Michael Clarke, the Australian captain, admits he does not know whether Greg Chappell will remain on tour as the selector on duty ahead of the three Tests against Sri Lanka

Daniel Brettig in Colombo22-Aug-2011Greg Chappell will remain on tour as Australia’s selector on duty ahead of the three Tests against Sri Lanka after discussions with James Sutherland, the Cricket Australia chief executive.Sutherland and Chappell cleared whatever shades of grey remained between them in Colombo on Tuesday to confirm that CA’s national talent manager would remain as the selector on tour in a caretaker capacity, despite being stripped of the role for the future as part of the restructures brought on by the Argus review.”Greg’s staying, Greg’s selector on duty and he’ll stay until whatever time we see appropriate,” Sutherland said before departing Colombo after the briefest of visits. “The approach we normally take with selector on duty is once we get into the Test series then we just see how things go and what’s needed on the ground here. Greg will be selector on duty through the Test series.”We just talked through the circumstances and he’s completely understanding of that and he’s an employee of CA and he fully understands, he’s absolutely committed to CA and he understands that’s in the best interests as well, and he’ll be fine.”Having spoken to the assembled Australian team on tour, including all coaches and support staff, Sutherland said none of his discussions indicated that Chappell would seek to leave the national talent manager’s role now it had been re-defined.”Absolutely no discussion about that, Greg is national talent manager and I’m on public record saying I can’t think of anyone in the world who is better credentialled than Greg Chappell to do the job,” Sutherland said.”I came over here just to have a chat to everyone, and what I see is a group of absolutely dead-set professionals, who are very focused on what they need to do in the immediate term to help the Australian cricket team win the current Test series. I don’t see there’s any distraction that we need to have any concerns about.”Michael Clarke, the Australian captain, had said after the final ODI against Sri Lanka that he was happy to take responsibility for selection, alongside the coach Tim Nielsen – himself unlikely to keep his job much longer – if Chappell chose to fly home.”I’m not bothered either way,” Clarke said. “If Greg stays fantastic, if Greg has to go back then obviously the coach and the captain are now selectors, we’ll have the communication with the selectors back home like there normally is, so either way I’m not really fussed to be honest.”The head of cricket operations, Michael Brown, himself moved to one side as one of the recommendations of the review, was in Colombo to manage the announcement of the findings and has been seen in animated conversation with Ricky Ponting and the former Sri Lanka coach Tom Moody, among others.Jamie Cox, the only remaining member of the selection panel who has not been given an immediate verdict on his future, had indicated that Chappell would stay on in Sri Lanka, as neither Cox nor the departing chairman, Andrew Hilditch, were intent on joining the tour in a caretaker capacity.Hilditch released a statement on the day of the review’s publication, indicating that his time as a member of the selection panel was effectively at an end.The elevation of the captain to an official selection position is only the subtlest of changes from the accepted norms of Australian cricket. Mark Taylor once described the dynamic between himself and the selectors to the then England captain Mike Atherton: “I don’t officially sit in on selection, but by and large they’ll let me take who I want.”Similarly, Clarke did not feel any great qualms about holding the role and talking to players about their inclusion or otherwise.”I understand what comes with it, but I think in regards to the players, they know the captain has some sort of input in the XI that take the field anyway,” he said. “Not in all decisions but he gets to at least voice his opinion. Being a selector will be quite similar, I don’t make or break the decision, I have my vote, and if I get outvoted, it doesn’t go that way.”The players understand the captain has always had somewhat of a say, obviously now being an official selector you’ll have a bit more of a say, but for me it’s about getting the best XI players we possibly can onto that field and we play our best cricket, it’s as simple as that. None of the decisions I make will ever be personal, it’ll be all about what’s best for the team and I’ve tried to do that from day one.”That process, in Test cricket at least, begins when Clarke speaks to Nielsen and Chappell about how to approach the warm-up match, balancing his prospective Test XI against those younger players, like the spin bowler Nathan Lyon, who he must get a decent sight of.”It’s a tough one, you can go one of two ways, either you can pick your Test team, or close to your Test team, and play that to try to get a bit of momentum as a team,” Clarke said, “but then you’ve also got to monitor where guys are at, the guys who’ve played all five one-dayers, and work out if you know your Test XI.”It is pretty important that we make that decision, I’d like to give the guys as much notice as possible and I believe we’ve got to do whatever’s right to get us 100% ready, day one of that Test match.”

ESPNcricinfo previews the third ODI between England and India at The Oval

The Preview by Sahil Dutta08-Sep-2011

Match facts

Virat Kohli has been lively in the field but needs a big score to justify his billing•Getty Images

September 8, The Oval
Start time 1300 (1200 GMT)

