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Lalit Modi, the former IPL chairman, has been sent a show cause by the passport office in Mumbai asking him to justify why his passport should not be revoked, according to the . Modi has 15 days to respond to the notice, which was sent after the Enforcement Directorate [ED], a department of the Finance Ministry that handles allegations of financial irregularity, requested the cancellation of his passport in a letter to the Ministry of External Affairs.Mehmood Abdi, Modi’s lawyer, told ESPNcricinfo that neither he nor his client has received any notices from the ED or the passport office. “Lalit Modi has been cooperating with ED in the best possible manner i.e. through his constituted attorney and lawyers. Each and every summons has been timely responded; all documents and explanations called for have been provided to ED.”Abdi added that taking away someone’s passport was a strong step that threatens Modi’s personal liberty, and therefore should not be taken lightly. He also reiterated that Modi’s absence from India is due to a “grave and elevated threat perception of his life.”The ED is examining whether Modi violated the Foreign Exchange Management Act during his time as IPL chairman. Last week the directorate issued a blue corner alert for Modi, which makes it mandatory for law-enforcement agencies around the world to detain him wherever they spot him and inform the ED accordingly. Modi has denied receiving that notice as well.The Chennai police have also registered a case against Lalit Modi and six others on allegations of criminal conspiracy, cheating and falsification of accounts, according to a report in the . The case is based on a criminal complaint filed by the BCCI on Wednesday.

There are a couple of ways to look at Shane Watson’s opening partnership with Simon Katich. The straight numbers way, or through the increasingly friendly displays of two content men who form the most stable sector of the country’s batting.In statistical terms they own the second-best average for Australian openers in 20 Tests or more, with their 54.95 an innings putting them behind Bill Lawry and Bob Simpson. They currently have 1099 runs together and will never reach the mark of Matthew Hayden and Justin Langer (5655), mainly due to Katich’s age of 35. They are also unlikely to match the man love of their cuddle-happy predecessors, but are giving it a go.”We probably aren’t as emotional as those two were, with our public shows of affection,” Watson said. “But we’ve got a really strong inner bond. You’re never going to see as much hugging as what you did with Matt Hayden and Justin Langer, so we won’t be raising too many eyebrows in that regard.”They enjoy socialising away from the game, although Katich doesn’t use his celebrity cooking skills to fill Watson’s stomach. “We’ve had a good friendship, even before we ended up opening the batting together,” Watson said. “We know that deep down there’s such a tight inner bond because of what we’re doing, and trying to do. He’s an integral part of who we are.”Like any lasting relationship there have been bouts of silent treatment, the main one coming when they pretended to be strangers when stuck at the same end of the MCG in December. Watson was the one run-out, seven short of his first Test century, but they were soon speaking and scoring heavily again.The strength of their partnership has surprised Watson, and the odd couple has become one of the selection panel’s most successful gambles. Watson is the free-flowing, muscular, stylish striker who is made for the middle order, giving him time to recover from his bowling. The almost scrawny Katich is happy to scrape and scrap, focusing not on style, but the end-of-innings total.”It has been a really good combination of what we both do to set up a platform for the team,” he said. “I never really fully understood when the guys who opened the batting continued to talk about how important the relationship is for openers, and how important it is to be really close.”Watson likes where is so much, having scored 990 runs at 47.14 since replacing Phillip Hughes at Edgbaston last year, that his argument of not wanting to drop down the order is now convincing. At the start of his time at the top he wasn’t so sure, despite being desperate to talk up his suitability.Cold shoulder: Watson and Katich wait for the run-out decision at the MCG in December•Getty Images

