Ireland ought to play more often against the bigger teams because they’ve won their respect given how they’ve performed in this World Cup, coach Phil Simmons has said

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Mar-2011Ireland ought to play more often against the bigger teams because they’ve won their respect given how they’ve performed in this World Cup, coach Phil Simmons has said. Ireland failed to qualify for the quarter-finals, but beat England and challenged Bangladesh, India and West Indies in the run-up to their final game of the tournament, against Netherlands on Friday in Kolkata.”We need to play more games against big guys because they all have respect for us now,” Simmons said. “We can play against big guys. We now no longer play to compete only, but to win. I think the biggest improvement is that we come looking to win the game (against bigger sides) and planning how to win the game.”The disappointing feature of Ireland’s performance, Simmons said, was the fact that they didn’t finish off matches despite pushing some of the top teams close. Though they overcame England in a thrilling finish, they lost narrowly to Bangladesh in Mirpur and faltered in what was shaping up to be a fighting chase against West Indies. More experience of playing against the bigger teams was the key to improvement, according to Simmons.”It’s disappointing that we put ourselves in a position to win, but could not follow up. I think it shows that we need more games at this level to get us ready against big guys.”
Simmons admitted his team still had a long way to go to achieve Test status, but deserved to compete more often in the limited-overs formats. “We have been asking the ICC that we need more games. We are nowhere near Tests, but we sure can play one-day internationals and Twenty20 matches.”Ireland captain William Porterfield said the team’s batsmen need to step up. “In some of the games we put ourselves into winning positions. It would have been wonderful if we had a couple of wins under our belts,” he said. “We need to improve on a couple of areas in our batting. We have lost wickets in clusters in some of the matches, something we can’t afford to do against big teams.”Porterfield’s Netherlands counterpart, Peter Borren, said the game was significant as his team is yet to register a win in the competition. “Motivation is not difficult for us because we obviously have not had a win and hope to end on a high note,” he said. “Ireland has done well in the tournament and has been competitive, but if we go out there and win tomorrow, we will be making a statement.”

Northamptonshire captain Andrew Hall struck a magnificent century to put Kent to the sword on the second day of the County Championship Division Two clash at Wantage Road

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Apr-2011
Scorecard
Andrew Hall’s unbeaten hundred helped Northants build a sizeable lead•Getty Images

Northamptonshire captain Andrew Hall struck a magnificent century to put Kent to the sword on the second day of the County Championship Division Two clash at Wantage Road. Former South Africa international Hall’s superb knock of 141 not out off 239 balls included 14 fours and four sixes and is the 12th ton of his first-class career.He was part of a sixth-wicket partnership of 114 with wicketkeeper Niall O’Brien, who blasted 71 off 101 balls, which tilted the match firmly in Northamptonshire’s favour as they recovered from 124 for 5 to reach 429 for 7 at the close.They began the day on 86 for 3, 116 runs behind Kent, who they bowled out for just 202 yesterday, with Mal Loye resuming on 42 and David Sales on 14. Loye became the first batsman in the match to make a half-century, his coming off 131 balls, in the third over of the day. But he walked two overs later on 51 when he was trapped lbw by paceman Robbie Joseph and Sales later went in the same fashion for 31 off the bowling of Darren Stevens.Hall and O’Brien, both former Kent men, then made the first 50 partnership of the match between them as they guided their team to 187 for 5 at lunch. Hall ran two to put Northamptonshire ahead in the 79th over before Ireland international O’Brien reached 50 off 89 balls with a four smashed through cover.Joseph then claimed a vital breakthrough for Kent by pinning O’Brien lbw in the fourth over after the second new ball was taken. Hall went on to complete his half-century off 115 balls later in that over as he and Chaminda Vaas added 50 between them before tea to leave the hosts on 288 for 6.Hall was given a reprieve on 85 in the seventh over of the evening session when his attempted sweep off James Tredwell came off Kent wicketkeeper Geraint Jones and was dropped by Martin van Jaarsveld at slip. But Vaas (27) did not survive when he became the fifth Northamptonshire player to be given out lbw, this time off the bowling of Matt Coles, to end a
partnership of 77.Hall then reached his century off 211 balls with a four through extra cover off Coles before James Middlebrook reached 50 off 70 deliveries by launching Joe Denly for six over square leg.
The eighth-wicket pair added 114 runs between them with Middlebrook finishing the day unbeaten on 50 with the hosts utterly dominant.

