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Durham have signed Mitchell Johnson, the Australia fast bowler, as their second overseas player for the 2012 Friends Life t20 competition.Johnson’s international T20 record is not the best – he concedes his runs at over seven an over and averages only 10.09 with the bat. But he has played all but three games of his T20 career at international level and will be eager to prove a point with Durham ahead of the World T20 in September. Herschelle Gibbs, the South Africa batsman, is Durham’s other overseas player for T20.Johnson, 30, was named ICC Cricketer of the Year in 2009 and has appeared in 47 Tests, 107 ODIs and 28 T20 internationals. A combination of injury issues and lost form have seen him lose favour in the Australian set-up, however, and he has fallen some way down the pecking order as a new generation of Australian fast bowlers has emerged.But it is less than 18-months since he bowled out England to help Australia win the Perth Test while, as a batsman, he has proved good enough to score a Test century and two ODI half-centuries.”I’ve heard brilliant things about Durham from Paul Collingwood when he played over in Perth and I’m really excited about joining up with the squad,” Johnson said. “Delivering match-winning contributions is important to me and that’s not just with a focus on my bowling: all-round performances in T20 are really important and I want to leave at the end of July having secured our place at finals day.”Durham’s chief executive, David Harker, added, “Mitchell is an excellent addition to our squad and he will certainly be a force to be reckoned with. One of our ambitions for 2012 is to get to t20 finals day and we have made the investment to bring in players that we feel will enhance our already talented squad to help us achieve that. It’ll be great for us to welcome Mitchell to the set up.”

Deccan Chargers have signed five Indian uncapped cricketers for the 2012 IPL, one of whom is Tanmay Mishra, who plays for Kenya. Mishra, who was born in Mumbai, has never played a first-class or List A game for any Indian side; but a spokesperson for Chargers explained that since he holds an Indian passport*, Mishra is eligible to be bought as an Indian uncapped player.This also means Mishra will not have to be counted among the four foreign players each franchise is allowed to play in an IPL game.Chargers have also signed Uttar Pradesh batsman Tanmay Srivastava, who was part of the now dissolved Kochi Tuskers Kerala last year, Orissa batsman Biplab Samantray, Madhya Pradesh medium-pacer TP Sudhindra and 21-year-old Hyderabad opening batsman Akshath Reddy.Mishra, a 25-year-old middle-order batsman, was one of the few bright spots for Kenya during the 2011 World Cup; he scored two half-centuries, including an innings of 72 against Australia in Bangalore. On the day Chargers announced they had signed him, Mishra scored 70 not out in Kenya’s win against Ireland in a World Cricket League Championship in Mombasa.Reddy and Sudhindra have both earned IPL contracts on the back of impressive Ranji seasons. Sudhindra was the leading wicket-taker in the Elite division with 40 wickets at an average of 18.70. Reddy, in his second season, scored 524 runs at an average of 65.50, with three centuries.Samantray scored his maiden first-class century in the 2011-12 Ranji season, an innings of 171 against Uttar Pradesh, while Srivastava, at just 22 years old, has already played 45 first-class matches and 26 List A matches, and has six centuries in each format. He played seven matches for Kings XI Punjab spread across the 2008 and 2009 editions of the IPL, but did not have much chance to contribute with the bat.* February 18, 2012 18:16 GMT: This article said Tanmay Mishra held dual citizenship of India and Kenya. This has been corrected.

