All posts by csb10.top

A parliamentary committee in Pakistan has ordered an inquiry into alleged misappropriation of more than $3.5 million of the country’s cricket funds as listed in an auditor-general’s report for the period 2003-2008.The National Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) met on Monday and formed a sub-committee to look into the charges of irregularities, including spending without proper authorisation or planning. “PAC president Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan has appointed a committee under parliamentarian Khawaja Asif to investigate and give a report in 30 days,” a PAC spokesman was quoted as saying by AFP.The committee recommended that the name of former PCB chairman Nasim Ashraf be put on the exit control list as he was being investigated for alleged embezzlement worth Rs. 260 million ($3 million).Ijaz Butt, who took over as chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in October 2008, also attended Monday’s meeting in Islamabad. “We have left the matter in the hands of the PAC, who have formed a committee to look into these facts which are an eye-opener for everyone,” Butt said. He pointed out that the irregularities were reported during the tenure of Ashraf, his predecessor.

The IPL Awards Night was held at a Mumbai hotel on Friday evening with several senior BCCI officials missing, in another sign of the deepening rift between IPL commissioner Lalit Modi and his colleagues in the BCCI. There were unconfirmed reports that Modi had requested a postponement of Monday’s IPL governing council meeting but the BCCI did not appear inclined to entertain any such request.The awards ceremony went ahead in the absence of BCCI president Shashank Manohar, secretary N Srinivasan and IPL vice-chairman Niranjan Shah. Those who attended included team owners Vijay Mallya (Royal Challengers Bangalore), Preity Zinta (Kings XI Punjab), Shilpa Shetty and Raj Kundra (Rajasthan Royals), Gayatri Reddy (Deccan Chargers) and Jai Mehta (Kolkata Knight Riders). Sunil Gavaskar, a member of the IPL Governing Council, attended, though many of his colleagues did not.At the awards Modi thanked the BCCI, among others, for making his “17-year-old dream” come true. “I thank the BCCI, the franchises, the players, the sponsors and most of all the millions of fans for helping create the most successful cricket league in the world, for making the IPL what it is today.”Shah indicated that the BCCI would take a hard line with Modi. “The IPL is far bigger than any one individual,” he told . “Everyone has to fall in line with the rules of the institution. The meeting is on, whether Mr Modi is there or not. We need to draw a line under this matter.”A PTI story quoted sources as saying Modi had, for the second time in three days, sought a postponement of Monday’s meeting, citing his hectic schedule of the past few weeks leading up to Sunday night’s tournament final. The meeting was called to address the wide range of allegations of financial impropriety against the league and its commissioner and it is widely speculated that Modi will be ousted from his post at the meeting.”I need to prepare the documents to support my replies to all the questions,” the report quoted Modi as saying in a mail to the BCCI. “I have worked for you (BCCI) for five long years without taking any money, consider giving me just five days for the documents.”Modi had made a similar request on April 21, which was firmly turned down by BCCI president Shashank Manohar. A BCCI source told Cricinfo there would be no change in that stand.There were also reports – which Modi has denied – that he was contemplating taking the BCCI to court over the legality of the meeting.If Modi skips the meeting, the governing council meeting is expected to pass a resolution to remove him from the post of IPL commissioner and chairman. He had insisted through the week that he would not resign in the wake of the controversy tarnishing the IPL.The IPL jury awards:
Best Debut Performance – Kieron Pollard (Mumbai Indians), Best Batsman – Sachin Tendulkar (Mumbai Indians), Best Bowler – Pragyan Ojha (Deccan Chargers), Best Dramatic Performance – Harbhajan Singh (Mumbai Indians), Most Consistent Performer – Jacques Kallis (Royal Challengers Bangalore), Best Breakthrough Performance 2008 – Brendon McCullum (Kolkata Knight Riders), Best Breakthrough Performance 2009 – Anil Kumble (Royal Challengers Bangalore), Best Fielder – AB de Villiers (Delhi Daredevils), Best Ground – Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore, Best Stadium Experience – DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai.

