Dilshan led the team to a humiliating loss in the first test as his side were bowled out for 82 in less than 30 overs – the second worst Sri Lankan batting performance in England. However the skilful batsman helped the touring side gain some revenge as he hit a superb 192 as the two sides played out a draw in the second test at Lord’s.

His innings came at a price however as two bouncers from Chris Tremlett worn on the thumb by Dilshan caused a hairline fracture which meant he was unable to bat for his side during the second innings in the second test, and now he has been ruled out of the third and final test match at the Rose Bowl.

“It’s a big loss, but we were never going to take any chances with our captain.” Jayawardene wrote in his column for cricinfo.com.

“The swelling on his thumb was pretty bad last week, although that has now gone down and his movement was pretty good in the nets the other day. But you don’t want to go in with the mindset that your finger is not 100%.

I don’t think anyone wants to take that risk, especially someone as important to our team as Dilshan.” He added.

Kumar Sangakkara will take over the captaincy duties in the absence of Dilshan, although the wicket-keeper batsman was said to be reluctant to do so having stepped down from the role earlier this year, while Lahiru Thirimanne will take the place of the opening batsman having scored a century in the warm-up match against Essex last weekend.

Dilshan helped free bet underdogs Sri Lanka to the World Cup final earlier this year, where they came undone against fellow host nation India.

Katich was particularly acerbic about the use of part-time selectors, and lashed out at what he feels are flaws in the current system.

He was joined in his criticism of the ACB by his former team-mate Stuart Clark, who believes the selection process must have more transparency and accountability.

Speaking about the feasibility of part-time selectors deciding on the futures of Cricketers who earn more money than them, Katich said: when you talk about money you get the best in the business for paying. If you pay peanuts you get monkeys”.

“There’s been talk about that (full-time selectors) for a while now but nothing’s been done about it,”

“It’s a business, there’s no doubt about that, that’s just the way sport has gone. Being realistic it’s got to go that way, because you’re dealing with guys’ careers. This is not just me, there’s plenty of other guys out there as well who’ve gone through this. So maybe something good will come out of this situation.” He added.

Katich also admitted he considered his future in the game after being told of the decision not to renew his contract, but will now play on for New South Wales for the time being.

The 35-year-old played in 56 test matches with an average of over 45, and revealed his reaction when he heard the news.

“I’m extremely disappointed and frustrated with the decision I found out about on Tuesday but I also want to make it clear that I know I’m not the only player who has gone through this in the last couple of years due to inconsistent policies,” Katich said.

“I just hope that something good comes out of this situation because I actually think the decision that came on Tuesday was absolutely ridiculous.”

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However, when India field a second string side, especially with players picked from different state affiliations, the selectors have to exercise some degree of judgment. Back in 2005, the ICC assembled a World XI featuring the best players from the rest of the world to compete with Australia. The result – ROW were thrashed by 210 runs in a test match that ended well inside four days. This example is enough indication that packing a team with talent is merely not enough.

Cricket is not all about batting and bowling. There is a need for understanding while players run between wickets, between the captain and the bowler regarding field placements and between two batsmen in the center about the roles they have to play. This cannot happen until the team mates spend enough time together, bond well and understand each others’ games. Unfortunately, India have hardly had any time for that, with the West Indies tour beginning five days after the IPL.

The vociferous Mumbai (and Sachin) supporters who support Mumbai for Sachin and hate Chennai (and Dhoni) for no reason were made to eat humble pie for one another time. Nothing satisfies the ardent CSK supporter more than this.

So here are our observations from this year’s IPL:

• An increase in the number of teams has not increased the competitiveness of the games one bit. Delhi, Pune and Deccan did not turn up to this year’s IPL at all. With the proposed introduction of the Sri Lankan Premier League and the Pakistani Premier League, I am not sure if the IPL can sustain its sheen with four to five uncompetitive teams.
• The various franchises are finding it tough to pack their sides with 7 quality Indian players. In most of the franchises, uncapped Indian players form the weakest batting and bowling links. This is a worrying sign for the future of Indian cricket if the IPL was meant to be a breeding ground for prospective talent.
• Chennai Super Kings have demonstrated the need for stability for a team to win. Success invariably follows when there is trust and companionship in the dressing room.
• Much to the bewilderment of his detractors, Dhoni has showed us one more time what an astute captain he is. With no flashy/flamboyant players on his side, he still has produced a consistent side in the most inconsistent of formats.
• Sachin proved yet again how bad a captain he can be. He sticks to a plan and executes it even if the match situation is different to what he had planned for. His preoccupation with promoting Harbhajan Singh up the order, his frequent bowling changes, team selection (like playing a single non-spinner Harbhajan on a dry/slow Chennai surface) indicated glaring tactical errors. Though it would be unfair to say that his captaincy cost Mumbai Indians a place in the finals, it did play an important role. Mumbai Indians should seriously consider replacing him with a better captain for the Champions League.