Shane Watson hopes to be fully fit within a week after making an encouraging return to Sydney grade cricket on Saturday. But Watson remains uncertain whether he will be able to play in any of the Commonwealth Bank Series, insisting that he needs at least one Sheffield Shield game under his belt before he can be considered for national duties.Watson has not played for Australia since the tour of South Africa in November, having been initially ruled out of the home Tests against New Zealand due to a hamstring tear. However, it is a calf injury picked up during his recovery that has caused him ongoing problems, and it was not until this weekend that he was able to play again, for his club side Sutherland.He got through the match without any concerns and scored 30 from 27 deliveries and bowled six overs for figures of 0 for 17. Watson hopes to be available for New South Wales’ next Sheffield Shield match, against Western Australia at the WACA, starting on Friday.”It’s been a very frustrating couple of months. It’s something I love, doing so much, so I missed it a lot,” Watson told AAP. “There’s been a few false starts over the last month or so, so to be able to get through the game was the most important thing. I’ve been working pretty hard on my batting and making a few adjustments on my batting technique. In the end, I suppose I got more than I was hoping out of the day.”However, Watson knows setbacks can arrive at any time. While he might be able to return in the later stages of the tri-series against India and Sri Lanka, that remains dependent on how he recovers this week and how well he gets through the Shield game.”If I’m able to get through a Shield game then and get some bowling into me in that Shield game, I feel like I will be ready to be able to play one-day cricket especially,” he said. “But I’m not getting too far in front of myself. I know how important the next few days are to recover.”The day didn’t go so well for Australia’s struggling wicketkeeper Brad Haddin, who was playing against Watson for Eastern Suburbs. Haddin didn’t keep wicket – Peter Nevill was given that job – and scored 1 batting at No.3 before he was caught at cover off the legspin of Steven Smith.And in Melbourne, the fast bowler James Pattinson made his comeback from a foot injury for his club side Dandenong, although as a batsman only. Victoria’s captain Cameron White said Pattinson was bowling in the nets and could be in the mix for next weekend’s Ryobi Cup game against South Australia, or failing that for Victoria’s next Shield game, starting on March 1.”Obviously not this Shield game but maybe the one after that,” White said. “I’m not sure about the one-day game [on Saturday]. He’s back bowling in the nets now, reloading after that foot injury. We’ll make sure he gets enough work through it to get him right to play for Australia. I think once he’s fit he’ll be straight back in there.”

Michael Clarke, the Australia captain, has confirmed a hamstring complaint will keep him out of Friday’s triangular series match against Sri Lanka in Sydney.It will be the first ODI or Test he has missed since replacing Ricky Ponting as leader following the end of the 2011 World Cup campaign.Clarke complained of right hamstring soreness in the field against India during Sunday night’s loss at Adelaide Oval, and upon his return to Sydney underwent scans to check on the injury.A grade one hamstring strain was located, ruling Clarke out of the team’s next fixture, though he hopes not to miss more than one match.After Friday, the squad travels to Brisbane for another meeting with India on Sunday.His absence, at a time when he may have been due for a rest, has opened up a dilemma for the national selectors regarding who should be the stand-in captain. The official vice-captain Shane Watson is making a slow and steady recovery from his own leg muscle problems, while Brad Haddin, Clarke’s deputy in the Tests against India, has been rested while Matthew Wade is given a glimpse of the wicketkeeping spot.David Warner has served as vice-captain so far during the ODI series, a role he also fills with the national Twenty20 team, while the former captain Ricky Ponting remains a senior figure in the dressing room. Another option would be to call in George Bailey, captain of Tasmania and the T20 team, and in strong form during his state’s last two fixtures against New South Wales.Australia’s team physio Alex Kountouris said Clarke’s availability for the Sunday match would be determined later this week. “He will not recover in time to play in Australia’s next Commonwealth Bank Series game on Friday in Sydney against Sri Lanka,” Kountouris said, “but I will assess him later this week and decide on his availability for the game in Brisbane on Sunday against India.”The Australia squad for the next block of triangular series matches will be named by the national selector John Inverarity on Tuesday.