Afghanistan will play three 50-over matches against Pakistan A this summer, and have invited Pakistan A to come to Afghanistan and play the inaugural match at the international stadium in Nangarhar

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Apr-2011Afghanistan will play three 50-over matches against Pakistan A this summer, and have invited Pakistan A to come to Afghanistan and play the inaugural match at the international stadium in Nangarhar. Afghanistan’s players will also be taking part in a domestic competition in Peshawar. The 50-over games against Pakistan A will be played in Lahore, Faisalabad and Rawalpindi.”Afghanistan will send its national team to Pakistan in July and play the Pakistan A team, and hopefully this will benefit our team,” Naseem Ullah Danish, chief executive of the Afghanistan Cricket Board, told . “We have also invited the Pakistan A team to Afghanistan for the inaugural match in Nangarhar where we have almost completed an international stadium.”There has not been any international cricket played in Pakistan since the Lahore attacks on Sri Lanka’s cricketers and support staff. Danish, however, said Afghanistan had no concerns about security. “Security is not an issue and by playing in Pakistan we want to send out a positive message to the world and hope that teams come to Pakistan and play here.”Afghanistan played Pakistan in the Asian Games in China in November last year, and pulled off an upset, albeit against a second-string Pakistan side.Cricket relations between the two countries are strengthening after a six-member delegation from the Afghanistan Cricket Board, including Danish, met PCB chairman Ijaz Butt on Friday. Butt pledged that Pakistan would provide any support needed to develop Afghanistan cricket and appointed Amir Nawab as a coordinator for Afghanistan.

Police in Pakistan said that they have arrested a number of bookmakers they believe to be behind the death threats made to Zulqarnain Haider

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Apr-2011Police in Pakistan said that they have arrested a number of bookmakers they believe to be behind the death threats made to Zulqarnain Haider, the former Pakistan wicketkeeper.According to local reports, police arrested up to eight men in Sialkot. “We have arrested eight bookies and some of them have revealed they were behind threats to Haider,” police official Nasir Qureshi told . “We have confiscated their data which has a number of international contacts and the investigation is still on. We have found a number of satellite telephones and diaries which have international contacts and we hope to get further details in the next 24 hours,” he added.Four of the arrested were produced before a local judge, according to the , who has placed them in three-day remand with the officers.Haider returned to Pakistan earlier this week from London, where he had fled last November after claiming to have been threatened by bookies in Dubai during Pakistan’s ODI series with South Africa. Haider left the team on the morning of the final ODI, without informing the team or board officials, and landed in London, where he immediately claimed asylum.But he revoked his asylum application and returned to Islamabad on Monday after being given security assurances by the Pakistan government. Days before his return, Haider said he had received more calls from people who threatened him should he return. At least one call was recorded and broadcast on local TV channels.Haider announced his retirement from the game in London and said on his return that he was still undecided over his playing future. He will first have to resume contact with the PCB and answer the questions a fact-finding committee set up by the board to look into his case had asked of him. A board official told ESPNcricinfo that numerous efforts had been made to get in touch with the player while he was in London, but that he hadn’t responded to them. In the last communication, Haider is understood to have told the PCB that he doesn’t want to speak to them about the matter, but when he arrived in Islamabad he said he would contact Ijaz Butt, the PCB chairman.

Jacques Kallis was named the South African Cricketer of the Year at a gala dinner in Johannesburg on Tuesday

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Jun-2011Jacques Kallis was named the South African Cricketer of the Year at a gala dinner in Johannesburg on Tuesday. Kallis and Pakistan-born legspinner Imran Tahir were the major winners on the night, taking home three Cricket South Africa awards each, while Hashim Amla won two.The awards commemorated the achievements of cricketers over the 2010-11 season, in which South Africa played an ODI series against Zimbabwe, a full home series against India and the World Cup, where they were knocked out in the quarter-finals.During the season, Kallis scored 821 runs in five Tests at an average of 136.83, including his first double-century. His ODI form was less prolific, he averaged 38.90 in 11 matches without scoring a hundred, and took 10 wickets at an average of 24.50. Kallis previously won the Cricketer of the Year award in 2004. His Test performances, which included five centuries, also earned him the Test Cricketer of the Year title, and his two hundreds in third Test against India in Cape Town in January won him the KFC ‘So Good’ award.Amla, who won five awards at last year’s event, was given both the players’ player and fans’ player titles, affirming him as a favourite in the game. He averaged 64.25 in five Tests this season, and was equally impressive in the limited-overs format, averaging 60.61 and scoring five centuries in the 20 ODIs he played.Jacques Kallis’ two centuries against India in Cape Town were ‘so good’•AFP