The South African born batsman was forced to return home early from the World Cup earlier this year with a hernia as his team-mates struggled and were eventually dumped out of the tournament at the quarter final stage by Sri Lanka.

Pietersen was also adamant that he had done nothing wrong after he visited a nightclub having flown home for surgery while England were still in Asia.

Asked if he believed it was a mistake to visit the nightclub after he had flown home he responded: “Not at all. I don’t see why I can’t spend some time with friends and family members I have not seen all winter.”

“I was really, really down at the time and wherever I went, whatever I was going to do, it was going to make the papers. Would I do it again? Yes I would.” He added.

Pietersen also hit back at claims made by England coach Andy Flower that he was unhappy with his decision to return home.

“I was in ridiculous amounts of pain, trying hard to get through it game-by-game,” he said of his injury.”

“I was shocked (by Flower) because I knew the pain I was in, but it’s gone, I have dealt with all that kind of stuff. I don’t want to look back. He commented.

But now the 30-year-old insists he is desperate to prove his worth in an England batting line-up that many believe is the strongest in years, and still has the desire and hunger to play international cricket for the “next five years”

“I love cricket, cricket is my everything. I’m 30 years of age right now, what would I do tomorrow if I didn’t have cricket? I have only achieved half of what I’ve achieved in the game.” He explained.

“I want to get 10,000 Test runs, I’m only four or five hundreds away from having the most for an Englishman (22). I’m not far from what I want to achieve in the game.”

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The Three Lions have already identified big free bet favourite for the role Eoin Morgan as Collingwood’s ideal replacement but there are some other players on the county circuit, who are in form, and are giving the selectors food for thought ahead of naming their squad for the first Test of the summer against Sri Lanka, who knocked England out of the World Cup and eventually finished runners-up.

Morgan, currently playing T20 cricket in the Indian Premier League, will only have a short amount of time to adapt back to five-day cricket and Test match conditions as well as English conditions which are different to the ones found on the sub-continent. That may not work in the Middlesex left-handers favour and give others a chance to claim a spot in Andrew Strauss’ side.

Ravi Bopara has had a mixed Test match experience so far on England duty. Seen more as an ODI player, Bopara has had a mixed start to the season and may ahve to take a backseat for the Test series against the Sri Lankans.

Samit Patel has been on England’s radar before, admittedly in the one-day set-up, but after working on his fitness, looks like a player capable of seizing his opportunity. Patel is an accomplished County cricketer and has been a consistent performer for Nottinghamshire over the last few seasons with both bat and ball.

With Collingwood’s absence, England may look to a number six who can bowl and give the side more balance against world class batting line-ups. Patel’s spin bowling is high quality and has a five-wicket haul in ODI’s already to his name which could help him in his quest to break into the five-day side.

James Hildreth, who had a fantastic 2010, was earmarked as a potential replacement for Colly and has showed signs of class already this season. Hildreth backed up his credentials with a consistent tour with the England Lions in the winter and could be thrusted into the action if England decide against Morgan’s inclusion.

Other players that are in form and close to a call-up include Yorkshire pair Jonny Bairstow and Andrew Gale, in-form Varun Chopra and Hampshire opener Jimmy Adams.

Youngster Alex Hales looks set to miss out after breaking his jaw following an Ajmal Shahzad bouncer and bigfreebet long-shot Tom Maynard may be overlooked due to the fact he is playing Division Two cricket.

By Callum Dent

Here is what he has to say:

The Indian selection committee deserves to be commended for its collective ability to learn from its mistakes in the past and also for resisting the temptation to include the current flavours of the nation, who are the leading performers in the ongoing IPL.

The logic advanced by Raman does hold good when we consider the selection of Badrinath, Rohit Sharma and Parthiv Patel. The three have amassed a lot of runs in the domestic season this year and their call-up was only along expected lines. However, the trio have to wait for the retirements of Dravid and Laxman before they can break into the test XI. At the moment, the only vacancy remains in the No:6 slot with Raina, Yuvraj and Pujara already competing neck and neck for it.

Ishant Sharma has been a surprising inclusion to the ODI side. The lanky fast bowler has not yet been able to recreate the magic in ODIs that earned him laurels in Australia three years ago. Zaheer Khan regularly misses overseas ODI tournaments and his absence would hurt India’s chances significantly in this tournament. The return of Praveen Kumar is expected to bolster India’s seam bowling options. Considering the feeble bowling stocks available at our disposal (which were in exhibition in the recently concluded World Cup), India would be greatly benefitted if this tour throws open a couple of performers for the upcoming ODI series against England and Australia.