There was a time when your Ranji Trophy season used to be as good as overthe moment you drew Mumbai in the knockouts. There was a time when teamswere in awe of the 39-time champions. That awe has now been replaced byrespect for their past deeds but teams today know that Mumbai arefallible, as Rajasthan showed last season. That the depleted Mumbai sidefacing Madhya Pradesh is almost unrecognisable from the formidable sidesof the past is not lost on the hosts. Devendra Bundela, the MP captain, evensaid that they were “not taking Mumbai lightly.”Such confidence might seem misplaced in a side in its first season in theElite League in seven years but TP Sudhindra, MP’s leading wicket-takerthis season, had a more practical take on the issue. “Several of us haveplayed with a lot of the Mumbai players in tournaments like the TimesShield. It is not like they are unknown to us.”Familiarity with the Mumbai players has certainly helped but not as muchas the self-belief that comes when you defeat established sides like Delhiand Gujarat. Both those wins came at the pace-friendly Emerald High SchoolGround on the outskirts of Indore. The pitch at the Holkar Stadium, thevenue for the quarter-final, is known to be much better for batting. Witha pace-dominated attack, there is no doubt over where the MP team wouldhave preferred to play. But this is a knockout game and the Holkar Stadiumhad to be chosen as it has much better facilities.The change in venue might just suit MP’s batsmen though. The outstandingperformance of their new-ball pair of Sudhindra and Ishwar Pandey – with57 wickets between them – and the form of Naman Ojha have allowed them tocarry an underperforming batting unit. Only Bundela, apart from Ojha, hasmanaged more than 300 runs this season. More than half of Mohnish Mishra’s263 runs came in his crucial hundred against Bengal.Mukesh Sahni, the coach, admitted that his batsmen have not clickedtogether. “It’s not that they have not made runs,” Sahni said. “But whenone of them has scored, the others haven’t and so on. All of them havebeen hitting the ball well in the nets. But scoring runs in the middle isdifferent. I have been telling them, ‘this is the moment. All of you haveto come good in this game.'”While Mumbai’s depleted attack might not seem threatening, they have thepedigree of Dhawal Kulkarni and Ramesh Powar to test MP, who are bankingon Sudhindra and Pandey to make inroads. “Medium-pace bowling is ourstrength,” Bundela said. “Our bowlers have taken wickets both at home andaway.”Sudhindra said that while making the semi-finals by getting past a sidelike Mumbai would be very satisfying, it would pale in comparison if MPactually manage to win the Ranji Trophy for the first time.

Match facts

If James Pattinson makes his debut as expected, he and his brother Darren will become the first siblings in 112 years to play Test cricket for different nations•Getty Images

December 1-5, Brisbane
Start time 1000 (0000 GMT, 1100 EDT)

Big Picture

First things first: Australia are still favourites in this Test and should win the series. But New Zealand have a sniff. They haven’t won a Test in Australia in 26 years, back when Richard Hadlee was at his peak and Allan Border’s Australians were struggling at the start of their rebuilding phase. New Zealand are far from their peak right now – they nearly lost to Zimbabwe a month ago and sit eighth on the Test rankings – but Australia are not far from their mid 1980s position. They are coming off a fine victory in Johannesburg less than a fortnight ago, but at least three of the men who played in that win are out of this Test, including the Man of the Match Pat Cummins.Australia will play at least three debutants at the Gabba. David Warner will open in the absence of Shane Watson; James Pattinson is expected to share the new ball with Peter Siddle; and either Mitchell Starc or Ben Cutting will come on at first change. The captain Michael Clarke even hinted that there was a chance all four fast men might play if the pitch looked as “green and juicy” on the morning of the match as it did two days before. That could mean a rest for the offspinner Nathan Lyon, who before this week had never even visited the Gabba, let alone played there. There is also a new coach, Mickey Arthur, who has spent barely a week in the job and is still finding his feet.Not that New Zealand are much more settled. This will be the second Test for the fast bowler Doug Bracewell and the batsman Dean Brownlie, while the wicketkeeper Reece Young is also in his first year of Test cricket. Like Australia, New Zealand have a new selection panel, installed by their director of cricket, John Buchanan, a man who coached four of the opposition players during his time in charge of Australia. Their bowling coach Damien Wright is also Australian, and the players will look for advice from him on working at the Gabba, which is expected to have extra bounce compared to Allan Border Field, where three of their batsmen scored centuries during the tour match.Yes, New Zealand have a chance, perhaps the best chance they’ve had in Australia for a decade, since Stephen Fleming led them to a 0-0 draw in 2001. But Ross Taylor’s side is still learning how to win – they have won only four of their past 28 Tests – and they need everything to go right to upset the hosts.

