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The day before the two sides first met this year, a member of Bangladesh’s coaching staff was looking at the West Indies pace bowlers quite intently during practice at the National Cricket Academy ground. Exactly a month later, on the eve of the Under-19 World Cup semi-final between the two teams, the focus still remains on pace bowling.West Indies’ new-ball attack has been one of the highlights of this tournament, particularly the sight of the beanpole Alzarri Joseph steaming in and consistently hitting high speeds. He has also generated movement to trouble the opposition. Joseph and Chemar Holder, the injured Obed McCoy’s replacement, put Pakistan under early pressure in the quarter-final, which West Indies won by five wickets.Apart from Joseph and Chemar, West Indies also have Keemo Paul, Odean Smith, Ryan John and Shamar Springer as pace options in their squad.Bangladesh crushed West Indies 3-0 last month, but they need to have a second look at their bowling attack and sharpen up during training sessions. Much of it has revolved around tackling the short balls, which have been regularly directed at the throat by the net bowlers.Bangladesh coach Mizanur Rahman was wary of the threat posed by Joseph, but believed that a solid top-order platform could help his side post a good total.”[Alzarri] Joseph is one of the best bowlers of this tournament,” Mizanur said. “But we have plan against all their bowlers. We hope the video session we had will work in our favour. We know him [Joseph] quite well having played against them in three matches before the U-19 World Cup. We are prepared to face him.””Their strength is the pace attack so if our top order does their job, it becomes easier for the middle and lower-order batsmen. If we can make around 230 to 250 or even more, it will be defendable.”West Indies captain Shimron Hetmyer, meanwhile, has drawn confidence from having the fastest bowler in the tournament, especially in conditions that offer little help to the quicks.”It is a good feeling to be in a team with express pacers in the last two years,” Hetmyer said. “I think we had one pacer in the last World Cup that really went all the way through the tournament, and there was [Kagiso] Rabada from South Africa who was the fastest bowler in the tournament.”This year being in the team with the fastest bowler is a big boost for us. Playing in the sub-continent, which people don’t really with pace pitches and so far the pacers have done well for us.”Joseph has turned heads back home, in the Caribbean, as well with veteran commentator and writer Tony Cozier earmarking him a special talent. Joseph hails from the All Saints Village in Antigua, and has been trained by former West Indies pacer Winston Benjamin in addition to taking tips from the legendary Andy Roberts.Alzarri Joseph has impressed in the Under-19 World Cup by moving the ball at speeds north of 140kph•International Cricket Council

Bangladesh captain Mehedi Hasan Miraz, however, has played down the pace threat, saying the hosts were more comfortable against pace, something that they thrived on while playing in South Africa last year.”We like playing fast bowlers,” Miraz said. “Playing against less pace, there’s a chance of mistiming the ball. We are always confident facing pace. We have done well in South Africa, and also against West Indies. We haven’t faced a really pacy bowling attack yet in this tournament, which has caused problems for our openers.”The second semi-final will also be Bangladesh’s first match against a Full Member since the tournament opener against South Africa on January 27. Miraz took confidence from Bangladesh’s hard-fought win against Nepal, and the manner in which his team bounced back against Sri Lanka in the Youth ODI series last year. Bangladesh rebounded from 2-0 down to seal that series 3-2.”We have the belief to turn around from any situation,” Miraz said.” We don’t think negatively. I enjoy playing in the situation that we faced in the last game [against Nepal]. We won three games on the bounce after losing the first two in Sri Lanka last year. Having taken that much pressure in those conditions, has only done good for our confidence.”West Indies coach Graeme West, too, was not short of confidence ahead of the big game. He has said that West Indies were encouraged by how the Sri Lankan seamers zipped the ball around to test India’s top order in the first semi-final on Tuesday.”We watched the game yesterday and we’re encouraged to see the ball get through,” West said. “The seamers both sides were effective in the first 10 overs. Anyone that would have watched the Pakistan game, will see where one of our strengths lies with the new ball attack. And we got to look to that to really make early inroads into the Bangladesh batting.”West also said that the next challenge for Joseph would be to continue bowling with control, instead of focusing too much on pace.”He’s been very successful and he’s bowled really well,” West said. “We need to make sure that he continues to perform at that level, not to get too carried away. If he starts looking at how fast he’s bowling as opposed to where he’s looking to land the ball, then he might lose some of his potential.”