Tahir, who became eligible to play for South Africa in January and made his debut against West Indies in South Africa’s opening World Cup match, was named International Newcomer of the Year. In five ODIs, he took 14 wickets at an average of 10.71. Before being picked for South Africa, he played in five SuperSport Series matches and took 42 wickets at an average of 20.85, and topped the charts despite missing four games. That earned him the SuperSport Cricketer of the Year title. He was also identified as one of the most popular players and was voted by his peers as the Domestic Player of the Year.South Africa’s new ODI and Twenty20 captain, AB de Villiers, was named ODI Player of the Year. de Villiers averaged 56.68 in ODIs over the last season and was given the additional responsibility of keeping wickets.Lonwabo Tsotsobe was named Pro20 Player of the Year for his six wickets for 68 runs in three matches. Faf du Plessis, who topped the MTN40 run charts with 567 runs in 10 matches, with three centuries and at average of 81.00, was given the limited-overs title. Owais Shah, who helped the Cobras to the Pro20 title was awarded in the shortest format of the game. He scored 293 runs in eight matches and averaged 73.25 and beat former international fast bowler and leading wicket-taker in the competition, Makhaya Ntini, to the title.Richard Pybus, who was interviewed for the South African coaching position and lost out to Gary Kirsten, was the Coach of the Year. He scooped both the SuperSport Series and Pro20 titles with the Cobras and will accompany them to the Champions League in India later this year.List of awards:CSA Coach of the Year: Richard Pybus (Cape Cobras)CSA Umpire of the Year: Johan CloeteMTN40 Cricketer of the Year: Faf du Plessis (Titans)Standard Bank Pro20 Cricketer of the Year: Owais Shah (Cape Cobras)SuperSport Series Cricketer of the Year: Imran Tahir (Dolphins)CSA Fairplay Award: Chevrolet WarriorsDomestic Newcomer of the Year: Mohammed Yaseen Vallie (Cape Cobras)Saca MVP (Most Valuable Player) Award: Zander de Bruyn (Highveld Lions)Domestic Players’ Player of the Year: Imran Tahir (Dolphins)SA Newcomer of the Year: Imran TahirInternational Pro20 Cricketer of the Year: Lonwabo TsotsobeODI Cricketer of the Year: AB de VilliersTest Cricketer of the Year: Jacques KallisKFC “So Good!” Award: Jacques KallisCSA Fans’ Cricketer of the Year: Hashim AmlaSA Players’ Player of the Year: Hashim AmlaSA Cricketer of the Year: Jacques Kallis

Sussex batsman Murray Goodwin has been handed a one-match ban by an England and Wales Cricket Board disciplinary hearing despite already being reprimanded through his county’s internal disciplinary process

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Jul-2011Sussex batsman Murray Goodwin has been handed a one-match ban by an England and Wales Cricket Board disciplinary hearing despite already being reprimanded through his county’s internal disciplinary process. Goodwin’s charge was in relation to his conduct in three matches between April and July, where he was alleged to have shown dissent at umpiring decisions.Goodwin, 38, pleaded guilty to a breach of the ECB’s codes on conduct and behaviour and will now miss Sussex’s Friends Life t20 clash against Kent at Canterbury. In addition, he was ordered to pay £500 towards the costs of the hearing.He had initially been warned for his behaviour during the game against Essex at Hove last month and then reprimanded for hitting the ball to the boundary in frustration after being given out lbw in the Championship clash with Warwickshire at Arundel last week. Sussex warned Goodwin about his future conduct and also issued a fine, although this was suspended for two years as recognition of his service to the county and, until this season, his unblemished personal record.”I regret my actions on both occasions and accept that there can be no circumstances where such a reaction is acceptable,” Goodwin said, after being reproached by his club. “I have apologised to the umpires concerned, and the club, and accept the ruling handed down by the club. As players, we recognise our responsibility as role models for players at all levels and of all ages.”The matter was subsequently taken up by an ECB Cricket Discipline Commission Panel comprising Mike Smith, David Smith and Alan Moss, resulting in Goodwin’s ban. Sussex have made clear their unhappiness with this development, but admitted that it sent a strong message about the need to take on-field behaviour seriously.”As a club, we are disappointed by the outcome as we felt – in our own internal disciplinary process – that Murray’s previously good personal record, his apology to all umpires concerned, and his clear feeling of contrition merited a measure of leniency,” Sussex chief executive Dave Brooks said.”However, this ruling sends out a clear message to all the Counties and professional cricketers that such behaviour will be dealt with severely, and in a manner over and above the fixed penalty system. The consistent implementation of this policy should have the desired effect of arresting a slide in on field discipline, which Sussex CCC supports.”Sussex are still in the running for a place in the quarter-finals of the Friends Life t20 competition, and Goodwin’s enforced absence comes at a time when Rana Naved, Luke Wright, Wayne Parnell, Luke Wells and Kirk Wernars are also missing through injury.