Form guide

(most recent first)
Australia: WLDDW
New Zealand: WDLLD

In the spotlight

Two years ago, the thought of David Warner in a baggy green cap seemed as far-fetched as Australia appointing a foreign coach. How times change. Warner will make his Test debut with less than 1000 first-class runs to his name, but importantly he is in form. All three of his first-class hundreds have come this calendar year and if he stays at the crease for a session, New Zealand’s bowlers will see the total tick over at a rapid rate. Significantly, if Warner succeeds in this series, he could contribute to squeezing Ricky Ponting out of the Test line-up when Shane Watson returns from injury.On the subject of powerful left-hand batsman, the inclusion of Jesse Ryder is a major boost to New Zealand. Ryder missed the Test against Zimbabwe due to a calf strain but showed his class in the warm-up match against Australia A in Brisbane, where he was one of three centurions. New Zealand look a much more dangerous side when Ryder is fit, and having scored three hundreds, all against India, in his past ten Tests, he will be keen to prove he can have the same impact against Australia.

Pitch and conditions

Even in last year’s disastrous Ashes campaign, the Gabba remained impenetrable for Australia’s opponents. The hosts have not lost a Test in Brisbane since 1988, when Malcolm Marshall, Curtly Ambrose, Courtney Walsh and Patrick Patterson bowled West Indies to victory. There is always plenty of seam and bounce at the Gabba, and captains can be tempted to send the opposition in. The forecast is for thunder and rain on the opening day, while showers could also fall on the final two days.

Team news

Australia’s only decision surrounds the make-up of their attack. Siddle will lead the pace group and is expected to be joined by the outswing bowler Pattinson and one of Cutting and Starc. However, on the day before the Test, Clarke wrote in his newspaper column that leaving out the offspinner Nathan Lyon in favour of a four-man pace attack was also a possibility. “I prefer playing a spinner and I like to bat first,” Clarke wrote, “but if conditions remain as they are, we will think very seriously about playing all four fast bowlers.”Australia (probable) 1 David Warner, 2 Phillip Hughes, 3 Usman Khawaja, 4 Ricky Ponting, 5 Michael Clarke (capt), 6 Michael Hussey, 7 Brad Haddin (wk), 8 Peter Siddle, 9 James Pattinson, 10 Nathan Lyon, 11 Mitchell Starc / Ben Cutting.New Zealand are likely to make just one change from the side that played in the tour match, with Daniel Vettori set to come in for Trent Boult.New Zealand (probable) 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Brendon McCullum, 3 Kane Williamson, 4 Ross Taylor (capt), 5 Jesse Ryder, 6 Dean Brownlie, 7 Daniel Vettori, 8 Reece Young (wk), 9 Doug Bracewell, 10 Tim Southee, 11 Chris Martin.

Stats & trivia

• Australia will have at least three Test debutants, bringing to at least nine the number of baggy greens handed out in 2011. The last time so many debutants played in a calendar year was during the World Series Cricket days, in 1978.
• If Pattinson debuts, he and his brother Darren, who represented England, will become the first siblings to play Test cricket for different nations in 112 years
• New Zealand’s tense recent win against Zimbabwe was their fourth victory in 28 Tests. The other wins in that time have come against Bangladesh (twice) and Pakistan.
• In their past four series against Ausralia, New Zealand have lost eight Tests and drawn one. Their last win against Australia came in 1993.