Big Picture

This has not been an Indian summer. In any sense. The grim September weather has dominated the start of the one-day series, washing out the opening match and chopping the second down to 23 overs a side. Added to the dank weather, injuries have robbed the numerous India supporters in the crowd the chance of seeing many of their World Cup heroes. It hardly sounds the recipe for a stirring contest, yet the injuries have allowed India a glimpse of the future. The only hope of pulling a positive or two from out of the wreckage of this tour is for some young talent to flourish. Also, though it feels unlikely, there is still the possibility of silverware at stake.India’s batting has been invigorated by coloured clothing. On his way to a blistering 19-ball 40 at the Rose Bowl, Suresh Raina was unrecognisable from the man who compiled a 42-ball pair in the final Test at The Oval. Parthiv Patel, meanwhile, has been Sehwag-esque at the top of the order in bullying England’s new-ball bowlers off their plans. But the star has been Ajinkya Rahane.He has made 155 runs from 130 balls in his three outings against England and more than the volume has been the quality of his stroke-making. Short balls have been pulled easily, full ones driven fluidly and his technique strong throughout. Short-form runs – as Raina proved this summer – are no guarantee of class but allied to Rahane’s first-class average of 67.72, India fans have plenty reason for excitement.The problem India has is with the ball. Praveen Kumar, despite an off-colour showing at the Rose Bowl, is reliable, as is Munaf Patel, but beyond that the ranks are thin. Varun Aaron was flown in to give India the pace they have lacked all summer but has so far served the drinks. The emphasis of this one-day series should now be a view to the future so it’s a pity Aaron can’t get a game.Eoin Morgan’s injury leaves England without their best one-day batsman but gives Ravi Bopara an opportunity to find his feet on the international stage he looks in danger of slipping off. The other player looking to establish himself is Ben Stokes. England’s lower-order finishing was a major weakness at the World Cup and the management hope Stokes’s crisp-hitting can solve the issue. As of yet, though, he hasn’t had the chance.

Form guide

(Most recent first)
England WNWWW
India LNLLW

In the spotlight

It was only a cameo – and it ended in frustratingly soft fashion – but at the Rose Bowl, Ian Bell showed why he deserves a berth in England’s top order. It took Bell four years to crack Test cricket but he is fast-establishing himself as one of the classiest in the game and now has ODIs in his sights. In Southampton he struck four perfectly-timed fours to race to 25 without breaking sweat. Though he gave it away soon after a big score at The Oval wouldn’t be a surprise.Virat Kohli presence is one of the reasons India’s fielding has been sharper in the one-dayers than during the Test series. Lively and bristling with confidence he has also bowled a few overs. But he’s supposed to be one of the brightest batting talents in India and while Raina, Rahane and even Parthiv have all prospered at times this series, Kohli has been subdued. He’ll hope The Oval will spark a turnaround.

Team news

If the weather proves as good as the forecasts suggest, there should be a 50-over contest at The Oval. England will bring Jonathan Trott back to No. 3, reopening the obligatory debate about his scoring-rate, and may leave out Samit Patel. Patel took five wickets in his last ODI appearance at The Oval in 2008 so has fond memories. If England prefer his spin option, Bopara could miss out.England (possible) 1 Craig Kieswetter (wk), 2 Alastair Cook (capt), 3 Jonathan Trott, 4 Ian Bell, 5 Ravi Bopara, 6 Ben Stokes, 7 Tim Bresnan, 8 Graeme Swann, 9 Stuart Broad, 10 James Anderson, 11 Jade DernbachIndia’s search for a fifth bowler means Ravindra Jadeja could come into the side ahead of one of the batsmen that played at the Rose Bowl, most likely Manoj Tiwary. Vinay Kumar could also miss out for RP Singh.India (possible) 1 Ajinkya Rahane, 2 Parthiv Patel, 3 Rahul Dravid, 4 Virat Kohli, 5 Suresh Raina, 6 MS Dhoni (capt/wk), 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 R Ashwin, 9 Praveen Kumar, 10 Munaf Patel, 11 RP Singh.

Pitch and conditions

The weather is set to be much improved at The Oval. ‘Sunny intervals’ and a temperature high of 23 degrees is sweet relief after the damp encounters in Durham and Southampton. None the less by the time evening draws in it will be cold in London. The Oval should prove a good pitch for the batsmen but evening dew is always something for the captains to consider.

Stats and trivia

• England have won four of their seven ODI games against India at The Oval but lost a high-scoring thriller the last times the teams met here in 2007.
• From that team in 2007 India have only two surviving players – MS Dhoni and Rahul Dravid.
• If England win at The Oval it will be their fifth successive victory in completed ODI games

Quotes

“We’ve played some unbelievable cricket this summer, especially in the test matches, so we don’t want the one day series to be a bit of a damp squib at the end. It’s important we carry on the momentum, because we want all three forms of the game to be going in the right direction in the next few years.”
.”I had done no preparations before coming here. But I learnt as I went along.”
.

The lawyer of former Pakistan captain Salman Butt argued there is no reliable evidence for a jury to hand down a criminal conviction

