England's no-win trip north

 Scotland will aim to take advantage of England's vulnerability in a fixture that does little to aid the long-term planning of Peter Moores and Alastair Cook

Win and it is only to be expected; lose and it is a humiliation. Peter Moores' second stint as England coach begins with as close to a no-win fixture as is possible.

England should prove too strong for Scotland. Despite recent setbacks, England are No. 4 in the ODI rankings and reached the final of the last global ODI tournament. Their players enjoy every advantage of modern professionalism and several of them have played more than 100 ODIs. Some of Scotland's players have to fit cricket in around their day jobs.

But this game has many of the ingredients for an upset. Scotland, highly motivated and resurgent having recently qualified for the World Cup, have nothing to lose and know that, after a chastening winter, England cannot be high on confidence. It would be stretching things a bit far to say they smell blood, but they certainly sense vulnerability. Netherlands' victory over England has shown what is possible

England, meanwhile, have not played any white ball cricket this season. They have never played an ODI so far north - Kyle Coetzer, Scotland's captain, proudly described it as the most northerly ODI venue in the world - and, in doing so in early May in a match starting at 10.30am and incorporating two new balls, know that batting could be something of a lottery at times. Poor weather could also intervene - it would be a surprise if it didn't - increasing the prospect of a shortened run chase, bowlers struggling to grip slippery balls and Duckworth-Lewis inspired frustration.

It would be wrong to decry the pitch, though. New Zealand scored 400 here in an ODI in 2008 and seven men have registered ODI centuries on the ground. But the boundary is small, the outfield on Thursday surprisingly wet and the sell-out crowd likely to be heavily partisan. It all faintly evokes memories of first-class sides being embarrassed at the home of minor county teams in the Gillette Cup.

One thing England should not be is complacent. Indeed, after the shock of the Netherlands defeat - a defeat that might well have cost Ashley Giles his job - and the thrashings in Australia, it remains to be seen if England's scars have healed. It was a lack of confidence, not a surfeit of it, which was their main weakness in Bangladesh.

There is a sense that Moores, at the start of this new era for England, is keen to help the team rediscover the simple pride and joy of representing their country and playing a game they love for a living. As Alastair Cook admitted, there were times in Australia, in particular, when they forgot that.

"You have to remember how lucky we are to wear the shirt and play for your country," Cook said. "Sometimes after a long period away, you forget that. Last winter is probably a reminder of that. When you lose games of cricket it becomes very hard.

"Now we've all had bit of time away from the game, it's been a good time to reflect and realise how special it is to be playing for England. We have to remember that at all times. Chatting to a few of the guys who are no longer playing, they say it's the best days of your life even in tough times."

Coetzer evokes England's winter turmoil Kyle Coetzer, the Scotland captain, has called on his team to "bring back some bad memories from the winter" for England in Aberdeen. Coetzer, born and raised in the city, used his pre-match press conference to remind England of a chastening few months, which included a whitewash defeat in the Ashes and an embarrassing loss at the hands of Holland in the World T20. "England didn't have the winter they would have liked," Coetzer said, "so hopefully we can bring back some back bad memories. They have some fresh faces, a new coach and a few players trying to prove themselves. "No one's place is cemented, so they may feel under a bit of a pressure to prove themselves. Hopefully we can prey on that and bring back a few bad memories." Coetzer is also relishing the opportunity to prove the strength of Scotland and Associate cricket. "A game of this magnitude is great for the whole of Scotland," he said. "We would like to see more games of this level, so it is hugely important for us to make most of days like this. We are always trying to prove a case for Associate cricket and we want to show what a high level it is. The progression we have made over the last 12-18 months has been outstanding and now is our time to prove ourselves."

Furthermore, with 21 ODIs to play until the World Cup starts, places are at stake in both sides. This England team has only been assembled for this game so performances here will influence selection for the limited-overs series against Sri Lanka, which will be named on Tuesday.

Most urgently, England need to find some reliable 'death' bowlers - not a strong area in county cricket at present - and decide on their top-order batting tactics.

Harry Gurney, a left-arm bowler of sharp if not express pace, might be one answer. He has developed a good record in domestic white-ball cricket and could partner James Anderson or Stuart Broad in Powerplays and at the end of an innings. Ravi Bopara, who Alastair Cook revealingly named as one of two colleagues (Broad was the other) he consulted before deciding to continue as captain, is another underutilised 'death' option. Chris Jordan, who has looked the most dangerous new-ball bowler in England this season, rarely does the job for Sussex and struggled when pressed into service in the role in the Caribbean.

