All posts by csb10.top

Four expatriate fans of Pakistani origin were arrested at Gaddafi Stadiumduring the final afternoon of the second Test between Pakistan and SouthAfrica for making racially-motivated comments and gestures at members ofthe South African team.The four, sitting in the Imran Khan stand, were arrested by local securityofficials during the afternoon session , after abusing three South African players andofficials who were on their way to the nets.”They were making racial comments about the South African team and they are nowin lock-up,” said a Pakistan board official. The remarks were directed atallrounder Vernon Philander, the assistant coach Vincent Barnes, and FaisulNagel, the South African security consultant.The incident mirrors the monkey chants directed at Australia’s allrounder Andrew Symonds during the fifth ODI at Vadodara, but South Africa, like Australia, will not be lodging any complaints. Michael Owen-Smith, the team’s media manager, said: “The matter was swiftly handled and we are not going to lodge an official complaint.

The ICC has asked for an explanation from the Indian board for the crowd trouble that had erupted during the April 9 one-day international between India and England at Guwahati.”Malcolm Speed [the CEO of ICC] has sent us [BCCI] a letter asking for explanation over what he’s called serious breach of security,” Niranjan Shah, the BCCI secretary, told PTI. “I will forward the letter to the Assam Cricket Association (ACA) for its reply which I hope to get in four or five days.”The ICC has also sent a copy of the report sent to it by match referee Roshan Mahanama which is a standard procedure. After getting the reply from ACA we would send a reply to the ICC.”However, the ACA had not received any letter from the BCCI till late last evening. Ghanshyam Baruah, the treasurer of the ACA, told the , a Guwahati-based daily, that they had not yet received any intimation from the Indian board.Crowd trouble erupted during the game after the umpires had called off play because of a wet outfield. There was rioting in the Eastern stands and the police had to fire tear gas shells to break up the mob. The trouble escalated when the crowd began to target the television cameras, in place to cover the match and at least four cameras were badly damaged. It was later revealed that the damage was around 6.5 to 8 million rupees (US$146,000 to 180,000).

Marvan Atapattu, the former Sri Lanka captain, has been released from his central contract with Sri Lanka cricket (SLC), as per his earlier request.”We decided at this evening’s committee meeting to release Marvan Atapattu from his contract from October 1,” Kangadaran Mathivanan, board secretary told .Though not official, the decision is likely to mean the end of the road for Atapattu as an international cricketer. Atapattu made his debut in 1990 and was one of the more elegant opening batsmen in contemporary cricket, scoring 5,330 runs in 88 Tests and 8,529 runs in ODIs.Earlier, Atapattu had asked to be released from his contract, without citing any specific reason. “We received a letter on Friday addressed to Duleep Mendis requesting release from his contract,” Mathivanan told Cricinfo.Atapattu’s current contract was supposed to run until March 2008 and he was one of only six players with ‘A’ graded contracts. He is currently playing for the Lashings XI in England.The development caps an uncertain period for Atapattu, during which he was overlooked by the Sri Lankan selectors for the World Cup in the West Indies and the subsequent tour to Abu Dhabi for the one-day series with Pakistan.Atapattu then announced his unavailability for the home series against Bangladesh citing personal reasons. The speculation is that Atapattu’s decision has come about because his name has been linked with the Indian Cricket League (ICL).

The day and the surface demanded unglamorous qualities; some toil, somegraft and liberal helpings of discipline. Happily for Brian Lara, the WestIndies provided precisely that, in restricting Pakistan to below threeruns an over and importantly, removing two-thirds of a heavy scoringmiddle-order triumvirate.”I was very satisfied with the bowlers,” Lara told reporters at the end ofthe day. “On such a pitch it was very tough for the bowlers and to keepthem under three an over was a very good effort. We had to bowl in theright areas, keep the runs down and take any chances that came our way. Wetook four of the five that did and I can’t fault the bowlers for theirefforts.”And some mammoth efforts they were. Corey Collymore might walk under aladder, break a mirror and let a black cat stroll across him repeatedlyand he’d still have more luck than has thus far come his way on this tour.Despite beating batsmen as if it were slipping out of vogue, he has thesolitary wicket to show for it and 16 overs today drew no reward butsympathy. He might try some of what Jerome Taylor is having, for though heeventually redeemed an iffy morning spell, his wickets came off widedeliveries Collymore would scoff at.

