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The BCCI has appealed the ruling of the Bombay High Court which declared the appointment of the independent probe panel “illegal and unconstitutional,” in the Supreme Court of India

Nagraj Gollapudi05-Aug-2013The BCCI has filed a special leave petition (SLP) in India’s Supreme Court against the ruling of the Bombay High Court declaring illegal and unconstitutional the board’s appointment of the independent inquiry commission. The petition has claimed, among other issues, that the rules the board was deemed by the high court to have violated in setting up the commission were not mandatory or absolute.The original petitioners, the Cricket Association of Bihar, had already filed a caveat with the Supreme Court to enable it to be a part of any appeal filed by the BCCI.In the 13-page petition, the BCCI has sought to contest the High Court order on various grounds including its decision to entertain the PIL given the board’s status as a private body; it has sought to challenge the petitioner’s right to file a PIL and question the legality of the inquiry panel when it was not even part of the BCCI nor, therefore, subject to the findings of the inquiry commission. It has also sought to challenge whether the High Court could make a declaration when no relief of any kind was sought.In their 61-page order delivered last Friday, Justices SJ Vazifdar and MS Sonak had held that BCCI had violated its own constitution – specifically Rule 2.2 of the IPL Operational Rules, which mandated that at least one member of the league’s Code of Behaviour Committee needed to be on the inquiry panel. Although Sanjay Jagdale, the former BCCI secretary and part of the Code of Behaviour Committee, was on the original three-member commission, the BCCI did not name a replacement once he resigned. “In other words a commission cannot be constituted without at least one member of the IPL Code of Behavior Committee,” the order noted.However the BCCI’s contention in its petition is that while the High Court had declared that it was the board’s “prerogative” under the IPL Operational Rules 2013 to appoint an inquiry commission and not for the court to pass an order, “it has erred in commenting on and finding that the probe commission as constituted was against the internal rules of the Petitioner.”The BCCI is also contending that the IPL Operational Rules, which the High Court had said it (BCCI) had violated were not “mandatory” or “absolute” and the board had the authority to modify them. “It is submitted that rule 2 (1) of the said rules specifically states that ‘all complaints and/or breaches of the Regulations or charges of misconduct under the Regulations and any dispute between a player and franchise in respect of such player contract shall (unless BCCI in its absolute discretion decide otherwise) be decided by BCCI in the manner set out below’,” the SLP said. “It is submitted that the manner of setting up commission/panel as set out in the Operational Rules are not mandatory since they can by the express terms of the Rules themselves be altered by the BCCI.”It also stated that the High Court had failed to appreciate that the inquiry commission comprised two “independent” members. “It is submitted that the committee that was appointed comprised of two retired judges of the Madras High Court, who in fact are outsiders and no way can be said to be interested persons. While so, a Commission consisting of outsiders of the Petitioner (BCCI) with no office bearer or member of the Petitioner itself, being a member of such Committee would in fact be laudatory and give rise to greater transparency,” the SLP said.The Bombay High Court’s ruling, issued last week, was in response to the CAB’s Public Interest Litigation that the two-member panel set up to investigate allegations of corruption in the IPL was constituted illegally. The court had raised questions on the manner in which the panel was constituted, stating that the BCCI had violated its own constitution in the process.The court’s findings came two days after the BCCI’s probe panel comprising retired justices of Madras High Court – T Jayaram Chouta and R Balasubramanian had cleared Gurunath Meiyappan, one of the top officials at Chennai Super Kings, the franchise owner India Cements, Rajasthan Royals’ co-owner Raj Kundra and Royals’ parent company Jaipur IPL Pvt Ltd of “wrongdoing”.

