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| Meyer takes health leave, puts Florida in state of uncertainty One of the nation's pre-eminent college football programs faces a future full of uncertainty after Florida coach Urban Meyer announced Sunday ... rssfeeds.usatoday.com |
Craig Kieswetter called up despite worries over South African presence • Craig Kieswetter earns Lions place for Middle East tour• Geoff Miller admits number of South African players a concernGeoff Miller, the national selector, today registered his concern about the number of South African cricketers getting into the England side immediately after naming yet another, Craig Kieswetter, in the Lions squad to tour Sharjah, Abu Dhabi and Dubai next month.Kieswetter is the talented Somerset wicketkeeper-batsman who is expected to challenge Matt Prior for a place in the one-day team this year. England already have two South Africans in the team, Kevin Pietersen and Jonathan Trott, and the captain, Andrew Strauss, and Prior were both born in the country.Miller said yesterday: "We have got to get to the stage where we are very careful on that [the number of South Africans in the England team], and we will be. I wouldn't say he's the last but we will monitor it. But Craig has passed all the criteria required to be an English cricketer. He has proved his worth, that's why he's there. He has developed his game, he's a strong character so he fits all the bills from an England point of view. South Africa talked to him and he said 'I'm English, I want to play for England'."When Kieswetter was fast-tracked into England's performance squad earlier in the winter Danny Garcia, the agent for the former England wicketkeeper Phil Mustard, said: "Soon there will be a danger of more South African accents in the England dressing room than English ones."Despite Miller's cautious words it is difficult to see the trend not continuing. Another South African, Stephen Moore, has been in South Africa with England's performance squad this winter and was a contender for the Lions squad, though he is better suited to the longer form of the game. So is the very English Ian Bell, who has been included in the Lions party in the hope that he can translate his recent Test form into one-day cricket.Miller said: "This is an opportunity for him. He has been out of the one-day squad. This is an opportunity for him. He has shown in the last couple of Test matches what he is capable of doing. Now this is a chance to actually prove himself back in the one-dayers because he's a talented player."Meanwhile, the captain of the England Lions is a man who could one day replace Strauss and lead the full side, according to Miller, despite the fact that he has never scored 1,000 runs in a season and has a first-class average of only 32. The rise and rise of Andrew Gale, 26, continues, for he was also recently named as Yorkshire's captain, replacing Anthony McGrath. When asked whether Gale could go all the way and become captain of the full England side, Miller replied: "Exactly, together with one or two others. There are a few others.Miller was impressed by Yorkshire's decision to promote him. "He's got decent qualities from Yorkshire's point of view. We have taken that into consideration. We saw him at Loughborough [the National Academy] where we had long discussions with him. We have seen him perform at Loughborough and in the Performance Squad out here in South Africa and he showed a lot of qualities. We're interested in seeing how he develops as a player and a captain." He's good at man management and knowledge of the game, all the things that go with captaincy. What is difficult for him is that he is trying to prove himself as a player and is it going to detract from doing that with the captaincy as well? It's a difficult task."England Lions squad to tour Sharjah, Abu Dhabi and Dubai next month Andrew Gale (capt, Yorkshire), Ian Bell (Warwickshire), Michael Carberry, Michael Lumb (both Hampshire), James Taylor (Leicestershire), Craig Kieswetter (Somerset), Steven Davies (Surrey), Peter Trego (Somerset), James Tredwell (Kent), Adil Rashid (Yorkshire), Sajid Mahmood (Lancashire), Chris Woakes (Warwickshire), Steven Finn (Middlesex), Steve Kirby (Gloucestershire), David Wainwright (Yorkshire).Itinerary Feb 10 UAE (T20), Sharjah; Feb 12 Pakistan A, T20 match, Sharjah; Feb 14 Pakistan A, (T20), Sharjah; Feb 16 Pakistan A (T20), Abu Dhabi; Feb 17 England (T20), Abu Dhabi; Feb 22 Pakistan A, (50 overs), DSC Stadium, Dubai; Feb 24 Pakistan A, (50 overs), DSC Stadium, Dubai; Feb 26 Pakistan A, (50 overs), DSC Stadium, Dubai.England Cricket TeamCricketPaul Weaverguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Seattle one of 18 finalist cities in U.S. World Cup bid Seattle has been named one of 18 cities under consideration to host the FIFA World Cup matches in 2018 or 2022. feeds.bizjournals.com |
A beast on D-line, Warren Sapp became NFL legend in the '00s It was his former Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach, Tony Dungy, who steered Warren Sapp on the road to greatness when he made him the prototype, ... rssfeeds.usatoday.com |
Andre Dawson to enter Hall of Fame as Expo, prefers Cubs Andre Dawson says he will be inducted into the Hall of Fame as a Montreal Expo, despite his preference to go in as a Chicago Cub. rssfeeds.usatoday.com |