“I love where I’m batting now,” he said. “It does really suit my personality in the game, which I never thought it would until I had the opportunity.”And in an order in which Ricky Ponting, Michael Hussey and Marcus North have been battling, the opening combination takes on extreme importance. Katich has talked about turning stands of 80 into 180 and Watson wants to transform his record for entertaining half-centuries into a reputation for big hundreds. “It’s something I will be continuing to develop and improve on,” he said. “It’s a part that needs to get better.”Of course, Watson is not just a recently married metrosexual who expresses his feelings and has found the perfect hair gel. He can also turn into a fast bowler of the 1970s, without the moustache, but with the loud mouth.He has tipped Steven Finn, the 21-year-old fast bowler, and Jimmy Anderson to struggle during the 2010-11 Ashes. Finn didn’t play the one-dayers when Australia were in England earlier in the year and Watson believes his lack of big matches can be exposed.”He is someone we can really try and make the most of his inexperience,” he said. “By them resting him during the [English] summer and us not seeing him during the one-dayers – no doubt he will feel the pressure. It is so foreign, he doesn’t know what to expect.”Watson highlighted Anderson’s poor record on the 2006-07 tour, when he took five wickets at 82.60. “If he doesn’t start out the way he wants to,” he said, “those wounds can open up straight away.”However, he does rate Stuart Broad after being dismissed twice by him in last year’s Ashes. “He will be the hardest bowler we’ll have to face in the English attack,” he said. “Because of how skilful he is on wickets that aren’t doing anything. He’s able to change his pace, seam movement, angles on the crease, he’s a really intelligent bowler. England are going to be reliant on him.”Australia will be looking to Watson and Katich to blunt Broad and take control of the innings. In the end it is only the numbers that matter.

Kamran Akmal has paid the price for his poor performance in the first Test against England at Trent Bridge, and has been dropped from Pakistan’s team for the second game at Edgbaston, which gets underway on Friday.Akmal’s position came under fire following the Trent Bridge Test, in which he batted five balls for no runs in his two innings, while squandering a host of chances behind the stumps – most notably Eoin Morgan on 5, as he failed to gather a low edge from England’s first-innings centurion, and Paul Collingwood, whom he reprieved in both innings, firstly a missed stumping on 48, and then a first-ball drop in front of first slip, only moments after his one bright moment, a sharp leg-side take off Kevin Pietersen.”I would say he has been rested,” Pakistan’s captain, Salman Butt, told Cricinfo. “He is having a run where he is not able to do what he is able to usually. But he now has ten days to just take his mind off the pressures that accompany when you are not doing well at international level. I’m sure he is a champion player and he will work hard to make a comeback.”Team sources confirmed that Zulqarnain Haider, the 24-year-old reserve wicketkeeper from Lahore, will come in as Akmal’s replacement, and will therefore be making his Test debut, three years after a solitary Twenty20 appearance.”I am very happy that I have been picked and I’m grateful to everyone who selected me,” Zulqarnain told Cricinfo. “I did expect that probably I would’ve played one Test, more towards the end of the series. But I never really expected that I would play in the second Test itself.”With six centuries from 51 Tests, Akmal’s experience has tended to outweigh his propensity for poor performances behind the stumps, most notably at Sydney in January earlier this year, when he managed to reprieve Michael Hussey three times off Danish Kaneria, as Australia overcame a first-innings deficit of 207 to win a thrilling contest that, sadly but inevitably, attracted the interest of the ICC’s Anti-Corruption Unit.All told, Akmal has dropped 34 chances in his last 28 Tests, and he averages less than 17 in Tests in Australia, South Africa and England. The first evidence that a change behind the stumps was afoot came when Zulqarnain lined up alongside the full slip cordon for today’s final practice session, with Akmal left to warm up alone on the other side of the field.Zulqarnain was a member of Pakistan team that beat West Indies in the final of the Under-19 World Cup in Dhaka in 2004, and was named in his first Test squad later that year. He has been made to wait a long time for his opportunity.Meanwhile, Mohammad Yousuf, who arrived in the country less than 24 hours before the start of the match, has also ruled himself out of contention, citing tiredness.”I have just arrived after a long flight. I will not be training. I will wait for the management to tell me what their plan is,” Yousuf had told Cricinfo immediately after arriving in Birmingham.Later in the evening he had a short and informal meeting over a cup of tea with the tour selection committee comprising Butt, Waqar Younis (coach) and Yawar Saeed (team manager) at the team hotel. “Considering the heavy monsoon across Pakistan Yousuf told us that he could not practice outdoors for the last 10-15 days,” Butt told Cricinfo. “So obviously we felt that was not enough match preparation.”Butt added that Yousuf can now set his sights on the third Test at The Oval beginning on August 18. “He can relax for now and steadily get back into the groove in the next week and also during the two-day practice game against Worcester,” Butt said. Asked if he was a certainty for the final two Tests, Butt said a player with Yousuf’s pedigree would walk into any team if he was fit.