It turned out to be a good toss to lose for Pakistan, as their seamers, led by Umar Gul, set up a comfortable six-wicket win by keeping Sri Lanka to a paltry 135

The Report by Kanishkaa Balachandran07-Jun-2012
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsUmar Gul was the most incisive of the Pakistan seamers with three wickets•AFP

It turned out to be a good toss to lose for Pakistan, as their seamers, led by Umar Gul, set up a comfortable six-wicket win by keeping Sri Lanka to a paltry 135. The ball nipped around, skidded, turned and bounced alarmingly and tested the technique and patience of the batsmen, with the cloudy conditions giving the bowlers an overwhelming advantage. Three rain interruptions in the first innings did little to help Sri Lanka’s cause. They struggled to build momentum and sizeable partnerships, and following a lengthy rain interruption, the overs were culled to 42, leaving very few overs in the end to accelerate.Pakistan too were tested by a probing opening spell by Sri Lanka’s seamers, but they could afford to take their time and grind it out. Subcontinent pitches aren’t known to produce too many low-scoring games, and based on the evidence so far in the three games on tour, watching the bowlers have a say has been compelling.Runs off the bat were at a premium as Sri Lanka’s top four failed to reach double-digits and their combined contribution was outscored by extras. It was a struggle, not just to pick the gaps but to put bat on ball. Sohail Tanvir’s angle away from the right-hander kept Mahela Jayawardene playing and missing; Gul’s bounce off a good length and incutters troubled Tillakaratne Dilshan, who looked like he hadn’t yet shrugged off the Twenty20 hangover.It was a battle of attrition at both ends. Sri Lanka had two of their most experienced accumulators at the crease – Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara – but the seamers found ways to avert a partnership. An indipper from Gul trapped Jayawardene lbw, before Dinesh Chandimal chopped one onto his stumps without using his feet.The batsmen may have had their wallets nicked when they walked out to bat – they couldn’t even buy a run. In the first ten overs, Pakistan didn’t concede a run off the bat for 26 consecutive legal deliveries. In that period, the only source of runs was 13 wides. The first boundary off the bat – there were only six in all – came in the 12th over. Any semblance of a recovery was halted when Mohammad Sami nipped out two wickets in successive overs, leaving Sri Lanka five down at the 15th over.Rain forced interruptions in the 18th over and again after the 24th. What followed after the second interruption were two of the most productive partnerships. Lahiru Thirimanne added 25 with Thisara Perera, and doubled that with Nuwan Kulasekara. It was still a battle for survival, and the frequent interruptions didn’t help Sri Lanka’s bid to find momentum to accelerate. Following the third rain interval, which stretched to an hour and a quarter, Sri Lanka had only five overs to bat out. Thirimanne slogged and swished at several deliveries and managed to fetch three boundaries, including one off the final ball. Subtracting the wides, Sri Lanka would have been defending a much lesser score.Sri Lanka managed only six fours in their innings, hitting the first only in the 12th over. Pakistan hit their first four as early as the third ball, when Mohammad Hafeez punched Lasith Malinga past the covers. Malinga soon had Azhar Ali caught off a loose drive, and he continued to create half chances by shaping the ball away from the right-handers. Kulasekara posed questions by getting the ball to cut back in – his stock delivery – and one of those breached Younis Khan’s defences, leaving Pakistan at 27 for 2.The pressure created by that dismissal led to three consecutive maidens. Misbah-ul-Haq halted a run-drought that lasted 25 deliveries with a slash past point for four. While Hafeez gave Pakistan the edge with positive shots, including a lofted off-drive for six, what prevented Pakistan from imploding was Misbah’s calm presence.Pakistan were a batsman short, so it was imperative one senior player pitched a tent through the duration of the innings, which Misbah had all but achieved. It was a pressure-free scenario for Umar Akmal to play his strokes, as Pakistan coasted home to extend their recent domination over Sri Lanka, with their ninth win in 11 games.