Richard Sydenham at Southwark Crown Court24-Oct-2011The lawyer of former Pakistan captain Salman Butt argued there is no reliable evidence for a jury to hand down a criminal conviction against his client, and accused the prosecution of “working backwards from an assumption of guilt”, a London court heard on Monday.On day 14 of the trial, Butt sat listening intently in the dock throughout the closing speech by his representative Ali Bajwa QC, as the jury heard why he should not be handed a guilty verdict. This followed a three and a half hour speech from prosecutor Aftab Jafferjee QC, who highlighted Butt’s “corrupt relationship” with agent Mazhar Majeed.Butt and fast bowler Mohammad Asif face charges of conspiracy to cheat, and conspiracy to obtain and accept corrupt payments, following the Lord’s test in August last year when they allegedly conspired with Majeed, teenage paceman Mohammad Amir and other people unknown to bowl pre-planned no-balls. Butt and Asif deny the charges.Bajwa played on the conscience of the jury and asked them to consider if they had really heard enough genuine evidence that links Butt to the no-balls in question. He referred to a great, British tradition of justice and also sought to undermine the credibility of Majeed, as he has done consistently throughout the trial.”Every phone call he makes, every text he receives, every pound he earns has been presented to you as suspicious,” Bajwa said to the jury, after apologising for sounding indignant following on from Jafferjee’s speech. “But what I suggest to you is going on is that Mr Jafferjee has been working backwards from an assumption of guilt.”Salman Butt’s life has been torn apart to the point of analysing his bank records, his every move and even anything his mother does or planned. If I worked backwards from any of your lives (the jury) I could find or twist things about what you have or might not have done.”What we are asking you here is to stand back from this case and uphold that strong tradition of justice and say we are not going to presume that there is no smoke without fire. That is no basis for justice.”When you came into this court room for the first time you all took an oath to say you will give a verdict according to the evidence and nothing but the evidence. In the case of Salman Butt there simply isn’t enough evidence to find Salman Butt guilty. There seems to be a fix between Mazhar Majeed and Mohammad Amir and you must decide if that fix involved Mohammad Asif. What reliable evidence does the prosecution have that Salman Butt was involved in the fix of the Lord’s no-balls?”When all is said and done and after I remove the sand that has been thrown in your eyes suggesting the claims that have been thrown at you (from the prosecution), it all comes down to August 26 and 27 and the News of the World journalist and the words of Mazhar Majeed at the Copthorne Tara Hotel on August 25.”There was £2,500 of marked News of the World money discovered in Butt’s room during a police raid, though Butt claims that money was handed to him by Majeed as a half payment towards a fee for opening an ice cream parlour in tooting, London. Bajwa reminded the jury how they had been told that Butt had confirmed earnings of £548,000 between mid-2007 to 2010 and how that was hardly “peanuts” by British or Pakistani standards but it “suited Majeed” to say as much.Bajwa, who told the jury that Majeed will not be cross-examined, added: “Is it right that we can condemn someone on the words of a man without his evidence being tested in court? You are being asked to give a criminal conviction on the strength of Majeed’s evidence. Majeed was £704,000 overdrawn and on the verge of bankruptcy.”This is a man who claimed be good friends with Brad Pitt, Roger Federer and former England players like Mike Gatting, Geoff Boycott and Phil Tufnell – who won ‘I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here’. Well I say Majeed is the celebrity and we need to get him out of here.”The case continues.

West Indies were in a fight to prevent a big loss at Eden Gardens, needing to bat close five more sessions with seven wickets in hand

The Report by Sidharth Monga16-Nov-2011
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsUmesh Yadav picked up three wickets in the first innings•AFP

West Indies were in a fight to prevent a big loss at Eden Gardens, needing to bat close to five more sessions with seven wickets in hand. They imploded in the morning session to get bowled out in 48 overs, three more than what Devendra Bishoo bowled when India batted. Such capitulation was not forthcoming in the follow-on, but a patient Ishant Sharma chipped away at them and got rid of both half-centurions, Adrian Barath and Kirk Edwards, before stumps. West Indies still needed 283 to make India bat again with two days remaining in the match.What happened in the morning wasn’t entirely unexpected, in that spin began the slide and that once Shivnarine Chanderpaul got out cheaply there wasn’t much resistance. Umesh Yadav brought the surprise, removing the two batsmen who got involved in any sort of partnership, Darren Bravo and Marlon Samuels.From the moment Pragyan Ojha pitched the first ball of the morning in front of leg and missed off, you knew from the evidence from Delhi that the batsmen would struggle. In his third over of the day, Ojha delivered the simple one-two of a big turner followed by the arm ball. Edwards neither read the arm ball nor came forward, and even though it was a marginal lbw, Edwards’ being caught on the crease did him no favours.Chanderpaul showed more intent, sweeping the third ball he faced for four. Ojha didn’t bowl the next over. And it took the replacement Ashwin three balls to trap the big fish in front. Chanderpaul always leaves the lbw open by shuffling across, and it is a huge credit to how he keeps scoring and rarely gets hit on the pad. This time, though, he missed an offbreak that didn’t turn as much as it held its line. Caught inside the crease, Chanderpaul provided the umpire no dilemma.Bravo and Samuels batted positively, doubling the score from 46 for 4 before Bravo played a lazy shot: a push at a ball just outside off, without getting close to the line. Yadav took the inside edge, and Bravo’s stumps were now only semi-furnished. A peach spread-eagled Samuels’ woodwork soon. This one shaped like it would swing in, pitched on a good length, hit the seam and then held its line. India were into the tail now, with fewer than 100 on the board.

Smart stats

• The lead of 478 is the second-highest conceded by the West Indies and the highest ever lead conceded by them since 1930 against England. Click here for matches where West Indies have batted first and here for matches when they have fielded first.

• India have registered 400-plus leads on four different occasions. On three occasions in the last four years, India have batted first. The only time they batted second and gained a 400-run lead was against Australia in Kolkata in 1998.

• West Indies’ total of 153 is their third-lowest in Tests against India. While they lost when they made their lowest total (106) in Kingston in 2006, they won despite folding for 127 in Delhi in 1987.