New Zealand Cricket has named Mike Sandle manager of the national team, replacing Dave Currie who stepped down following the World Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Jul-2011New Zealand Cricket has named Mike Sandle manager of the national team. Sandle takes over from Dave Currie, who stepped down following the World Cup.Sandle, who has worked with the police for 24 years, has previously served as team manager with several rugby teams including the New Zealand Under-19s and Auckland Blues Super15s.John Buchanan, New Zealand’s director of cricket, said he was happy to have a manager of Sandle’s quality working with the team. “He is an experienced manager who will have the respect of the players,” he said in a board release. “Along with John Wright will help create an environment where the team can succeed.”Sandle’s first assignment with the team will be the two-match Test series against Australia that begins on December 1 in Brisbane.

England “need to learn to win in one-day cricket” as they have what it takes to emulate the dominance of West Indies in the 1970-80s and Australia in the 2000s, says Nasser Hussain

Sharda Ugra03-Sep-2011England “need to learn to win in one-day cricket,” after their elevation to the No. 1 Test ranking, as they have what it takes to emulate the multi-format dominance of West Indies in the 1970-80s and Australia in the 2000s, says Nasser Hussain.England’s up-and-down form in the ODI game, Hussain said in an exclusive interview to ESPNcricinfo, had to do with how they “prioritised Test cricket, a little bit like India have of late, prioritised one-day cricket. They need a good World Cup just so that the kids in England look at it and say, alright we can play one-day cricket.”I think it’s going to be very important, the next World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, for England. It is very difficult [to build dominance] but what this England side have now – what that Australian side had – is strength and depth.”Hussain expected the ODI series between India and England, which began at Durham on Saturday, to be closely contested. “One-day cricket has been a lot more about individual brilliance, a lot more about raw talent. Historically England have produced good, solid technical batsmen but you wouldn’t say they have produced massive hitters of the ball, or people who can be innovative with the bat, or have weird actions with the ball, spin it both ways or reverse swing it. We’ve been a little bit too English, if you like, a little bit too orthodox. I think what wins you one-day games is a little bit of unorthodox and some individual brilliance. We’ve always lacked that.”England’s ODI side was remodelled after the 2011 World Cup and is now led by Alastair Cook who began his full-time role with a 3-2 series win against Sri Lanka. Hussain said flair players were now coming through more frequently. “We’re starting to produce those cricketers, albeit with a bit of foreign imports, a few South African imports, but it’s still an English side. Guys like Eoin Morgan, an Irish import or whatever you want to call it. Like [Jade] Dernbach, he’s got unusual variations with the slower ball and he’s unorthodox – so its starting to go a down that road now.”Because of the strength and depth in the squad, and the manner in which they are handled, Hussain believes England can have sustained success across formats. “They are all of the right age and are well looked after. The challenge is not to do what they did in 2005, when they got giddy and thought they’ve climbed their Everest and that’s it, we’ve done it. I don’t think this lot will do it.”England’s next target, Hussain said, was coming up in the subcontinent winter, when they will play ODIs in India, a Test series against Pakistan in the UAE and a Test series in Sri Lanka. “Going there and winning is the next thing,” said Hussain, who captained England to victory in both Pakistan and Sri Lanka in 2000-01. “England have got a lot of tours coming up in the subcontinent in both forms of the game. In Test cricket, it’s a completely different brand of cricket. Look at Jimmy [Anderson] bowling in the World Cup, and Jimmy bowling here now. Their biggest challenge is going to be finding that second spinner, whether it’s going to be Monty [Panesar] or Samit Patel or someone like that, [and finding] reverse swing bowlers.”Away from the subcontinent, Hussain said South Africa were England’s biggest challenger for the No.1 spot in Tests. “South Africa are a threat, they rely heavily on [Morne] Morkel and [Dale] Steyn. Imran Tahir is a very useful addition to them. They are a good side but I still fancy England. If you had all of the Pakistan team available and all fit, and none of the politics, and none of the going around in circles with captains and all that, with their bowling attack, they would be a threat to world cricket but unfortunately that’s not the case.”The full interview with Nasser Hussain will appear on ESPNcricinfo next week.

