boje on its alumni rolls. Strydom shifted to Border in 1992-93 and played as vice-captain to Peter Kirsten for a few years. He took over as captain in 1997-98 and carried on for six seasons.Under his captaincy, Border reached the SuperSport final in three consecutive years apart from making the final of the Standard Bank Cup in 1999. last year, he surprisingly lost the captaincy to Justin Kreusch.Strydom’s best bowling in first-class cricket was 4 for 12 against Northerns at Centurion Park, while another highlight of his career was the 6 for 17 that he snared against Western Province in 2001-02. In 2002-03, Strydom played his 100th first-class match and was awarded a benefit year as well.

Rashid Latif has escaped punishment for his controversial open letter to the ICC last month, as the Pakistan Cricket Board confirmed he would be retained as captain for the home series against Bangladesh in August.Latif, who led Pakistan during their 2-1 NatWest Challenge defeat against England last month, had invited trouble when he claimed that match-fixing was still an issue in international cricket. He claimed that the current laws, particularly in the first 15 overs of one-day matches, invited “fancy fixing”.”It provides a chance for the bookies to approach top-order batsmen to achieve unusual scores and affect the complexion of competitive matches,” wrote Latif, a statement that contradicted the ICC’s official line that match-fixing was a thing of the past. Latif was quick to apologise to the PCB for breaching their code of conduct and that seemed to have done the trick.”We have accepted Latif’s apology and the matter is closed,” said Tauqir Zia, the PCB chairman. “As long as Latif is doing fine he will remain captain and I must admit at an age when most of his colleagues are retired he is doing well.”Latif had planned to retire after the World Cup, but was persuaded to stay on to oversee Pakistan’s rebuilding process. It now seems he may be at the helm for some time yet. “We want to appoint a captain on a long-term basis,” added Zia, “and there are options before us. Anyone suitable can be appointed captain at a time when it is necessary.”Bangladesh play three Tests and five one-day internationals during their tour of Pakistan, which begins on 17 August.Click here for Latif’s letter to the ICC

X-rays have revealed CLEAR Black Cap, Daniel Vettori, has not broken his ankle after he fell awkwardly when fielding off his own bowling in Canberra.The left arm spinner fell in the 18th over of New Zealand’s second match of their tour of Australia against the ACT Invitation XI.However, while Vettori has not broken any bones, it appears his ankle may be quite badly sprained.”We’ve been advised by the experts that by tomorrow we’ll have a much clearer indication of just how bad the sprain is,” says Manager Jeff Crowe.”Obviously it’s a concern, but we’re going to wait and see how Dan progresses over night rather than speculating at this stage about different scenarios.”One hour after tea the ACT XI were 226/3. Shayne O’Connor had picked up two wickets and Chris Cairns one.

Match facts

November 25-29, 2015
Start time 0930 local (0400GMT)

Big picture

After grey, blustery and mostly cricket-free Bangalore, the teams have moved to the geometric centre of India and the promise of a Test match free of interruptions under clear, cloudless skies. India ended day one of the second Test in a position of great cricketing and psychological strength, but there has been no action in the ten days since. Though the effects of India being 1-0 up cannot have dissipated entirely, there is a blank-slate feeling to the start of the third Test. Let the series begin, again.The portents suggest India are favourites to take an unassailable 2-0 lead. The pitch is dry, the afternoons will be hot, and there are definite signs that India will play three spinners. Most of South Africa’s batsmen are yet to find their feet on this tour. Worse still for the visitors, Dale Steyn, their one bowler capable of neutralising any sort of surface, is almost certain not to feature.South Africa, however, are the No. 1 Test side in the world for a reason. Their batting might not have clicked just yet, as a collective unit, but there is too much quality in their line-up for the situation to become irremediable. AB de Villiers is in the frightening position of being both in form and due for a big one. Hashim Amla and Faf du Plessis cannot keep failing in tandem forever. All South Africa need is one big partnership, or two biggish ones, to post their first big total of the series.They can also take heart from their performance in Mohali. The match ended in three days, and India won by a sizeable margin, but South Africa still managed to bowl them out twice, for 201 and 200. If the Nagpur pitch turns out similar to the one in Mohali, it could narrow the quality gap between the spin attacks rather than exaggerating it. India know this phenomenon well. Over the last decade, some of their most significant away wins have come on green pitches that have allowed their seamers to compete on an even footing with pace attacks of greater all-round quality.India’s batsmen, moreover, have spent precious little time in the middle so far. Apart from M Vijay, Cheteshwar Pujara and Ravindra Jadeja, none have yet faced 100 balls in the series. If there is any rustiness, South Africa will want to exploit it quickly, particularly if India play only five specialist batsmen.

