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The new western stand under construction at Jade Stadium Photograph © CricInfo

Eight thousand news seats will be available at Jade Stadium for New Zealand’s international cricket matches against England.The massive western stand at the ground is well on the way to achieving its completion date of March 26.While New Zealand’s internationals are in late-February and early March, the bottom half of the new stand will be handed over on January 7 at which time seating contractors will place the 8000 available seats.The $43.9million stand still has another level to be added to it but is already an imposing structure on the site of the long standing but little lamented concrete terrace.Jade Stadium chief executive Bryn McGoldrick said the construction was on time and on budget.While the Red and Black Trust’s sale of 12-seater reserves had proven very popular, only one-third of the Victory Park Trust allocation and seven of the 31 suites had been sold. The suites are valued at between $40,000 and $50,000 per year.When the job is completed the ground will have just over 50 suites.McGoldrick was in no doubt that if support could be given to repeating the complex on the other side of the ground, replacing the existing stands, it could be started in March when the western stand is finished, and completed in time for the Rugby World Cup in 2003.Because it would merely be a case of turning the plans around, the cost of doing the eastern side of the ground would be considerably less than for the new stand.

Brendon McCullum and Tim Southee have been rested for New Zealand’s limited-overs tour to Zimbabwe and South Africa. Ish Sodhi has been included for the Zimbabwe leg, while Doug Bracewell will replace the legspinner in South Africa. Adam Milne and James Neesham have made comebacks after long injury lay-offs in the 15-man squad to be led by Kane Williamson, with Colin Munro also recalled.

New Zealand squad

Kane Williamson (capt), Grant Elliott, Martin Guptill, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Mitchell McClenaghan, Nathan McCullum, Adam Milne, Colin Munro, James Neesham, Luke Ronchi (wk), Mitchell Santner, Ross Taylor, Ben Wheeler, Doug Bracewell (South Africa only), Ish Sodhi (Zimbabwe only)

“We think Ish will be useful on pitches which tend to be slow and take turn, and against a Zimbabwe team stacked with right-handers”, said Mike Hesson, the New Zealand coach and selector.”But we’re unlikely to need a third spinner in South Africa, which is why we’ve opted for another seamer in Doug.”Sodhi has represented New Zealand in 11 Tests and two T20Is but is yet to play an ODI, while the last of Bracewell’s seven ODIs came in June 2013. Milne had been out since the World Cup quarterfinal against West Indies with a heel injury, and Neesham has not played international cricket since the Basin Reserve Test against Sri Lanka in January.Corey Anderson and Trent Boult were not available after pulling out during the England tour with stress-related back problems. Hesson said that while the absence of several frontline players meant opportunities for the others, it would not reduce the sense of expectation around the squad.”There are chances there for batsmen such as Tom and Colin, for Ish and for a handful of bowlers. And, not least, it’s another good opportunity for Kane Williamson to continue upskilling in terms of leadership.””This is a team which has built up an impressive record on the international circuit in recent times and the expectation is that we continue to perform, regardless of who might be missing.”We were also without some key players on last summer’s away series against Pakistan, and still managed to win 3-2 thanks to other players stepping up.”Our focus is on continuing to produce strong team performances, rather than be distracted by the presence or absence of specific individuals.”New Zealand play three ODIs and a T20I in Zimbabwe starting August 2 before travelling to South Africa for two T20Is and three ODIs. The majority of the squad will assemble at a training camp in Potchefstroom before heading to Harare.

Glasgow Rangers defender Filip Helander has admitted that he has been taking painkillers for the last eight years as he has played through injury.

The Lowdown: Helander preparing for Euros

He is now preparing for the European Championship with Sweden after a long season at Ibrox.

The 28-year-old struggled with an injury during the 2019/20 campaign, missing 24 games for the Gers due to a foot issue (Transfermarkt).

The Latest: Helander reveals painkillers issue

Speaking on a Swedish podcast prior to Euro 2020, Helander revealed how often he uses painkillers. He said (via Glasgow Live):

“When you hurt yourself, you do not know how bad it will be, but I felt optimistic pretty quickly.

“Now I’m actually not worried at all. The physio feels things have gone much better in recent weeks, I have been able to do a lot. I’m very optimistic I’ll make it.

“We have had ongoing communication with the coaching staff about my progress and of course, they have had contact with Rangers as well.

“It’s the worst thing for a player to be injured. You go to training every day where it feels like you are not getting anywhere. You miss match after match.

“Personally, I have had a lot of injuries. Minor injuries that have taken four to six weeks. It is clearly something you want to get rid of. But all bodies are different. You have to accept it somewhere.

“Very often I have to push myself to play through an injury. I have basically taken tablets before most matches since I was 20.

“Painkillers, although in Italy there were syringes and so on.

“You have to take a risk somewhere and I want to play. You have to trust that it will not make it worse.

“I have no idea if I will have to take them before the Euros. The hope is that I will be so much better that it will not be needed.

