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N Srinivasan, the BCCI president, has said the Indian board will not prepare rank turners for home Tests

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Jan-2012N Srinivasan, the BCCI president, has said the Indian board will not prepare rank turners for home Tests. His comments were made last week, before Gautam Gambhir said India should prepare turners to level the playing field.Speaking on , Srinivasan also said that he was confident the Indian team would bounce back in next month’s ODI tri-series against Australia and Sri Lanka.”Our aim is to give fair wickets and not one-sided ones,” he said on being asked whether Indian pitches should be tailored to back the spinners, traditionally one of the team’s strengths. Over the past few years, Indian Test surfaces have generally been slow and low, and produced lots of runs.India have a strong home record, losing only two Tests over the past five years, but are currently on a seven-Test losing streak overseas. Srinivasan insisted that India would not be content with home wins and wanted more away victories. “The intention, whenever our team goes out, is definitely to win. There is no such intention and neither will the BCCI be satisfied with a win at home,” he said. “Not at all. It is our earnest endeavour to win whether at home or outside.”Srinivasan also strongly denied that an overloaded cricket calendar was the reason for India’s poor performance. “If you take the last three years, England and Australia have played more number of days of international cricket than India has. I am including that [the IPL]. And also excepting M S Dhoni, nobody else has played all the days of international cricket.”

Phillip Hughes will spend the entire 2012 season at Worcestershire after extending his contract with the county

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Jan-2012Phillip Hughes will spend the entire 2012 season at Worcestershire after extending his contract with the county. Hughes, the 23-year-old Australia opener who was dropped from the Test team after a disappointing series against New Zealand, had originally agreed to join Worcestershire in June but has now agreed to arrive in the UK at the start of April.The attractions of the relationship are obvious to both parties. Hughes, whose technique has been exposed somewhat at international level, will have plenty of opportunity to learn to deal with the moving ball in English conditions, while Worcestershire’s brittle batting will be boosted by the addition of a player good enough to have scored two centuries in a Test against a formidable South African attack. Hughes’ presence at New Road for the entire season will also alleviate the disruption sometimes caused by the short-term nature of many modern overseas player contracts.”We are delighted to have available a player of Phil’s stature for the whole 2012 season,” said Worcestershire’s director of cricket, Steve Rhodes. “This was our original plan when we first set out in search of Phil’s signature and it will give the dressing room a real boost. Having spoken to Phil he views playing a full English season as a fantastic opportunity to score plenty of runs and in turn, it is hoped this will bring success to the team. We are looking forward to him joining up with the squad at the start of April for what will be an exciting 2012 season.”Hughes also expressed his delight. “I’m thrilled to have been able to agree terms with Worcestershire to extend my 2012 contract to the full county season,” he said. “I haven’t played a full season of domestic cricket for more than two years and I can’t wait to get to England and meet my new team-mates. I’ve heard so many positive things about their structure, environment and wicket which are all really favourable for what I want to achieve in the coming 12 months.”Meanwhile Gareth Andrew will miss the start of the season after undergoing knee surgery. Andrew, the 28-year-old all-rounder, who finished the 2011 season second in county cricket’s Most Valuable Player ratings, underwent micro-fracture treatment in early December. Worcestershire do not expect him to be match fit until late May.

Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers might well have batted Australia out of the Wanderers Test, according to South Africa opener Jacques Rudolph