Mark Wagh has announced that he will retire from professional cricket at the conclusion of Nottinghamshire’s ongoing Championship match against Worcestershire at New Road after five years with the county

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Jun-2011Mark Wagh has announced that he will retire from professional cricket at the conclusion of Nottinghamshire’s ongoing Championship match against Worcestershire at New Road after five years with the county. He had originally planned to bow out in August to pursue a career in law but has decided to make an early exit to focus on his new career.”I will always look back fondly on my time at Nottinghamshire and I have been privileged to play alongside some excellent players here,” said Wagh.”Being part of the Championship winning team last season was a major highlight for me and I would like to thank my teammates, the coaching staff and all of the club’s members and supporters for all they have done and continue to do for Nottinghamshire.”Wagh moved to Nottinghamshire from Warwickshire at the end of the 2006 season and enjoyed consistent success with them.He averaged 56.95 in his first season at Trent Bridge, and passed 1,000 Championship runs in two of his four full summers with the county, his leanest spell coming in 2009 when he scored only 814 runs but still managed three centuries.”Mark was an excellent acquisition and he gave stability to our batting order during a time when our fortunes in four-day cricket made a significant and sustained improvement,” said Nottinghamshire Director of Cricket Mick Newell.”His century at Edgbaston last season was a particularly good innings and he made a solid contribution to our success. He wouldn’t have featured in our Twenty20 fixtures and we agreed that it was best for all concerned if he was to bring forward his retirement.”Wagh’s place in the batting line-up could be taken by left-hander Neil Edwards, who is expected to return from injury in time for the match against Lancashire which begins on June 20.

Shaun Tait hopes to be able to kick start Australia’s one-day series against England at Old Trafford with some express pace after his surprise call into the touring squad

Cricinfo staff26-Jun-2010Shaun Tait hopes to be able to kick-start Australia’s one-day campaign against England with express pace after his surprise call into the touring squad. The tourists are 2-0 down following defeats at the Rose Bowl and in Cardiff and Tait was summoned ahead of the third ODI at Old Trafford after Nathan Hauritz, the offspinner, was forced to fly home with a foot injury while there are also concerns over Ryan Harris who has a groin injury.Tait, who has retired from first-class cricket since his brittle body couldn’t withstand the strain, has been playing in the Friends Provident t20 for Glamorgan and was given a hint by touring selector Merv Hughes that a call could be coming as he watched Thursday’s match. His last ODI was in February 2009 and since then he has forged a specialist Twenty20 career, playing a key part in Australia’s progress to the World Twenty20 final in Barbados.While his body can’t cope with the stress of first-class cricket, he continues to push the speed gun to its limits in limited-overs cricket and will provide the cutting edge to an Australian attack, lacking a host of key quicks, that has struggled to contain England’s batting in the first two one-dayers.”Hopefully there are a couple of overs in there that I can make an impact and if I do get a game and get a couple of early wickets,” he said. “We’ll see what happens here. It tends to reverse swing a bit up here in Manchester from what I have seen in the past.”Tait’s one-day recall will be a new test of his fitness after he has remained injury-free through a whole season for the first time in his career but he doesn’t know whether hitting top pace throughout 10 overs is a realistic aim.”I am not sure about that, we will see,” he said, “but no doubt about it, I will be able to get through. You never know with the speed gun it just depends on the day you turn up and see how your body is feeling. You have those days when you come out and bowl with good pace and some days not so much. All I can do is give it every thing you want.”He is also hoping to begin correcting a poor record on English soil. In seven matches for Glamorgan this season he has five wickets and in 2004 he had a forgettable stint with Durham where 18 first-class overs cost 176. He made his Test debut in the following summer’s Ashes series, but struggled to make a major impact at Trent Bridge or The Oval.”The times I have bowled in England I have not gone that well,” he said. “I played a couple Tests here and I had a stint with Durham which was terrible when I was younger and for Glamorgan I have bowled okay, nothing brilliant. So we will see how we go and hopefully I can improve on that.”His call-up has also raised hopes that he will be considered for Australia’s World Cup campaign in the subcontinent next year, where express pace and the ability to find reverse swing will be valuable. Tait played a key role in the 2007 tournament in the Caribbean when he helped spearhead Australia’s unbeaten campaign.”It is nice to be back in the squad and that the selectors are still thinking of me as a one-day cricketer which is fantastic,” he said. “We have another set of fast bowlers on the sidelines at the moment that are pretty handy. It will be pretty interesting to see what the set up is like leading into the World Cup. For now I will just concentrate on this game and hopefully help Australia get this series.”