There is a sense that England would like to take a more aggressive approach to the first 15 overs of their innings. The argument for such a tactic is that, on the batsmen-friendly tracks anticipated for most of the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, England's traditional steady approach will not generate the huge totals that may be needed to prevail.

But Aberdeen in May is not the place to experiment with aggressive top-order batting. It may well be that the games played against Sri Lanka offer little more help, either. England continue to be hindered by their scheduling.

Besides, Cook believes that the best players have the ability to adapt. So those players who are suited to seeing England through the new ball in Aberdeen should, if Cook is to be believed, also prove the men to get them off to a flyer in Perth and Brisbane.

"One of skills you need as an international cricketer is the ability to play in different conditions," Cook said. "You're challenged wherever you play in the world. The best players adapt and find a way of delivering results. The wicket here looks good, but it won't be an absolute belter, so going hard would be foolish."

But preparing for a World Cup in Australia and New Zealand by playing in Aberdeen in May is like preparing for a sprint by going ice-skating.

All of which begs the question: why is this game taking place? The politically correct answer is that the ECB and ICC want to provide some encouragement to an Associate neighbour. But the fact that England have played only two of their previous 616 ODIs against Scotland, does not suggest that encouragement is especially effusive.

If the ECB really wanted to support Associate cricket, it would lobby the ICC to push for cricket to be accepted as an Olympic sport. Until it does, matches like this are little more than a perfunctory sop.

George Dobell is a senior correspondent at ESPNcricinfo

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Lillee responds in CA pay dispute

Dennis Lillee has responded to Cricket Australia's announcement that the former Test wicket-taking record holder would no longer be working with the nation's fast bowlers due to a dispute over pay demands, citing the impact of Mitchell Johnson in the past two series as the best measure of his effectiveness.

Having played a major role in Johnson's resurgence, while also being on call to mentor the likes of Pat Cummins and James Pattinson, Lillee's request for a pay increase was knocked back by CA.

However, Lillee, who is presently attending a cricket festival in Philadelphia, said in a statement to Brisbane's Courier-Mail that he was merely asking for a fair financial return for the work he had done, especially given that Johnson was "the difference" between Ashes defeat in England and a rollicking 5-0 sweep at home.

"If my role and influence is to be assessed on any measure, perhaps the contribution to reinvigorating Mitch Johnson's career to becoming the best performing fast bowler in the world last year is a helpful yardstick,'' Lillee said. "We had many, many hours of contact and continual work to achieve his amazing performances of the last 12 months.

"It must be obvious the difference between the Australian team in England and the fantastic Ashes success in Australia was largely due to Mitch's presence, confidence, technique and impact."

While disputing reports that he was only required to work with Australia's pacemen for 11 days last year, Lillee said modern coaching and mentoring of cricketers had become a far more demanding and enveloping job than it had been during his time as a player.

"My role as coach with the Australian and Western Australian teams has obviously required a commitment that has embraced one-on-one coaching, computer analysis of players' actions and performance and remote coaching and support," he said. "Coaching and mentoring in the modern day is far more demanding than when I played, and this has been a substantial adjustment in resources and commitment for Cricket Australia and the coaches that are involved in the game.

"I am disappointed that Cricket Australia has chosen to debate in the public arena the value of the services I have provided to Australian cricket, along with what should have been a sensible discussion about nominal reward for ongoing performance. My career and my support role in the recent Ashes success speak for themselves and I remain ready, willing and able to continue Australia's resurgence in the cricketing world."

Lillee remains in touch with the bowlers he has mentored, but reiterated his earlier words in a radio interview during the South Africa Test tour that he felt compelled to take a stand over his pay. "I remain involved with and supportive of my group of bowlers, but as a working Australian, need to draw the line at some stage regarding what is fair and not fair," he said.

"I have been privileged in my career to be mentored by some of the best coaches and players of cricket in the game and it has been my pleasure to pass on and embellish the knowledge that I have gained. Coaching at this level is not about an hourly rate or time in the office -- it's a reflection of the experience and knowledge gained over many years and an ability to communicate skills and a trade craft that produces results. The Australian bowling performance during the Ashes shows those results.

