All About Cricket: 2012

Tuesday 18 December 2012

Tendulkar warned over retirement

Sachin Tendulkar is the only person who can decide when his career ends, says former West Indies batsman Sir Viv Richards.

India's record run scorer has struggled in the series against England, failing to reach double figures four times, prompting suggestions he should retire.

Tendulkar, 39, was bowled for two on day two of the fourth Test in Nagpur.

"Nobody is qualified enough to tell him when they think he should go," Richards told BBC Radio Shropshire.

Age: 39 Right-hand bat 51 Test centuries 49 ODI centuries Has scored 112 runs in six innings in the current series against England Tendulkar is the highest-scoring batsman of all time and holds the records for the most centuries in both Tests and one-day internationals. Earlier this year, one month short of his 39th birthday, he became the first player to score 100 international centuries .

In October, Tendulkar admitted for the first time he was considering retirement, saying he would decide his future on a "series-by-series" basis.

And Richards believes a player of his achievements should be able to continue as long as he wants.

"When you're retired, you're retired for a very, very long time," said Richards.

"It's like being dead to some degree, so while you're alive and still up for it and still enjoying what you're doing, to me that's what it's all about."

Richards says he understands why Tendulkar might want to play on, recalling his own decision to retire, three years after returning to county cricket with Glamorgan in 1990.

"I wanted to go out with a bang," said Richards, who helped Glamorgan win the Sunday League in 1993 and has fond memories of his swansong.

"To have gone to Glamorgan at that time and to have helped to generate that spirit about what collective competition is all about and having success at the very end of it, it was a proper send-off."

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Ireland to host women's qualifier

Cricket Ireland chief executive Warren Deutrom has welcomed the news that the country is to host next year's ICC Women's World Twenty20 Qualifier.

Ireland will be joined by eight other nations, including Pakistan and Sri Lanka, who will battle for the final spot in the 2014 World Twenty20.

Holders Australia, New Zealand, West Indies, England, India, South Africa and Bangladesh have already qualified.

"It's fantastic news for Irish cricket," said Deutrom.

"Ireland has proved itself to be a great venue for hosting global tournaments, having staged the 2005 ICC Trophy, the 2008 ICC World Twenty20 Qualifiers and the 2010 ICC Under 19 Global Qualifiers very successfully.

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“We've a fantastic balance in the squad now of youth and experience and there's no reason why we can't grab the last slot on offer”

Ireland's women's captain Isobel Joyce "We're delighted the ICC has awarded us this competition and I'm certain it will be a wonderful occasion."

The qualifier will take place at some stage during July and August.

ICC global development manager Tim Anderson said that the international governing body was "pleased" to announce Ireland as the tournament host.

"With Ireland's track record of hosting ICC events, we are confident this important qualifying competition will be played in very good conditions, with excellent hospitality," added the ICC official.

Ireland women's captain Isobel Joyce described the announcement as a "great lift for Irish women's cricket".

"We're already training hard for the event and while it's obviously a big advantage to be playing in our conditions, we know it'll be very difficult against teams of the quality of Pakistan and Sri Lanka," added Joyce, who is a sister of Ireland star and Sussex captain Ed Joyce.

"Having said that, we've a fantastic balance in the squad now of youth and experience and there's no reason why we can't grab the last slot on offer."

Other countries taking part include Canada, Japan and The Netherlands, who lost to Ireland in the European qualifying tournament earlier this season.

The final two places in the summer tournament will be taken by qualifiers from the Africa and Asia regions.

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India win equal to Ashes - Cook

England captain Alastair Cook says he thinks the first series win in India in 27 years is "on a par with the Ashes".

Centuries from Jonathan Trott and Ian Bell secured a draw in the fourth Test in Nagpur and a 2-1 win in the series.

Cook said the 2010-11 Ashes victory, England's first down under in 24 years, "meant a huge amount", but he added: "I think this is on a par with it.

Cook delights in 'special' victory

"In that dressing room, knowing what we had achieved, it was a special place and will live long in my memory."

England's success was all the more impressive given their terrible start to the series. A nine-wicket thrashing in the opening Test led to gloomy forecasts of a 4-0 series whitewash.

"Of course there was doubt," said Cook, 27, who was named man of the series after scoring three hundreds and 562 runs in the four-match series. "There is always doubt, especially halfway through day two [of the first Test] when we were getting rolled.

"I was surprised at the level we managed to achieve so soon after Ahmedabad. I was talking [there] about playing to our potential, but I was surprised we managed to do it straight away and put all those doubts to bed and prove it to ourselves."

He added: "We didn't handle the Ahmedabad wicket well but the others were all very different and we adapted well. The bowlers have been brilliant and our batters have contributed big runs.

"There were handshakes, hugs, embraces and slaps on the back all around in the England dressing room. They have worked so hard in this series. What odds were there on us witnessing that? It's quite remarkable. They have done it the hard way, through outstanding leadership on and off the pitch."

"Everyone in the squad can be very proud, especially after Ahmedabad and that heavy defeat. The guys who played a couple of games all made a difference and the amount of effort the guys have put in for me, I can't ask any more.

One of the "guys" who was drafted into the side was Monty Panesar, and the Sussex-man took 17 wickets in the final three Tests as he dovetailed to devastating effect with fellow spinner Graeme Swann.

"Clearly we got it wrong in Ahmedabad in not playing Monty, but when we put it right he has been outstanding," Cook admitted.

"What was it, 50 overs for 80 yesterday? He's a captain's dream. You just throw him the ball and you know he's going to be there or thereabouts."

James Anderson, who was awarded the man of the match award after taking 4-81 in India's first innings, was described as the difference between the two sides by India captain Mahendra Dhoni.

The 30-year-old fast bowler took 12 wickets in the series and played a key part in England's success, alongside the spinners who normally prosper on the sub-continent.

1984-85: India 1-2 England (5 Tests)

1992-93: India 3-0 England (3 Tests)

2001-02: India 1-0 England (3 Tests)

2005-06: India 1-1 England (3 Tests)

2008-09: India 1-0 England (2 Tests)

2012: India 1-2 England (4 Tests)

"When we come over here, people think that spinners are going to get all the wickets but we knew that the seamers had a job to do," Anderson said.

"I've bowled better than I have before. Reverse-swing has been a key part of us doing well.

"We've really practised it in the nets and in the games leading up to the series. I think we executed our plans really well."

Listen to match highlights and Jonathan Agnew and Geoffrey Boycott's analysis of the day's play on the Test Match Special podcast.

We are using archive pictures for this Test because several photo agencies, including Getty Images, have been barred from the ground following a dispute with the Board of Control for Cricket in India, while other agencies have withdrawn their photographers in protest.

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Captain fantastic Alastair Cook

England captain Alastair Cook deserves all the accolades he is getting after once again leading by example in our victory over India in Kolkata.

It was an absolute pleasure to have a front row seat for his record-breaking innings and I'm sure that even though he doesn't show a lot of emotion, he will have gone to bed a very happy man to see all his hard work pay off.

Alastair Cook has led by example on and off the field

His run-scoring exploits are there for all to see, but what a lot of people won't be aware of is the work he puts in off the field to ensure the group is close-knit and that everyone is in the right frame of mind to perform at their absolute best.

Right at the start of the tour, Alastair called a session in which people had a chance to get to know one another's personalities and discover what made each other tick.

With the likes of Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root and Nick Compton on their first Test tours, it was really important that they were made to feel part of the group and given a chance to bond with the most established players early on.

