Category Uncategorized

Ian Botham had an unhealthy influence on Andrew Flintoff and has long caused difficulties in the England set-up, according to England’s former coach Duncan Fletcher in the latest extract of his autobiography, Behind the Shades.”It did worry me that Botham influenced Andrew Flintoff far too much on that [2006-07] Ashes tour,” Fletcher wrote. Although the pair are good friends – Botham has long been a hero of Flintoff – Fletcher said that other members of the England side don’t hold him in the same high regard.”He thinks the players listen to him, but they do not,” Fletcher said. “Often you would go into the dressing-room and hear the players in exasperation saying things like: ‘Have you heard what Botham is saying about the wicket?’ Botham’s commentary has long caused problems.”After England’s match against Canada in the World Cup, England were invited by Rod Bransgrove – the Hampshire chairman – onto his boat for a party. “In the dressing room…Kevin Pietersen, who knows Bransgrove well from Hampshire, was asking the other players who was going on the boat,” Fletcher wrote. “At least four or five of the senior players asked: ‘Is Botham going?'”Pietersen found out Botham was indeed going and, when he relayed this in the dressing-room, a unanimous call of ‘no thanks’ rang out. None of the players went. For once they were standing up to someone in the media.”Fletcher and Botham’s relationship “deteriorated over time”, and tensions between the pair were constantly kindled by Botham’s “unbelievable” views. “Back in 2004 in Jamaica, Sky called a meeting with Michael Vaughan and me, intended to improve the relationship between the broadcasters and the team,” Fletcher wrote. “Present at a restaurant, owned by a relation of Michael Holding, were Holding himself, executive producer Barney Francis and David Lloyd.”It was interesting that Botham was not there because most of the conversation centred around him as he appeared the one obstacle to improving the relationship. Some critics said he was inconsistent in his thoughts and did not do enough investigative work before a day’s commentary.”

Stuart Clark was surprisingly under-used by RickyPonting after he had England limping in the firstsession with two early blows. Having taken sevenwickets in the first Test, Clark followed up withanother strong performance that began with himremoving the openers Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook.While Brett Lee struggled for penetration and GlennMcGrath battled with his left-heel injury, Clarkprovided some zip on a slow Adelaide pitch and wasrewarded during an opening spell of 2 for 15 off eightovers. Clark forced Strauss to pop to Damien Martyn,who took a sharp catch at mid-on, and then capturedCook’s edge as he tried a push to cover.Despite Clark’s early dominance, he was sent to theoutfield for much of the rest of the day as ShaneWarne was heavily relied on and Lee and McGrath werepreferred. Clark came back for a 12-ball spell tofinish the day and ended with 2 for 25 from 15.”You’re very disappointed when you’re not bowling,” hesaid. “You can’t bowl them out when you’re standing atfine leg and it does get a bit boring down there attimes. Ricky went down a different path and he had afew ideas in mind and I’m sure I’ll get anotherchance.”McGrath passed a fitness test this morning and trottedout one of his favourite lines to Clark. “He said hewas 100% and never felt better, so you can only takehis word and go for it,” he said. After watching histeam-mate return 0 for 51, Clark said McGrath’s footwas fine and his fitness was not an issue.Australia eased off after lunch as Ian Bell, KevinPietersen and Paul Collingwood added half-centuriesthat squeezed England to 3 for 266. “If they got 350we would have had a bad day,” Clark said. “We kept itnice and tight but they probably got away from us abit in the last session. If you stick two wicketsearly on that score and bowl them out for 250 or 270we’re right back in the game and almost on top.”Collingwood can expect some extra attention when heresumes on 98. Clark said the batsman would”definitely” be targeted, especially after his nearmiss at the Gabba. “Batters get tense around thatfigure,” he said. “He got a bit tense in Brisbane.Hopefully we’ll go there in the morning and keep himout there for a couple of overs and get him out.”