While carrying two wicketkeepers on overseas tours is not surprising, I am yet to be convinced that Wriddhiman Saha is the second best alternative to Parthiv Patel in the country. I strongly feel that the second keeper slot should have gone to Dinesh Karthik. Wriddhiman has not been making waves in the domestic circuit and Dinesh is miles ahead of him in terms of talent and international exposure.

It is equally unsurprising that Harbhajan has held on to his place in the ODI team. Considering the amount of cricket he has played this year, he should have joined the five players to ask the board for resting him. However, his recent form with the ball will not provide him that luxury.  Harbhajan is well aware of the fact that asking for rest would most likely lead to a situation where Ashwin and Mishra might permanently replace him in the team.

So here is the final XI XIV selected to tour West Indies for five ODIs and one T20 International:

Gautam Gambhir (captain), Suresh Raina, Parthiv Patel (wk), Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, S Badrinath, Rohit Sharma, Harbhajan Singh, R Ashwin, Praveen Kumar, Ishant Sharma, Munaf Patel, Vinay Kumar, Yusuf Pathan, Amit Mishra, Wriddhiman Saha (wk)

As a side note, consider joining the Facebook Group if you are a fan of ‘The Hindu Sportstar’ magazine.

When asked about what he would be missing about the IPL, an emotional Warne pointed out the bear hugs with Shilpa Shetty as significant.

When queried about the reason for his leaving midway through the tournament, he commented that he was not as good as Sourav Ganguly to play in the side as a captain alone, with his tongue firmly in his cheek.

Having played three full seasons for the Rajasthan Royals, it appears that Warne has made enough fortune to kickstart his Poker career in Los Angeles. He will also be permanent member of the Channel 9 commentary during the forthcoming Australian summer as the retirement of Sir Richie Benaud is expected to leave the channel with a bunch of jingoistic halfwits.

Shane Warne however has not denied the possibility of associating himself with the Royals in a coaching role for IPL 2012.

Strauss, who hit 158 to outshine Sachin Tendulkar in the World Cup, has decided to step down and give Cook the chance to prepare a side capable of doing better in the 2015 World Cup after this year’s disappointing campaign.
Cook has had some good scores for Essex this season in the one-day format but was thought to be next in line to replace Strauss as Test match captain rather than the limited overs side.

Cook’s career was flailing before the tour of Australia after struggling against Pakistan. He struggled for runs and the biggest danger as captain will be if the responsibility becomes too much for the left-hander and he struggles unlike Strauss who was really consistent at the top of the order.

England are keen on Cook to become the next Test match captain and after a successful tour of Bangladesh as skipper in Strauss’ absence, he now gets his chance tao learn his trade in the 50-over format.

With Stuart Broad’s appointment as Twenty20 captain, England head into a new era with three different skippers which is both exciting but risky at the same time.

The appointment could spell the end of Paul Collingwood’s international career after the Durham all-rounder retired from tests following the Ashes trip down under. He remains as a player but how he gets over his knee surgery will determine his future selection.

Broad replaces Collingwood, who led England to t20 glory in the West Indies, but is it the correct decision? Not many bowlers in the past have succeeded as captain and the paceman has temperamental issues that have hampered him in the past.

Despite that, Broad has matured and speaks very well to be thought of as a well-respected leader. The t20 format will stand him in good stead when he gets the nod for the one-day leadership as Cook is likely to replace Strauss as Test match skipper in the future.

Only time will tell but all three leaders are established, world-class cricketers and capable of leading their sides in the correct manner, and a free bet on their success is unlikely to go to waste. If the three-way approach works then England are due a very successful era as they look to establish themselves as the number one side in all formats of the game.

By Callum Dent

From my memory, the only reason he ever made it to the cricketing record books was for being Kapil Dev’s 434th test victim.

After years of hibernation, he has made a come back in this interview to Yahoo! cricket. In a rare display of aggression, he has vowed to take Sri Lankan cricketers to task for match fixing. Wait, we are not talking about the players who participated in the recently concluded World Cup Finals. According to Tillakaratne, there was some match played way back in 1992 where some Sri Lankan cricketers took money to underperform. None of those cricketers are a part of the team that plays for Sri Lanka today.

As you guessed, Hashan was not party to selling his game for a few cheap bucks. He is of the type who needs to be paid to perform. He did not find favour with the bookies because he was a born underperformer.