Alastair has been on the field for almost every minute of every Test match and has lots of other commitments, but his door will always be open.

I've had chats with him over a coffee about why I'm not being picked and what I need to do to get in the side, but on other occasions we've talked about things away from cricket, such as how much we're missing our wives back home.

In the warm-up games, he made a real point of finding out how I liked to be captained. I am somebody who prefers to be told what to do, whereas others might prefer to do it their own way. He recognises that each one of us is an individual and treats us differently both on and off the field.

60 & 104 not out - scores on his Test debut v India in March 2006 7,103 - His Test run tally, placing him ninth on England's all-time list. Graham Gooch holds the record with 8,900 294 - highest Test score, against India at Edgbaston in August 2011 29 - the number of Test half-centuries he has made, giving a conversion rate of 44% from 50s to 100s 1,235 - Cook's run tally in 2012, second only to Australia captain Michael Clarke 766 - cumulative runs in the 2010-11 Ashes series 68.47 - Test batting average in 26 matches since the start of the 2010-11 Ashes series, with 10 centuries 5 - number of centuries in his first five Tests as England captain (including two v Bangladesh as stand-in in 2010) Joint-20th in the all-time list of Test centurions. Sachin Tendulkar leads the way with 51 Alastair is incredibly meticulous in the way he prepares for matches. When we heard that Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan had been replaced for the last Test, our analyst Gemma Broad put together some video and statistics on their new bowlers and Alastair was one of the first to go and take a look.

He wants to see whether the new seamer swings it away or gets it to reverse, whether the spinner can bowl googlies and so on. He always wants to be a step ahead.

He also treats every practise session as if he were out in the middle facing the first ball of a Test match. It's easy for a batsman to go into the nets, play a few shots and nick a couple, but when I bowled to him today he was leaving well, defending well and only attacking when the ball was there to be hit. I think he thrives on that competitiveness in practice as well as in matches.

When it comes to the dressing-room, I think Alastair would be the first to admit that he's not a big one for Churchillian speeches.

Whereas Andrew Strauss would stand up and rally the troops and really fire you up for putting your cap on and going out to represent England, Alastair does things in a slightly different way.

It's not easy to stand in front of 14 men and tell them what to do, so Alastair gives people an opportunity to say what they think and takes things on board before deciding on tactics.

Above all, it is the way he conducts himself on and off the field that makes people want to give their all for him and that is a fantastic attribute to have.

There is no doubt in my mind that Alastair will go down as one of the great England captains. There will inevitably be tough times down the line, but he's got a very old head on young shoulders and I'm sure he will rise to any challenge.

We've had a few meetings since the win in Kolkata and the message has been clear - our work is not yet done.

After the way we performed in the last two Tests, people back home will probably be expecting us to win and sometimes that kind of pressure is a good thing in sport.

To be regarded as a great side, you need to come to the subcontinent and win, so we will be doing everything in our power to ensure we get onto that plane home with the series victory in the bag.

After missing out on the celebrations in Mumbai because I was playing in a warm-up match, it was really nice to be part of the post-match party in Kolkata.

The Barmy Army are our 12th man

Quite a few of the lads stayed in the changing-room and had a few drinks before heading back to the team hotel where ECB chairman Giles Clarke had hired a room.

Test match victories, especially ones of this magnitude against a good side in unfamiliar conditions, don't come along very often so it is important to celebrate and celebrate well.

A few members of the Barmy Army joined us and started singing their new song about Nick Compton to the tune of 'Downtown' by Petula Clark.

For Nick to be on his first tour and the fans to be singing his name is an amazing feeling. And for young players like Joe Root, being part of these amazing celebrations gives them a massive motivation to make sure they are involved in Test tours in the future.

We massively appreciate all the support we've had from all the England fans who have made the journey out here - they have been our extra man on the field.

Graham Onions was talking to BBC Sport's Sam Sheringham

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AUDIO: Reverse swing was key - Anderson

17 December 2012 Last updated at 11:38 GMT

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AUDIO: Boycott confused by Yorkshire Tour

14 December 2012 Last updated at 18:03 GMT

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Sarwan appointed Leics captain

Ramnaresh Sarwan has taken over from ex-England bowler Matthew Hoggard as Leicestershire four-day captain.

Batsman Sarwan, 32, impressed during his first season at Grace Road, with a Championship batting average of 40.91 and has a contract until 2014.

Hoggard, who was named captain when he joined ahead of the 2010 season, gave up the one-day skipper duties in July.

"I have enjoyed being captain but feel it is the right time to hand over the reins," Hoggard, 35, said.

Chief executive Mike Siddall added: "The club wishes to acknowledge the contribution Matthew has made as captain of the club over the past three seasons, leading the team to a fantastic third T20 trophy win last year."

Head coach Phil Whitticase said: "I've really enjoyed working with Matthew over the past three years, especially during our successful T20 campaign.

"It is important for everyone to get behind Ronnie (Sarwan) as we look to take the club forward."

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India v England in numbers

England have completed their first Test series win in India for 27 years.

After losing the first Test in Ahmedabad, they battled back to win in Mumbai and Kolkata, and draw the finale in Nagpur.

Here are some statistics from an enthralling series.

4: Number of Test series England have won in India. Alastair Cook joins David Gower (2-1 in 1984-85), Tony Greig (3-1 in 1976-77) and Douglas Jardine (2-0 in 1933-34) in leading England to victory there.

11: Wickets taken by Monty Panesar on his comeback Test at Mumbai. His 11-210 was the third best match figures at the Wankhede Stadium, behind Ian Botham (13-106), Laxman Sivaramakrishnan (12-181).

1984-85: India 1-2 England (5 Tests)

1992-93: India 3-0 England (3 Tests)

2001-02: India 1-0 England (3 Tests)

2005-06: India 1-1 England (3 Tests)

2008-09: India 1-0 England (2 Tests)

2012: India 1-2 England (4 Tests)

The series in numbers

12: Wickets taken by James Anderson in the series - and the combined haul of India's seamers from 190.3 overs.

16: Ian Bell's century in Nagpur was his first in India, in his 16th innings. Though he struggled with the bat and missed a Test after the birth of his first child, a couple of not-outs lifted his series average to 43.

18.66: Series batting average for India legend Sachin Tendulkar, who averages 23.80 for the year 2012 compared to a career average of 54.32.

19: Number of players in England's touring squad at one time. Fifteen played, while Eoin Morgan, Graham Onions, James Tredwell and Stuart Meaker did not feature in the Tests.

20: Wickets taken by Graeme Swann and Pragyan Ojha, the joint leading wicket-takers in the series.

34.66: Batting average of opener Nick Compton after his first four Tests.

44: Number of maiden overs bowled by both Panesar and Swann apiece in the series. They combined for 25 in the final Test.

44: The number of innings Swann had batted since his last Test fifty in 2009, before his glorious 56 in Nagpur.

60.75: Batting average of Ravichandran Ashwin, who is in the India side for his bowling. He took 14 wickets at 52.64 in four Tests.

Cook delights in 'special' victory

91: Wicketless overs bowled by England seamers Stuart Broad and Tim Bresnan in four combined appearances, at a cost of 299 runs.

93: Test batting average of 21-year-old Joe Root after scoring 73 and 20 not out on his debut.

99: Nmber of Tests played by off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, who was dropped after the Mumbai Test and may struggle to play his 100th.

135: Samit Patel's bowling average for the series indicates he may have to earn future Test selection purely for his batting.