• Shivnarine Chanderpaul became the fourth batsman after Clive Lloyd, Javed Miandad and Ricky Ponting to aggregate 2000 runs in Tests against India. His seven centuries are second to Garry Sobers and Viv Richards, who have eight each.

• The 93-run stand between Adrian Barath and Kirk Edwards is the fifth-highest second-wicket stand for West Indies in Tests in India.

• Pragyan Ojha, who picked up 4 for 64 in the first innings, reached the 50-wicket landmark in his 13th Test. Five Indian bowlers including Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh have achieved the feat in fewer matches.

Darren Sammy hit Ojha for a six but Ojha responded with another flighted delivery. The extra bounce on that took Sammy’s edge on the cut. Quick singles have hardly been the thought on the minds of West Indies’ batsman, but for some reason Kemar Roach was caught backing up too far to replicate the Gautam Gambhir dismissal from Delhi. Just in case we didn’t notice this was some kind of a repeat of a show seen sometime earlier, Carlton Baugh fell lbw trying a big sweep off a full Ojha delivery.Fidel Edwards swung a few before the end, but all it did was deny India their biggest lead in Test cricket, which continues to be the 492-run difference they managed against Bangladesh in 2007.The batsmen did well to not carry the repetition of errors into the second innings after having lost their last 25 wickets for 368 runs. They were aggressive but judicious. Barath was clear in his mind. When he went after width, he did so hard, and resisted pushing defensively outside off. Kraigg Brathwaite, though, pushed half-heartedly, giving Yadav his third wicket of the day. Edwards’ arrival brought in Ojha, but this time Edwards was quick to come forward in defence, and also drove at overpitched deliveries. Barath welcomed Ojha with two fours in his first over, and then Edwards hit his fifth over for a four and a six.Like any self-respecting modern captain, Dhoni immediately spread the field, never mind the huge lead in hand. At one point West Indies batted with five fielders on the boundary, and kept picking the easy single. When Dhoni brought the mid-on in for Yuvraj Singh, Barath immediately lofted him over that fielder to reach 49. He spent six balls on that score, and then could easily push one to deep point for the single that would bring up his fifty.The ball had started reversing by now, and after tea Ishant bowled a testing over to Barath. After continuously pushing him back with short-of-a-length deliveries and inward movement, Ishant bowled the sucker ball wide outside off. Barath went after it, the ball moved away slightly, took the edge, and settled with the lone wide slip.Edwards and Bravo, both batting for a second time today, made sure an immediate wicket didn’t follow. Bravo hit Ojha and Ashwin for a six each to get rid of the extra catching men. Edwards was now reaping benefits of a similar approach earlier. His concentration wavered when Ishant came back, and he played across the line of a full delivery that straightened. Through a 34-run partnership, Bravo and Chanderpaul ensured there wasn’t further damage, but their job had only just started.

ESPNcricinfo previews the first Test between Australia and India in Melbourne

The Preview by Daniel Brettig24-Dec-2011

Match facts

Monday, December 26
Start time 1030 (2330 GMT)The state of Zaheer Khan’s 33-year-old body is critical to the outcome of the Test•Getty Images

Big Picture

Perhaps the biggest date on the Test cricket calendar, this year’s Boxing Day match is a meeting between two flawed but fascinating teams. The dimensions of the flaws – Australia’s brittle batting, India’s slim bowling – create for plenty of intrigue.Australia enter the match having lost a Test to New Zealand for the first time since 1993, and with the batsmen having been submitted for extra remedial work against the swinging ball. They are bolstered by the return of Shaun Marsh and the inclusion of the solid Ed Cowan, but will have to improve markedly in their resilience as a batting collective. Ricky Ponting and Michael Hussey, the two thirty-somethings in the middle order, have the task ahead of them to prove they deserve to keep their spots after recent misadventures with the bat. They will hope for brighter days against India’s attack.Though Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma appear a formidable pace duo on the page, neither is at their peak due to ankle problems. Zaheer’s has been recovering after surgery, while Ishant may yet require surgical work once the tour is over. Behind them are the slippery but inexperienced Umesh Yadav and the spin of R Ashwin or Pragyan Ojha, none of whom have played a Test in Australia. Ashwin’s accuracy and variations have the chance of posing problems for the hosts, though the drop-in pitch at the MCG is not noted as for extremes of spin or deterioration.Better known is India’s batting, constructed as it is on the pillars of Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman. The latter trio are on a valedictory trip that is surely their last to this country, Dravid making it memorable already via his insightful Bradman Oration in Canberra. He has been India’s most accomplished batsman in 2011, having beaten the naysayers much as Tendulkar did when he emerged from a lean 2005-06. Sehwag’s destructive capabilities are self-evident, while Laxman’s penchant for Australian bowling is nothing short of legendary. Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli are able lieutenants, through Gambhir is overdue a century.Opposing them is an Australia bowling ensemble that could be extremely effective, but may also be taken for plenty of runs. James Pattinson’s fire and swing have given Michael Clarke the spearhead he needs, while Peter Siddle and Ben Hilfenhaus seem to be much improved on the versions of themselves that were milked around the MCG by England in last year’s corresponding match. Most curious of all, however, is the matter of Nathan Lyon’s fledgling spin. He is talented, and led adeptly by Clarke. But India have destroyed the world’s finest slow bowlers as a matter of course, and shall seek to do the same to Lyon to place maximum pressure on a quartet of bowlers lacking the allround element of Shane Watson or Daniel Christian.