Paul Newman in Lahore talks to the scourge of FaisalabadShakoor Rana, the umpire involved in the infamous Test match dispute with Mike Gatting, could be umpiring an England A match on the current tour of Pakistan. The very suggestion brings both enthusiasm and excitement to his voice.”I would love to umpire an England A match,” he says. “That would prove the previous chapter is closed.” The ghost of one of English cricket`s darkest hours may be about to materialise.Shakoor is looking forward to watching England A take on a Pakistan Cricket Board XI in his native Lahore next Saturday when he will “say hello to my good friend John Emburey”. The tourists may then make a much closer acquaintance with the man who brought aTest to a standstill and began Gatting`s demise as England captain.A campaign to ensure Shakoor stands in at least one match of thefirst major English tour of Pakistan since the infamous Faisalabad affair of 1987 is gaining momentum here. “I`m talking to people about this to see what I can do,” said Omar Kureishi, vicechairman of the Pakistan World Cup committee. “Shakoor`s standing would be the perfect bridge-building exercise between thecountries. Even if the umpires for the tour have been appointedby the PCB, they can be changed.”Speaking exclusively to the Sunday Telegraph, Shakoor welcomedthe development and talked openly about his feelings towards Gatting and his contented family life in Old Anarkali, a prosperousdistrict of Lahore. Time appears to have mellowed him but thereare still flashes of the stubborness which saw unprecedentedscenes of conflict between an umpire and an England captain on acricket field.”Gatting did the wrong thing when he started abusing me and therewere a lot of words exchanged. But I would handle it differentlyif it happened again,” said Shakoor, now 58 and still working forPakistan railways in Lahore as an assistant sports officer,coaching cricket and lecturing on umpiring.”I didn`t like what happened and would be much more calm now.But I have no regrets. Everybody in Pakistan knows Shakoor Ranaand it has had no bad effect on my life.”It did not do much for his umpiring career, however. Since thefinger-pointing episode at Faisalabad, when a day`s play was lostwhile he insisted on an apology from Gatting which finally cameunder protest when the TCCB insisted the England captain did so,Shakoor has been restricted to just two Tests and Pakistanidomestic cricket.He will not stand on England`s tour if Arif Abbasi, chief executive of the PCB, has his way. “I am on record as saying that manwill never stand in another Test,” said Abbasi. “If I can helpit, that will remain the case. What he did was wrong.”Not according to Shakoor, even now. A popular theory afterFaisalabad was that the umpire was poised to apologise along withGatting in a compromise to ensure the Test continued but, withPakistan struggling to stay in the game, captain Javed Miandadtalked Shakoor out of it. Not so, he says.”I was never going to apologise,” said Shakoor. “I`d done nothingwrong. I`m still very proud of Mike Gatting`s written apology. Ikeep it under my pillow and read it from time to time.”He has twice visited England since 1987, once on holiday and oncethanks to a #7,000 cheque from a tabloid newspaper for an interview, but his efforts to talk to the Middlesex captain were rebuffed.”I went to watch him play and said `Hello Mike, how are you?` “said Shakoor. “He said: `Oh God, not you again.` He was upset butI just wanted to bury the hatchet.”I would have just told him to forget Faisalabad and let us befriends. But I would not have said sorry.”

The captains of nine Test-playing nations have released a joint statement in support of the fight against HIV/AIDS to coincide with World Aids today on December 1. No representative of West Indies could sign, following the dispute over contracts for the VB Series.”HIV and AIDS is a global issue that cannot be ignored,” reads the statement. “There are over 40 million people around the world living with HIV and AIDS. Over a third of these live in the ten countries that play Test match cricket. HIV and AIDS is everyone’s problem and it is the responsibility of us all to do something about it.”Our commitment is to address this epidemic by raising awareness and education levels in the cricket community. We urge young people to protect themselves from HIV and our leaders to pay more attention to the epidemic.When we step onto the cricket field we do so as rivals but in the battle against HIV and AIDS we are united. AIDS is a common enemy and we must fight it together.”The statement was signed by Ricky Ponting, Habibul Bashar, Michael Vaughan, Sourav Ganguly, Stephen Fleming, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Graeme Smith, Marvan Atapattu and Tatenda Taibu.Ehsan Mani, the ICC’s president, welcomed the support for HIV/AIDS: “I am delighted that the captains of all the Test playing nations have united in their support of the fight against HIV and AIDS,” he said.”The threat of HIV/AIDS is so real in many of the major cricketing nations that it is vital that these role models play a part in the global battle against this epidemic.”Dr Peter Piot, executive director of United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, also come forward to thank the cricketers for their collective stand: “Cricket players are leading the sports world in speaking out about AIDS boldly,” he said. “The pledge taken by the cricket captains has opened a new front of leadership in the global effort to stop the AIDS epidemic.”The player and officials participating in international matches on Wednesday will wear red ribbons, which is a sign of solidarity with all those around the world having to cope with AIDS. The games taking place will be the fourth day of the second Test between Indian and South Africa at Kolkata and the second one-day international between Zimbabwe and England at Harare.Smith and Vaughan both spoke out to offer their support. “This is a very important initiative which will help highlight the plight of those who suffer from HIV and AIDS” Vaughan said. Smith explained, “HIV and AIDS is a massive problem throughout the world, and in Africa it has reached alarming proportions. Be aware of HIV/AIDS, it is for real.”

