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Augustine ‘Gus’ Logie has had a very distinguished career as a player and as a coach. He is a proven winner and a true gentleman, a reflection of the true spirit of cricket and the glory days of West Indies cricket. We wish him, the WICB, and players continued successes on and off the field.His CV is attached for reference purposes.Curriculum VitaeName: Augustine Lawrence LogieDate-of-Birth: 28th September 1960Marital Status: Married with 3 ChildrenEducation and Training:

Old Trafford was packed with cricket fans today, and why not? This test match has been a wonderful advertisement for test cricket. It’s been full of drama and free scoring. People love to watch positive cricket and that’s why most people cherish one-day cricket!Inzamam and Youhana were sedate for the first twenty minutes. I liked their approach. Pakistan could ill afford a mini collapse at the start of play, as all three results were possible at that time.

It was not long before Inzamam was in full stride. If Pakistan wins, this test match will certainly be recorded as Inzi’s match in history. He looked a special player when he first started playing for Pakistan but I never realized one day he’d leave behind the likes of Zaheer Abbas and Majid Khan. He is a much better all round player than the former illustrious players. He butchers the spinners and is in a class of his own against pace bowlers. After hitting an all time low during the last tour of Australia he has recovered well and is in the process of rewriting Pakistan cricket history. He is certain to score over 7000 runs in test cricket and even Pakistan’s greatest batsman (Javed Miandad) must be looking over his shoulder as his record might be overhauled too.They say fortune favours the brave. Nick Knight is easily the best all round fielder in the England team. I have seen him take some stunning catches. He dropped three catches in this test match. Maybe Waqar’s luck is changing.Players like Inzamam do not need a second chance. Memories of this game will surely haunt Nick Knight. In the first innings Inzy scored 82% of his runs on leg side but today some of his strokes on the off side were simply regal. At times he just stood tall and delivered. After lunch, he disdainfully dispatched Caddick over square leg for six. But, it was a tired looking shot that brought his downfall. Favouring his right hand he tried to smash Hoggard only to mishit it to Trescothick at mid-wicket.Soon after, unfortunate Youhana was given out caught in the slips when the ball had clearly hit only the tip of his helmet. Nevertheless, it was a gritty innings and perfect for the occasion. He’d made sure Pakistan did not lose early wickets and did not deter him to play second fiddle to Inzamam. Considering his form on the tour it was the best he could do for his team.England is considered the headquarters of cricket. There is an instant recognition by cricket fans all over the world if you have performed well in England. Well, Younis Khan has certainly done well enough in two innings in England to convince cricket pundits that he will be a force to be reckoned with in future. It could have been better. He has been an unfortunate victim of two rank bad decisions in this series. Both times he had gotten an inside edge when he was adjudged lbw and incidentally, these were the only times he’s failed in the two test matches.England was very defensive today. The ball they used for most the day was soft and in tatters which distinctly meant they were trying to restrict Pakistan batsmen scoring quickly rather than bowling them out. Azhar missed a straight ball from Caddick. Instead of hitting it down the ground he played all around it.

Rashid and Wasim were involved in a fruitful partnership. Wasim was belligerent from the start. He was aided by Caddick who had a change of heart and instead of bowling short at him kept presenting him with wide half volleys at a pace which at best was military medium. I must confess, both Caddick and Gough were below par today. Rashid, after a useful knock, was taken at slip. Wasim continued to apply the long handle but Pakistan should have declared once Rashid was out. It was sheer time wasting. Perhaps Pakistan camp conveniently forgot they were trailing in this series?Gough brought one back to clean bowl Wasim and after some more time wastage and savage hitting, Hoggard finally had Saqlain caught by Stewart while trying to slog him out of Old Trafford.Anyone who has read my preview about this test match would recall how much I wanted Shoaib Akhtar to play in this test match. Without him I thought Pakistan would struggle to bowl England out twice in the game.Now, England may very well win this test match. They are without loss with all wickets intact, yet I think Pakistan should have declared as soon as Rashid was out. Why are we so scared of losing a test match? I would rather take a chance of coming home with rubber drawn, rather than a one nil defeat.