Form guide

Australia: LWWLD
India: DWWLL

Players to watch out for…

Shaun Marsh batted with enormous assurance in his first three Tests, until a back complaint rendered him lame for the second innings of the Cape Town Test against South Africa and kept him out of three further encounters. His combination of patience, sound judgement and firm stroke-play elevated him to No. 3 ahead of Ponting, and gave Australia a sense of calm at the fall of the first wicket. How much Marsh was missed became painfully clear in Hobart against New Zealand, necessitating his return for the MCG. Having shown he is striking the ball well enough in a Twenty20 appearance for the Perth Scorchers, Marsh must now push his back through the rigours of five days. A relapse would be disastrous.Two previous tours of Australia have proven too taxing for Zaheer Khan, as injuries cruelled his progress each time. Smart, aggressive and skilful, Zaheer has all the toys required to unseat the best batsmen, and in India has ripped through Australia more than once, using swing and cagey variations in pace. But it is in Australia where the injuries have struck, and after an ankle surgery Zaheer must hold his body together if he is to make a critical contribution to this match, and this tour.

Team news

Cowan and Marsh replaced Phillip Hughes and Usman Khawaja, while Ben Hilfenhaus offers steady swing and long spells – two things Mitchell Starc struggled to provide either in consistent doses despite his undoubted promise.Australia: 1 David Warner, 2 Ed Cowan, 3 Shaun Marsh, 4 Ricky Ponting, 5 Michael Clarke (capt), 6 Michael Hussey, 7 Brad Haddin (wk), 8 Peter Siddle, 9 James Pattinson, 10 Nathan Lyon, 11 Ben Hilfenhaus.Ishant and Zaheer are fit to play, and India’s batting appears settled. Ashwin is expected to claim the spin spot ahead of Ojha.India(probable): 1 Virender Sehwag, 2 Gautam Gambhir, 3 Rahul Dravid, 4 Sachin Tendulkar, 5 Virat Kohli, 6 VVS Laxman, 7 MS Dhoni (capt, wk), 8 R Ashwin, 9 Zaheer Khan, 10 Ishant Sharma, 11 Umesh Yadav.

Pitch and conditions

As on Boxing Day last year, the MCG pitch will likely offer plenty of early life before simmering down later. On a surface not given to breaking up once the early life recedes, the first innings will be important to the outcome of the match.

Stats and trivia

• Sachin Tendulkar needs a century to reach his 100th in international matches.
• India have not won a Test series in Australia in nine attempts since their first visit in 1947-48. Three series, 1980-81, 1985-86 and 2003-04, have been drawn.
• Ed Cowan is Australia’s 10th Test debutant in 2011. This is the most since 1977, the year of defections to Kerry Packer’s World Series Cricket.

Quotes

“I make no bones about it, we’ve had extra time as a batting unit because we know we’ve got to get better at facing the new ball if there’s a bit in the wicket. We want to improve. We want to get better in that department of our game as batters. We’ve done the work though. That’s all I can ask any of the boys for.”
“Last time we had one side game against Victoria team but it was rained out, so we directly went to a Test match without preparation. So we are quite happy with the way we have prepared. Also we are able to spend a lot of time together, especially with the one-day boys who have recovered from the tough schedule they had.

A round-up of the third round of matches in the Ford Trophy 2011-12

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Dec-2011Auckland beat Northern Districts by six wickets at Mount Maunganui thanks to 91 from Bradley Cachopa. His 117-ball innings set up Auckland’s chase. The captain Gareth Hopkins, who made 25 not out, shared an unbeaten stand of 62 with Zimbabwean Colin de Grandhomme, 38 not out, to guide his side home with two overs to spare. Northern Districts had been bowled out for 241 thanks to 3 for 35 from Andre Adams. They had been 4 for 2, with Brad Wilson and James Marshall both out first ball, but Hamish Marshall made a 110-ball 83 to guide his side to a competitive total.Wellington had made 205 for 8 from 46 overs against Central Districts before rain prevented any further play in Napier. Michael Pollard made 114 not out from 137 balls before the weather struck.Not a ball was bowled between Canterbury and Otago due to the poor weather in Rangiora.

N Srinivasan, the BCCI president, has said that the Indian board does not have any reservations against technology as such, but reiterated its scepticism of the Decision Review System