Captain’s 64 was the backbone of the chase after Notts Outlaws post sub-par total of 153

ECB Reporters Network09-Jun-2024Lancashire Lightning began this Vitality Blast North group visit to Trent Bridge with the best record of all 18 counties in the 2024 T20 campaign to date and Nottinghamshire Outlaws with the worst.Choosing to bat, Outlaws eventually rose to 153 foe 8 despite expert containment from Chris Green, the Australia T20 international, with 2 for 16 in his four overs of off-spin. Jack Haynes reached 45 before becoming one of two run outs in a sometimes naïve display and Liam Patterson-White, batting at No7 on debut in this format, made a fine, unbeaten 44 from 21 balls.But with Keaton Jennings making a skipper’s 64 to leave victory in sight, Lighting romped home by six wickets in the penultimate over as the Outlaws completed their first five games with a sobering fifth defeat.Lightning’s chase began stutteringly with both openers dismissed by the fifth over when Josh Bohannon sliced Matt Montgomery, the South African who plays for Germany and offers off-spin from an idiosyncratic action, to the infield. Olly Stone’s first ball, two overs before, had done Vince Wells for pace when he top-edged a hook to square leg.But Jennings smashed the first ball of Stone’s next over for six and Lancashire reached the end of their ninth over with 82 for 2 where Nottinghamshire had laboured in contrast to just 46 for 4 at the same stage earlier.Patterson-White’s left-arm spin was then introduced on a used pitch and his maiden performance grew yet more impressive when he removed Tom Bruce’s middle stump for 22 with his second ball.Lightning, however, still posted their hundred by the 13th over with fully 47 balls available for their last 54 runs and Jennings close to a fifty he then brought up with some ease from 41 balls as Stone’s third over (the 15th) went for eleven, leaving the target just 31 runs distant.But to his very evident annoyance at not finishing the job, Jennings, the captain, was bowled by Calvin Harrison, one of the six spinners employed in the match, and it was left to Matty Hurst and Steven Croft, 19 years his senior, to take them home with nine balls to spare. Hurst finished unbeaten on 33.In two of their previous four games, the Outlaws had begun well but crashed catastrophically from 104 for 1 to 154 all out and 54 for 0 to 127 all out. This time the start proved a disaster.Joe Clarke faced one ball from which he took a leg-bye before being run out in the opening over, attempting to come back for a second for Alex Hales after a misfield at mid-wicket. Hales then sliced to the backward point boundary for four in the fourth over from Saqib Mahmood whose fourth ball earlier was a lifting beauty that had undone Will Young.From 22 for 3 it became 45 for 4 when Matt Montgomery, swinging across the line, was leg-before to a Wells leg-break and though 32 followed in 20 balls, a Lyndon James reverse-swipe saw him comprehensively bowled by Green before, next over, further confusion found Haynes run out as the non-striker when seeking a single that Tom Moores never considered.With 41 balls left, at 80 for 6, late runs were at last sporadically plundered thanks to Patterson-White, one Jack Blatherwick over conceding 21 and the last, from Mahmood taken for 18, but a target of 154 never looked enough.

Wanindu Hasaranga’s availability key as RCB seek to bounce back after defeat against Knight Riders

Alagappan Muthu09-Apr-20234:47

Shastri: Wood should be a handful in Bengaluru

Big picture: The thing with RCB…

Virat Kohli chose a good moment – their homecoming – to highlight that Royal Challengers Bangalore are part of IPL royalty. He said, outside of Chennai Super Kings (11) and Mumbai Indians (9), they are the team that has made it to the playoffs the most times (8).But the wider IPL fraternity – and indeed some of Royal Challengers’ fans – won’t find any solace in that because of the ways in which the team’s fortunes swing. They began this season by tapping Mumbai on the head and tossing them off to the side, but then they went to Kolkata and basically enabled a blasterclass from a No. 7 batter. They bowled length in the death with mid-off up. What was Shardul Thakur to do? Not score 68 off 29 balls which turned 89 for 5 to 204 for 7?Related