Form guide

(last five completed games most recent first)
India DWWWL
South Africa DLDDW

In the spotlight

The last time he batted at the VCA Stadium in a Test, Hashim Amla made an unbeaten 253 that set South Africa up for a famous innings win. Amla has struggled so far on this tour, but he has an exceptional record in India – 873 runs at 79.36, with four centuries – and proven ability against spin. A solid contribution from their captain could be just what South Africa needs to spark a revival.The same Test match witnessed the debut of Wriddhiman Saha, who was forced to play as a specialist batsman thanks to an injury crisis in the squad. Having served a long apprenticeship under MS Dhoni, Saha is now India’s first-choice Test wicketkeeper. Though he has contributed a few spunky knocks with the bat in his short career so far, India’s batting line-up still looks a little thin with Saha slotting in at No. 6. He has an excellent first-class record, with nine hundreds and an average of nearly 44, and the confidence of his captain. He needs to translate that into Test cricket to be able to play what is a pivotal role in making India’s five-bowler strategy work.

Team news

India have a squad free of fitness worries, and the one selection call they are likely to have to make is the question of whether or not to play three spinners. With conditions not suited to his medium-pace, India will most likely leave out Stuart Binny, which opens up a slot either for the legspinner Amit Mishra or for an extra batsman in Rohit Sharma. If conditions seem particularly conducive to spin, India could even play both Mishra and Rohit, leaving out Binny and Varun Aaron.India (probable): 1 Shikhar Dhawan, 2 M Vijay, 3 Cheteshwar Pujara, 4 Virat Kohli (capt), 5 Ajinkya Rahane, 6 Wriddhiman Saha (wk), 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 R Ashwin, 9 Amit Mishra, 10 Ishant Sharma, 11 Varun Aaron.JP Duminy’s offspin often does the job of supporting South Africa’s main spinner, but if the pitch shows signs of taking turn early, they might just include Simon Harmer or Dane Piedt to bowl alongside Imran Tahir. Dale Steyn’s continuing groin troubles have more or less ruled him out of contention, leaving Kagiso Rabada and Kyle Abbott as the leading candidates to partner Morne Morkel in the seam attack.South Africa (probable): 1 Dean Elgar, 2 Stiaan van Zyl, 3 Faf du Plessis, 4 Hashim Amla (capt), 5 AB de Villiers, 6 JP Duminy, 7 Dane Vilas (wk), 8 Simon Harmer/Dane Piedt, 9 Kagiso Rabada/Kyle Abbott, 10 Morne Morkel, 11 Imran Tahir.

Pitch and conditions

Asked about the Nagpur pitch on the eve of the Test, Hashim Amla said it looked like “a good cricket wicket, one that we kind of expect in the subcontinent”. Then he chuckled. Amar Karlekar, the curator, has himself said the pitch would start turning by tea on the first day. Lack of bounce was a concern during the last Test played at this ground, in 2012, but Karlekar is confident there will be no repeat of the bore draw witnessed on that occasion.Nagpur has enjoyed sunny weather and clear skies in the days leading up to the Test. Winter has not set in yet, but the mornings are likely to be cool, before temperatures rise to an afternoon high in the low 30s.

Stats and trivia

• Ajinkya Rahane has played only four Test innings in India so far. His scores in those four innings are 7, 1, 15 and 2.
• Imran Tahir is one wicket short of 50 in Test cricket.
• South Africa won at least one Test on four of their five previous tours to India.

Quotes

“I played only one Test match here, it went well for me. [I showed] lots of patience, something that at that point in time was probably out of my character. It was something that I discovered about myself. I hope the wicket doesn’t play like that in this game because it ended up being a very boring Test match.”
“When I took over the captaincy, one of the ideas was to give me a bit more time, especially when we fielded first, to bat at 4. But you never know. We’re a team in a little bit of transition, with a couple of new faces, so we’re still finding the perfect batting order. So yes, there’s no reason I couldn’t bat at 3 at some stage.”