288: James Anderson, who ploughed a lone seam furrow for England for much of the series, is nine Test wickets away from equalling fourth-placed Derek Underwood in England's all-time bowlers' list, with Fred Trueman (307), Bob Willis (325) and eventually Ian Botham (383) in his sights.

438: Runs in the series by India's top scorer Cheteshwar Pujara, 185 higher than nearest rival Virender Sehwag.

528: Combined international wicket totals by Anderson (288 in Tests, 222 in ODIs and 18 in T20 internationals) and Botham (383 in Tests, 145 in ODIs), who now share the England record.

5: Set a new world record with centuries in his first five Tests as captain.

23: Cook became the first England batsman to score 23 Test centuries when he reached three figures in Kolkata. Walter Hammond, Colin Cowdrey, Geoff Boycott and Kevin Pietersen have scored 22.

Matches: 87 Innings: 154 Not outs: 10 Runs: 7,117 Highest score: 294 Average: 49.42 Hundreds: 23 Fifties: 29 27: Became the youngest batsman to pass 7,000 Test runs at 27 years 347 days

49.42: Cook's Test average has been pushed close to 50 by this series.

61.85: His Test average in India is only surpassed by his averages in Bangladesh (114) and Australia (65.12).

190: Top score for the series by Cook at Kolkata, his third highest in Tests.

866: Cook is now England's highest Test run-scorer in India, surpassing Mike Gatting's 863.

*Statistics correct as of 17 December 2012

Listen to match highlights and Jonathan Agnew and Geoffrey Boycott's analysis of the day's play on the Test Match Special podcast.

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Edwards to lead World Cup defence

Charlotte Edwards will lead England in their defence of the Women's World Cup after being named captain of a 15-strong squad for the 2013 tournament in India.

Edwards, 32, will be joined by seven members of the team who won the trophy in Sydney in 2009.

The one uncapped player included is Amy Jones, while Georgia Elwiss has earned her first call-up for a global event.

2 Feb - England v Sri Lanka 4 Feb - India v England 6 Feb - England v West Indies The tournament takes place from 31 January to 17 February.

Edwards, who will be making her fifth World Cup appearance, said: "I'm so proud to be captaining such a talented team in what is the pinnacle event in our sport.

"There is a great blend to our squad with a combination of experienced players who were part of the 2009 success and emerging young players who have already shown that they can perform at this level.

"Every player in our squad has experience of playing in sub-continental conditions and we will continue to work hard during our final preparations so come February we are in the best possible shape to defend our title."

England are in Group A with India, Sri Lanka and the West Indies.

Their first game of the tournament is against Sri Lanka on 2 February.

England have won the Women's World Cup on three previous occasions - 1973, 1993 and 2009.

Head of England Women's Cricket, Clare Connor said: "So many players have impressed during 2012 and this final group of 15 should be congratulated on their selection.

"They have the honour of going to the World Cup as the current world champions and we wish them every success in rising to the challenge of bringing the trophy home again."

England squad: Charlotte Edwards, Tammy Beaumont, Arran Brindle, Katherine Brunt, Holly Colvin, Georgia Elwiss, Lydia Greenway, Jenny Gunn, Danielle Hazell, Amy Jones, Heather Knight, Laura Marsh, Anya Shrubsole, Sarah Taylor, Danielle Wyatt.

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County ins & outs

Stay up-to-date with the latest player releases, signings and speculation from all the counties.

Counties are allowed to field two overseas players in Twenty20 games, with up to four registered for that competition - although only two can be registered at any one time, and registrations must be for a minimum of 10 days.

Only one overseas player is permitted in the County Championship and Clydesdale Bank 40 league.

KPK: Kolpak contractREL: releasedRET: retiredYTH: from youth teamsEUP: European Union passportUKP: Recently-obtained UK passport. Also shows, where relevant, players' previous counties

Kolpak contracts are signed by foreign players, using a loophole in European Union law to avoid counting against the quota of one overseas player per club.

Players who moved counties during the 2012 season are included on the 2012 list. Have we missed anyone? Please let us know.

Overseas player 2012: Martin Guptill (New Zealand); Usman Khawaja (Australia); Rana Naved-ul-Hasan (Pakistan, for Twenty20)

Overseas player 2013: TBC

Ins: Richard Johnson (Warwickshire), Billy Godleman (Essex), Jonathan Marsden (YTH)

Outs: Garry Park (REL), Matt Lineker (REL), Hamza Siddique (REL)

Other news: Mark Turner, Ross Whiteley, Tony Palladino, Jonathan Clare, Wes Durston, Tom Poynton, Dan Redfern, Wayne Madsen, Peter Burgoyne, Alex Hughes, Alasdair Evans, Ben Slater and Matt Higginbotham have signed new contracts.

Overseas player 2012: Herschelle Gibbs (South Africa, for Twenty20); Johann Myburgh (South Africa, for Twenty20)

Overseas player 2013: TBC

Ins: none

Outs: Michael Di Venuto (RET), Liam Plunkett (Yorkshire)

Other news: Michael Richardson, Keaton Jennings, Jamie Harrison and Callum Thorp have signed new deals. Chief executive David Harker will step down in May.

Overseas player 2012: Alviro Petersen (South Africa); James Franklin (New Zealand, for Twenty20); Harbhajan Singh (India)

Overseas player 2013: TBC

Ins: Sajid Mahmood (Lancashire)

Outs: Billy Godleman (Derbyshire), Michael Comber (REL), Charl Willoughby (RET)

Possible signings: Coach Paul Grayson said before signing Mahmood that he wanted to sign an overseas batsman and a bowler.

Other news: Ravi Bopara, Graham Napier, Mark Pettini, Maurice Chambers, Jaik Mickleburgh, Tom Westley, Tymal Mills and Ben Foakes have signed new contracts.

Overseas player 2012: Moises Henriques (Australia); Marcus North (Australia); Shaun Marsh (Australia, for Twenty20)

Overseas player 2013: Marcus North (Australia)

Ins: Michael Hogan (UKP), Murray Goodwin (Sussex)

Outs: Robert Croft (RET), James Harris (Middlesex), Chris Ashling (REL), Aneurin Norman (REL), Mike O'Shea (REL)

Other news: The county are dropping their "Welsh Dragons" limited-overs name from 2013, when they will be known simply as Glamorgan. Marcus North becomes one-day captain, with Mark Wallace remaining in charge of the Championship side. Chris Cooke, Mike Reed, Huw Waters, John Glover, Andrew Salter, David Lloyd, Stewart Walters and Ben Wright have signed contract extensions.

Overseas player 2012: Kane Williamson (New Zealand); Muttiah Muralitharan (Sri Lanka, for Twenty20); Ed Cowan (Australia); Rob Nicol (New Zealand)

Overseas player 2013: TBC; Gloucestershire now doubt that Cowan will return as he is establishing himself in the Australia side, and do not believe Muralitharan will return

Ins: Gareth Roderick (YTH), Cameron Herring (YTH)

Outs: David Wade (REL), Jonathan Batty (RET)

Other news: Alex Gidman has decided to stand down as captain - and revealed the club plans to hand the captaincy to an overseas player. Craig Miles and Jack Taylor have signed new deals. Stuart Barnes has left the coaching staff to join Surrey.