ScorecardPhil Mustard opened a new chapter in his career at Edgbaston, making his first century in the County Championship since taking over as Durham’s captain. He was last man out for 100 – his second 50 coming from only 38 balls – after countering a return of 8 for 114 by Warwickshire’s Imran Tahir.The Pakistan-born wrist spinner twice took two wickets from three balls in registering the best figures by a slow bowler against Durham since they joined the Championship in 1992. But Tahir’s outstanding performance, the best for Warwickshire since 2002, was not enough to dampen Durham’s resurgence after their recent problems.The reigning champions took their total to 379 before Mustard became Tahir’s final victim, holing out on the leg side immediately after reaching his third first-class hundred with his second six.Facing 140 balls in all, he also hit nine fours in leading his side into a strong position which was underpinned when Darren Maddy departed in Mitchell Claydon’s first over as Warwickshire replied with 18 for 1.Quickly rebounding from a heavy defeat by Kent last week, Durham began the second day strongly as Mark Stoneman and Gordon Muchall extended their second-wicket stand to 153 in 45 overs. Stoneman (77) compiled his first Championship half-century since scoring 64 in the corresponding fixture at Edgbaston last June and Muchall (60) went beyond 50 for the first time since his unbeaten 106 against Sussex at Hove in May last year.Things only changed with the introduction of Tahir. Relishing an opportunity to bowl on a dry pitch, he made a breakthrough with three wickets in 15 balls without conceding a run.After dismissing Muchall, lbw playing from the crease, he continued to use the googly to good effect. Richard Johnson, called up in place of the omitted Tim Ambrose, stumped Stoneman when the opener lost his balance, and Maddy held a slip chance from Ian Blackwell.Ben Stokes sparked off another clutch of wickets for Tahir after lunch with a slog to Jim Troughton at wide mid on. Dale Benkenstein was next to go, lbw for 26 and Scott Borthwick thrashed a long hop to midwicket.Tahir ended his two spells, one from each end, with 6 for 73 but a change of tack failed to pay off for Warwickshire. With Mustard restricting himself to four boundaries in his first 50, Durham were able to rebuild after the home side had taken the new ball.Liam Plunkett was a positive partner in an eighth-wicket stand of 95 from 28 overs. The former England seamer made 41 from 85 balls before he was bowled, playing defensively, on Tahir’s return to the attack.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were outJP Duminy’s wicket tilted the balance in favour of West Indies, but the hosts failed to take advantage•AFP