"The work I have undertaken with Australia's fast bowlers has been very rewarding personally and feedback from those involved intimated that the feeling was mutual. At the end of the day the game is about the players and the memorable performances that bring us back each summer, regardless of the temporary administrators and politics of the sport.''

Daniel Brettig is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo. @danbrettig

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Sunrisers defend 134 with ease

Sunrisers Hyderabad 134 for 9 (Dhawan 33, Watson 3-13, Bhatia 3-23) beat Rajasthan Royals 102 (Bhuvneshwar 4-14, Steyn 2-31) by 32 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Sunrisers Hyderabad had done this in their inaugural IPL season in 2013 as well. Their batsmen would struggle to a middling total, but the bowlers would come out and defend it with

considerable margins to spare. They did it again in Ahmedabad tonight. Their batting crumbled after a strong start of 55 for 1 to post 134 for 9. Bhuvneshwar Kumar removed Ajinkya Rahane off the third ball of the chase, and Royals were never allowed to get away. Just how difficult Sunrisers made it was evident from the fact that Royals managed one boundary after the seventh over.

Karun Nair and Sanju Samson had hit a few till that point, against the pace of Dale Steyn too. The second-wicket stand was soon cut short on 27 by the fast bowler when he had Nair caught behind with an outswinger. That was to be the only partnership that held promise for Royals.

The legspinners Amit Mishra and Karn Sharma were brought on, and Royals stalled. Samson stepped out in Karn's first over to be bowled by a straighter one. Despite no pressure yet from the asking-rate, Royals kept going for their shots. Moises Henriques had spent six games on the bench for Sunrisers. He was included tonight in place of Darren Sammy, and had Watson caught behind on the cut with his third ball.

From 41 for 4, Steven Smith and Stuart Binny were tied down by the legspinners. Mishra had been comically run out earlier after getting reprieved twice off the same delivery. He has been uncharacteristically expensive this season, and was left out for Sunrisers' previous match. He hit back with a spell of four overs on the trot for 13 runs. The batsmen were unable to pick his googly, and he was unfortunate not to have had Binny ruled caught behind.

Royals continued to slip when David Warner found Binny short with a direct hit after a slow 37-run stand. The asking-rate touched almost 11 by the time Mishra finished in the 15th over, and Steyn had Smith holing out in the deep for 22 off 33 in the next over. Bhuvneshwar ran through the lower order to finish with 4 for 14.

Royals seemed to have set up a straightforward chase for themselves at the halfway mark. Shikhar Dhawan had begun with a flurry of boundaries through the off side in an opening partnership worth 37 in four overs. However, for the fourth time in seven innings, he fell in the thirties, bowled by Shane Watson off the last ball of the fourth over.

Rajat Bhatia's slower ones were hard to score off again, and Sunrisers lost Aaron Finch, KL Rahul and Naman Ojha to him. David Warner was shunted down to No 5 to try and shore up the middle order, but was done in by Pravin Tambe's googly.

As if all these setbacks were not enough, Sunrisers lost Henriques and Karn off successive balls to give Watson a hat-trick when he came back in the 17th for his second over. Irfan Pathan scraped an unbeaten run-a-ball 21, but it was the bowlers' fight that was to win it for Sunrisers.

Abhishek Purohit is a senior sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo

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Mumbai Indians sign Praveen Kumar

Mumbai Indians have signed the right-arm seamer Praveen Kumar as their replacement for the injured Zaheer Khan, who played six games before he was ruled out for the rest of the season because of a side strain (left latissimus dorsi muscle).

Praveen will be available for Mumbai's next game against Chennai Super Kings on Saturday.

Praveen went unsold in the auction in February. He was a regular for Kings XI Punjab in the 2013 IPL, taking 12 wickets in 15 matches at an economy rate of 6.62. He picked eight wickets in six games for Uttar Pradesh in the T20 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy before the IPL. He last played for India in a T20 against South Africa in 2012.

Since his exclusion from the Indian team, Praveen has struggled with fitness and disciplinary issues. He couldn't play a full domestic first-class season in 2012-13 due to injury and his comeback was marred by a suspension, earned by an angry outburst against a player during a Corporate Trophy match in February 2013. Following a full season with Kings XI in 2013, injuries kept him out of the 2013-14 Ranji Trophy.

Praveen, who was a part of Royal Challengers Bangalore from 2008 to 2010, moved to Kings XI Punjab in 2011.