Overseas player 2012: Simon Katich (Australia); Glenn Maxwell (Australia, for Twenty20)

Overseas player 2013: George Bailey (Australia)

Ins: Michael Roberts (Unicorns), Jack Sheppard (YTH)

Outs: Kabir Ali (Lancashire), Simon Katich (Lancashire), Bilal Shafayat (REL)

Other news: Michael Bates, Hamza Riazuddin, Jimmy Adams, Liam Dawson, Chris Wood, James Tomlinson and assistant coach Craig White have signed new contracts, as has Kolpak signing Neil McKenzie who will be available from June.

Overseas player 2012: Brendan Nash (West Indies)

Overseas player 2013: Brendan Nash (West Indies)

Ins: none

Outs: Simon Cook (REL)

Other news: Rob Key has stepped down as captain, with James Tredwell replacing him for 2013. Tredwell, Geraint Jones, Darren Stevens, Mark Davies, Ben Harmison, Brendan Nash, Sam Northeast, Sam Billings, Fabian Cowdrey, Ben Kemp, Ivan Thomas and Ashley Shaw have signed new deals.

Overseas player 2012: Ashwell Prince (South Africa); Yasir Arafat (Pakistan, for Twenty20)

Overseas player 2013: Simon Katich (Australia)

Ins: Kabir Ali (Hampshire), Alex Davies (YTH), Gavin Griffiths (YTH), Luis Reece (YTH), Arron Lilley (YTH), Simon Katich (Hampshire)

Outs: Naqaash Tahir (REL), Sajid Mahmood (Essex), Gary Keedy (Surrey)

Other news: Seamer James Anderson, centrally contracted by England, has signed a new two-year deal at Old Trafford.

Overseas player: Ramnaresh Sarwan (West Indies); Abdul Razzaq (Pakistan, for Twenty20)

Overseas player 2013: Ramnaresh Sarwan (West Indies)

Ins: Tom Wells (YTH), Robbie Williams (Middlesex), Niall O'Brien (Northants)

Outs: Will Jefferson (RET), Paul Dixey (RET), Jacques du Toit (REL), Nadeem Malik (REL), Robbie Joseph (REL), Will Jones (REL)

Other news: Ramnaresh Sarwan has replaced Matthew Hoggard as County Championship captain, with vice-captain Josh Cobb continuing to lead the one-day side. Shiv Thakor, Michael Thornely, Rob Taylor, James Sykes, Angus Robson, Ollie Freckingham and Matthew Boyce have all signed new deals.

Overseas player 2012: Chris Rogers (Australia)

Overseas player 2013: Chris Rogers (Australia)

Ins: Nick Gubbins (YTH), James Harris (Glamorgan)

Outs: Andrew Strauss (RET), Scott Newman (REL), Anthony Ireland (REL), Robbie Williams (Leicestershire), Tom Scollay (REL), Steven Crook (Northants)

Other news: Rogers will continue as Championship captain in 2013, with club captain Neil Dexter skippering in limited-overs cricket. Paul Stirling, Joe Denly, Tom Smith, Ravi Patel, Toby Roland-Jones, Corey Collymore, Josh Davey, Ollie Wilkin, Adam London and Eoin Morgan have signed new deals.

Overseas player 2012: Chaminda Vaas (Sri Lanka); Cameron White (Australia, for Twenty20)

Overseas player 2013: TBC

Ins: Matt Spriegel (Surrey), Steven Crook (Middlesex), Ben Duckett (YTH)

Outs: Ben Howegego (REL), Rob White (REL), Dave Burton (REL), Jack Brooks (Yorkshire), Chaminda Vaas (REL), Niall O'Brien (Leicestershire)

Other news: Stephen Peters replaces Andrew Hall as County Championship captain for 2013, with vice-captain Alex Wakely leading the side in limited-overs cricket. James Middlebrook and Luke Evans have signed new deals.

Overseas player 2012: Adam Voges (Australia)

Overseas player 2013: TBC; Voges and David Hussey have both held talks with Notts

Ins: Ajmal Shahzad (Yorkshire)

Outs: Karl Turner (REL), Scott Elstone (REL), Neil Edwards (REL)

Possible departures: Australia-raised seamer Darren Pattinson has agreed to play as a domestic player in Australia this winter, which will prevent him playing for Notts as an Englishman - but he may return to Trent Bridge as an overseas player for Twenty20 cricket.

Other news: Andy Carter, Samit Patel, Ben Phillips, Steven Mullaney, Graeme White and Jake Ball have signed new contracts.

Overseas player 2012: Vernon Philander (South Africa); Albie Morkel (South Africa, for Twenty20); Richard Levi (South Africa, for Twenty20); Abdur Rehman (Pakistan)

Overseas player 2013: Alviro Petersen (South Africa, start of season until Twenty20 competition begins)

Ins: none

Outs: none

Other news: Brian Rose has stepped down as director of cricket while George Dockrell, Craig Meschede, Alfonso Thomas and Max Waller have agreed new contracts.

Overseas player 2012: Jacques Rudolph (South Africa); Murali Kartik (India); Dirk Nannes (Australia, for Twenty20)

Overseas player 2013: Graeme Smith (South Africa)

Ins: Vikram Solanki (Worcestershire), Gary Keedy (Lancashire)

Outs: Mark Ramprakash (RET), Matt Spriegel (Northants), Tom Lancefield (REL), Chris Jordan (Sussex), Rory Hamilton-Brown (Sussex)

Other news: Smith will captain Surrey, and has signed a three-year deal. Fast bowling coach Stuart Barnes has joined from Gloucestershire, replacing Martin Bicknell who becomes chief scout. Chris Tremlett, Gareth Batty, Rory Burns, Zafar Ansari, Tom Jewell, Arun Harinath, Gary Wilson and Matthew Dunn have signed new deals.

Overseas player 2012: Steve Magoffin (Australia); Scott Styris (New Zealand, for Twenty20); Rusty Theron (South Africa, for Twenty20)

Overseas player 2013: Steve Magoffin (Australia); Scott Styris (New Zealand, for Twenty20)

Ins: Rory Hamilton-Brown (Surrey), Chris Jordan (Surrey)

Outs: Murray Goodwin (Glamorgan), Andrew Hodd (Yorkshire), Naved Arif (REL), Will Adkin (REL)

Other news: Ed Joyce has been confirmed as captain for 2013 after stepping up to replace Michael Yardy mid-season in 2012, with Chris Nash becoming vice-captain. Chief executive Dave Brooks will leave the county at the end of 2012. Nash, Will Beer, Ben Brown and Kirk Wernars have signed new contracts.

Overseas player 2012: Jeetan Patel (New Zealand)

Overseas player 2013: Jeetan Patel (New Zealand)

Ins: none

Outs: Richard Johnson (Derbyshire), Neil Carter (REL), Andy Miller (REL)

Other news: Laurie Evans, Steffan Piolet, Tom Milnes, Ian Westwood, Tim Ambrose and Ateeq Javid have signed new contracts.

Overseas player 2012: Michael Klinger (Australia); Philip Hughes (Australia)

Overseas player 2013: TBC; Hughes has been in preliminary talks about a return to Worcs

Ins: Graeme Cessford (Royal Air Force)

Outs: James Cameron (RET), Vikram Solanki (Surrey), Jack Manuel (REL), Ben Scott (RET)

Other news: Worcestershire are waiting to see whether Shaaiq Choudhry will accept the offer of a new contract, but Chris Russell, Brett D'Oliveira, Matt Pardoe and Neil Pinner have all signed new deals.