Azhar once again, did not bowl in the evening. Why can’t we take hard decision and play specialists in their respective position rather than filling in the void. Players should be accountable and it is only possible if we give them a fair chance. Pakistan can still win or draw the game tomorrow. Atherton and Trescothick have given England a solid base but an early wicket can make all the difference.Remember 1992 and 1996, only problem is people who won those games for Pakistan are now a little long in the tooth.

Ed:Mudassar Nazar is a veteran of 76 tests and 122 ODIs. He is currently the chief coach of Pakistan’s National and Regional Cricket Academies. In view of the overwhelming interest of users in CricInfo’s articles, we have invited him to write for us.

Wolves could head into next season without veteran midfielder Joao Moutinho, with the 35-year-old’s contract set to expire at the end of the current campaign.However, they could keep his compatriot and midfield partner Ruben Neves, which would provide a huge boost to manager Bruno Lage’s plans for next term and indeed to the Molineux faithful.What’s the news?Wolves’ technical director Scott Sellars has revealed that the club are in talks with the 25-year-old over a new contract, after it was reported by the Daily Mail that Barcelona were interested in signing him this summer.Sellars said in an interview with the Express & Star: “Ruben is having a fantastic season and everybody should take a pat on the back in terms of how well he is playing.”We’re obviously talking to him and we all know how much he loves playing for the club. We know how much he has settled here, but he is also an ambitious young man.”As with all players, you try and have an open dialogue with them and their representatives to come to the best scenario for the club and the player.”Rightly so, elite clubs all over Europe will have Ruben on their radar, but we have an excellent relationship with him and will do things properly, and collaboratively, when the time is right.”Wolves’ most important playerThe 25-year-old has averaged a 7.20 Sofascore match rating in the Premier League this season, the best of any outfield player at the club, with only goalkeeper Jose Sa bettering him with an average match rating of 7.22.Having provided six goal contributions in 28 games, only centre-forward Raul Jimenez has had more than Neves, who has as many as fellow midfielders Moutinho and Leander Dendoncker combined (WhoScored).An accomplished passer of the ball, he ranks in the top 1% among midfielders across Europe’s top five leagues and continental competitions for long passes completed per 90 (14.92), top 6% for passes into the final third (7.16) and top 3% for switches per 90 (4.49).Keeping hold of Neves would nearly feel like a new signing to Lage given the recent transfer speculation, and having him around for next season could help Wolves to make another push for European qualification in 2023.In other news: Wolves must avoid disaster on “instrumental” £8.1m-rated gem, he’s “brilliant to have”

What are the yips?
“Getting the yips” is a phrase used to describe a (mostly) mental affliction that prevents sportsmen from performing a repetitive task – such as bowling – in the presence of an audience. Most commonly prevalent among golfers, in cricket the syndrome usually affects bowlers, particularly left-arm spinners.How are the yips different from an attack of nerves, or a choke?
Getting the yips is not, unlike nerves, a passing phenomenon. It is akin to being trapped for long periods in the choking process.What causes it?
There is no one cause, but a change in bowling action to compensate for injury may be a trigger. Also, research has shown that bowlers with the yips may be overusing the analytical left side of their brains.What are the manifestations?
At nets, yippers generally feel everything is fine, only to fall to pieces in a match situation, losing length and line, and often both.Have any well known players been victims?
Fred Swarbrook, the Derbyshire left-arm spinner of the 1970s, was one of the first public cases. Ravi Shastri, Phil Edmonds, and Maninder Singh are among the better known players to have been affected.Is there a cure?
There is no fail-safe cure, but victims have found help in such measures as rubbing a soft pebble kept in the pocket before bowling, and in starting a spell from over the wicket. Research also suggests bowling in the nets against a friendly batsman, then going on to an unfamiliar batsman, then in the middle with nets, then without, and so on, may help.