Firdose Moonda at the Wanderers19-Nov-2011Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers might well have batted Australia out of the Wanderers Test, according to South Africa opener Jacques Rudolph. The pair came together with South Africa having slipped to 90 for 3, effectively 60 for 3 because of their deficit, but their unbroken 139-run partnership has put South Africa in a winning position.”When we lost the first three wickets upfront, you still felt a little bit like the game was balanced on a knife edge,” Rudolph said. “But I thought those two [Amla and de Villiers] almost took it away from the Australians.”South Africa only need a draw to win the two-Test series and claim their first series win over Australia at home since readmission. However, Rudolph, as well as assistant coach Russell Domingo, said the team is still targeting a clean sweep of the visitors. They have been in discussion about what a comfortable enough lead would be.”I was speaking to Jacques Kallis and he also said that if we get anything around 300, it’s a competitive score and the Aussies will still be in with a chance,” Rudolph said. “Around 350 or 400, will be a good score. Tomorrow morning we’ve got 11 overs before the second new ball, which might give Hashim and AB a chance to get in and set up another good one or two sessions.” Rudolph said South Africa hoped to be “bowling in the afternoon” to give themselves enough time to dismiss Australia.Domingo said South Africa’s task will be to accumulate runs briskly on the fourth morning. “It’s a long way from looking at declarations. We know it’s generally a quick scoring ground here, so scoring runs tomorrow morning is going to be crucially important,” he said. “How much we set them and if we declare or don’t declare is not on anyone’s mind at the moment, it’s just to have enough to give us a good chance of winning the Test match.”With the pitch remaining a good strip for batting, Domingo said South Africa cannot afford to “be stupid” about the size of the target they set Australia. “We have to give the bowlers enough runs to [be able to employ] carry a third slip and the gully,” he said. “At a place like the Wanderers, where scores can be chased down because of the nature of the outfield and the altitude, we’ve got to be clever about what type of carrot we are going to dangle, if we are going to dangle a carrot.”Although the strip remains batsmen-friendly, something is also expected to be in it for the bowlers throughout the match. Rudolph said the result may hinge on which side have the more patient attack. “It [the track] has proven that if you just stick to the one area, there is enough in it for the bowlers. So it will come down to the bowler who will be willing to do that the most consistently.”Australia’s bowlers, barring Patrick Cummins, struggled on the third day. Siddle bowled well but was unable to make a breakthrough, and Mitchell Johnson shortened his run-up without devastating effects. Shane Watson said the bowlers are aware that they will need to find some extra spark, because they do not expect a favour, in the form of a sporting declaration, from South Africa. “We’re going to have to bowl them out, there’s no way they are going to let us in,” he said. “If we were in the position they are in, we’d be doing the same thing.”Watson said Australia will be up for the task, whatever it is. “If a few guys have a really good day, it means we can chase down a big total,” he said.Wet weather may thwart both teams’ plans, with rain forecast for most of the fourth day. Domingo said South Africa have not been keeping an eye on the clouds, though, and will stick to their plan of playing positively. “Our mindset will be to look to win, not to depend on weather to save [win] a Test series.”

Elton Chigumbura was the surprise inclusion in Zimbabwe’s 14-strong squad for the one-day series against Pakistan

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Sep-2011Allrounder Elton Chigumbura was the surprise inclusion in Zimbawe’s one-day squad for the series against Pakistan after missing out on the one-off Test because of a knee injured that required an MRI to diagnose the extent of the problem. The squad is essentially the same one that beat Bangladesh 3-2, but there were two changes – Chamu Chibhabha, who was in the Test squad, replaced the injured Keegan Meth while Forster Mutizwa missed out as only 14 players were included.Chigumbura did not play the Test against Pakistan after failing to recover from a bruise he sustained on his left knee during the penultimate ODI against Bangladesh on August 19. He played the final ODI of the series on August 21 with the injury. Subsequently Zimbabwe’s physio, Amato Machikicho, said a scan had been requested so a definitive diagnosis and recovery timetable could be specified for Chigumbura’s condition.Mutizwa played all five games against Bangladesh, and made an unbeaten 27 in the first match to help Zimbabwe overhaul a modest target of 184. But he struggled to make an impact in the rest of the series, ending up with a total of 65 runs at an average of 21.66 and a strike-rate of 59.63.Meanwhile Meth, who was hit on flush on the mouth in his follow-through during the final one-dayer against Bangladesh, losing four teeth and suffering lacerated lips, faces a three-month wait for the bones in his jaw to heal before he can undergo reconstructive surgery. There was also no place for opener Tino Mawoyo, who became just the third Zimbabwe batsman to carry his bat when he made 163 in the first innings of the Test against Pakistan.Zimbabwe squad: Brendan Taylor (capt), Regis Chakabva, Elton Chigumbura, Craig Ervine, Kyle Jarvis, Hamilton Masakadza, Christopher Mpofu, Ray Price, Vusi Sibanda, Tatenda Taibu (wk), Prosper Utseya, Brian Vitori, Malcolm Waller, Chamu Chibhabha

