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Stuart Carlisle has been told by ZC that he has been retired © Getty Images

Zimbabwe’s leading cricketers are still playing without contracts while the Zimbabwe Professional Cricketers’ Association (ZPCA) tries to secure a new deal with the governing body.All the players’ contracts expired on August 31 and they participated in the closing stages of the one-day international triangular series with India and New Zealand and the two Tests against India “on trust”.The players’ representative Clive Field told CricInfo on Tuesday that the situation was not ideal, even though progress was being made in negotiations with Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC), assisted by the mediation of respected Harare human resources expert George Makings.”We are all agreed on the need for contracts to be finalised as soon as possible,” said Field, “and ZC want them finalised by the end of the week. We are hoping to get the new contracts drafted by Friday, although Makings is of the opinion that these deadlines might not be realistic.”The ZPCA are not trying to get a larger monthly retainer for the players, but are focusing instead on protecting these salaries from the hyperinflation that is currently bedevilling Zimbabwe and also trying to get better match fees and medical aid for the players.”I know the process has been slower than we had hoped, but there is no deadlock, the process is on and still moving,” said Field, adding that Barney Rogers and Stuart Carlisle, who each had their contract offers unilaterally withdrawn by ZC at the beginning of September, have both been told “they have been retired,” by ZC.Neither player has requested assistance from the ZPCA in returning to the fold. Neil Ferreira, who made his Test debut in August against New Zealand, is back in the Zimbabwe squad after he had originally been dealt the same harsh treatment as Rogers and Carlisle.According to Field, “an apology for an emotional outburst got Neil’s contract offer reinstated. The ZPCA still feel the situation is unsatisfactory, however, because the three players were punished for outbursts which were made at a private players’ meeting. But we can only fight it if the players come to us and ask us to help them get back into the fold, like Ferreira did.”

David Lucas has joined Yorkshire© Getty Images

Yorkshire have signed David Lucas, a left-arm medium-fast bowler, for 2005 on a short-term contract. He will help fill the gap left by Steve Kirby’s departure to Gloucestershire.Although Lucas, 26, has been with Nottinghamshire for the last six years, he had not played a Championship match since 2001. He stayed last summer after being told at the end of 2003 that he could leave if he could find another county. He has 52 first-class wickets at 36.71 with a best of 5 for 104 against Essex in September 1999.”Notts had a lot of bowlers and I had injuries at the wrong time, which didn’t help,” Lucas told . “There were three left armers – me, Ryan Sidebottom and Greg Smith – and everyone knows you are not going to play three left-armers.”Lucas has only been given a four-month contract. “It is the first time we have done that sort of thing,” said David Byas, Yorkshire’s director of cricket. “We both need to see each other and on the back of that we want to forge a relationship productive to both him and to the county. I think he is an exciting prospect.”

Bangladesh’s coach Dav Whatmore was bitterly disappointed at the manner of his team’s defeat in the second Test at Peshawar, after they had matched Pakistan stride for stride over the first three days.Bangladesh had even been in command at one point, after establishing a 66-run first-innings lead, but they were bundled out for 92 second-time around. “I am speechless and at a loss to describe the reversal in this match,” Whatmore said. “I would say it is a mental thing with the team. They come so far and are unable to give the final push. We were in a position to win the match.””The wicket was a bit up and down today,” admitted Whatmore. “But still, it is a big let-down given that we had won the toss and put up a big total.” Bangladesh’s record since becoming a Test-playing nation in November 2000 now stands at 22 defeats and one draw from 23 matches.However Khaled Mahmud, Bangladesh’s captain, was more upbeat. “I am not disappointed nor do I think it is a mental thing with the players,” he said. “I think everyone tried hard. But I think Shoaib Akhtar was the difference between the two sides. He bowled very fast and swung the ball even on this pitch. He is a world-class bowler.” Shoaib’s match figures of 10 for 79 were the best of his career.”We have set ourselves small targets in every match,” added Mahmud. “And I think since the Australian tour we are improving with every match. I don’t think anyone expected us to push Pakistan this much.”Shoaib admitted that he had enjoyed the responsibility of leading Pakistan’s attack. “When the captain expects from you as a senior player youmust bowl well even if you don’t get wickets,” he said, after completing 100career wickets in the Test. “I did not know about getting 10 wickets for the first time and about my 100 wickets, but I was more concerned about finishing the match.””Shoaib is a world-class performer and helped us come back from behind,” said a grateful Pakistan captain, Rashid Latif. “He made the difference for us. We never expected that we would get them out for 96 after conceding a leadbut it was a good team effort led by Shoaib.”Javed Miandad, Pakistan’s coach, said that the rebuilding of his side was firmly on track. “After playing well in three one-day tournaments, this Test series against Bangladesh provided us with a chance to analyse weaknesses and now we are progressing well,” said Miandad. “We have analysed what are the weaknesses before the series against South Africa later this month. We came back, chased and won from bad positions in both the Tests.”Miandad admitted that the Karachi Test gave Pakistan a sleepless night, and that “the way Bangladesh have played in the two Tests showed they have thepotential to improve.”The third and final Test begins in Multan on Wednesday.