ESPNcricinfo staff31-Jan-2012N Srinivasan, the BCCI president, has said that the Indian board does not have any reservations against technology as such, but reiterated its scepticism of the Decision Review System. Speaking to , Srinivasan said the BCCI’s opposition of the DRS was based on the lack of evidence supporting the accuracy of Hawk-Eye, and the unreliability of Hot Spot.”The BCCI is not against technology at all,” Srinivasan said. “I am an engineer myself. Technology that is not perfect will not add to decision making, it will take away from it. We have explained our position at ICC meetings that the ball-tracking technology is faulty. Even the inventor [agrees] there’s an uncertainty about it. The problem of Hot Spot was very evident in the England tour [where it presented a number of ambiguous verdicts, though the technology has improved markedly since then]. These are the two main elements that make up the DRS, and both do not stand up to the test of perfection.”Srinivasan said that during one of his meetings with the technology providers he had been told that a “leap of faith” was required to believe in the ball-tracking technology being used in the DRS.”I had a presentation made to me by the Hawk-Eye people. Without going into all the details when I finally said, ‘How can one be certain that the track showed by the computers was the actual path taken by the ball,’ I was told, ‘That is a leap of faith you have to take’. I was not prepared to take that leap of faith.”Srinivasan, who juggles the responsibilities of being an IPL governing council member and the owner of the Chennai Super Kings franchise in addition to being the BCCI president, stressed that his multiple roles did not involve any conflict of interest. Srinivasan is the managing director of India Cements, the company that owns the Super Kings franchise.”I don’t agree there is any conflict since no decision has been taken for the sake of one particular franchise,” Srinivasan said. “India Cements is a public company that owns the bid for a team after securing permission from the BCCI. This was a declared situation, that I was the MD of the company.”All decisions [pertaining to the IPL] are taken by the general body of the BCCI – 30 members are there. The governing council has 13 eminent people. There is no decision made exclusively for one franchise. Decisions are made by all these people, for all franchises.”Srinivasan also shot down suggestions that Indian selection panel head Kris Srikkanth’s involvement with the Super Kings – he was a brand ambassador of the franchise in its first season – may have led to the inclusion of a large number of players from the state of Tamil Nadu in the Indian team. Chennai is the capital of Tamil Nadu.”I will not talk about that,” Srinivasan said. “There are five selectors, and I have no role in selection. I was the board secretary, and I convened those meetings, but I am not a selector. If there was an impression that someone who should not have been in the team [was picked] … the entire cricketing press was there, but not a word, not even a squeak was there.”When the interviewer hinted that the press wasn’t in a position to speak up since the BCCI controlled their access to cricket in India, Srinivasan said: “What access, nothing of that kind.”N Srinivasan: “We don’t give any directions to them, neither do we pull them up for anything”•Sajjad Hussain/AFP

Srinivasan explained the cases of M Vijay and Abhinav Mukund – Tamil Nadu openers who have been in and out of the India side in the recent past – to reinforce his point. “M Vijay was chosen and he performed well; when he did not he was dropped. When he went outside, Zimbabwe and other things, his scores were not there and he automatically got the boot. The only other player was Abhinav Mukund who went to West Indies [and England] but he was not picked [later]. Instead, Ajinkya Rahane has gone to Australia.”Another contentious issue pertaining to the BCCI that gained currency during the England tour, was the potential conflict of interest involving two commentators. Ravi Shastri and Sunil Gavaskar, both contracted employees of the BCCI, were perceived to be toeing the board’s line on issues such as the DRS and the influence of the IPL on India’s Test performances. Srinivasan, however, said the BCCI had never sought to control what they said on air.”They [Shastri and Gavaskar] are not ‘hired guns’; saying so is not fair to the two of them. They have a contract with the BCCI, which was decided by the board at that time. I have read criticism on this. I have read people saying that the board gags the commentators or instructs them. I can assure you only one thing: we do not tell the commentator a single word. Suggesting that ‘we don’t have to’ is unfair to the two of them.”You have to understand the type of person that I am. The last thing that I would do would be to talk to a commentator to give a feeling, should we not give this flavour … I would find it demeaning to do. We don’t give any directions to them, neither do we pull them up for anything.”Srinivasan also spoke about the BCCI’s opposition to interference from the Indian government through a planned sports bill that seeks to bring the board under the Right to Information Act (RTI).”The RTI doesn’t apply to the board. It doesn’t take one rupee from the government. There’s nothing secret about the board. Except for the selection committee, what they discuss, that is not discussed in public which is fair enough. Otherwise, in every other aspect we are transparent, we answer to the people. It is on principle. Why should the Sports Law apply to the BCCI? Without any government fingerprint – ok, we may have had the odd bad series – but over a long period of time, we have seen Indian cricket come of age.”

Richard Levi’s half-century gave a powerful start to the South Africans’ batting before Lonwabo Tsotsobe’s early hat-trick helped set up a 20-run win

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Feb-2012
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
By the end of Lonwabo Tsotsobe’s spell, Canterbury were 24 for 4•Getty Images