The humiliation was complete, but only moments after it seemed West Indies had done enough to avert it. Partly misfortune but mostly indiscipline cost them the fifth and final ODI in Port of Spain to ensure South Africa swept an ODI series 5-0 for the third time against West Indies. The wickets of half-centurions Jacques Kallis and JP Duminy had helped the hosts wrest control of the game, but Jerome Taylor’s inopportune injury, Dwayne Bravo’s poor death bowling and Kieron Pollard’s nervy last over deprived the hosts of an elusive face-saving win.South Africa’s lower order had been untested this series due to the success of their frontline batsmen, but prevailed through a combination of luck and mettle. Jerome Taylor, who bowled Duminy in the 44th over to put his team ahead, tormented Ryan McLaren with deliveries outside off stump that the batsman consistently struggled to hit. The effect was increasing pressure on the visitors that was relaxed when Taylor’s niggles returned to haunt him.As Taylor walked off the field, Bravo and Pollard, two bowlers adept at changing their pace, had to shoulder the responsibility of restricting South Africa. But the more experienced among them erred in strategy and direction, opting to target the stumps as opposed to Taylor’s ploy of troubling the batsmen outside off. He conceded three wides, was struck for a boundary through midwicket and chipped over the in-field in the 47th over which cost 13 and brought the equation to 19 off 18.Pollard’s next over, which only went for two, restored West Indies’ advantage with the wickets of Johan Botha and McLaren. But Bravo again let it slip, bowling too wide to be sliced for four before gifting a full toss to van der Merwe who drove him past mid-off for another boundary. He made amends somewhat with the wicket of Charl Langeveldt to make it nine down, but Pollard’s nerves failed him in the last over off which the visitors needed seven. He doled out a short delivery that van der Merwe dispatched over square leg and gave the No.11 Lonwabo Tsotsobe just the delivery he needed to launch his ODI batting career – a short and wide delivery cracked through the covers to seal West Indies’ fate with two balls to spare.The chase, however, was set up by Kallis, who played with an assuredness conspicuous in its absence when West Indies were batting. Joining Hashim Amla after the early loss of Graeme Smith, he quickly settled in with consecutive boundaries off David Bernard. When the field spread, he had no trouble working the field, an approach he stuck to despite the loss of two prolific partners in Amla and AB de Villiers within a space of five overs. The situation was a tough one to adapt to for a player searching for form, but Duminy found his game in typically busy fashion, as he struck just one four in his 52, while supporting Kallis in a 58-run fourth-wicket stand. Though their wickets shifted the balance, the depth in batting ensured they had achieved enough.West Indies’ performance with the bat in the final two ODIs improved markedly but there remained existing glitches that South Africa’s bowlers managed to exploit. In conditions favourable for batting, they went through periods of stagnation, a problem highlighted by Chris Gayle at the end of the previous game as well, despite them reaching 303. It was largely due to a Narsingh Deonarine-initiated late surge that West Indies scored 252, with assistance from Pollard and Darren Sammy.The bounce remained true and the South African seamers consistently pitched short of a good length. While getting the ball to cut both ways and testing the batsmen with variations in pace, they were helped by one end being held up by Shivnarine Chanderpaul. For three consecutive overs did Gayle pick a single off the first ball, only to watch his partner gobble up the remaining deliveries. The agony was cast aside with each batsman striking Tsotsobe for fours in the eighth over, but Gayle failed to consolidate his start yet again, mistiming an attempted pull off a slower ball straight to mid-on in Ryan Mclaren’s first over.The introduction of spin choked West Indies further. Now it was Darren Bravo who didn’t get going. Attacked by Botha from round the wicket and van der Merwe’s nagging lengths, Darren Bravo failed to break free. Such was the difficulty in pinching the singles that his batting was confined to dabbing the ball around the in-field, with just eight runs scored off his first 31 deliveries. When he finally decided to open up, and played a convincing lofted drive, he was pouched brilliantly by Mark Boucher at extra cover, without the keeping gloves for the first time in his 292-ODI career.Though Deonarine, backed by Pollard and Sammy’s power-play at the end of the innings, combined muscle with an innovative quest for runs to help score 86 off the last eight overs, the failure of Chanderpaul and Darren Bravo to push on despite wickets in hand meant the eventual score was always one that an in-form South Africa would back themselves chasing.

Lancashire have received the green light from the government for its redevelopment plan to secure international cricket at Old Trafford.The plan, which is in conjunction with a Tesco development near the ground, is necessary after the ECB declared that Old Trafford would not retain its international status unless the facilities were improved.Old Trafford hosted the England Test against Bangladesh earlier this month and unveiled its new conference centre, The Point, to mixed reviews in that game.The real goal for the county is to host a 2013 Ashes fixture and to do that building work would have to begin shortly after the 2010 season ends. The decision by the government office for the North West not to refer the £32m scheme to a full inquiry has made that possible.”Government Office North West has backed the council’s recognition of the important role the club plays in supporting Trafford’s economy – especially through hosting international matches like the Ashes,” said Lancashire chief executive Jim Cumbes.”And this decision backs the partnership’s plans to deliver a much-needed new retail offering, hundreds of local jobs, and millions of pounds in regeneration to this part of the borough. With construction work now set to progress, I would personally like to thank everyone who has backed our proposals. We have been overwhelmed by the level of support and encouragement we have received.”