Tim Bresnan has signed a new two-year contract with Yorkshire that will keep him at Headingley until 2009.Bresnan, 22, has taken 131 first-class wickets at 31.81 since 2001, and last week hit a career-best 126 not out for England Lions against the touring Indians at Chelmsford. He was recently named in England’s 30-man preliminary squad for the inaugural Twenty20 World Championships that take place in South Africa in September.”I’m delighted to pledge my future to Yorkshire,” said Bresnan. “The arrival of Darren Gough, as captain, and Martyn Moxon, as director of cricket, has been really exciting for all of the players here. The club is going from strength to strength and this is the place where I want to play my cricket. We’ve got some massive games around the corner and a chance to win a trophy for Yorkshire’s loyal supporters.”Moxon said: “It is great news that Tim is staying with us. He’s popular in the dressing room and works hard for the team. Although people class him as a bowling all-rounder, the hundreds he scored at The Oval and in the recent England Lions match show that his batting is getting better all the time.”Stewart Regan, Yorkshire chief executive, said: “Tim is a quality allrounder and an important part of the club’s future. This is why we are all delighted he has signed a new deal, which will put an end to recent newspaper speculation surrounding his future. Tim has had a taste of international cricket and wants more England caps and I am sure those will come if he continues to improve and work hard. He belongs in a cap with a White Rose on it.”

The great and the good of the ICC meet in London next week, but this week it was the turn of the Federation Of International Cricketers’ Associations (FICA) to hold their annual general meeting.”The meeting of the member player associations, conducted over two days in London, considered issues ranging from cricket operations, relationships with stakeholders and FICA commercial and administration matters,” Tim May, FICA’s chief executive, explained. “The discussions involved a diverse range of voices from the cricketing world and there were detailed and healthy debates concerning a number of key issues.”FICA’s annual meeting is very valuable for our member associations. In addition to attending to the statutory and constitutional requirements of an annual meeting – it gives each player association a fantastic forum in which to express their views and for the group to reach positions on both operational and commercial matters.”FICA has been very much at loggerheads with the ICC on the issue of player burnout of late, and the Future Tours Programme was very much at the forefront of discussions. FICA members decided to approve a revised model of compliance for member countries to consider at the ICC meeting.The revisions include:

Chris Schofield has been released by Lancashire. Schofield, a legspinner, made his debut for his native county in 1998, and picked up ten wickets in two matches. Schofield, 25, played two Tests against Zimbabwe in 2000, and was one of the first batch of players who were centrally contracted to the ECB. But his accuracy and consistency have let him down since – to the extent that he rarely bowled for Lancashire in 2004.”Chris is an extremely talented cricketer who has perhaps not reached his full potential at the club,” said Mike Watkinson, Lancashire’s manager. “We feel it is an appropriate stage in his career for him to seek pastures new and play more regular first team cricket.”Jamie Haynes, the reserve wicketkeeper, has also been given his marching orders as Lancashire reshuffle their pack following relegation from the first division of the Championship. Haynes, described by Watkinson as “a tremendous servant”, will be replaced by a new signing in 20-year-old Gareth Cross. Cross, who bats in the middle order, made his debut for Lancashire 2nd XI during 2002, and played league cricket in Melbourne last winter.Three other players, all of them allrounders, have been brought in: Steven Croft, Andrew Crook and Simon Marshall. Croft, 19, is a graduate of the Lancashire Cricket Academy. He played for Blackpool CC and Lancashire 2nd XI this season. Crook, an offspinner, will join his brother Steven at Lancashire. Andrew, 23, stepped up from the 2nd XI twice in 2004 to play for the first team.Marshall, 22, offers another legspinning option following Schofield’s departure. He joins the full-time staff after an outstanding season with Lancashire’s 2nd XI. He took 9 for 47 against Nottinghamshire in July, the second-best figures by a Lancashire bowler in the 2nd XI Championship.Warren Hegg has agreed a new contract for 2005, although it hasn’t yet been decided whether he will continue as captain. Tim Rees, Paul Horton and Oliver Newby have all agreed new contracts. Horton and Newby joined Lancashire at the end of 2003, while Rees signed in 2002.

Sir Viv Richards has resigned as West Indies’ chairman of selectors after two years in the job. His commitment to commentate with the BBC was cited by the West Indies board as the main reason for his decision. Richards himself was unavailable for comment.Richards will be replaced on the three-man selection panel by Clyde Butts, the former Guyana and West Indies offspinner – Joey Carew and Gordon Greenidge are the other two selectors. Carew will take over from Richards as chairman.The WICB has appointed interim selection committees for the next two months pending the conclusion of the review of the management structure of the West Indies team. The recommendations of the review are expected to be implemented following the ICC Champions Trophy in England this September, and will have an impact on the role of selectors.Richards, 52, took over as chairman of selectors in May 2002, but his last few months in charge became increasingly controversial, with reports of rifts between him and Brian Lara, the captain. On West Indies’ tour to South Africa earlier this year, the two were involved in an extraordinary incident, when Lara made a last-minute change to the fourth-Test team during the toss – apparently against Richards’s wishes – bringing in Merv Dillon for Adam Sanford.

