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Not content with jettisoning most of the international playing experience at its disposal, the Zimbabwe Cricket Union (ZCU) has also axed Ian Robinson, its stalwart umpire and an experienced administrator.However, Robinson, 57, a veteran of 28 Test matches, 90 one-day internationals and three World Cup tournaments, has refused to go quietly and is challenging the terms of what the ZCU has told him is his retrenchment. “I’ve not accepted the package they have offered me,” said Robinson from Harare on Tuesday, “and we are now locked in negotiations with lawyers.”Besides being Zimbabwe’s most senior umpire – he has been a fixture on their first-class panel since 1978, and made his international debut in Zimbabwe’s inaugural Test against India at Harare in 1992 – Robinson fulfilled an important function as the ZCU’s international cricket manager. He became a cricket administrator in 1978. He was a ZCU board member for 14 years, and a ZCU employee for the past nine years.Robinson said he did not understand why the ZCU wanted to get rid of him. “They can’t say it was due to poor performance in my job because they’ve never told me that,” he said. “No-one has actually told me anything. All I have in writing is that it is due to a restructuring exercise.”Robinson was told on August 13 – Friday the 13th – that his services would not be required from the end of the month. However, his challenge to that decision means he remains on the payroll until the dispute is settled.Robinson said the bigger blow had been his complete removal from the umpiring ranks, a decision he is prepared to fight. “I hope there’s some way for me to be of service to cricket, especially on the umpiring side,” Robinson said. “That seems to have been taken away from me, but I am challenging it because I have it in writing.”During the retrenchment talks they spoke about retaining my expertise as an umpire, retaining me on a consultancy basis to do some training and development of umpires, and umpiring local cricket. I was reassured I would be reappointed as an umpire, but that hasn’t happened. It would be very sad if I was to have nothing to do with cricket in the future, because it has been a major part of my life.”The chairman and acting managing director of the ZCU, Peter Chingoka, declined to discuss the issue and told Wisden Cricinfo to put its questions on Robinson’s position in writing. However, a ZCU receptionist in Harare confirmed that Robinson had been sidelined. “Mr Robinson is no longer with the organisation,” said the receptionist, who declined to be named.Robinson said his son, Brad, had resigned as the Zimbabwe team’s physiotherapist and returned to private practice.Chingoka has denied reports from Zimbabwe that the controversial ZCU board member Ozais Bvute had become the organisation’s acting managing director. The position became vacant after Vince Hogg resigned in June. Asked who the acting MD was, Chingoka said: “I am. I get assistance from various board members, but in the main I am assisted by Ozais Bvute.”Bvute has been accused of “guerrilla behaviour” by the 15 rebels whose refusal to play for Zimbabwe prompted an International Cricket Council investigation into allegations of racism in Zimbabwean cricket.

