Windies Focused for Australia XI - Sir Curtly

The first of a three-Test series starts in Hobart on Thursdaywith West Indies going into the game after a 2-0 series defeat against Sri Lanka and 10-wicket hammering in their only tour match – against a Cricket Australia XI that featured six first-class debutants.

Sir Curtly Ambrose, who is with the squad as a bowling consultant, says the players should not take notice of the negative press they are receiving.

“We’re going to be focused. We’re not going to worry about what has been said about us not being a good team or not going to compete,” Ambrose said. “When we perform and beat Australia, then the reporters will have to change their tune.

“We played against Australia not so long ago in the Caribbean and even though we lost 2-0 there were moments or periods when we had them on the back foot and had their backs against the wall. And we never really finished them off. So we believe we can compete and not only compete but we believe we can beat them. Not just to compete but to win and being the underdogs, sometimes it’s good to be that way.

“They have to beat us because Australians and cricket in general expect them to steamroll us. So they’re the ones who are under pressure, not us. And we’re going to put up a good show.”

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Umpire Recovers After Ball Strike

Australian umpire John Ward is in a stable condition after being struck in the head by the ball while officiating in a domestic cricket match in India.

Ward was rushed to a nearby medical centre and then transferred to a hospital.

Dindigul District Cricket Association secretary N Venkataraman refuted reports that Ward had been knocked unconscious.

“After he got hit he fell to the ground, but he stood up and walked up to the ambulance by himself,” Venkataraman told ESPNcricinfo.

“He is completely normal. He has a tiny bulge behind the right ear which was identified in the scan. The medical observation, as per BCCI norms, has to be done in a big hospital, so we have shifted him to Apollo Hospitals in Madurai.

“There also we took scans. He is completely alright. Normally, in the event of a head injury, a patient is advised to be under observation for a day or two. He has been advised rest for a minimum of one day.”

Ward was working in India as part of an umpiring exchange between Cricket Australia and the Board of Control for Cricket in India.

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ICC Praise Cricket Ireland

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The International Cricket Council says the success of Tuesday's one-day international at Malahide was a "big step" for Irish cricket.

ICC global development manager Tim Anderson said he was impressed by Tuesday's occasion with over 10,000 watching the defeat by England.

"10,000 people in Dublin on a Tuesday afternoon suggests this is becoming a very serious cricket market," he said.

Despite Ireland's six-wicket defeat after earlier appearing to have England in trouble, Cricket Ireland chief Warren Deutrom felt that there were many positives that could be taken from the country's biggest ever home game.

Deutrom acknowledged that the country was not yet in a position where it could "even ask the question" about Test status but added that he was pleased with continuing progress.

As he watched the contest in glorious sunshine at the redeveloped Malahide ground, ICC official Anderson described Ireland as "probably the most important associate nation".

"Having an event like today when we can get this number of people into a game of cricket in Ireland is a big step in saying to the ICC: 'There is a growing culture of cricket in this country'," he said.

"Continuing to perform well on the pitch when you have opportunities like this and opportunities to perform in World Cups and World Twenty20s (is important) as is having a very strong governance and administration.

"They are the best (associate nation) on the field and the only one we could see producing what they are producing today."

Anderson added that Ireland can hold out hope of having more opportunities to play against full member countries in the coming years.

"Full members struggle to play everyone (of the other full members) so moving that concept ahead is not easy but we are considering those options with our full members.

"Hopefully in the future, the regular structured opportunities could be available."

The ICC official said that Irish cricket's governance "is one of the best in world cricket and not just in the affiliate and associate countries".

"Cricket Ireland have a fantastic CEO in Warren Deutrom and a very good board and management team," he said.

Deutrom pointed out the presence of Irish President Michael D Higgins among the dignitaries at Tuesday's game as evidence of the increasing profile of the sport in the country.

"It's also about having that dream to be as good as we can be," added Deutrom.

"If our players are leaving us to go to England and chasing their Test dream then we always stand to lose our best players.

"We are not asking the (Test) question yet. We've set out by 2019 or 2020 that's where we're going to be.

"Two of the boxes that we hadn't ticked up until the last 18 months was about having a domestic three-day structure and having some form of tier between club and country, which is the Inter-Provincial structure we have introduced this year.

"And in terms of having a culture of cricket which is another of the criteria, what does that mean?

"I would suggest (it is) having 10,000 fans - at least half of whom are totally new to the sport - coming in to consume the game today and media from all over the UK and Ireland.

"We have 650 hospitality guests. We sold all our perimeter advertising. Corporate Ireland has bought into it. I'd say we're ticking the box to really embed or develop a culture of cricket in Ireland."

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ECB Seek Apology for Pietersen

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The England and Wales Cricket Board has requested an apology from Channel Nine over allegations that Kevin Pietersen "cheated" during the Ashes.

The Australian broadcaster said England and Australia players used special tape on their bats to prevent edges being detected on Hot Spot technology.

England batsman Pietersen, the only player named, denied what he called "hurtful lies".

A Channel Nine spokesperson said: "We are not commenting at this stage."

Both teams will meet with International Cricket Council general manager Geoff Allardice before the fourth Test at Chester-le-Street, which starts on Friday.

But the governing body insisted those involved will discuss the controversial decision review system rather than the alleged use of silicone tape on bats, which is within the laws of the game.

"These media reports are totally incorrect," said ICC chief executive Dave Richardson.

"Geoff Allardice is meeting with both teams and umpires to see how we can best use the DRS and the available technology. It has nothing to do with any players."

Former England seamer Matthew Hoggard criticised the claims, telling BBC Sport: "You can't just accuse one person of cheating.

"It's not even against the rules. You're allowed to put silicone tape on you bat if you want to, but I don't think the batters are."

Meanwhile former England captain Michael Vaughan has called for Hot Spot to be removed from the DRS process.

"I think the players are starting to get really annoyed that we are talking too much about the technology side of things," he told BBC Radio 5 live.

"DRS is excellent for the game, it's moved it on, but unfortunately Hot Spot has been proved in this series that it is not good enough. It's not getting enough of the snicks right, and for that reason I would get rid of Hot Spot because that is where all of the confusion is coming from.

"It will probably be used for the remaining two Test matches at Durham and The Oval, but everyone has lost trust in it.

"The players have, the umpires have, the third umpire has, fans have, the commentators have. Nobody who watches the games trusts Hot Spot anymore and if you look back to the last Test match, the umpire hardly used it. If they possibly could, I'd get rid of it straight away."

Meanwhile, ex-England captain Michael Vaughan called for Hot Spot, which uses thermal imagining to detect edges, to be removed from the DRS process.

"I think the players are starting to get really annoyed that we are talking too much about the technology side of things," he told BBC Radio 5 live.

"DRS is excellent for the game, but unfortunately Hot Spot has been proved in this series that it is not good enough. I'd get rid of it straight away.

"It's not getting enough of the snicks right, and for that reason I would get rid of Hot Spot because that is where all of the confusion is coming from.

"It will probably be used for the remaining two Test matches at Durham and The Oval, but everyone has lost trust in it: the players have, the umpires have, the third umpire has, fans have, the commentators have.

"Nobody who watches the games trusts Hot Spot any more and if you look back to the last Test match, the umpire hardly used it."