Overseas player 2012: Mitchell Starc (Australia); David Miller (South Africa, for Twenty20)

Overseas player 2013: TBC

Ins: Andrew Hodd (Sussex), Jack Brooks (Northants), Liam Plunkett (Durham)

Outs: Gerard Brophy (REL), Ajmal Shahzad (Nottinghamshire)

Possible departures: Director of cricket Martyn Moxon admits former skipper Anthony McGrath is unsettled and may leave the county.

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England make statement to Aussies

England's victory in India was an outstanding achievement and will send a shiver down the spine of the Australians ahead of back-to-back Ashes series in 2013.

It was a result that ranks alongside the Ashes victories of recent years, with England showing incredible character to come back from their heavy defeat in the first Test in Ahmedabad.

5: Set a new world record with centuries in his first five Tests as captain 23: Cook became the first England batsman to score 23 Test centuries when he reached three figures in Kolkata 27: became the youngest batsman to pass 7,000 Test runs at 27 years 347 days 61.85: His Test average in India is only surpassed by his averages in Bangladesh (114) and Australia (65.12) 190: Top score for the series by Cook at Kolkata, his third highest Test innings 866: Cook is now England's highest Test run-scorer in India, surpassing Mike Gatting's 863

After that result, and taking into account the 3-0 defeat against Pakistan in the UAE earlier in the year, few could have predicted England would leave Nagpur with a series victory.

People will ask what happened between that match in Ahmedabad and the victory in Mumbai in the second Test.

First of all, England brought Monty Panesar back into the team and he gave them more balance.

Then Kevin Pietersen changed.

After two skittish and nervous innings in the first Test, he responded with a magnificent 186 in Mumbai. Alastair Cook also scored lots of runs and it became apparent that England had better spinners than India.

Cook delights in 'special' victory

I'm sure that has never been said before and it hurt the home side. They were puzzled and worried by it and many people are calling for a review into their domestic structure because of it.

England lost the toss in Mumbai, but once they had shown they could win the hard way, it gave them the belief to do the same in Kolkata in the third Test.

They preyed on India's insecurities, but we must also be mindful that the hosts played poorly. They have got a number of issues to address following this series - like the futures of their star player, Sachin Tendulkar, their captain Mahendra Dhoni and their coach Duncan Fletcher.

Australia visit India early in 2013 and that will be a fascinating contest because we will see how they respond, and also what Australia have got because this will have been a wake-up call for them too.

Cook will return home from his first tour as Test captain a very happy man. He has proved that the captaincy would not detract from his performances - as he did in one-day cricket - and he has earned the respect of all his players with his runs.

"There is a mild irony that Duncan Fletcher didn't trust Graeme Swann when he was England coach and was never sure how valuable Monty Panesar really was. These two have been invaluable for England. Even when Panesar was wicketless in patches, he gave his captain control. They've both had terrific tours, as has Jimmy Anderson, and we saw glimpses of Steven Finn in Kolkata. On the batting side, Cook was immense and Pietersen played one brilliant innings in Mumbai."

England still have some areas they need to think about when they tour New Zealand in March, but they are good issues.

I hope they let Nick Compton have an extended run as opener in conditions that are more suited to run-scoring because he has battled hard at the top of the order in India.

Then there is the number six position to think about, with Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow and Eoin Morgan all wanting that spot.

People might also want England to consider playing two spinners in future - after the performances of Graeme Swann and Monty Panesar - but that is unlikely in places like New Zealand, Australia and at home.

There are always areas to improve, but England will be happy. I think the 2005 Ashes victory was as good as anything when you consider the personnel in the Australia team.

Players like Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath and Ricky Ponting played in that series, but the way England played in India, and the character they showed, means this can be ranked alongside such achievements.

Jonathan Agnew was talking to BBC Sport's Marc Higginson.

Listen to match highlights and Jonathan Agnew and Geoffrey Boycott's analysis of the day's play on the Test Match Special podcast.

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VIDEO: Cook wants England to be 'ruthless'

England captain Alastair Cook says his side must take the emotion out of the game and "be ruthless" when they take on India in the fourth Test in Nagpur.

England won by 10 and seven wickets respectively in Mumbai and Kolkata to lead 2-1 and move within sight of a first series win in India since 1985.

BBC Sport's Joe Wilson reports.

Venue: NagpurDate: 13-17 DecemberStart: 04:00 GMT Coverage: Listen to Test Match Special's ball-by-ball coverage on BBC 5 live sports extra, Radio 4 long wave and online; text commentary on the BBC Sport website, tablets and mobiles; highlights and analysis podcast after close of play

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NZ apologise to Taylor over row

New Zealand Cricket has publicly apologised to Ross Taylor for the poor manner in which it handled the end of his reign as captain.

Taylor, 28, quit as skipper after being asked to hand over the one-day and Twenty20 reins to 31-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman Brendon McCullum.

New Zealand Cricket apologised for "the manner in which events have unfolded" after a review of the captaincy issue.

Taylor said via Twitter: "I appreciate the apology from NZC."

9 Feb - 1st Twenty20, Auckland 12 Feb - 2nd Twenty20, Hamilton 15 Feb - 3rd Twenty20, Wellington 17 Feb - 1st ODI, Hamilton 20 Feb 2nd ODI, Napier 23 Feb - 3rd ODI, Auckland 6-10 Mar - 1st Test, Dunedin 14-18 Mar - 2nd Test, Wellington 22-26 Mar - 3rd Test, Auckland He added: "Keen to put it behind me and looking forward to getting back with the team soon."

McCullum took over in all three formats while Taylor opted out of the tour to South Africa this month.

New Zealand host England for a series of Tests, ODIs and Twenty20s in January.

New Zealand Cricket [NZC] boss David White said coach Mike Hesson had recommended Taylor step down from the captaincy of the shorter formats as part of a review following the team's tour of Sri Lanka, where they drew the Test series 1-1.

Despite the controversy surrounding the demotion of the country's best batsman, NZC chairman Chris Moller said no one will lose their job.

"There are no hanging offences in all of this," he said. "Yes, the ball's been dropped, absolutely. Could we have done things better? Absolutely.

"Are we going to learn from those mistakes, well we hope so."

Taylor replaced Daniel Vettori as captain in June last year, and although he guided New Zealand to a Test win in Australia, was under pressure in 2012.

His team suffered Test series defeats at home to South Africa and then away to West Indies and India.

His record in the shorter formats was also questioned after his team went out of the World Twenty20 tournament in Sri Lanka at the Super Eights stage and lost 10 of their 14 completed ODIs this year.

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Cook performance 'extraordinary'

Alastair Cook's role in England's series victory in India was described as "extraordinary" by England and Wales Cricket Board chairman Giles Clarke.

Cook, 27, scored three centuries to inspire England's 2-1 win in his first tour since becoming Test captain.

"He is a most impressive young man and leads from the front," Clarke told BBC Test Match Special.

"He changed the whole series with his second innings in Ahmedabad. I have the greatest admiration for him."

He added: "It's going to be tremendous watching him evolve as one of the greatest batsmen in the world and as a captain.

"There's no doubt this is Alastair Cook's team. There were very big boots to fill but it looks like he has got the right-sized feet."

Clarke was also full of praise for Kevin Pietersen's performance following his reintegration into the team.

Pietersen made a match-winning century in the second Test to help England level the series.

"He has had an outstanding tour," said Clarke. "His innings in Mumbai changed the context of the entire series.

"He played brilliantly and has been an integral part of the team. They are all delighted to have him here and great credit to everyone involved.