Somerset have been fined, and captain Marcus Trescothick handed a suspended two-match ban, for repeated player disciplinary breaches

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Jul-2011Somerset have paid a heavy price for player indiscipline after an ECB disciplinary commission fined them fined £5,000, £1000 of which was suspended for 12 months, and handed captain Marcus Trescothick a two-match suspension, itself suspended for a period of 12 months. An “embarrassed and apologetic” club were also asked to pay £500 towards the cost of the hearing itself.It could well have been worse for them, however, as in recent weeks both Sussex and Essex have suffered enforced player suspensions, with Murray Goodwin and James Foster the players found to have breached the disciplinary codes and subsequently banned.A Cricket Discipline Commission Panel made up of Mike Smith, Alan Wadey and Peter Jewell convened to hear charges brought by the ECB against both the county, in respect of five separate occasions when cricketers registered with them were found guilty of fixed penalty offences in a 12-month period, and Marcus Trescothick, who was captain when all the offences took place.The panel took into consideration both Somerset’s own internal disciplinary procedures and the fact that Trescothick himself had not been directly involved in any of the offences, had an exemplary disciplinary record over a period of 19 years and had attempted to instil good discipline within his team.The panel decided, however, that ultimately the number of separate incidents was unacceptable and that the regulations place a high responsibility on the captain in respect of the conduct of his players, a statement from them adding that Trescothick “had been let down by his team”.This most recent example of punishments handed out over player indiscipline comes in the week when the Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA), the ECB umpires’ manager and senior English umpires met in an attempt to quell the recent spate of poor behaviour in county cricket which had already led to two leading players – Goodwin and Foster – being suspended.

Jason Gillespie has revealed the depths of his frustration at being placed in cricket purgatory after his dalliance with the ICL.