• Topley out of IPL 2023 with shoulder injury, Parnell named replacement

• Amit Mishra, 40 and looking it, brings Lucknow the warm and fuzzy

• Krunal: 'I am in a good headspace, I have much more clarity'

These reverses, which happen as a result of mostly avoidable mistakes, make the Royal Challengers a bit of a frustrating team to follow, let alone plan for, which is what Lucknow Super Giants have to do.KL Rahul will be coming home to Bengaluru for the first time in four IPLs – and only the third time ever as an opposition player. He’s yet to win a match as a visitor to the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, and in some ways, the chances of that happening may be tied to how well he manages his overseas resources, especially now that Quinton de Kock is available and Kyle Mayers is undroppable(ish).Faf du Plessis and Virat Kohli shared a big stand in RCB’s opening game•BCCI

Team news: Will de Kock and Hasaranga play?

Prior to the start of IPL 2023, Super Giants would’ve been fairly confident of their overseas combination. De Kock for firepower at the top. Nicholas Pooran and Marcus Stoinis for firepower at the death, and Mark Wood for firepower with the ball. But now that Mayers has casually thumped 139 runs in three innings at a higher strike rate (187.83) than any of the top 15 scorers in the tournament so far, there is a decision to be made. Avesh Khan is carrying an injury, and Wood missed the last game with flu.Royal Challengers were expecting Wanindu Hasaranga to arrive on April 10 – which is match day – following the conclusion of a white-ball series in New Zealand, where he picked up figures of 11-0-93-2 in three T20Is. If he is ready to start, he might even be able to lessen the burden on their death bowers because his wickets in the middle overs could mean the seamers may be left dealing with lesser batters at the end of the innings. Josh Hazlewood faces a longer stretch on the sidelines, with the Australia quick likely to be available for the April 17 game against Super Kings. Wayne Parnell has replaced the injured Reece Topley.

Toss and Impact Player Strategy

Royal Challengers Bangalore
Royal Challengers are yet to bat first in IPL 2023, and should this be when it happens, they might consider bringing in Suyash Prabhudessai and swapping him out for Mohammed Siraj later in the game.Probable bat-first XI: 1 Virat Kohli, 2 Faf du Plessis (capt), 3 Suyash Prabhudessai, 4 Glenn Maxwell, 5 Shahbaz Ahmed, 6 Dinesh Karthik (wk), 7 Wanindu Hasaranga/Michael Bracewell, 8 David Willey, 9 Harshal Patel, 10 Karn Sharma, 11 Akash DeepProbable bowl-first XI: 1 Virat Kohli, 2 Faf du Plessis (capt), 3 Glenn Maxwell, 4 Shahbaz Ahmed, 5 Dinesh Karthik (wk), 6 Wanindu Hasaranga/Michael Bracewell, 7 David Willey, 8 Karn Sharma, 9 Akash Deep, 10 Harshal Patel, 11 Mohammed SirajCan KL Rahul make his homecoming sweeter?•BCCI

Lucknow Super Giants
Ayush Badoni appears to have become a specialist Impact Player for Super Giants. He went out for K Gowtham in the first, came in for Avesh in the second, and went out for Amit Mishra in the third. The sequence is likely to continue.Probable bat-first XI: 1 KL Rahul (capt), 2 Kyle Mayers, 3 Quinton de Kock (wk), 4 Deepak Hooda, 5 Krunal Pandya, 6 Nicholas Pooran, 7 Ayush Badoni, 8 Romario Shepherd/Mark Wood, 9 Yash Thakur, 10 Ravi Bishnoi, 11 Jaydev UnadkatProbable bowl-first XI: 1 KL Rahul (capt), 2 Kyle Mayers, 3 Quinton de Kock (wk), 4 Deepak Hooda, 5 Krunal Pandya, 6 Nicholas Pooran, 7 Amit Mishra, 8 Romario Shepherd/Mark Wood, 9 Yash Thakur, 10 Ravi Bishnoi, 11 Jaydev Unadkat

