Cricket news from all World.

[Napster]

Vieira, who turns 35 next month, signed for City 18 months ago as a back-up option in midfield, but he managed 34 appearances for Roberto Mancini's side this season.

Along the way he scored five goals, three of them in the early stages of the FA Cup where City went on to end their 35-year wait for a trophy with a 1-0 win over Stoke City in the final.
"It's really nice because although I don't play that much, I've felt a real connection with the fans, particularly over the last month," he said on the club's website. "They've really made me feel happy and at Bolton last week it was special because they were singing to me while I warmed up and I really enjoyed it, so I'd like to thank them.

"We are starting to talk about the future only now because the target we had was to qualify for the Champions League and win the FA Cup first, now we have achieved that so I will sit down and discuss things with the club and a decision will be made very soon.

"I really want to stay here because I've loved my time with City and as I said, the fans have been fantastic. I just need to speak to the manager and then with the board and try to find a solution that suits everyone, but if there is a possibility, I would love to stay here."


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[Kamlesh Barjati]

Steven Smith, the Australia legspinning allrounder, has called Michael Clarke a "very, very good captain of spin" and believes he stands to benefit from Clarke's close relationship with Shane Warne. Smith is currently recovering from ankle surgery but hopes to start running next week and bowling within a month. If all goes well, Smith should get his first chance to play Test cricket under Clarke during the away series against Sri Lanka in August and September. The pair has already developed a solid working relationship in the limited-overs formats of the game.

"He's helped me out a lot," Smith told the Daily Telegraph. "He's a big believer in giving a bit of protection when you start off and when you get into your spell bring your men in. Warnie was a big believer in that as well. He thought if you had your men out and brought them in you were attacking. If you had to push men out it felt like you were retreating and the batsmen were on top.


"I think that's something Michael's got from Shane by being good friends with him and that will help me out a lot with my bowling."


There is expected to be limited competition for the spinner's spot in the playing XI. Offspinner Nathan Hauritz is still recovering from shoulder surgery, while left-arm spinner Michael Beer and offspinner Jason Krejza will be part of next month's Australia A tour to Zimbabwe.


Smith has also benefitted from the late Terry Jenner's expertise, if not quite to the same extent that Warne did. "He [Jenner] is an absolute genius at what he does," Smith said. "The sessions I had with him I learned a lot from and continue to learn a lot. There were a few things like tactics and trying to work out a batsman, looking at them even when you're not bowling to them.


"Looking at the way they're doing things. See if you can pick up anything. It's pretty tough coming on to bowl and trying to figure out what they're doing. He also slowed down my run-up and made sure I was more composed at the crease. He got my bowling shoulder up a little bit higher to allow me to get over the ball a little bit more and help me with drift."

http://www.espncricinfo.com/australia/content/story/516989.html?CMP=OTC-RSS

 

[Napster]

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[Kamlesh Barjati]

William Porterfield, the Ireland captain, said his side had "let a few people down" by surrendering tamely to Pakistan in the first of two one-dayers in Belfast, and put his side's disappointing performance of 96 all out down to a lack of application with the bat. Opener Paul Stirling got them off to a flyer in the rain-reduced game, but once he departed, Ireland, to their detriment, did not rein in their strokeplay on a pitch that was offering the seamers a fair bit of assistance.


"The way Paul started I think a few lads got caught up in that and thought it was a bit flatter," Porterfield said. "It did seam about a bit and there were some poor shots. It was going to be difficult but I don't think we acquitted ourselves as we should have.


"There were too many bad shots and not enough application at the crease, especially after losing a couple of early wickets which can happen on any day. I think to keep losing wickets, we just folded too easily. We never put a partnership together. You never know on a wicket like that if you can scrap 160 or 170 in a reduced game you can contain teams and put them under pressure."


The series is a significant one for Ireland, as the ICC chief executive committee meets in a month's time to discuss whether to overturn their decision to omit the Associates nations from the 2015 World Cup. Ireland's impressive showing in the 2011 World Cup has garnered global support for their right to play in the next edition of the tournament, but their capitulation against Pakistan on Saturday suggested there is still a gap to be bridged between them and the top teams.


"We've let a few people down today but we'll be looking to turn that around come Monday," Porterfield said. "We are disappointed in the way we performed today. We wanted to put on a performance for the fans that turned out and keep a buzz around Irish cricket."


He, however, stuck to the stand taken by him and coach Phil Simmons before the series began, in saying the ICC's decision over the 2015 World Cup was not the top-most thing on their minds.


"It is disappointing to make 96, but as I've said before it [the World Cup decision] is not something we think about or put in the forefront of our minds. We go out there with a plan to win a game and we didn't do that today. We didn't execute anything with the bat. We didn't put any type of performance together."


The next one-dayer is at the same venue, the Civil Service Cricket Club in Stormont, on May 30, and despite the seven-wicket loss Porterfield was positive about his team's chances of levelling the series.


"I think it's a mental think more than anything. It is something that will come together if everyone brings their A-game. We have to rectify that for Monday; we will do that."

http://www.espncricinfo.com/ireland/content/story/517101.html?CMP=OTC-RSS