Daniel Brettig03-Jun-2011Jason Gillespie has revealed the depths of his frustration at being placed in cricket purgatory after his dalliance with the ill-fated Indian Cricket League.Two years after the ICL folded, Gillespie has been granted an official coaching position in Australia, as an assistant on the A tour of Zimbabwe in July. He will then stay on in the African nation for his second year with the Midwest Rhinos, who offered him the chance to coach at a time when few others seemed interested.Gillespie will offer plenty of knowledge of the country, and of bowling, while also seeking to smooth his own coaching skills alongside the likes of the Centre of Excellence head coach Troy Cooley and the tour manager Brian McFadyen. He is happy and excited to be back in the Australian fold, but the bitterness of the ICL and its aftermath has not been forgotten.”I’ve got no doubt about it, it certainly held me back,” Gillespie told ESPNcricinfo. “When I signed with the ICL I had the blessing of everyone and I was actually indecisive about whether I would come back to play first-class cricket for South Australia the next year.”The opportunity came along to play the shortest form of the game, it was financially beneficial, there was a bit of a coaching element too and a number of the overseas players were to be involved in commentary. Once that all fell away, to be thought of as a rebel and in such a negative light, especially after playing first-class cricket for years and also for Australia, I just thought it was a bit … I was disappointed.”Gillespie and others were caught up in political machinations beyond their immediate comprehension, made worse when the ICL crumbled and left scores of players, coaches and support staff out of pocket.”It’s always been good intentions from Cricket Australia but I think it was also about not wanting to upset people. I must admit it got to me and I was upset, I was upset with the world for a while there,” Gillespie said. “In hindsight I didn’t realise how much we were going to be ostracised, basically for playing cricket, but then I resigned myself to the fact it was a much bigger issue than that.”I’ve moved on, but it took me a while to move on. I was pretty upset and I vented my frustration a few times, but it was more the frustration at the competition I’d signed for collapsing than what happened in Australia. It was a bitter pill to swallow.”Since then Gillespie has applied for bowling coach roles with South Australia and Australia, on both occasions being told that he would need to accumulate more experience as Joe Dawes (SA) and Craig McDermott (CA) won the posts.”I’ve applied for a couple of jobs, I’m Australian and long-term would be looking to do something in Australia, but for the next few years I’ve realised that I need to go and get experience somewhere else,” Gillespie said. “Zimbabwe has been a great learning curve for me and I’ll forever be indebted to the Rhinos for giving me a chance.”I’ve been told in interviews that I just need to go and get more experience, which is fine, I’ve absolutely no problem with that. I’ve coached in Zimbabwe and coached in the IPL, but other than the SA country side I’ve got no experience in Australian cricket as a coach and it’s nice to make a start.”As for Zimbabwe, Gillespie saw evidence of the progress made in cricket, which falls within the remit of the MDC-aligned sport minister David Coltart, during his first summer with the Rhinos.”There’s a couple of things that can still be improved, but the thing you’ve got to remember is that Zimbabwe cricket has basically started a first-class competition from scratch in the past few years,” Gillespie said. “But there’s a real desire to improve and build that competition, and it was really exciting to be over there and be involved in that.”In Zimbabwe there was a lot of excitement when they heard that Australia A were touring, and talking to Alan Butcher the Zimbabwe coach they’re seeing it as a wonderful opportunity for the team to play against an Australian unit.”Gillespie said parts of the country had changed markedly from the strange world he glimpsed from inside the Australian team bus during a brief but bleak 2004 tour.”It was a bit of a bubble we were in in 2004 and I have to say that living there day to day is very different to a cricket tour,” he said. “The main thing people would ask about is ‘did you feel safe’ and ‘is it a safe place’, and we can certainly say that it is safe. My wife has actually told a number of people that in Harare she felt just as safe as she would have in Adelaide.”

MS Dhoni says that India’s young players should not put pressure on themselves as they will gain experience whether or not they get big scores

Sriram Veera in Barbados27-Jun-2011Finally, beach cricket has been spotted in the Caribbean. They say cricket is disappearing off the streets and beaches but one needs to visit the West Indies to see just how alarming the situation is. In the Trinidad streets it was about music, Antigua was a big village with some pretty beaches, Jamaica wore its heart on its streets. Barbados, though, fits the outsider’s perception about the Caribbean. Beach. Music. And cricket.And bounce. Barbados also promises to present the cricket pitch with the most bounce in the West Indies. The Kensington Oval, re-built before the 2007 World Cup, is a pretty stadium. It is modern and there might be those who lament changing the original ground, but the structure as it stands today looks nice. The curator says it will definitely be a result pitch. MS Dhoni, the India captain, agrees. India are thinking of going with three seamers. Munaf Patel bowled for a long time in the nets and was at his accurate best, extracting bounce from a length.It’s not the bowling but the batting that presents a few concerns for India. M Vijay is yet to click, Abhinav Mukund is yet to settle in, Virat Kohli has a point to prove, Dhoni needs a score, and Suresh Raina, despite his 82 at Sabina Park, will know that the West Indies seamers will come hard at him. The pitch should suit VVS Laxman’s style of play and it will be a surprise if he doesn’t get runs here.The Indian camp seems pretty relaxed though. They have practised hard; their training sessions have extended past three hours at times. Even while still in Kingston, they used the extra day after the four-day finish to practise on the centre pitch. Duncan Fletcher, the coach, hovers around, often getting into a one-on-one chat with a batsman, Eric Simons, the bowling coach, does his job, and Trevor Penny, the fielding coach, tells anecdotes and cricket stories to some of the youngsters. It looks and feels like a happy camp. Winning can do that.”Enjoy your cricket” is a bit of a mantra with this Indian team and Dhoni spoke a bit about his approach to handling the youngsters and how he tries to put them at ease. “Most of my chats with them are informal,” Dhoni said. “I don’t believe in calling someone and having a big chat because that puts a lot of added pressure on them. If somebody is doing something or involved in fielding practice then a little chit-chat at that time helps because it’s informal and doesn’t add any pressure.”Players like Abhinav Mukund will gain from playing Test cricket•Associated PressHow does he help the youngsters handle the pressure? Someone like Vijay could sweat over the lack of runs. Abhinav might put himself under pressure thinking he has to show his worth with a big score before Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir return. Kohli might think he needs to show he can play the short ball. These are all possibilities but Dhoni was confident that such insecurities won’t slip into the minds of the youngsters.”What is important is to not get desperate to score runs because then you just put pressure on yourself. Test cricket is different. There is a bit of extra pressure compared to the ODIs or the T20 format. It is very important to relax and enjoy the game.”Dhoni also said that, whether they succeeded or not, some of the young players who are in the squad as replacements for regular members will gain from the experience of playing international cricket. “At the end of the day, they will be winners because they are getting a fair amount of exposure to international cricket. Of course we will have our regular openers -Gambhir and Sehwag – back. But the youngsters would have seen what international cricket is, and how players score runs in these big matches. They will know what they need to improve on. So overall it’s a big positive for us.”Dhoni said he doesn’t try to fit the players into a framework. “Every character is different in and that’s what we respect in this side. Everyone is free to be himself. We don’t want anyone to change in a big way. For a fraction of time you can change yourself but if you are going to be in the team for a long time, then we need to accept each and every individual in the way they are.”The way the [young] guys have conducted themselves on and off the field has been a big positive and I think they are learning a lot out of these games. Hopefully, the youngsters will back up their efforts so far in this match.”