Andrew Flintoff felt more soreness after the Old Trafford ODI © Getty Images

Luke Wright, the Sussex allrounder who is part of England’s Twenty20 World Championship squad, has been called into the one-day squad to cover for Andrew Flintoff, Ravi Bopara and Chris Tremlett.England are still hopeful that Flintoff will be available for the sixth one-day international against India, at The Oval, on Wednesday after he was ruled out of the fifth match at Headingley with a sore left ankle.Bopara took a blow on his right thumb when he tried to take a return catch off Gautam Gambhir during India’s innings. He immediately left the field, one ball into his second over, and went to hospital for x-rays where a dislocation and minor fracture were confirmed. He batted after taking a painkilling injection, but bowling and fielding will be the problem.Meanwhile Tremlett, who missed the Headingley match with an injury to his right foot, had an injection on Monday and won’t be available at The Oval. He will be reassessed ahead of the final ODI, at Lord’s, on Saturday.However, Ryan Sidebottom has been cleared to rejoin the squad after recovering from the side strain he picked up during the final Test at The Oval. He was denied match practice on Sunday when Nottinghamshire’s Pro40 match against Lancashire, at Old Trafford, was washed out.Flintoff is expected to rejoin the England squad for training at The Oval on Tuesday. “I feel for him,” said coach Peter Moores. “He has been great since he has been back. He has had a real buzz about him, a real energy and people have seen that when he has been on the field.”You could see he had his passion back which is what he is like when he plays his best cricket. He has been a real boost for the squad and has been involved in deciding how we should play in one-day cricket, which has been really helpful for myself, Paul Collingwood and the team.”The people I have spoken to so far are still pretty optimistic and he may be okay on Wednesday, then he can get on and play the sort of cricket he loves to do. All we can do is go through the right processes and keep our fingers crossed that the ankle will settle down. It isn’t too major and he can get himself away, then it becomes a manageable problem.”Both Flintoff and Bopara are now in doubt for the Twenty20 squad which will fly out to South Africa the day after the final ODI against India on September 9. England’s first game is against Zimbabwe, at Cape Town, on September 13.

Division One

Ronnie Irani leads the celebrations and holds the Pro40 trophy aloft © Getty Images

In what was effectively a meaningless match once Nottinghamshire had beaten Sussex, Essex – this year’s champions – were restricted to 201 for 8 in the 40 overs against Durham at Chester-le-Street. Andy Flower demonstrated his immense class and ability in one-day cricket with a chanceless 81 – and Andre Adams was typically impish in his 40 – but Essex were outdone by fine spells of bowling from Neil Killeen (2 for 26) and Ottis Gibson (2 for 32). Durham knocked off the required 202 with Phil Mustard (84 from 86) and Jimmy Maher (70) putting on a superb 152-run opening partnership – but it wasn’t enough for Durham to avoid relegation.Sussex’s title hopes were blown away by a remarkable spell of bowling from Gareth Clough whose 6 for 25 helped dismiss them for just 110 at Nottingham. Only Chris Adams’s 24 offered the visitors any hope of bailing the sinking ship, before Nottinghamshire knocked off the required runs with the minimum of fuss. Darren Bicknell clobbered an unbeaten 53 and there were useful contributions from Will Smith (22) and Stephen Fleming (26 from 33). Sussex’s defeat handed Essex the Pro40 Division One title.James Anderson marked his comeback with 2 for 31 to help Lancashire beat Glamorgan by the comprehensive margin of 109 runs at Old Trafford. Lancashire’s bristling 256 for 7 was formed by Nathan Astle’s aggressive 71-ball 78 and a pair of brisk 40s from Dominic Cork and Mark Chilton. Glamorgan set off disastrously, losing three for none at one stage. And though Mark Wallace (28 from 29) briefly threatened, he was left with too great a task and Glamorgan were dismissed for 147, allowing Lancashire to avoid relegation.Lance Klusener’s 5 for 33 blew away Middlesex’s fragile batting line-up as Northamptonshire walked to an easy 28-run win at Northampton. Setting the visitors 199 after Chris Rogers belted 70 from 75 balls, Middlesex lost Paul Weekes with the first ball of their reply and were soon 17 for 3 when Ed Joyce was bowled by Matthew Nicholson. Owais Shah (63) and Jamie Dalrymple (57) appeared to have the game by the neck until both were dismissed by Monty Panesar, leaving Klusener to mop up the tail with ease.