Graeme Smith, the South African captain, has pledged to put South African cricket back on track following a disappointing World Cup campaign. Prior to the team’s departure to England for the triangular NatWest Series, Smith was quoted in the Beeld newspaper as saying: “The entire group realises the importance of this tour — to excel as individuals, but also to form a united front.”A negative image has been created in the wake of our failure in the World Cup, and as a result of recent events highlighted in the media. Many of our supporters have lost confidence in us. That’s why we’ve got to accept responsibility for the current situation, and do everything in our power to restore the pride and passion that were once trademarks of South African cricket.”In sport, there are many variables that have a bearing on results, but there are also many aspects that can be controlled, and we cannot afford to fail in that respect. As a young team, we’re very aware of the enormous challenges we face and that we are not the favourites in either of the two series. However, we accept the challenge with the pride and passion that our supporters expect of us. It was not so long ago that we were supporters ourselves, encouraging the players from the stands.”Promising the South African fans total commitment and integrity, Smith said: “We can give the assurance that we share the joy of every victory and the disappointment of every defeat. We are the selected group that has the honour of representing our country on the cricket field, and we acknowledge the responsibility that we carry in that respect.”We are the torch-bearers for SA cricket … each of us is determined to hand over the torch while it’s still burning brightly. Our message to the entire country is that we realise we’re not perfect, and that we disappoint ourselves and our supporters from time to time. Still, we represent our country and we’ll give it our all, on and off the playing field.”The South African one-day squad arrived in Dublin on Monday, without Jacques Kallis and Nicky Boje. Kallis stayed back due to a bereavement in the family, while Boje remained at home for the birth of his first child. Both are expected to join the squad in England on Saturday.

– The so-called shareholders of a Barbados team which has not won aregional limited-overs title for 13 years have been given a simple butstrict message for the 2001 Red Stripe Bowl starting here today. "Thekey word should be responsibility and it doesn’t matter who theopposition is," team coach Hendy Springer said yesterday ahead ofBarbados’ opening match against first-time competitors Antigua."We have some guys who have represented Barbados for a while and weneed to put that extra pressure on the senior batsmen and seniorbowlers to perform and to bring the rest of the team through."As a result, the tour selection panel – chairman Richard Edwards,Springer, captain Sherwin Campbell and vice-captain Courtney Browne -last night opted for the most experienced combination after reducingthe squad to 12.It meant, therefore, there were no places for the uncapped KurtWilkinson and Ryan Nurse, while the struggling Adrian Griffith seemsto be battling with the in-form Dale Richards for the final battingspot.There would have been debate over whatever team Barbados went for, butthe crux of the matter is that Campbell’s men cannot afford to slip upat the first hurdle in a brief preliminary phase in which they playonly three matches.Defeat today at the Uitvlugt ground on the west coast of Demerarasurely puts them under pressure to finish among the top two in a groupthat also includes hosts Guyana and the Southern Windwards, the mainbunch of last year’s champions. Every game, then, is a must-winsituation."I look at it so, not only for points, but for general credibility andconfidence," Springer said. "We’re looking to win all the games, we’relooking to play hard. We want to start with a good win, because thatis always a good note to start on. It will give the guys confidencegoing into the other games."Antigua may be first-timers in name only, but the make-up of the teamfeatures a few players who are seasoned campaigners.Among them are captain and hard-hitting batsman Dave Joseph; vicecaptain and West Indies wicket-keeper Ridley Jacobs; 1999 MVP, theenterprising Sylvester Joseph; along with two consistent regionallimited-overs performers, allrounder Wilden Cornwall and off-spinnerAnthony Lake.The fast bowling attack, too, appears to have a good look. It will bespearheaded by Kerry Jeremy and also includes Ricky Christopher andGoldwyn Prince."They’ve got a pretty good combination of players, but I still fancythe chances of the Barbados team with the more experienced line-up,"Springer said.It has not been a secret Barbados’ preparations have not been ideal.The team was picked less than two weeks ago following three back-toback trial matches and the planned practice matches last week werethwarted by the weather."The preparations have been adequate, but not sufficient," the coachsaid.On arriving in this South American country on Sunday following a 5:30a.m flight, the team engaged in a three-hour evening practice sessionat the LBI ground and came back yesterday morning for similar work outat the Malteenoes ground."We need to get familiar with the conditions," Springer said."We found yesterday (Sunday) that the pitch was very, very low. Itemphasises the fact that the batsmen have got to do a lot of frontfoot work. Guyana’s weather has often been a problem for major cricketmatches, but it was mainly hot and sunny yesterday and reportsindicate that the weather was fine over the last few days.