The Indian fans who took umbrage at India’s drop to eighth place in theICC’s latest ODI rankings can take heart from the Test ratings. India havemoved up one spot to fifth place in the ICC Test table. In the latest updateto the table, India have gained three points for a tally of 94, primarilybecause results from the period August 1999 to July 2000 were dropped off.India lost five out of eight Tests during that year – a 0-3 drubbing inAustralia was followed by a 0-2 whitewash at home against South Africa.

Meanwhile, England, who lock horns with South Africa in a five-Test, have achance to make some big moves in the rankings. Even if they win the series1-0, they will supplant New Zealand in third place on the table. This comesabout because results from three years ago drop off the official table, andthat includes the 2-1 series victory New Zealand achieved over England in1999.

To move to second, England needs to achieve at least a 4-0 series win. Thisis despite the fact that in the re-shaping of the championship South Africaare the team to have benefitted most. South Africa could consolidate itsplace on the table by winning the series. But even if it were to achieve animprobable whitewash of England it would not be sufficient to overhaul therampant Australians in top position.

When the update occurs on August 1, the positions will be: (with ratingchange in brackets)
1 Australia 129 points (presuming it beats Bangladesh in second Teststarting Friday in Cairns) (0), 2 South Africa 119 (+ 4), 3 New Zealand 107(+ 3), 4 England 101 (+ 3), 5 India 94 (+ 3), 6 Sri Lanka 91 (- 6), 7Pakistan 90 (- 1), 8 West Indies 83 (+ 1), 9 Zimbabwe 58 (0), 10 Bangladesh(-2).

An easterly wind blew into Port Elizabeth on Wednesday, shrouding St George’s Park in drizzle and driving South Africa into the indoor nets two days ahead of the second Castle Lager/MTN Test match. At the same time, though, the direction of the wind would have set India thinking about the composition of their side for what could prove the deciding match of their South African tour.Local wisdom has it that the ball swings at St George’s Park when the wind comes in from the east. When the westerly or prevailing wind blows, however, the pitch dries out and, if it blows for long enough, spinners can come into their own on the fourth and fifth days of a Test.So should India, who seem bound to play only four bowlers once again, go in with two and two, or should they field three seamers and leave out a spinner? If the latter is the case, the word is that Anil Kumble will go, leaving Harbhajan Singh to wheel away on his own.Two days ahead of a Test match that India cannot afford to lose if they are to stay in the series, the St George’s Park pitch looked hard beneath a generous covering of grass. It will be shaved on Thursday, but the South African coach Graham Ford seemed to be happy with it.”It looks as if it will have some pace and carry,” he said. “That’s really all we ask for. We’ve never asked for greentops and the ball to go sideways, but if there’s pace there our guys enjoy bowling and batting on it, and I think it makes for entertaining cricket.”None of which is really any help to Sourav Ganguly, Indian coach John Wright (whose contract, curiously, now comes up for renewal in mid-tour) and the touring team, who have to find away to turn around a nine-wicket defeat in Bloemfontein’s first Test.If it is any comfort to the Indians, Ford is wary of describing the margin of victory as an accurate reflection of the difference between the two teams. “For three days it was anyone’s game before they had their collapse,” he said. “What pleased me was the way we came back after they’d had much the better of the first day. They’re a good team, make no mistake.”Are they good enough, though, to beat South Africa on South African soil, something no Indian team has succeeded in during two previous tours? And to make the task just a little more difficult, it now seems to have emerged that no one wants to open the batting with Shiv Das.Rahul Dravid filled in at the top in the first Test, but if the whispers from the Indian camp are to be believed, he has said no thank you to a repeat performance. And neither, apparently, does VVS Laxman want to go in at the top of the order. It may come down, then, to Ganguly taking on the role, a prospect which will not displease the South Africans who will have noted his discomfort against the short, lifting ball in Bloemfontein.Not that Ford is about to make too much of this. “That’s their problem, but you’ve still got to get them out wherever they come in,” he said.South Africa, meanwhile, are likely to go into the match with the team that won in Bloemfontein. This would mean there will be no place at this stage for Jacques Rudolph, although his presence in the squad inevitably puts pressure on Boeta Dippenaar, who was the only South African in the top six to fail in the first Test.”Boeta’s very level-headed,” said Ford. “He deals with the ups and downs of cricket very well. I’m not worried about him.”So India, really, are the team that has to make the tough choices. Three seamers or two? And if there are only two, will Ashish Nehra partner Javagal Srinath or will it be Ajit Agarkar who, Wright conceded at the end of the first Test, should have played in Bloemfontein?Agarkar is held in some esteem by the South Africans who respect his willingness to run in. At the same time, it is true that the home side probably haven’t seen the best of Nehra, although the washout of the East London match last weekend prevented the left-armer getting more overs under his belt.It’s a hard call for the tourists, whichever way they choose to play it. And the answer, as Bob Dylan noted nearly four decades ago, might well be blowing in the wind.