Cruel to begrudge him success though, especially on a surface Larareckoned was made for batsmen. “The pitch again is made for batting. Justone day gone and we expect, in this part of the world, for it to continuelike that. There will be some deterioration of course, from bowlers’footmarks but as far as I can see it is full of runs. We’re hoping on thispitch we can get some good runs.”One man who won’t have the opportunity is Ramnaresh Sarwan, not includedin the team for this Test to the surprise of some. Sarwan’s recent formisn’t prolific – 137 runs in six matches during the Champions Trophy and112 in five DLF Cup matches – but Lara argued it was a decision based onthe needs of the team. “It wasn’t designed as a drop. I think it was asituation where the best team combination was chosen to get a result. Wealso made another change in dropping Fidel Edwards.”Two fifties in his last two Tests earlier this year in New Zealand,coupled with some ODI form, meant though that Runako Morton was adeserving replacement. “Runako has also had a couple of opportunities overthe last 12-18 months and he’s produced in it. Unfortunately, he foundhimself out of the team so he has an opportunity now. But it is just amatter of picking what we feel is the best team and Sarwan still remainsone of our main players. He’s only missing five days of cricket,” Larareasoned.A couple of early morning wickets, especially of Inzamam-ul-Haq, and thelabours of today may yet bear sweet fruit. Even without Sarwan, thereis as much depth in this batting as there is flatness in the pitch.”Sometimes you get the results of it the following day and we have to comeback and wrap up the remaining six wickets,” Lara continued. “I was pretty happy with theposition of the match on such a pitch and when the opportunity comes forus to bat we have to make full use of it.”

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) may ask the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to pay damages up to $1.5 million for losses the ECB incurred because of the cancellation of the fifth day of The Oval Test. In the next few days the PCB is likely to receive formal notification from the ECB on this matter, reported.After Pakistan refused to come out of the dressing room to resume play following the tea interval on day four because of being penalised for unproven ball-tampering charges, the match was awarded to England. The spectators who turned up on day four have been refunded 40% of their ticket price and those who bought tickets for the fifth day have been refunded the entire ticket amount by the ECB.On their part, the Pakistan board feels that Darrell Hair, the umpire at the centre of the controversy, and not the PCB, is to blame for the abandonment of play at The Oval. “We consider it not our responsibility that this Test was abandoned in the way it was,” Shaharyar Khan, the PCB chairman told .Given the cordial relations that exist between the two boards it is unlikely that either of them would risk confrontation on this issue. Meanwhile, the PCB plans to ask the ICC that the charge of bringing the game to disrepute be brought upon Hair. This would make the ICC responsible for reimbursing the ECB for the monetary losses suffered.”The situation won’t be left as it is,” said Waseem Khokhar, of the Pakistan board’s lawyers DLA Piper. “There is the strength and resolve to see that the right course of action is taken. There is an immense amount of hurt and sense of grievance.”Earlier, after the ICC’s hearing into The Oval fiasco, Inzamam-ul-Haq, the Pakistan captain, said he would not seek legal action against Hair. “Our religion Islam teaches us to forgive and forget, so I forgive Hair and will not take any action against him,” Inzamam told AFP on Friday. Inzamam was declared not guilty on ball-tampering charges, though he was penalised for bringing the game to disrepute and placed under an immediate ban of four one-day matches.