Quotes

“The extra pace, bounce and movement the Gabba can generate will give our fast bowlers every chance of making a significant impression”
“We’re just building quietly. I feel we’ve gathered a little bit of confidence from that first trip to Zimbabwe, when we were together nearly a month, then coming here after some good performances in first-class cricket at home.”

India Under-19s decimated Australia Under-19s in the first youth ODI of the quadrangular tournament in Visakhapatnam. They won by ten wickets and 38 overs to spare in what was the fastest chase of a total more than 100 in U-19 cricket.After choosing to bat, Australia folded for 163 in 41.1 overs. Only wicketkeeper James Peirson offered some resistance with a fluent 51. Offspinner Baba Aparajith claimed five middle-order wickets in 8.1 overs.The India openers, Manan Vohra and Unmukt Chand, were brutal in reply, scoring 167 in 12 overs at a run-rate of 13.91. Vohra’s 79 off 35 balls was studded with 15 fours and two sixes, while Chand made 72 off 40 with 11 fours and three sixes. Australia captain Cameron Bancroft employed five bowlers in the short chase, but none of them could manage an economy-rate of below 10. The opening pair was particularly harsh on spinners Ashton Turner and Shane Cassell, slamming them for 17.50 and 23 runs an over respectively.India take on Sri Lanka U-19s in their next game on September 29, while Australia play West Indies U-19s on the same day.Sri Lanka Under-19 began their quadrangular campaign by beating West Indies Under-19 in Visakhapatnam, a victory that was much narrower than India’s against Australia. Sri Lanka edged home by two wickets and needed their tail to rescue the chase after a top-order collapse.Chasing 147, Sri Lanka had crumbled to 71 for 8. Fast bowlers Justin Greaves, who took 4 for 26, Ronsford Beaton and Kyle Mayers had put West Indies two strikes away from victory. Those wickets, however, never came as Lahiru Madhushanka and Tharindu Kaushal added 76 runs for the ninth wicket. Madhushanka scored 42 and Kaushal 30 as Sri Lanka reached the target in the 47th over.West Indies’ top order had also failed in their innings. They were struggling at 42 for 5 before a steadying half-century from Kaven Hodge and 33 from Greaves led them to 146. Sanitha de Mel took 4 for 14 in 9.1 overs, and Gaurav Deva and Madhushanka claimed two each as West Indies were dismissed in 47.1 overs.

