Fresh start for world champions

It's their first ODI assignment as world champions, and India are fielding a second-string team. The IPL has won out over West Indies in terms of player priority, but will the hosts be able to make the Indians pay for their decision? When India and West Indies played for the first time after their meeting in the 1983 World Cup final, the Indians were taught a bitter lesson in a 5-0 thrashing by the still pre-eminent team in world cricket then. Replicating that is beyond the present West Indies outfit, but they promise a closely-fought series, boosted by the return of Dwayne Bravo.

If the only Twenty20 international was anything to go by, the West Indies batting was vulnerable against spin, a continuation of its problems against the slow bowlers from the Pakistan series. The spin-friendly pitch at the Queen's Park Oval made it worse for them, and their woes could recur if the surface plays the same.

Afridi's lawyer wants transparent hearing

Shahid Afridi's legal counsel has said the PCB's disciplinary proceeding against Afridi is "a sham" and has called for a transparent hearing for its client, in which he "be given the opportunity to properly defend himself through counsel." The latest in a brief flurry of legal communication between Mandviwalla & Zafar Associates and the Pakistan board has upped the stakes of an individual player-board dispute, swiftly becoming the most significant of recent years.

As ESPNcricinfo had reported, Afridi had employed lawyers in a bid to resolve the dispute on June 2 (reported on June 3). The PCB replied on June 4, again outlining the violations Afridi committed, as well as raising serious concern about his accusations of a Punjab-Lahore "lobby" being behind his ouster.

West Indies v India, only Twenty20, Trinidad

India win tour opener despite early wobble

Rohith sharma hits it to pavilion

During a five-over spell of poor discipline, West Indies lost the tour opener, the only Twenty20 international in Port of Spain. Led by Darren Sammy's four-wicket haul, the hosts bossed India for 15 overs on a spinners' paradise, but then they dropped a catch, took a wicket off a no-ball, bowled a lot of length, and the 72 runs they conceded in the last five overs proved to be the deciding factor. With two specialists spinners handcuffing the chase, the West Indies batsmen never really threatened India's total, although they lost only two wickets in the first 15.3 overs.

West Indies had been much more clinical for the majority of the first half of the game. Two reprieved men, though, - Rohit Sharma, dropped on 8, and S Badrinath, caught off a no-ball on 25 and not given stumped on 36 - played crucial parts in those five overs that went for 72. India's first 72 had taken more than 12 overs on a Queen's Park Oval pitch that had been under covers for most of the week because of rain. It misbehaved profusely: a few deliveries took the top surface with them, and the spinners managed disconcerting turn even without giving the ball much air. To make it worse for India, it drizzled for about the first 12 overs of the innings, but not hard enough to send the players off. There were two massive boundary-less periods: 19 balls at the start and 32 in the middle.

Dilshan hundred gives Sri Lanka hope

Sri Lanka 231 for 1 (Dilshan 127*, Sangakkara 13*) trail England 486 (Prior 126, Cook 96, Morgan 79, Broad 54, Bell 52, Welegedara 4-122) by 255 runs

Even in good batting conditions, for a team who were bowled out for 82 five days ago to reach 231 for 1 when the opposition have amassed 486 shows they have plenty of fighting spirit. Tillakaratne Dilshan led the way for Sri Lanka at Lord's with an unbeaten captain's innings of 127, in a record opening stand of 207 alongside Tharanga Paranavitana, to ensure England toiled after enjoying a fine morning when Matt Prior hit 126.

Dilshan showed real emotion when he cut Steven Finn for his 11th boundary to raise Test hundred number 12, pumping his fist and punching the Sri Lankan badge. It has been a difficult week for the captain, who was at a loss to explain what happened on the final day in Cardiff, and his problems continued when England recovered from 22 for 3 in their first innings here. He doesn't have a huge amount of bowling resources on offer - the disappointing fielding will have been a greater annoyance - but where Sri Lanka should be able to compete is in the batting.

Afridi's legal counsel looks to resolve dispute

A legal firm acting on behalf of Shahid Afridi has sent the Pakistan Cricket Board a letter in a bid to resolve the on-going dispute between the two parties, sparked by his removal from the ODI captaincy, and his subsequent announcement of a "conditional" retirement.