Division Two

Geraint Jones hits down the ground as Kent beat Gloucestershire © Getty Images

Robert Ferley’s 3 for 25 handed Kent an unlikely 42-run win over Gloucestershire at Canterbury as the hosts dismissed Gloucestershire for just 134. The visitors, chasing 178, were batting nicely at 51 for 1 with Craig Spearman launching five fours in his 31. But a sudden flurry of wickets left too much for their lower-order before Ferley, the slow-left-armer, struck three times in as many overs to send Gloucestershire packing. Nevertheless, they were crowned Division Two champions.Paul Nixon continued his fine one-day form with an unbeaten 38 to edge Leicestershire home by four wickets against Derbyshire at Grace Road. Chasing 223 the home side were boosted by a typically aggressive 74 from Darren Maddy, containing 10 fours and a couple of lofted sixes. Although Derbyshire’s six bowlers each struck once, Nixon the aggressor was in dominant mood, smashing three sixes and three fours in a blistering 38 from just 23 balls.A fine 51 from Arul Suppiah led Somerset to a facile win over Surrey, chasing down 178 in just 20.3 overs at Taunton. Suppiah and Matthew Wood (37) put on 59 for the first wicket and Suppiah received further good support from James Hildreth (39) and Ian Blackwell, whose typically pugnacious 27 guided his side home with a flurry of boundaries. Earlier, Surrey’s stuttering total was compiled largely thanks to a run-a-ball 38 from Mark Butcher and 40 from Jon Batty, but they were restricted by Charl Willoughby and Wes Durston who took 3 for 44.Greg Lamb’s four wickets and a solid 60 helped Hampshire fell Yorkshire by five runs in a tense encounter at Headingley. At 201 for 5, with Adam Lyth and Tim Bresnan batting sensibly, the target of 221 was well within reach until Lamb and Shaun Udal struck, sending Yorkshire tumbling to 215 all out with two balls to spare. Hampshire’s innings was led by a pair of 60s from Dominic Thornely and Lamb; Thornely was particularly aggressive in smashing seven fours and a six.

Ravi Shastri cautions the media about going overboard © Getty Images

Ravi Shastri, the former Indian captain, has said that the media should take into account the positives that have emerged from the so-called truce between Sourav Ganguly and Greg Chappell. As a member of the Indian board’s six-member review committee which last Tuesday prevailed upon the coach and captain to bury the hatchet, Shastri said, “Let me assure you that a lot of thought went into our final decision”.”Those who say we took the easy way out couldn’t be more wrong,” Shastri told the Bangalore-based newspaper . “Our decision was based on cold logic. We discussed the consequences of taking drastic action, and came to the conclusion that this wasn’t the time for punitive action. There is no point acting in haste and accentuating the problem, if any.”Ever since Ganguly, in the middle of the Zimbabwe tour, raised the spectre of a domineering coach and Chappell subsequently responded with an email to the board indicting the captain, there have been widespread speculation and prognoses on the state of Indian cricket.”There is no doubt in my mind that this is the biggest controversy to have hit Indian cricket since the match-fixing scandal in mid-2000,” Shastri continued. “Both on and off the field – and when I say off the field, I refer to the administrative shambles – Indian cricket has hit rock-bottom. We couldn’t have afforded another trial by the media and the public at this stage. That neither Greg nor Sourav has a problem working with each other despite the happenings of the last fortnight is a very positive development.”With Ganguly professing his continuing respect for Chappell, and the committee’s additional carrot which emphasised performance as the sole criterion for eligibility in the team, the coach was provided a dignified exit route. With the entire nation’s attention on him, it is now for Ganguly to perform.”Being part of the media myself, I can state with authority that there is enough food on the table for the media, both print and electronic, to gorge themselves for the next 25 days or so despite the gag imposed by the board on the players,” Shastri continued. “Once the Sri Lanka series starts, however, I think the media should stop feasting and go on a month’s fast, allowing cricket to have its say.”