ESPNcricinfo’s preview of the second Test between Sri Lanka and Australia in Pallekele

The Preview by Brydon Coverdale07-Sep-2011

Match facts

Sri Lanka need more from their captain, Tillakaratne Dilshan•PA Photos

September 8-12, Pallekele
Start time 10:00 (04:30 GMT, 14:30 EST)

Big Picture

Australia surprised many people by outplaying Sri Lanka in their own conditions in Galle, even if the dusty pitch did mean the toss played a significant role in the outcome. Now, Michael Clarke can rack up his first series victory if the team backs up with another strong performance in Pallekele. It’s nearly 18 months since the Australians have won a Test series, the last time being on their tour of New Zealand in March 2010. Much has changed for Clarke since then; on that trip, he was followed by tabloid reporters and TV cameras after his much-publicised break-up with Lara Bingle. In one sense, those days must seem a lifetime ago for Clarke, but he’s also acutely aware that he hasn’t made a Test century since that New Zealand series. But his second-innings 60 was key to Australia’s victory in Galle, and he certainly outperformed his opposing captain, Tillakaratne Dilshan.Dilshan was the prime culprit in Sri Lanka’s top-order failure in the first Test. In the first innings he was caught slashing wildly in the second over and in the second innings he disregarded the difficult conditions and left an enormous gate between bat and pad, and was not surprisingly bowled by a ball that jagged back off the seam. It was not a sight that would have impressed one of Dilshan’s captaincy predecessors, Arjuna Ranatunga, who dished out a stinging rebuke to the team in the wake of the defeat.”I’m not really sure if [Sri Lanka] are focused enough to play the longer version,” Ranatunga told the Sydney Morning Herald. “I am very disappointed with the commitment of most of the players, in particular I am really worried about a couple of the batsmen and their commitment to the longer version of the game. I think we look much better than Australia on paper, but they are more committed.” Ranatunga went on to describe the non-selection of Ajantha Mendis in Galle as “unbelievable”, although it seems likely Mendis will play in Pallekele.Australia will make one change, with Ricky Ponting having flown home for the birth of his second child. That means a Test debut for Shaun Marsh, 28, who will become Australia’s 422nd Test cricketer. His father, the opening batsman Geoff Marsh, is the owner of baggy green No. 333.Also quite new to Test cricket is the venue itself. The Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, built for the World Cup, is one of the most picturesque of Test venues, set in the rolling hills just outside Kandy. It’s only previous Test was between Sri Lanka and West Indies in December, and it was so badly affected by rain that not even the first innings of the match could be completed.

Form guide

(Most recent first)
Sri Lanka LDDLD
Australia WLLWL

In the spotlight

After his performance in Galle, one man will really be in the spotlight in this second Test: Tillakaratne Dilshan. The captain of Sri Lanka let his side down with his approach to batting, but he is a proven Test match performer. His challenge in Pallekele is not only to lead from the front with the bat, but to marshal his troops in the field in such a way as to keep the pressure on the Australian batsmen in conditions that shouldn’t suit them.Ryan Harris is the kind of bowler any captain would want in his team. He keeps going all day, finds movement in the air and off the pitch and most importantly, he takes bags of wickets. In the second innings in Galle, he picked up his second five-wicket haul in six Tests, in addition to the three five-fors he’s managed in a 17-match ODI career. Harris nearly 32 and has a chronic knee problem, but for now he’s one of the most important men in Australia’s side.