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SL take series after watery abandonment

Sri Lanka will fly out of Dublin on Friday with the first series of their tour duly sewn-up. The RSA One-Day Challenge may not be the most prestigious of the trophies they have collected this year but Marvan Atapattu, the interim coach, will be glad to leave Ireland unscathed after the second game in the series was abandoned without a ball being bowled.

The skies that have brooded over the Irish capital for days drenched the ground overnight, and a damp patch on the pitch delayed the start. More rain fell throughout the morning and, although lunch was taken early, the prospects remained bleak. A thoroughly wet square and outfield forced the umpires to call things off at 2.15pm, the second time in three games the sides have been forced off without bowling a delivery.

Sri Lanka resume action at Chelmsford on Tuesday, ahead of T20, ODI and Test commitments against England, while Ireland's next game will come as part of a 50-over series at the end of July against a Sri Lanka A team that is sure to feature some of the younger members in action this week.

"It's disappointing that we didn't get any cricket in, but you're never in control of the weather," Ireland's captain, William Porterfield, said. "The umpires made the call when it was wet around the square even before the covers came off for the second time. It is just ironic that the sun has come out just after the game gets called off."

With no more ODIs scheduled until three against Scotland in September, when the county players will be unlikely to play, the summer season is pretty much over for Ireland before it began. "This is the last time we're together as a squad for a few months", Porterfield said, "so obviously we've got to look after our own individual games and meet up again in September, October. We're looking to get down to Australia and New Zealand over the winter at some point to help our preparations for the World Cup."

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England's new era begins with tricky test

Match facts

Friday, May 9, 2014
Start time 1030 local (0930 GMT)

Big Picture

Trips north of the border are rarely an opportunity for England to indulge in the local hospitality and, with the Saltire of proposed Scottish independence fluttering in the air, the hosts' desire to scalp the Sassenachs will be greater than ever.

England, in their first match of Peter Moores' second coming, must grasp the thistle after an horrendous winter. The talk may be of a new era but the squad is made up of familiar faces ready to start rebuilding reputations against Scotland, as long as the weather plays ball. Alastair Cook, back in charge and with a jauntier mien after a couple of months off, knows a banana skin when he sees one and, as many have pointed out, there should be nothing for England to be complacent about at the start of their international season.

The mood in Scotland is buoyant as they prepare to host their partners in the Union for the third time and they will have noted the result in England's last outing, against Netherlands at the World T20. Scotland qualified for the 2015 World Cup in February, under the temporary coaching partnership of Paul Collingwood and Craig Wright, and that has provided extra stability, as well as funding. Wright remains in charge for now, until Grant Bradburn, the former New Zealand spinner, takes over in July, while Kyle Coetzer, Scotland's Aberdonian captain, will be one of several county players out to impress.

England's narrow failure to win the Champions Trophy last summer seems like it was from another age but the nucleus of the squad remains pretty similar: eight of the team that faced India in the final could be involved against Scotland. The World Cup is nine months away and both sides have plans to put in place. For Scotland, where nationalists hope to sunder more than 300 years of Union, a first win over the "auld enemy" could have even wider significance.

Form guide

(completed matches, most recent first)

Scotland WWWLL
England WWLLW

	A lot has changed since Alastair Cook's last England appearance © Getty Images Enlarge

In the spotlight

Scotland have some promising young batsmen in Calum MacLeod - a former seamer who now opens - Sussex's Matt Machan and Freddie Coleman of Warwickshire but the greatest weight of expectation may fall on Preston Mommsen. The 26-year-old, born in Durban, finished as second-leading run-scorer at the World Cup Qualifier, Man of the Match after making an unbeaten 139 in the final, and Man of the Series. He also stepped in to captain Scotland when Coetzer suffered an injury but it will be his ability to lead the way with the bat in Scotland's middle order that could influence proceedings in Aberdeen.

It seems certain that most eyes will be on Alastair Cook. Since his last England appearance, in Adelaide in January, two coaches - Andy Flower and Ashley Giles - have departed, Paul Downton has taken over as managing director and Kevin Pietersen's international career has been summarily foreclosed. Cook's batting mentor, Graham Gooch, has also lost his place in the coaching set-up, while Moores and Paul Farbrace have been appointed to rebuild. Cook is now indisputably the figurehead and while good "team ethic" is a noble aim, good team performances are even more important. In this regard, Cook loves to lead by example.