Zimbabwe’s rebel cricketers have been given until Wednesday, July 21, to agree to the International Cricket Council’s plan for arbitration in their dispute with the Zimbabwe Cricket Union, reports AFP. Chris Venturas, the players’ legal representative, is quoted as saying, “We’ve been given until Wednesday 5pm (1600GMT) to make a decision about arbitration.”Venturas’s comments came after he met with Malcolm Speed, the ICC chief executive, in London on July 16. “I’ll be recommending we go for it. But I don’t know yet what they [the players] are going to say about it,” said Venturas. Earlier, the ZCU agreed to the ICC’s proposal that recommended the issue be sorted out by a three-man arbitration panel in Zimbabwe.The ZCU would nominate one man to the panel, the players another and the third would be chosen by mutual agreement. Most of the rebel cricketers are in England at the moment, as part of a fund-raising tour to raise money for the Zimbabwe Cricketers’ Fund and the Zimbabwe Pensioners’ Fund.Venturas has said that arbitration is what the players wanted all along. “As I explained to Malcolm (Speed), this is what we had been asking for but we were stonewalled by the ZCU. For arbitration to work it needs the consent of both parties.”The ball is now in the players’ court and Venturas was hopeful all parties would be closer to a solution at the end of this process. “A lot of things have happened in the last two months and the players have moved on. They need to think about it [arbitration]. I hope they do agree because I think arbitration is in the best interests of Zimbabwe cricket.” The players had earlier requested a month more to think about the point of arbitration, but the ICC denied this request, pressing upon them the need to fast-track a solution.

The day will be remembered for another wonderful Test century from Brian Lara, but it wasn’t enough to prevent Australia retaining the Frank Worrell Trophy, with their 13th win in 16 Test matches.It was a tale of two sessions. The morning belonged to Lara and Ramnaresh Sarwan, the afternoon to the Australian bowlers. To make 407 batting last in a Test match against Australia was a near-impossible task, but for a whole session, Lara suggested that he could make it come true. In the end, it proved to be too tall an order.The morning session was the most absorbing of the series so far. Lara played with a mixture of extreme grit and amazing grace to score his first Test hundred on his home ground. It was his eighth against Australia, and his 20th overall. It took him 164 balls, and he smacked 12 fours and one six, but it was by no means easy.Lee – who dropped Lara on 6 yesterday evening – bowled with extra venom and hostility. It was an intriguing battle between two heavyweights of world cricket, and Lara won it. Lee hurled down a bruising barrage of bouncers, two of which whistled past Lara’s chin, and one which thudded into his arm as he turned away for protection. Lee thought he had his man when he burst his lungs with an lbw appeal which at first looked close, but was correctly given not out by Rudi Koertzen. The whole of the Port-of-Spain crowd sighed with relief.In the following over, after a nervy period in the nineties, Lara cracked a Stuart MacGill full-toss past mid-on, punched the air in delight, and the look of relief on his face was visible to all after he took off his helmet to applaud his fans.Lara had started the day cautiously, but freed his arms soon after, shuffling down the pitch and depositing the ball over Brad Hogg’s head for six. That shot took him past Sir Garry Sobers’s record for the most Test runs in the Caribbean.And that was the just the start of a spate of breathtaking strokes. In consecutive overs from Jason Gillespie, Lara smashed two spanking cover-drives – the first off the front foot and the second off the back – which left Gillespie shaking his head in frustration. Sarwan got into the act with a dashing drive through extra-cover off Hogg, as the pair brought up their fifty partnership from 80 balls.Sarwan played the supporting role well, as he dug in while Lara took the brunt of the attack. Sarwan survived two close calls in the morning, but his dismissal just after lunch signalled the West Indies collapse. Andy Bichel was the man who got things going for Australia, persuading Sarwan to miscue an attempted pull straight to Darren Lehmann at mid-on.The shot was on but Sarwan closed the blade too early and the ball spooned up in the air. It was an uncharacteristic lapse of concentration from Sarwan, who had made a controlled 34 from 87 balls, and ended his partnership of 106 with Lara.Marlon Samuels and David Bernard fell in quick succession to Bichel’s nagging line, and then the hammer blow struck West Indies when Lara was prized out for 122 by MacGill. It was a glorious effort and while he was there, West Indies could believe that victory was within their grasp. But, while the wickets slipped away at the other end, Lara was forced into an indiscretion and was caught at slip by Matthew Hayden.Moments later, Carlton Baugh was gone as well, heaving the first ball of a new spell from Hogg to Justin Langer at cover. Steve Waugh then opted for the new ball, and Lee and Gillespie scythed through the lower order to round off the 118-run win.