South Africa determined to pressurise Bangladesh from the outset says captain

Firdose Moonda in Mirpur18-Mar-2011When a 22-year-old Graeme Smith was given the biggest job in South African cricket, Dhaka was the venue of his first assignment. He had to lead the side to a seven-match tri-series involving the hosts and India, in which South Africa won three of the four round-robin matches they played. The final, between South Africa and India, was washed out.Now, eight years on, Smith is ending his tenure as captain and one of the stops on his last assignment is Dhaka. He seems to have fond memories of the place where it all began. “It was a bit up and down at the start, but in the last four years or so I’ve really felt in control,” he said. “From around 2008, I’ve seen us reap rewards and begun to understand what’s required of me. I’ve had a team that I felt I could really say is mine.”It’s interesting that Smith should pick 2008 as the time when things began changing. That was time enough after South Africa’s Caribbean World Cup semi-final exit to have a fresh look at the one-day set-up and left time enough to build before the tournament’s next edition. In between that they had major Test series to concentrate on as well, and won in England and Australia while drawing in India. They ended up losing the ODI series’ that followed those Test wins but 2008 marked the start of South Africa playing to plans, a phrase that encompasses various things we’ve seen at this World Cup. Like rotating players within the squad to suit conditions and targeting specific players in calculated ways.It’s involved doing a lot of homework, but almost all of it has paid off. When Smith opened the bowling with an offspinner to Chris Gayle, he had him out within three balls. When he opened with a left-arm spinner to Kevin Pietersen, the same happened. They wanted to target the Indians bowlers in the Powerplay and the way they batted in that period won them the match. Similar research has been done for the match against Bangladesh.Smith looked like an eager school kid as he reeled off the things he had learnt about Bangladesh so far. “We’ve seen that they have averaged 40 to 41 overs of spin with the ball, so we expect a lot of that. They have seven left handers and play well on the front foot but if we can put pressure on them from the start, they don’t have a huge confidence base.”Smith emphasised that even though South Africa have qualified for the quarter-finals, they are not going to slack off. It has nothing to do with the win that Bangladesh earned over South Africa in the 2007 World Cup. “There is no added emotion from our perspective and no revenge talk,” Smith said. “Four years it a lot of time to let things go.”What there might be is an eagerness to show how much they have improved from that day in Guyana, when a confident 87 from Mohammed Ashraful and a strangling bowling performance from Shakib Al Hasan and Abdur Razzak saw South Africa bowled out for 184, chasing 252.”We used to rely on brute force in the past, but we are more subtle now,” Smith said. The spinners, for a start, have added to the finesse. All three frontline spinners, Imran Tahir, Robin Peterson and Johan Botha, have been among the wickets but, as is the nature of their trade, it’s out-thinking the batsman that has done the trick more than scaring them. Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers have scored picture-perfect centuries and JP Duminy a gritty 99.They’ve been “street-smart” as Smith likes to call it but that doesn’t mean their bullying days are done. Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel can bruise teams upfront, and given that South Africa are determined to pressurise Bangladesh from the outset, that’s what they will be looking to do.Smith himself may indulge in a bit of the bullying. The captain has been struggling for form, the 45 he scored against West Indies his highest score of the tournament. “It’s been frustrating,” he said. “I’ve got a lot of starts and haven’t been able to capitalise on them.” Getting significant time at the crease and having a good knock is vital to Smith for another reason – it how he shows his ability as a leader. “It’s an important time for me to do well. For a long time I have led from the front and I would like to get back to doing that.”Maybe it wouldn’t be so crucial to have a defining innings if Smith wasn’t wrapping up his stint at the helm. For now, his time is all about the experiences and he hopes Bangladesh will give him one to add to his collection. “It’s going to be wonderful for us to play here in this World Cup. We know the crowd are going to be behind Bangladesh, we’ll be up for it.”

