Ankle injury rules Smith out of IPL

South Africa Test captain Graeme Smith will miss the upcoming Indian Premier League to undergo an ankle surgery, CSA said in a statement on Sunday.

Smith, who was due to play for Pune Warriors in the IPL starting on Wednesday, will undergo a surgery on his left ankle, which has been troubling him over the last two months.
Cricket South Africa informed that the decision to operate upon Smith was taken after consultation with the Board’s ankle specialist, who detected an impingement syndrome of the ankle.

“Graeme went to see CSA’s ankle specialist in Cape Town this weekend and he confirmed that the best management of the chronic pain in his ankle is surgery,” South African team manager, Mohammed Moosjee said in a statement issued by the Board.

“The recovery period after such a surgery usually takes 8-10 weeks, and he will subsequently not be able to represent Pune Warriors at the 2012 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in India.”

The surgery will be performed next Tuesday, in order to allow for sufficient recovery and rehabilitation ahead of the South Africa’s tour of England in July.
“I’m very disappointed to be missing out on the IPL this year,” Smith said.

“I was looking forward to my second season with Pune Warriors, especially after my knee set me back last season. I would like to wish them all of the best this year. I’m sure the new management and exciting new signings will be a positive boost for the side,” he added.

Meanwhile, Chennai Super Kings opening batsman Abhinav Mukund was also ruled out of action for 10 days after he twisted his left ankle during a fielding practice session.
According to a posting on the team’s website quoting team physio Tommy Simsek and manager Russell Radhakrishnan, Mukund was given medical attention on the field and taken for a precautionary X-ray, which revealed he will be out of action for 10 days.

de Villiers, Clarke new No.1 Test batsmen

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Dubai: AB de Villiers and Michael Clarke have jointly displaced Kumar Sangakkara – who scored 0 and 14 in the recent Galle Test – at the top of the ICC’s rankings for Test batsmen, following their strong showings in South Africa’s and Australia’s most recent Test series.
Scores of 83 in South Africa’s nine-wicket win in Hamilton and 38 and 68 in the drawn third Test in Wellington gave de Villiers 35 points and a jump of two places to reach No. 1 for the first time in his 74-match career. While Clarke has not played Test cricket since January – when Australia beat India 4-0 – he has gained from Sangakkara’s poor show in Galle, moving up to share the top spot with de Villiers. This is the second time Clarke has reached No. 1 in the ICC’s rankings for Test batsmen, the previous instance being in August 2009.

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Mahela Jayawardene and Jonathan Trott, who scored centuries in the Galle Test, were the biggest movers in the last few days. Jayawardene, who made 180 in the first innings, gained seven places to move to 19th, while Trott, who scored a fourth-innings century in a losing cause, has moved up six places to No. 9. New Zealand’s captain Ross Taylor gained three places to move to No. 10.
Jacques Kallis has lost his second position and is now down to third following an average in New Zealand. The other batsmen to slip are South Africa captain Graeme Smith (12th), England’s Alastair Cook (14th), Kevin Pietersen (22nd) and Matt Prior (24th) and New Zealand’s Brendon McCullum (25th).
In the rankings for bowlers, South Africa’s Vernon Philander has been the biggest beneficiary with a jump of 11 places to fifth, a career-best position for him. He is the third South Africa bowler in the top 10, with Dale Steyn firmly holding the No. 1 position and Morne Morkel at 10th after slipping one place. Sri Lanka’s left-arm spinner Rangana Herath, Man of the Match in Galle for his 12 wickets, also rose six places to seventh, a career-best ranking for him.
England retained their No. 1 status in the teams’ rankings despite a poor show in the first Test. They will have to win the second Test in Colombo to retain their position. If England lose the series 2-0, they will drop from 118 ratings points to 113– three points behind South Africa – while a 1-0 defeat will see them slip to 114 ratings points.
Australia, who begin their three-Test series against hosts West Indies next month, will replace India at third in case of a series win. However, if they win 3-0 and England lose 2-0 against Sri Lanka, both teams will be equal on 113 ratings points. In that case, the Aussies will take the second place on the basis of calculation beyond the decimal point.

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road out of SL tour, doubtful for IPL

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Galle: England seamer Stuart Broad is all set to fly home after being ruled out of the second Test against Sri Lanka with a calf strain. Broad played in England's defeat in Galle despite struggling with a sprain to his left ankle before the first Test and injured his calf during the 75-run defeat, in which he managed just two wickets.
The sprain could affect Broad's participation in the IPL which starts April 4, for the second year in a row. He had signed a three-year deal with King's XI Punjab but missed the 2011 edition because of a stomach injury sustained during the World Cup.

An England and Wales Cricket Board statement read: "England pace bowler Stuart Broad has been ruled of the final Test against Sri Lanka after a scan on Friday that confirmed a right calf strain. Broad will be back in London, immediately for further assessment before beginning a rehabilitation programme which will determine his availability including the IPL."
With just Tuesday's second Test left on their tour of Sri Lanka, England have not sent anyone for his replacement, leaving Tim Bresnan and Steven Finn to battle for a place in the side for the final Test. Punjab open their IPL campaign on April 6 against Rajasthan Royals.

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I didn't compromise fitness for IPL' - Clarke

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Melbourne: Australian captain Michael Clarke has made it clear that he did not compromise his fitness by opting to sign a lucrative contract with the Pune Warriors in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Clarke was reported to have agreed to the deal after being offered a staggering $1 million for six games. The Aussie captain is scheduled to have a three-week break before Australia embark on a tour of England in June and July.

He will have a further eight-week break before Australia play Pakistan in four ODIs and two Twenty20 matches in August, tentatively scheduled to be held in the neutral venue of Sri Lanka.
"Representing Australia always comes first for me. I wouldn't do anything that would physically jeopardise that and I've made that very clear," Clarke said.
"I'll be having a good break this winter. If there was ever a time for me to have a go at playing in the IPL, it's now." Clarke was quoted as saying by the Daily Telegraph.
Previously, Clarke had resisted the riches of the the IPL to focus on national duty. Clarke will replace Yuvraj Singh, who was this month discharged from a US hospital after a third round of chemotherapy for a rare germ cell cancer. He will join fellow Australians Steve Smith and James Hopes at the Pune franchise.

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