All Today’s Yesterdays – July 18 down the yearsJuly 17| July 191848
Birth of the most famous cricketer of them all. WG Grace – better known as “The Doctor”, “The Champion” or just “WG” – was a pioneer of the game. He was a magnificent allrounder: a dashing batsman, a cunning, round-arm slow-medium bowler, and owner of the most famous beard in sport. Grace was a walking first: first two triple-centuries in first-class cricket, in 1876, first to make 2000 first-class runs in a season (2739 in 1871), first to 1000 runs in May (1895), first (and probably only) man to replace the bails after being bowled and carry on his innings, first to 50,000 first-class runs, first to 100 hundreds, first Test century in England, and first Englishman to make a century on debut. Those last two were at The Oval in 1880, when he slammed 152 against Australia. His other Test century came against the Aussies at The Oval too, 170 in 1886. Grace captained England in the last 13 of his 22 Tests. He also made 400 for United South against Grimsby on the day his second child was born. He died in 1915, after suffering a heart attack during an air raid in Kent.1949
Dennis Keith Lillee is born. After recovering from back problems so bad that many expected him not to play again, he became one of the greatest bowlers in history, with a magnificently athletic action and an attitude Dirty Harry would have approved of. Lillee loved to get rough – he had an unedifying stand-off with Javed Miandad at Perth in 1981-82 after aiming a kick. He and Jeff Thomson were the nastiest pair of gangsters ever to take the new ball, and they left horses’ heads in many an English bed during a torrid Ashes series in 1974-75. And Lillee was an example to all bowlers of how to cope with advancing years. For him there was no midlife crisis; after Packer, he simply substituted craft for pace, brain for brawn, and offered batsmen a different but every bit as fearsome an examination. Oddly, he took more Test ten-fors (7) than he did wickets outside England and Australasia (6). Lillee could bat too – he rolled up his sleeves and almost saw Australia over the line at Headingley in 1981, when he and Rod Marsh infamously bet on England at 500-1 – although his attempt to use an aluminium bat in a Test wasn’t his brightest idea. He was the leading Test wicket-taker when he retired, with 355, and now runs a fast-bowling clinic in Madras.1981
The traditional Saturday-night mid-Headingley Test barbecue at Ian Botham’s house in Yorkshire, but never had the mood of the two teams been so contrasting. Australia were all over England at Headingley and set to go 2-0 up in the series. Botham said England “were about as low as you could get”, while Bob Willis described the mood as one of “black comedy”. England, having been forced to follow on 227 behind Australia, were 6 for 1 in their second innings, the odds on them winning lengthening all the time …1972
Only ten men have ever scored a hundred and taken a hat-trick in afirst-class match, and Mike Procter is the only man to have to done it twice. He did it for the first time taking 8 for 73 in the match and cracking 51 and 102 for Gloucestershire against Essex at Westcliff-on-Sea. It was an all-lbw hat-trick, too, and all from around the wicket.1893
It’s a slightly odd stat that only three men have ever made a century at Lord’s on their Test debut: Sourav Ganguly, John Hampshire … and Harry Graham, who did so for Australia on this day. Having come to the crease at 75 for 5, “The Little Dasher” cracked 107 to help Australia to a draw. He was also the only Aussie to make a century on Test debut in England until Dirk Wellham in 1981.1927
Chris Harris’s dad is born. Zin Harris, a right-hander, unlike his son, played nine Tests over a period of nine years, making his only century against South Africa at Cape Town in 1961-62. He died in his native Christchurch in December 1991, a few months before his son starred in the World Cup.Other birthdays
1925 Hubert Doggart (England)
1954 Imtiaz Ali (West Indies)

After three days of rather ordinary weather in Melbourne, it was probably unreasonable to expect that as many as 110 overs could be bowled on the fourth and final day of this Pura Cup match between Victoria and Queensland at Punt Road.Matthew Elliott defied the odds by enacting a bold first innings declaration; rival skipper Stuart Law followed suit in the second; and Matthew Mott (87), Michael Kasprowicz (4/53) and Andy Bichel (2/43) all energized the prospect that outright points could somehow be seized from the ruin.Even umpires Bob Parry and Richard Patterson tried their best, bringing the players back for a 3.4 over burst at the end of the day after extremely dim light had forced an earlier interruption.In the end, though, there was no chance of extending the match beyond 6:46pm, by which point the Victorians had reached a score of 6/240 as they pursued a target of 312 to win. Even if the clock had been turned back ten months to the finish of the Third Test between Pakistan and England at Karachi, it would have been impossible to find a match ending in more murky or uncomfortable conditions.Queensland duly accepted first innings points after their opponents’ early closure; Victoria took none.That the players had kept matters bubbling away for as long as they did was due chiefly to Elliott’s decision to terminate his team’s first innings at its overnight total of 3/160 – some 257 runs in arrears of the visitors’ 417.And to rival captain Law, who responded in kind. Around two wickets to left arm paceman Mathew Inness (2/19) and some sumptuous strokeplay from Martin Love (34*), Law quickly pulled the pin on the Bulls’ second innings at 2/54 to leave both teams with a minimum 95 overs – in theory anyway – from which to settle the issue.Bichel rapidly defeated Elliott (4) outside the line of off stump for the second time in the match, but a patient Mott shored up the Bushrangers’ defences. Solid support came from Jason Arnberger (33) and Brad Hodge (33), and later from Michael Klinger (44*), to ensure that the required scoring rate never ventured much past four runs an over at any stage of the chase.Ultimately, though, the combination of superb line and length bowling from Kasprowicz and the presence of a mass of black clouds proved unmanageable.The right arm paceman returned fine figures, but deserved even better after finding life where few others could in the pitch and beating the edge of the bat consistently. As they consider their alternatives in the lead-up to 8 November, Australia’s selectors could do far worse than choose him to complement Glenn McGrath and Jason Gillespie in their attack for the First Test against New Zealand.The conditions, too, again denied the teams. Drizzle fell intermittently throughout the day in the lead-up to a heavy shower that forced a half-hour stoppage after tea. The quality of the light was no better than average for most of the day either, and the damp and greasy conditions at ground level forced ball changes on at least four separate occasions.Weather permitting, the teams will return to Punt Road tomorrow for an ING Cup clash. In sympathy with the wintry conditions, perhaps, Queensland and Australian opener Matthew Hayden has the ‘flu and his appearance remains in doubt.

