Buzz: 'Pollard as WI skipper is step in right direction'

Former West Indies skipper Brian Lara has said that making Kieron Pollard the captain of West Indies' limited-overs team is a step taken in the right direction by the country's cricketing board.

"He has got some good experience. I also believe that a captain is as good as his team and the people who really support him. And I believe that he will get the support, that's half of your job done," ESPN Cricinfo quoted Lara as saying.

"Practically, he has played cricket all around the world, he will understand what needs to be done. So it is not a bad decision. If he is committed to West Indies cricket for a long period of time, it is a step in the right sort of direction and let's see how it goes," he added.

The 50-year-old Lara also gave his opinion as to what the team is required to do to become successful in the longest format of the game.

West Indies was recently defeated by India 0-2 in the two-match series and the side is currently placed at the eighth position in the ICC team rankings.

"We came off about six months ago a win against England in the West Indies which was very promising. So you expected the team to maybe follow on after that. But there were a lot of one-day cricket and different things happening over the last five-six months with almost the same players. So the attrition level is something the West Indies cricket board and the management will have to see if they can solve that because some of the cricketers are understanding the shorter version of the game but the longer version they're missing some key elements," Lara said.

"I think first we have got to get back to playing good and competitive first-class cricket in the Caribbean where the guys spend time in the middle as batsmen, bowlers bowl long spells and see if we can work from there," he added.

West Indies will next take on Afghanistan in India in three T20Is, three ODIs, and one Test. After the series against Afghanistan, the team from the Caribbean will take on India in a limited-over series.

"To be successful anywhere in the world you have to adapt very quickly. If you're playing in Australia, India, South Africa, West Indies...they're all different conditions. First and foremost, everyone that plays international cricket has a certain level of skill and talent to play the game. How you approach with your mental strength is key, an adaptation of the environment you're in is key. Learning all these important things to be successful...to be a step ahead, not having any excuses. I think those things are key to making sure that you're successful playing anywhere in the world," Lara said.

Jeetan Patel appointed England's spin bowling consultant for NZ series

The England Cricket Board (ECB) has appointed former Kiwi bowler and Warwickshire skipper Jeetan Patel as the spin bowling consultant for the upcoming five-match T20I series against New Zealand.

Jeetan Patel. Photograph: Reuters/File

Patel has been given dispensation to miss the first three matches of the Plunkett Shield season back home. He will be joining the England squad when the team arrives in Christchurch next week.

The 39-year-old Patel has played 24 Tests for New Zealand and he finished this year's county season with 64 wickets at an average of 26.75.

England is slated to play five T20Is and two Tests against New Zealand.

The first T20I match between both sides will be played on November 1.

The Test series would not be a part of the World Test Championship and the first match will be played from November 21-25.

Trevor Bayliss to coach Team Abu Dhabi in T10

World Cup winning coach Trevor Bayliss will guide Team Abu Dhabi with England all-rounder Moeen Ali leading the side in the T10 tournament starting in Abu Dhabi on November 15.

The annual player draft saw 110 players being allocated to eight teams including big names like Sri Lanka pacer Lasith Malinga, West Indies all-rounder Keiran Polard and Paksitan speedster Mohammad Amir.

Revealed as the eighth team, Team Abu Dhabi is supported by the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, and will be trained by Bayliss, and coach of the UAE National Cricket Team Dougie Brown a media release said.

With England all-rounder Ali already selected as the icon player, the team picked up Sri Lankan powerhouse Niroshan Dickwella, Kiwi all-rounder Corey Anderson and Amir.

Defending champions Northern Warriors opted for a strong West Indies side in the draw with Darren Sammy already confirmed as the team's icon player.

The Maratha Arabians chose a balanced team, opting for a mixture of a fast bowling attack and a strong batting line-up. With icon player Australia's Chris Lynn at the helm, the team brought in Malinga followed by West Indies' Dwayne Bravo.

The Deccan Gladiators were quick to snap West Indies all-rounder Pollard while the Eoin Morgan-led Delhi Bulls pulled in former Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik along side Afghanistan's all-rounder Mohammad Nabi and Sri Lanka's Kusal Perera.

Team Qalandars opted to bring in Pakistan's Mohammad Hafeez and Imad Wasim.