Scorecard
Thissara Perera captured his first five-wicket haul in List A matches•Getty Images

Jeevan Mendis and Thissara Perera combined to hand Sri Lanka A their first win on the tour of Australia. Perera bagged five wickets to help limit Australia to 197, and Mendis’ unbeaten 81 overcame an early Sri Lankan wobble to steer them home with 14 balls to spare.Australia opted to bat, and began soundly before they were pegged back. Perera and offspinner Sachithra Senanayake did the early damage to leave Australia tottering at 66 for 5. But Travis Birt, who fought hard with 54, batted well with the lower order to take his team past three figures. Moises Henriques and Xavier Doherty chipped in with cameos to leave themselves with a score that was competitive.And competitive it proved, as the Sri Lankan top three were inside the dressing-room within the first ten overs. But Mendis then stepped in, forging a recovery with captain Chamara Kapugedera in a stand of 63, and added an unbeaten 96 with Kosala Kulasekara who supported him in a match-winning partnership. Mendis’ 81, which comprised five fours, gave Sri Lanka a 1-0 lead in the three-match 50-over series after a spate of losses on the tour.”We expected that Sri Lanka would be stronger in the one-day format, it suits their game a little better but I know we were close, just a little bit short with the bat today,” Australia A captain Bailey said. “The wicket didn’t play as we expected it would, but Travis Birt and Xavier Doherty batted pretty well towards the end and we had some nice little partnerships. We were probably 30 or 40 short because I think 230 or 240 would have been pretty defendable.”Bailey was happy with the way his bowlers went about defending a smallish target. “The way our bowlers bowled was good, they stuck at it all day and kept trying different things and that was really pleasing the way we fought it out,” Bailey said. “For it to take them 48 overs to get the runs was a good effort by us.”

India have been fined for maintaining a slow over-rate during their defeat to Sri Lanka in the tri-series final in Dambulla on Saturday. The match referee, Alan Hurst, found the team to be two overs short of its target at the end of the Sri Lankan innings after taking the time allowances into consideration.The captain MS Dhoni was fined 40% of his match fee while the remaining players were docked 20% each. Batting first, Sri Lanka compiled 299, with big contributions from Tillakaratne Dilshan and Kumar Sangakkara. India, in reply, managed 225.Last December, Dhoni was slapped with a more severe penalty for a slow over-rate, when he was banned for two ODIs during Sri Lanka’s tour of India. He was found guilty during the Nagpur ODI and Virender Sehwag led the side in his absence. Back then, India were three overs short, which came under the “serious over-rate offence” category. Falling short by up to two overs in an ODI, and five in a Test day, is considered a “minor offence”, and merits a ban only if the offence is repeated twice in 12 months.

Luke Sutton has announced he is leaving Lancashire after five years with the club. The Championship game against Nottinghamshire, at Trent Bridge, was his final appearance with the gloves now being handed to Gareth Cross who is likely to become the No. 1 wicketkeeper at Old Trafford.Sutton, 33, joined Lancashire from Derbyshire in 2006 as a replacement for the retired Warren Hegg and became a key part of the team. However, in recent seasons he has lost his one-day place to Cross and decided two weeks ago that it was time to move on but he hopes to continue his career with a new county.”It’s the right decision for me, and it’s the right decision to move on,” Sutton told the Manchester Evening News. “I said when I arrived that it’s something that can never be taken away from you, playing for Lancashire and that still holds true today.”During his first-class career with Lancashire, Sutton averaged 33.11 and claimed 227 catches alongside 15 stumpings but earlier in the season said he didn’t feel he’d always had the praise for his efforts.”Luke was in the final year of his contract and has decided to move on to pastures new,” Mike Watkinson, the director of cricket, said. “He has given tremendous service to the club, doing an excellent job both on and off the field. He is a massive character in the dressing room and his professionalism is a great example for those around him. He leaves Lancashire with our best wishes for his next challenge.”