Match facts

Thursday, October 8, 2015
Start time 1900 local (1330GMT)

Big picture

A show whose credits have already rolled has come to the biggest theatre in town and Eden Gardens could be forgiven for thinking it has received a raw deal. This is the only match the venue will host on South Africa’s marathon tour, and its result will have no impact on the series.The trophy is already in the visitors’ hands and the sting was taken out of the contest when crowd trouble in the form of a bottle-throwing incident interrupted the second match in Cuttack. By then, however, South Africa’s superiority was confirmed. They had skittled India out for their lowest T20 total at home and their second-lowest overall, and were well on their way to chasing down the target. At least, Kolkata can hope for a better performance from the home side.India have a lot of work to do before the World T20 but MS Dhoni does not seem to be panicking. He understands his batsmen need to take more responsibility and his bowlers need to show more initiative. They should need no more motivation than salvaging pride, especially as South Africa will be eyeing a clean sweep. Although it would be easy for South Africa to switch off, in search of a few days break ahead of the ODIs, the appeal of a whitewash against India in India does not only speak to a rise up the rankings but is also the perfect preparation ahead of the World T20. Expect them to come out fighting.

Form guide

(last five completed games, most recent first)
India LLLWL
South Africa WWLWW

In the spotlight

India’s middle-order has marshmallowed in both matches, first squandering a strong start in Dharamsala and then completely collapsing in Cuttack. In terms of reputation, they have names to produce better numbers and MS Dhoni and Ambati Rayudu are due a few more runs. The captain has looked uninspired so far and, given the impact he can have on his charges, if he ups his game, the rest may follow.They were supposed to be flummoxed by conditions but South Africa’s seamers have adapted well so far and will want to continue proving coach Russell Domingo – who said they would be the difference for the side – correct. Kagiso Rabada has managed to mix aggression with change of pace, Kyle Abbott has been accurate at the death and Albie Morkel’s return to the highest level after 18 months in Cuttack was promising. Can they produce an encore in Kolkata?

Team news

India have reasons to make changes and the most anticipated one could be Amit Mishra’s recall in place of either Axar Patel or Harbhajan Singh. Shikhar Dhawan’s dual failure at the top could result in a shuffling of the batting line-up or the inclusion of Ajinkya Rahane.India: (probable) 1 Rohit Sharma, 2 Shikhar Dhawan 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Suresh Raina, 5 MS Dhoni (capt, wk), 6 Ambati Rayudu, 7 R Ashwin, 8 & 9 Axar Patel/Amit Mishra/Harbhajan Singh, 10 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10 Mohit Sharma/S AravindWith the series already won, South Africa could consider giving an opportunity to legspinner Eddie Leie and perhaps uncapped batsman Khaya Zondo. They will also ponder reintroducing Quinton de Kock into international cricket perhaps to give Hashim Amla some time off on a long tour and think of bringing back Marchant de Lange to bowl at a venue he knows well.South Africa: (probable) 1 AB de Villiers (wk), 2 Hashim Amla, 3 Faf du Plessis (capt), 4 JP Duminy, 5 Khaya Zondo, 6 Farhaan Behardien, 7 Chris Morris, 8 Albie Morkel, 8 Marchant de Lange/Kagiso Rabada, 9 Kyle Abbott, 10, 11 Imran Tahir/Eddie Leie

Pitch and conditions

Both Sourav Ganguly, who is now joint secretary of the Cricket Association of Bengal, and Eden Gardens’ groundsman Prabir Mukherjee have promised a batsman-friendly pitch, but, with India having conceded the series, a full house may not be on the cards. Still, at least 40,000 people could pile in to the iconic venue. Another hot, humid day is forecast with temperatures at 31 degrees, humidity over 80% and the possibility of some showers.