Kyle Mills, the New Zealand seamer, has been ruled out for up to 12 months with a knee tendon problem which requires surgery.He was a late call-up to New Zealand’s squad in Australia and played just one match, taking 1 for 72 at Perth against the hosts. However, his injury prevented him taking the field again as New Zealand missed out on a place in the finals.Mills has been unable to sleep for the past week and painkillers have been ineffective so going under the knife is the only option. “He’ll have an operation as soon as possible on a patella tendon,” John Bracewell, New Zealand’s coach, said as the team arrived back at Auckland airport.”It’s devastating news, really – both for Kyle and the team, and also for what’s been a two-year programme to build him into one of the leading bowlers in world cricket.””It’s been a hard decision for him but he says he’s only going to let down the team if he tries to struggle through the World Cup and can only play every so often.”Bracwell added that a replacement, who will play in the Chappell-Hadlee series which starts on February 16, will be named after consultation with Sir Richard Hadlee in his role as selection advisor.

Rahul Dravid has admitted that he had decided to open the batting “the night before the game”, adding that it was a move made with the interests of the team at heart. Adding that it was not a long-term solution, Dravid said that this decision, like all others, was taken to give his side the best chance to win the game on hand.”I’m not trying to make too many statements to my team,” he said in the post-match press conference. “My team-mates know me pretty well by now. There’s strategy involved and I am thinking of the best chance we have to get the right result. It’s not false bravado out there. It’s about who I think are the best people to play in different positions and situations. It’s about what is best for the team. I may not get all my decisions right, but I’ll try and take all of them so that it gives my team the best chance.”Though he revealed how much he had enjoyed the partnership, Dravid echoed Greg Chappell’s view that the opening situation would be reviewed on a match-by-match basis. “I enjoyed the partnership,” he continued, “but we’ll have to see on what happens in 3-4 days’ time to see who opens. I don’t think it’s a long-term solution. We have to try and see to pick a side to win a game. We’ll assess that when we go to Faisalabad after seeing the wicket.”Hailing Virender Sehwag’s effort as an “special” innings, Dravid spoke about the joy in watching such an aggressive batsman at the other end. “The pace at which Veeru scored was pretty exceptional,” he added. “Some of the shots he hit were a joy to watch from the other end. Even thought it was a flat wicket, some of the shots he hit against the spinners were special. It’s hard to match Veeru. He sometimes plays an incredible shot to a ball which I would have defended. It’s important not to get carried away. I needed to ensure I didn’t get out and put pressure on him.”He wasn’t too perturbed with Sehwag getting out, with the duo falling agonisingly short of the world record opening partnership. “Veeru plays that way – attacking and positive. He played a similar shot to get from 199 to 200. Lot of times, when people get out, it looks like why did they play that shot .. but when he’s on song there is some exceptional batting.”While not revealing about the composition of the bowling line-up for the next Test, Dravid, while not complaining about this pitch, hoped they would get a more sporting surface. “We need a good wicket that helps both batsmen and bowlers,” he said. “I won’t criticise the pitch as it’s not easy to prepare one. It’s tough to know what it will do, who it will support. I would like to think that the groundsman also wanted to prepare a good pitch. There are lot of factors involved – nature, soil, binding, clay, rolling … it’s not an exact science.”