Sanath Jayasuriya has received another blow after being left out of the 20 players Sri Lanka Cricket offered central contracts for the current year. Muttiah Muralitharan, who will retire from Tests at the end of the first game against India at Galle on July 22, has been retained in the top category.Jayasuriya, 41, who became a permanent fixture in the Sri Lanka side after playing a key role in the 1996 World Cup, found himself dropped from the list. The veteran of 110 Tests and 444 ODIs has stated that he would like to play until the 2011 World Cup before finally calling it quits. However, his recent batting form has been poor. In the World Twenty20 in the West Indies he averaged only 3.75 from six matches and in his last six ODI matches his highest score was 31.”We had discussions over the last few weeks with senior players, Sri Lanka Cricket, selectors and team management to try and put a value on the national contracts,” Sri Lanka’s chairman of selectors Aravinda de Silva said. “In that regard we decided we will try and reduce the number of national contracted players to 20 rather than have one of over 30 which are currently in existence. We felt that having that number of players will give us the cream to be signed up on a contract for the national squad.”The contracts are worked out on the previous year’s performances and in Sanath’s case, since he had not performed up to expectations, we decided to leave him out. We also allowed him to go to England and play some county cricket to see how he performs. As I’ve said before we haven’t let either Chaminda Vaas or Muralitharan out of our minds for the World Cup.”de Silva said that when the contracts were done and due to be signed in March no one knew that Muralitharan was going to retire. “To be fair by Murali he mentioned to us that we could leave him out of the contract and consider him only for the one-dayers if we require him, which I have basically from our side told him that we definitely require him for the World Cup,” de Silva said. “We will evaluate the contract matter with Murali once we have a chat with him. He will have to remain because he will definitely be part of the World Cup campaign.”The two newcomers to the central contracts are off-spinner Suraj Randiv and batsman Dinesh Chandimal who have been placed in Category Six. Sri Lanka’s captain Kumar Sangakkara, Muralitharan, Mahela Jayawardene, Tillakaratne Dilshan and Thilan Samaraweera occupy the top category.The other contracted players are: Nuwan Kulasekara (Category Two), Angelo Mathews (Category Three), Upul Tharanga, Thilan Thushara, Rangana Herath, Prasanna Jayawardene, Ajantha Mendis, Chamara Kapugedera, Lasith Malinga, Thilina Kandamby (Category Four), Dilhara Fernando, Chanaka Welagedara, Tharanga Paranavitana (Category Five).