Stats and trivia

• South Africa have won two of their last three T20 series, both in the subcontinent. They drew the other won against New Zealand at home and have not lost a T20 series since defeat to Australia last November.
• India’s total of 92 in their previous game is the lowest T20 total by a Test-playing nation this year. They have not won a bilateral T20 ‘series’ since their one-off victory over Australia in October 2013.
• R Ashwin has dismissed AB de Villiers five times in T20s, the most by any bowler. Two of those dismissals have come in this series.

Quotes

That’s what has been the quality of this team. They have stuck to the players they believe can win the game and that’s what we need to do as a team – reunite ourselves and give our best performance.

Hanuma Vihari scored his fourth first-class double-hundred as Andhra took comprehensive strides towards an outright win against Tripura in Valsad. Vihari went from an overnight 144 to an unbeaten 233 (482b, 17×4, 4×6) as Andhra declared on 524 for 5, having established a first-innings lead of 353.Bowling 47 overs, the left-arm spinner Gurinder Singh finished as Tripura’s most successful bowler, with figures of 4 for 166. With 42 overs left to bat out before stumps, Tripura lost three wickets, ending the day 165 for 3, still trailing by 188, with Yashpal Singh, their experienced import from Services, batting on 46.Half-centuries from Bipul Sharma and Sumeet Verma gave Himachal Pradesh a 76-run first-innings lead in a closely contested match against Chhattisgarh in Kanpur. Both teams ended day three with a chance of winning outright, with Chhattisgarh 175 for 4 and 99 ahead, courtesy an unbeaten 69 (156b, 7×4, 1×6) from opener Abhimanyu Chauhan.Himachal began the day trailing by 28 runs. Bipul scored 86 (179b, 4×4, 4×6) and Sumeet 68 (195b, 5×4, 2×6) as the pair stretched their overnight seventh-wicket stand of 60 to 130, before Himachal lost their last four wickets for 34 runs. Left-arm spinner Sumit Ruikar took two lower-order wickets to finish with figures of 7 for 112, his best in first-class cricket.Seamers Vinod Kumar and Sandeep Warrier shared seven wickets between them to help Kerala take a 56-run first-innings lead against Goa at the Brabourne Stadium. Goa, six down and 173 behind at the start of the day, got as close as they did to Kerala’s first-innings total thanks to Shadab Jakati’s 85 (162b, 13×4) from No. 8.Kerala stretched their lead to 210 by stumps, with Rohan Prem following up his first-innings century with an unbeaten 60 (128b, 7×4), and Mohammed Azharuddeen scoring 56 not out (101b, 7×4). The two came together after a three-wicket burst from Saurabh Bandekar had reduced Kerala to 54 for 4, and added an unbroken 100 for the fifth wicket. During the course of his innings – which was his fifth consecutive score of 60 or more – Prem went past Sunil Oasis to become Kerala’s highest-ever run-getter.A four-wicket haul from Sanjay Pahal helped Haryana enforce the follow-on against Jammu & Kashmir in Cuttack. Batting at No. 3, Pranav Gupta scored 94 (189b, 16×4), but J&K’s batting fell apart around him as they were bowled out for 262 in their first innings, 89 short of avoiding the follow-on. Opener Shubham Khajuria, who resumed on 48, only added four runs to his score before falling in the eighth over of the morning. He had put on 89 for the second wicket with Pranav. The wickets fell steadily thereafter, with only a sixth-wicket partnership of 65 between Pranav and wicketkeeper Puneet Bisht resisting Haryana for any length of time. With 19 overs left at the end of the day, J&K went to stumps 38 for no loss in their second innings.A century from Shamsher Yadav and a 90 from Nakul Verma helped Services defy Hyderabad at the Bandra-Kurla Complex, as they ended day three with reasonable hope of taking one point from a run-heavy game. Coming together at 116 for 3, after Services lost three wickets for the addition of only 39 to their overnight score, Shamsher and Nakul put on 84 before the latter fell for 90 off 178 balls (13×4). Even as wickets fell steadily around him, Shamsher remained at the crease through most of the rest of the day, before he was ninth out two overs from stumps for 104 (196b, 13×4, 1×6). Services were 360 for 9 at stumps, still in danger of following on, trailing Hyderabad by 220 runs, but with a fighting chance of saving the match. Seamer Ravi Kiran was Hyderabad’s most successful bowler with figures of 3 for 68.