“I have been injured before and it has gone well when I came back from it. But you do miss the match tempo when you are out.”

The Verdict: Not good

The £3.15m-valued defender (Transfermarkt) has enjoyed a good spell with the Gers since making the move to Ibrox from Bologna two years ago. Although he has managed just 29 Premiership appearances, he is still to taste defeat in that competition. All in all, he has featured 49 times for Rangers in all competitions.

However, this is hardly good news. This suggests that Helander has been playing through injury for most of his career. At the moment, he is still in his 20s, but taking so many painkillers could well catch up with him. It is something he might want to reconsider if he would like to extend his career.

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In other news, this Rangers man has been urged to stay at Ibrox despite exit rumours.

Slower subcontinental conditions have made the South African team management consider the dropping of their most senior bowler, Shaun Pollock © AFP

Shaun Pollock is likely to be dropped from the South Africa team for the first Test against Pakistan after the team management decided to rely on faster bowlers for matches on the subcontinental wickets.”We have been speaking to Polly about bowling less on the subcontinent since we were in Ireland in June,” Mickey Arthur, the South Africa coach, told . “We feel the faster bowlers will get more assistance [from the wicket].”Pollock averages 130kph to 135kph while Dale Steyn consistently bowls at speeds above 140kph and Makhaya Ntini also clocks 135kph and more. Between 1997, when he first toured the subcontinent, and 2006, Pollock has played 17 matches in the region and taken 60 wickets at 23.18 against the four sides – India (13), Pakistan (18), Bangladesh (7) and Sri Lanka (22). In comparison, Ntini has taken 28 wickets from 11 Tests at 39.42 between 2000 and 2006.Paul Harris, the left-arm spinner and Morné Morkel look certain to make the XI. “We will then select two of Ntini, André Nel and Steyn to complete the team,” Arthur said. “It’s a chance for Dale and Morné to show what they can do. It will also help strengthen our depth in bowling.”He [Pollock] is a proud player and he still believes he has a role to play in the team,” Arthur said.Pollock, who is South Africa’s highest Test wicket-taker with 416 wickets in 107 Tests, has been excluded from the team for the ongoing warm-up match against Patron’s XI.The first Test of the two-match series starts on October 1 in Karachi.

The most famous sparrow in cricket is to feature in “The Grand House Sparrow Exhibition” at the Natural History Museum of Rotterdam in the Netherlands.The bird was hit by a ball during a match between MCC and Cambridge University in 1936, as chronicled by Wisden. “TN Pearce, the batsman, managed to play the ball and the bird fell against the stumps without dislodging a bail.” It was subsequently stuffed and mounted on the ball which caused its fate.Dave van der Wal from the TV station accompanied Kees Moeliker who travelled to the Lord’s museum, and produced a short video of the journey with some misty-eyed music accompaniment.There’s more information on the bird’s flight at the Lord’s website.

Somerset are hoping to speak to Ricky Ponting and Graeme Smith in a bid to get one of them to play next summer.Ponting’s brief spell at Taunton in 2004 coincided with a marked upturn in Somerset’s performances, while Smith led the county for part of 2005, guiding them to victory in the Twenty20 Cup.”We will be talking to the connections of both players,” Brian Rose, Somerset’s director of cricket, Was quoted as saying by the official website. “But we won’t commit ourselves unless either can play for a meaningful period. It could all come down to how long their respective cricket boards are willing to let them play county cricket for next season.”Ponting is due to lead Australia in Bangladesh at the start of the 2006 season and Zimbabwe at the end of the summer, while Smith and South Africa should be in Zimbabwe in August.

Andrew Leipus: a professional course in sports physiotherapy beckons© Cricinfo

Andrew Leipus, India’s physiotherapist, has confirmed today that he will be standing down from his role after the forthcoming tour of Bangladesh. Leipus’s intentions were made public by Cricinfo at the beginning of November, but he has chosen not to confirm his decision until now. He now wishes to spend more time with his family, as well as pursue a professional course in sports physiotherapy.”I had asked the board to relieve me after India’s tour to Bangladesh,” Leipus told Cricinfo. “I want to take six months off for personal reasons. As for the future, we plan to sit down after six months and consider all options.”Leipus, who has been with the Indian team since late 1999, has become a hugely respected figure within the national set-up, and is widely credited for bringing the team’s levels of fitness up to the standards now expected of all international sportsmen. Both he and his sidekick, the fitness trainer Greg King, had been awarded contracts until 2007 – a period of time that was indicative of the respect they have earned – but Leipus now intends bowing out ahead of the visit of Pakistan in March.”After the Bangladesh tour, there is a decent break in play before Pakistan tours India,” Leipus told The Times of India. “The time is enough for the BCCI to finalise on another candidate.” In February, shortly before Pakistan arrive for their Test and one-day series, Leipus will begin a Masters course in sports physiotherapy at the University of Adelaide.In a letter to the Indian Board, Leipus suggested that John Gloster, the former Bangladesh physio, should be considered as a his replacement. Gloster, who has also worked with Surrey in the past, spent about two years as the physio of the Bangladesh team, but left them in October when his contract ran out.