The letter is not a legal notice, but attempts to expand on Afridi's contribution to Pakistan cricket and raises the issue of Hampshire, the county Afridi has been prevented from playing for after the board revoked his No-Objection Certificate (NOC), apart from suspending his central contract.

"A firm of lawyers acting on Afridi's behalf have sent the PCB a letter to try and resolve the issue," the player's manager Umran Khan told ESPNcricinfo. "The letter has gone into some depth in explaining the history of Afridi as a player, his contributions to Pakistan cricket and his global standing as a player. The Hampshire issue has also been raised. The club was terrific in organising the last ODI [between England and Pakistan] last summer."

Seniors deserved a break - Raina

Suresh Raina, who is India's captain for the limited-overs leg of the tour of West Indies, has admitted there will be huge expectations from his team despite the absence of some big names.

"[Being captain] is a great challenge to me and I'm really looking forward to that," Raina said on the team's arrival in the Caribbean. "We have good players who want to do well in this series. They have done well in first-class cricket and the IPL or in the World Cup team."

A huge test of Sri Lanka's resolve

Conjuring victories out of nowhere is the hallmark of an outstanding cricket team and England is certainly one of those. Their thrilling effort to bowl out Sri Lanka for 82 in 24.4 overs on the final afternoon in Cardiff secured their fifth innings victory in seven Tests. Regardless of the frailties in Sri Lanka's batting, it was a mind-boggling performance from Chris Tremlett, Graeme Swann and Stuart Broad.

It has set them up perfectly for the season and they will enter the second Test at Lord's with confidence soaring, especially as they started Cardiff with a hint of early-season rustiness to let Sri Lanka battle their way to 400. Then, though, things started slotting into place with a double-hundred from Jonathan Trott, another century for Alastair Cook and an effortless ton from Ian Bell.

Opportunity for fringe players - Raina

The absence of several senior players for the upcoming tour of the West Indies provides an ideal platform for fringe players to shine on the international stage, Suresh Raina, India's captain for the limited-overs leg of the Caribbean tour, has said.

"It's a great opportunity for the youngsters who have done well in domestic cricket," Raina told the media ahead of the team's departure for the West Indies. "I am happy with the side, as we have some very good batsmen in Rohit Sharma, Manoj Tiwary, S Badrinath and Shikhar Dhawan, all of whom have done well in first-class cricket."

Raina, has led a similarly second-string Indian side in the past, for a tri-series Zimbabwe in May-June 2010, though India performed poorly on that tour, losing both matches against the hosts and one against Sri Lanka.

Spin hard and believe, says Warne

Belief, technique, and above all else, spin. Shane Warne encapsulated the desired legacy of Terry Jenner by saying that all Australia slow bowlers had to be implored to 'rev' the ball as hard as they could, and to a build a career from that most basic of tenets.

Jenner's final farewell was attended by more than 600 guests in an emotive memorial service at Adelaide Oval, where the speakers included his daughter Trudianne, Warne, fellow pupil Cullen Bailey and Jenner's long-time partner Ann. Aged 66, Jenner died on May 25 in his suburban Adelaide home a little more than a year after suffering a massive heart attack while coaching in London.
Other guests such as Ian and Greg Chappell, Rod Marsh, Ashley Mallett, Doug Walters, Martin Kent, Ray Bright, Bryce McGain, Darren Lehmann, Jason Gillespie and the Australian coach Tim Nielsen reminisced about Jenner's impact on many inside and outside cricket over the course of a life that saw hard times as well as good.

PCB suspends Afridi contract

The PCB has responded to Shahid Afridi's retirement by suspending his central contract and putting together a showcause notice detailing several breaches of the code of conduct, which he will be expected to respond to within a week.

Announcing his retirement to a TV channel, the board said in a press release, was in itself a breach of Clause 2.1.4 of the Central Contract dealing with Covenants of the Cricketer.

Afridi's criticism of the board officials in the same interview to Geo TV also constituted a breach. "In passing disparaging remarks about the board and its officials, Shahid Afridi is in breach of Clause 4.4 dealing with Media obligations.