"There's a calmness and comfort about the team when they are in each other's company."

Clarke also commended team director Andy Flower on his planning for the series.

"We wanted to treat the series like an Ashes series and were absolutely determined that no corners would be cut in the planning," he said.

"If you don't embrace India with all its culture and fascinations you won't make it. That meant a lot of planning and the team's performance has demonstrated the quality of Andy Flower's work."

Listen to match highlights and Jonathan Agnew and Geoffrey Boycott's analysis of the day's play on the Test Match Special podcast.

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Four-day Glamorgan deal for Jones

Fast bowler Simon Jones will play four-day cricket for Glamorgan next season after renegotiating his contract.

Jones, an Ashes winner with England in 2005 , was on a pay-as-you-play contract for one-day games in 2012.

But after playing one four-day match during the summer, he has agreed a new deal which adds six County Championship matches to his commitments.

"I've agreed to do these four-day games because I don't want to leave anything in the tank," he told the Back Page.

Jones has a history of knee problems which have curtailed his England career and limited his appearances in the county game.

But the seam bowler says he is confident he can manage his troublesome knee and help Glamorgan challenge for promotion from Division Two of the County Championship.

"It's a continuous thing, I have to look after it," said Jones of his knee.

"I have to do the right preparation in games, I have to rest up properly.

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“It's just a matter of spacing the games out that I get the rest in between each game so that the knee is fine”

Simon Jones Glamorgan bowler "It's hard work, but it keeps me playing the game I love so it's not a hardship.

"I'm 34 on Christmas Day, I still feel I've got a couple of years left in me and that's why I've agreed to do these four-day games.

"It's one of those things. I just want to get everything out of my system so when I finish I know I've done everything I can in the game and then I can relax and just chill with the kids.

"I have to play six four-day games and obviously a number of one-day games as well, which I'm backing myself to do. It's the best I've felt in a long, long time."

Jones' knee problems stem from an incident in Brisbane in 2002.

The Welshman ruptured an anterior cruciate ligament sliding to stop a ball in the field during the first Test between England and Australia at The Gabba.

That injury kept him out of the game for 18 months.

And even though injuries have plagued Jones ever since, he is confident his knees will stand-up to the rigours of the four-day game.

"The body's feeling good, I'm working hard I'm feeling strong," he said.

"I felt good in the four-dayer I played last season, it was at Derby and the ball was coming out nicely.

"It's just a matter of spacing the games out that I get the rest in between each game so that the knee is fine and I can crack on.

"There's a lot of Championship games to be played and I feel that if I do play in the six I feel I can help Glamorgan get towards the top of the table and hopefully get promotion."

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VIDEO: Cook delights in 'special' victory

17 December 2012 Last updated at 11:35 GMT

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Hants quartet extend contracts

Four Hampshire players, including captain Jimmy Adams, have signed new contracts at the club.

Adams and all-rounders Liam Dawson and Chris Wood have agreed extensions which will keep them at Hants until 2015, while left-arm seamer James Tomlinson will prolong his stay until 2014.

All had a year or more on their deals.

"They have come through the Hampshire system and have an important part to play if we are to build on the success of 2012," said Hants boss Giles White.

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“ The team's success in two competitions meant I really enjoyed my first season at Hampshire and it was an easy decision to stay on”

Craig White "Jimmy and Tommo are both selfless, committed cricketers who put the team first. They continue to be great role models and it is good news that they have extended their stay.

"Equally, Liam and Chris are young all-rounders with real potential and, with continued development, have the opportunity to become significant contributors in all forms of the game."

Meanwhile Hampshire have also announced that assistant coach Craig White has agreed a deal to stay at the club until the end of the 2014 season.

White arrived at The Ageas Bowl last winter and took, as his main responsibility, the role of bowling coach.

He said: "I'm thrilled to sign a new two-year deal. The team's success in two competitions meant I really enjoyed my first season at Hampshire and it was an easy decision to stay on at the club. I look forward to, hopefully, enjoying more success over the next few years."

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VIDEO: England should be proud - Flower

18 December 2012 Last updated at 07:03 GMT

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VIDEO: Root exalts patience and simplicity

14 December 2012 Last updated at 13:36 GMT

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Injured Broad to miss T20 games

England Twenty20 captain Stuart Broad has been ruled out of the upcoming two-match series against India with a bruised left heel.

Broad will return to England to rest the injury and will be replaced by uncapped Middlesex's Welsh bowler James Harris, 22.

Eoin Morgan will captain the side in Broad's absence with the first match taking place in Pune on 20 December.

Steven Finn will also return to the UK after straining a disc in his back.

The 23-year-old was ruled out of the fourth and final Test at Nagpur with the injury, and was replaced in the team by Tim Bresnan. Finn, who was rested from the T20 squad, is expected to be available for the one-day series against India, which starts in January.

Harris is already in Pune with the England Performance Programme. The Swansea-born seamer moved to Middlesex from Glamorgan in September in the hope that playing for a County Championship Division One side would lead to full England honours.

"The selectors said it wouldn't make any difference in their personal thinking if I was to stay and play my cricket at home in Glamorgan," he said at the time.

"They said it wouldn't matter if I stayed in Division Two, but I think that playing cricket in Division One, there's more big games all the way through the season at both ends of the table."

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Cycling to get increased funding

Cycling, triathlon and netball have been given increased grassroots funding, but tennis, cricket and rugby have seen their money cut.

Sport England has also given tennis, as well as swimming and basketball, just one-year guaranteed finance with the rest dependent on results.

The body will give £493m to grassroots sports between 2013-17, up £54.7m.

Out of 46 sports, 32 have seen rises in funding, with 11 receiving less money and three getting the same amount.

Top five increases:

Cycling: Up by £7.3m to £32m

Netball: £6.6m to £25.3m

Football: £4.4m to £30m

Triathlon: £2.8m to £7.5m

Equestrian: £1.9m to £6m

Top five decreases:

Rugby League: Down by £10.1m to £17.5m

Rugby Union: £8.8m to £20m

Cricket: £7.7m to £27.5m

Tennis: £7.1m to £17.4m

Judo: £3.8m to £6.1m

Big winners were cycling, triathlon and netball, whose funds will increase by more than 30% after they impressed with future plans.

Boxing has also benefited, seeing a 26% rise to £5.8m.

Richard Caborn, chairman of the Amateur Boxing Association of England, said: "Boxing is one of the few sports that has continually delivered increases in grassroots participation over the last four years and it is great to see that this achievement has been recognised in the new funding announcement."

But the Lawn Tennis Association's four-year plan for increasing the numbers of people playing the sport was described as "not strong enough" and £10.3m of its £17.4m total has been put on hold.

Sport England chief executive Jennie Price said: "Tennis has not performed well in terms of participation.

"Their plan simply wasn't strong enough to justify the four-year investment. They have only a one-year award for participation and they have to improve their plan for growing participation."

The LTA said it was on the right track but admitted there was still work to be done.

Swimming and basketball will have funding withheld as well, while Sport England assesses whether new participation plans are working.

David Sparkes, chief executive of the Amateur Swimming Association, said: "While we are disappointed with the one-year investment for participation, we are encouraged by the confidence Sport England has shown in our plans to increase swimming participation levels over the next four years."

Sport England said officials from cricket, rugby union and rugby league were "comfortable" with their funding cuts. It said the reductions were largely due to the end of spending on "large capital projects" between 2009 and 2013.