Ahmed Shehzad scored a sparkling century to help Habib Bank Limited clinch a three-wicket win over Abbottabad while chasing 368 at the Abbottabad Cricket Stadium. HBL began the day with all ten wickets intact and Shehzad approached the task with aggression, smashing 161 in 162 balls, including 26 fours and a six. He added a decisive 234 for the opening wicket with Shan Masood, who was the calmer, more sedate of the two partners. Their stand set up the foundation for a win. Abbottabad, however, made inroads and would have sensed the possibility of a victory at 337 for 7. But Hasan Raza remained unbeaten on 36 while Danish Kaneria made an quickfire 32 to help his team seal victory.Water and Power Development Authority completed the formalities on the final day, beating Faisalabad by seven wickets at the Sports Stadium in Sargodha. They had been resting easy at 205 for 3 overnight, chasing 260, and Aamer Sajjad and captain Naved-ul-Hasan ensured there was no damage done, seeing their team through to victory.The contest between National Bank of Pakistan and Islamabad ended in a thrilling draw at the Diamond Club Ground. NBP were set 303 to win and the game was there for the taking after Khurram Manzoor and Nasir Jamshed added 192 for the opening wicket. Khurram made 107 and Jamshed contributed 85 off 122 balls. But thereafter, the innings began to slide. Afaq Raheem’s offspinners played a decisive role, as he picked up six wickets to undermine the foundation laid by the opening stand. NBP lost wickets at regular intervals and slipped to 259 for 8, with Islamabad sensing a win now. But Raza Hasan and Uzair-ul-Haq batted cautiously through to the finish. In the end, NBP finished with 287 for 8; they’ll undoubtedly regret not taking advantage of that opening stand.Karachi Blues didn’t take long to beat Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited at the National Stadium in Karachi. ZTBL had been reeling at 174 for 6 after following on and the Karachi bowlers polished off the tail, taking just eight overs to capture the remaining four wickets. Seamer Mohammad Sami finished with a five-for, while Tariq Haroon took 4 for 51. Karachi were victors by an innings and 112 runs.Rawalpindi had an excellent chance of clinching victory against Pakistan International Airlines at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, but fell short by 18 runs and had to settle for a draw. PIA had enjoyed the better of the contest for three days but they came close to losing on the fourth. From 185 for 2 overnight, they slipped to 229 for 8 in search of quick runs and declared, setting Rawalpindi a target of 354 in 71 overs. Nasir Malik picked up five wickets. In the chase, opener Naved Malik led the way with 139 and though Rawalpindi seemed to be losing their way, reduced to 124 for 4 at one stage, they fought back superbly. Adnan Mufti blasted 57 off 39 balls to add 122 in quick time with Naved, and took Rawalpindi closer to the target. Mohammad Rameez then came in and finished unbeaten on 59, off 44 balls, including five fours and two sixes. However, the acceleration came a little late as Rawalpindi couldn’t reach the target in the allotted number of overs.State Bank of Pakistan ensured their contest against Sialkot at the Jinnah Stadium ended in a draw. SBP would have begun the day thinking of a draw as they were only 36 runs ahead overnight. A five-wicket haul from Prince Abbas threatened to upset their plans but a collective batting effort in the end, with much-needed support from the lower order, helped them save the game. Rameez Raja chipped in with 42 while the rest of the top and middle orders got starts. However, the team was still in some trouble at 126 for 6. But Gulraiz Sadaf ended any Sialkot hopes of a surprise win, batting determinedly for his unbeaten 72 with support from Rizwan Haider. SBP were eventually bowled out for 220, Sialkot could only bat five overs in the fourth innings.

New Zealand’s six major cricket associations have announced their list of contracted players for the year 2011-12. During a two-step process, each association had offered between 9 and 11 contracts in the first round on July 22, and the final contracts were given today. A total of 92 players were contracted.New Zealand Cricket also announced the schedules for its domestic completions – Plunket Shield, Men’s One-Day and HRV Cup – for the 2011-12 season. A total of 89 games will be played through the summer.The season will begin with the first of four pre-Christmas Plunket Shield rounds scheduled to start on November 7, with the final round getting underway on March 26 next year. The winner will be the team that finishes on top of the points table at the end of ten rounds.The Men’s One-Day trophy will be contested over eight rounds, followed by an extended finals series that includes preliminary finals, a semi-final and final. The competition is also split across the season with five rounds starting on November 25, while the preliminary finals will be played on February 5 and the final on February 12.The first round of action in the HRV Cup will start on December 18. There will be two rounds with points that will decide the top two teams who will meet in the final on January 22.List of contracted players
Auckland Aces: Michael Bates, Andrew de Boorder, Colin de Grandhomme, Gareth Hopkins, Anaru Kitchen, Bruce Martin, Tim McIntosh, Colin Munro, Jeet Raval, Bhupinder Singh, Daryl Tuffey, Brad Cachopa (added).
Canterbury Wizards: Todd Astle, Dean Brownlie, Andrew Ellis, Peter Fulton, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Ryan McCone, Richard Sherlock, Shanan Stewart, George Worker, Willie Lonsdale (added), Logan van Beek (added).
Central Stags: Doug Bracewell, Jamie How, Peter Ingram, Michael Mason,Adam MilneKieran Noema-Barnett, Tarun Nethula, Mathew Sinclair, Bevan Small, Kruger van Wyk, Ben Wheeler, Greg Todd (added).
Northern Knights: Graeme Aldridge, Brent Arnel, James Baker, Anton Devcich, Brook Hatwell, James Marshall, Peter McGlashan, Daryl Mitchell, Anurag Verma, Brad Wilson, Joseph Yovich, Bradley Scott (added).
Otago Volts: Nick Beard, Michael Bracewell, Darren Broom, Ian Butler, Craig Cumming, Derek De Boorder, Aaron Redmond, Warren McSkimming, Neil Wagner, Sam Wells, Anthony Bullick (added), James McMillan (added).
Wellington Firebirds: Joe Austin-Smellie, Harry Boam, Josh Brodie, Grant Elliott, James Franklin, Mark Gillespie, Stephen Murdoch, Iain O’Brien, Michael Papps, Jeetan Patel, Stewart Rhodes, Leighton Burtt (added).