Hampshire’s ambitions of staging International Cricket matches at The Rose Bowl has been given a boost.England Under 19s will play India Under 19s in a four day Test Match at West End from Wednesday 7th August to Saturday 10th August.Since the club first opened its new state of the art stadium, Rod Bransgrove the club’s chairman has made representations to the ECB to stage International Cricket.The staging of the Under 19s Test match is a first step, and in an open letter recently sent via the Clubs Newsletter, Rod Bransgrove, Chairman of Hampshire CCC stated “I think this will provide us with an opportunity to ‘audition’ for full International recognition. Let’s show the ECB how Hampshire supporters can rally behind our National Teams and turn out in force to watch the Test stars of the future in action.””It goes without saying that our progress with the development of the rose bowl this winter will also significantly affect the potential for Senior International Cricket at our stadium.”

Match facts

November 11, 2015
Start time 1300 local (0700 GMT)1:56

Isam: Personnel changes unlikely for either team

Big Picture

When Bangladesh had crossed the 200-run mark in the second ODI, there was a feeling that it was going to be enough to beat Zimbabwe who, duly, looked hapless in the chase. They couldn’t last more than 43.2 overs and whenever there were moments in which they looked to be gaining a footing, Bangladesh quickly shut them down.Now on to the third and final ODI in Mirpur, and possibly the last such game in Bangladesh this year. The home team has plenty of things to be cheerful for this year, beating Pakistan, India and South Africa in a remarkable period in the country’s cricketing history. Here, Mashrafe Mortaza has led the team superbly once again, and has properly managed his resources. Mustafizur Rahman, Al-Amin Hossain and Arafat Sunny all did not go for too many, no simple task in ODIs these days. The batting could be a worry, but they still made decent scores on a slow pitch, with at least one batsman doing the main job. Mushfiqur Rahim, Sabbir Rahman and Imrul Kayes have batted well while Nasir Hossain and Tamim Iqbal look like batsmen who are about to break onto something big. Mahmudullah and Liton Das haven’t done much but they can be expected to be given another chance in the last ODI.If only Zimbabwe had two batsmen causing the opposition worries… Elton Chigumbura and Sikandar Raza tried to make a fist of the second game, in a 73-run fifth-wicket stand. Without Shakib Al Hasan, there were some concerns that Mashrafe Mortaza might have to bring in a sixth bowler but Al-Amin Hossain got both the batsmen in the space of two overs, ending all hopes for the visitors. What should concern Zimbabwe greatly is the form of Chamu Chibhabha, Regis Chakabva, Craig Ervine and Sean Williams. None of these batsmen have made a significant enough contribution to threaten Bangladesh.On the other hand, Zimbabwe’s bowling has been quite useful. They went for a bit too many in the end overs of the first game but they were far better in the second, led by Tinashe Panyangara. Luke Jongwe and Taurai Muzarabani have looked encouraging while Graeme Cremer has been consistent and threatening.Dead rubber it might be, but Bangladesh have to win this game to avoid dropping points in the ICC ODI rankings.

Form guide

Bangladesh: WWWWL (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Zimbabwe: LLLLW

In the spotlight

Mahmudullah has had some tremendous moments this year, but the last two outings have been quite depressing for him. He stuck around for 29 and 32 minutes, but hardly got a move on. He is one player who can be expected to bounce back in the third game.Sean Williams was expected to be Zimbabwe’s best performer and while he did start the tour with a half-century, he got only 8 and 14 in the first two ODIs. Still, he has a good year and can be expected to come up with the goods in the last game of the series.