Hampshire had dominated the first two days of this Frizzell Championship Division Two match against Gloucestershire at The Rose Bowl, but they were left hanging on to a draw at the end of the match after rain and some tight bowling went against the home side.Jonty Rhodes and Jon Lewis gathered a further 45 runs when play started after lunch. The morning two hours had been lost to heavy rain, and it was a tribute to the ground staff and the quick drying Rose Bowl that play managed to get underway. Rhodes finished 151 not out, hitting 13 fours and three sixes in a stay of 270 balls.Set 283 for victory in a minimum of 55 overs, Hampshire’s loss of early wickets put paid to any hope of making a challenge for the runs. John Crawley and first innings hero Derek kenway both fell to Aussie Ian Harvey’s seam bowling, and he shared the spoils with off spinner Martyn Ball.It fell to Dimitri Mascarenhas and Shaun Udal to put the brakes on their teams downfall, and on the formers dismissal Wasim Akram played an unusual role of defence, and the draw was comfortably achieved in the end.

Indian coach John Wright singled out the happenings on the firstevening as the turning point in the first Test against Sri Lanka whichIndia lost by 10 wickets early Friday morning. “Those couple of latewickets in the first evening were crucial. That took the game awayfrom us. We should have at least put up 250 which would have been acompetitive score,” said the New Zealand born Wright who is with theIndian side on a one-year contract.Wright praised the Sri Lankan attack, “It’s a balanced attack andtheir bowlers bowled well right from the start to make thingsdifficult for us.”The Indian bowlers, for their part, though failedto deliver the goods when the Lankans were batting. “It makes thingsdifficult for the captain when you’ve got the best square cutter inthe middle and the bowlers keep on feeding him in his favourite area,” Wright observed.But he was hopeful that the side would bounce back in Kandy. “We have been in situations such as this before and we got to fight our way back.” He though admitted that restoring parity was not going to be an easy task for his team. “Sri Lanka are a difficult side to beat.”Muttiah Muralitharan once again was the wrecker-in-chief with a fivewicket haul in the Indian second innings. He claimed eight in thematch.Wright says his batsmen have to be more positive in handlingthe Sri Lankan off-spinner. “They have to play their natural game andback themselves. But I don’t think that there’s any secret formula toplay Muralitharan. You can’t say you got to play this way. You got tobe positive against everyone and not to be intimidated by hisreputation.”However Indian captain Sourav Ganguly took a different view on the subject, “Lot of players in this squad with the exceptionof me and Rahul are facing him for the first time. So they’ve got noexperience on how to handle him”Ganguly also paid tribute to the Sri Lankan team, “The Sri Lankansplayed really well. They came up with a good all round performance.”Ganguly, like Wright before him, blamed the batsmen for coming up witha pathetic performance, “After that opening partnership between Rameshand Das we just didn’t bat well. The middle order failed and 187 wasnever going to be enough”The skipper himself was dismissed by fast bowler Dilhara Fernando ontwo occasions in this game as his poor form with the bat continued. “Ihave to score runs. I have scored four hundreds previously againstthis side. I am making mistakes and getting out. I got a bad decisionin the first innings. I got a bad decision in the first Test inZimbabwe too. But this is part and parcel of game. I have been tryingto do everything and I just need to spend sometime in the middle.”

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Leeds United goalkeeper Kiko Casilla will miss the Championship clash with Millwall at Elland Road at the end of the month after picking up a one-match ban for the red card he received against Sheffield United on Saturday, and it gives Bailey Peacock-Farrell an unexpected chance.

On the chalkboard

Despite being Marcelo Bielsa’s first-choice between the sticks in the first half of the season, the 22-year-old was cast aside almost immediately to accommodate former Real Madrid man Casilla following his arrival during the January transfer window.

The experienced 32-year-old had played every minute of league action since January 26 – until he saw red late on against the Blades at the weekend that is.

Peacock-Farrell looked as though he would be spending the run-in sat on the substitutes’ bench, but he now has a massive opportunity and he will know he needs to take it.

What could he do?

Despite what happened with the 6ft 4in stopper at the beginning of 2019, Bielsa has shown previously that he is willing to stick with a player in the starting XI if they are performing well.

Should the Northern Ireland international get the nod against the Lions – as expected – and puts in a stellar performance and gets a clean sheet for example, there is no reason why he may not keep his place the following weekend.

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If that happens and continues to happen in the remaining fixtures of the campaign, he could well be the Yorkshire outfit’s unexpected hero as they look to secure a top-two finish and a return to the Premier League.

The goalkeeper’s role in the team is vital, and if Peacock-Farrell can pull off saves and keep the ball out of the net, he could be the hero in May – that’s something he wouldn’t have thought was possible prior to last weekend.