Rumesh Ratnayake, Sri Lanka’s new interim coach, has warned that his team’s next opponents, Australia, will be dangerous since they are hurting from recent disappointments.”Taking on Australia is a huge challenge,” Ratnayake said. “They are like a wounded tiger after losing the Ashes and the World Cup and they will be hungry. We need to be twice as hungry as they are, adopt smart options and play the kind of cricket we are recognised for.”Ratnayake, a fast bowler who played 23 Tests and 70 ODIs for Sri Lanka, will coach the team only for the home series against Australia, which includes three Tests, five one-day internationals and two Twenty20 internationals. It is a similar role to that of his successor, Australian Stuart Law, who quit as interim coach after the recently concluded tour to England to take up a full-time appointment as Bangladesh coach. Sri Lanka has not yet found a suitable replacement for Trevor Bayliss since he quit his position as head coach after the 2011 World Cup in April.One of the challenges facing Ratnayake will be to deal with the increased expectations in Sri Lanka after their successes, particularly in the one-day format, in recent years. “We have performed extremely well in the recent past to enter the finals of two successive World Cups. It is something I wouldn’t have dreamt of. The expectations are high because the team has started to win. Consistency is something we need to work on. We lacked that in England.”Another aspect Ratnayake said he would focus on is player management, and making sure players get enough rest. “Cricket has gone through the roof. Today it is played at different intensities and that’s why management of players is important. For the amount of cricket they play today the recovery period is another important area.”Ratnayake said the Sri Lanka team was going through a period of rebuilding with the main focus being the next World Cup in 2015.”Although we need to take the chance to introduce new players into the team there is also the now factor to be considered. With the schools producing players at a good rate, and the A team as well as the Development and Academy squads doing well there is plenty of back up for the national team, but it needs to be handled properly.”Part of Sri Lanka’s rebuilding will possibly include identifying a new captain who can lead them in the 2015 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. Tillakaratne Dilshan, who took over as captain after Kumar Sangakkara relinquished the post after the 2011 World Cup, is 34 years old, and Ratnayake said it was important other players also started taking on the responsibility of being leaders in their own departments.”We need to have small leaderships in the team. Everybody should take on leadership roles if we are to become a winning unit.”An Australian and Asian Cricket Council qualified level 3 coach, Ratnayake was previously involved with the national team as assistant coach to Dav Whatmore for a brief period during India’s tour to Sri Lanka in 2001. He was at the time head of the Sri Lanka Pace Academy as well. It was shortly after the series that he got the job of development officer with the ACC, a post which he still holds. Sri Lanka Cricket asked the ACC to release Ratnayake from his duties for the Australia series.”What the ACC has taught me is to become a teacher,” Ratnayake said. “I’ve been teaching the coaches. After all a coach is a teacher.”Ratnayake will be meeting the players, the three assistant coaches – Marvan Atapattu, the batting coach, Champaka Ramanayake, the fast bowling coach, and Ruwan Kalpage, the fielding coach – and team officials on July 18 to discuss strategies for the Australia series.