The BCCI and MSM Satellite (Singapore) Pte. Ltd (MSM), the broadcasters of the IPL, have restructured their media rights agreement in order to recover the Rs 425 crore facilitation fee that MSM paid to World Sports Group (Mauritius) as compensation for WSG relinquishing the telecast rights for the Indian subcontinent before the second season of the league in 2009.”Today, the governing council of the IPL had approved an amended Media Rights Agreement with MSM Satellite (Singapore) Pte. Ltd in which MSM would agreed to pay the balance payable under the Facilitation Fee Agreement to the BCCI,” the IPL said in a release. “Thus, they have agreed to pay Rs 300 crores as part of the rights fee to BCCI. MSM Satellite (Singapore) is taking steps to recover Rs 125 crores already paid to WSG Mauritius and on recovery, will pay the same to BCCI.”The new agreement was signed at the IPL governing council meeting in Mumbai earlier today. In a statement of its own, MSM said “the BCCI has disclosed certain facts, hitherto not known to MSMS that confirm that the broadcast rights were exclusively with it (the BCCI) immediately prior to and at the time of the grant of the rights by BCCI to MSMS.” The board had repeatedly said it had no prior knowledge of the facilitation fee agreement and called the fee an “improper payment”.MSM also said it has filed suit in the Bombay High Court to recover the Rs 125 crore it has already paid WSG and that it “categorically denies any impropriety in making the initial payments to WSG relying on representations made to us at that particular point in time.”In a statement emailed to Cricinfo, WSG said it was “surprised” by the board’s decision and defended the legality of the facilitation fee agreement. “WSG reiterates that the contracts being referred to are above board as far as its involvement and obligations are concerned. We are not aware of and not party to the arrangements reached between MSM and BCCI and we will defend any claims which may be made by MSM against us.”The facilitation fee arose out of the restructuring of the television rights deal following the first IPL. WSG India had originally bought the worldwide telecast rights of the IPL for ten years (2008 to 2017) at a cost of over $1 billion. Meanwhile MSM had secured the rights to broadcast in India for five years (2008 to 2012) and had the option of securing the rights for the remaining five years (2013-2017) by paying WSG an option fee of $25 million. If MSM chose to exercise its option, WSG would in turn have to pay the BCCI $35 million at the end of the fifth year.However, the board cancelled the original rights deal in 2009 and renegotiated its deal with WSG Mauritius. On its part, MSM did not want to renegotiate with WSG, wanting a direct contract with the board instead. The result was that MSM eventually negotiated a deal with the BCCI for the same price and duration as WSG Mauritius, in lieu of WSG Mauritius relinquishing its rights. The nine-year deal was worth Rs 8200 crores.Because WSG stepped aside, MSM now owed it the facilitation fee, which consisted of the option fee of $25 million (Rs 115 crores approximately) to extend the rights from 2013 to 2017 and an additional fee of Rs. 310 crores payable over the nine years of the contract compensating WSG Mauritius for returning the rights it acquired from the BCCI. The $35 million potential rating incentive, payable at the end of the fifth year under the original agreement, was eliminated.The facilitation fee had also attracted the attention of the Income Tax department, after it was alleged that no tax was levied on the transaction. At the time, MSM said the “payments made to BCCI and WSG Mauritius have been in accordance with applicable laws and as per established international cross border banking norms and procedures. MSM received tax advice from external tax experts that the transaction with WSG Mauritius did not attract India taxes and MSM has accordingly not withheld any Indian tax.”

ScorecardDevon Smith converted his overnight hundred into a big one, and lower-order half-centuries from David Bernard and Gavin Tonge helped West Indies A take a first-innings lead against India A on the final day in Croydon. The game, however, ended in a high scoring draw with only 18 wickets falling in four days.West Indies began the final morning on 332 for 3 and continued their strong response to India’s 543. Smith and Kirk Edwards added 70 more for the fourth wicket before the innings suffered a hiccup – both batsmen were dismissed with the score on 402. They lost two more wickets cheaply to be reduced to 413 for 7 before Bernard and Tonge came together. They added 64 runs for the eighth wicket and more useful contributions from the tail steered West Indies past India’s total, securing a 20-run lead before the last wicket fell.

ScorecardTitle-chasing Nottinghamshire were frustrated by the weather in their attempts to overhaul County Championship leaders Yorkshire, with only 17 overs of play possible on day one against Essex at Trent Bridge.After waiting until 1700 for the game to start, Nottinghamshire skipper Chris Read unsurprisingly chose to field in the damp conditions after winning the toss. Faced with a potentially tricky session, the visitors managed to reach 61 for 2 at the close.Openers Tom Westley and Jaik Mickleburgh were the men out, leaving Ravi Bopara and Matt Walker to resume in the morning. Nottinghamshire, two points behind Yorkshire and with two games in hand, were able to call upon the services of Ryan Sidebottom with the left-arm seamer not picked for England, but it was one-cap wonder Darren Pattinson who struck first.Westley had taken advantage of a short boundary on the Bridgford Road side of Trent Bridge to clip a six off his legs in Pattinson’s fourth over, but the seamer responded in the next over with a good length delivery resulting in a thin edge to Read.Sidebottom’s England colleague Bopara had a bit of luck to get off the mark with a thick edge to the third-man boundary but Mickleburgh then departed lbw to former Essex all-rounder Andre Adams. Bopara and Walker survived until to the close and, with better weather forecast for the remainder of the match, the hosts will be looking for early wickets tomorrow against the struggling visitors.