RFL chief executive Nigel Wood said: "We will now be looking carefully at the award details of [our] new Whole Sport plan to see how we take our important community and talent development work forward with the support of Sport England, and naturally we are disappointed that rugby league has not been able to maintain the previous level of funding."

Overall, the bulk of the funding is aimed at 14-25 year-olds, with £83m to help talented athletes get access to better facilities and coaching.

Key figures include:

Cycling up by £7.3m from £24.7 to £32m after their Sky Ride initiative saw a huge increase in cycling numbers. Netball up to £25.3m from £18.7m after they "showed an understanding what women want from sport" to increase their participation numbers. Triathlon up by £2.8m from £4.7m to £7.5m after a dramatic increase in participants. Handball, which has seen a huge participation increase since London 2012, has seen their investment doubled from £0.6m to £1.2m. Cricket investment is down by £15.2m to £20m, although there will be a further £7.5m investment in the Cricket Foundation Both rugby league and rugby union have had their funding cut by £10.1m and £8.8m respectively.

Figures released earlier this month showed 15.5 million people aged 16 and over were playing sport at least once a week - 750,000 more than a year ago and 1.57 million more than when London won the Olympic and Paralympic bid in 2005.

Gordon Farquhar BBC sports news correspondent

"The conditions being attached to continued funding for swimming and tennis, plus the cuts to grants for cricket and both codes of rugby, are a reflection of the demand from government to get a return on its investments. Sports like cycling, triathlon and netball - who have strongly targeted participation with creative schemes - are seeing their efforts rewarded. It's a classic case of carrot and stick"

However the figures also showed the number of 16- to 19-year-olds participating in sport three times a week had dropped from 930,400 to 825,900.

Sport England's chief executive, Jennie Price, said: "We've learned a lot over the last four years and, with a record 15.5 million people already playing sport once a week, we are on track to deliver. We have worked very hard with the governing bodies of sport to make these decisions."

In total 46 sports will receive investment through each sport's governing body following a "robust and challenging process" to assess the quality of their plans and their ability to deliver for community sport and talent development.

Each sport will be subject to "tough performance management" through a "payment for results" approach that will see Sport England rewarding success and penalising failure.

Sport England's funding is separate to that of UK Sport, which will announce how it will disperse its money for elite Olympic athletes on Tuesday.

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England seal historic series win

Fourth Test, Nagpur, day five:

England 330 & 352-4 dec drew with India 326-9 dec

England completed their first series victory in India for 27 years as Jonathan Trott and Ian Bell both hit centuries on the final day in Nagpur.

Trott scored 143 and Bell 116 not out as the tourists - who lost in Ahmedabad before winning in Mumbai and Kolkata - earned the draw they needed to secure an historic achievement.

Cook delights in 'special' victory

India took just one wicket all day as debutant Joe Root added an unbeaten 20.

England finished 356 runs ahead on 352-4 when stumps were drawn early.

Their final-day dominance was fitting because, since being beaten by nine wickets in the first Test, England have outplayed their hosts in every department.

While recent Ashes victories will rank as some of England's finest displays in recent years, former captain Michael Vaughan put the accomplishment into context by describing winning a Test series in India as the hardest thing to do in cricket.

It is only the fourth time in history England have won there, and it is the first time since David Gower's tourists were triumphant in 1984-85.

"There were handshakes, hugs, embraces and slaps on the back all round in the England dressing room. They have worked so hard in this series. What odds were there on us witnessing that? It's quite remarkable. They have done it the hard way, through outstanding leadership on and off the pitch."

England also inflicted India's first series loss on home soil since the legendary Australia team of Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath and Ricky Ponting won in 2004 - a series which became billed as "The Last Step To Greatness".

Cook's team may not be "great" yet, but they certainly gave players like Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag and Mahendra Dhoni plenty to think about with their dominant performances.

Graeme Swann and Monty Panesar outbowled India's spinners, James Anderson underlined his status as one of the best seamers in the world, while - led by the insatiable run-scoring feats of captain Cook - all of England's batsmen scored runs.

Trott and Bell were the two players most in need of a good score on the final day of the match - and both delivered emphatically.

James Anderson: "A truly amazing all round effort to win out here. Everyone has been brilliant."

Tim Bresnan: "That is a monumental win for us. First time in India during my lifetime. Proud to play a small part in it."

Joe Root: "First Test tour, Test debut, first series win - doesn't get any better than this!"

Jonny Bairstow: "A day and tour I shall never forget! Absolutely brilliant!"

Matt Prior: "Where's that tweet predicting 4-0 win to India Michael Vaughan? The boys can't seem to find it? #turnsroundquickly"

The Warwickshire pair posted their highest Test scores of the year, with a century particularly welcome for Bell who averaged just 18 in India before he came to the crease when England were stuttering slightly at 94-3 on the fourth day.

Scoring may have been slow, with Trott facing 310 balls and Bell 306, but it is a measure of England's progress that they suffered so few alarms on the final day after such a chastening start to the year.

Both Trott and Bell were part of the side in January which was bowled out for 72 against Pakistan, on their way to a series whitewash in the United Arab Emirates.

But there was no way Trott was going to allow the year to end on a sour note. He continued in a defiant manner on the fifth morning - timing the ball to perfection - as he eased a four through the leg side to bring up his eighth Test century.

It appeared he might bat throughout the final day until his dismissal just before tea. The 31-year-old chased a Ravichandran Ashwin delivery and chipped the ball into the hands of Virat Kohli at leg-slip.

Bell batted similarly serenely, but did enjoy a let-off on 75 when he slashed hard outside off stump and was dropped at slip by Sehwag.

1984-85: India 1-2 England (5 Tests)

1992-93: India 3-0 England (3 Tests)

2001-02: India 1-0 England (3 Tests)

2005-06: India 1-1 England (3 Tests)

2008-09: India 1-0 England (2 Tests)

2012: India 1-2 England (4 Tests)

The series in numbers

He capitalised on his fortune late in the day when he completed his 17th Test century - the slowest of his international career - as he and Root, who swept Ashwin for six to compound the off-spinner's misery, closed out the historic and memorable series victory.

England, who consolidated their second-placed position behind South Africa in the ICC Test rankings, travel to New Zealand for a three-Test series in March before hosting the Kiwis in the summer ahead of back-to-back Ashes contests.

Listen to match highlights and Jonathan Agnew and Geoffrey Boycott's analysis of the day's play on the Test Match Special podcast.

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England rest Anderson and Trott

Date: Thursday, 20 December (Pune); Saturday, 22 December (Mumbai)Coverage: BBC 5 live sports extra and BBC Sport website.

Date: 11, 15, 19, 23, 27 January 2013Coverage: BBC Sport website

James Anderson and Jonathan Trott have been replaced by Chris Woakes and Jos Buttler in England's one-day squad to face India.

Fast bowler Anderson, 30, and batsman Trott, 31, impressed in England's Test series victory and are being rested.

Dec 2012: India Test and T20 series (away) Jan 2013: India one-day series (away) Feb-March 2013: New Zealand Test and one-day series (away) May-June 2013: NZ Test and ODI series (home) June 2013: Champions Trophy (50 overs, home) July-August 2013: Ashes series (home) September 2013: Australia ODI series (home) Nov 2013-Feb 2014: Ashes tour (away) Joe Root, who was also one of the stand-out players in Nagpur, has been named in the Twenty20 squad.

Eoin Morgan will captain England in the absence of the injured Stuart Broad for this week's two T20 games.