Team news

Bangladesh retained the same squad for the third ODI and, barring injuries, the likes of Kamrul Islam Rabbi, Anamul Haque and Jubair Hossain are unlikely to get off the bench. Bangladesh are not a team keen on experimentation, even in dead rubbers.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Tamim Iqbal, 2 Imrul Kayes, 3 Liton Das, 4 Mahmudullah, 5 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 6 Sabbir Rahman, 7 Nasir Hossain, 8 Mashrafe Mortaza (capt), 9 Arafat Sunny, 10 Al-Amin Hossain, 11 Mustafizur RahmanWith Richmond Mutumbami having injured himself during the first ODI, the visitors have brought in Tinotenda Mutombodzi as cover. Mutumbami was hit by the ball on the ankle while keeping wicket and an MRI confirmed a grade one mid-Achilles tear and bone injury.* Zimbabwe also have three spinners (Tendai Chisoro, Wellington Masakadza and John Nyumbu) and a pace bowler (Neville Madziva) on the bench to choose from.Zimbabwe (probable): 1 Chamu Chibhabha, 2 Regis Chakabva (wk), 3 Craig Ervine, 4 Sean Williams, 5 Sikandar Raza, 6 Elton Chigumbura (capt), 7 Malcolm Waller, 8 Graeme Cremer, 9 Tinashe Panyangara, 10 Luke Jongwe, 11 Taurai Muzarabani

Pitch and conditions

The pitch for the third ODI is likely to offer similar slowness as the one used in the second. There was a hint of dew in that game and that is likely to get a little heavier as the days go by.

Stats and trivia

• After taking the catch of Tinashe Panyangara in the second ODI, Mashrafe Mortaza became the first Bangladesh non-wicketkeeper to take 50 catches in ODIs (although one of those was for Asia XI in 2007). Shakib Al Hasan is next in line, with 39 catches
• Monday was the first time since Shakib’s international debut in 2006 that he hasn’t featured in an ODI against Zimbabwe

Quotes

“One can’t lose hope. We still have to put out our best. You have to come back again and play hard and make sure we polish those mistakes from [Monday’s] game, and win the game.”
“We haven’t thought about experimenting. We believe that that all the 14 players are capable of doing well. I believe that all the players will be serious and we will try to win again.”
*17.30GMT, November 10: The preview was updated after news of Richmond Mutumbami’s injury came in.

Aston Villa have shown over the past few years just how capable they are when it comes to spending money on bringing new players to the club such as Emi Buendia, Danny Ings and Lucas Digne to name just a few of their more recent recruits.

With the summer transfer window set to open for business at the end of the season, it seems as though a clue has emerged as to what the Villans could be looking to do during the window.

What’s the talk?

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Dean Jones had this to say about Villa and what he thinks they will be doing during the summer window.

He said: “I think there will be quite a lot of exits at Villa. I think that [Steven] Gerrard will almost demand that because he needs to get a grip on this squad and have it reflect his own identity and personality.”

Fans will be buzzing

Taking into account how the Midlands club moved a number of their current players out on loan deals during January such as Matt Targett, Anwar El Ghazi, Trezeguet and Wesley among others, these are the sort of players that would seem the likeliest to be sold on a permanent basis in the summer if they aren’t likely to be regular first-team players.

If those did depart permanently, then fans would surely be delighted considering their previous exploits in the Midlands.

With the likes of Trezeguet and Wesley only managing to score a combined total of 15 goals in 90 appearances for the club between them, there’s a good chance that they not be seen as having the sort of attacking quality that is needed for the current Villa boss to reach his ambitions of taking the club into Europe.

Seeing this sort of ruthlessness and getting rid of some of the deadwood currently on the books at the Midlands club would also presumably make a lot of fans happy as well, especially if better-quality players come in to replace whoever leaves.

However, even some of the individuals currently in the squad could be in danger of getting moved out if they don’t fit in with Gerrard’s plans or aren’t seen as being of good enough quality to play for the club.

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If Villa are looking at getting rid of a significant number of players during the summer, this surely suggests that they would then need to look at bringing some new faces in as replacements. That is an eventuality that would surely excite supporters as they gear up to see who joins the club in what would be Gerrard’s first summer transfer window as their manager.

Having been linked with mega-money moves for midfielders Yves Bissouma and Wilfred Ndidi this summer, if the Villans are able to pick up as much money as they can from selling their deadwood, they could then use whatever money they pick up to fund a move for either of those two players.