The ICC has approved the return of the Viv Richards Stadium in Antigua to international cricket after the announcement of general elections in Trinidad and Tobago forced a change in the schedule of the West Indies series against South Africa starting next month.The two Twenty20s and the first two one-day internationals of the series were to be held at Queen’s Park Oval in Trinidad, but have now been switched to the Viv Richards Stadium.The Antigua ground had been suspended from hosting international cricket by the ICC because of its unfit outfield which led to the cancellation of a Test between West Indies and England last year after just 10 deliveries. Since that fiasco, the ground has successfully hosted an Under-15 regional tournament and several first-class fixtures. The West Indies board said that the stadium had been inspected and cleared by the ICC to hold top-flight cricket.”As per ICC instructions, over the past year, appropriate work was carried out and monitored by the WICB and an inspection of the ground was carried out by Jeff Crowe of the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC match referees,” the ICC said in a statement.South Africa take on West Indies in two Twenty20s, five ODIs and three Tests in a series which lasts from May 19 to June 30.

Danish Kaneria, the Pakistan legspinner, has denied any involvement in the “match irregularities” that Essex Police are investigating, following allegations that are believed to centre around a televised Pro40 game during the last English season.The controversy came to light on Friday evening when a short statement confirmed a police investigation had been launched, and Kaneria’s was the first name linked. He was Essex’s overseas player in 2009 and is due to play for them again this season although his arrival has been delayed by a clash with the PCB’s Pentangular domestic tournament.”I was shocked when I woke up that day and saw these reports,” he said. “They are totally baseless. I have always performed with all my heart and commitment for Essex and the results are there for everyone to see. I helped the side get promoted last season.”Zakir Khan, the PCB’s director of cricket operations, said that Kaneria would be spared disciplinary action unless and until further evidence came to light. “I think it’s very important that first these allegations are proven,” Zakir told reporters at Lord’s. “Then, of course, action will be taken.”Kaneria also confirmed that he plans to return to Essex once his commitments in Pakistan are complete. “For me Pakistan always comes first and I want to get back into the ODI side,” he said. “I was asked to play in the Pentangular and I am going to do that before joining Essex again later.”It is understood that Kaneria is seeking legal advice on how to proceed, while there are also questions being raised in official circles as to why Kaneria’s name was made public so quickly, unlike the local English player involved.The inquiry is based on spot-fixing, which unlike traditional match-fixing (where the end result is the important aspect), is based on betting around small moments within a match, for example how many runs will come off a certain over, or how many no-balls or wides will be sent down. There is the potential for these elements of a game to be manipulated with the final result being unaffected.Sources close to the investigation have told Cricinfo that anyone found guilty would face “very serious punishments” but the concern for the game is how to crack down on the illegal betting market in an era of satellite television and easy internet access.Any county game that is shown on television in the UK is also available in India and Pakistan and that opens the way for the illegal market of betting, which is still believed to be rife on the subcontinent despite extensive attempts to clean up the game in the wake of the Hansie Cronje scandal in 2000.However, despite the links to the subcontinent, the source said a strong UK-based involvement shouldn’t be ruled out.

India have called up Sulakshana Naik and Diana David for the remaining ODIs against England, to replace Nooshin Al Khadeer and Thirush Kamini in the squad of 14.While wicketkeeper Naik last featured in the semi-final of the Women’s World Twenty20 against New Zealand in June last year, David makes her return to the national fold after nearly six years.Offspinner Al Khadeer failed to pick up any wickets in the first two ODIs, going for 56 in the combined 10 overs while Kamini managed 28 in the first match, and retired hurt on 2 in the second.The series is currently tied at 1-1 and the third and fourth ODIs will be played in Visakhapatnam on February 24 and 26. The fifth one-dayer and the first of three Twenty20 internationals, which were to be played at the MIG Club and DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai on March 1 and 4 respectively, have been shifted to the BKC in Mumbai, the BCCI stated in a release.