Two vital partnerships took the Knights to a four-wicket victory over the Dolphins in the first leg of the second MTN40 semi-final in Bloemfontein

Firdose Moonda28-Nov-2010
ScorecardRavi Bopara’s half-century was in vain as Dolphins lost to Knights by four wickets•Getty ImagesTwo vital partnerships took the Knights to a four-wicket victory over the Dolphins in the first leg of the second MTN40 semi-final in Bloemfontein. They successfully chased 227 in an intriguing low-scoring match on a deceivingly two-paced wicket.Dean Elgar and Reeza Hendricks steadied the Knights’ innings with a 109-run fourth-wicket stand in 117 balls after they had been reduced to 29 for 3. And in a tense finish with 54 needed in 5.3 overs, Obus Pienaar and Johan van der Wath finished off the job in 23 balls.The Dolphins had earlier got off to a snappy start after choosing to bat, with Imraan Khan and Ahmed Amla putting on 31. Khan skied a Ryan McLaren delivery to midwicket, giving the South Africa fringe bowler his first scalp. McLaren also removed Jon Kent four overs later, and the scoring rate cooled off a bit after the big hitter’s dismissal.Amla and Ravi Bopara then found some rhythm. Both played a range of wristy boundaries, but just when the combination had started to look dangerous, Amla lofted one to Obus Pienaar at long-on to depart for 35. Jandre Coetzee had snagged the big fish in his first over.He went on to bowl an economical spell, giving away 19 runs in his first four overs. Coetzee and Con de Lange managed to keep Bopara and Vaughn van Jaarsveld relatively quiet in the middle overs. After being frustrated by a lack of boundaries, the pair began to rotate the strike. Van Jaarsveld, however, grew restless and with no balance, played a nothing shot, a casual flick to Johan van der Wath at long leg.Bopara patiently soldiered on and reached his 28th limited-overs half century, off 60 balls with six boundaries. He had his anchor role cut short when Coetzee came back for a second spell. He offered Bopara a long hop down the leg side which should have been smacked over midwicket for six, but the batsman played too early, the ball came off the back of the bat and Morne van Wyk took the catch.David Miller and Daryn Smit’s seventh-wicket partnership added late impetus. They hit three sixes between them; Smit’s was a down-on-bended-knee improvisation over fine leg. They added 37 in five overs as the Dolphins ended on 226 for 7.The Dolphins had the Knights on the back foot early when the opening bowling pair of Kent and Kyle Abbott plucked three wickets in ten overs. van Wyk was dismissed off the first ball in bizarre fashion. He missed a Kent delivery, which went on to clip his off stump although the bail was not removed. Umpire Dennis Smith heard the noise and gave van Wyk out caught behind.Rilee Rossouw went in the next over, trapped lbw by Abbott, who had a superb five-over opening spell, also taking out Ryan Bailey. Abbott gave the batsmen no room and only conceded nine runs in that spell.The change bowlers didn’t have the same success though. Quinton Friend was expensive and Bopara had a chance put down. Elgar was on 17 and offered a simple catch to Glen Addicott on the deep cover boundary, who not only couldn’t dropped it, but also let the ball escape for four.The Dolphins were left to rue that mistake as Elgar and Hendricks quietly chipped away at the target. Hendricks finally went lbw to Friend for 64 and Elgar followed in the next over on 58, also leg before, to Imran Tahir.When McLaren too fell in the 35th over with 54 runs required, it looked as though the Dolphins had sealed the win, but Pienaar and van der Wath had other ideas. Their bludgeoning burst finished off the Dolphins, with van der Wath the chief aggressor. He bashed 29 off 14 balls to lead the Knights to victory with 10 balls to spare. The second leg of the tie takes place in Durban on Friday.