Trinidad and Tobago are looking to maintain their reputation as the leading team in the West Indies when they travel to Grenada for this weekend’s Grenada Cricket Festival.The Trinidad and Tobago squad have a lot to live up to as they contest the triangular Twenty20 tournament featuring Grenada and Antigua, but Omar Khan, the team manager, is confident, even though they will be without Dwayne Bravo and Ravi Rampaul.While this was not high on the priority list for the national team, as they prepare for the KFC Cup regional limited overs competition in Guyana later this month, Khan was adamant they will give a good account of themselves, saying: “We are going there to win and I believe that we have enough talent in the squad to come out on top.”It is a full-strength squad and it will be an opportunity for the guys that are going to continue their preparation for the KFC Cup, which is our top priority,” Khan said.Trinidad and Tobago, the defending KFC Cup champions, had reached the final of the Stanford Twenty20 Tournament last year but stumbled against Guyana. They will be using the Grenada Cricket Festival as a starting point for building their line-up for the 2008 Stanford Tournament, scheduled for January.”The KFC Cup squad still has to be cut down to 14 so these guys will have a further opportunity to impress the selectors,” Khan said. “The coach and training staff will also get a chance to do some extra work with the team in Grenada because it is all about performing in a different environment and conditions and the extra work there will pay off in the KFC Cup.”The squad leave today and play their first game tomorrow against Grenada at the National Stadium and take on Antigua at the same venue on Monday.Trinidad and Tobago Twenty20 squad:
Daren Ganga (capt), Denesh Ramdin (wk), Rayad Emrit, Richard Kelly, Amit Jaggernauth, Nicholas Ramjass, William Perkins, Mario Belcon, Keiron Pollard, Lendl Simmons, Sherwin Ganga, Andre Browne
Coach: David Williams
Manager: Omar Khan
Physical Trainer: Gerald Garcia

Mohammad Asif, the Pakistani fast bowler currently being investigated on doping charges, is still eligible for the Emerging Player of the Year award at next month’s ICC awards. Malcolm Speed, the ICC chief executive, confirmed this with Cricinfo while announcing the short-lists for the awards presentation on November 3 in Mumbai.”Under the anti-doping policy he is not ruled ineligible for awards for performance prior to his doping offence,” Speed said. Asif, who along with Shoaib Akhtar tested positive for nandrolone, a banned steroid, will submit his written statement at a second hearing of the tribunal investigating the case on October 26.Ricky Ponting has been short-listed in four categories for the ceremony. After averaging 58.22 and 48.42 in Tests and ODIs, Ponting, 31, picked up nominations in the Player, Captain and separate Test and ODI Player of the Year sections. Shane Warne, Muttiah Muralitharan and Mohammad Yousuf were also short-listed for Test Player of the Year. In the ODI category, Ponting is up against his team-mate Michael Hussey, Yuvraj Singh and Mahela Jayawardene.In addition to the individual awards and the Spirit of Cricket prize, this year’s ceremony will also feature the Test and ODI Teams of the Year. And for the first time there is an award for Women’s Cricketer of the Year.”The past year has been another exciting one for cricket fans around the world and these players have contributed hugely to our enjoyment,” Speed said.”This is the third annual ICC Awards night and it promises to be a fantastic evening with some very tough decisions to be announced. It is also a pleasure that for the first time we will be presenting the award for the Women’s Player of the Year. Now that the women’s game is under the auspices of ICC it is important that we acknowledge the marvellous contribution that female players are making.”The short-lists were announced after the votes were submitted by members of the voting academy. The 50 Academy members were asked to pick players nominated by a selection panel chaired by Sunil Gavaskar. The period of contention was between August 1, 2005 to August 8, 2006