Stats that matter: RCB death bowlers under pressure

• Since IPL 2022, Royal Challengers have the worst economy rate (11) in the final five overs of the innings. This is primarily because the options they turn to at this stage of the game have not been able to execute their skills well enough. Siraj’s economy rate of 13.4 is the worst among everyone who has bowled at least ten overs in the death since the last IPL. Even Harshal Patel, who will become the quickest Indian bowler to 100 IPL wickets if he picks up one more over the next two innings, has struggled with this task. He has conceded ten runs an over or more in seven of his last 10 T20s.
• If he has recovered from his illness, Super Giants may want to keep Wood away from the new ball because Kohli has hit 46 against the England quick in just 19 balls in all T20 cricket. They have plenty of other favourable match-ups, though. Krunal Pandya (79 off 80 balls, one dismissal), Jaydev Unadkat (52 off 46) and Ravi Bishnoi (23 off 23 balls). Avesh has done the best against Kohli (5 runs off ten balls and two dismissals), but it’s unclear if he’ll be able to play on Monday.
• Glenn Maxwell vs Amit Mishra will be fun. The Australian has smashed 66 runs in 35 balls in all T20s, but in the process, the Indian has picked up his wicket five times. Maxwell has also been susceptible to left-arm spin in the IPL: his average of 22.9 is the second-lowest for anyone who has faced at least 200 balls of this kind of bowling. Someone should pass Krunal the note.
• There has been a noticeable shift in Faf du Plessis’ batting in the powerplay this season. His strike rate of 158 from two matches is significantly higher than the 105 he managed all through 2022, when he was also dismissed in this phase of play seven times in 16 innings.

Pitch and conditions

The average first-innings IPL score in Bengaluru since 2018 is 183. In the same period, statistics suggest spinners have had a better time keeping the runs down here than the quicks (economy rate 8.1 vs 9.8). It remains the most sixer-friendly ground in the IPL, averaging 18 per match over the last five seasons.

Australia opener says she was “more disappointed to lose two wickets in a row,” when she fell soon after Lanning

Andrew McGlashan27-Jan-2022A Test century continued to elude Rachael Haynes but it was not a milestone she was worrying about despite the fact this match against England in Canberra could be her last in the format.With the one-off Ashes Tests, which form part of the multi-format series, the only guaranteed games in the format Australia get – although this is their second of the season after the game against India in October – and most nations not playing them, Haynes admitted it might be the final time she pulls on the whites for her country.Her 86 was the third occasion she had got within touching distance of a Test century following her 98 on debut in Worcester in 2009 and the 87 in Taunton two years ago. Having taken advantage of being dropped on 44, she was closing in on triple figures until receiving a terrific delivery from Katherine Brunt which bounced to take the glove.”It’s probably a fair assumption, think it probably will be my last Ashes Test,” she said. “I just want to enjoy it. It’s a really special occasion, not just for me but for the whole team. This series is one that’s held in really high regard. First and foremost I just want to focus on tomorrow and get another good day’s play.”Haynes combined in a 169-run stand with captain Meg Lanning – who was dropped on 0 and 16 – which lifted Australia from 43 for 3, and things had been even more uncertain when Haynes watched from the non-striker’s end as Alyssa Healy and Beth Mooney edged to the wicketkeeper inside the first four overs.As much as the missed landmark, it was the fact Haynes’ departure came just three balls after Lanning had also fallen narrowly short of a century that frustrated her, although the partnership between Ashleigh Gardner and Tahlia McGrath ensured Australia ended on top despite McGrath falling to the last ball of the day.”I wasn’t thinking about it [the hundred] to be honest,” she said. “I was more just disappointed to lose two wickets in a row. It just opened the door a little bit but think our batting order rallied really well and had a good counterpunch. It was pretty good to watch as well, the contest between Ash and Katherine [Brunt], it was good fun. It was a really positive way to finish the day.”If the chance had been taken off Lanning before she had scored, edging low to second slip, Australia would have been 43 for 4 and if she had been held by Heather Knight at slip in the last over before lunch it would have been 78 for 4.However, Nat Sciver said that overall England were satisfied with seven wickets on the opening day having opted to bowl in conditions where she felt runs could be scored at a good rate throughout the game. Four wickets in the final session kept them in the hunt after Australia had scored 120 without loss between lunch and tea.”All the bowlers can do is create them [the chances]. We have to take them really,” Sciver said. “We’re frustrated with the drops and maybe we lacked a bit of energy in the middle session.”We brought it back at the end and feel pretty positive…probably buoyed a little more with the wicket on the last ball. When they got in it seemed a lot easier to score so hopefully that’s what we can do.”