MS Dhoni was full of praise for his bowlers, and the way his side showed character despite injuries to key players, following India’s clean sweep of Australia in the two-Test series.Both Tests in this series were heading towards draws before India’s bowlers triggered Australia’s second-innings collapses, setting up close finishes in each of the games. “I think the effort put in by the players, especially the bowlers, was really outstanding because by losing tosses I am not really helping them out,” Dhoni said.”Every time, especially in the subcontinent, we are having to bowl first. First innings [in Bangalore] we couldn’t get any kind of reverse-swing because the wicket and the square were not so dry, which meant they had to turn up and look for alternative ways to get the batsmen out. Still they were more than willing to come up with spells whenever needed. This was not a track where a match can get over in four-and-a-half days. It was not a turning track where the spinners can just bowl and get wickets.”As has often been the case of late, India played a Test series without their first-choice XIs, and also lost players along the way. VVS Laxman and Ishant Sharma needed injections and tablets to stand up straight, but they rescued India in a famous finish in Mohali. Gautam Gambhir, too, injured his knee and had to sit out.All the three replacements, though, did their jobs in Bangalore, and Dhoni acknowledged that. “Not only in Tests, we have been playing series without our key players,” Dhoni said. “Consistently we have not played our strongest side.”I am fortunate to have a side that has performed very well in the past one-and-a-half years and the credit goes to them. Whether it is the youngsters or the seniors, they have always performed whenever they get the opportunity. Individuals like Murali Vijay, who is not consistently featuring in the XI because we have Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir doing the job for us. But whenever he has got an opportunity to play games, he has scored decent amount of runs. You could complain maybe that he got the kind of start he needed, but hasn’t scored big runs. In this match, he really made it big. He got the start, went onto cross the century barrier, and continued his innings. It was a good learning experience for him. In the same way [Cheteshwar] Pujara, too, batted really well.”Having beaten Australia, their biggest rivals over the last decade, 2-0 in their last two series, Dhoni said India needed to create bowling reserves if they were to dominate world cricket like Australia did. “If our bowling lot can grow – four-five good fast bowlers, and one or two more spinners, the workload can be spread,” Dhoni said. “It is very difficult for the fast bowlers to play every Test. Within the next 20 days, we will start another three-match series on similar wickets. You just can’t turn up there and put the ball there, these pitches take a lot of effort. There is a lot of pressure on the fast bowlers, and especially with the four-bowler combination, spinners have to bowl a lot of overs. Especially when the captain keeps losing the toss.”Dhoni also credited the side for having come together well despite the limited time for preparation. “The whole team didn’t get a chance to have practice sessions together because some of the boys were playing the Champions League,” Dhoni said. “We got limited time, but what is impressive is the way we utilised those practice sessions in the right manner. Everyone was up for it.”Dhoni made it a point to praise the team for handling the pressure situations well. “Most of the times, this is a series that has plenty of hype created around it, and it’s good that it ended without any controversy… One good thing in both the Test matches, even though the last-innings targets were not huge, was that there was pressure on both the sides. Ultimately it was a close finish in both the games. You may look at this scorecard and say this was an easy win, but still there was nervousness in the dressing room. I think it was a good short Test series we had.”

Gautam Gambhir, the India opening batsman, has said he is happy with his fitness and the next step in his recovery from injury is putting bat to ball again. Gambhir missed the third Test against Sri Lanka earlier this year and the second Test against Australia because of knee problems. He has been named in the side that will take on New Zealand in a three-Test series starting November 4 in Ahmedabad.”It’s important to get back into the rhythm,” Gambhir told the in an interview. “I have increased my batting time at the nets and am happy with my fitness.”Gambhir said it was very frustrating to sit and home and watch India playing. “I watched every bit of the Visakhapatnam game [against Australia] and I missed being part of the team. To be honest, missing out on a game after being dropped feels bad but to sit out with injury and watch other people play feels even worse.”Gambhir chose to rest his knee in the light of the upcoming assignments – the potentially tough tour to South Africa and the World Cup. He has also spent a lot of time at the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore, undergoing rehabilitation.The biggest challenge, according to him, will be starting from scratch after the layoff. “When you go out to bat in a match after a long break, you just try to test if you still have the old touch. When you come back from a break, you need time to get used to things around you. If you look, I haven’t played much in the last three months. It’s a challenge that I am now looking forward to meet.”Gambhir believed he had done enough to merit a place in the side for the 2011 World Cup that will be hosted in the subcontinent, but was quick to add that the other series were equally important. “It is not just about playing the World Cup but it’s about being in good form and being absolutely fit. I plan to build on it from this New Zealand series, then to South Africa series and so on.”Gambhir thinks the BCCI’s proposal to send India’s Test players to South Africa a week ahead of the tour is a great idea. “[If ] you go to South Africa after playing in subcontinental conditions you need to adjust. The more time players get to acclimatise themselves in those conditions, it will be fantastic preparation.”