England have confirmed that their first-choice bowling attack will travel to Brisbane early to prepare for the first Test and therefore miss the final tour match against Australia A in Hobart

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Nov-2010England have confirmed that their first-choice bowling attack will travel to Brisbane early to prepare for the first Test and therefore miss the final tour match against Australia A in Hobart. James Anderson, Stuart Broad, Steven Finn and Graeme Swann will leave the main squad on Wednesday and head to Queensland to being their acclimatisation for the opening Ashes encounter.The four bowlers have played in both warm-up games to date against Western Australia and South Australia. Their workload and success has been sufficient for the management to opt for the plan of allowing them extra days in the tropical climate of Brisbane instead the more temperate Tasmania. There had been a suggestion that the rain-hit final day in Adelaide, which allowed England just 20.5 overs in the field second time around, might force a change of plans.”The reasoning is that conditions in Hobart are very different to the ones in Brisbane, and we want to give that group of bowlers a little head start,” Andy Flower, the England coach, said. “They are going three days earlier than the rest of us, and it will also give an opportunity to the other group of bowlers to put their names forward and perform well against Australia A.”Swann has enjoyed the most success with two four-wicket hauls, but the pace bowlers have all shown glimpses of top form during the two matches. Broad began the tour with two wickets in his first over against Western Australia, while Anderson has been consistent and allayed any concerns about the rib fracture he suffered during the training camp in Germany.Finn was the least convincing of the quicks in Perth but has gradually improved during his two outings and came out with impressive reports from Adelaide last week. The management will also be cautious about over-bowling Finn who is still very new to international cricket having played eight Tests.”Obviously, conditions can be quite different up in Brisbane – so we’re getting a bit of a head start and three or four days extra up there,” Broad said. “We’ve had two fantastic games as a bowling group together. Now it’s all about preparation for that first Test match – and I see going up to Brisbane early as a great opportunity to get used to conditions.”The decision to release the main attack, who will travel with the bowling coach David Saker, means England’s back-up players will get a chance to shine against Australia A. Chris Tremlett, Tim Bresnan, Ajmal Shahzad and Monty Panesar will form the bowling group for the four-day game. With an intense schedule of five Tests in six weeks it is highly likely that the reserve pacemen will be needed at some point.”They haven’t had a chance in the middle yet, so they should be desperate to get out there and prove themselves,” Flower said. “Without a doubt, I would say, one or two of those guys are going to be playing Test cricket in the next couple of months – you don’t have situations where the same bowling attack, or certainly not very often, play five Tests in a row.”So it’s a very real situation, an opportunity for them to put their names forward and also an opportunity for them to get bowling into them in preparation for just maybe playing in the first Test.”It is also expected that Eoin Morgan, the spare batsman in the squad, will get his first outing of the tour probably at the expense of Paul Collingwood who hit 94 against South Australia.