The wicketkeeper-batsman was concerned that his tour would be judged on the basis of just one game

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Sep-2020Sarfaraz Ahmed was reluctant to play the final T20I during the England series. ESPNcricinfo understands the former captain was concerned that his tour would be judged on the basis of just one game.Mohammad Rizwan, Pakistan’s first-choice wicketkeeper, played every other game and had an impressive tour; his performance with the gloves – particularly in the Test series – was widely praised. With the bat, he scored two fighting half-centuries and was named Pakistan’s Player of the Series. He played the first two T20Is as well, before Ahmed replaced him for the final match. But the team management and captain Babar Azam had to convince Ahmed to play the match, assuring him his career wouldn’t be defined by one game, and he still had a future with the national team.”He didn’t refuse to play but raised genuine reservations over being asked to play in the last match of the tour,” Pakistan’s coach Misbah-ul-Haq told ESPNcricinfo. “The situation naturally gives you a concern and that’s fair because he thought that a dip in his performance may get us to judge him going forward. Babar, Younis [Khan, the batting coach] and I spoke with him and told him that he did well on the tour and he should play one game without any additional pressure. There was a need for clarity and we communicated effectively with him well before the game.”Pakistan eventually won the game to draw the series, and while Sarfraz had a relatively incident-free game – he didn’t bat – he did come under mild scrutiny for fluffing a golden chance to stump Moeen Ali early in his innings. Ali went on to score 61 off 33 balls, bringing England to within six runs of victory.Misbah confirmed that going forward, Rizwan remains the first-choice wicketkeeper but insisted Ahmed had a future with the side. “It’s totally wrong,” Misbah said when asked if the game was Ahmed’s farewell. “We told him that performances aren’t judged on the basis of just one game. He worked hard throughout the tour, did well in the side matches and kept well. We have two keepers at the moment, and Rizwan is our No. 1 choice; he is doing great in terms of performance and enjoys our utmost confidence. And Saifi (Ahmed) right now is our second choice. He has done great in the past and can still contribute in the future.”Ahmed was Pakistan’s captain in all three formats until he was relieved of his duties in October last year after a sustained dip in form. He was also dropped from every format and was demoted from Category A to Category B in the PCB central contracts. When Pakistan had to pick a larger group of 29 players for the England tour, he was called up as a back up to Rizwan.Pakistan next international assignment is in October with Zimbabwe visiting them for a white-ball tour.

The sanction is in relation to their conduct in Japan, where they were favourites to win a qualifying tournament for the Under-19 World Cup; however, 10 players missed a crucial game against Japan