Richard Levi’s half-century gave a powerful start to the South Africans’ batting, before Lonwabo Tsotsobe’s early hat-trick helped set up a 20-run win against Canterbury in Christchurch. The South Africans’ tour opener wasn’t all one-sided though, as their middle order stumbled and their bowlers were given a scare by a late cameo by Matt Henry.After Canterbury chose to field, Levi gave the visitors a blazing start. He outscored Hashim Amla in an explosive opening stand as the South Africans raced to 80 for 0 in eight overs. The most productive over of the match was the fifth – 21 runs came off it as Levi started by slamming medium-pacer Logan van Beek for fours fours. He reached his fifty in the next over with a big six over midwicket but Levi’s dismissal in the ninth over led to the visitors losing their way.The next six overs yielded only 27 runs for the loss of Amla, Colin Ingram and captain AB de Villiers. The South Africans had looked set for at least 180 when Levi was in the middle, but they ended up with a relatively modest 150.If Canterbury were buoyed by their efforts in the second half of the visitors’ batting, their hopes were punctured by Tsotsobe’s hat-trick. He ended the second over of the chase by dismissing the openers George Worker and Peter Fulton before returning to trap Shanan Stewart lbw with an incutter. In his third over, he took out highly rated youngster Tom Latham and by the end of his spell, Canterbury were at 24 for 4.The match meandered along and the South Africans seemed headed for a huge victory before the No. 9, Henry, swung five sixes in a 17-ball 42 to briefly raise Canterbury’s spirits. The fight was virtually over in the 18th over, though, as he edged a Morne Morkel yorker through to the keeper and Canterbury were bowled out with an over to spare.de Villiers was thrilled with the successful start to the tour. “This was exactly what we needed,” he said. “We needed a competitive challenge and all the credit to Canterbury’s batsmen for fighting the way they did towards the end.”He was also pleased with the form of Levi and Tsotsobe. “Richard is a phenomenal batsman, he is an impact player and it is very exciting for us to have a player of his calibre at the top of the order.”Lopsy has just been outstanding. I don’t know how he does it so consistently, he just keeps taking wickets.”

Pakistan put one foot in the final of the Asia Cup with a six-wicket win over a tired Sri Lankan outfit, which didn’t have enough steam needed to defend a modest 188

The Report by Kanishkaa Balachandran15-Mar-2012 by six wickets
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsAizaz Cheema came back well to pick up four wickets after getting pasted in his first two overs•Associated Press

Pakistan put one foot in the final of the Asia Cup with a six-wicket win over a tired Sri Lankan outfit, which did not have enough steam to defend a modest 188. Pakistan’s bowlers set up the win with a disciplined effort, and Misbah-ul-Haq and Umar Akmal compiled positive half-centuries to arrest a top-order wobble. Their eagerly anticipated clash with India on Sunday may not carry much context for them if India beat Bangladesh tomorrow, but Sri Lanka’s second consecutive defeat makes an India-Pakistan final likely.The defeat left a few important questions for Sri Lanka to answer after a long, strenuous season away from home, where they have had mixed results. Their shot-selection for one, starting from the seniors at the top, has been exposed, leaving plenty for the lower middle-order to do. With Upul Tharanga scoring another half-century at No.6, it strengthens his case for being reinstated as an opener, meaning that Mahela Jayawardene would have to move back down the order.The presence of Dilshan and Jayawardene at the top was aimed at giving Sri Lanka a strong start in a must-win game. They started aggressively today, but in their quest lost quick wickets. It was an underwhelming performance from a team that bats deep but did not have the application to match their talent.Jayawardene fell trying to drive past extra cover. Dilshan, after some crunching drives through the off side, fell off a miscued pull. The wicket was nicely set up by Aizaz Cheema, who peppered him with short deliveries and challenged him to target the on side, with a fielder in the deep. Two more soft dismissals, those of the young Dinesh Chandimal and Lahiru Thirimanne, put a lot of pressure on Kumar Sangakkara and Tharanga.They suffered in the bowling Powerplay, scoring only 11 runs. Their stand of 96 featured several singles, 61 of them, and five boundaries. Tharanga was comfortable against the spinners, picking up boundaries through the off side via deft cuts. Sangakkara, who began with a clipped boundary past midwicket, pounced on a short delivery from Mohammad Hafeez to bring up the fifty stand.

Smart stats

• The 152-run stand between Misbah-ul-Haq and Umar Akmal is the highest fourth-wicket stand for Pakistan against Sri Lanka. It is also the joint second-highest partnership for the fourth wicket in ODIs in Mirpur.

• Umar Gul became the tenth Pakistani bowler to reach the 150-wicket mark in ODIs. His average of 27.24 is bettered by five other bowlers on the list.

• Aizaz Cheema equalled his best bowling figures in ODIs (4 for 43). It is also the best bowling performance by a Pakistan bowler in ODIs against Sri Lanka played in Bangladesh.

• The 61 balls remaining at the end is third on the list of most deliveries remaining in a Pakistan win over Sri Lanka.

• Misbah has now scored 19 half-centuries in ODIs. In 13 matches against Sri Lanka, Misbah has scored five half-centuries and averages 48.00.

• Akmal’s 77 is his fifth fifty-plus score against Sri Lanka and his 14th half-century in ODIs. Against Sri Lanka, Akmal has scored 470 runs at 52.22 with one century and four fifties.

• The 96-run stand between Kumar Sangakkara and Upul Tharanga is the fourth-highest fifth-wicket stand for Sri Lanka against Pakistan and is also fourth on the list of highest fifth-wicket stands in Mirpur.