Deb K Das talks exclusively to Gladstone Dainty, the president of the United States of America Cricket Association (USACA)Gladstone Dainty has made clear that he is far from impressed with the International Cricket Council (ICC), and furthermore, he is refusing to sign a Memorandum of Agreement (MOU) with it regarding Project USA, the ICC-sponsored initiative for the development of cricket in the USA.Dainty said it was important for US cricketers, and the cricket world in general, to understand why he was taking this position. This was why he had sought me out on the sidelines of the US National Championship finals in Los Angeles.Project USA was uppermost in his mind at the time. He said that the ICC was pressing the USACA to sign a Memorandum of Agreement that would validate the role that Project USA would play for the next ten years in the USA. And he did not like the terms that were being offered, let alone ICC’s attitude, which was more of an ultimatum — “take it or leave it” was the way it was described.Dainty’s objection, he made clear, was a fundamental one. He was opposed to the idea that funds raised by Project USA would be transferred to an “offshore” bank account, and would be administered by officials based outside the United States at their own discretion and judgment. He had no problems with an independent body being in charge of administering the funds. However, in Dainty’s view, such a body should include individuals based in the USA, with background and experience with the circumstances that applied to US cricket.Over the past few years, he said he had seen persons and organisations from inside and outside the USA operating within the US cricket scene under their own agendas, which were not always in the best interests of US cricket. And further, US cricket was simply not understood by the ICC — this was exemplified, he continued, by its obdurate refusal to simplify ICC eligibility requirements or to provide sufficient funds as “seed money” for proper development for a vast country like the USA, although the complexities of the marketplace had been repeatedly communicated to the authorities.There were other difficulties cited by Dainty. For instance, there could be possible problems with the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in maintaining USACA’s non-profit status. Then there was the US Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), whose tendentious and protracted post-9/11 procedures had led to ICC’s eligibility requirements becoming a stranglehold on development. A comprehensive MOU would need to address these issues as part of any overall agreement between USACA and ICC. Yet none of these items had been included in any of the discussions that had taken place so far. USACA could hardly sign an agreement that did not cover these points.These matters of detail boiled down to a single overriding principle, according to Dainty. US cricket was not just a marketplace for the ICC to sell itself and its programs, and dole out money as and when it wished — this was a kind of “colonialism” which he wanted no part of. To him, Project USA would work only if it combined marketing and development in a single US-based entity, and this was something he was pushing for.We parted on a note of mutual acknowledgement. I had never met Dainty before. He had been described by supporters and critics alike as a kind of godfather of US cricket, inaccessible to all except the few he chose to communicate with, and yet exercising absolute control over USACA affairs.Nothing he said to me dispelled any of those impressions, but I became aware of something I had not known before — his passion and total commitment to what he saw as US cricket, and his willingness to do whatever he could to sustain his vision.

John Wright’s relations with Sourav Ganguly might have turned bit rocky towards the end of his stint as the India’s coach but he retains lots of respect and appreciation for Ganguly.”He [Ganguly] was a special man,” Wright was quoted as saying in the . “He wore his heart on his sleeve and there was an arrogance that used to get up people’s noses. But I think that was good for us, it was good to have that feistiness as the country learned it was becoming such a powerhouse in world cricket.”I tested him [Ganguly] and he tested me but there was an inner trust between us. He would often do things which were the opposite to what we had talked about, which always kept me on my toes, but there was a bond that grew, despite how different we were. And we were always a really happy side.”Wright makes a rather surprising revelation about the Indian team’s attitude to fielding. “It took me about a year to convince them that running between the wickets and fielding were quite important in one-dayers,” he said. “We had a pretty strict regime when it came to training and I was probably almost too tough on them.” Did he ever attempt to coach Sachin Tendulkar, the master batsman? “I didn’t coach Sachin Tendulkar,” said Wright. “I gave him gentle advice when he asked for it.”He reveals that he didn’t have a contract for nearly half his tenure but was well supported by the management in BCCI. “I actually didn’t have a contract for about 40% of the time but it didn’t really matter because they were honourable people. I got paid every three months so that was the length of time I’d allow myself to look ahead. It was satisfying that I lasted so long, I certainly didn’t expect to walk away on my own terms, but I proved I could survive and proved that a foreigner could do the job.”Wright looks back at his Indian stint with lots of fondness. “It was probably the biggest adventure I will ever have in my life,” he gushed. “I miss that thrill of getting on that team bus and going to a big game, with the crowds clapping you all the way to the ground …”Talking about his future plans and in particular about coaching New Zealand, Wright said, “People always ask me about coaching New Zealand,” he said. “Who knows? I wouldn’t rule it out. I would like to help New Zealand Cricket in some way and be involved in competitive sport, whatever code that might be. It depends what crops up.”