Former fast-bowling great Dennis Lillee has reportedly quit as president of the WACA. The has reported that Lillee stood down on Tuesday evening, two days before a report was due to be released on how much cricket should remain at the WACA Ground and how much should be moved to Perth’s new stadium at Burswood.”I cannot stand by and watch what is happening at the WACA,” Lillee told the paper. “I do not wish to be part of it any longer.”According to the , the upcoming report is likely to recommend that Test cricket remains at the WACA Ground but most forms of limited-overs cricket, including BBL games, be moved to Burswood. The new stadium is due to open in 2018.Lillee’s departure comes after former Test fast bowler Sam Gannon last month announced that he would not seek re-election as chairman of the WACA. Both men joined the board in 2004 as part of a significant shake-up of the organisation.

Australia captain Pat Cummins won’t feature again in the Ashes and there is uncertainty about whether he will be available for the T20 World Cup in February, with selectors and medical staff unwilling to take any risks over his long-term health.When Australia’s squad for the MCG Boxing Day Test was named on Tuesday morning, it was confirmed, as Cummins had flagged after Adelaide, that he would sit out the match. Head coach Andrew McDonald said a few hours later that Cummins’ series was over after one appearance, which helped secure the Ashes.Cummins was diagnosed with a lumbar stress reaction after the tour of the West Indies, but following an aggressive rehab programme, he bowled brilliantly in Adelaide where he claimed six wickets as Australia won by 82 runs.Related

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“He’s pulled up fine,” McDonald said. “He won’t play any part in the rest of the series and that was a discussion that we had a long time out around his return.”We were taking on some risk and people that reported on that would understand the risk associated with that rebuild. We’ve now won the series and that was the goal. So, to position him for further risk and jeopardise him long-term is not something that we want to do and Pat’s really comfortable with that.”Even though Cummins’ Ashes has been limited to one match, McDonald said it had been a huge effort from all involved to even get to that point.”If he had any setback in the build as well, we would have shut him down straight away,” he said. “Everything went really smoothly and full credit to him [and] the medical team. To navigate through that risk profile to get him back and take six wickets in that game and nail the Ashes series was incredibly pleasing for everyone associated with that.Pat Cummins added to his tally against Joe Root in the third Test•AFP/Getty Images