Michael Di Venuto and Graeme Welch raised Derbyshire’s hopes of their first Championship win of the summer as Warwickshire wilted on the third day at Edgbaston.Warwickshire old boy Welch undermined his old county with his second five-wicket haul of the summer and Di Venuto then dismantled Warwickshire’s powder-puff attack as he raced to a brilliant 109.It was only the Tasmanian left-hander’s second Championship century in as many seasons for Derbyshire but it turned a first innings deficit of 39 into a potential match-winning lead of 165 as Derbyshire closed on 204 for two.Di Venuto received excellent support from Steve Stubbings in a belligerent stand of 170, Derbyshire’s best for the first wicket in a year, in which the pair romped along at more than four an over.Warwickshire either over-pitched or dropped short and Di Venuto savaged them as he cut and straight drove his way to an imperious century.Stubbings, who reached his fifty first, was first out when he nibbled Dougie Brown to wicket-keeper Keith Piper.Di Venuto fell shortly after he had completed his century when he top-edged Brown to square leg having struck 18 fours from 127 balls.Earlier Welch and another Warwickshire exile, Tim Munton, had made their former county graft for runs as they extracted late movement from the pitch under heavy cloud cover.Warwickshire’s problems were increased by two silly run-outs including Dominic Ostler who returned to the crease after he was forced to retire hurt with a recurrence of an elbow injury.Ostler has had four injections in his right elbow during the course of the season and he is already rated doubtful for next Wednesday’s C&G Trophy quarter-final against Yorkshire.Welch worked his way through the order and completed the sixth five-wicket haul of his career when Neil Carter was pinned lbw by a full-length delivery.

It’s been a tough season for the red half of Liverpool so far, with poor results, injuries and a certain incident involving ‘you know who’. But if we delve past the surface of seventh place in the Premier League and race scandals it’s actually been a season where the positives outweigh the negatives at Anfield.

The days of boardroom disruptions are long gone, with the Fenway Sports Group showing that Americans can run a ‘soccer’ club and king Kenny establishing a feeling of gradual improvement. Although some signings have been underwhelming, the displays of a choice few have offered genuine hope for a sustained charge to the summit of the division over the next few years.

It may be too soon to say that a return to the glory days is just around the corner, but the foundations are being put in place for a bright future.

Click on Warror Sports to unveil the top 10 positives from Liverpool’s season so far

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Usman Khawaja has been drafted into the Australian squad for the second and third ODIs against India as cover for David Warner, who goes on paternity leave. Warner and his wife Candice are expecting their second child very soon.Warner had said the baby was due towards the end of January during a media interaction after the Sydney Test against West Indies. “I’m just looking forward to playing the first couple of one-dayers first and obviously I’ll be by the phone to wait for that phone call.”Now that it’s arrived Australia have swapped one in-form left-handed opener for another. Khawaja has been stunning over the last few months in competitive cricket. Four of his last seven innings in Test and Big Bash League cricket have been hundreds. He hit them back-to-back against New Zealand in Brisbane and Perth, but missed out on the Day-Night Test in Adelaide with a hamstring injury. A century in the BBL on his return proved there was no lingering discomfort and then plundered 144 and 56 in the Melbourne Test against West Indies a few days later.”Usman has been in fantastic form this season and was unlucky to miss out on a place in our squad for the ODI Series in the first place,” national selector Rod Marsh said. “This call-up is a reward for that form and it is great to have someone of his quality to step into the squad in David’s absence. We wish both David and Candice well and look forward to welcoming David back into the squad when circumstances allow.”Khawaja will join the Australian side in Brisbane, where the second ODI takes place on January 15. He will not be available for Sydney Thunder duty during this time.

Sussex have strongly denied media reports linking Mushtaq Ahmed with a move to Warwickshire at the end of the summer.A terse statement from Sussex made clear that no formal approach had been made by Warwickshire and that “if an approach has been made directly to the player the club is unaware of this and the approach would therefore it would be deemed an illegal under the current ECB regulations”.With the number of overseas players allowed reduced to one per county from 2008, Sussex have to chose between, Mushtaq and Rana Naved-ul-Hasan. The county stated that they were in discussion with Mushtaq regarding his future.

Left-armer Nayan Doshi has joined Warwickshire on a short-term contract until the end of the summer. He walked out on Surrey last month.