Sri Lanka once again succumbed to a familiar weakness – the batting Powerplay. As it happened against India, they lost their foothold in the first over of the field restrictions. Saeed Ajmal was taken off after the bowling Powerplay but Misbah brought him back at the start of the 36th over. He struck by bowling Tharanga with the doosra, before inducing a poor shot from Farveez Maharoof. Sangakkara tried to force the pace by charging Cheema but ended up dragging the ball onto the stumps. His reaction after being dismissed, swishing the air with his bat, summed up Sri Lanka’s problems.Pakistan picked up the last six wickets for just 27 runs and it was largely due to Sri Lanka’s inability to read Ajmal’s doosra. Cheema went on to take four wickets while Ajmal took three. It was an especially satisfying display by Cheema, who got a pasting early on but backed himself to bowl fast and attack the batsmen.A timid start by Pakistan, which included the loss of three wickets, gave Sri Lanka hope of defending a modest 188. Jayawardene, maintaining a stony expression, had plenty to expect from his beefed-up bowling attack, and they responded by trying to make life tough for the top order by bowling tight lines. Some committed ground fielding, especially by Dilshan, and catching lifted the spirits of the bowlers.Jayawardene stuck to his tactic of constantly shuffling fielders in various close catching positions to create chances. The openers, Nasir Jamshed and Mohammad Hafeez, started watchfully but succumbed to tame dismissals, not very different in character to their counterparts. Jamshed holed out to mid-on before Hafeez scooped the legspinner Seekkuge Prasanna to point.Younis Khan gifted Suranga Lakmal his second wicket with an exaggerated whip to Farveez Maharoof at mid-on, who timed his dive and caught the ball inches off the ground. At 33 for 3, Sri Lanka were in the game but three boundaries by Akmal off a Lasith Malinga over in the bowling Powerplay – all risk-free – calmed the nerves for Pakistan. Misbah was prepared to wait for the bad deliveries, driving Prasanna past the covers before launching him for a six over long-on.The calmness of Misbah and exuberance of Akmal combined well to ensure that Pakistan crossed the finish line before the 40th over, which gained them a bonus point. Akmal was strong behind square on the on side, sweeping the spinners and paddling them away with the fine leg up. As the target shrunk, Sri Lanka appeared to throw in the towel. The fast bowlers failed to control the scoring, as Pakistan found the gaps with ease during the batting Powerplay.Sri Lanka have a very slim chance of making the final, provided they beat Bangladesh convincingly, and India lose both their remaining games. A back-door entry, however, would not leave them satisfied.Edited by Dustin Silgardo

The owners of Pune Warriors India, who had threatened to pull out of the IPL, watched their team cause an upset in front of a packed Wankhede Stadium

The Report by George Binoy06-Apr-2012
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsAshok Dinda’s 4 for 18 was instrumental in Pune Warriors India upsetting Mumbai Indians•AFP

The owners of Pune Warriors India, who had threatened to pull out of the IPL because they felt disadvantaged by the tournament’s rules, watched their team cause an upset at a packed Wankhede Stadium, where they defended a modest total against one of the tournament favourites, Mumbai Indians. The Warriors’ spinners – of left-arm, offspin and legbreak variety – masterminded by new captain Sourav Ganguly, thrived on a generous pitch, while Ashok Dinda offered substantial pace support.The result was a surprise because Mumbai Indians had restricted Warriors to 129 for 9, especially after their batsmen chased successfully with ease on opening night in Chennai. However, Mumbai Indians were without Sachin Tendulkar, who was nursing a bruised hand, and the instability at the top of the order resulted in a flurry of wickets that damaged the chase irrevocably.The Warriors began to control the game as early as the second ball of the chase, when Murali Kartik spun one past the outside edge of the advancing Richard Levi, the Man of the Match against Super Kings for scoring a half-century. Ganguly used Kartik in two more one-over spells, and in his second he took out Dinesh Karthik, who was well set on 32.With Tendulkar missing and Levi out for a duck, Mumbai Indians’s position got worse in the second over, when two slashes against Dinda resulted in edges that accounted for Ambati Rayudu and Rohit Sharma. The hosts were floundering at 5 for 3. Dinda was to return late in the game to take two more wickets: those of James Franklin, who consumed 42 balls to score 32, and the captain Harbhajan Singh for 16 in the final over.Franklin and Karthik had steadied the innings after the early wobble but they were unable to score rapidly against the offspin of Marlon Samuels and legspin of Rahul Sharma. Wickets did not fall but the asking-rate rose. Sharma’s first ball was a long-hop which Karthik pulled for four, but he still finished with 1-16 in four overs. His only wicket came off the final ball of his spell and it ended the game as a contest. Kieron Pollard was bowled by a quicker ball, and the equation of 53 off 24 balls was 29 too many for Mumbai Indians to get.That the Warriors had a score they could hope to defend was down to contributions from Robin Uthappa and Steven Smith, who was Man of the Match for his breezy 39 during the death overs. They began their partnership of 44 after Warriors had been reduced to 47 for 4 in the ninth over. Uthappa had begun steadily, scoring at a run a ball, and had only started to accelerate when he skied a return catch to Pollard. Smith, however, stayed until the final over, using his unorthodox style to find gaps in the field. Munaf Patel gave Smith an angry send-off when he was dismissed in the final over, with the score on 128 for 8, but the batsman had the final laugh.Mumbai Indians, however, had been impressive with the ball and in the field. Lasith Malinga bowled a dangerous spell full of yorkers, and was supported by Harbhajan and Munaf, who maintained pressure on the Warriors batsmen. And Pragyan Ojha spun his left-arm orthodox significantly, often beating the right-handers by several inches. Their fielding was exceptional, with Pollard and Rayudu patrolling the boundary to prevent Callum Ferguson from breaking free, and Rohit dismissing him with a direct hit when one stump was visible from point. At the half-way stage, Mumbai Indians were favourites, but their batsmen collapsed to underline just how unpredictable this format can be.