Team news

Although it was Sri Lanka’s batsmen who let them down in the first innings in Galle, it’s in the bowling department that changes are most likely. The decision to leave out Mendis, whose varieties baffled some of the Australians in the one-day series, was a strange one, and he should get his opportunity this time. Suraj Randiv could be the man to make way, after he was comfortably outbowled by Rangana Herath in the first Test. And on the day before the Test, Chanaka Welegedara was struggling with a knee injury, which meant Shaminda Eranga was a chance to debut after his impressive efforts in the ODI series.Sri Lanka (possible) 1 Tillakaratne Dilshan (capt), 2 Tharanga Paranavitana, 3 Kumar Sangakkara, 4 Mahela Jayawardene, 5 Thilan Samaraweera, 6 Prasanna Jayawardene (wk), 7 Angelo Mathews, 8 Suranga Lakmal, 9 Rangana Herath, 10 Ajantha Mendis, 11 Chanaka Welegedara / Shaminda Eranga.Australia have already confirmed their starting line-up, with the only change being Marsh to replace Ponting at No.3. That means the minimum possible disruption to the batting line-up, with Usman Khawaja to stay at No.6, although as a top-order player for New South Wales he’d probably have enjoyed being promoted.Australia 1 Shane Watson, 2 Phillip Hughes, 3 Shaun Marsh, 4 Michael Clarke (capt), 5 Michael Hussey, 6 Usman Khawaja, 7 Brad Haddin (wk), 8 Mitchell Johnson, 9 Ryan Harris, 10 Trent Copeland, 11 Nathan Lyon.

Pitch and conditions

After the pitch in Galle was reported to the ICC by the match referee, a more equitable surface is expected in Kandy. The grass will be shaved off, but more moisture is likely, meaning no clouds of dust on the first day, while the assistance for the spinners may not arrive until later in the game.

Stats and trivia

• Shaun Marsh and his dad Geoff will become only the second father-son combination to play Test cricket for Australia, after Ned Gregory, who was part of the very first Test match in 1877, and his son Syd, who played the last of his Tests in 1912
• Marsh’s inclusion means Australia will have had five debutants in three Tests, stretching back to the Sydney Ashes Test. But it’s not the first time that’s happened recently: five baggy greens were handed out in the space of two Tests against South Africa in early 2009
• Mahela Jayawardene has drawn level with Don Bradman on the list of most centuries in Test cricket, with 29.

Quotes

“To win the first Test at Galle in such difficult conditions was a wonderful achievement, but to win the second Test in Kandy will be a greater challenge. Over the past year or so we have performed well in the first Test of a series only to fall away in the second.”
“In the last two days we’ve had good training sessions, everyone is ready to play their part in this match. I think we have the confidence [to bounce back], everyone is good mentally.”

Darren Sammy, the West Indies captain, has said the two-match Twenty20 series against England next week could help his side in the build-up to the 2012 World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Sep-2011Darren Sammy, the West Indies captain, has said the two-match Twenty20 series against England next week could help his inexperienced side in the build-up to the 2012 World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka.”These two matches present us with a chance to look at players as we prepare for the ICC T20 World Championship in Sri Lanka next year,” Sammy said. “Some young players have been given this golden opportunity to show what they can do. The selectors have identified the players they want to look at.”With at least seven first-choice players missing out due to Champions League T20 commitments, West Indies are going into the series with a new-look squad. The absentees include Chris Gayle, Kieron Pollard, Dwayne Bravo, Darren Bravo, Lendl Simmons, Adrian Barath and Ravi Rampaul. While the first three haven’t been included in West Indies’ Twenty20 teams earlier in the year as well since they skipped the domestic Twenty20 tournament, the latter four are representing Trinidad & Tobago in the Champions League.The new faces in the 14-man squad include batsmen Miles Bascombe and Johnson Charles, allrounder Nkruma Bonner and wicketkeeper Derwin Christian, while Dwayne Smith and Marlon Samuels are making comebacks.The England series, Sammy said, could set the tone for West Indies’ upcoming season. “This series signals the start of our overseas campaign for this year and we want to start our travels on a winning note.” Following the Twenty20s, West Indies travel to the subcontinent for series against Bangladesh and India.England have been in prime form this summer, enjoying success against Sri Lanka, before routing India in all formats. However, Sammy said he was confident of his side’s chances. “The players are working very hard as we prepare for the upcoming matches in England. The vibe among the players in the group is great. England have been playing some very good cricket in all three formats of the game and we know we face a major challenge in this series.”But we have some very confident players who are eager to prove themselves and give their utmost for the people of the West Indies. There is a lot to be gained by performing in this short series. We have our plans on how we aim to play against England and what we aim to get out of the series.”The Twenty20s are scheduled for September 23 and 25 at The Oval in London.