India’s cricket chiefs plan to speak to Greg Chappell, India’s coach, over a rude gesture he reportedly made to crowds in Kolkata last week, an official said on Monday.”We will certainly discuss the matter at the board’s annual general meeting in Kolkata on Tuesday,” said Inderjit Bindra, former head of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). “I don’t think any action will be taken but we will tell him such a thing should not happen in future.”Television footage showed Chappell putting his right hand out of a window of the team bus and pointing the middle finger towards the crowds outside the Eden Gardens prior to the fourth one-day match against South Africa. Newspapers slammed Chappell for what they said was an insulting gesture to fans who were taunting him for excluding local hero Sourav Ganguly from the one-day side. Team spokesman M Baladitya said “Chappell had injured his finger during practice and he said he was just attending to it. He did not gesture at anybody.”It was an explanation few were willing to buy, but Chappell insisted he had done nothing wrong. “I see no reason to keep defending myself for something I have not done,” he was quoted as saying in the . “If I want to point a finger at someone, I would point it openly, not when I am inside a bus.” The newspaper also commented: “Indian fans might be a tad too emotional for Chappell’s tastes. But they don’t deserve such disrespect. By his extravagantly tasteless gesture, the legendary Australian cricketer has virtually guaranteed that the debate would now be on him rather than the overtly sentimental crowd.”The Indian team was jeered off the field after South Africa thrashed them by 10 wickets last Friday to take a 2-1 lead in the series. Many in the 90,000-strong crowd taunted Rahul Dravid and his team during and after the match and raised slogans against Chappell and the selectors. Ganguly, India’s most successful Test captain with 21 wins, was sacked and replaced by Dravid this season following a public spat with Chappell. The 33-year-old left-hander was not picked for the home one-day series against Sri Lanka and South Africa, but has been named in the team for the first Test against the Sri Lankans at Chennai from December 2. Chappell, 56, was appointed India’s coach in June for a two-year term till the 2007 World Cup in the Caribbean.India must win the final one-dayer against South Africa at Mumbai on November 28 to draw the series.

Middlesex Crusaders secured a six wicket victory over Glamorgan Dragons at Cardiff in the last round of National League matches.With three needed of the final ball young Irishman Joyce took an ambitious swing, and bottom edged the ball to the third man boundary.A nail biting finish never seemed on the cards after seamer Aaron Laraman had taken a career best 6-42 to restrict the Glamorgan Dragons to an under par 191-9. The Welshmen relied heavily on in form Michael Powell and his better than a run a ball contribution of 86 with 8 fours and a six off Ramprakash.Middlesex Crusaders seemed to be cruising, with Langer remaining undefeated on 75, but when Ramprakash top edged a hook, and Laraman was bowled the innings faltered, and the Londoners were grateful for Joyce’s fortuitous last ball heave.It was a sad ending for Maynard who was also dismissed for 0 in his last game as Glamorgan’s captain.

Ben Hilfenhaus, the Tasmania fast bowler, will replace Mitchell Johnson for the match against India A on Saturday at the TIO Stadium in Darwin. Cullen Bailey, the South Australia legspinner, has also been included in the squad.”Ben Hilfenhaus will be given an opportunity in this game with Mitchell Johnson being rested,” said Andrew Hilditch, the chairman of selectors. “Ben is an exciting young bowler from Tasmania and we see this as a great opportunity to have a good look at him.”The 12th man will be announced on the morning of the match.Australia A
Phil Jaques, Travis Birt, Brad Hodge, Mark Cosgrove, Brad Haddin (capt), Shane Watson, James Hopes, Ben Hilfenhaus, Daniel Cullen, Brett Dorey, Cullen Bailey, Shaun Tait