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Jun-2019The Papua New Guinea cricket board has suspended 10 of its Under-19 players for a year for bringing the game into disrepute. The sanction is in relation to their conduct in Japan, where they were favourites to win a qualifying tournament for the Under-19 World Cup in 2020; however, 10 players missed a crucial game against Japan and the team had to forfeit the game because they didn’t have enough players to field an XI.Cricket PNG chief executive Greg Campbell said: “The behaviour of our players is not what we would expect from international cricketers of any age. The players have expressed sincere regret at their actions and in addition to their suspension from cricket, they will undertake a comprehensive rehabilitation programme over the next 12 months.”ICC General Counsel and COO Iain Higgins added: “This has been a highly unusual incident by a group of young players and I would like to thank Cricket PNG for acting swiftly and decisively. It sends out a clear message that the sport will not tolerate this sort of behaviour at ICC events.”We are obviously extremely disappointed with the behavior of the players, but we are satisfied that Cricket PNG has delivered a suitable and proportionate sanction and programme for rehabilitation. Therefore, the ICC will not take any further action against any of the players.”In addition to being suspended, the 10 players will take part in 60 hours of community service and also attend a counselling programme.

A distraught Steven Smith has apologised for the ball-tampering scandal, while breaking down in tears repeatedly during his appearance in front of media soon after his return to Sydney on Thursday

Daniel Brettig29-Mar-2018An utterly broken Steven Smith has taken the weight of the Cape Town ball-tampering scandal on his shoulders, admitting full responsibility as captain of the Australian team for the conspiracy to use sandpaper in an attempt to gain reverse swing, and then the cover-up that followed.Having arrived home in Sydney after his ban from playing for 12 months and from captaincy for two years under the Cricket Australia code of behaviour, Smith struggled to hide his grief at what had unfolded since he allowed the vice-captain David Warner and the young opening batsman Cameron Bancroft to put together a scheme to tamper with the ball.

Smith ‘too weak’ to captain again – former Australia PM John Howard

“Sad is the right description. It’s sad for the game, but also sad for young men who have made colossal mistakes. They deserve their punishments, but there must be a way back afterwards, but Smith can never be captain again. He is too weak. The one bright thought is that the immense preoccupation of Australians with the affair reminds us just how much we really love our great game.”

“To all of my team-mates, to fans of cricket all over the world, and to all Australians who are disappointed and angry, I’m sorry,” Smith said in his statement at Sydney airport. “What happened in Cape Town has already been laid out by Cricket Australia. Tonight, I want to make clear that as captain of the Australian cricket team, I take full responsibility. I made a serious error of judgment, and I now understand the consequences. It was a failure of leadership, of my leadership. I’ll do everything I can to make up for my mistake, and the damage it’s caused.”If any good can come of this, if there can be a lesson to others, then I hope I can be a force for change. I know I’ll regret this for the rest of my life. I’m absolutely gutted. I hope in time, I can earn back respect and forgiveness. I’ve been so privileged and honoured to represent my country and captain the Australian cricket team. Cricket is the greatest game in the world. It’s been my life and I hope it can be again. I’m sorry and I’m absolutely devastated.”In addition to his ICC and CA sanctions, Smith has been banned from this year’s IPL and has lost numerous endorsement deals. But it was the thought of his parents that clearly caused him the most pain, as he said when asked of what he would say to the children who had idolised him as the world’s leading batsman and the national captain.”Firstly that I’m deeply sorry. I love the game of cricket. I love entertaining young kids, I love kids wanting to play the great game of cricket that I love,” he said. “Anytime you think about making a questionable decision, think about who you’re affecting. You’re affecting your parents, and to see how my old man’s been … and my mum, it hurts. I just want to say I’m sorry for the pain I’ve, I guess, brought to Australia and the fans and the public. It’s devastating and I’m truly sorry.”Smith did not deflect any blame for the episode onto Warner or Bancroft, saying that things had occurred under his watch as leader. “I don’t blame anyone,” he said. “I’m the captain of the Australian team, it’s on my watch and I take responsibility for the actions of what happened last Saturday in Cape Town. For me, I think my week has been around ‘good people make mistakes’, and I’ve made a big mistake by allowing this to happen. It was a huge error of judgment on my behalf and I’m deeply sorry.”As to whether the Australian team had engaged in ball tampering previously, Smith maintained that this was the first, only and, arguably, last time it would ever be attempted. “To my knowledge, this has never happened before,” he said. “This is the first time I’ve seen this happen, and I can assure you it will never be happening again.”