Pitch and conditions

The Scottish weather has not hung out the bunting for England and the outfield was soaked by rainfall on Thursday. More showers are forecast but hopefully there will be enough bright patches to get a game in. The pitch is unlikely to be a belter, although New Zealand did once score 400 in Aberdeen. Scotland's two ODIs against Kenya last summer, when the 242 for 4 was the highest score, may provide a closer gauge.

Team news

Coetzer has recovered from the wrist injury that limited his participation in the World Cup Qualifier, so he should return to open the batting. Richie Berrington's hamstring problem could lead to a recall for allrounder Josh Davey, while Michael Leask provides another spin-bowling option.

Scotland (probable): 1 Kyle Coetzer (capt), 2 Calum MacLeod, 3 Matt Machan, 4 Preston Mommsen, 5 Freddie Coleman, 6 Matty Cross (wk), 7 Josh Davey, 8 Rob Taylor, 9 Safyaan Sharif, 10 Majid Haq, 11 Iain Wardlaw.

Cook missed the ODIs in the West Indies that formed part of England's World T20 preparations, meaning he resumes the captaincy for the first time since Australia. Stuart Broad is not included, as he rehabilitates his knee, leaving James Anderson to lead an otherwise inexperienced attack, while Joe Root returns after breaking his thumb. The main questions centre on whether Moeen Ali will be preferred to Gary Ballance, or if Chris Woakes will win a first limited-overs cap in almost a year.

England (probable): 1 Alastair Cook (capt), 2 Ian Bell, 3 Moeen Ali, 4 Joe Root, 5 Eoin Morgan, 6 Ravi Bopara, 7 Jos Buttler (wk), 8 Chris Jordan, 9 James Tredwell, 10 James Anderson, 11 Harry Gurney

Stat and trivia

• The two teams have only ever contested one completed match, with England winning an ODI by seven wickets in 2010
• Aberdeen was the location when Don Bradman score his final hundred in Britain, at the back end of the 1948 tour
• Scotland's captain, Kyle Coetzer, averages 82.33 at Mannofield Park

Quotes

"They didn't have the winter they'd like to have. Hopefully we can bring back some back bad memories from the winter."
Kyle Coetzer has a simple plan to upset England

"You have to remember how lucky you are to wear the shirt and play for our country. Sometimes after a long period when you are away from home and have done it for a while, you forget that."
Alastair Cook wants a sense of pride to be restored

Alan Gardner is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo. @alanroderick

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Whatmore to help Associates for WC

Dav Whatmore will assist Afghanistan, Ireland, Scotland and UAE in their preparations for the 2015 World Cup after joining the ICC High Performance Programme (HPP) in an advisory role.

Whatmore, who has had coaching stints with Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Pakistan, will begin his new role during the ICC HPP Support Staff Forum that opens on 14 May in Scotland, where he will also meet the coaches from the four teams.

"I am thrilled to be given the opportunity to work with the leading Associate and Affiliate teams during such a memorable period in world cricket," Whatmore said. "We have seen some amazing performances recently from these teams, and, over the next 10 months, I look forward to being able to assist in honing their performances even further.

"The ICC Cricket World Cup is the world's biggest stage for any cricketer. It takes hard work, dedication and motivation to succeed at such a huge global event, as well as unflinching confidence. I hope to be able to assist on all of these fronts to ensure that Afghanistan, Ireland, Scotland and the UAE fire on all cylinders from the moment they arrive in Australia and New Zealand next year."

The appointment of Whatmore, whose crowning moment was leading Sri Lanka to World Cup glory in 1996, was welcomed by the four teams, as well as by the ICC Chief Executive David Richardson, who believed that Whatmore could provide much-needed expertise to the Associate countries.

Phil Simmons and Craig Wright, the coaches of Ireland and Scotland, cited Whatmore's vast experience as a big plus for their teams in the lead-up to next year's showpiece event while Aqib Javed, the UAE coach, said that the prospect of working alongside the Australian was an "exciting opportunity".

For Afghanistan, who will be playing their first ever 50-over World Cup after finishing second in last year's World Cricket League Championship, the assistance provided by Whatmore could be crucial in helping the team overcome a packed schedule over the next few months.

"Afghanistan has a rigorous schedule of training and fixtures in the lead-up to its maiden appearance at the ICC Cricket World Cup," Kabir Khan, the Afghanistan coach, said. "This will be the biggest event we have ever participated in, and the extra support from Dav Whatmore will be an excellent addition to our preparations."

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