“If you look at the… decision sort of four months ago and the journey he went on to get to where he was to be able to play the third Ashes Test when people thought it was nigh on impossible, that took an incredible amount of work from our SSSM [Sports Science Sports Medicine] team.”McDonald said that would be part of a discussion with the other selectors later on Tuesday about the T20 World Cup squad, which is due to be named soon, and indicated that further medical advice would be taken around Cummins’ participation.Cummins has not played a T20I for Australia since mid-2024 at the previous World Cup in the Caribbean and the USA. Shortly after the upcoming edition takes place in India and Sri Lanka, IPL 2026 will begin, where Cummins is due to captain Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH).”That’ll be an assessment,” McDonald said of Cummins’ T20 World Cup chances. “I’m assuming he’ll have a check-in scan at some point and gather more information around where his back is at… looking forward to the World Cup, whether he’ll be there or not. I can’t really say. It’s quite grey at the moment. We’re hopeful.”2:09

Starc: Job’s not done after Ashes win

McDonald on Starc: ‘I don’t know how he does it’

Cummins’ injury along with the one suffered by Josh Hazlewood, who won’t feature at all in the Ashes, and Sean Abbott, who was ruled out before the first Test, has tested the depth of Australia’s pace resources.Mitchell Starc led the attack superbly in the first two Tests before producing a series-clinching three wickets on the final day in Adelaide and has already stated his desire to continue through all five matches.”Starc’s amazing, he’s pulled up fine, I don’t know how he does it,” McDonald said. “I walked into the physio room the other day and sort of just went through the body count and how we’re going. I won’t use exactly what [the physio] said, but he just said he [Starc] is a freak.”He keeps running in, presenting the pace that he does. There’s a lot to be learned around preparing yourself and targeting the right matches at the right time. He’s given up a lot of IPL opportunities and you’re seeing a player that wants to play Test cricket and he’s still at his best. It’s an incredible story. Let’s hope it continues for a long time yet but he’s a freak, end of story.”Australia have added Jhye Richardson to their pace options for the fourth Test at the MCG following his recovery from shoulder surgery. Richardson last played a Test during the 2021-22 Ashes.

Victoria have axed their wicketkeeper Adam Crosthwaite for their first Pura Cup match of the season. The Bushrangers instead chose Matthew Wade, who they recruited from Tasmania during the off-season, for the game against South Australia beginning on Sunday at Adelaide Oval.Wade, who turns 20 later this month, played one FR Cup game for Tasmania last season and believed his chances of a first-class debut would improve with a move to Melbourne. That opportunity has immediately come at the expense of Crosthwaite, who has spent two summers as Victoria’s first-choice gloveman but has managed only one Pura Cup half-century.A former captain of the Tasmania Under-19 side and a member of Australia’s Under-19 World Cup squad in 2005-06, Wade impressed Victoria during his junior career with his ability to regularly build big scores. He was also productive in his first game in Melbourne’s club cricket on the weekend, when he made 76 for Camberwell Magpies.”I’m thrilled to get an opportunity to play for the Bushrangers at first-class level,” Wade said. “Hopefully I can grab it with both hands and help get some points on the board for Victoria. We’ve had some solid hit-outs leading into the season so the whole squad’s really excited and can’t wait to get stuck into it.”Aiden Blizzard is also a chance to make his first-class debut if Victoria can find room in their middle order. Blizzard made a powerful statement in his first Twenty20 game last season when he blasted 89 from 38 balls at Adelaide Oval.The Bushrangers named a 13-man squad for this weekend’s match with Andrew McDonald’s inclusion dependent on the results of a scan on his right shoulder. McDonald had surgery during the winter and pulled up sore from a recent bowling spell.Shane Harwood is still recovering from a shoulder injury, leaving Victoria with a slightly inexperienced bowling line-up. Gerard Denton will lead the attack, while Allan Wise could play his first state match since 2005-06 after missing most of last season with stress fractures in his back.Squad Nick Jewell, Michael Klinger, David Hussey, Robert Quiney, Aiden Blizzard, Cameron White (capt), Andrew McDonald, Matthew Wade (wk), Gerard Denton, Bryce McGain, Peter Siddle, Allan Wise, Dirk Nannes.