Courtney Walsh has backed Glenn McGrath to make it for the 2007 World Cup in the Caribbean. Earlier, McGrath had declared his intention to participate in the tournament, saying that his fitness would not let him down. He captured 15 wickets at 11 apiece in the VB Series.Walsh praised McGrath’s match winning performance of 5 for 27 in the second final against Pakistan and reckoned that McGrath could maintain the form till the World Cup. “I think people carry on too much about age. It’s within his reach. It’s two years away and he has every chance if he looks after his body.”It also helps that Australia has a system that looks after the players and gives them a chance to rest,” quoted Walsh, who was in Sydney for a coaching assignment. “As long as he feels good and as long as he is doing a good job for the team, then he can carry on. It is interesting to have him around, especially because you need senior players there to help the younger guys.”Walsh’s verbal support was in stark contrast to Brian Lara’s claim last month that McGrath would not be fit enough to bowl in the 2007 World Cup. “He is a champion bowler but his age [McGrath will be 37 in 2007} could count against him. He’ll be an ageing fast bowler coming in to bowl on really nice batting tracks in the Caribbean,” Lara had said in January. “He might damage his reputation and frugal economy rate if he tried to help the world champions defend their Cup crown on flat wickets in the Caribbean.”Walsh has expressed huge respect for McGrath, who needs just 39 wickets to surpass Walsh’s record of 519 Test wickets. “McGrath is the best fast bowler in the world today – no question,” Walsh wrote in a newspaper column for . “I have a lot of respect for Glenn. He bowls well in any conditions and even when fatigued, his line and length rarely changes.”As a thinker, there is no better bowler. He can work a batsman out. I know Glenn is not far off my mark and he will go past me soon. I know he struggled a bit in the Caribbean. Looking at him here, you know he’s very much at peace with himself, very comfortable, and he’s doing the right things.”

Robert Croft has been called up by the England selectors for the Testseries in Sri Lanka. The Glamorgan captain becomes the 16th memberof the Test squad and his selection follows a Man of the Series performancefor England in the recent Hong Kong Sixes.”The selectors feel the need to have an extra spinner present inSri Lanka as past history indicates that spin might have a biggerpart to play than in Bangladesh,” said chairman of selectors DavidGraveney. “Ashley Giles and Gareth Batty were the original picked forthe tour and they played their part in the success in Bangladesh.Selection for the first Test match in Galle will be based, as youwould expect, on form and fitness.”

During his 37 years at Somerset County Cricket Club the popular former all-rounder Peter Robinson has undertaken almost every job that there is to be done at the club.Currently Robbo is health and safety officer, cricket manager, manager of the Somerset Board Eleven and Somerset Under-19s coach, to mention but a few of the responsibilities that he undertakes at the County Ground.Robbo has just accepted the invitation from the Lloyd and White Youth Cricket League to take over as their president.Speaking earlier this morning he told me: “The league committee wrote to me recently and asked if I’d like to become their president. I’m honoured to take on the job.”I’m looking forward to carrying out my duties, and hope to get round to see some of the league matches this season.”

Karnataka played host to Andhra Pradesh at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore in the P Ramachandra Rao Trophy for the Under-22 and the match came to end as a draw on Saturday.Having won the toss on Thursday, Andhra decided to bat first and were helped on by some useful partnerships that kept the innings going. Andhra were all out for 333 in 91.3 overs as KV Lazarus picked 5/111 for Karnataka. For Andhra ASK Varma made a breezy 83 in 136 balls which included two sixes and nine boundaries. TK Ayappa Swamy made 79 in 121 balls which included 10 hits to the fence. There were useful contributions in the lower order from Shankara Rao (33) and M Faiq (40) hitting seven fours each.Karnataka made a steady start and kept going till they were bowled out for 390 in 121.5 overs. BM Rowland made 84 (10 fours) and Amith Kumar 89 with 12 fours were the main stay of the Karnataka innings. R Shanbal chipped in with 54 (6 fours, 1 six) adding 110 for the sixth wicket with Kumar. Faiq came good with the ball picking up 3/92. Karnataka gained the crucial first innings lead of 57 runs. Batting on the last day Andhra struggled against a determined Karnataka attack. M Aleem 4/53 and G Chaitra 3/42 reduced Andhra to 176/9 in 52 overs at the close of the match. ASK Varma with 31 top scored for Andhra as wickets kept falling at regular intervals. Karnataka collected five points to Andhra’s three.