In other news: Forget Cash: “Overlooked” 66% duel-winning AVFC machine was SG’s “driving force” today – opinion

Ian Butler’s meteoric rise into the stratosphere of international cricket continued apace today with his inclusion in New Zealand’s team for the first National Bank Test against England starting in Christchurch next Wednesday.The Northern Districts fast bowler has been included because he has “something special”, according to selection chairman Sir Richard Hadlee.He said it was only natural that at 20 years of age that he was inexperienced.”But you can only gain experience by playing,” he said.And while Butler had bowled only nine expensive overs during the recent Test series, he would be a different prospect in the Test match.”He has a very good attitude and he is something a little special,” Hadlee said.The team is: Stephen Fleming (captain), Nathan Astle, Ian Butler, Chris Cairns, Chris Drum, Matt Horne, Chris Martin, Craig McMillan, Adam Parore, Mark Richardson, Daniel Vettori, Lou Vincent.A significant factor in Butler’s advance was his performance for ND against Wellington under the eye of CLEAR Black Caps skipper Fleming, who bore the pain of one ball that hit him on the hip causing him to require x-rays to see if there was any damage.Fleming’s say had been significant in the selection of the side.Hadlee said: “The selectors asked Stephen Fleming to appraise Butler when he faced him in the last State Championship match. Fleming reported that Butler bowled fast and was difficult to deal with and this confirmed the selectors’ view that Butler should be given an opportunity at Test level.””His input is valuable in our final assessments,” Hadlee said of Fleming’s involvement. Field setting in Tests would also make Butler a different prospect.Butler’s inclusion has meant his ND team-mate Daryl Tuffey has missed inclusion in the side.Tuffey had done very well for the one-day side but the selectors wanted to inject a little more pace and firepower, especially in the absence of Shane Bond, Hadlee said.Cairns has told the panel that he would like to take the new ball in the Tests and Hadlee said he could see him fulfilling that role, although at the same time he said he didn’t expect Butler would be bowling into the wind.Drum will return to the scene of his unfortunate broken collar bone last summer against Pakistan at Jade Stadium and he gained his place in the side after his consistent success in New Zealand conditions and this is reflected in his State Championship figures this season of 28 wickets at an average of 10.71.”Over his first-class career Drum has the impressive statistics of 187 wickets at 17.34. Chris has an ability to bowl into or down wind, swings the ball, and is able to produce consistent line and length for long spells,” Hadlee said.The choice of Vincent ahead of Mathew Sinclair came down to who performed best in tough conditions in Palmerston North in a recent State Championship game and Vincent had played the more significant innings.”Mathew has done what has been asked and scored runs in domestic cricket but he had four misses in his last four innings,” he said.Andre Adams had been considered but coach Denis Aberhart said he still had work to do in the longer form of the game in terms of his patience and application.The squad is selected for the first Test only and Hadlee said he did not think it would be affected by whatever pitch, drop in or natural, that the Test was played on.

Vernon Philander, the South African allrounder, has been named as Morne Morkel’s replacement in the Test squad on the tour to Pakistan. Morkel fractured his left foot while bowling on the third day of the tour match against Patron’s XI.Philander, a right-hand batsman and a right-arm medium-fast bowler, made his international debut in an ODI against Ireland earlier this year. He has done well in the five ODIs he has played so far – averaging 40 with the bat and 21.50 with the ball – and was also a regular member of the team in the recently concluded World Twenty20 Cup, but is yet to make his Test debut. He is likely to stay on in Pakistan for the five-match one-day series, the squad for which will be announced later.Morkel, meanwhile, has gone back home to recover from the injury, which could keep him away from cricket for about six to eight weeks.

Mark Vermeulen after being struck by Irfan Pathan © Getty Images

Although his on-field misdemeanours are probably what Mark Vermeulen, one of Zimbabwe’s most talented young batsmen, will now be remembered for, my abiding memory of the man is of quite a different incident which occurred off the field.In early 2004 he was in the middle of a lay-off after sustaining his second severe head injury in a year – he had been struck a sickening blow above the right eyebrow by Irfan Pathan during Zimbabwe’s tour of Australia. Bangladesh were touring Zimbabwe, and after a weak performance during the Tests, were putting in a much more sterling effort in the one-dayers. A loss in the first game had dented Zimbabwe’s pride, but the team bounced back in the second and third one-dayers in Harare, much to the enjoyment of the large crowd of spectators who had come to support the home team.Anyone who has attended a one-day game in Harare will have noticed that the crowd is made up, largely, of black schoolchildren from some of the poorest suburbs in the city. As the popularity of cricket among Zimbabwe’s black population has grown, their numbers at games have swelled.Disappointingly, instead of integrating, most of what is left of the old white elite of supporters have moved away from the stands into the pavilion and sports club bars and seats reserved for those in the higher wage brackets.However, at the second one-day game there was at least one white face among the sea of enthusiastic black children, and it was Vermeulen’s. For most of the game, which Zimbabwe eventually won, he led a shouting, laughing band of at least 30 or 40 children around the stands. Wherever he went, they followed, and with his encouragement cheered their side to victory.In a country in which racial and political tensions are a fact of everyday life, it was heart-warming to witness the sight of a young, white male from an affluent Harare family in his element, and loving every minute of it, among black children who would be bussed back to one of the capital city’s sprawling, poverty-stricken townships after the game. It took only one thing to break down the racial, economic and age boundaries between Vermeulen and those children: cricket. This not only gives a flicker of hope for the future of Zimbabwe cricket, and the country at large; it also offers an insight into his open, care-free attitude off the field, and the supremely privileged place cricket holds in his life.