New South Wales will play a minimum of two domestic limited-overs matches at Sydney’s Telstra Stadium over the next four years in a deal announced by Cricket NSW today. The Blues will stage a Twenty20 game against Tasmania at the former Olympic track venue on January 10 and a domestic one-day fixture against the Tigers on January 24.David Gilbert, the Cricket NSW chief executive, said the agreement continued the state’s investment in greater western Sydney. “The growth of western Sydney continues apace and is a vital catchment area for cricket participants and supporters,” he said. “We hope playing matches at Telstra Stadium will provide a great opportunity for Sydney’s west, in particular, to support the Blues.”The ground has hosted occasional domestic matches over the past three years and continues Cricket NSW’s push to take games away from the SCG. Telstra Stadium was one of the tenders for international matches in Sydney last season, but the bid of the SCG Trust was accepted.

Derbyshire are to switch the nickname of their one-day team from the Scorpions to the Phantoms.The change was made after the county ran a competition in association with a local radio station in Derby, RAM FM. They have been called the Scorpions since counties adopted nicknames six years ago. A statement from Derbyshire said: “We wanted a name that has some direct relationship to Derbyshire and its proud history.” The new name reflects Derby being the most haunted city in England, and also plays on the town’s links with Rolls Royce, who manufactured the Phantom luxury car.As the Scorpions, Derbyshire lacked almost any sting. They have won the wooden spoon three times in the last six years and only Scotland finished beneath them in 2004. Derbyshire won 30 and lost 64 one-day matches as the Scorpions and will hope for better luck as the Phantoms.

Tino Best, the West Indian fast bowler, is to miss the rest of the tour of England with a back injury he sustained in the first Test at Lord’s.Best, 22, was forced to leave the field during England’s seconds innings at Lord’s after developing a stress reaction in his back, and the West Indian board, in consultation with the medical team, have decided to send him home for further treatment. It is hoped, however, that he will be available for selection for the ICC Champions Trophy in England next month.Best will be replaced by Dave Mohammed, the left-arm wrist spinner, who has played only one Test, against South Africa at Cape Town at the beginning of this year. Mohammed will join up with the rest of the squad on Monday. He is currently in America on tour with the Trinidad & Tobago team.

A thoroughly proficient performance from the Hampshire Academy ended in victory over Portsmouth by the healthy margin of 130 runs at the Rose Bowl; earning the young Hawks maximum points, consolidating fifth position in the table and pleasing both Manager Tony Middleton and Captain Giles White.Still unbeaten for the season at the toss, the Academy took first use of the pitch on the Rose Bowl’s debut in Southern League “time” cricket. The Academy started off at a good tempo but lost some unnecessary wickets, being in some trouble at 100-5 forty five minutes before lunch. However, sensible batting from the immaculate Jimmy Adams (a chanceless 111 in 166 balls, 2 sixes, 10 fours) and the prudent Ian Hilsum (78 not out in 119 balls, 11 fours) rescued the situation as the former Hampshire colts put on 157 for the sixth wicket. 92 came in the last 12 overs, enabling Giles White to declare. Portsmouth tried eight bowlers in an attempt to stem the run flow and their over-rate was tremendous.Chasing a target of 276 to win in a minimum of 58 overs, Portsmouth were never in the hunt, struggling to 69-5 against the bowling of David Griffiths, Luke Merry, the unlucky Matt Metcalfe and Hilsum. However, a stubborn sixth wicket stand of 63 between Hampshire old boy Lee Savident (44) and Hampshire Under 19 all-rounder Naqeeb Ali Mohamed raised hopes of Portsmouth securing a losing draw. But a collapse which saw the last five wickets fall for 13 runs in 5.2 overs against the off spin of Mitchell Stokes and the left arm in-swing of the returning Luke Merry put paid to any ideas Portsmouth may have had in that direction; Hampshire securing outright victory with 10.1 overs to spare.