An ECB statement read: "Woakes and Buttler replace Anderson and Trott in the India ODI squad as the selectors look to manage workloads."

England play T20 internationals with India on 20 and 22 December, before returning home for Christmas and the new year.

They return to India in the first week of January for the one-day series.

Twenty20 squad: Jonny Bairstow, Tim Bresnan, Danny Briggs, Jos Buttler, Jade Dernbach, Alex Hales, James Harris, Michael Lumb, Stuart Meaker, Eoin Morgan (capt), Samit Patel, Joe Root, James Tredwell, Luke Wright.

ODI squad: Alastair Cook (capt), Jonny Bairstow, Ian Bell, Tim Bresnan, Danny Briggs, Jos Buttler, Jade Dernbach, Steven Finn, Craig Kieswetter, Stuart Meaker, Eoin Morgan, Samit Patel, Kevin Pietersen, James Tredwell, Chris Woakes.

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Harker to exit Durham post in May

David Harker is to step down as Durham County Cricket Club chief executive in May 2013 after 20 years in the post.

The 51-year-old has overseen success at the Chester-le-Street club, with two Championship victories and the award of an Ashes Test for the venue in 2013.

"I have enjoyed a fantastic 20 years," Harker said.

"The club has changed beyond recognition since I joined the team and it's a real honour to have played a part in the fantastic achievements."

Harker will remain involved with the club as a non-executive director.

Meanwhile, chairman Clive Leach has said the club will take time to consider a replacement following Harker's departure.

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AUDIO: Harris 'honoured' by England call

14 December 2012 Last updated at 07:32 GMT

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Compton earns increment contract

Somerset batsman Nick Compton has been awarded an increment contract by the England and Wales Cricket Board.

The 29-year-old made his England Test debut on the current tour of India and has appeared in all four Tests.

Under the ECB system, non-contracted players can earn an increment deal by obtaining 20 points, with five awarded for each Test appearance.

Five points are awarded for a Test appearance and two for a T20 or ODI appearance, with an increment contract being awarded automatically once the player reaches 20 points during the 12-month contract period. "This award reflects the contribution Nick has made," said ECB national selector Geoff Miller.

"I would like to congratulate him on his achievements since making his international debut last month."

South Africa-born Compton earned a call-up after finishing top run scorer in the County Championship with 1,191 runs from 11 matches last season.

Compton, who has been chosen to open alongside captain Alastair Cook for the series, hit his maiden Test half-century in the third match at Eden Gardens.

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Anderson was difference - Dhoni

India captain Mahendra Dhoni praised James Anderson's role in helping England secure a 2-1 series victory.

England drew the final Test in Nagpur to clinch their first series triumph in India since David Gower's side in 1985.

"We struggled in the batting department but the difference between the bowling sides was James Anderson," said Dhoni.

"India got sucked into believing that they were going to beat a poor England team and win 4-0. They never looked at themselves and they got complacent. Sachin Tendulkar is out of form and at the end of his career, Virat Kohli played some terrible shots in the series and Virender Sehwag was not at his best. They believed they were better than they were, but by the end of this series they and the Indian public have been forced to realise the truth. Whether they do anything about it is up to them, it's not our problem."

Dhoni also said "I hope so" when asked if 39-year-old batsman Sachin Tendulkar would continue his Test career after he scored just 76 runs in his six innings.

Tendulkar, who was voted the second greatest Test batsman of all time by respected cricket almanac Wisden, has endured a miserable 2012 in which he has scored just two half-centuries in 15 Test innings, with a top score of 80.

This poor form from the 'Little Master' had led to calls for him to retire , but Dhoni, when pressed on whether Tendulkar has told him whether he planned to quit, said: "No."

The match petered out to a draw after tea on day five, with England on 352-4 in their second innings - 356 runs ahead of the hosts.

The lifeless pitch in Nagpur attracted criticism from all quarters and Dhoni acknowledged it did not suit either side.

"There was not much really for the fast bowlers or the spinners," he said. "It was difficult to score runs but if you kept your head down it was difficult to get the batsmen out."

He added: "We bowled for 10 hours and we got three batsmen out. You can't just sit there and say we need to be aggressive.

"Aggression is not just about setting a silly-point or short-leg, or having a slip; you have to analyse where you can get a batsman out on a wicket like that.

"It's very difficult to make a good wicket in the subcontinent. They tried, but it's very tricky."

Listen to Jonathan Agnew and Geoffrey Boycott's analysis of the final day's play on the Test Match Special podcast.

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Jayawardene to give up captaincy

Mahela Jayawardene will give up Sri Lanka's Test and one-day captaincy after their tour of Australia.

The batsman, 35, said it was time for a younger leader and nominated vice-captain Angelo Mathews to take over.

Jayawardene's second stint as captain began in January, when he was called in to replace Tillakaratne Dilshan and committed to a 12-month tenure.

"I don't want to continue captaining Sri Lanka after this tour," he said. "I hope I don't get any SOS calls later."

Jayawardene, who quit the Twenty20 captaincy after the World Twenty20 final in October, is set to play his 136th Test against Australia in Hobart on Friday (23:30 GMT on Thursday).

"We need to move on to a younger leader and it's much easier for Sri Lankan cricket if we get a new guy in while the senior players are still around so we can help him out."

Jayawardene, who has scored 10,640 Test runs at an average of 50.18, said 25-year-old Mathews was the obvious choice to replace him as captain.

"Angelo is the one everyone has earmarked for the job and I think he's good enough," he said.

"If Angelo gets the opportunity it'll be much easier in the transition because he'll have Kumar Sangakkara, Dilshan and myself around him in tough situations so we can build him through that period and after that he'll be on his own."

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Flower praises team's improvement

Andy Flower has praised England's ability to "adapt and overcome" after their Test series victory in India.

At the start of 2012, Pakistan's spinners helped whitewash England but the team director's side recovered in India after a difficult first Test.

"Here [in India] we have shown we can learn and adapt and overcome," the 44-year-old told BBC Sport.

"We did not play that well against the spin in the United Arab Emirates, but we have also done superb things."

He added: "I certainly would not describe this year as a year of decline, that would be careless in the extreme. I think we have had up and down results.

"We became number one in one-day international cricket, we drew an important Test series in Sri Lanka, we won a Test series against the West Indies and we lost to a very good South African side in England. I do not think there was any embarrassment in that."

The game in Nagpur, in which England secured their first series victory in India for 27 years, was the team's final Test commitment of a year which started in embarrassing fashion in the Middle East against Pakistan.

The resolute play on show in India was also a stark contrast to the faltering performance in Ahmedabad when India's batsman began the series by powering their way to a 521-8 declaration before their bowlers restricted England to 191 all out in the first innings.

Cook delights in 'special' victory

"It is very satisfying for that group of 30 blokes up there to have come out here and adapted to these conditions and overcome the opposition," Flower said. "It has taken a lot of hard work and thought, and a lot of skill. They should be very proud of themselves."

England's coaching set-up was changed in November when Flower relinquished his role as head coach of the one-day international and Twenty20 sides to former England spinner Ashley Giles.

The Zimbabwean hopes the decision will boost England's performance in limited-overs cricket in 2013.

Flower said: "I needed something to change and I hoped this would make us a more efficient organisation and will be a better use of our resources.

"The injection of new ideas and energy from a successful coach, and successful international cricketer [Giles] is something Alastair Cook is looking forward to. Hopefully, it takes our limited-overs cricket up a couple of notches."

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