All I want to do is to play for my country … that’s been my goal since I was 10 or 12 years old

This is a man who is literally willing to risk his life in order to play for his country again. After a three-and-a-half hour operation to repair the skull fracture inflicted by Pathan, Vermeulen said that the doctors warned him a third such injury could put his life at risk. He told BBC Sport: “If it happens again it will make one hell of a mess… but cricket is my only love, my big love, and I decided to go on playing.”. In an interview with Cricinfo he stated: “Basically all I want to do is to play for my country. That has been my goal since I was 10 or 12 years old.”However, his cricketing ambitions have seemingly been thwarted. He has not been picked for Zimbabwe for almost two years, despite leading the batting averages in the country’s domestic competition – when it still had one to speak of. When he was not offered a national contract last year, Vermeulen said: “I personally went to Ozias Bvute [the ZC managing director]. He [Bvute] told me that it was not up to him, but that he would take the necessary measures. I still want to play. I was given no reason why I was not given a contract. I think I have done my best for Zimbabwe to make at least the performance-based list.”After the hearing of the Lancashire Cricket Board, in which his 10-year ban was cut down to three, with two years suspended, Andrew Fitch-Holland, his legal representative, stated that Mark had been diagnosed as “suffering from a depressive illness which of course has a significant impact upon his behaviour”. He continued: “For anyone, let alone a professional sportsman, to publicly admit to such a struggle is, I suggest, exceptional and worthy of a degree of respect. We offer no excuses for Mark’s unacceptable conduct but ask instead for some understanding. To his credit Mark has already taken positive steps to seek help, and is trying to remain upbeat about his future in cricket in these difficult days.”Having met and spoken to Vermeulen about his cricket several times in the past myself, it is quite comprehensible that the stall in his career should affect him to such a degree. He simply lives for cricket.In his private life Vermeulen is, in my experience, at all times friendly, approachable and supremely laid-back. He always had time for people, and had no affectations about talking to anyone, white or black, especially if the subject was cricket. He was fun-loving and did not take himself too seriously: I once saw him dancing, in full, skin-tight cycling gear, on the roof of a Harare nightclub. Off the field, one could even say he seemed humble and (whisper it) peace-loving.While there can be no excuses for Vermeulen’s recent, or past, objectionable actions on the field, there are reasons, and there are other sides to his character which should not be simply swept away. It was not thuggery or arrogance which drove him to such extreme lengths on that fateful late-summer day in Ashton, but rather the frustration of his sheer passion, his motivation and his all-encompassing desire to succeed as a cricketer.

Shabbir Ahmed: Still awaiting his fate © Getty Images

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has asked Daryl Foster, the Australian fast bowling coach, to analyse the bowling action of Shabbir Ahmed, after which the board would decide whether or not to send Shabbir to Australia.Saleem Altaf, the director of cricket operations, informed that he had spoken to Foster and that the board would be recording Shabbir’s action during a practice game later this week.Shabbir, who was reported for a suspect action for the third time in his career against West Indies in the first Test in Barbados this year, underwent tests in England under the supervision of a bio-mechanics specialist, after which Bob Woolmer, the Pakistan coach, also worked on his action.However, the board is yet to send tapes of his bowling action to the ICC review committee to seek final clearance. Altaf also said that Shabbir’s inclusion for the home series against England in November-December wasn’t certain.”It is too early to say whether his action would be cleared by the ICC in time for the England series,” he added. “I might go myself to attend this meeting of the group to be held in Dubai to convince them that Shabbir’s action is okay.”